AMPS II ELEVEN Bringing their heavy back.

Before calling it a day in 2005, Amps II Eleven was the source of one of the most ferocious noises in the Cleveland music scene. With a bulldozer-metal sound that's easily able to compete with fireworks, the band - Aaron Dowell, Tony Erba, Matt Furness, Attilla Csapo and Steve Callahan - is reuniting for the First Annual Union Local 00 Barbecue at the Jigsaw Saloon and Stage (5324 State Rd., 216.351.3869), kicking off at 5 p.m. Friday, July 4. They'll top a bill of punk and heavy rock acts that also includes the Nick Wolff Band, the Grand Nationals, the Dead Enders, Rockabye Ransom, the Ruboffs, Gunfire Getdown and Switchblade Saints. The show was put together by punk rocker Nick Wolff, who describes it as a "Parma white-trash Fourth of July," with music, food available in the adjoining restaurant and a vantage point to watch the fireworks. Since Amps II Eleven's Aaron Dowell plays in the Nick Wolff band, and Wolff's friends with all the guys, he floated the reunion idea and the band went for it. Wolff founded the informal band collective Union Local 00 earlier this year. "It was an idea I kicked around for a while," he says. "I would go to bars and see the musicians hanging out and it was almost like a union hall but we don't have jobs and don't pay dues. Then outside promoters came in and tried to make a buck off bands; it got really bad in 1998 and 1999. I thought maybe we should do something, put a brand name to our bands. I would like to help every band in this city but I realized I couldn't so I specialized in punk bands. I want to send a message that in your scene you should do the same with whatever bands you're close to. I hope other people in other scenes get something started, too." Admission: $10. - Anastasia Pantsios

Michael Jantz CD release

Singer-songwriter Michael Jantz snagged the Free Times award for best male singer-songwriter in 2004 and promptly decamped for Washington, DC. But Cleveland fans still welcome his return visits to his hometown. This time, he's coming back with a new CD, a six-song EP titled Live at Jim's, to open for ex-Monkee Peter Tork at the Winchester Music Hall (12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216.226.5681) on Saturday, July 5. The CD was recorded at bassist/engineer Jim Donohue's home studio while Jantz was rehearsing his band (which also includes drummer Dan Perriello and harmonica player Chris Nammour) to go on tour for his second full-length album, Snapshots of the Universe, released last year. It's another solid effort for Jantz, who rocks crisply on tracks like "I Would" and "Where Are You?" and shows his folk-tinged side on "Dreamin' About Summertime," a showcase for his strong vocal skills. Go to michaeljantz.com for info. - AP

Jigsaw assumes management of Peabody's

Phillip Lara, who bought the Jigsaw Saloon and Stage (5324 State Rd., Parma) last fall and Lakewood's HiFi Club in the spring, has added another venue to his portfolio. He's taking over operations of Peabody's (2083 E. 21st St.), which he'll run with partners Chris Zitterbart and Derek Sutcliffe, giving the parent company, Jigsaw Entertainment Group, three venues of different sizes. Although he says, "I'd prefer not to say what we're going to do before we do it," he's promising changes in the club's booking policies to make concerts more user-friendly. In addition, the Jigsaw now has a central Web site, jigsawsaloonandstage.com, which will be expanded to include links to all three venues. Lara took over operations on July 1. - AP

Rootstock's back

For the 14th year, Cleveland nonprofit Folknet, which promotes folk-based and acoustic singer-songwriter music, holds its "Rootstock" to showcase area talent in a spectrum of roots-music genres. This year's event, again at Cain Park's Alma Theater (Superior and Lee roads, Cleveland Heights, 216.371.3000) takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6. Saturday's line-up will include "suburban folk goddess" Elaine Ohm, duo Cabbage Creek, which plays bluegrass, gospel, old-time, fiddle and Civil War songs, singer-songwriter-guitarist Deborah Van Kleef (whose new CD, Work in Progress, comes out next week), dulcimer/guitar duo Tom Connor and Jan Hammond and the duo of violist Doc Dreyfuss (of McKendree Spring fame) and singer Jim Gill. Sunday's show will feature singer-songwriter Sarah Goslee Reed, folk-jazz ensemble Rio Neon, the Erie Travellers with their Appalachian mountain music, and duo Tina Bergmann and Bryan Thomas combining South American, Celtic and traditional American music. The shows are free. - AP

Phestur

Fine' Pompeii (self-released)

With its fourth album, Fine' Pompeii, Phestur proves it's a band to be reckoned with. Creating a genre of its own, which it calls "rough trade rock," the band shows it's definitely not punk, but not quite grunge either, though many of its new songs are reminiscent of a certain grunge rocker and Phestur idol, Kurt Cobain. Tracks like "Dumb" and "September Lost" would have made Cobain proud. The album's opening track, "Vesuvius Awakens," gently leads you into the abrupt eruption of loud vocals and extreme guitar solos of the following song, "Sweat," reflecting the band's who-cares attitude. Songs like "Mouth" will have the listener singing along as Adam Hines sings, "Just shut your mouth." - Lauren Yusko

Genuine Sun

Return (Blaster Records)

Genuine Sun is a band of lifelong friends who create music that's undeniably catchy and non-offensive. Their first album, Return, embraces every aspect of popular music from the '90s, whether it's lead singer Dave Ritz's Chris Daughtry-like vocals or the band's cookie-cutter approach to songwriting. Think Counting Crows without the funky dreads. Genuine Sun is a band that's already worthy of radio play, with songs that often repeat their hooks. A song that demonstrates this user-friendly approach is its single "Goodbye" which has the typical chorus/verse/chorus/verse/ solo/chorus blueprint and has Ritz often echoing the sentiment "Goodbye" like he owned the copyright of the word. Throughout the album, it's clear that although this is the band's first full release on Blaster records, they're far from amateurs. - Ryan MacLennan

Genuine Son performs at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 6 as part of Liberty Fest at Crocker Park (159 Crocker Park Blvd., 440.871.6880). Free.