Breaking laces is a threepiece rock band out of Brooklyn, New York and their current tour led them all the way down to Birmingham to play at The Nick last Tuesday. I'd like to say that it wasn't a waste of gas, but gas is pretty pricey these days and a stellar crowd of nine people won't get you a half tank.

I know that some of you were not born yet before my friend Yvonne was blinded by Thomas Dolby´s science in highs school in the '80s. Dolby started in London´s punk scene that was raging at the time--with authentic, not fake like some current bands we will not name, appropriated punk ethic.

Eclipse Coffee (Montevallo):.

If you are remotely familiar with the Birmingham music scene, then you know the huge impact that Scott "Reg" Register has had on it. Last month marked the 15th anniversary of his iconic radio show, Reg's Coffeehouse. Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., listeners are presented with Reg's signature blend of local, independent, and alternative music.

Buffalo Wild Wings (Hoover):.

Birmingham-based photographer Caleb Chancey discovered two vital elements for the songs that would eventually make up his musical project, War Jacket. The first was the collaborations and friendships he had made through Grey Haven Community, a local music collective that he helped found back in 2008.

Vocalist Lauren Shackelford started the group, named after a string of islands called St. Vincent and the Grenadines, at the University of Alabama. Her nowhusband, Michael Shackelford, joined the group and a songwriting partnership was born.

“I’m exhausted/I’m a faker/I’ve been giving to the taker,” so sings Perry Brown on Troy-based Fire Mountain’s second EP, Of the Dust. The lyrics represent the quiet desperation felt throughout the entire release.

Birmingham-based Act of Congress has been gaining buzz for the last five years due to a combination of complex musical buildups and breakdowns, layered harmonies and energetic live shows, which feature the band’s compelling original arrangements as well as covers of Coldplay, Radiohead, The Beatles and The Postal Service.

Experimental and progressive as Radiohead and Jeff Buckley and as emotionally evoking as Arcade Fire, Birmingham’s The Great Book of John shine on their newest release, a self-titled full-length for the local record label, Communicating Vessels.