MUSIC PICKS NOV 23 - 29 

• Jacob
• The Anchorage

The Anchorage @ Kilby Court 11/23
Ska is just a fun genre. It's peppy to listen to, the people playing it seem like they're having a blast, and it's great to dance to. SLC ska/alternative/indie group The Anchorage know all about the genre and performing for an excited crowd. Since 2010, the group has been pumping out tunes that are addicting and leave you wanting more. Their most recent releases are some of their most intriguing and enjoyable to date. Last summer, The Anchorage gave us their first full album released since 2015, marking a beautiful return to long-form for the band. Wild Stories takes you on a journey where you're being told a new and exciting story with each track. You get pumping, crunching guitar in your ears before the horns come over, transforming the track into something uniquely The Anchorage. If you've heard of ska and never thought it would be a genre you'd enjoy, there's a good chance this band could change your mind—especially if you're a fan of hard-rock elements that make you headbang without even thinking about it. Their most recent release, "Dead Man's Party," is a perfect addition for your Halloween playlists—a spooky romp featuring creepy lyrics that will have you missing Halloween all year long. Catch The Anchorage at Kilby Court on Thursday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

• Azu Rodriguez
• Quicksand

Quicksand @ Metro Music Hall 11/25
When I look back fondly at all of the great bands of the early '90s, Quicksand always rises to the top in my mind. They were one of those bands doing the post-hardcore, breakdowns-plus-noise thing who seemed to know how to write a good song, too. Their iconic debut LP Slip turned 30 earlier this year, and to celebrate the anniversary, the band is currently touring in support of this influential record. Slip is flawless—one of those records I wish were longer when they are over, or which I immediately replay after listening. "We are 100 percent not trying to simply recreate the past," frontman Walter Schreifels told Punknews in October. "At the same time, with it including the same people, it is hard to not sound like it at times. We were very innovative in the beginning, and we are always trying to continue to be innovators." They're a band of great musicians, but not posers. Tom was always a mystery (Stephen Brodsky in the line-up currently adds a punchier sound), Sergio a real bass machine and Alan a meticulous metronome with a real groove. Vocalist Walter Schreifels tops it all off. His songwriter-y output/activity is quite undermentioned in all things music. Witnessing them playing this bonafide classic in its entirety live is not to be missed. Hotline TNT & Worlds Worst open. Catch these acts at Metro Music Hall on Saturday, Nov. 25. Doors open at 7 p.m., tickets for the 21+ show are $29.50 and can be found at 24tix.com (Mark Dago)

• Felicia Garcia

Transmit Festival 2023 @ The Great Saltair 11/25
For fans of smoothly flowing, melodic house music: Transmit Festival 2023 is an event you don't want to miss. Daniel Goldstein, better known as Lane 8, is the headliner for this festival with music released under his own label, called "This Never Happened." That label title also feels thematically appropriate for this phones-free event; attendees are prohibited from recording the shows with cell phones or cameras, encouraging them to be fully present in the experience. Goldstein has an impressive discography of four studio albums: Rise (2015), Little by Little (2018), Brightest Lights (2020), and Reviver (2022) that showcase his range from techno to flowing progressive house. While Lane 8 has an established and highly-dedicated fan base, other DJs will also showcase the softer side of progressive house music, such as the mysterious Kasablanca music project (best known for their 2020 single "Human Learning"), Sultan + Shepard, Luttrell, Jerome Isma-ae and Eric Hill. Taking place over Thanksgiving weekend, this is the perfect event for those who wish to connect to an energy of unity and love. The Great Saltair will come alive with soul-stirring melodies and plenty of space to dance and connect to a music community through rhythm and trance. Transmit Festival 2023 takes place at The Great Saltair on Saturday, Nov.. 25. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the festival ends at 1 a.m. Tickets start at $50. Go to v2presents.com (Arica Roberts)

• Samuel Bradley
• The 1975

The 1975 @ Delta Center 11/26
The English have always had an affinity for injecting excitement and invention into rock and roll. The Beatles, the Stones, the Who and others that served on the front line of the so-called "British Invasion" of the 1960s proved that adage long ago—and the indie band The 1975 continues that tradition. The group originally met in secondary school while still in their teens, and began performing professionally in 2012. Their unusual name was supposedly inspired by some scribblings found in a used copy of Jack Kerouac's classic novel "On the Road" dated "1 June, The 1975." No matter; The 1975 quickly became the opening act for several major bands, even though it soon became clear they were worthy of headliner status themselves. A series of EPs paved the way for their chart-topping, self-titled debut album, which yielded the successful singles "Sex," "Chocolate" and "Robbers." Their fortunes have continued unabated ever since, with each album hitting Number One in the U.K. charts and attaining high marks in Billboard's Top 200 as well. They've also earned several critical kudos, including various Grammy nominations, two prestigious Ivor Novello Awards, a Mercury Prize nomination, a win for British Album of the Year from the Brit Awards, and pronouncement as "Band of the Decade" at the 2020 NME Awards. Likewise, raves from Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and Pitchfork followed as well. Clearly then, The 1975 can be considered a timeless phenomenon. The 1975 perform at Delta Center at 7:30 pm on Sunday, Nov. 26. Tickets cost $29 - $119 at seatgeek.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

• FrankieBouquét
• Bruce Lee and the Streetfighters

Bruce Lee and the Streetfighters, Wasting Tuesday, Hot LaCroix @ Urban Lounge 11/29
Rock is an undeniably flexible and fluid genre. With so many different sounds and subgenres, it's something you can truly make yours. If you head out to this show, you'll be treated to a trio of fantastic locals who have found their sound in the rock world. At the top of the bill is Bruce Lee and the Streetfighters. Anyone who hears Bruce Lee's name is probably expecting bad-assery, and you definitely get that with this group. The alt-rock/post-punk band has chugging riffs, dark lyrics and ripping solos abounding. Their most recent single, "What I Thought was Real," is a lamenting song that curses the way things are in the world, especially when things turn out differently than you thought. Joining the bill is new-to-the-scene Wasting Tuesday, who take a funkier, bluesy-er approach to their version of rock. They're a high-energy band that's perfect to go see on a night out with friends. Rounding out the evening is Hot LaCroix, another group that is fresh on the scene, officially playing their first show at the DLC in October. So far, the eclectic rockers are delivering fresh, lively performances, so it's exciting to see what they do next. Catch this epic trio of rock on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are free.99, but still need to be "purchased" on 24tix.com to reserve entry. (EA)