WED/28
FRACTALE Lead by saxophone player Julian Julien, Fractale is a Parisian five-piece jazz/electro ensemble that melds traditional jazz and rock ideas with improvisation and a computer-generated bent to arrive at a simple, melodic sound. The music is cinematic in scope, and vastly experimental. $8. 9 p.m. Eyedrum. 404-522-0655. www.eyedrum.org. — Chad Radford
THE SPINTO BAND, GENERATIONALS, PEPI GINSBERG The Spinto Band’s quirky charm suggests XTC chasing the exuberant bounce of the Fastbacks. Its bounding calliope of indie-pop melodies demonstrates an undeniable gift for a hook amid a feverish rush of ideas. $8-$10. 8:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — Chris Parker
THURS/29
ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & CHORUS Donald Runnicles leads “Ein deutsches Requiem” by Johannes Brahms. (Runnicles and the Chorus perform it again in Germany in mid-December with the Berlin Philharmonic.) Program opens with Haydn's “Symphony No. 44.” Repeats FRI/30. $20-$70. 8 p.m. Symphony Hall. 404-733-5000. www.atlantasymphony.org. — Mark Gresham
RUSSIAN CIRCLES, YOUNG WIDOWS, COLISEUM Chicago trio Russian Circles' latest album, Geneva, is a tumultuous, instrumental ride through scraping ambiance and melodic rock, where songs build tension via compelling, metallic restraint. Louisville, Ky.'s Young Widows will most likely steal the show with a set of noisy, reverb-drenched dirges. Coliseum opens with a set of grinding, abusive hardcore. $13-$15. 8:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CR
TAO RODRIGUEZ-SEEGER, SMOKEY'S FARMLAND BAND With the current polarization in America over politics, Rodriguez-Seeger, whose grandfather Pete is one of the most important protest songwriters of the last 75 years, has a lot to say about things. The jammy Farmland Band opens. $12. 6 p.m. Smith's Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — James Kelly
FRI/30
WHISKEY GENTRY, BLAIR CRIMMINS, CHRIS UNCK It's a classic and rootsy night, with the Poguesy Whiskey Gentry, who have made quite a splash in a short time, the Nut Zippery Crimmins, and the Americana rock blend of Unck. $10. 9 p.m. Star Bar. 404-681-9018. www.starbar.net. — JK
GOGOL BORDELLO Sure, you can live vicariously playing the band’s new live DVD, but nothing beats the adrenaline rush of watching multilingual, unhinged frontman Eugene Hutz, shirtless and ping-ponging around the stage leading his colorful band of punk gypsies as the crowd goes bonkers. Adjectives like “high energy,” “raucous” and “frantic” don’t begin to describe the scene. $29.50. 8:30 p.m. Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com. — Hal Horowitz
MARTI JONES AND DON DIXON, RONNDA CADDLE The first couple of North Carolina power pop come to town for a fun-filled evening of great duets and solo material. Jones and Dixon are the Sonny and Cher of the late 20th century. Caddle opens. $15-$75. 8 p.m. Eddie's Attic. 404-377-4976. www.eddiesattic.com. — JK
STEFON HARRIS AND BLACKOUT Vibraphonist Harris fronts this five-piece cool urban jazz group, but is the first to insist their music is an organic, synergistic, totally group-creative effort. Their August '09 CD release Urbanus is on Concord Jazz. $40. 8:15 p.m. Spivey Hall. 678-466-4200. www.spiveyhall.org. — MG
SAT/31
FUGGIN' MONSTER JAM FEATURING EVIL EMPIRE, PILL, THE WHEELER BOYS, RRRUMP The folks who bring you Fuggin' Awesome parties aim to pack in a Halloween crowd ready to get crunk for an all-inclusive admission price. Expect Evil Empire to bring the Rage Against the Machine ruckus. Put your order in for Pill's trap-tastic tablets. Wheeler Boys share Best Local Hip-Hop Act runners-up kudos. Upstairs features dirrrty, danceable and bass-heavy electro tunes courtesy of longtime DNB head Anthony Rotella, aka Mayhem, holdin'-down-the-house Drew Van Atten, and fellow mix-masher Justin Bright via Rrrump, with quality dubstep courtesy of Jeremy & Whisperlink. Hosts Dres tha Beatnik and Ricky Raw keep things moving. $20. 10 p.m. The Hydrilla. 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road. www.thehydrilla.com. — T. LaGon
THE HOWLIES, DARK MEAT, AN ALBATROSS Full-fledged psychedelic, free-jazz, punk rock freak-out, Athens’ Dark Meat utilizes horns, strings, multiple percussionists, and several guitarists to create a loose-limbed aesthetic that would be illegal if ingested. Noise rockers An Albatross' screeching, chaotic eccentricity’s a fine foil. $10-$12. 9 p.m. Star Bar. 404-681-9018. www.starbar.net — CP
NOOT D' NOOT, GENTLEMAN JESSE, THE COATHANGERS Psych-funk 10-piece Noot d' Noot headlines this fiercely local Halloween bill with a set of spaced-out super soul and surrealism. Atlanta power-pop song craftsman Gentleman Jesse says that he may have some Halloween tricks up his sleeve, but he won't give it up before the show. The Coathangers round out this ghouls night out with catchy, crafty punk rock mischief. $8-$10. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CR
THE OLD CEREMONY, MODERN SKIRTS Chapel Hill, N.C.’s Old Ceremony began with cabaret-noir songs that singer/songwriter Django Haskins couldn’t get out of his head, and now the quintet’s released three albums of supple, sophisticated pop that splits the difference between chamber pop and low-key rock. $10-$12. 8 p.m. Smiths Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — CP
STEVE MORSE BAND Master shredder and Deep Purple guitarist for more than a decade, Morse tours behind a new instrumental solo album that tempers his love of hard/heavy rock and prog with his Southern Dixie Dregs roots. The notes attack with machine gun velocity, but somehow he makes it all look easy. $22.50-$25. 8:30 p.m. Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com. — HH
MON/2
NICOLE ATKINS, ALLISON WEISS This New Jersey-ite forgoes the bar band swagger of homies Springsteen and Bon Jovi for an artsy, haunting Euro cabaret sound; think Edith Piaf meets Nick Cave with orchestrations by Angelo Badalamenti. Dramatic story songs connect with Atkins’ dreamy, powerful vocals and a sophisticated backing group that evokes a Spector-ish widescreen presentation with just a few instruments. $10. 8:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — HH
TUE/3
GSU PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE Clarinetist Ken Long and marimbist Terran Taylor are featured soloists in this program of contemporary percussion music by Fisher Tull, Minoru Miki, Christopher Adler, Nebojsa Zivkovic, Axel Fries, Joseph Celli, Emmanuel Sejourne and John Mackey. Free. 7:30 p.m. Rialto Center for the Arts. 404-413-5901. www.music.gsu.edu. — MG
