Music Picks 

LYNCH MOB

Even during the heyday of ’80s metal, Dokken (very little connection with rockin’) sucked—even with a hellacious guitar shredder like George Lynch. His 1990 solo debut with his own Lynch Mob, Wicked Sensation, remains one of the hottest hard-rock discs of the era; today’s Mob walks the stylistic line between nü metal and old-school guitar rock. “Probably quite a few of us,” Lynch told Metal-Sludge.com of ’80s vets who should just hang it up. “But what are we supposed to do? Sell Amway for a living?” FRIDAY, March 28 @ Expose, 204 W. 2100 South, 7 p.m. Tickets: 800-888-8499.

FISHBONE

It’s not easy keeping up with Fishbone, especially since they’ve started handling their own affairs indie-style after a final ill-fated affiliation with the majors, 2000’s killer Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx. Not that all corporate ties are bad: The band’s unstoppable/indefinable blend of funk, soul, ska, rock, punk and the cosmic kitchen sink has been encapsulated nicely by former label Sony on The Essential Fishbone (Legacy), dropping April 1. Grab it and Psychotic Friends, and you’ll have all the Fishbone you’ll need—if you never miss a show. FRIDAY, March 28 @ Suede, 1612 Ute Blvd. (Kimball Junction), Park City, 435-658-2665, 9 p.m.

KRCL DIP BENEFIT

It’s a whole three months away, but it’s never too soon to start thinking about KRCL’s Day In the Park concert, happening June 28 at Jordan Park—you know, summertime. Before you pencil in the date for you and your dog to go toss around the Frisbee to cool tunes, however, some fundage must be raised, hence your friendly neighborhood community radio station’s benefit show featuring SLC R&B machine Soul Patrol. Proceeds from tonight’s show go toward producing the DIP; check out KRCL.org for further info. SATURDAY, March 29 @ The Zephyr Club, 301 S. West Temple, 355-2582, 9:30 p.m.

REMEDY MOTEL

In a rare twist for a band that moves from NoUtah to SoCal, Remedy Motel neither promptly moved back nor disappeared off the face of the planet—they recorded a gorgeous alt-country album called Six Days in Westchester (RemedyMotel.com) and now they’re back in town on tour to support it. Actually, not all of Remedy Motel’s players hail from Salt Lake City, so the theory could be shot to hell, but singer Mica Johnson & Co. channel classic Wilco and Counting Crows so damned convincingly, who cares? SATURDAY, March 29 @ The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 746-0558, 9:30 p.m.

FAB

Everybody needs a gimmick—if you’re a female collective of Salt Lake singer-songwriters struggling to get folks out to your recurring Sunday-night showcases, even more so. The ladies of FAB (Lisa Marie, Megan Peters, Monique Lanier and Mary Tebbs) have hooked up with local retro thrift shop The Bag Lady for a cross-promotional sponsorship deal that combines fashion and tunes: Debi Graham and Maria Galiano open the show, FAB model some threads, The Bag Lady sets up shop in the lobby and passes out coupons, it’s all trés chic … SUNDAY, March 30 @ The Zephyr Club, 301 S. West Temple, 355-2582, 9:30 p.m.

TOMMY CASTRO

“The blues is in perpetual evolution,” says Bay Area singer-guitarist Tommy Castro. “New talents emerge, but we lose the old sound. I miss all these past sounds; this is why I try to perpetuate them.” Perpetuate ’em he does on the aptly titled new Gratitude (Heart & Souls), featuring the ace six-stringer’s snarlingly faithful takes on his favorites from Sam & Dave, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, James Brown, Albert King, Wilson Pickett, Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy. MONDAY, March 31 @ The Dead Goat Saloon, 119 S. West Temple, 328-GOAT, 9 p.m.

BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE

If the Brian Jonestown Massacre hadn’t actually shown up for their previous Salt Lake gig last year (they didn’t quite make it here several scheduled times before), an April Fool’s Day date would just seem like a cruel gag. Anton Newcombe’s ever-evolving psychedelic sextet went slightly more jangle-pop on 2001’s Bravery, Repetition & Noise (Bomp), but the guitar-laden BJM live show isn’t about (relative) hits. “We play all kinds of stuff,” Newcombe says. “Almost half of our set is stuff we’ve never even bothered to record.” TUESDAY, April 1 @ Liquid Joe’s, 1249 E. 3300 South, 467-5637, 9:30 p.m.

TRUST COMPANY, PACIFIER

Alabama nü-metal darlings Trust Company are the headliners, but it’s New Zealand’s Pacifier who’ve got the better album in—what else?— Pacifier (Arista), a hella-crunchy 12-pack of riffage and melody first previewed stateside under the closing credits of SwimFan with the soaring “Everything.” Of course, being the best part of SwimFan is faint praise, so let’s hear from singer-guitarist Jon Toogood: “We are what rock should be in 2003. We’re the Beatles, the Stones, AC/DC, the Pistols, Guns N’ Roses, Jane’s Addiction and Rage Against the Machine all slammed together.” Yow! TUESDAY, April 1 @ Xscape, 115 S. West Temple, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: 800-888-8499.

BRIGHT EYES

“Emo” is a touchy subject, as is the phenomenon of “emo” songwriters who work behind the veil of a “band” to make their audiences feel more included—we’ll speak no more of it; hold the e-mails, kids. Bright Eyes (nee folksy wunderkind Connor Oberst) is part of the Omaha Explosion—or would it be Implosion?—making waves with his mad-tragic new Lifted or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (Saddle Creek), an album that’s either pretentiously angsty or profoundly genius, depending upon whom you ask. So don’t ask. WEDNESDAY, April 2 @ Bricks, 579 W. 200 South, 6 p.m. Tickets:24Tix.com.

MINISTRY

Thank ’em or blame ’em, we wouldn’t have industrial-rock fashion plates like Trent Reznor or Rob Zombie if Ministry hadn’t raged with the machines on 1988’s genre-defining Land of Rape and Honey. Unfortunately, figurehead Al Jourgensen hasn’t yet topped 1992’s crushing Psalm 69 (who could?), though Ministry’s new Animositisomina (Sanctuary) comes dangerously close. “Those fuckers better be in shape,” he’s warning newbies to the Ministry live experience. “I can’t wait to see audiences getting winded and panting, ‘I wish a younger band would come on. I’m tired.’” WEDNESDAY, April 2 @ Xscape, 115 S. West Temple, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: 800-888-8499.

BROTHERHOOD OF GROOVE

Jazzy-jammy instrumental funk bands are taking over the world—those from New Orleans should by all logic get first dibs on whatever they want. Big Easy band Brotherhood of Groove lean more toward the complexity of jazz than rudderless jams on Pocket Full of Funk, their debut loaded with elongated suites, blazing chops displays and little patchouli aftertaste. “I think a lot of bands these days aren’t studying their music,” says leader-guitarist Brandon Tarricone. “I felt it was very important to know my theory before I attempted this thing.” WEDNESDAY, April 2 @ The Dead Goat Saloon, 119 S. West Temple, 328-GOAT, 9 p.m.

COMING UP

DJ Rap (Axis, April 3). Cheap Trick (Harry O’s, April 4). The Juliana Theory (Xscape, April 5). The Soundtrack of Our Lives (Zephyr Club, April 6). AFI, Blood Brothers (Bricks, April 8). Taking Back Sunday (Xscape, April 9). Guster (Bricks, April 10). Soulfly (Bricks, April 15). DJ Logic (Harry O’s, April 16). The Epoxies (Kilby Court, April 17). The Midnight Evils (Urban Lounge, April 18). Rocket From the Crypt (Xscape, April 19). Linkin Park (E Center, April 21). The Red Elvises (Zephyr Club, April 22). The Mooney Suzuki (Xscape, April 23). Pete Yorn (Bricks, April 26). Zwan (Saltair, April 28).