There’s a reason why this set of Gainesville siblings has become a local live favorite and why the seriously local-scene-minded New Granada Records reached beyond the boundaries of the Bay area to grab up Dear & Glorious’ eponymous debut CD for national release. It’s because the group rocks with both guts and brains, to produce a smart, catchy, wiry, subtly dark-hearted take on underground rock that resonates all over, as opposed to just hitting hard or being infectious or successfully setting off the Hip Meter. I’m not saying the best band currently working the Tampa scene actually comes from Gatorland or anything, but Dear & Glorious Physician is definitely up there among the top acts — from anywhere — hitting our small-venue stages. www.dearandglorious.com.

Best Unnecessary Reminder You're Out of Touch with What the Kids Are Into These Days: Underoath @ State Theatre, June 20

I can respect this cult-legendary Lakeland outfit’s originality — comparing most current metalcore to Underoath is like comparing Tic-Tac-Toe to rocket science. I can also respect the almost unbelievable success and loyalty the group has won with such an iconoclastic sound. But I’d rather be given a Tabasco colonic than pop one of the group’s albums into my stereo while stuck in traffic. And watching a largely under-21 sellout crowd “sing” along with every tortured howl at last summer’s MySpace-sponsored secret pre-CD-release show was an expectedly alienating (not to mention aurally unpleasant) experience. Does the new generation really think its disenchantment is so new, so completely unprecedented in human history? Yeah, I thought that about my own angst once, too. Welcome to the world. www.underoath777.com.

Best Non-Musical Local Music Scene Trend: Bass Players as Brewmasters

Crippled Masters bassist Roger Peterson began dabbling in the art of making one’s own beer last year. Soon, Martin Rice, who plays bass for, I believe, every band in St. Pete with a majority of members over 30, followed suit. Others have since voiced an interest in giving the hobby a try. To them and to all, I hereby declare that every band whose bass player learns to brew beer, and gives me some, will be featured in Creative Loafing. No, really, I can’t actually say or do that. But seriously, I did and I will.

Best Mouth of the South: eFFex

Check out human beatbox/vocal-manipulation maestro eFFeX’s live track “The Right Verbage” on his MySpace page. Check out his starring role in a commercial for some British energy drink you’ve never heard of and will never taste. Check out one of his regular live performances. I’ve seen Rahzel’s solo performance, and Cory “eFFeX” Michael can hang with Rahzel. (I won’t write “is better than,” but, like DJ Deacon, I think it fairly often.) And if he can hang with Rahzel, he can hang with anybody, anywhere. This guy’s amazing. www.myspace.com/effex.

Best Indie-Scene Open Mic: Wednesdays @ Bombshell Gallery
2543 Central Ave.
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From spoken word to lauded veteran Bay area singer-songwriters to completely untalented yet captivating weirdoes, Bombshell’s Wednesday-night open mic provides the alternative to Extreme wannabes and Oasis and Jimmy Buffett covers. The first time I went/played, this dude yowled the single greatest lyric I’ve ever heard — “I’m too lazy to load the gun/ and there’s something good on TV” — and a beautiful girl with a beautiful voice played the banjo beautifully. Plus, it’s currently hosted by our pick for the Bay’s best singer-songwriter, Geri X, and you always get at least a couple of tunes from her; hell, she might even let you play her guitar.

Best Reason to Ask Questions and Demand Answers: Ybor City Noise Ordinance Enforcement

How many Seventh Avenue establishments have been metered? How many have been cited? Have any been metered or cited as often as Eighth Avenue’s New World Brewery? Is it easier to single out an establishment for specific metering on the more sparsely noisy/populated Eighth Avenue? (Of course it is.) Have certain Tampa Police officers stated that their disdain for the metering duty motivates them to look for an establishment of which to make an example? (One reportedly has.) Does one unfortunately located business — I’m looking at you, Don Vicente de Ybor Historic Inn — have the right, or the juice, to put the kibosh on a city block’s worth of thriving musical culture? Will the implementation of Ybor’s noise ordinance influence the suppression that will inevitably follow condos onto Central Avenue in St. Pete?

Best Culture Clash: Acho Brother