The Misfits
More than the Vibrators or even Motörhead, the Misfits are the archetypal band that never went away. Even with one remaining original member these days (the presciently named Jerry Only), their fans are still completely insane. Meanwhile, the rest of us didn't even notice that it's been eight years since the Danzig-free version of the group released an album, or that they've churned out only seven of them in their career. The just-released The Devil's Rain sounds just like the Misfits, but with much better production than they had in the '80s. Nobody who's stuck around this long will be creeped out by Only's Danzigesque vocals, with their Gene Vincent wobble laid on top of an infallible array of power chords that sit on the fence between psychobilly and metal. Whether or not they've slipped into self-parody at this point depends on whether or not you think it's fitting that they eventually got around to covering "Monster Mash." — Dan Weiss
With Juicehead, American Werewolves, and Höstile Ömish. 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 21. Peabody's. Tickets: $24, $20 in advance; call 216-776-9999 or visit peabodys.com.
Low Cut Connie
The cultural clashes of Low Cut Connie's two frontmen — one's from New Jersey, the other from England — make for an intriguing mix of bluesy indie rock that's never quite sure where it's headed. That unpredictability steers the band's debut album, Get Out the Lotion. You too will never know where these guys are headed — whether it's low-fi indie rock ("Big Thighs, NJ"), Stonesy barroom rockers ("Show Your Face"), twangy, foul-mouthed honky tonk ("Darlin"), jangly power pop ("Cat and the Cream"), moody and meditative slow-burners ("Full of Joy"), or shaky Black Keys/Strokes hybrids ("Rio"). Listening to the record can lead to some serious whiplash if you're not careful. But onstage, Low Cut Connie's musical stew finds an ideal boiling point where all these different regional elements — some homegrown, some imported from overseas — bubble into a hearty mix that spans five decades of rock & roll history. — Gallucci
9 p.m. Monday, October 24. Wilbert's.
Tickets: free; call 216-902-4663 or visit wilbertsmusic.com.
Murs
From his roots in the underground-rap community to his work with 9th Wonder, there were always pop elements to Murs' songs. So when some fans started calling him a sellout after the release of his 2008 major-label debut, Murs for President, you have to wonder if they were ever really listening in the first place. It's one of the Los Angeles rapper's best albums after nearly 15 years in the game. He's an indie artist again, and he just released Love & Rockets, Volume 1: The Transformation. He's headlining the Hip-Hop and Love Tour, featuring like-minded indie rappers Tabi Bonney, Ski Beatz & the Senseis, Da$h, and others. While the music takes center stage here, longtime fans will notice that the 33-year-old MC recently shed his trademark dreadlocks. You can read it as a symbolic gesture, now that he's free from his corporate label deal. Or maybe it's just the next step in his perpetual evolution. — Eddie Fleisher
With Tabi Bonney, Ski Beatz & the Senseis, McKenzie Eddy, Sean O'Connell, and Da$h. 9 p.m. Monday, October 24. Beachland Tavern. Tickets: $14, $12 in advance; call 216-383-1124 or visit beachlandballroom.com.
The Sounds
Combining new-wave flash, sing-along pop, and just enough punk attitude to keep things interesting, the Swedish quintet the Sounds are a hit with rockers and club kids alike. Their 2006 U.S. debut, Dying to Say This to You, introduced an entire generation to the spunky electro-pop pioneered by Blondie, Magazine, and Kraftwerk. Their latest album, Something to Die For, is their most polished — 10 max-out-the-volume songs that sound as at-home in a rowdy bar as they do on the dance floor. Despite its somewhat dire title, the record is inspiring, thanks to Maja Ivarsson's call-to-arms vocals. Onstage, the Sounds are more like a traditional rock band, maintaining machine-like precision ++while laying down earthy grooves that keep the songs from sounding too robotic. On the new "Dance With the Devil," Ivarsson declares she'll "conquer the planet with dance." It sounds like she and her bandmates are getting closer and closer to that goal. — Norm Narvaja
With Natalia Kills, Limousines, and Kids at the Bar. 9 p.m. Monday, October 24. Beachland Ballroom. Tickets: $18, $16 in advance; call 216-383-1124 or visit beachlandballroom.com.
Yelawolf
Alabama rapper Yelawolf has a lot in common with Eminem. They both rap about their moms. They both have kinda goofy names. They both have wicked flow. And, hard to miss this one, they're both white. Yelawolf's debut album, Radioactive, which comes out next month, is even on Em's label. But Yelawolf made his name the way all rappers do these days: with online mixtapes that even poor white kids in Alabama have access to (we're guessing Eminem's earliest fans didn't even have dial-up). Last year's Trunk Muzik 0-60 is the one that pushed him over, as songs like "I Just Wanna Party" and "Pop the Trunk" started showing up on all the right blog spots. Radioactive is bigger and bolder, stomping all over southern hip-hop's sacred ground with a mix of white-boy funk and back-country beats. The first single, "Hard White (Up in the Club)," which features Lil John, is already a hit. But collaborations with Diplo and, of course, Eminem, blow it all the way up. — Michael Gallucci
With Rittz and DJ Craze. 7 p.m. Saturday, October 22. Peabody's. Tickets: $20, $15 in advance; call 216-776-9999 or visit peabodys.com.
