[INDIE ROCK] + SAT., OCT. 8
Don't hate mr. Gnome just because the band is from Cleveland. The shoegazey duo (Nicole Barille on guitar and vocals, Sam Meister on drums) is preparing to release its latest, Madness in Miniature, on El Marko Records, and hitting Brillobox tonight in preparation. Swirling guitars and My Bloody Valentine-style tremolo work color the chill full-length. Sun Ray Shining Light and Atlas open. Andy Mulkerin 10 p.m. 4104 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $7. All ages. 412-621-4900 or www.brillobox.net
[ROCK] + MON., OCT. 10
Expect the line between rock music and performance art to be especially blurry tonight at the 31st Street Pub. Everyone's favorite gas-mask-wearing, boob-Scotch-drinking Delta blues guitarist, Bob Log III, headlines the night, and the supporting band, Tuscon's Mr. Free and the Satellite Freakout, might be even weirder (think noisy rock and frontman antics). The Tough Cookies open. AM 9 p.m. 3101 Penn Ave., Strip District. $10-12. 412-391-8334
[METAL] + MON., OCT. 10
Last year, Helmet released its seventh album, Seeing Eye Dog; it's the latest in a 20-year career for the New York City metal band headed up by Paige Hamilton. It's been a while since the band saw near-mainstream success with Meantime in 1991, and Hamilton has been the only constant member of the band (which called it quits for a while in the late '90s and early '00s). But its aggressive-but-cerebral sounds are still fresh today. With Skell and The Hitchcock Curse. AM 6:30 p.m. 1620 Penn Ave., Strip District. $16-18. All ages. 412-263-2877 or www.thealtarbar.com
[POP-PUNK] + MON., OCT. 11
Is "post-pop-punk" a thing? If not, can we make it one, and then use it to describe Motion City Soundtrack? The longtime Minneapolis band maintains the vibe and sound of a pop-punk band, but is a bit more complicated than one would generally expect from that genre -- perhaps because main dudes Joshua Cain and Justin Pierre have grown up a bit during the band's almost-15-year tenure. The band plays Club Zoo tonight in support of Jacks Mannequin; Company of Thieves also appears. AM 7:30 p.m. 1630 Smallman St., Strip District. $27-30. All ages. 877-435-9849
[INDIE FOLK] + WED., OCT. 12
Emperor X is the stage name, and sometimes band name, of Chad Matheny, a Florida native who's lived more recently in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. Matheny writes genius pop tunes and sound-collage works with a penchant for futurism and geography. (Blind in one eye and unable to get a driver's license, he's a student of public transportation, and sometimes returns to bus rides and rail trips as thematic elements in his lyrics.) His latest, on Bar/None, is Western Transport, an 11-track CD that finds him delving more into ambient sound and collage, without losing his knack for nerdy pop lyricism. He plays Garfield Artworks tonight with Weird Paul and Let Them Eat Cake. AM 8 p.m. 4931 Penn Ave., Garfield. $6. All ages. 412-361-2262 or www.garfieldartworks.com
