The beauty of Holley's music is in the details.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

If Sheryl Crow had a better voice and wasn't so interested in having fun, she might sound something like Claire Holley - which is not to say that Holley's music isn't fun, only that she pays more attention to the details.

The North Carolina singer leads off her latest album, "Dan-

POP NOTES

delion," with `6 Miles to Mc- Kenney" a stone-solid roots-rocker that has none of the awkward moments of, say, Crow's "Steve McQueen."

The rest of Holley's CD is more subdued, and it's clear that that's where this Sunday school teacher's daughter is most comfortable.

The title track starts off intentionally fuzzy and quickly comes into focus, as do many of her songs. "Henry's," too, drifts into something unexpectedly beautiful.

Holley's previous release, "Sanctuary," was a collection of hymns that she adapted for her purposes. Many of those songs came from her childhood, and her past shines through in other places as well.

Raised on the sounds of flat-top pickers, honky-tonk singers, church choir singers, opera divas and her grandmother's jazz piano, Holley learned to respect a wide range of music.

Really, comparing Holley to Crow is unfair, because the two singers have completely different aims; Holley probably shares more in common with another Southern singer, Texas-born Edie Brickell. But in the end, Holley has more to offer than either of those two artists.

Holley comes to Cafe Paradiso, 115 W. Broadway, on Wednesday for a free 8:30 p.m. show.

Bela Fleck

and the Flecktones

Leave it to Bela Fleck and the Flecktones to release a triple CD.

"Little Worlds" is the latest release from the prolific masters of their own bluegrass-jazz-pop universe. The record features guest appearances by everyone from Bobby McFerrin to Nickel Creek, and it comes on the heels of last year's DVD/CD "Live From the Quick."

The genre-defying band, which has even more new releases if you count all the side projects the group's members are involved in, comes to the McDonald Theatre, 1010 Willamette St., on Saturday for a 9 p.m. show.

Led by banjo aficionado and 17-time Grammy nominee Fleck, the core band is bassist Victor Wooten, percussionist Future Man, and saxophonist Jeff Coffin.

Tickets to Saturday's show are $28 in advance or $29 day of show. (A review of the new album "Little Worlds" appears on Page 20.)

Conception

Conception will unleash its melodic hard-core on the WOW Hall, 291 W. Eighth Ave., on Saturday.

Led by vocalist Kevin Richardson, the quartet includes percussionist Max Platz, guitarist Cameron Taylor and bassist Benjamin Sattler.

The bill also includes the electronic/hard rock act TV:616, along with opening act Grynch. The Eugene four-piece starts its set at 8:30 p.m.

The cover is $5.

DeadBolt

DeadBolt will come a knockin' at Diablo's Downtown Lounge, 959 Pearl St., on Wednesday in support of its latest album, "Haight Street Hippie Massacre."

The Dollar Store Cowboys, the Hellenbacks and Roots Rock Weirdos also will perform. The show is being billed as an evening of voodoo rock, rockabilly, roots-rock and punk.

The cover is $7.

Skinlab

The Annex, 23 W. Sixth Ave. will turn metallic on Thursday.

Skinlab headlines an all-ages evening of hard rock and metal. Also on the bill are 36 Crazyfists, Northwest Royale, Five Foot Thick and Dfive9.

The show starts at 8 p.m. The cover is $8.

Grasshopper

The alt-country act Grasshopper will hop into Sam Bond's Garage, 407 Blair Blvd., on Thursday.

Hatched by guitarist-vocalist Tony Gilchriest and vocalist Paige Hamm, the Eugene-by-way-of-Austin, Texas, ensemble emanates some warm twang on its four-song demo. Gilchriest, a veteran of the Texas club circuit, and Hamm, classically trained at the University of North Texas, trade vocal duties.

The group also features the rhythm section of Mike Nemath (Emerald City Rockets, Stone Biscuit) and Chris Munson (Honey Buckit, Peter Wilde, Son Bossa).

Brian Patrick will open the show at 9 p.m. The cover is $3.

CAPTION(S):

The Grasshoppers will jump on in to Sam Bond's Garage on Thursday for a dose of Eugene-by- way-of-Texas alt-country music.