Live: Music Picks June 6-12 

click to enlarge

FRIDAY JUNE 7

Provo Rooftop Concert Series
If rain dances bring, well, rain, maybe the Rooftop Concert Series could be the summer-conjuring equivalent. Summer hasn’t officially started yet (not till the June 21 solstice), but maybe if enough happy, dancing, music-loving people flock to this downtown Provo rooftop, the season of sun-soaked days and balmy evenings might be tempted to come a little sooner—at least we hope so. So, cheat the calendar, gather some friends and show up early to listen to this month’s acts: Joshua James, Polytype and Jay William Henderson (Band of Annuals). Singer-songwriter Joshua James blends cozy folk-rock with crunchy, twangy touches as he explores themes of spirituality. Synth-rockers Polytype create dreamy electronic soundscapes that your brain will want to run away to and explore. And Jay William Henderson crafts lovely, sway-inducing tunes that are intimate and thought-provoking. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Provo Town Square Parking Terrace Rooftop, 100 N. 100 West, Provo, 8 p.m., free

Lady & Gent
In an interview with Project SLC, Lady & Gent frontman Garret Williams said about opening for James McMurtry at The State Room in February, “One of the strangest but maybe best compliments I got was, just after the show, having pretty much everybody coming up to me asking where I was really from because nobody believed that we were a local band.” Attendees of that show must not have believed that such accomplished, masterful folk talent could be found locally—but the five-piece, formed in 2011, really is from good ol’ Utah. Lady & Gent creates revealing, heartache-y Americana tunes about love, loss, family and the shortcomings of human nature—accompanied by cozy guitar, harmonica and banjo—on the band’s latest album, To Death in Delta (2012, Song Haus). On “Beautiful Love,” Williams—who was among the 25 finalists of American Songwriter’s The Pub Deal contest—tragically sings “Beautiful love, I’m sorry that I never gave enough,” and that emotion prevails throughout the album. Isaac Farr Trio, Brian Bingham and Jeremy Tyler open the show. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The Shred Shed, 60 E. Exchange Place, 7 p.m., $10

Pigeon John
In 1989 South Central Los Angeles, a scrawny teenager named John Dunkin took part in one of the most important moments in West Coast rap music: the legendary open-mic sessions at the Good Life Cafe. This weekly workshop spawned names like Abstract Rude, Myka 9 and Aceyalone. In a way, it was a renaissance of sorts—a place where rappers could create new and experimental hip-hop at the minimal risk of a “Pass the mic” chant from the crowd. In this context, it makes sense that Dunkin became Pigeon John and the eccentric, genre-mashing rapper he is today. His 2010 release, Dragon Slayer, is a strange but satisfying mix of ragtime swing, harpsichord R&B and gangster leans. Burnell Washburn, Thoughts Arizen, Heath Cliff, Device and Ariano get things started. (Colin Wolf)
The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 day of show

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
The Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans’ Sixth Ward is a pulsing, culturally diverse epicenter of master brass musicians—legends like singer/trumpeter Lionel Ferbos, bass-drummer/singer Lionel Batiste (Treme Brass Band) and percussionist Shannon Powell. It’s also where a 4-year-old Troy Andrews, aka Trombone Shorty, honed his skills. In fact, Andrews earned his “Shorty” nickname when his bandleader older brother watched him in a parade as he blasted away on a trombone that was longer than he was tall. The now-27-year old—along with his band, Orleans Avenue—creates tasty, impossibly funky music he calls “supafunkrock,” which is spiced with all the soul of the Big Easy and overlaid with his own how-did-he-do-that virtuosity on the trombone. At this co-headliner show with Big Head Todd & the Monsters, concert-goers can expect to be on their feet and boogying to (we hope) tunes from the album that Trombone Shorty & Co.’s plan to release later this summer. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, 7 p.m., $28-$38

Wampire
I have a strange fascination with awkward family photos—the forced smiles, the uncomfortably close intimacy. One awesomely horrible press photo of the Portland, Ore.-based synth-pop duo Wampire deserves an award for best bad band portrait with its cheesy ’90s backdrop, oh-so-soft lighting and hilariously serious/creepy facial expressions. It captures the same can’t-look-away weirdness that core band members Rocky Tinder and Eric Phipps sprinkle throughout their catchy, spaced-out, jangly music, especially on “Orchards,” from their latest album, Curiosity (Polyvinyl), released in May. The trippy song about being “stoned outside the old folks’ home” features sedate vocals and easy-listening guitar combined with lots of whistling and jarring sound clips of insane laughter. Oh, and in the music video, there’s a giant one-eyed monster with bright-purple fur and a penchant for cuddling. I don’t wanna know, Wampire. Labelmate Starfucker and Feelings open the show. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m., $15

TUESDAY JUNE 11

Cartel
If you can’t find collard greens and chicken-fried steak, you can always cross the Mason-Dixon Line through the music of the Atlanta, Ga.-based band Cartel instead. Having met in high school, the four Southern band members have been producing music since 2003. Their newest and fourth album, Collider, released in March, has been three years in the making. And the album is truly a collision, as two seemingly divergent genres, pop and punk, are pitted against each other. Listeners can expect more mature vocals on Collider, compared to early hits like “Honestly.” Regardless, you should honestly be excited for the Salt Lake City performance in less than a week. (Courtney Tanner)
The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, 8 p.m., $16 in advance, $21 day of show

WEDNESDAY JUNE 12

The Staves
When listening to sister indie-folk trio The Staves’ debut album, Dead & Born & Grown (Atlantic), you can expect these side effects: multiple goosebumps breakouts, a sizeable lump in your throat and your eyes having some kind of strange “allergic reaction” to all the “dust in the air.” Also, beware of listening to this British band’s gorgeous tunes while you’re doing anything important, at the risk of being caught up in the haunting three-part harmonies and completely forgetting what you were doing as you stare wistfully into space. Melody-weavers Emily, Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor’s voices blend together beautifully, and the album’s minimal guitar, ukulele and percussion allow that seamless melding to really shine. Listen to “Mexico” over and over—and over. Musikanto opens the show. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), 7 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 day of show

Rogue Wave
“Meditations on life and death … finding peace and ultimately happiness” is how Calif.-based indie-rock band Rogue Wave describes its latest album, Nightingale Floors, released June 4. The band’s stop in Salt Lake City will kick off its summer tour in support of the album, its fifth studio release. On Nightingale Floors, Rogue Wave blended the sounds of a steel-pedal guitar with a glockenspiel and synthesizer to create its own category of dancing tunes. Staying true to form, the album features catchy singles like “College” and “Siren’s Song,” which fans can rely on to meet all their easy-listening summer playlist needs. Koala Temple opens the show. (Kate Ayer)
The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m., $14 in advance, $16 day of show

More Music & Entertainment Picks: Events.CityWeekly.net