MUSIC PICKS NOV 9 - 15 

• Savannah Mckenzie
• HASHA

Boardwalk's Battle of the Bands @ Boardwalk Sound 11/9-11
There's a lot to enjoy in the local music scene, but Boardwalk's Battle of the Bands is one you won't want to miss. The battle officially began on Nov. 7, but better late than never, especially with how many incredible nights are left. At each show you'll catch four bands rocking it out to earn the crown. Night three features Hazel Paul, HASHA, bellagrace and Afternoon All Night. For bands participating in the contest, it's the perfect time to show off their skills, workshop new songs and potentially gain new fans; for attendees, it's an incredible chance to see a number of fantastic locals all in one place in one night—or several nights, if you go to each of the shows. In April, we saw HASHA release their latest EP Let Me Forget You, a five-song adventure chock full of smoothness, belting vocals and heartfelt lyrics. Perhaps a song or two off this EP will make its way to the battle. You'll find more mellow, stripped-back sounds with bellagrace's tracks. With only four official tracks out right now, maybe she'll play a few we already know, or unveil something new. Afternoon All Night will join the fray with melodic, mellow indie rock tracks that will have you swaying side to side with the first strum of a chord. There's plenty to behold at each night of the battle, so head out and support all of the great participants. Boardwalk's Battle of the Bands continues through Saturday, Nov 11. Each show starts at 6:30 p.m.; tickets for the all-ages shows are $8 at theboardwalksound.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

• Abraxan Hymns
• Baroness

Baroness @ The Depot 11/9
It is undeniably very common for bands to run out of steam after four or five records. I don't mind an artist shifting their sound, as long as the songs are still engaging. On their sixth studio album, Stone, Philadelphia-based heavy metal band Baroness doesn't lose touch with who they are and what makes them special. They seem to always find a way to move forward while delivering pulverizing, cathartic moments. "In order to make it successful, we had to let the music speak through us," frontman John Baizley told Loudwire in September. "I think that language can sound a little poetic, but in a tangible, scientific way, when you relinquish what you as a musician perceive as control ... you create something that's twice as powerful as the sum of its parts." Stone gets better with every listen—chuggy riffs, beautiful melodies, great harmonies and killer drums. I still think their 2009 release Blue is their masterpiece, however. If you don't care much about genre, and you just want to hear a badass record with some depth and humanity, this is the one. Before the main event, be sure to catch Baroness at the Taylorsville Graywhale at 4 p.m. for a free acoustic in-store performance and signing (they will have albums on hand for purchase). If capacity is reached, entry for this event will be first-come/first-served. Wayfarer and Destiny Bond open. Catch these acts at the Depot on Thursday, Nov 9. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets for the 21+ show are $29.50. Grab tickets at livenation.com (Mark Dago)

• Jason Quigley
• Band of Heathens

The Band of Heathens @ State Room 11/10
While the indie ethos has become more or less a common form of branding, The Band of Heathens actually puts it into practice. The band was founded when three successful songwriters—Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist—shared a bill at Momo's, a now-defunct Austin music club. Adding drummer John Chipman and keyboardist Trevor Nealon to the lineup, they found success even at the outset. After being named "Best New Band" at the 2007 Austin Music Awards, they released their first, self-titled studio album the following year, which subsequently went all the way to No. 1 on the Americana Music Association's radio charts, and into the top ten of all AMA's top albums of the year. From then on, each of their albums has received similar ranking on the Americana charts. Having turned down any number of record label entreaties, they recently marked another milestone by becoming one of the few unsigned outfits to attain gold status, courtesy of their version of "Hurricane," originally recorded by Levon Helm in 1980. The Band Of Heathens' version has amassed over 400 million streams, a remarkable feat considering that it originally appeared more than 40 years ago! The upcoming release of an acoustic offering aptly titled Simpler Things—a collection of songs culled from their recent album Simple Things, rendered in stripped-down settings—should further entice the band's many faithful followers. The Band of Heathens with special guest Alex Jordan play The State Room at 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov 10. Tickets for this 21+ show cost $32 at AXS.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

• Jason Fenmore
• Benda

Benda @ Soundwell 11/10
Ben-David, a.k.a. Benda, is one of the younger up-and-coming dubstep artists you don't want to miss. At only 18 years old, Ben-David is shifting the bass music soundscape. Originally from Miami but now based in Los Angeles, Ben-David mentored under the world-renowned Israeli DJ/producer Borgore, and has had success in the EDM scene since 2018. This performance is part of his "Beat the Block" tour promoting an EP released this year of the same name, featuring Simon Said. This is Brenda's first headlining tour, which was kicked off at the major festival Lost Lands. His discography also includes EP's Poison Control, Hostile Homicide, and Break Shit—all intent on showcasing his signature aggressive-style EDM. Any dubstep show at Soundwell is a good time, since the venue allows a more intimate environment with fans deeply committed to head-banging and moshing in a respectful setting. SLC-based promotion company Mutiny Music Collective has been at the forefront of creating high-quality shows for dubstep and EDM lovers. Anticipate new music, new visuals and an impressive support of openers for Benda—including HAMRO, inaktivity, Kliptic, SQISHI, RZRKT, beastboi and Algo—showcasing other young Dubstep artists on the rise. Benda performs at Soundwell on Friday, Nov 10. Doors open at 9:45 p.m. Tickets cost $20 at soundwellslc.com (Arica Roberts)

• Travis Shinn
• Dragonforce

Dragonforce @ The Depot 11/15
Picture it: It's 2007, you got Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock on your favorite gaming system, and you're working your way through the campaign. Then, "Through the Fire and Flames" is the next song on the roster. You're poised and ready. You've come this far in the game, right? As soon as the song starts, however, you realize how very wrong you are. For many of us, our first exposure to Dragonforce was this epic 2005 track, which became legendary in the game. When you Google the song, the first thing that comes up is a random dude on YouTube showing off how well he plays the song, missing nary a note. It's quite the spectacle, actually—look it up if you want to relive some memories, or some trauma, from never being able to pass this song off. Anyway, the power metal band has been melting faces since Y2K times, and are legends not only for their difficult levels in Guitar Hero, but for epic-length songs that take you on a journey through space and time. Founders Herman Li and Sam Totman are still going strong in the group, but like any band that has been playing for more than 20 years, there have been lineup changes over time. Of course, Dragonforce has many more songs than "Through the Fire and Flames," but ask anyone who played video games in the early aughts, and I guarantee that's the first song they'll tell you they know from the band—and how they realized there was no chance in hell to beat the song on any level besides extra-easy mode. Catch Dragonforce at The Depot on Wednesday, Nov 15 at 6 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $60 at livenation.com. (EA)