Music Picks Dec. 4-10 | Live: Schwayze, Starmy, Will Sartain, Rope or Bullets, Lark & Spur, Civet & Euforquestra 

Thursday 12.4
nSCHWAYZE
nMTV reality show stars—a music industry scion and his Ray Ban-wearing protege—return to town to address rumors that their hip-hop-rock act is just a schtick to impress women and make money while doing as little as possible. Corona with lime anyone? Anyone? Murray Theater, 4959 S. State, 7:30 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: SmithsTix.com

• Also Thursday: Warsaw Poland Brothers (Piper Down)

Friday 12.5
n STARMY, WILL SARTAIN, ROPE OR BULLETS CD RELEASES
nTwo weeks after Axl Rose released his 17-years-in-the-making follow-up to Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion, local rockers Starmy are finally ready to drop Starmegeddon, the successor to their 2004 smash, Black Shine, an album replete with catchy hooks and leader Mike Sartain’s infectious yelp. It was raw, but not too aggressive for radio, and Starmy seemed perched for mainstream success. Four years and several major lineup shakeups later, Sartain & Co. appear once again ready for their close-up. But will Starmeggedon live up to the hype? That, dear public, is for you to decide. But wait—that’s not all. Mike’s brother Will Sartain is also debuting an album recorded years ago, Automatic Body. It’s one of his smoothest, grooviest works and we’re damned glad he decided to unearth it. If that weren’t enough, Rope or Bullets (left) answer the question, “Where the heck have those guys been?” Apparently, they’ve been holed up in the studio. Witness the fruits of their secretive labors, tonight. The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 10 p.m.

• Also Friday: Band of Annuals (Sam Weller’s Living Window); Limbeck (Kilby Court); Baylee Parks Benefit w/ The Creeps (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Pagan Love Gods (Bar Deluxe); Firehouse, Dirty Love Guns (Club Vegas); ICE feat. DJ Sammy (Hotel/Elevate); Royal Bliss (Huka Bar); Bueno Street String Band (The Woodshed); Jack Jones CD Release (Liquid Joe’s); Kiss Thiss (Teazers, Ogden)

Saturday 12.6
nLARK & SPUR
nExcellence in the Community—Jeff Whiteley’s labor of love concert series—continues with a special two-part Christmas performance featuring his longstanding project Lark & Spur, an angelic-sounding group launched on the streets of Paris before carving out a legacy in Utah. Founders Whiteley and Lori Decker are currently joined by Micheal Fjerstadt, Evan Coombs, Ray Smith and Greg Floor shading in classically influenced compositions with jazz accents. The consummate performers boast a varied repertoire, from swing to Latin and Broadway tunes, though tonight—and in Ogden on Dec. 15—they’ll warm the audience with renditions of holiday classics including “Still Still Still” and “The Christmas Song.” Grand Theatre, 1575 S. State, 7:30 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: 957-3322

• Also Saturday: The Aquabats (In the Venue); Afro Omega CD Release (Urban Lounge—Read Article); Kate LeDeuce & The Soul Terminators (Bar Deluxe); Arcade Giveaway, Sex on the Run, Location Location (W Lounge)

Sunday 12.7
n CIVET
nCivet fairly easily caught the ear of Rancid’s Tim Armstrong who signed them to his Hellcat label, but the Orange County she-punks have had to work much harder to win over judgmental hardliners fixated on the group’s “femme fatale” looks and lack of street cred—whatever that means. Speculation aside, Civet’s music grins and bears sharp teeth, snarling with fierce Runaways-type attitude loud enough to scare the crap out of Avril Lavigne. Neither Massacre nor Hell Hath No Fury represent punk in the old-school sense—they aren’t as gritty as a Germs or even a Distillers’ record—but they certainly offer a welcome update on the SoCal sound far removed from the fluff that gave the O.C. a bad name. Avalon, 3605 S. State, 6:30 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: SmithsTix.com (with Aiden)

• Also Sunday: Shackleton, Skint, The Front (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Tony Oros (Prime Steakhouse, Park City)

Monday 12.8
nAmanda Palmer (Avalon—Read Article); Kurt Bestor (McKay Events Center, Orem)

Tuesday 12.9
nThe English Beat (The Depot); Herban Empire (Burt’s Tiki Lounge), SLAJO (Monk’s)

Wednesday 12.10
nEUFORQUESTRA
nFor those who don’t frequent music festivals peppered with jam bands—Groovefest, Sweet Pea Fest, Nedfest, you get the picture—Euforquestra might not register on your radar. It’s a shame, really, considering the Fort Collins, Colo., collective shares more in common with Chicago Afrobeat Project than, say, Widespread Panic. Not that there’s anything wrong with Widespread, or any jam band for that matter, but Euforquestra’s body-shaking stew of traditional Cuban and Nigerian rhythms and beats carries more widespread appeal than their typical tour itinerary might indicate. With just two full-length albums under the belt, the most recent LP released in 2006, Euforquestra clearly reserves most of their strength and talent for boisterous live shows that—in keeping with jam band tradition—are heavily catalogued by devoted followers having a good time, all the time (at least, when Euforquestra’s onstage). Star Bar, 268 Main, Park City, 9 p.m. Info: 435-615-7588

• Also Wednesday: Slightly Stoopid, Scenic Byway (Urban Lounge); The Hellfire Villainy (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Three Reasons, The Fully Blown (Liquid Joe’s)

COMING UP
nX96 Nightmare Before X-Mas feat. Hoobustank (Great Saltair, Dec. 12); Kalai (The Apollo, Dec. 13); Innerpartysystem (Avalon, Dec. 16); Pontiak (Kilby Court, Dec. 16); Don Carlos (Star Bar, Dec. 17); Jerry Joseph & His Electric Band (Bar Deluxe, Dec. 18-19); Shaky Trade, Jebu (Teazers, Dec. 19); Swollen Members (In the Venue, Dec. 20); Allred (Velour, Dec. 20); Nite Lite: Joe Dipadova (W Lounge, Dec. 20)