Music Picks 

Thursday 11.16
Ellison (Kilby Court); 30 Seconds to Mars (Great Saltair); Bishop Allen, Starlight Mints (Velour, Provo); Matt Lund benefit (Club Vegas)

Friday 11.17
P.O.S., CECIL OTTER
nIf you’ve never seen P.O.S. live, you’re missing one of the most electrifying hip-hop performances in recent history. The Minneapolis native pours himself into every track, his sharp tongue whipping rants against Bush, hit-and-run drivers'even his own failings as a “piece of shit.” Rage is nothing new, but P.O.S. unleashes fury to tame the beast within. Inside, he’s just a teddy bear whose personality rivals the complexity of his genre-bending approach to sound. Ipecac Neat and Audition are recorded tightrope acts balancing punk, rap, hardcore and whatever else he and longtime producer Lazerbeak feel like tossing out. Don’t miss opener Cecil Otter'another Rhymesayers artist who’s ready to explode. Any. Day. Now. In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West, 6:30 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: 24Tix.com.

GOLDEN ARM TRIO
nExpecting the unexpected is a good rule of thumb when dealing with Golden Arm Trio, a fluid collective anchored by Graham Reynolds, a prolific composer whose works grace various silver-screen projects including Richard Linklater’s recent film adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly. While the movie received mixed reviews, most viewers at least found it visually commanding. Its soundtrack is equally impressive. Golden Arm Trio’s electronic symphony makes possible the creepy vibe that undercuts each drug-hazed scene. Tonight, the group'featuring Reynolds, bassist Erik Grostic, cellist Jon Dextor and trombonist Jerome Smith'will re-create those unnerving sounds in a nontraditional venue currently celebrating tattoo art with the SLC Ink exhibit. Utah Arts Alliance, 2191 S. 300 West, 7:30 p.m. All-ages. Info: UtahArts.org.

SLIPPERY KITTENS CHILI COOK-OFF
nAs burlesque revival sweeps the nation, some critics denounce the exploitative nature of striptease acts'no matter how artful they might be. But what many overlook is just how much fun the female dancers have as they shimmy in various shades of undress. Unlike typical T&A performances, nudity is not the primary goal. Each work highlights both the seductive and humorous nature of cabaret. Tonight, rising from the ashes of Bang Bang Burlesque, the Slippery Kittens grin and bare it as amateur chefs battle for most slammin’ chili. With local rockers Utah County Swillers, Spooky DeVille and Highball Train on hand, you can shimmy, too. Club Vegas, 445 S. 400 West, 7 p.m. Info: MySpace.com/SlipperyKittens.

Also Friday: Wolf Eyes, Vile Blue Shades (Urban Lounge); Blackhole, Iota (Broken Record); Debi Graham CD Release (Modiggity’s'see Music, p. 50)

Saturday 11.18
Blessid Union of Souls (Juan Diego School); Soular (Kilby Court); HelloGoodbye, Cute Is What We Aim For (In the Venue); Howard Jones (Kingsbury Hall); Kaskade & BT (The Depot); Red Top Wolverine CD Release (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); B-Side Players (Suede, Park City)

Sunday 11.19
Tara Jane O’Neil (Kilby Court); Starlight Desperation (Monk’s); Danava (Urban Lounge)

Monday 11.20
THE MEDITATIONS
nMonk’s Reggae Lounge has done it again. Operating from a house that once specialized in jazz, the weekly theme night now features local and national roots, reggae and dancehall acts including The Melodians and Afro Omega. This week brings The Meditations to town, a Jamaican trio who spent most of their career behind the scenes doing backup for Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, Gregory Issacs and others. Still together after all these years, they continue to perform original hits including songs off 1999’s Ghetto Knowledge. Monk’s, 19 W. 200 South, 10 p.m. Info: 350-0950.

Also Monday: Vince Gill (Abravanel Hall); Karrin Allyson (Sheraton City Center); The Toasters (The Depot)

Tuesday 11.21
n• Zebrahead (Avalon Theater); Ghostly (Broken Record); Cabaret Voltage (Urban Lounge)

Wednesday 11.22
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
nZakk Wylde’s career started with a one-in-a-million chance encounter. The now-legendary guitarist was pumping gas in New Jersey when Ozzy Osbourne hired him in the ’80s to shred with the best. Wylde has since carved out a name for himself in Black Label Society, a straight-up heavy-metal act (free of death/screamo/post/neo modifiers) that never forgot the value of practicing scales. Their latest release, Shot to Hell, continues the legacy of simple riffs, loud amps and medieval vocals that both terrify and soothe (with the right ballad). Now’s a good time for some pre-show neck stretches. The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, 8 p.m. Tickets: DepotSLC.com (with Black Stone Cherry and Priestess).

Also Wednesday: Cannibal Corpse (Avalon Theater'see Music, p. 52); Juke Kartel (Kilby Court); Alice In Chains (Great Saltair); Black Market Babies Burlesque (Burt’s Tiki Lounge)

COMING UP
L.A. Guns (Club Vegas, Nov. 24). Queensryche (The Depot, Nov. 28). The Sounds (Avalon Theater, Nov. 29). Panic! At the Disco (E Center, Nov. 29). The Aquabats (In the Venue, Dec. 1). The Lemonheads (The Depot, Dec. 1). The Dears (Urban Lounge, Dec. 4). Kurt Bestor Christmas (Abravanel Hall, Dec. 5-9). Artemis Piledriver (Burt’s Tiki Lounge, Dec. 5). Devotchka (Suede, Dec. 6). Plus 44 (In the Venue, Dec. 7). Imogen Heap (In the Venue, Dec. 8). Trans-Siberian Orchestra (E Center, Dec. 9). Big John Bates (Burt’s Tiki Lounge, Dec. 9). Dressy Bessy (Urban Lounge, Dec. 10). And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (Avalon Theater, Dec. 14).