Wed. Dec. 20

God, we love deep male voices sad music. Tindersticks, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Leonard Cohen, the Magnetic Fields, Nick Cave. Playing in this league is a fella by name of Mark who goes by M. who sings and writes for the band the Milling Gowns. There's no guitarist in the quartet; pianist Sharon Crumrine is the main instrumentalist. The songs on their debut EP are mostly slow, stately and sad. Gorgeous too. It's not the kind of music people tend to go out to see for a classic "good time." But the rewards are there and sometimes deeper. The Milling Gowns - with added electric violinist  Betty Widerski -  play the Abbey Lounge with HENRY (it's their residency gig), the Triple Dids and Gutta on Wednesday Dec. 20. Starts at 9 p.m. Tickets: $7.

3 Beacon St., Somerville, 617-441-9631 abbeylounge.com