A capsule look at Pittsburgh bands making news.

RICK MALIS

New CD: "Blue and Broken Hearted." Rick Malis (acoustic guitar, vocals), Pete Freeman (steel guitar), Doug Wilkin (acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica, vocals), Gerry Borish (acoustic bass, accordion), Jeff Berman (drums, percussion, dulcimer), Joe Bishkoff (cello), Don Shean (fiddle, banjo), Mark Evans (mandolin). Produced by Doug Wilkin.

Sound: Americana, folk, traditional country.

Background: Rick Malis started as a solo singer-songwriter, but his interest in bluegrass led him in the mid-'70s to join several bands, most notably The Dog Run Boys. Since 2001, he's been picking honky-tonk, Western swing, classic country and retro pop with The Mavins. "Blue and Broken Hearted" is Malis' third solo CD.

On songwriting: "Some of the tunes on this album were originally written to play with The Mavens," says Malis. "When performing with a band, it's like you're trying to entertain people. But I use the singer-songwriter projects for more personal things. It's a different style of songwriting -- usually the subject matter is a little deeper, the themes are a little broader. It's almost like a book of poetry for those people who like more challenging kinds of tunes. I've always admired writers -- Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, and even modern guys like David Wilcox and Steve Earle -- who write lyrics that are deeper. It's like what Robert Frost does for poetry -- more layered, the deeper you go the more you find there."

On the songs: "Some are true stories," he says, "but on most of them it's just the feelings that are true. 'What's Holding Me Back' I think is an average country song, but coming from a folk direction. 'I Want to Lose Myself' is not really how I was feeling at the time, but it takes an idea that most of us have had from time to time that you just want to get way. It's slow; it goes a little dark on the depressive side, for sure, but who doesn't have a day like that when you just want to chuck it? Some of the songs go way back: I wrote 'Tom Shaler's Lament' 25 years ago. The most personal song is 'One More Good Year.' It's about my dad and is absolutely true. It's so personal I almost don't want to perform it, but I did want to get it down on CD."

Release party: Rick Malis with Doug Wilkin, David Adomites and Pete Freeman. 8 p.m. Friday, Mo'joe, Mt. Lebanon, 412-343-6656. Free.

-- John Hayes, Post-Gazette staff writer

BOSS DIABLO

Members: Chuck Beatty (vocals, guitar); Tom Hohn (vocals, drums); Brian Washington (vocals, bass); Stanley J. Mikolajek (harmonica).

Style: Blues-rock a la early Stones.

Experience: Frontman Beatty has been playing since the early '70s and is a veteran of such bands as James King and the Usual Suspects, Bob Beach Blues Band and Gary Belloma and the Blue Bombers. Hohn has been behind the drums for the garage kings The Cynics and the Frampton Brothers, among others. Washington was in the Orchid Room and Mikolajek, the Masons.

Formed: In 2004 when Beatty and Hohn, both veterans of the punk and garage scenes, realized they shared a passion for roots music.

Debut CD: "Don't Act Right," on the local Moondog Records, showcases Beatty's growling vocals and guitar work that's dark, bluesy and occasionally psychedelic on nine dangerous originals and three covers, including Tom Waits' "Way Down in the Hole."

Special ingredient: Originals like "End of Days," "King of the Urban Jungle" and "Ruby Ruby," with its distorted vocals, fit right into a set of dirty vintage blues rock.

Live set: Boss Diablo spices its set with covers by the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson, John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf and early Stones, while also dipping into the classic country of both Hanks, Merle Haggard and Buck Owens

Release party: 8 p.m. Friday at Moondog's with the Pump Fakes and Slim Forsythe and the Parklane Drifters.

Further research: www.bossdiablo.com.

-- Scott Mervis, Post-Gazette Weekend Mag editor