Music Picks Aug. 28-Sept. 3 | Live: Danny Barnes, Dwight Yoakam, Jana Hunter, Nine Inch Nails, Al Green 

Thursday 8.28
DANNY BARNES
Danny Barnes is a self-proclaimed weirdo and consummate musician whose instrument of choice hardly dictates the type of music he produces. When most people hear the word “banjo,” thoughts of old-time country, folk and bluegrass albums dance through their heads. Barnes, who started playing the banjo as a teenager, incorporates elements of all the above-mentioned genres, plus a little experimental electronic and punk aesthetic for added oomph. It’s that eclectic inclination that pushed Barnes to work with artists as diverse as Butthole Surfers, Sam Bush, Jello Biafra and Leftover Salmon. After fronting the Bad Livers for 10 years, Barnes is now refocused on his solo output which is new, familiar and, well, weird. The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 10 p.m. Tickets: 24Tix.com

Also Thursday: Neko Case (Gallivan Center); Alice Dallas, Thunderfist (Burt’s Tiki Lounge)

Friday 8.29
Griffinstock: God’s Revolver, ¡Andale!, Devil Whale (Westminster College); Fire SLC (In the Venue); I Am Ghost (Avalon); GZA (Urban Lounge, see Music); Valdur (Club Vegas); Necrophagist, Dying Fetus (Club BoomVa, Ogden); No Quarter (Teazers, Ogden)

Saturday 8.30
DWIGHT YOAKAM
Few country artists can boast widespread critical acclaim for their music, character acting roles, entrepreneurial skills and enough of a following to merit a subscription-based fan site. Yep, for $23 a year, you, too, can become a member of the Route 23 Club devoted to all things Dwight Yoakam. The price of admission might well be worth elite access to the honky-tonk hunk, though surfing the net pales against one of his live performances. Charming and creepy with a I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter twang to his vocals, Yoakam makes music for dusty road trips and late-night make-outs in the alley outside the bar—fun, and just a little bit dangerous. Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheatre, 2250 Deer Valley Drive South, Deer Valley, 7 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: 866-397-3320

JANA HUNTER
Minimalist folk artist Jana Hunter’s material demands to be heard through headphones—or a properly amplified mausoleum. Born and raised in uncomfortable towns, the refreshingly dour multi-instrumentalist tells it like it is in as few words as possible—relying less on lengthy lyrics, more on ghostly delivery. Her past two releases on Gnomonsong (BTW: If you like Hunter’s label mate Michael Hurley, keep your ear to the ground. He’s in SLC this week for a secret show. Hit up SeymourCash@hotmail.com for details.) hover somewhere between jangly lo-fi pop and sweeping, candlelit ruminations heavy on one syllable repetition. Hunter even brings to mind K.D. Lang at her sultriest on “Vultures,” a There’s No Home standout powered by Latin guitar shuffle. Kilby Court (with Chaz Prymek), 741 S. 330 West, 7 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: 24Tix.com

Also Saturday: Reggie & The Full Effect (In the Venue); Shearwater (Slowtrain, Urban Lounge—see Music); Xavier Rudd (The Depot); Steady Machete CD Release (Club Vegas); Reverend Dead Eyes (Burt’s Tiki Lounge)

Sunday 8.31
Bob Dylan (Snow Park Amphitheatre, Deer Valley); Eric McFadden Trio (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Global Noize (Harry O’s, Park City)

Tuesday 9.2
Meg & Dia (Studio 600); Her Candane, Estrago (Urban Lounge); Gram Rabbit (Burt’s Tiki Lounge)

Wednesday 9.3
NINE INCH NAILS, DEERHUNTER
Thanks to out-of-control online insta-hype, Deerhunter have inadvertently grown as famous for their personal bouts with fame, illegal downloading, intrusive bloggers and knee-jerk critiques as they have for producing swirling, experimental pop/psych/electronic recordings. Diehard followers know, however, that the quality of the band’s sub-buzz substance is far more enduring than a high-five from Pitchfork. I’ve yet to experience a full live show (one of their 2006 SXSW appearances abruptly ended when frontman Bradley Cox threw a fit and stomped off stage. Not surprising given his intense passion for his art), but Cox’s solo project Atlas Sound is an ethereal dream onstage and everyone who has witnessed the up-close-and-personal glory of Deerhunter leaves stunned and amazed. Find out for yourself when they open for a band called Nine Inch Nails, whose own front man knows a thing or two about passionate outbursts. E Center, 3200 S. Decker Lake Dr., 7 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: TheECenter.com

AL GREEN
Call me crazy, but it seems a little odd that Al Green tickets are still available at a venue where Bonnie Raitt, Wilco and KT Tunstall sold out weeks prior to their performances. Those in-demand artists are all amazing in their own right, but come on—Al Green?! Man is a living legend. Even cats who don’t dig soul/gospel/blues know every word to “Let’s Stay Together,” and that’s just one of his big hits. How about the less obvious gems peppering his back catalog? Those planning on attending tonight should be on the lookout for KRCL 90.9 DJ Bad Brad Wheeler, whose credo, “Mo Al Green, Less Al Queda,” are golden words to live by. Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, 7 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: 587-9939

Also Wednesday: Ratatat (In the Venue); The Gunshy (Kilby Court); The New Up (Burt’s Tiki Lounge)

Coming Up
Tim Finn (Paladium, Sept. 4); Dokken (Murray Theater, Sept. 4); CunninLynguists (Appeture, Sept. 5); Tolchock Trio CD Release (Urban Lounge, Sept. 5); Royal Bliss (Club Vegas, Sept. 6); LAHPAH Fest featuring Afro Omega (Gallivan Center, Sept. 7); John Hiatt & The Ageless Beauties, Joan Osborne (Red Butte Garden, Sept. 7); Jucifer (Bar Deluxe, Sept. 7); Colour Revolt, Atherton, Paul Jacobsen (Solid Ground Café, Sept. 8); Blitzen Trapper (Kilby Court, Sept. 11); Drew Danburry CD Release (Kilby Court, Sept. 12); TV on the Radio (In the Venue, Sept. 13); CSS, Tilly & The Wall (In the Venue, Sept. 15); Buckethead (Murray Theater, Sept. 16)