THE image of Kurt Cobain, fragile from heroin abuse, and months from death, screaming out the most intense cover of Leadbelly's Where Did You Sleep Last Night has become one of rock music's most poignant moments.

And the man who inspired Kurt to cover the old blue's standard, Mark Lanegan, plays in TJ's this week, as part of his first and long awaited solo tour to these shores.

Lanegan is one of Seattle's most respected musicians, and first covered the Leadbelly song on his solo album The Winding Sheet, released on Sub Pop, a record to which Kurt contributed.

Most people know Lanegan from his time fronting the Screaming Trees, and as an occasional member of fellow grunge purveyors, Queens of the Stone Age.

Lanegan's solo material tends to be more roots orientated than his band stuff But he has one of the great voices in rock music, singing like he has just smoked 100 cigarettes and washed it all down with a huge glass of leather-tonsil inducing bourbon.

Mark's band will feature QOTSA's Dave Catching and Gene Trauman on bass and drums. Mark's album Field Songs is out in this country on Beggars Banquet, and the TJ's gig, promoted by Sickfuture, is on Wednesday, November 28. Filling the support slot are the Fantastic Super Foofs.

Now only in the good ole US of A could a band like Lift To Experience emerge without any overburdening sense of irony, and for those of a more evangelical persuasion, salvation may well be found in Clwb Ifor Bach on Monday night.

The three 'sons of preacher men' and their lofty debut album, the Texas/Jerusalem Crossroads, has attracted non-stop attention since its release last year.

You can expect little else from a record which is basically an hour and a quarter of prog-country-emo-rock, or to put it another way, a concept album about the end of the world with Texas being the promised land.

Despite looking and sounding like three God fearing Texan ranch hand hicks or offshoots from a ZZ Top tribute band, the band actually scale some mighty musical heights on tracks such as These Are The Days and the gospel tinged The Ground So Soft, make music to touch even the most hardened athiest.

Tickets are £5 in advance and doors are open at 7.30pm, support comes from the Devics.

*PICTURED: Lift to Experience.