The nice thing about the Jameson Local Jam, which will pit two top Indianapolis bands — Mandy Marie and the Cool Hand Lukes and Hey Hey Melodica! — against each other on Friday night at the Rathskeller, is that second place isn’t too shabby: Each band will get an ad in NUVO, a mention on X103 and some cash. Of course, first place gets more. More money, more space, more airtime. But no band will go home empty-handed.

In a way, battles of the bands seem a bit like dog shows (and I deploy this comparison in the most limited way possible). How can one choose the best dog out of a field of such widely disparate breeds? Sure, those judges say they’re picking the best dog overall (by grooming, temperament, gait), but I suspect that cuteness and familiarity play into their decision more than they might like to admit. The same goes for battle of the bands — no music listener is truly so egalitarian that he or she can evaluate all genres of music with the same authority.

Still, the Local Jam is a great chance to catch two fine groups excelling in their own field of play. Mandy Marie plays honky-tonk and hillbilly music, and Hey Hey Melodica! is fully-orchestrated folk- or indie-rock. Check out a new tune recorded by Mandy with Waylon Jennings’ band Spirit of the Outlaws — “Leave Me Baby, Leave Me Be” — on the band’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/mandymarieandthecoolhandlukes. Hey Hey Melodica! will be taking off for an East Coast tour sometime soon, and are working on a new album.

After the battle, local rap-rock group The Franchize takes the stage for an unjudged set. If you miss the show, The Franchize will be joining The Twin Cats at Spin Nightclub for a show on St. Patrick’s Day, March 19.