HORSE FEATHERS, THE STATE ROOM, Thursday, Dec. 11, 8 p.m., $18
Justin Ringle almost quit music a few years ago, after touring in support of Horse Feathers’ fourth album, Cynic’s New Year. While the set of songs he wrote for that collection were brilliant, they were also monumentally depressing, as they came to be known as his “divorce album.” Playing them every night didn’t exactly make Ringle anxious to keep on the same sonic path, so after some time off, he decided to write some more upbeat tunes and do his damnedest to turn Horse Feathers into his version of a “party band.” He largely succeeds on the band’s latest, So It Is With Us, one of the strongest releases of the year. See for yourself when the band hits The State Room Thursday. Sara Jackson-Holman opens the show.
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, THE DEPOT, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 8:30 p.m., $24
One of my punk rock rights of passage as a little kid was my sister passing down a copy of the Repo Man soundtrack. That cult classic of a film featured Emilio Estevez as an L.A. punk, and his soundtrack became mine, introducing my ears to the likes of Black Flag, Circle Jerks and Iggy Pop for the first time. Also on there–skate punks Suicidal Tendencies and their now-classic “Institutionalized.” The aggression of the music and easy to relate to narrative struck a chord, as did later works like “How Will I Laugh Tomorrow” and “You Can’t Bring Me Down.” Still going strong more than 30 years on, Suicidal headlines at the Depot Tuesday, joined by Trash Talk.
SPOON, THE DEPOT, Monday, Dec. 8, 9 p.m., $30
Even though Spoon has enjoyed some commercial success through their existence, it still seems like the Austin-based crew led by Britt Daniel are kind of a cult band. Despite a sound blending cool post-punk with insistent, hooky pop, Spoon remains a theater-sized attraction on their tours, rather than arena-sized. That’s a shame, because the quintet is one of the best live acts around, delivering consistently great shows that get audiences moving in ways few indie-rock crews can boast. The band’s latest album, They Want My Soul, is another in a long line of worthy listens, holding up just fine alongside older faves like Girls Can Tell and Kill the Moonlight. Expect a heavy dose of the new material, the band’s first in four years, when they play Salt Lake on Monday. A Giant Dog opens the show.
THE ORIGINAL WAILERS, PARK CITY LIVE, Saturday, Dec. 6, 9 p.m., $20
Granted, we all know the “original” Wailers including a couple of guys named Bob Marley and Peter Tosh in the mix, so the version that tours under that name has some serious baggage to deal with when it comes to skeptics in the crowd. But the current version, under the name the Original Wailers, DOES have a couple of guys who played huge roles in Marley’s later career, particularly the Exodus album. Both Al Anderson and Junior Marvin are serious players, and they’ve surrounded themselves with talented cats who are passionate about keeping the spirit of Bob alive. I’ve seen the Original Wailers do their thing, and while it’s not necessarily the “original” real thing, they are just fine at kicking up a funky reggae party.
JOSHUA JAMES, THE URBAN LOUNGE, Saturday, Dec. 6, 9 p.m., $15
While Joshua James is a familiar face after years playing in Utah, his shows in his home state seem increasingly rare, making them all the more important to see and cherish. Simply one of the most talented folks to grace our state’s music scene, James makes his home in American Fork, where he co-owns Northplatte Records and lives a pretty “normal” family life when he’s not on the road or off recording stellar albums like From The Top of Willamette Mountain, or his recent collection of covers called Well, Then, I’ll Go to Hell. Earlier this year, he bounded off to Australia to open some shows for the legendary Neil Finn, and hopefully he’s got some new tunes up his sleeve ready for public consumption when he plays Urban on Saturday. Timmy the Teeth opens the show.
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND, THE URBAN LOUNGE, Wed., Dec. 3, 9 p.m., $15
My Brightest Diamond is a “band,” but it’s really one person, the singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shara Worden. And within that one person, there is a kaleidoscope of sounds running through, expressed through myriad projects through the years, most recently and successfully through the four albums she’s delivered under the My Brightest Diamond name. Her latest release, This Is My Hand, is more straightforward rock music than many of her electronic excursions on past albums, but her operatic voice and classical training still come through as well. A veteran of tours and recordings with The Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens, you can bet Worden’s solo show will hold all the theatricality and musical experimentation of those acts, and then some. DJ Flash & Flare opens the show.
Daniel Nailen 