THURSDAY 6/23

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MICHELLE SHOCKED

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No, it’s not necessary to release three albums at once. In fact, most record label honchos dissuade signed artists from tossing all their eggs into one potentially misguided project. That’s why singer/songwriter Michelle Shocked put out Threesome on her own Mighty Sound label through RED Distribution. The prolific body of work features three discs: break-up opus Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell; re-imagined Disney cover album Got No Strings; and the tribute-to-ancestral-roots recording Mexican Standoff. The beefy package seems like a recipe for overkill, but Shocked pulls it off with a powerful voice that flexes its way through multiple genres without breaking a sweat. Velvet Room, 155 W. 200 South, 9 p.m. Info: 478-4310

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Also Thursday: World Crime League (Sugarbeats); Return to Sender (Kilby Court)

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FRIDAY 6/24

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CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE

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(Weeping) How does he do it? Charlie Musselwhite tugs my heartstrings to and fro until sorrow and joy blend into one powerful pull of his harmonica. The accomplished blues artist tunnels the depths of loneliness, sorrow and evil, etching away at each pensive theme in a way that makes death and dying more sweet than bitter. His latest Grammy-nominated effort, Sanctuary, brings to the table a crew of powerhouse musicians'including Charlie Sexton and Jared Michael Nickerson'for a record heavy on spooky ambience. Library Square Festival Stage, 400 S. 200 East, 9:30 p.m.

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Also Friday: Black Chandelier Fashion Cage Fight (Black Chandelier Store); 3 Inches of Blood (Club Vegas); Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash (Egos)

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SATURDAY 6/25

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THE SLOW POISONER

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Who is Andrew Goldfarb? Well, when he’s pickin’, screamin’ and hollerin’ as The Slow Poisoner, Goldfarb is a “one-man surrealistic rock and roll band.” In another era, the Poisoner was a group effort, with other backing members working to produce three albums in 10 years. Now, while the project depends on but one inventor, the poison remains potent. With songs like “West Texas Caffeine Dream,” “Garbarlick Acid Rag,” and “The Red Eyed Agents of Satan Have the Upper Hand,” seeping under your skin, it’s hard to resist their appeal. In his downtime, Goldfarb also pens Ogner Stump’s One Hundred Sorrows, a comic both enticing and quirky'just like a one-man band. Sugarbeats, 2102 S. 1100 East, 7 p.m. Info: 466-7007

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Also Saturday: Moot Davis, Pete Anderson (Brewskis); SLAJO CD Release Party (Urban Lounge'see Scene & Heard, p. 63)

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SUNDAY 6/26

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MARIA TAYLOR

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What do you get when Azure Ray splits in two? Maria Taylor, that’s who! Now that former Saddle Creek Records labelmates Rilo Kiley are “a pretty big deal” at Universal Records, the underground indie rocker has a chance to prove she’s more than a damn fine backup vocalist. While Taylor’s work with Bright Eyes, Now It’s Overhead, Crooked Fingers and Moby is undeniably solid, it’s nice to hear her unabated'stretching her abilities as an astute solo artist. Her debut, 11:11. calls upon Saddle Creek family members including Andy LeMaster, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis because no matter how far we go it never hurts to have a little help from our friends. Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, 7 p.m. Info: 320-9887 (with Statistics)

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Also Sunday: California Guitar Trio, Madeline Peyroux (Library Square)

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MONDAY 6/27

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JOHN DOE

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Forever Hasn’t Happened Yet, so it looks like John Doe has some time to craft a lasting legacy. The punk pioneer has traveled far and wide since his days with Exene and the crew, ditching songs about Los Angeles for tunes in the key of blues-tinged reflection. The man with no name got married, had some kids, and shacked up in a SoCal recording studio with rock luminaries like Dave Alvin, Kristin Hersh, Neko Case and Grant Lee Phillips to create Forever. Now he’s touring small club circuits, singing to longtime followers and recent converts alike. It’s good to see he’s keeping it real by playing an intimate setting (read: dive bar), ’cause really, it just wouldn’t sound the same in a venue sponsored by a car dealer. Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9:30 p.m. Info: 355-4949

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Also Monday: Anberlin (In the Venue); Café Tacuba (Velvet Room)

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TUESDAY 6/28

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Donny Osmond (Kingsbury Hall); The Robot Ate Me (Kilby Court); Kottonmouth Kings (In the Venue); Charlie Daniels Band (Kenley Amphitheater

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WEDNESDAY 6/29

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JOHNATHAN RICHMAN

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He is impulsive and eccentric, legendary and forgettable. Jonathan Richman launched his career as a would-be punk legend on a whim, racing out to hang with the Velvet Underground after one listen to Lou and Nico. He recruited the Modern Lovers to record songs about Pablo Picasso, falling in love and vampire girls. He later dropped out, only to re-emerge in the most unlikely of places'a singing troubadour in There’s Something About Mary. Now Richman is touring again, drawing in those who’ve never heard of the boyish recluse or his brand of influential, yet oh-so-subtle rock. Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, 7 p.m. Info: 320-9887

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Also Wednesday: Bear vs. Shark (Lo-Fi Café); Lawrence Arms (Mo’s Grill); The Flatlanders (Red Butte Garden)

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COMING UP

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Kelly Clarkson (Rice-Eccles Stadium, July 2). Salt Lake City Int’l Jazz Festival (Washington Square, July 6-10). Steve Miller Band (Usana Amphitheater, July 8). Kansas (Sandy Amphitheater, July 9). Ray Lamontagne (In the Venue, July 12). Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand (Gallivan Center, July 13). 50 Cent (Usana Amphitheater, July 15). Corrosion of Conformity (Club Vegas, July 15). Vans Warped Tour (Utah State Fairpark, July 16)