Live: Music Picks Oct. 24-30 

THURSDAY OCT. 24

The Limousines
If there were such a thing as a dance club made of ice, California electro-pop duo The Limousines would be a fitting house band. Made up of Eric Victorino and Giovanni Giusti, The Limousines have moved on from their lighthearted 2010 debut album, Get Sharp, and delved into darker, stickier territory on their new album, Hush, released in the summer. Hush still has that dance-able factor, but this time around, it’s more of a moody sway and head bob instead of jumping up and down. Chilly, atmospheric synths and more mature vocals make up these new tunes, such as “Undercover,” an ode to the many will-we-or-won’t-we gray areas of dating, and “Stranger,” a subdued but catchy eyebrow-raiser about an obsessive crush. “Hush is all about love, drugs, loss and sex ... mostly sex,” Victorino says in a press release. “It’s our version of growing up.” Mona and Dresses will also perform. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Bar Deluxe, 666 S. State, 8 p.m., $12 in advance, $15 day of show

FRIDAY OCT. 25

Imagine Dragons
Las Vegas-based alt-rock band Imagine Dragons’ songs have been dominating the radio since their debut album, Night Visions, came out in September 2012. However, listening to these songs live is a whole new experience. During an Imagine Dragons concert, there’s usually a snare drum and large bass drum sitting onstage, and the entire band plays them throughout the set. And they aren’t afraid to improvise with their material, such as adding a new, purely instrumental part to “Radioactive” that isn’t in the original song. So, go and sing along because you probably know all the lyrics anyway. Fictionist will start things off. (Laurie Reiner)
Dee Events Center, 4400 Harrison Blvd., Weber State University, 7 p.m., $49.50 floor, $35 upper/lower bowl, $5 discount for current WSU students

Skalloween
It’s that spooky time of the year again, and for ska fans, that also means it’s time for the ska monster mash known as Skalloween. An annual October tradition, this show is an opportunity to skank to some of our best local ska acts, all while dressed up as The Log Lady, Morticia Addams, Walter White or some clever thrift-store creation. Get in the Halloween and ska spirit with Show Me Island, The Sinisters and scene veterans 2 1/2 White Guys, as well as The Pelicants, who don’t play ska but make a lot of noise with what they call “super jazz prog.” (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The Shred Shed, 60 E. Exchange Place (360 South), 6:30 p.m., $8, $1 off at the door if in costume

Widowspeak
In folklore and fairy tales, the swamp is a magical, liminal place, a threshold at the door to another world. Lights mysteriously appear and disappear, strange creatures lure unwitting travelers to their doom—think the Dead Marshes in The Lord of the Rings. It’s a place of danger and weird beauty, as well as the inspiration for indie-rock duo Widowspeak’s new EP, The Swamps (Captured Tracks), which links their sophomore album, Almanac, to an upcoming full-length and will be out Oct. 29. Few singers have the level of beguiling lovely in their voice that Molly Hamilton does; beware losing track of where you’re driving or walking as you’re entranced by the pure hazy perfection that is “True Believers.” Big Wild Wings and Pure Bathing Culture are also on the bill. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m., $8 in advance, $10 day of show

Juana Ghani, Salt Lake Whalefishers
Get that costume together and come kick up your heels at this Halloween party hosted by Juana Ghani and Salt Lake Whalefishers—it’ll be a rowdy, dance-your-ass-off night. Any Juana Ghani performance is a multisensory experience, as belly dancers groove and shimmy to the dark gypsy-folk tunes woven by Leisl Bonell and company. And the Salt Lake Whalefishers’ pirate-friendly punk shanties—including “Whalefishers,” about taking a drunken sail on our nearby salty lake—will have you slapping down a doubloon for a pint of the good stuff before jumping and yelling along to the music with your friends. There will also be live painting by artist Alisi Makaafi, and prizes will be awarded for the awesome-est and most creative costumes. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Brewskis, 244 25th St., Ogden, 10 p.m., $5, ladies free

Deer Tick
The cover art for Portland, Ore., alt-country/punk outfit Deer Tick’s new album, Negativity, is a hopeful foil for the songs’ heavy subject matter, with a tiny green airplane flying off into the wild blue yonder as the word “negativity” is left in the dust. Written during one particularly horrible year for frontman John McCauley—in the form of drug addiction, a called-off engagement and a parent going to prison—songs like “The Dream’s in the Ditch,” “Hey Doll” and “Pot of Gold” are sobering in their unmasked self-reflection and clear-eyed honesty about mistakes and regrets. But just as that airplane heads bravely into the unknown, so does the album also speak of leaving the black times behind, picking up the pieces and starting over. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m., $18 in advance, $20 day of show

Living Colour
It’s been 25 years since groundbreaking funk-metal band Living Colour—formed in 1983—released their influential debut album, Vivid, and to celebrate such a milestone birthday, they’re playing the entire record from beginning to end at this show. Included on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 best albums of the ’80s, Vivid broke musical as well as racial barriers, proving to the world that the era’s typically whites-only arena of rock music needed Living Colour’s punchy, funk-edged blend of head-banger guitar riffs, socially conscious lyrics and gritty vocals. Classic songs like the anthemic Grammy-winning track “Cult of Personality” and “Open Letter (To a Landlord)” were products of their time, but are still relevant in their power today. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, 8 p.m., $17 in advance, $22 day of show

WEDNESDAY OCT. 30

Terakaft
There probably isn’t a band that has been more shaped by their environment than desert-rock family band Terakaft. Formed in Mali in 2001, Terakaft is made up of brothers Sanou and Abdallah Ag Ahmed, along with their uncle, Liya “Diara” Ag Ablil, a former member of Tinariwen. The band’s name means “caravan” in Tamasheq, and the mesmerizing sound created by these three Tuareg musicians is the musical embodiment of the Sahara Desert in all its vast, stark beauty. Their latest album, Kel Tamasheq, released in 2012, is lush and multilayered, with intricate blues-influenced guitar lines, haunting stringed instruments and harmonizing voices. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The State Room, 638 S. State, 8 p.m., $20

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