Live: Music Picks Oct. 10-16 

THURSDAY OCT. 10

Gary Clark Jr.
Gary Clark Jr. isn’t the most technical guitar player you’ll come across. He can’t read music, and has said in the past that everything he does is by ear and feel, and that much of what he’s learned has come from pausing videos of other musicians playing and mimicking their movements. But that hasn’t stopped him from becoming a bluesman who’s well on his way to legend status. Clark seems to be able to cohesively combine a variety of genres, as heard on most recent album, 2012’s Blak & Blu, which is a funky, eclectic mix of blues, rock, hip-hop and R&B—no wonder Eric Clapton likes him so much. (Ivy Smith)
The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, 8 p.m., $24.50 in advance, $26 day of show

FRIDAY OCT. 11

The Lonely Forest
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Great indie rock comes out of the Pacific Northwest, perhaps because of the awesome pine trees, the presence of the nearby ocean or the cool, misty weather (you can’t sport your favorite sweater with the holes in the elbows when it’s 80 degrees outside). Either way, indie-rock quartet The Lonely Forest must have drawn serious inspiration from some magical source—maybe their beautiful coastal hometown of Anacortes, Wash.—to create their brand-new third album, Adding Up the Wasted Hours, which was produced by Chris Walla, the guitarist of Death Cab for Cutie (Washington again!). Single “Warm/Happy” is catchy, wistful and richly textured, with frontman Van Deusen singing the evocative chorus “We hate to relate so we synthesize, we’re warm and happy” with his mellow, charmingly unsteady voice. Cumulus is also on the bill. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), 7 p.m., $10

SATURDAY OCT. 12

Jeff Crosby & the Refugees
Sometimes moving away from home and getting some distance from the people you care about is the best way to remember how important those ties really are, which is much of what inspired singer/songwriter Jeff Crosby’s newest EP, Silent Conversations (Cosmo Sex School), released in the spring. Created after Crosby moved from his hometown in Idaho to Los Angeles, spent a few months in Colombia and then returned home, the folksy Americana album is a collection of five songs about complicated romantic entanglements (“Silent Conversations”), trying to stay in touch with far-flung family members (“Family, How Ya Been”) and other heart-on-his-sleeve topics. “Oh Love, Oh Lord”—with touches of church-y organ—is about a crisis of faith in the wake of hardship and is especially personal and well-written; it was featured on a recent episode of Sons of Anarchy. Jerry Joseph & the Jackmormons are also on the bill. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The State Room, 638 S. State, 9 p.m., $15

Horse Lords
You don’t just listen to a song by Horse Lords; you step out onto a windswept landscape under a blood-red sky, wearing a giant black cloak, and set out into a haunted unknown full of frost giants that sure know how to shake their thang. And you have a one-eyed crow on your shoulder—I don’t know why, but you do. Such are the strange images conjured by this Baltimore quartet’s challenging instrumental music, which saxophone player Andrew Bernstein describes as “psychedelic minimalist krautrock” (“krautrock” is an umbrella term for German prog rock that has nothing to do with fermented cabbage). The band’s self-titled debut is made up of only two songs (each about 15 minutes long) that are ambient but heavy, and intoxicate through an array of electronic effects and dizzyingly intricate and tightly woven layers of drums, guitar and other instruments. The Pentagraham Crackers and David Williams are also on the bill. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Burt’s Tiki Lounge, 726 S. State, 8 p.m., $7

Get Freaky
Instead of waiting until Oct. 31 to celebrate Halloween, take your costume out for a spin early at the ninth-annual Get Freaky, which will feature DJs and electronic bands from all over the country. Before heading to the concert, practice your dance moves while listening to electronic dance group Krewella’s first full-length album, Get Wet, which was released Sept. 24. The lineup will also include Zeds Dead, Paper Diamond, Seven Lions, Candyland, Green Lantern and Branchez. Bring your Halloween spirit and maybe some earplugs because it’s going to get loud. Must be 16 years or older to attend. (Laurie Reiner)
The Great Saltair, 12408 W. Saltair Drive, Magna, 6 p.m., $40

MONDAY OCT. 14

Sir Sly
No, they don’t have anything to do with that meme of the crazy-looking owl, although Los Angeles indie-rock/pop trio Sir Sly’s band name is only one extra letter away from “srsly?” This crew is a bit of a mystery, having appeared in the public eye only about a year ago, and there is a fair amount of rumors circulating about them. Speculation aside, one thing we do know is that Sir Sly’s debut EP, Gold (Interscope)—released in May—has legs, with all its synth-y, electronic catchiness and hooky choruses that’ll remind listeners of fellow Californians The Neighbourhood. The Chain Gang of 1974 and Bel Heir will get things started. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), 7 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 day of show

WEDNESDAY OCT. 16

Slam Dunk
Most of the folks who come to this show will probably be there to cheer for indie-rockers Built to Spill, but you should get there early to check out opening act Slam Dunk. They’re a five-piece rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, and some wild flailing to their happy, rowdy music is just the boost you need to power you through the rest of the week. Slam Dunk’s sophomore album, Welcome to Miami, manically careens through genres like surf-rock, punk and even some reverb-y Spaghetti Western-type stuff that sounds like something Ennio Morricone created while hopped up on speed, all with joyful, uninhibited energy. Genders are also on the bill. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), 7 p.m., $25

SubRosa CD Release
Local sludge-doom five-piece SubRosa’s new album, More Constant Than the Gods, came out in September, but tonight is the official album-release show. The six-song record features guitar and drums that are crushing and enveloping, but that heaviness is countered by melodic electric violin and three-way harmonies between female vocalists Rebecca Vernon, Sarah Pendleton and Kim Pack. Check out the track “The Usher,” which starts with a quiet, haunting introduction—with the lyrics “All of my life I’ve been waiting for you” and a single violin playing—then blows out your eardrums with an avalanche of a breakdown. Mike Scheidt of YOB, UZALA and Eagle Twin are also on the bill. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Bar Deluxe, 666 S. State, 8 p.m., $8 in advance, $10 day of show

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