Wayne ‘The Train’ Hancock returns to Willie’s Locally Known

Wayne “The Train” Hancock

You turned the clock back already once this fall, when we bid farewell to daylight-saving time. Now get set to turn it back, more figuratively, a lot further.

Returning to Willie’s Locally Known on Saturday is Wayne “The Train” Hancock.

The Texas native has always favored a Lone Star blend built on vintage country and swing, a sound rooted in the gentle sway of blues-tinted, criss-crossing guitars and vocal leads that wander between alert giddiness and slow-poke longing.

You can hear the former on the clever “Divorce Me C.O.D.,” with the latter taking the wheel on “Dog Day Blues.” Both are centerpiece tunes to Hancock’s new album, “Slingin’ Rhythm,” a record that augments its neatly orchestrated guitar sound with the pedal steel guitar accents of Rose Sinclair and the upright bass support of Samuel “Huck” Johnson. Drums, as usual, are absent, with guitar rhythms providing the music’s only needed percussive sway.

“Slingin’ Rhythm” also marks the return of another trusted Hancock cohort, veteran Texas producer Lloyd Maines (known for his work with, among other Texas giants, Joe Ely). Aside from giving “Slingin’ Rhythm” its sleek, efficient sound, Maines also colors in tunes including “Thy Burdens are Greater Than Mine” on dobro.

“There has always been some kind of telekinesis going on between me and him,” Hancock said of Maines before a 2013 performance at the old Willie’s on North Broadway. “I never have to really tell him what I want. But whenever he makes a suggestion, it usually winds up being what I want. Lloyd used to play steel guitar on all of my earlier stuff. Now he won’t do it anymore because he said my steel player is better. That’s pretty high praise.”

Coralee and the Townies/Frontier Ruckus

Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts

A busy weekend is on tap at The Burl.

On Friday night, homegrown soul-steeped honky tonk favorite Coralee and the Townies will headline. Any night out with Coralee and crew is a guaranteed blast, but this will be a show worth showing up early for. Opening will be the Detroit-bred Americana pop of Frontier Ruckus. The band will showcase music from 2014’s “Sitcom Afterlife.” The latter includes a fun R.E.M.-ish bit of backyard fun called “Crabapples in the Century’s Storm.”

Then on Saturday, we have the return of Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts. The Rockford, Ill., band is touring behind its 2016 album, “Heavy Metal,” which was recorded in Lexington with producer Duane Lundy at his Shangri-La studio. The title is a bit deceiving as the record leans to ensemble pop-soul sounds.

If the name Nielsen, along with the Rockford connection, sounds familiar, here’s why. The bandleader is the son of Cheap Trick guitarist and co-founder Rick Nielsen.

Hammer time

Another show initially scheduled for the not-yet-open Cosmic Charlie’s on National Avenue has found a new home.

Moved to the 11th Frame Lounge in the Southland Bowling Alley, 205 Southland Drive, will be Friday night’s return outing by veteran cowpunk crunch rockers Nine Pound Hammer. The band’s current lineup — vocalist Scott Luallen, guitarist Blaine Cartwright, drummer Brian Pulito and bassist Mark Hendricks — will show off material from its new album, “Bluegrass Conspiracy.”

The Fanged Robot will open (10 p.m., $10). Tickets are available at Ticketfly.com. Be warned, though. Online tickets say that the show is at Cosmic Charlie’s, so don’t get confused. You will need to head to Southland for this one.

This story was originally published November 17, 2016 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Wayne ‘The Train’ Hancock returns to Willie’s Locally Known."