He's got a slight twang in his voice and a pedal steel guitar in the mix, so you might call Richard Buckner a country artist.

Before the "everything but country" crowd releases a collective sigh, Buckner is not the stereotypical git-r-done country artist. He is generally classified as "alternative country," which essentially means he's a singer-songwriter with country and folk roots.

Buckner will showcase his alt-country style at tonight's Roustabout! at the Darkhorse Tavern, 128 E. College Ave. Joining him will be opener Six Parts Seven, an instrumental post-rock band that will also serve as Buckner's backing band.

Jesse Ruegg, promoter for Roustabout!, said the band's mixing styles could complement each other.

"I think Richard Buckner picked that band because he likes their musicianship," Ruegg said. "At the same time, that band has their own sound and their own songs they want to put out there."

He compared the two artists' situations to that of Bob Dylan and The Band. While The Band served as Dylan's backing band, it was also an acclaimed band on its own.

Greg Gabbard, owner of City Lights Records, 316 E. College Ave., had nothing but praise for Buckner.

"I think the new album is very good," Gabbard said. "I've seen and heard him by himself and with a band. I like them both. I think with a band there's a little more power. But he is a powerful songwriter and his expression of his songs is very powerful, whether he's with a band or by himself."

Ruegg also complimented Buckner's most recent album, Meadow, which was released on Merge Records.

"I think it's great," Ruegg said. "I listen to it all the time. I think it's going to be amazing that he's going to be at the Darkhorse. It's one of the smallest if not the smallest place that he's playing on the tour."

As Roustabout! generally features independent music, it's atypical for an artist on a more recognized label to play at the concert, as is the norm for shows at the Bryce Jordan Center. Buckner's label, Merge Records, is one of the more prominent independent labels in the country, and thus Buckner is one of the bigger names that Roustabout! has drawn in recent months.