You gotta hand it to Ray Manzarek. The organist and singer best known for his 1960s role in the Doors has since kept a sharp eye on the underground, first by producing the great L.A. punk band X and now, taking up residency in the Napa Valley, by appearing in a recent video shoot for Napa’s indie sensations Body or Brain. That’s pretty much the coolest thing in the world, but his involvement doesn’t stop there. As a judge at last year’s Battle of the Bands at the Napa Valley Opera House, Manzarek showered praise on Napa’s best-dressed dudes the Subtones, calling them “a great dual-guitar rock band with a rock-idol frontman and catchy songs.” And he’s right. The Subtones recall the heyday of the Jam or, strangely enough, the Undertones, with the upbeat, Strokes-by-way-of-Joe-Jackson “The Last Time,” and even channel some of Jim Morrison’s psychedelic drone on “No Other Feeling.” They’ve helped build the new Napa scene, and they play with the Gees and Apples Atlas on Thursday, Feb. 18, at Bilco’s. 1234 Third St., Napa. 7pm. Free. 707.226.7506.Gabe Meline
.Feb. 18: The Subtones with the Gees and Apples Atlas at Bilco’s
