THURSDAY MARCH 27
Eilen Jewell
Every so often, a voice comes along that makes me stop in my tracks, and the gorgeous pipes belonging to Boise, Idaho, alt-country songstress Eilen Jewell has that exact effect. Warm and resonate, with twangy edges reminiscent of Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch, Jewell’s voice is just that: a jewel. She’s currently in the studio developing her fifth full-length solo album, but in the meantime, check out 2011’s Queen of the Minor Key. The record is beautiful but haunting, such as on the creepily catchy “Warning Signs”: Organs, horns and surf guitar create a noir mood that perfectly suits the dark lyrics “The raven winked his beady eye/ Told me where you’d been last night.” And the combination of surf and jazz influences on the instrumental “Radio City” is ultimately cool, a soundtrack to some late-night bad decision. Jewell will be accompanied by her three-piece backing band at this show. Bullets & Belles are also on the bill. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The State Room, 638 S. State, 8 p.m., $15, TheStateRoom.com; limited no-fee tickets available at CityWeeklyStore.com
Ume
It’s hard to believe that all the gut-punching rock produced by Austin, Texas, trio Ume is created by only three people, but that’s all they need (and all listeners’ ears could handle anyway) when each musician is more than managing their own in the melee. Lead vocalist/guitarist Lauren Larson founded Ume—the Japanese word for plum blossom and the plum itself, pronounced “oo-may”—along with her husband, Eric (bass), and the lineup was later completed by addition of drummer Rachel Fuhrer. Lauren is a hell of a captivating frontwoman: Her voice starts out ethereal and delicate, only to be wrapped in barbed wire to belt out a gritty chorus. And the band’s new album, Monuments—released earlier this month—reflects the wide range in Lauren’s voice, with moments of beauty getting blown apart by ear-blistering rock barrages. I Hear Sirens and Grass will open. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), 8 p.m., $8, KilbyCourt.com; limited no-fee tickets available at CityWeeklyStore.com
FRIDAY MARCH 28
St. Vincent
Tulsa, Okla., singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent, has a huge brain hidden under that cotton-candy cloud of Xenophilius Lovegood-style white hair, and in November, she and her brain even won the Smithsonian’s American Ingenuity Award. But what was perhaps St. Vincent’s truest honor came in February, when she got to be good-naturedly heckled by none other than Stephen Colbert. When Colbert asked her about the artsy nature of her music, she responded, “I think I’ve always tried to live at the intersection between accessibility and lunatic fringe.” That’s when Colbert shot back with “That’s the corner of Paxil and Prozac.” It’s an apt joke, though, since St. Vincent’s music usually only touches on familiar guitar- and synth-filled pop territory before prancing off somewhere more mind-bending, such as on her new self-titled full-length album, released in February. Check out the slow groove of “Huey Newton.” (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, 8 p.m., $22 in advance, $25 day of show, DepotSLC.com
SATURDAY MARCH 29
The Sounds
Lead vocalist Maja Ivarsson stated in an interview with Spin that she and her bandmates aimed to “capture what [they] do best—which is putting on a great show” with their fifth album, Weekend, released in fall 2013. The five-piece Swedish pop-rock band composes ultra-catchy rhyming songs with phrases like “I live for the weekend, baby!” The songs are revved up with synths and Ivarsson’s Gwen Stefani-level vocal energy. If you’re unfamiliar with The Sounds, you may have heard their song “Hurt You,” which could have come right out of the ’80s despite the fact that the band formed in 1999. Though The Sounds still call Sweden home, their new-wave sound is crashing onto American soil. Blondfire will start the night off. (Carly Fetzer)
In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West, 8 p.m., $20 in advance, $22 day of show, InTheVenueSLC.com
SUNDAY MARCH 30
Pompeya
This Moscow funk-pop quartet first perked up the ears of the Western world with the U.S. reissue of their dazzling 2012 debut album, Tropical, which was supported by the band’s first tour in the States. Featuring an inventive concoction of classic funk, multicolored synths and dance-y guitar, Tropical is candy for the ears. Fans of that debut will love the re-imagined version released in January, Tropical Remix, which features new spins on songs such as “Wait” and “We Like Songs.” Pompeya is just about to release new material, though, when the new Night EP is released in April. Before then, you can get a taste of the new record by checking out the single “Satellite,” which has been getting enough nods across the Internet to warrant an appearance on the popular music website Hype Machine. Walking Shapes, Beachmen and Conquer Monster are also on the bill. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 day of show, TheUrbanLoungeSLC.com; limited no-fee tickets available at CityWeeklyStore.com
TUESDAY APRIL 1
Miniature Tigers
It’s a band origin story that’s a product of the mid-’00s: Miniature Tigers vocalist/guitarist Charlie Brand met keyboard player Rick Schaier on MySpace through common musical interests. Later becoming a four-piece, Brooklyn-based indie-pop band Miniature Tigers are what’s missing from the playlist you have at the ready for when the weather finally warms up. The band’s new full-length album, Cruel Runnings—out in May—is the epitome of the perfect driving-with-the-windows-down music, about summer, swimming pools and kissing. And just like the only worries you should have on a sunny day is your melting ice cream cone, the album is lighthearted and easygoing, even when the lyrics are about a fizzled-out love. Total Slackers, Flashlights, Michael Gross & the Statuettes will start the night. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The Shred Shed, 60 E. Exchange Place, 7 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 day of show, ShredShedSLC.com
WEDNESDAY APRIL 2
The Brothers Comatose
San Francisco bluegrass five-piece The Brothers Comatose will probably draw from their 2010 album, Songs From The Stoop, for this show, and it won’t be one for sittin’. Even the hip-swaying ballad “Morning Time,” from 2012’s Respect the Van, makes it hard to stay put. Foot-stomping anthems like “Modern Day Sinners,” along with the string quintet’s many other banjo-picking/fiddle-rich tunes, have traveled from stoops to living rooms to San Francisco dive bars and now freely roam the country in the brotherly band’s baby “tour bus”: a 1988 Chevy G20. So, respect the van; come out and clap your hands for a damned good band. Yonder Mountain String Band is also on the bill. (Deann Armes)
The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, 8 p.m., $22.50 in advance, $25 day of show, DepotSLC.com