It's a new week, which means it's time for a new installment of Bobble Tiki's South Sound music news and notes column. Without further ado, let's get rolling...

As they say, some like it hot. Bobble Tiki on the other hand, well, he doesn't like it hot. In fact, Bobble Tiki hates it hot. Bobble Tiki hates butt sweat; he hates vinyl seats in the sun; he hates sunscreen; and he likes drinking Arnold Palmers, but 90-degree weather does not help him enjoy it any more.

Luckily for Bobble Tiki, and all of those except the "some" that like it hot, it's scheduled to cool down over the next week.

The same cannot be said for Tacoma's live music stages, where things will be as hot as ever this weekend.

Heading to The New Frontier Friday, Seattle-slash-Portland band State of Murdoch (Does that technically make them from Tacoma? Or maybe Centralia? ...) will be celebrating the release of the no-gimmicks, grunge meets contemporary prog band's first official EP in style, as part of a bill that also includes "special guests." Tough to say exactly who these "special guest" bands may be, but State of Murdoch is known to make friendly with a few local acts, including Big Wheel Stunt Show. According to the band - which started in 2008 and is made up of a man named Gryphon along with drummer Pax Allen and bassist Jake Melius - State of Murdoch is preparing for a late summer West Coast tour in conjunction with the recent release of the self-titled EP set to be celebrated Friday.

"The band State of Murdoch exists thanks to a worthwhile weeding through craigslist," states the band on their MySpace page. "When not in the rehearsal space practicing countless hours, you can find us in bars/venues rocking out our set and/or drinking ourselves merry."

Sounds like a band Bobble Tiki can get behind.

Shifting Bobble Tiki's attention to another stage in T-Town, old-school luminaries Point Defiance will apparently also be celebrating a new CD this weekend, releasing a disc of their own Saturday at Hell's Kitchen. For those too young to recall, or lacking the necessary brain cells from the time to recall, Point Defiance was one of the rock bands that helped bring in The Oughts here in T-Town, with heavy dosages of jet-fueled, classic-styled guitar riffs, plenty of posturing, and zero apologies. Bobble Tiki only recently realized the band was still in action, and now he's more excited than with the knowledge there's a new CD coming.

Also on the bill at Hell's Kitchen Saturday is Bone Flower, Semi Automatic and The Love Narcotic, which is the band Kevin and Andy Day (formerly of Top Heavy Crush) have been keeping themselves busy with lately. Should be a great show.

Finally, one of the Volcano's favorites, Ben Union, is playing Hell's Kitchen Thursday, Aug. 19. While the Volcano has blabbered about Union's funkified guitar styling on a number of occasions, we're no less smitten with him today than we were in the beginning. What Volcano editor Matt Driscoll scrawled about Union in the Weekly Volcano bathroom stall still holds true:

While some songwriters may woo listeners with well-woven lyrics that slice straight to the heart and plumb the emotional depths, Ben Union is not that songwriter. His funk and rock hybrid is not a reinvention of the wheel, but it is a sight to hear, behold and just maybe get down to - as well as something no one else in town is even approaching. That, in a nutshell, is the appeal of Ben Union: He takes things you already know and love and serves them back at you with passion, spark and just enough originality to make it all stick.

Yes, Driscoll gets wordy when he's on the can.

Most people, Bobble Tiki has found, just draw pictures of penises. Driscoll is different.

With that, Bobble Tiki will see you next week.