Bassist and singer Devin Alexander attributes The Post Mortems' two-instrument setup to laziness, but it's not ordinary laziness - as there's very little that's typical about the Quad Cities/Iowa City band.

From its bass-and-drums-rock conceit to its gear to the seven-plus years it took to record its new album Cracked & Crooked, The Post Mortems have often traveled through bramble and brush.

But as arduous as that has often been for Alexander and drummer Al Raymond, the band's March 7 album-release show at RIBCO should provide plenty of proof that the journey has borne fruit. The record successfully hews to The Post Mortems' two-man core while pushing past the boundaries of what should be possible with only a traditional rhythm section - maintaining a minimalist identity while giving listeners much of they dynamic range and texture they expect from a larger outfit. And Alexander said his recently debuted live bass rig should be a revelation to longtime fans of the band.

Davenport, IA-For Valentine's Day weekend, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra presents an ode to love ranging from the tragic romance of Pelleas and Melisande to Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola performed by husband-and-wife duo Elissa Lee Koljonen and Roberto Díaz. The concert concludes in the always romantic Italy, described vividly by Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony. The concert will be performed on February 15 and 16. Saturday evening's concert is at the Adler Theatre in Davenport at 7:30 p.m., and followed on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Centennial Hall in Rock Island. This concert is sponsored by John Deere.

Recognized as one of the most celebrated violinists of her generation, Elissa Lee Koljonen has thrilled audiences and critics in over one hundred cities throughout the world. Koljonen initially received international acclaim when she became the first recipient of the prestigious Henryk Szeryng Foundation Award and silver medalist of the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition. Her playing has been lauded by the Helsingin Sanomat (Helsinki) as "sparkling, sensual and personal." Dan Tucker of the Chicago Tribune writes, "She displayed boundless technique and musicianship," and the Detroit News reports, "Koljonen brings to her playing not just assured technique but unflinching purpose and confidence."

Also on Friday, students are invited to sit in on a dress rehearsal and get the inside perspective through Students@Symphony. During a break in the rehearsal, the students will have an opportunity to meet Mark Russell Smith, as well as Díaz and Koljonen. This program is open to any secondary or elementary student and supervising adults. Students should arrive at 7:30 p.m. and pre-register online at

Inside the Music Luncheon
Friday, February 14, at 12:00 noon
Reservations: $15
Contact: www.qcsymphony.com or 563.322.QCSO (7276)
Quad City Botanical Center, Rock Island

Students@Symphony
Friday, February 14, at 7:30 p.m.
Registration: FREE
Contact: www.qcsymphony.com or 563.322.QCSO (7276)
Adler Theatre, Davenport

Concert Conversations
Saturday, February 15, at 6:30 p.m.
Adler Theatre, Davenport
Sponsored by Rich James, Wells Fargo Financial Advisors

Masterworks III
Saturday, February 15, at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $10-$55
Contact: www.qcsymphony.com or 563.322.QCSO (7276)
Adler Theatre, Davenport

Sponsored by John Deere

Afterglow
Saturday, February 15, immediately following the concert
Hotel Blackhawk, adjacent to the Adler Theatre/RiverCenter

Concert Conversations
Sunday, February 16, at 1:00 p.m.
Centennial Hall, Rock Island
Sponsored by Rich James, Wells Fargo Financial Advisors

Masterworks III
Sunday, February 16, at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $10-$40
Contact: www.qcsymphony.com or 563.322.QCSO (7276)
Centennial Hall, Rock Island

Sponsored by John Deere

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After nearly 14 years of music-making - many of them spent headlining concerts and outdoor festivals, and opening for the likes of the BoDeans and the Little River Band - the Quad Cities-based alt-country band Jim the Mule is taking a long, perhaps permanent, break. And on February 1, guitarists Tom Swanson and Sean Ryan, bassist Jason Gilliland, and percussionist Marty Reyhons will perform Jim the Mule's farewell show at Davenport's Redstone Room, an event featuring guest musicians and a retrospective celebration of Jim the Mule's most popular originals and covers.

Swanson, who co-founded Jim the Mule with Gilliland in 2000 (and is a former River Cities' Reader employee), recently shared some thoughts about the band's history and journey, and where on Earth the mule itself might have gone.

The title of The Weeks' Dear Bo Jackson does more than name-check the famous two-sport professional athlete - an All-Pro running back in the NFL and an All-Star outfielder in Major League Baseball. It also articulates a mission statement for the Nashville-by-way-of-Mississippi band.

"Bo Jackson, as good as he was at baseball and football, he was just called a ballplayer," said guitarist Sam Williams earlier this week. "Bo Jackson just kind of does what he wants. That's sort of what we were going with, musically. ... I just want to be a rock band. ... I think this record has a lot of different genres. We kind of skip around a lot."

To extend the metaphor, Williams said "the bashing rock-and-roll songs" represent The Weeks' football career, while the slower songs are baseball. "They take a little longer to develop," he said, but they have their share of "triples and homes runs."

Of course, bands hate being pigeonholed, but The Weeks make good on their chutzpah. When the latest edition of the Communion tour hits the Quad Cities on January 23 (at RIBCO), the bill features a pair of throwback bands. Both The Weeks and The Dough Rollers play rock that neither needs nor warrants additional modifiers; it's music largely out of time.