The Shants

Sacramento expat Skip Allums rides into town with his latest band, the Oakland-based Shants. The band’s new EP, Russian River Songs, was, as the title may suggest, recorded in a cabin overlooking the California waterway. The resulting sound is earthy yet atmospheric, sweetly rough-hewn and occasionally bitter. “I’m a Ghost” manages to be both ghostly and creaky—like a poltergeist moving chairs around a haunted house. There are some livelier numbers (“Oh, Oakland”), but it’s the quieter, sadder songs such as “Lift Up Your Eyes” that set the band apart. Sacramento singer-songwriter Christina Antipa also performs. 230 Commercial Street in Nevada City; http://theshants.tumblr.com.