Crown City Rockers, The Lawrence Arms, The Nightwatchman -- ASD's Live Music Picks for Friday, July 20

Crown City Rockers, 9 at the Independent. $18.
“On Earthtones the Crown City Rockers come across like an exciting breath of fresh air wafting into a smoky, sweaty studio, an illustration of the sustainability and positive direction of hip-hop. Much like the great taste of a tree-ripened organic apple, the great sound and energy of live instrumentals will always prevail. Still touring in support of Earthtones but reportedly working on material for a new album, expect Crown City Rockers to lead the way in the burgeoning organic hip-hop movement." -- Lost At Sea

The Lawrence Arms, 7:30 at Bottom of the Hill. $12.
“Forget it. Pop punk isn’t going to be buried in the back yards of suburbia or re-zoned to make room for a new strip mall, at least as long as there’s bands like The Lawrence Arms there to defend it. For years, the Arms have been kicking around the underground, touring nonstop and making a few records for Asian Man, and the act’s hard work has never been so apparent as on its Fat debut, Apathy and Exhaustion. Sure, the act’s dark Chicago pop punk (think Alkaline Trio without the Vagrant budget) makes it a safe bet to say that all the members of the Arms cried openly in public when they heard Jawbreaker broke up, but it also means that the trite melodies and brain-dead drumming of mall punk are as far away from this album as California’s sunny beaches are from Chicago’s biting winters and dirty sweat-sock gray skies." -- Aversion

The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello), 7:30 at Café Du Nord. $16.
“The Nightwatchman, by design, is not for mass appeal. The songs are written to rally people on picket lines and at protests. "One criticism that could credibly be leveled against the record is that it's preaching to the converted," Morello said backstage before the show. "Well, the converted need a kick. . . . Those of us that know better are not doing enough."" -- Washington Post