Cheaps: Findlay, Surrealists & Haiti Help

Hey there Miss Thursday, looking pretty good over there in the corner with your ass in the air and your mind on the weekend. Got some Cheap Thrills? Well I do. I gotz Findlay tonight, Roger Miller's Surrealist Nite on Satz and Good Life going ALL DAY for Haiti on Sunday.

ANOTHER BROWN VICTORY
UK crooner Findlay Brown at T.T. the Bear’s Place
Doors open tonight at 9, 10 Brookline St., Cambridge; 18-plus, $7
So what of this Findlay Brown character? The 30-year-old British crooner has a voice that has been compared to Roy Orbison (quite a distinction), a pompadour erected straight from Morrissey’s youth (equally impressive) and an air of cool normally reserved for your grandmother’s opinion of Michael Buble (unthinkable). Now, Brown’s lush, ballroom-inspired ’60s pop is ready for its own close-up, leaving the easy comparisons in a wake of ace songwriting craftsmanship and old-school showman chops. The latest in the increasing line of UK soul revivalists, the arresting current single “Love Will Find You” is best described as the spiritual sequel to Orbison’s “I Drove All Night” and is destined to be the soundtrack to more than a few broken hearts come Valentine’s Day. Brown has even gotten a push from former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, who knows a thing about retro sounds after producing Brit soul siren Duffy’s critically acclaimed 2008 album “Rockferry.” Now on a short jaunt stateside, Brown’s cool croon seems poised for stardom. The gig is quite a steal at $7, even if the bill wasn’t buoyed by local luminaries Marc Pinansky of Township, Rick Berlin and Sodafrog. Grab your girl and twirl.
Info: 617-492-0082, ttthebears.com

THE SURREAL LIFE
Roger Miller’s Surrealist Night at the Arts at the Armory Cafe
Saturday at 7 p.m., 191 Highland Ave., Somerville; all-ages, $8
Roger Miller is sending out the signals, calls and marches for the area’s mentalists. The guitarist for legendary post-punk band Mission of Burma, fresh off a double-dip at the Paradise Rock Club last weekend, is hosting a surrealist game night at the Armory Saturday. In addition to DJ’ing and offering his hand-picked selection of microbrews, Miller will preside as master of ceremonies over several tables of word and drawing games tucked neatly within the internal shadow of the 107-year-old Armory’s stucco turreted cafe. The mind-bending game experiences, developed by French surrealist writer Andre Breton in the ’20s and ’30s, will be explained and led by Miller, ensuring everyone works collectively (the games require groups of three to six people) and there’s all sorts of unexpected juxtaposes and synchronistic sequencing going on.
Info: 617-718-2191, artsatthearmory.org

WITH HAITI IN MIND
13 hours of fund-raising dance parties at the Good Life
Sunday: Aid to Haiti from 1 to 9 p.m., For the People from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; 28 Kingston St.; 21-plus, $5 suggested donation for each party
Each week the Good Life hosts some of the best electronic-flavored dance parties in the city, from OMFG to Visions to Evolution. But as the masses dance the nights away in the venue’s downstairs lounge, the name of the space reaffirms one thing: We’re living the Good Life. With the recent earthquake in Haiti, many folks can’t share that sentiment, so it’s only fitting the Kingston Street nightspot opens its doors all-day Sunday in a 13-hour charity crusade. At 1 p.m., Aid to Haiti becomes a haven for techno, hip-hop and dance rock with more than 10 top local DJs - from Soul Clap to Ryan Foley to Mistaker to Frank White - bringing the nonstop dance party action. Then at 9 p.m., For the People takes over with Brek.One, Bladerunners and Devlin lead the urban sonic charge with more than 15 local businesses chipping in raffle items. Both parties are asking just $5, and all proceeds are marked for Haiti relief efforts. Fund-raisers don’t have to be stuffy events - the word fun is in there for a reason, and the Good Life has it down.
Info: 617-451-2622, goodlifebar.com