CHIMAIRA
It’s “kim-ear-uh,” a monster from Greek mythology or something. Cleveland’s Chimaira are among the heaviest of the new (not nü) crop of American heavy metal, and have received righteous props from none other than Slayer’s Kerry King—and he doesn’t like anything. The Impossibility of Reason (Roadrunner), the band’s brutal new disc, even has a little something extra: “The low sub-tones make you feel you like you’re inside the record,” says singer Mark Hunter. “We changed tunings. We tuned to C, the darkest key.” C’mon, what about B? As in, B-eelzebub? FRIDAY, Dec. 12 @ Bricks, 579 W. 200 South, 6 p.m. Tickets: 800-888-8499 (with Bleeding Through).
KURT BESTOR CHRISTMAS
Another holiday season, another Kurt Bestor concert series, another snub from Mr. Christmas’ publicity people. At least City Weekly was once granted an audience with KB in ’99, when he informed us “I’m not just about ‘Mormon music’—a Michael McLean-fireside kind of guy.” While the 15th annual Kurt Bestor Christmas won’t feature the long-awaited throwdown between these turtlenecked auteurs, there’s at least one new wrinkle this year: The vocals of 14-year-old Israeli Liel Kolet, whom the man says possesses “an angelic voice” and “has already been compared to Celine Dion.” Yow! FRIDAY, Dec. 12-17 @ Abravanel Hall, 123 S. West Temple, 8 p.m. Tickets: 355-2787.
ROCK AGAINST HUNGER
Benefiting the Utah Food Bank—which is lower on supplies than usual for this time of year—Rock Against Hunger features local bands inspired into action because they “were concerned when we saw the spot on the news on how small our food-store cache was, and decided to do something about it.” To that end, the Salt City Bandits, the Debonairs, the Unlucky Boys and the Igniters aim to bring more rock and less talk for the admission price of a non-perishable food item or a mere five bones. FRIDAY, Dec. 12 @ Albee Square, 165 S. West Temple, 8 p.m. All-ages.
BANANA SLUG STRING BAND
“These eco-educators and musicians are scientists and naturalists by profession, but entertainers at heart,” says here about NoCal’s Banana Slug String Band, who combine music and puppets in ways Spinal Tap only dreamt of. “Kids and grownups can boogie on down to tunes about everything from forest fires to moose.” The plural of moose is moose—see? You’ve learned something already. Soon you’ll be able to get eco-smart while snoozing: BSSB are currently working on Sleepy Time For Little Slugs, “a collection of ecologically-oriented lullabies.” SATURDAY, Dec. 13 @ The Eccles Center, 1750 Kearns Blvd., Park City, 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets: 435-655-3114.
THE PRIDS
Portland dark-poppers The Prids have been compared to Bauhaus, Joy Division, New Order and the rest so often that probably no one would blame the trio if they started rolling into towns on tour and torching the local alt-weekly offices (they’re usually flammable dumps, anyway). Sure, they have their goth-wave tendencies, but The Prids are as much about tunes and textures as they are fishnets and black eyeliner on their debut, Love Zero (Luminal), a gorgeous rush of throbbing bass lines, haunting hooks and seductive her/him vocal interplay. Live, maybe you’ll see the fishnets and eyeliner. SUNDAY, Dec. 14 @ Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, 7:30 p.m. Info: 320-9887.
DEVOTCHKA
Weaving technicolor quilts out of American folk, jazz, classical, Eastern European and Middle Eastern music with a dash of indie-punk attitude, Denver’s DeVotchKa are so out of the mainstream they’re reaching around the other side in. The Denver Post named them Colorado’s Best Underground Band, sources from The Onion to CMJ concur, and DeVotchKa have attracted album-production assists from folks behind like-minded bands such as 16 Horsepower and Calexico. Those records, Supermelodrama and Una Volta (DeVotchKa.net), should be their last blasts from the underground, as label interest is hot. Won’t it be great to see a sousaphone on MTV2? SUNDAY, Dec. 14 @ The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9:30 p.m., 746-0557.
RADIO BERLIN
In other goth-pop news, Vancouver’s Radio Berlin mine The Cure and Gang of Four (and perhaps even, gulp, Adam Ant) with such ballsy abandon, it’s easy to forgive their seemingly trendy ’80s fixation—let’s just blame VH1 Classic, shall we? The effects-saturated guitars and piercing vocals of Glass (Action Driver) glow and buzz like a 1982 TV screen left on waaay too long, with more underlying comedy than you might imagine. “A lot of the songs, when we’re playing them, we’re laughing our heads off,” singer Jack Duckworth told Aversion.com, “because they’re so ridiculous sounding.” MONDAY, Dec. 15 @ Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, 7:30 p.m. Info: 320-9887.
COMING UP
Sevendust, Ill Nino (Bricks, Dec. 19). Rancid, Tiger Army (Utah State Fairpark, Dec. 20). April Sixth (Bricks, Dec. 22). Bo Diddley (Harry O’s, Jan. 3). Bacon Brothers (Eccles Center, Jan. 10). Maceo Parker (Port O’ Call, Jan. 10).
