8/23
John Brown's Body
The eight white guys in the New England-based reggae group John Brown's Body refer to their music as "future roots music." Which apparently means they spike their island sounds with some electronic and hip-hop elements. Not very original, but at least they get a groove going. It's been three years since their last album, but the band has some new songs ready for a record due later this year. So you'll probably hear a handful of them, as well as some old favorites, when they come to town this week. — Gallucci
9 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Beachland Ballroom.
8/24
Purity Ring
Canadian duo Purity Ring have been building buzz for the past year with their ethereal and often majestic synth pop. They finally released their debut album, Shrines, last month, and while the skittering beats and Megan James' angelic vocals don't take too many wide turns off the path they initially set out from, they do fill the spaces with some lovely textures and tiny surprises tucked away in the corners. The best songs on the album — particularly the singles "Obedear" and "Fineshrine" — sparkle alongside the synthy glow. If Purity Ring never quite uncover the human element of their music — all those drum programs, loops, and synthesizer flourishes often overtake and diminish James' voice — they at least let the many celestial touches soak in the atmosphere. They're kicking off their fall tour (after a showcase New York City gig last week) at the Beachland Tavern this weekend, so there may be a few kinks to work out onstage. But the music shouldn't be a problem. Just close your eyes and drift away. — Michael Gallucci
Purity RingWith Evian Christ and Headaches.
8:30 p.m. Friday, August 24. Beachland Tavern.
Tickets: $14, $12 in advance.
Call 216-383-1124 or visit beachlandballroom.com.
8/27
Kataklysm
Montreal isn't exactly known as a hotbed of death metal. But the four-piece Kataklysm have been representing their hometown with ass-rattling power riffs for quite some time now. In fact, they celebrated their 20th anniversary last year with their 10th album, Heaven's Venom. Not much has changed since their 1993 debut LP, The Mystical Gate of Reincarnation – not even their lineup, for the most part. Except for a drummer or two – which is mandatory in all groups, especially metal ones – Kataklysm have boasted the same members since Day One. That's quite an accomplishment. We'll credit their Canadian lineage for that (those guys aren't nearly as pricky as their American or European contemporaries). The band just released a career-spanning DVD, The Iron Will: 20 Years Determined, which includes concert footage, a documentary, and a bonus CD with some of the band's most popular songs plus one new one. They roll through town on their Iron Will Tour, ready to shake some life into your dismal Monday.— GallucciKataklysm
With Fleshgod Apocalypse, Vital Remains, and Rose Funeral.
6 p.m. Monday, August 27. Peabody's.
Tickets: $15. Call 216-776-9999 or visit peabodys.com.
8/28
Jon Dee Graham
Austin singer-songwriter Jon Dee Graham's career path has taken some wild turns over the years, but they're not so different than many of his fiftysomething contemporaries. He started out playing in punk bands, eventually swinging his way into Americana territory. As a guitarist, he's played with John Doe, James McMurtry, and Alejandro Escovedo, among countless others. As a solo artist, he's released a handful of solo albums that are scrappy, mostly joyous affairs. Garage Sale is the latest. — Gallucci
8 p.m., $12. Beachland Tavern.
8/29
Brendan James
Brendan James is a massive romantic. The 33-year-old singer-songwriter — who got his start playing in New York City bars but now lives in Los Angeles — loves big hooks and even bigger sentiments. His third album, Hope in Transition, documents the past couple years, which were filled with one grueling tour stop after another. James finds some sort of peace with his life and music here, as piano-propelled adult pop music — the kind you hear on so many TV shows these days — guides him along the way. — GallucciGallucci
8 p.m., $12. Musica.
Dan Deacon
Dan Deacon is one of the most unlikely electronic music stars you'll find on the planet. The 30-year-old Baltimore multi-instrumentalist looks like the wacky neighbor from some shitty sitcom that networks hide on Friday or Saturday nights, when no one is watching. He's overweight, balding, and bearded, and he wears big-ass glasses like the kind Elton John used to sport during his coke-fueled mid-'70s period. And he's a genuine weirdo, but an endearing and lovable one who connects with his rabid audience in intense shows that bring fans right in the core of the action. Deacon has been laying sorta low since 2009's breakthrough album Bromst — an odd move for a guy who had spent the previous six years releasing at least a couple records annually. His new album, America, comes out the day before his Beachland show, but the record's first single, "True Thrush," has been making the rounds all summer, and it's a bubbling pop symphony, as is the rest of America — a sprawling, diverse landscape of sounds. — GallucciDan Deacon
With Height With Friends, Chester Endersby Gwazda, and Alan Resnick.
8:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 29. Beachland Ballroom.
Tickets: $12, $10 in advance; call 216-383-1124 or visit beachlandballroom.com.
Shovels & Rope
You can probably guess what kind of music Shovels & Rope play just by a quick glance of their song titles: "Birmingham," "Gasoline," "Boxcar." Yep, they're an alt-country group — a duo consisting of two South Carolinians, Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, to be specific. They've got a pretty good shuffle-and-twang going on, inspired more by Dylan's late-'60s Nashville period than any of the usual traditionalists. Their new album, O' Be Joyful, has more substantial stomp than their previous records, with songs like "Shank Hill St." and "This Means War" beefing up the organs and fiddles to relatively massive proportions. — GallucciG
With Roger Hoover & the Hunt and Katianne Tinko. 8:30 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern. Katianne
