Music Picks 

Thursday 5.10
ttL.A. SYMPHONY
ttSay what you will about Los Angeles, but resident musicians say it best. From Joni Mitchell to the Beach Boys to Randy Newman,local musicians are your logical source of info on the city of (fallen) angels. L.A. Symphony has one of the most diverse takes on their native stomping grounds, its chorus of voices based in every corner from Long Beach to downtown and everywhere in between. The veteran hip-hop quintet’s latest album Disappear Here also drops rhymes with universal appeal including the high-energy “Dance Like” and deeply reflective “Timeless.” Monk’s, 19 W. 200 South, 10 p.m. Tickets: 24Tix.com

Also Thursday: Alesana, A Day to Remember (Avalon Theater); Drive-By Truckers (Suede, Park City)

Friday 5.11
ttJOHN PRINE
ttSome of the best conversations start over dinner'or at least the dinner table. John Prine and Mac Wiseman recognized the intimate setting as an ideal spot to swap stories for their first collaboration, Standard Songs for Average People, a collection of personal favorites produced with the artists’ signature flair. They recorded the album’s 14 tracks while seated across from each other at a dining room table in a Nashville studio, a casual process that lent each traditional tune a comfortable, spontaneous appeal. Don’t miss Prine’s live renditions of the duo’s memorable sessions along with original material that deserves its own tribute down the road. Austad Auditorium, Weber State University, 3850 Harrison Blvd., Ogden, 8 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: 801-626-8500

Also Friday: SLUG Localized (Urban Lounge); The Phenomenauts (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Conrad Ford, Cub Country (Kilby Court); School of Rock: David Bowie (Realms of Inquiry)

Saturday 5.12
ttEL-P
ttCompany Flow’s landmark release Funcrusher Plus forced many dazed and confused hip-hop artists to ante up on their creative output. New York City’s finest went where no emcee or producer had gone before, dropping rhymes in a style that launched countless “backpack” rappers. Former Flow member El-P’s solo work is equally distinct and daring, his albums marked by spooky, often unsettling production (2002’s Fantastic Damage sounded like it was recorded in a post-apocalyptic space station). The new I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead is a bit more rooted in the present-day realities that inspire El-P’s wrath. He spits rants against the government and reflects on rappers battling for thrones that don’t exist'not like they used to. Check the adaptive artist tonight with DJ Mr. Dibbs on the ones and twos. The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, 8:30 p.m. Tickets: DepotSLC.com

MADRASO, BLACKHOLE, FORM OF ROCKET
ttLast chance to catch Blackhole live before the Chopper-fronted double-bass assault heads to glorious Albuquerque, N.M., to blow out-of-state minds with fellow Salt City rockers (see Frost Bytes, p. 14). If cathartic renditions of “Rosa” and “No Entiendo” aren’t incentive enough for you to get out, how about a swift kick to the head courtesy of the always charming, seemingly constantly touring Form of Rocket followed by a second heaping helping of Seattle’s Madraso? If you missed the Pseudo Recordings-backed act last time around, ain’t no time like the present to bask in their brutal rock. The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 10 p.m. Info: 746-0557

Also Saturday: Nickel Creek (Abravanel Hall); The Robot Ate Me (Kilby Court); School of Rock: David Bowie (Realms of Inquiry); Marcus Bently & The Beat Surrender (Velour, Provo); Battle of the Bands (Mojos, Ogden)

Monday 5.14
ttHR OF BAD BRAINS
ttWe’re not excusing Paul Hudson’s history of homophobic outbursts during Bad Brain’s heyday. We’re just here to talk about the music Hudson makes as HR, or Human Rights as he likes to be recognized these days'and, boy, is there a lot to gloss over. Basically, HR took a leave of absence from the seminal D.C. hardcore band to record reggae-tinged solo material that, while slightly more sedate than his previous gig’s product, still featured that chainsaw guitar and trademark vocals that sealed his approval on the East Coast scene. Looks like he still needs to go crazy once in a while: Bad Brains is back together and scheduled to release new material this coming June. The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 10 p.m. Tickets: 24Tix.com (with Dubb Agents and The Body)

Tuesday 5.15
ttYACHT
ttAlternative transportation is all the rage these days for forward-thinking touring bands. Occult enthusiasts Peter & The Wolf recently charted a course less traveled via sailboat and singer/songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs tried to hit the road in a biodiesel van but settled for community service on her off days. Now Yacht’s launched a tour on'what else?'a yacht! But while ship/group captain Jona Bechtolt’s Cinco de Mayo bon voyage seems like a silly publicity stunt, it could also be interpreted as another awesome piece of performance art by the prolific multimedia artist. Bechtolt, currently one-half of tropical dance rockers The Blow, started his ever-evolving career drumming in a punk band, which segued into more electronic experiments and production gigs. Now he mixes lo-fi beats and trippy sound effects as Yacht, keeps a detailed video blog and steers Internet reality-TV spoof The Ultimate Blogger. Whew. Dude should take a relaxing cruise or something. Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, 7 p.m. All-ages. Info: KilbyCourt.com

Also Tuesday: Dimmu Borgir (Great Saltair); Frontline Assembly (In the Venue); Far From Finished (Burt’s Tiki Lounge)

Wednesday 5.16
ttBlack Rebel Motorcycle Club (In the Venue'see Music, p. 53); Rwake, Gaza (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Time Again (The New Vortex)

COMING UP
ttI Am The Ocean CD Release (Avalon Theater, May 18). Cunninglinguist (Suede, May 19). The Meat Puppets (In the Venue, May 21). Clutch (the Depot, May 21). Animal Collective (In the Venue, May 22). The Black Angels (Kilby Court, May 22). The Hold Steady (Urban Lounge, May 23). O.C. (Monk’s, May 24). The Old Haunts (Urban Lounge, May 24). Cary Judd (Velour, May 25). Girl Talk (Urban Lounge, May 26). Girl in a Coma (Burt’s Tiki Lounge, May 26). Skinny Puppy (The Depot, May 29). Otep (In the Venue, May 30). The Killers, Louis XIV (Great Saltair, May 31). Sheena Easton, En Vogue (Utah Pride Festival, June 1-3).