The divide between '90s alt-rock and alt-country was never a particularly contentious one, but it was never better captured than on Todd Snider's 1994 send-up, “Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues.” Since 1994, Snider has pumped out respectable offerings on both independent and major labels, most of them minor affairs filled with his signature, sardonic folk songs. After a period in which he found a niche releasing four albums on John Prine's Oh Boy label, Snider released in 2006 <i>The Devil You Know</i>, a critical favorite that twisted his humorous narratives into Bush-era political commentary. He's touring behind a new album that ranks among his very finest, <i>Agnostic Hymns and Stoner Fables</i>, a collection that pokes light fun at the sad state of the American economy.
Todd Snider
Tonight @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.