As much as Id like to spend the next hundred words styling snarky Ben Harper jokes, the powerfully moving, perfectly crafted music of Fistful of Mercy makes it nearly impossible. Emotionally potent on a level that makes Glen Hansard of the Swell Season seem aloof and unavailable, the music of FOM doesnt just tug at your heart strings, it performs a full frontal cardiac excavation, hollowing out your chest cavity like it was produced in the Temple of Doom. This seemingly unlikely trio (also featuring the genetically gifted Dhani Harrison and dreamy perfection of Joseph Arthur) produces authentically searing songs that will appeal to commercial consumers and music snobs alike. With Alain Johannes. MACHELL DUMA LAVASSAR
Tue., Nov. 9, 8 p.m., 2010
