September 6
Snoop DoggThe Depot (400 W. South Temple)8 p.m.$61
As the individual responsible for a one-man assault on popular vernacular with his ‘izzle’ idioms (a torch now passed to the ‘thizz’ lingo of the Bay Area’s Hyphy renaissance), Snoop Doggy Dog, it would seem, has already entered that arbitrary medium between man and myth. Never mind the strain placed on the mind trying to think of his last good song — the Doggfather’s hood eccentricities and indefatigable street credentials assure, if not guarantee, a thoroughly entertaining, ably original performance at the appropriately luxurious Depot. Snoop’s diadem and glittering goblet — always carried by one of his extravagantly dressed regulars — might even be enough to erase the memory of Snoop’s last Pharrell collaboration.
September 8
VHS or BetaUrban Lounge (252 S. 500 East)9 p.m.$8
If you’ve ever heard The Sound’s ’80s nouveau electro-pop-punk single “Fire,” you’re not that far sonically from VHS or Beta. This Kentucky group’s similarly titled song, “Burn It All Down,” brings the same frenetic, catchy guitar riffs and electronica dance synths to the table, engendering another contagious new wave anthem. The single hails from Bring On the Comets, the band’s third record, produced by Brandon Mason (of David Bowie notoriety). Preempting the popular indie-electronic sound of this decade, VHS or Beta’s French disco-house roots — a la Daft Punk — combined with their capacity for guilty-pleasure-pop-tunesmithism creates a veritable gauntlet to be thrown at the feet of the European electronic vanguard.
September 10
Modest MouseOrem
The most common (indeed, the only) complaint I hear about Modest Mouse is scattered grumbling over their achievement of popular success, much to the chagrin of their The Lonesome Crowded West cult following. Although you’ll never see Modest Mouse at Kilby Court with only 20 other audience members ever again, I think the masses (not to mention the band members themselves) are no worse off for their transition to big-time headliners.
Isaac Brock’s contorting facial expressions and charismatic lower-middle class Issaquah personality lend definition to the term “stage-presence.” The group’s newest endeavor, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, features former Smith’s guitarist Johnny Marr as a regular member of the band, and if the album’s orchestral first single, “Dashboard,” is at all representative of the rest of the record, these indie-rock progenitors are as good as they ever were, regardless of any mainstream success.
September 12
The Dodos bring Plain White T’s acoustic sentimentality to slightly more experimental levels. Logan Kroeber holds together singer Meric Long’s pleasant warble with deep, kick-drum thumping jungle patterns, while the latter supplants this with his equally melodic guitar pickings. The Dodos’ honest roguishness and folk sensibilities set them apart amongst a sea of monotonous coffee-shop indie singer-songwriter hybrids.
Sometimes between CD rotation, a certain FM interlude will surprise even the most caustic radio critic. The airwaves are so rarely punctuated by snippets of quality that these sparse moments of epiphany deserve their due. “Starlight” is one such rarity, a song not to be prematurely interrupted (until the regular radio commercial, that is). The unapologetic child of Queen and Radiohead, Muse has long since built a solid reputation with their distinct version of progressive rock, making them a band not to miss.