Live Music Picks: May 10-16 

• Grywnn via Wikimedia Commons

FRIDAY 5/11
Nile, Soulfly, Dezecration, DiseNgaged, Incrypted
Who would've thought a group of dudes from South Carolina would form one of the most well-known death metal bands in underground music. Created in 1993 by Karl Sanders, Nile sings about death and Egyptian mythology, pummeling blast beats and growling howls of spells and ancient Middle Eastern warfare; they could make anyone enjoy history with their latest release, What Should Not Be Unearthed (Nuclear Blast, 2015). Nile teams up with Soulfly for their nationwide 2018 tour—a fitting way to share the 20th anniversary marking both bands' first full-length albums. On the subject of history, some metal heads compare Max Cavalera's bitter 1996 exit from Sepultura—the legendary thrash metal band created by Max and his brother Igor—to that of an ancient Biblical story. For Max, creating Soulfly became the answer after his departure. Soulfly's 1998 self-titled debut album was a conduit for Max to release his anger and pain from losing a loved one to a car accident. In the early stages, Soulfly dabbled in a sound on the edge of nu-metal blended with Brazilian influences. However, their 2013 record, Savages (Nuclear Blast), kept the Soulfly sound while adding punk-themed drums and thrash-like riffs. Also on the bill are Dezecration, DiseNgaged and Incrypted. P.S., The Cavalera brothers have since reunited; all is well in the metal kingdom. (Rachelle Fernandez) Metro Music Hall, 615 W. 100 South, 6 p.m., $25, 21+, metromusichall.com

• Elisa Savoia

SATURDAY 5/12
Young Dubliners, Swagger
At this point in their three decade-long career, the Young Dubliners are more like stoic veterans than the new blood their handle implies. Nevertheless, distinguishing themselves from a more traditional Gaelic band like the original Dubliners works well, especially given the mix of rowdy rambunctious attitude and absolute insurgence that defines their notion of Celtic rock 'n' roll. Like Black 47, Scythian, The Pogues and select others, they tap into Old Country tradition, but retain few actual cultural connections. Still, authenticity isn't of prime importance given that a Young Dubliners concert encourages everyone to take a celebratory stance, one which favors dancing, stomping about and generally indulging in overall abandon. And although the vintage trappings harken back to the Emerald Isles—especially with their use of fiddle, mandolin and bodhrán—there's universal appeal found in all their upbeat exhilaration. A listen to any one of their 10 albums offers evidence of that infectious attitude, but it's only through witnessing a live performance that the Young Dubliners' demonstrative demeanor becomes fully clear. There's no need to consume a pint for full appreciation; even teetotallers will likely be tempted to indulge in both the music and the mayhem that follows. (Lee Zimmerman) Commonwealth Room, 195 W. Commonwealth Ave., 9 p.m., $25, thecommonwealthroom.com

SUNDAY 5/13
Kool Keith, Zac Ivie, DJ Juggy
Bronx-bred rapper/enigma Kool Keith is often recognized as one of hip-hop's goofiest and most eccentric personalities. He came up in the late 1980s as a member of the Ultramagnetic MCs, a group known for complex polysyllabic rhymes in the era of simple party rap. (Fun fact: The Ultramagnetic MCs' song "Give the Drummer Some" includes Kool Keith's lyrics, "Change my pitch up/ Smack my bitch up," which was sampled by British rave group The Prodigy for their 1997 single "Smack My Bitch Up.") On his 1996 debut solo album, Dr. Octagonecologyst, Kool Keith adopted the persona of the time-traveling surgeon Dr. Octagon, who pretends to be a gynecologist in order to sexually assault his patients and nurses. Yeah, he's very clearly alone in his own orbit. "Now my helmet's on, you can't tell me I'm not in space," he raps in "Earth People." The whole album is full of the sort of juvenile humor, non sequiturs and free-association wordplay that eventually broke into the mainstream via Eminem's Slim Shady. At the time, Dr. Octagonecologyst helped reinvigorate underground rap, and Kool Keith has since proved himself to be one of hip-hop's most enduring legacy acts—albeit one who somehow remains criminally underrated despite his prolific output of more than 50 (!) albums. On his current tour, he's supporting yet another Dr. Octagon effort, Moosebumps: An Exploration Into Modern Day Horripilation. Because why not? (Howard Hardee) The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 8 p.m., $18 presale; $20 day of show, theurbanloungeslc.com

• Brian Slater

TUESDAY 5/15
Making Movies, Alex Cuba
Kansas City-based Making Movies is not afraid to blend politics and art. In fact, the two pairs of brothers comprising the band—Enrique and Diego Chi, and Juan-Carlos and Andres Chaurand—have realized how deeply those areas are naturally interwoven. Some of this comes from working on and then releasing their most recent album, 2017's I Am Another You. It mixes sounds including—as the band describes on its website—"psychedelia, experimental rock, son cubano, cumbia and various rhythms descended from Yoruba music, an African tradition that slaves carried to the New World as part of religious rites that evolved into [Afro-Cuban religious tradition] Santería." Initially, the album's theme of transcending borders seemed purely metaphorical, a way to imagine a social ideal. That changed with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Enrique Chi, founder, singer and guitarist, says on their website, "The ideas that were coming into play had nothing to do with politics, they were just interesting to me. But at the end of the day I realized, we are political. When you're talking about social ideals, you're talking about political ideals." Tuesday's show, featuring music from I Am Another You—in addition to its companion EP, You Are Another Me—is part of a "Carnaval The Tour" concert experience that's an extension of Making Movies Carnaval, the music and arts festival the band launched in 2014. Alex Cuba opens. (Casey Koldewyn) Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court, 7 p.m., $10 presale; $14 day of show, kilbycourt.com

• Jessica Lehrman

WEDNESDAY 5/16
Nikki Lane, Carl Anderson
Nikki Lane has rightfully won comparisons to country icons such as Wanda Jackson, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette—true chanteuses whose music was brewed from a mixture of personal pain and clear conviction. It has to do with more than simply her sound, though the sonic references clearly ring true. Little more than three albums and seven years into a career that's garnered critical acclaim even at the outset, Lane—a high school dropout—finds her muse through her own tangled perspective. That can be attributed to her battles with heartache and heartbreak, especially the tragedy she witnessed when two of her bandmates were stricken with serious illnesses. One survived while one died, but Lane's absolute perseverance and determined attitude continues to win her raves from both fans and critics alike. Indeed, Lane has a voice that rings with the wisdom and the weariness of the ages, betraying an attitude and aptitude befitting any artist who's ever aspired to be a country queen. Like Neko Case, Whitney Rose and Charlie Faye, Lane is a young artist with a vintage view, unafraid to tap tradition and give it contemporary context. She's yet to peak, but she's in her prime—a perfect time to witness a star on the rise. (LZ) The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 8 p.m. $18 presale; $20 day of show, theurbanloungeslc.com