[DEATH METAL] + FRI., MARCH 4
Ask any death-metal fan about Carcass, and you’ll soon learn that the Liverpool, England, four-piece is just as revered by metalheads as The Beatles are by normal people. (Just kidding, death-metal heads. Don’t kick my ass.) Carcass formed in 1985, and the band’s development spanned many metal subgenres, from d-beat to goregrind, before culminating in one of melodic death metal’s landmark albums, 1993’s Heartwork. In 1995 the band broke up, but following a reunion in 2007, Carcass is as beloved as ever. Tonight at Altar Bar, the band plays with doom-metal legends Testament and locals No Reason to Live. AW 7:30 p.m. 1620 Penn Ave., Strip District. $25. 412-263-2877 or www.thealtarbar.com
[FOLK POP] + SAT., MARCH 5
The gentle and nostalgic songs of Brooklyn’s Florist do bring to mind a fresh-smelling bouquet of flowers, so the band’s name is surely apt. This kind of painstakingly earnest indie pop has a rabid fanbase, and though it might be too sugary for some, Emily Sprague’s almost-whispered vocals and ripped-from-a-particularly-poetic-teenage-girl’s-diary-style lyrics will please fans of Frankie Cosmos or Eskimeaux, or just anyone who can relate to or remember the romance of innocence. Florist plays tonight at the Mr. Roboto Project, with locals Fun Home and Chattel Tail. AW 7 p.m. 5106 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $8. www.therobotoproject.org
[CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL] + SAT., MARCH 5
It’s easy to throw around the word “experimental” as a stand in for “hard to describe.” But tempting as it may be, I’m going to avoid referring to the duo New Morse Code as “experimental classical” because it’s not really accurate. Cellist Hannah Collins and percussionist Michael Compitello explore works by contemporary composers like Andy Akiho that challenge conventions and listeners alike. But Collins and Compitello aren’t trying to be John Cage or Harry Partch; they’re just sharing music they love that happens to be modern and innovative. Tonight, New Morse Code performs a mix of acoustic and electronic works at The Warhol, with acclaimed classical vocalist Jamie Jordan. Co-presented by Pitt’s Music on the Edge series. Andrew Woehrel 8 p.m. 117 Sandusky St., North Side. $15-20. 412-237-8300 or www.warhol.org
[INSTRUMENTAL ROCK] + WED., MARCH 9
Noah Leger is something of a local legend to a certain sect of music fan, another in a long line of great Pittsburgh rock drummers. He relocated to Chicago (and has since been called the best rock drummer in Chicago — not bad!) and now plays in the groovy instrumental rock band Electric Hawk, which combines metal riffs with a hard-rock attitude. One might describe Electric Hawk’s jams as “crunchy”; one could also compare the group to Pittsburgh’s own legendary instrumental rock band Don Caballero. Tonight, Electric Hawk plays at the Smiling Moose with Bloodiest, Sweet Cobra and locals T-Tops. AW 9:30 p.m. 1306 E. Carson St., South Side. $8-10. 412-431-4668 or www.smiling-moose.com
