Courtesy photo

Southern Culture on the Skids

Courtesy photo

Stephanie Rooker

FRIDAY

Southern Culture on the Skids (with Andy Hollander Band)

If it's not enough that Southern Culture bassist/singer Mary Huff and drummer Dave Hartman are Roanoke natives, there's always the fried chicken dancing, the camel walk and 'nanner puddin'. After at least 20 years as a band, SCOTS still has the chops and songcraft to keep an audience dancing and drinking. Go to roanoke.com/entertainment/insideout/podcasts for audio interviews with the band. Opening act Andy Hollander Band features original tunes and new member Brittany Sparks, last heard singing hard blues with the band Roadhouse.

Details: 10 p.m. Friday. Awful Arthur's, Towers Shopping Center, 2229 Colonial Ave., Roanoke. $15. 777-0007, myspace.com/awfularthurs, scots.com.

Stephanie Rooker

Onetime Radford resident Rooker has moved up to New York City, where she is working on her singing career and has made a fine CD, "Tellin' You Right Now." She'll be at FloydFest as part of the festival's emerging artist series. If you're not going to Floyd, catch her in the more intimate confines at 202 Market. Go to roanoke.com/entertainment/insideout/podcasts to hear talk and music with Rooker.

Details: 8 p.m. Friday. 202 Market, 202 Market St., downtown Roanoke. $5. 202market.net, stephanierooker.com.

TODAY THRU SUNDAY

FloydFest 7

With Rusted Root, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Avett Brothers, Railroad Earth, Tea Leaf Green, Oliver Mtukudzi, Donna the Buffalo and more.

Four days of music in the Patrick County hills, near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Go to roanoke.com/entertainment/wb/169890 for more details and stories.

Details: Today through Sunday, Blue Cow Pavilion, mile marker 170.5, Blue Ridge Parkway, Patrick County. Details at floydfest.com.

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

FloydFest Emerging Artist Series

Thursday: Izzy & Chris, Madrone, Segway, BuzzUniverse, My Radio

Friday: Katie Pearlman Band, Bucktown Kickback, Shane Gamble & the Gentlemen, Oneside, SciFi

Quality music, packed into tight sets, from some of the new kids on the FloydFest block. Yeah, they'll be in Floyd, too, but just think of Martin's as the beer garden on these nights.

Details: 9 tonight and Friday. Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, 413 First St., Roanoke. $5. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, floydfest.com.

THURSDAY

The Joey Gilmore Band

Sings like Buddy Guy. Guitar chops remind you of the three Kings -- B.B., Albert, Freddie. What more do you need to know?

Details: 9 tonight. Blue 5 Restaurant, 312 Second St., downtown Roanoke. Free. 904-5338, blue5restaurant.com, joeygilmore.net.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

FiddleFest

With Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys, The Grascals, Grasstowne, The Dailey-Vincent Band and more, including workshops

Bluegrass legends and legends in the making will be pickin', workshoppin' and roundtablin' for two days. Read more, including an interview with chart-toppers Dailey & Vincent on Page 5.

Details: 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday. 1 to 11 p.m. Saturday. Moody Center, Hollins University, Roanoke. Ticket information at roanokefiddlefest.org.

FRIDAY

The Joe Moss Band

Hot, soul-inflected blues from a guy who can sing and play well. Trivia: His brother leads blues favorites Nick Moss & the Flip Tops.

Details: 9 p.m. Friday. Blue 5 Restaurant, 312 Second St., Roanoke. Free. 904-5338, blue5restaurant.com, joemossband.com.

Discordian Society (with the Mantras and Volatile Baby)

Davz Not Here and crew have moved from Roanoke to Asheville, N.C., but they're back in the valleys this weekend for a Discordian Society funk/rock/jazz two-fer (the band will be at All Sports Cafe in Salem at 10 p.m. Saturday). Greensboro, N.C.-based the Mantras have some jazzy, Latin-tinged jams to offer. Volatile Baby is vocal harmony-heavy folk.

Details: 9:30 p.m. Friday. The Lantern, 211-B Draper Road, Blacksburg. $5. 951-1019, myspace.com/thelanternblacksburg, myspace.com/discordiansociety, myspace.com/themantras, volatilebaby.com.

SATURDAY

Blue Highway With The Harwell Grice Band

Blue Highway is returning from a West Coast swing to play bluegrass in these old Virginia hills. The band's latest CD, "Through the Window of a Train," shows that it's still a bluegrass force.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday. Franklin County High School, Rocky Mount. $15. 483-9542, bluehighwayband.com.

Lloyd Dobler Effect With Center Hill

Help these C-beef rock stalwarts celebrate their CD release. Opening act Center Hill is a new band from Roanoke.

Details: 10 p.m. Saturday. Corned Beef & Co., 107 Jefferson St., downtown Roanoke. $5. 21 and older. 342-3354, lloyddoblereffect.com, myspace.com/centerhillband.

Jordan Harman Band

It's the CD release party for this young groove-rock songwriter and his talented cohorts. Details: 9 p.m. Saturday. 202 Market, 202 Market Square, downtown Roanoke. $5. 202market.net, myspace.com/jordanharmanband.

Jazz in July

With a jazz all-star jam, the Blue 5 Jazz Septet featuring Kerry Hurley, Pace Brothers Organ Trio, Roanoke Jazz Orchestra, Confluence

Looks like a good lineup. Hurley, a singer who has many gigs with many acts, could be a highlight, and you can't miss with the Pace Brothers.

Details: 3 p.m. Saturday. Longwood Park, Salem. Free. 375-3057.

Triscale

Guitar, keyboard and drums and some interesting rock 'n' roll songs.

Details: 9 p.m. Saturday. Brambleton Deli, 3655 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. Free. 774-4554, triscaleband.com.

ROCKS

Typically, we reserve Top Tickets for bands that play at least some original music. But let's give it up for Charlie Hamill, Van Halen fan deluxe, and his band, ROCKS, which will cover VH, Stone Temple Pilots, Ozzy Osbourne -- even Rush, for the land's sake!

Details: 10 p.m. Saturday. Awful Arthur's, Towers Shopping Center, 2229 Colonial Ave., Roanoke. $5. 777-0007, myspace.com/awfularthurs.