• Crocodiles

Crocodiles
Distortion, feedback and static give San Diego's Crocodiles' noise pop a distinct garage-rock edge. The duo is touring their latest release and fifth studio album, Boys, which has elements of Latin rhythms and salsa-punk, as it was written in, inspired by and recorded in Mexico City. In February, Crocodiles also released a raucous, fuzz-rock cover of the 1975 Hot Chocolate hit, "You Sexy Thing." Guitarist Charles Rowell has been known to flail about, windmilling and playing his guitar behind his head. Vocalist (and fellow guitarist) Brandon Welchez is just as charismatic; the devil-may-care vocals from recorded tracks come from an energetic frontman on stage. Local psychedelic rockers Super 78! open. (Tiffany Frandsen) Kilby Court, 741 S. 340 West, 8 p.m., $12, KilbyCourt.com

• James McMurtry

Ogden Music Festival
Fourteen-year-old Utah folk singer Sammy Brue kicks off the three-day acoustic folk music festival in Ogden. He has released two Americana EPs, the second of which, I Don't Want You to Leave, streamed on Rolling Stone's website. Texan country-folk singer James McMurtry headlines Friday's lineup, playing songs from his first album in six years, Complicated Game, a record full of pessimistic social commentary and gloomy melodies. Equally cynical onstage, McMurtry is fond of saying that artists are playing clubs for the purpose of selling beer. Mountain Heart, a progressive bluegrass band from Nashville, headlines Saturday evening, with new material planned. The group has gone through several shake-ups in band members, but throughout the hiatuses and reunions, the power acoustic sound has stayed consistent. Boston bluegrass band Deadly Gentlemen headline Sunday night, and Portland, Ore., duo Shook Twins (actual identical twins) are playing an outreach show on Monday night. The full lineup for the weekend is chockfull of grassroots, blues and acoustic power bands. (Tiffany Frandsen) Fort Buenaventura, 2450 A Ave., Ogden, May 29, 5 p.m.; May 30-31, 8 a.m.; June 1, 6 p.m. $30-$60, OFOAM.org

• Yelawolf

Yelawolf
Alabama artist Yelawolf's raps are steamy and quick as a machine gun; his beats industrial-techno, and sometimes punk-influenced. His small-town upbringing comes out in "American You," a country-rock anthem about Southern living, indicative of Love Story's many intimate, storytelling tracks. Travis Barker (of Blink-182) is touring along with him on drums, after the two collaborated on Yelawolf's 2012 EP, "Psycho White." And be warned—the front few rows have been known to be drenched with their own (and each other's) sweat because of the high energy, and with the beer that Yela tends to douse his fans with. Fellow rappers Rittz (who just played the Complex May 9), Big Henry and DJ Klever round out the rest of the lineup. (Tiffany Frandsen) The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, 8 p.m., $19, TheComplexSLC.com

FRIDAY MAY 29

• Chainsmokers

Chainsmokers
New York EDM duo Chainsmokers (made up of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall) started out by remixing well-known indie bands, like Icona Pop, Neon Trees, Phoenix and others, and then hit novelty viral status with their own original hit in 2014: A spare song called "#Selfie" that tells the story of club politics via a narcissistic Valley girl over progressive house beats. Along with "Kanye," also released last year, Chainsmokers used "#Selfie" to ride the pop-culture wave, with references aplenty and a music video built out of fan-submitted selfies, complete with cameos from David Hasselhoff, DJ Steve Aoki and Snoop Dogg. This year, the band has released two catchy, synth-heavy singles, both with poppy melodies and earth-thumping bass. But, they're relying less on mockery and wit; "Let You Go" and "Good Intentions" are snappy, and full of substance (not marijuana, but equally as mind-altering). The live show is energetic, unexpected and full of surprises—there is no saying what remixes Chainsmokers will throw down. They are joined by openers Goshfather & Jinco, two artists from California who mix trippy, techno-house sounds. (Tiffany Frandsen) Park City Live, 427 Main, Park City, 9 p.m., $25-$50, ParkCityLive.com

• Tame Impala

Tame Impala
Aussie rockers Tame Impala brings to the table a lo-fi, sonic sound that is familiar but surprisingly crisp. Parker's bubblegum pop-influenced melodies are typically drenched in reverb, and although he sometimes sounds like a speech jammer, he wouldn't have been out of place being a back-up singer for any '60s-era garage-rock outfit. Their 2012 release, Lonerism spawned the Arctic Monkeys-esque "Elephant" and was dubbed Rolling Stone's Album of the Year (for perspective, that honor went to U2 last year) and earned them a Grammy nomination. Their follow-up, Currents, featuring singles "'Cause I'm a Man" and "Let It Happen," is due in July, and find TI essentially abandoning the verse-chorus-verse-chorus song format (not that they have ever been fond of it) and feeling their way through tracks using dreamy '70s synth pads on top of a peppy rhythm section. It's a trippy substitute for more straightforward guitar-heavy tracks of their past releases. At their live shows, all time and attention goes to creating that familiar-but-fresh sound, which Kevin Parker occasionally switches guitars mid-song to achieve. Parker will be found fussing with his foot pedals throughout every track, inventing new sounds with the same flange presets used four decades ago by Eric Clapton. Kuroma will also perform. (Robby Poffenberger). The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, 8 p.m., $26 in advance, $28 day of show, DepotSLC.com

• Palma Violets

Palma Violets
After the Palma Violets, a psychedelic punk-rock band from London, completed an international tour of their 2013 release, 180, the band's spirit was limping along. They were tired of being in clubs, and tired of being around each other. To "kill or cure" the group, the quartet took to a farm in the country, and out of that quarantine was born the band's sophomore album, Danger of the Club. The grimy edges are given a fuzzy quality with distortion and heavy reverberation. On tour again, the rabble-rousers put on a chaotic and riotous performance. New York City post-punk band Public Access TV opens. (Tiffany Frandsen) Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, May 30, 8 p.m., $12, KilbyCourt.com

• Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams
With 14 studio albums, North Carolinian Ryan Adams, an alternative country-rock artist with a gritty, dark sound, has no shortage of material to play. Even with such a deep discography, from both his time as a solo artist and when he played with The Cardinals, Adams' tours covers of Oasis's "Wonderwall" and multiple Natalie Prass tracks (and, humorously, has pulled out "Summer of '69," from Bryan Adams on occasion). He has released three 7-inch records this year, Burn in the Night, and I Do Not Feel Like Being Good, both with mellow but tense momentum. (Tiffany Frandsen) Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, June 2, 8:30 p.m., $38-$43, RedButteGarden.org