MUSIC PICKS AUG 8 - 14 

• Andrew Clifton
• Killer Mike

Killer Mike @ Ogden Amphitheater 8/8
All success that comes Killer Mike's way is massively overdue. Michael Render (aka. Killer Mike) has been putting it down since his killer verse on Outkast's "Snappin' & Trappin'." Anything that he has to say or rhyme about, I make time for, and return to again and again. There are few more sophisticated, challenging and open minds in the public domain today. His 2024 Grammy Award-winning Michael is an important album—personal, frequently poignant, filled to the brim with his signature wordplay and featuring some great guest spots as well. "I made, in rap's 50th year, the best representation of hip-hop as an album. And I say that with no shame. I say that with no disrespect or shade," Mike told GQ. "I say that because I did that, and I did that because I'm a proud student of this art form." I'm glad Killer Mike is finally getting recognition for his tireless grind. Michael is the product of a mutual-appreciation society that doesn't involve the emcee or producer straining to fit into a style which doesn't really suit them. He seems to have found a space that he is comfortable in, and the quality of the music reflects that. And look, his song "Reagan" off 2012's R.A.P. Music aged like fine wine. Give it a listen. This is real rap, so enjoy. Hippo Campus and Bad Luck Brigade open. Catch these musicians on the Twilight Concert Series at the Ogden Amphitheater on Thursday, Aug. 8. Gates open at 5 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $15 at 24tix.com (Mark Dago)

• Laura Carbone
• Danielle Nicole

Danielle Nicole @ The State Room 8/9
Danielle Nicole makes music informed by the blues, yet not constrained by it. The electric bassist and singer debuted with siblings Nick and Kris as Trampled Under Foot in 2000. After honing both her considerable chops and stage presence with that group for well over a decade, Nicole released her solo debut, Wolf Den, in 2015. While her work has long had its foundation in the blues, Nicole often uses the idiom as a jumping-off point for her musical excursions. In her solo career to date, Nicole has had no difficulty finding quality musicians with whom to work. 2018's Cry No More featured an array of guest stars, including Luther Dickinson, Sonny Landreth, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Walter Trout. But her strong musical vision and force of personality means that even among those stars, she easily holds her own, never getting overwhelmed or overshadowed. And while Cry No More displayed her affinity for (and understanding of) the classic Stax Records soul vibe, on her latest, The Love You Bleed, Nicole aims toward a more mainstream classic-rock character. Varied throughout, The Love You Bleed can serve as a sampler of the artist's wide-encompassing approach to her craft; it's also a very pleasing listening experience. Nicole visits The State Room on Friday, Aug. 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets for this 21+ show are $27 at thestateroompresents.com (Bill Kopp)

• glen rose
• Nitty Gritty Dirt

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band @ Park City Institute 8/10
While the term "Americana" is widely referenced these days, in truth it had its origins in the seminal rock and roll sounds of Elvis, the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and other denizens of the Sun Records roster. When, in the '60s and early '70s, popular music furthered that crossover, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played a key role in the transition and trajectory. Originally a California jug band, they delved deeply into the fertile roots of traditional music with Will the Circle Be Unbroken, a landmark album that found country music's archival architects—Earl Scruggs, "Mother" Maybelle Carter, Roy Acuff, Norman Blake and Doc Watson included—reaching across a cultural divide with younger musicians who had an obvious appreciation for those prominent pioneers. It broke down barriers, marking a true milestone in the annals of Americana. The band went on to score a steady succession of hits throughout their nearly 60-year career—"Mr. Bojangles," "Make a Little Magic," "Some of Shelley's Blues," "House at Pooh Corner" and "Fishin' in the Dark," among them. They also became the first American band to tour the USSR, resulting in a TV special viewed by an estimated 145 million people. Though touting this current excursion as their farewell tour, they also promise good times can continue. An evening in their company proves that point. All the Good Times: The Farewell Tour with Very Special Guest Jerry Douglas comes to Park City Institute Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show cost $72.08 at parkcityinstitute.org. (Lee Zimmerman)

• Ryan Hunter
• Gary Clark Jr.

Gary Clark Jr. @ Red Butte Garden 8/11
There are few people (dead or alive) who could play guitar as ferociously and effortlessly as Gary Clark Jr.—and the Austin-based guitar hero treats us to some blues, rock and soul this weekend. Long-time fans will remember his Grammy for Best Traditional R&B performance for the song "Please Come Home" in 2014, as well as a Grammy for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for "This Land" in 2020. However, he hasn't slowed down; his newest album, JPEG RAW, is full of the same soulful energy and his signature mix of hip-hop elements. The album's title is an acronym for Jealousy, Pride, Envy, Greed, Rules, Alter Ego, Worlds. It begins with guitar riffs and Clark Jr. rapping on "Maktub," and includes a collab with Parliament-Funkadelic leader and legend, George Clinton called "Funk Witch U;" Stevie Wonder appears on the song "What About The Children." It's fair to say that Clark Jr. is a once-in-a-generation musician, mostly because he won't let himself be put in a box. Clark Jr. isn't just the guy that plays guitar; he sculpts the bass drum, kick drum, bass tones, cymbals, the whole thing. And lest we forget, he also has smooth vocals. There's a certain type of confidence Clark Jr. brings to the stage, so come through and listen Sunday, Aug. 11 at Red Butte Garden. Doors open at 6 p.m., performance at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $70–$75 at redbuttegarden.org. (Arica Roberts)

• Harrison Corwin
• JPEGMAFIA

JPEGMAFIA @ The Depot 8/11
JPEGMAFIA's collaborative album with Danny Brown Scaring the Hoes, which dropped last year, was a perfect example of hip-hop craft—focus, brilliant rhymes, mind-melting production, no gimmicks, not even larger-than-life emcees. Even though both mic-controllers here are true originals, Scaring the Hoes represents the entire form, and projects like this can sometimes slip out of the mainstream's eyeline. However, there's an audience out there for something a bit rawer, noisier and grittier. "I want to master my domain. I have a domain in experimental hip-hop that is my own. I've created a lane that's just my own, and I want to double down and set myself in stone," Barrington Hendricks, aka JPEGMAFIA, told Stereogum.com. "This is my thing. You can't do this thing." The thing is, Peggy's music production is exciting. His collection of chaotic musical freak-outs are all things low- and high-brow coming straight for your cerebellum. The way he chops and loops hyper-dense samples is masterful at times, and runs into copyright issues other times. On his album LP!, he couldn't clear some of the musical samples on particular songs, which resulted in him releasing two versions of the effort, online and offline. Hip-Hop is a sampling sport, and if the culture isn't about the music and merely about a look or an aesthetic (DIY, etc.), then it's just reduced to a fad or a fashion. JPEGMAFIA's career has been escalating for a while, and it's easy to see why he gets maximum respect like Dapper Dan. Catch this artist on the Lay Down My Life tour at the Depot on Sunday, Aug. 11, doors at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $48 at livenation.com (Mark Dago)