OMNIISM/SOMETHING UNDERGROUND (CD RELEASE) AT HERMAN'S Aside from a brief stint with Random Friend Generator, Spools of Dark Thread has been Chris Thomas's primary musical focus until now. And while he's perfectly content with the music he's been making with Spools, the songs he's been working on with Omniism are entirely his own. The sound is a bit of a departure from that act, even if it shares many of the same aesthetic antecedents. Thomas plays all the instruments on Messiah Complex -- with some help from friends -- and the album's twelve tracks show a different side of his songwriting. "Mechanical" features the type of bass line you're more likely to hear in a moody post-punk song than in something written by a songwriter known more for hard rock. And both "Down Tonight" and "Segue," which wouldn't sound out of place on an active rock playlist, have a bit of a soulful inflection tastefully integrated into them, partly because of the presence of well-known blues luminary Erica Brown, a versatile vocalist who has also lent her voice to songs by acts like the Warlock Pinchers and Cherry Bomb Club.
ROYAL BANGS AT THE HI-DIVE Knoxville's Royal Bangs knows the power of a three-piece. Beginning as one, growing into a quintet, and now back to band life as trio, the dudes still manage to create plenty of electronic-infused punkishness on its latest effort, Flux Outside. Initially snatched up by Patrick Carney of The Black Keys' own label, Audio Eagle Records, for its first recordings, the band has now moved on to Glassnote Records -- home to other buzz-heavy acts like Mumford & Sons and Kele. Tickets:$12.
TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND AT THE FILLMORE After Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi put their solo acts on hiatus, the husband-wife team formed the Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2010. While they both know their way around the blues, they throw a fair amount of Memphis soul, '70s funk and '60s rock into their debut album Revelator, released in June on Sony. Tickets: $37.50-$40.
ELEPHANT REVIVAL AT THE BLUEBIRD Although Elephant Revival's multi-instrumentalists all contribute to its Celtic-inspired harmonies, its the beautifully morose vocals of Bonnie Paine that best represents the band's jammy jazz sound. The group utilizes diverse instrumentation, from the washboard and fiddle to the upright bass to create this folky fusion -- coming across solidly as the quintet are true pros, having worked with everyone from Michael Franti to Railroad Earth. Tickets: $20-$22
PANTYRAID AT THE FILLMORE PANTyRAiD doesn't tour. So when the act, which is made up Josh Mayer of Glitch Mob and Marty Folb of MartyParty, bring its sexy, dubbed out hip-hop beats to the Fillmore this Saturday, November 19, along with a brand new lighting rig, you can bet it's going to be a night to remember. We recently spoke with the pair about throwing a two-hour party and why it's hard to get guys to dance to your music if the girls aren't into it first. Read the full interview. Tickets: $25-$30
DJ PREMIER AT CITY HALL DJ Premier is arguably the greatest hip-hop producer of all time. With a creative style that relies on jazz, soul and funk sampling and an impeccable scratch execution, Premier has crafted a style that influenced countless producers who came after. The instrumentalist half of legendary rap group Gang Starr, Preemo built up a solid foundation for hip-hop that's just as relevant today as it was then. Having produced for almost every rapper you can name (Nas, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Bun B, among others), Premier's prowess isn't limited to hip-hop; he's also worked with pop artists such as Christina Aguilera. Throughout hip-hop's many changes, Premier has remained a stronghold for purists who diligently study the genre, showing pretty much everyone how it should be done. Tickets: $15-$20
LITTLE SCREAM AT THE LARIMER LOUNGE As Little Scream, Laurel Sprengelmeyer chiefly employs her voice. But the singer-songwriter is also an accomplished pianist, guitarist and violin player, and she uses this multi-instrumental power to beef up the sonic landscape for her lyrical, storytelling style. Her songs twist freely, going from folk-inspired angles to experimental territory and back to a pop base in one fell swoop. An Iowa native, Sprengelmeyer found a perfect enclave for her powerfully nimble voice in the Montreal music scene, collaborating with the likes of Stars and Arcade Fire, both on stage and in the studio. A visual artist as well, Sprengelmeyer is also the hand behind the visually rich oil painting on the cover of her debut, 2011's The Golden Record. Tickets: $10-$13
EMANCIPATOR AT SUMMIT MUSIC HALL Trip-hop producer and live PA artist Emancipator (known day-to-day as Doug Appling) got his start producing electronic music in 2002 at age fifteen when he procured a copy of ACID Pro software. After dabbling as a drummer, Emancipator moved into producing trance and electro-pop before settling on his current sound. Tickets: $18-$20
PLAID AT THE BLUEBIRD Andy Turner and Ed Handley were once in pioneering British electronic group the Black Dog with Ken Downie. Between that project and Plaid, which the duo finally dubbed their collaboration in 1991, Turner and Handley have been busy writing original music and doing remixes for the likes of Björk and Grandmaster Flash. Since its inception, Plaid has been one of the pillars of the IDM movement, which includes influential peers in such bands as Autechre, Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin. Across seven albums and two soundtracks, Plaid has cultivated a reputation for making electronic music that somehow sounds very organic. Currently touring in support of its latest offering, Scintilli, the duo makes a rare stop in Denver with what promises to be a memorable immersion in techno bliss. Tickets: $15.75
STING AT WELLS FARGO THEATRE After fronting the Police, Sting launched into an enduring solo career in 1985 with his debut, Dream of the Blue Turtles. To celebrate twenty-five years of his solo material, Sting, who turned sixty last month, released the box set Sting: 25 Years, which includes three CDs and a previously unreleased live DVD, Rough, Raw & Unreleased, filmed at New York City's Irving Plaza. As part of his Back to Bass tour, the singer and bassist will perform stripped down versions of his greatest hits with his five-piece band that includes his longtime guitarist Dominic Miller, guitarist Rufus Miller, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, electric violinist Peter Tickell and vocalist Jo Lawry. Tickets: $55-$130.50
Contributors: Bree Davies, Amber Taufen, Ru Johnson, Britt Chester, Tom Murphy, Dave Herrera and Jon Solomon
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