MUSIC PICKS NOV 14 - 20 

• Francois Lebeau
• RJD2

RJD2 @ Urban Lounge 11/15
One of the points of sampling back in the day was to find a lush break from an obscure, non-mainstream record, chop and edit it, and turn it out as your own. Not to mention that the principle of it came out of breakbeats. Great producers would take pride in the mystery of their breaks. Ramble Jon Krohn a.k.a. RJD2 is a master of putting it all together—sampler, instrumentation, turntables and drum machines. "I think that there is a lot of similarities in producers and people that are interested in, you know, the mechanics of how a beat goes together—or the guts of a song, if you will—and engineering," RJD2 told NPR. "You know, to me, it is in many ways its own form of engineering and problem-solving." On his eighth full-length album, Visions Out of Limelight, RJD2 continues to refine his signature approach—and well, it has been a long time since I heard something and thought, "Wow, how did they get that sound?" Deadringer is one of those albums you remember hearing for the first time (circa 2002), and his past work with Def Jux and his hip hop one-offs with Souls of Mischief, J-Live and Viktor Vaughn are touchstones of the culture. Also, RJD2 absolutely kills it live. DJ Flash & Flare and Bo York open. Catch these artists at the Urban Lounge on Friday, Nov. 15, doors at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $25 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Mark Dago)

• Scott Legato
• Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa @ Eccles Theater 11/16
Joe Bonamassa's name is practically synonymous with the essence of modern blues. While he offers unapologetic appreciation for its roots, he's made it a point to also move the music forward. Not that he forsakes the past; while his admiration for the artists and icons who led the British blues revival in the mid- to late-1960s is obvious, Bonamassa has plenty of reason to rest on his own reputation as well. He's earned three Grammy nods, scored 11 #1 albums on the Billboard Blues Chart, won the prestigious Blues Music Award and, at the remarkably young age of 12, actually opened shows for B.B. King. He also runs his own record label, Keeping the Blues Alive, and his own charitable organization, the Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, which is committed to promoting the blues music heritage, funding music scholarships and supporting educational programs. Aside from the artists that he works with on his label—Dion DiMucci, Larry McCray, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Joanna Connor, among others—he has a long-running partnership with blues vocalist and keyboard player Beth Hart which, in turn, garnered the pair a Grammy for Best Blues Album of 2013. His latest album, Live at the Hollywood Bowl, sums up his skills and savvy. "Here's the thing about blues: It's never gonna go anywhere," he told Knoxville's Blank magazine. "Ultimately, it's just how you interpret it, and then make it your own." By now it's clear that Joe should know. Joe Bonamassa performs at Eccles Theater at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16. Tickets cost $69 - $249 at arttix.org. (Lee Zimmerman)

• Photosbymorgannn
• SoulFang

SoulFang, Spirit Machines @ Quarters SLC
If you're in need of a double dose of epic rock, look no further than this show with SLC's own SoulFang and Spirit Machines. These two bands have been taking the scene by storm with their epic sound, incredible stage presence and music that is just plain awesome. You may have first heard of Spirit Machines when they released "Zober"—a mash-up of Tool's "Sober" and Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir"—in 2020, garnering national attention. Since then, the group has pumped out excellent original songs, including "Candy Shell," which was featured in the video game Cyberpunk: 2077. In the same vein, Spirit Machines released their EP Cyberpunk: Endgame in 2023, bringing those same futuristic vibes. Spirit Machines' vocalist Pepper Rose also has some fantastic songs as a solo artist, adding even more to your 'must listen' list. Joining the futuristic rockers is SoulFang, the genre-bending group who offer a feast of unique and addicting sounds. They steadily released singles prior to their debut album this year entitled Passions, Potions, Wicked Lullabies. These two bands being on the same bill marks a team-up for the ages. Don't miss out on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $10 and can be found at quartersslc.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

• Oriane Robaldo
• La Femme

La Femme @ Metro Music Hall 11/19
The Parisian psych-punk rock band La Femme are casual, chic and zany. Their sets are a psychedelic journey, denoting sexy and smoky vibes with a mix of storytelling and singing in both English and French. If this sounds like your jam, come listen to guitarist Sacha Got, keyboardist Marlon Magnée, bass player Sam Lefevre, drummer Noé Delmas and vocalist Lucas Nunez. As part of their 2024 North American tour, La Femme will offer to Salt Lake City synthetic and hypnotic cold wave, punk and surf music akin to groups like The Velvet Underground and Kraftwerk. Their impressive discography includes three EPs from 2010 to 2013 (La Femme EP, La Podium #1, and La Femme) as well as the album Psycho Tropical Berlin. In the last five years, they also released their album, Paradigmes, and most recently (as in a few weeks ago) they released the album Rock Machine. The newest album starts off with the song "Clover Paradise," which has a bit of a darker, spooky vibe perfect for the season. Other songs like "I Believe in Rock and Roll" embody what these artists have given their lives to, which is an undying love for rock music in all its forms. La Femme plays at Metro Music Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 19 and is 21+. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for pre-sale, $30 day of show. For tickets and event information go to 24tix.com. (Arica Roberts)

• Jason Mceachern
• Trans-Siberian

Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ Delta Center, 11/20
Every year when the holidays roll around, pop culture watchers can count on a few things: decorations appear seemingly overnight, Santa Claus sets up shop at the local mall and Trans-Siberian Orchestra begins a whirlwind schedule of live concert dates across the country. Launched in 1996 by Paul O'Neill, TSO combines the power and spectacle of an arena-scale rock show with the pageantry and sentimentality of a Broadway extravaganza. The TSO concept developed from an unlikely source, beginning as a side project by members of progressive metal band Savatage. After a Christmas song by that group caught the public's imagination, producer O'Neill was inspired to start the holiday-themed production. Guitarist Al Pitrelli became its musical director, a role he still holds today. Founder O'Neill passed in 2017, and since that time, the TSO's focus has been on its elaborate stage show. While the touring season is short (mid-November to the end of December), TSO works nearly year-round to hone its thrilling onstage presentation. In addition to annual tours—requiring two troupes to satisfy demand—Trans-Siberian Orchestra has released nine albums and several DVDs. Trans-Siberian Orchestra comes to the Delta Center Wednesday, Nov. 20 for two shows (3 p.m. and 7 p.m.). Tickets for this all-ages show are $99 and up at seatgeek.com. (Bill Kopp)