John Lamonica: Sat with Sorta and Henry Holt at the Wreck Room, 3208 W 7th St, FW. 817-348-8303.

If you spent any time at 7th Haven a few months ago, you probably heard John Lamonica. He and his band Tiebreaker held a regular gig there briefly, and it was unusual in that Lamonica's music wasn't the kind that, ya know, packs 'em in -- brooding yet lighter than air, immaculate yet organic, gospelish yet solemn acoustic-based pop with techno accompaniment. What never really came through at these shows but is worth noting are Lamonica's sweet pipes. The immediate reference is the high, winsome wail of Jeff Buckley. But with its hollow ache, Lamonica's voice more closely resembles Triple-A legend Bob Welch's ("Hypnotize," "Sentimental Lady"), a good thing in this, the age of Buckley rip-offs.

Things have been going pretty well for Lamonica despite the demise of those 7th Haven gigs. He's been recording his butt off, under the producership of some fantastic knob-twiddlers -- Todd and Toby Pipes (Hi-Fi Drowning, John Price, Drowning Pool) and Matt Pence (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel, contributing drummer to Son Volt's Jay Farrar). He's also been working on a three-song single/DVD, a video for "The Economy Song," and possibly tunes for a film directed by John Cameron Mitchell of Broadway's Hedwig and The Angry Inch fame. In the can already is an e.p.'s worth of material produced by Valve's Casey Diiorio (Deathray Davies, Zac Maloy, Eniac), which Lamonica says may see the light of day sometime in the next month. Until then, visit his web site, www.johnlamonica.com, or catch him this Saturday at the Wreck Room.