Music Picks 

THURSDAY 6/16

MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO

While the name suggests otherwise, Meat Beat Manifesto is fueled by tofu and tempeh. Project mastermind Jack Dangers is a loud-and-proud vegan, steering away from steer and for improved animal rights. He also cares about humans and our need for a dance-dance revolution. The electronic music pioneer continues to inspire longtime followers and newcomers alike with his inventive sounds. Dangers’ latest effort, At the Center, packs a jazzier punch, proving there might be something to that meat-free, low-cholesterol diet after all. The Velvet Room, 149 W. 200 South, 9 p.m. Tickets: 800-888-8499.

Also Thursday: Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor (Egos); Royal Bliss (Monk’s); Da Verse (Urban Lounge)

FRIDAY 6/17

HELL’S BELLES

We know you know about all-female tribute bands. We know you think they’re played out. Hell’s Belles, however, are no dime-a-dozen group of poseurs. With the right lighting and enough pitchers of Bud, they could almost pass for AC/DC. The seasoned veterans recently replaced former frontwoman Om Johari with newcomer Jamie Nova, a Denver transplant with an unbridled passion for Bon, Brian and balls-out rock. Come get cathartic with the Angus Young-approved hellions'just be ready to sweat. Profusely. Egos, 668 S. State, 521-5255, 9:30 p.m. (with Thunderfist).

Also Friday: Bo Diddley (Kenley Amphitheater, Layton); Throwrag (Lo-Fi Café); SLUG Action Sports Night (Todd’s Bar & Grill); Salt City Bandits (Monk’s); Conspiracy Freak CD Release (Urban Lounge); Groove Kitty (Vortex); Tranceform (W Lounge)

SATURDAY 6/18

G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE

G. Love has a lip-smackin’ recipe for all the ladies in the house: Take one part sexy vocals, two parts funk-fueled grooves and a pinch of catchy lyrics. Swirl them together and get baked for an hour. Viola! Special Sauce. This goes great with G-Dawg’s latest video for “Booty Call,” a fun-filled romp featuring Napoleon Dynamite heartthrob Pedro pursuing random hookups with pretty girls. This is sure to make kids of all ages shout, “Nothing wrong with a booty call!” Library Square Amphitheater Stage, 300 E. 400 South, 7 p.m. All-ages. Info: 322-2428.

THE KISSERS

Ken Fitzsimmons remembers when the music died'or at least took a brief departure. On a crisp January morning in 2001, Wisconsin’s O’Cayz Corral burned to the ground, sidelining Fitzsimmons’ weekly gigs with The Kissers. His band routinely played on Monday nights, wooing crowds with their Irish-tinged, punk-country sound. Since then, the group’s cut its teeth on bigger venues, branching out on coast-to-coast tours through pubs in Portland, Minneapolis and West Palm Beach, to rock clubs in Berkeley, El Paso and New York City, to Irish festivals in Milwaukee, Kansas City and Los Angeles. Passing through the Beehive State, they hope to inspire jigging and moshing en masse. Piper Down, 1492 S. State, 9:30 p.m. Info: 468-1492.

Also Saturday: Oldies Fest (Franklin Covey Field); Farm Folk Festival (Tremonton); Hell’s Belles (Egos)

SUNDAY 6/17

Nancy Griffith (Red Butte Garden); Cloud Cult (Kilby Court)

MONDAY 6/20

THE DIRTY PROJECTORS

The award for this week’s most bizarre concept album goes to … The Dirty Projectors! Principle Projector Dave Longstreth spent nearly two years crafting a body of work so random, it could only be called genius'or ridiculous. It’s your call. The Getty Address follows a rambling narrative based on country/soft-rock stars, the Eagles. Longstreth also recruited 25-plus collaborators to incorporate bits of Aztec mythology, post-9/11 fever and Justin Timberlake. “Jolly jolly jolly ego,” he sings on “Jolly Jolly Jolly Ego.” Jolly indeed. Shine on, you crazy diamond! Mo’s Grill 358 S. West Temple, 359-0586, 9:30 p.m.

Also Monday: Charlie Bisharat (Kenley Amphitheater, Layton); Himsa (Lo-Fi Café); Hacienda Brothers (Egos'see Music, p.53)

TUESDAY 6/21

KENNY CHESNEY

In case you’re wondering, Kenny Chesney drinks protein shakes, not whiskey. His house is pristine, his routine fixed and his days of chasing women over with a capital O. The country music star, currently best-known as Renée Zellweger’s insta-husband, treats his mind, body and surroundings like a well-oiled machine. He wants to be taken seriously, so much that he started writing his own songs. When The Sun Goes Down features several tracks exposing Chesney’s softer side'all the romance and nostalgia hidden beneath a 10-gallon hat. Delta Center, 300 W. South Temple, 7:30 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: 325-7328.

Also Tuesday: Hot Hot Heat (Sound); Ouija Radio (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Mickey & the Motorcars (Egos); South Austin Jug Band (Urban Lounge); John Brown’s Body (Suede, Park City)

WEDNESDAY 6/22

MELEFLUENT

Mellifluous: Having a smooth rich flow; filled with something (as honey) that sweetens. That sounds about right. Melefluent might have tweaked their spelling, but the meaning remains on their full-length debut, Leap Before You Look. The Idaho trio, blazing trails in their 1988 Econoline van, gets parties started with a catchy reggae-rock hybrid. From the sound of it, these guys likely have at least a couple 311 albums lying around their Coeur d’Alene pad. Right next to the snowboards and Taj Mahal records. Liquid Joe’s, 1249 E. 3300 South, 467-5637, 9:30 p.m.

Also Wednesday: The Happies (Gallivan Center); Static-X (Lo-Fi Café); John Lee Hooker Jr. (Sun & Moon Café); Drowning Man (In the Venue); Backyard Babies (Sound); Vile Blue Shades (Urban Lounge); Ghostowne (Velvet Room)

COMING UP

Utah Arts Festival (Library Square, June 23-26). Michelle Shocked (Velvet Room, June 23). Moot Davis & Pete Anderson (Brewskis, June 25). Donny Osmond (Kingsbury Hall, June 28). The Flatlanders (Red Butte Garden, June 29). Jonathan Richman (Kilby Court, June 29). Kelly Clarkson (Rice-Eccles Stadium, July 2). Salt Lake City Int’l Jazz Festival (Washington Square, July 6-10). Steve Miller Band (Usana Amphitheater, July 8). Kansas (Sandy Amphitheater, July 9). Ray Lamontagne (In the Venue, July 12). Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand (Gallivan Center, July 13'see Music, p. 54). 50 Cent (Usana Amphitheater, July 15). Corrosion of Conformity (Club Vegas, July 15). Vans Warped Tour (Utah State Fairpark, July 16).