New York songstress Nina Nastasia stops by the Mohawk tonight at the near-beginning of what will become a sprawling world-wide tour, meeting up with Denton's well-liked Tre Orsi and the local Silver Pines in the process. Nastasia has garnered herself quite the underground momentum, moving from humble roots as an untethered musician wandering her way through the dimly-lit club scene, to an artist with international demand and the respect of idolized names such as producer Steve Albini and Dirty Three drummer Jim White. Her debut album, Dogs, is impossible to find and is futilely sought in a way not unfamiliar to Belle & Sebastian's debut cut, Tigermilk. But she's not just a machine for hype---she plays some pretty fine music, too, using her acoustic guitar and a knack for captivating storytelling to cut through the muck of singer-songwriter-dom to create a niche all her own. And that niche has her and her band being called everything from "remarkable" to "enrapturing" to "inspired" by critics....

If you've never heard Jolie Holland, here are some things you should know. Tom Waits thinks she's fantastic, and nominated her first album for the Shortlist prize. AllMusic puts her sound somewhere between Nina Nastasia and Andrew Bird. And along with Waits, she's recording on the Anti- label along with Neko Case and Daniel Lanois. Now that we have your attention, perhaps you'll download some free MP3's from her site and see why it......

MONDAY [2] music • Nina Nastasia, Cue, Jonathan Mieburg (Shearwater) at Emo's music • HAAM Benefit with Marcia Ball at Antone's lecture • Zeina Halabi presents "Summer at School: Dispatches from the War on Lebanon" at Monkeywrench Books (8pm) film • Francophone Film Festival: Monsieur Ibrahim at Texas Union Theatre (7:30pm) film • True Romance at Rounders Pizzeria (8pm, Free) film • I Know I'm Not Alone at The Space (8pm, Free) film •......