The Toasters, The Lower 48, CWMA Showcases, Stacey Kent, Sebadoh 

• Toasters

Friday Feb. 11
CWMA Showcase: The Future of the Ghost, Birthquake, Night Sweats
This City Weekly Music Awards showcase is a fine example of just how diverse the sounds of “local music” can be. In The Future of the Ghost, you have indie-pop bliss courtesy of some of the most active folks in the scene, including singer/guitarist Will Sartain, who will be enjoying a home-court advantage of sorts playing the club he helps run. Birthquake delivers a one-of-a-kind blend of electro-rock, jazz and tropicalia that is virtually guaranteed to put a smile on your face. And Night Sweats brings together six musicians who collectively play in a dozen or so bands around town; collectively, they create some frantically entertaining electronica that should be a perfect capper to a fine evening. The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m., $6

CWMA Showcase: Killbot, INVDRS, Ravings of a Madman
How metal are you? Find out the answer to that question with this showcase. Killbot comes off as a crew of old-school thrashers, with their long hair flying, jeans ripped and riffs arriving at breakneck pace. INVDRS are certainly worth a look as potentially the heaviest band in town, and their 2010 album, Electric Church, caused music fans to either bow in respect or out of fear—either reaction seems appropriate. And Ravings of a Madman released their own monstrous 2010 album, In The Time It Takes To Hate, that blends thrash, classic-sounding metal and some straightforward rock and roll. When it comes to CWMA showcases, there is none more heavy than this. Bring your earplugs. Burt’s Tiki Lounge, 726 S. State, 9 p.m., $6

Saturday Feb. 12
CWMA Showcase: S.L.F.M., Palace of Buddies, Muscle Hawk
It doesn’t get much cooler than having Sonic Youth specifically request you to open their show, and Jessica Davis, aka electric ukulele master S.L.F.M., had just that experience when Thurston, Kim and Co. came to town last fall. Her old-meets-odd approach should flow nicely into the otherworldly electro created by the two-man Palace of Buddies, who abet their keyboards and samplers with traditional rock instruments. You can forget about anything traditional with Muscle Hawk, another futuristic two-piece whose electrifying live shows have driven more and more fans in their direction over the past year. Bar Deluxe, 668 S. State, 9 p.m., $6

CWMA Showcase: Lindsay Heath Orchestra, David Williams, La Farsa
Lindsay Heath was already making noise on the local scene as an entrancing one-woman band. Now that she’s expanded into working with a rotating six-piece rock orchestra, her already-dramatic songs have taken on even more gravity, while she remains a must-see performer. “Must-see” certainly fits when describing troubadour David Williams, as well; the lanky guitar god with the best beard in the (local) biz is equally comfortable solo-acoustic style or ramping up the energy, electrified, delivering his memorable songs. La Farsa’s blend of complex time signatures and layered vocal harmonies made their 2010 release, At the Circus, a favorite of local music fans. But as fine a recording as it is, seeing La Farsa live is really the way to go. The Woodshed, 60 E. 800 South, 9 p.m., $6

Coming Up
Adema (Club Vegas, Feb. 17), Barcelona, He Is We (Club Sound, Feb. 17), Justin Townes Earle, Dawn Landes (The State Room, Feb. 17), Pendulum, InnerPartySystem (In The Venue, Feb. 17), Young the Giant (Feb. 17, Kilby Court), Ke$ha (Great Saltair, Feb. 18), Rev Theory (Avalon Theater, Feb. 18), Mother Hips (Sidecar Bar, Park City, Feb. 18), Murder by Death, The Builders & The Butchers (Bar Deluxe, Feb. 18), Public Enemy, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Chali 2Na (The Depot, Feb. 18), Say Hi, Blair (Kilby Court, Feb. 18), Less Than Jake (The Complex, Feb. 19), Mother Hips (The State Room, Feb. 19), The Smith Westerns (Kilby Court, Feb. 19), John Lee Hooker Jr. (The Sun & Moon Café, Feb. 21-22) Stockholm Syndrome (Harry O’s, Park City, Feb. 21), Hellogoodbye (The Complex, Feb. 22)