There’s an embarrassment of musical riches tonight in Tampa, of all places. Many national acts—excepting, of course, the deep-pocketed, jet-setting behemoths like U2 and Coldplay—never bother with Florida because they’d have to retrace their steps on the way back out, cutting valuable time out of their tour schedule. As a result, it’s pretty rare we get one decent show in the Bay area, let alone two on the same night.

I’m so excited I used italics. Phew.

So here we are, faced with a tough decision: At the Orpheum in Ybor City, we have the Detroit Cobras, Reigning Sound and the Unrequited Loves. Meanwhile, down the street at Masquerade, The Hold Steady tops the bill with Swearing at Motorists in tow.

After much fretting, I’ve finally made up my mind (no, I’m not telling, but there’s a hint below), so now I have a little time to help you make up yours—assuming you’re still on the fence at the 11th hour.

* The Cobras came out of the Motor City’s garage-rock scene and dig “deep into the well of vintage R&B and primitive rock & roll,” according to the All Music Guide. I can’t find any free MP3s on the Web, but I own a couple of their records and trust me: These chicks (and a dude) mean business. Don’t let the fact that lead singer Rachel Nagy used to be an exotic dancer influence your decision at all—that would be, you know, crass or something. Instead, consider the fact that their guitars are loud and their record collections are better than yours.
* The first time I heard Memphis soul kings Reigning Sound, the first thing I thought was, “I must see these guys live” (wink, nudge). So few bands manage to capture the energy of their live sets on wax, but 2002’s “Time Bomb High School” and 2004’s “Too Much Guitar” absolutely crackle with electricity. The songwriting is damn fine, too, and leader Greg Cartwright has one of those voices that leaves no doubt in your mind that he means every word. Check it out:

A tune from Reigning Sound, courtesy of Midheaven mail-order:

Reigning Sound: “If You Can’t Give Me Everything” from “Too Much Guitar” [mp3]

* Soulful ‘60s beat-punk junkies The Unrequited Loves are far and away my favorite local band of all time, and I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that their leader, Mike O’Neill, who works at The Tampa Tribune, did not pay me to say that. You can stream four songs at their Myspace page.

* The Hold Steady has been generating a loud buzz lately for its approach to rugged Americana (think early Springsteen, if he’d grown up in the ‘80s) with a refreshing punk-rock irreverance. The Village Voice called their music “literature with power chords.” In a Rolling Stone article, the writer made comparisons to the Replacements—and not just beause both bands originally hail from Minnesota. Their live shows are supposed to be intense. Here’s a taste:

A free Hold Steady MP3 from the band’s Web site:

The Hold Steady: “Your Little Hoodrat Friend” from “Separation Sunday” [mp3]

* Finally, Swearing at Motorists have a new record out (“Last Night Becomes This Morning”) and they’ve put an entire concert (albeit an old one from 2000) on their Web site available for free download in lossless FLAC format. If you don’t know what that means, prepare for your “music fan” membership card to be revoked.