HOWLIN RAIN

Howlin Rain's San Francisco looks a lot like the one from 40-plus years ago. The quintet uncorks all kinds of retro sounds on their third album, The Russian Wilds. Mixing a galactic dose of heavy blues into its sludgy psych-rock, Howlin Rain come on like any number of bands that could and quite possibly have played the Fillmore West back when drugs were mandatory and showers were optional. Ghosts of hippie rock's past roam free – everything from Blue Cheer's metallic crunch to Humble Pie's blustery boogie to Crosby, Stills & Nash's super-tight harmonies to hometown icons the Grateful Dead's, um, adventurous musical spirit can be heard in Howlin Rain's music. Cynics could easily dismiss them as stoner rock, but there's more to it than that; the riffs and grooves spread much broader. Twee-poppers Belle & Sebastian handpicked them to play their music festival, which says a lot about their widespread appeal. So do the songs, which are more restless than the band's shaggy appearance lets on. With Buffalo Killers and Broncho. 9 p.m. Tickets: $10. –Michael Gallucci