May concert guide for Phoenix: Rihanna, Pentatonix, Kenny Chesney, Lil Wayne, Lamb of God, and Tyler, the Creator

Rihanna brings the biggest single of the year and 14 other chart-toppers to Talking Stick Resort Arena on the first day of a month that also features shows by Pentatonix, Kenny Chesney, Lil Wayne, Lamb of God, Tyler, the Creator and Young Thug. But those are just a handful of the bigger artists passing through the Valley. Our May concert guide also features a number of critic's picks playing the clubs, from Vince Staples to Torche and Built to Spill.

5/1: Rihanna

The Barbadian singer has been steaming up the pop charts since 2005 when her double-platinum debut, "Pon de Replay," peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100. The following year, she topped that chart with "SOS," her first of 14 singles to hit No. 1, including this year's "Work." Rihanna's biggest hits include multiplatinum chart-toppers "Umbrella," "Take a Bow," "Disturbia," "Rude Boy," "Only Girl (In the World)," "What's My Name," "S&M," "We Found Love" and "Diamonds." At 28, she's topped the Hot 100 more times than Beyonce, Michael Jackson and Madonna.

Best Rihanna singles of all time (so far) from 'Pon de Replay' to 'Work' and 'Kiss It Better'

Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 1. Talking Stick Resort Arena (formerly US Airways Center), 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $25.75-$146.25. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

5/1: Posies Secret Pop Up Show

These power-pop legends will sneak into Phoenix for a Pop Up Secret Show in support of their eighth album, "Solid States," which hits the streets officially May 20 but will be available at this performance. None of these full-band performances will be in clubs. They're playing alternative locations in each city, with the actual address released to ticket holders not more than 24 hours in advance. That means we don't have very many of the necessary details. It could be a photography studio, a comfy living room, a house boat, a rehearsal studio, a deli, Sheriff Joe's house. But it will not be a proper rock club. The Posies' Ken Stringfellow says of "Solid States," “So many things have changed, either by choice or by circumstance, in the six years between this album and the one before it. We’ve had two bandmates die, a divorce and remarriage, a transoceanic move. There’s been good things and difficult things, but nothing is in the same place for us. So it makes sense that this record would sound different from its predecessors."

Details: Tickets are $32.64-$80 at www.eventbrite.com/e/the-posies-secret-pop-up-show-tickets-23341506073.

5/1: Flatbush Zombies

Brooklyn rappers Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick "The Architect" Elliott are touring on “3001: A Laced Odyssey,” their first proper studio album, following a pair of mixtapes. There’s a heavy psychedelic vibe to Flatbush Zombies’ brand of hip-hop, from the music itself to lyrics celebrating acid (“Acid, Acid, change yo’ life”). As HipHopDX raved, “The 12-song mind trip is hodgepodge of haunting strings, ambient sounds fit for a sci-fi film and hard-hitting drums.”

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, May 1. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $23. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

5/1: Dungen

The psychedelic revival is in excellent if very trippy hands with Dungen. The Swedish rockers arrive in support of "Allas Sak," their first release in five years. Magnet declared it "a brilliant pastiche of styles" while Pitchfork noted, "While the execution has at times wavered over the years, 'Allas Sak' finds the band fully re-engaged in the sound that it has staked out over the past decade -- performing music that’s still as beautiful, optimistic, strange, and singular as ever."

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, May 1. The Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $17; $15 in advance. valleybarphx.com.

5/3: Peter Murphy

Well, he was the voice of Bauhaus, a chapter Murphy celebrated in high gothic fashion on the recent Mr. Moonlight Tour, pegged to the 35th anniversary of Bauhaus' birth. This is the Stripped Tour, billed as "a rare opportunity to see Peter Murphy in an intimate setting performing acoustic versions of his music from throughout his illustrious career."

Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. SOLD OUT. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

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5/3: Violent Femmes

Get ready to let your 80's teenage-angst-freak-flag fly; the Violent Femmes are coming to town. It took a while for the new-wave, folk-punk favorites to gain steam following their 1983 self-titled debut, but over the years the "Blister in the Sun," "Add It Up," and "Gone Daddy Gone" singers, a trio that originally consisted of Gordon Gano, Brian Ritchie and Victor DeLorenzo, has developed a cult-like following.

Details: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $35-$55. 480-829-1300, luckymanonline.com.

— Anthony Sandoval

5/3: Jadakiss

It takes a certain kind of rapper to title your fourth album "Top 5 Dead or Alive." It's a swagger that suits the material on Jadakiss' fourth release (and third consecutive release to top the rap and R&B charts. He's been on the scene since 2001, when "We Gonna Make It," his first single, cracked the Top 5 on the Billboard rap charts. Subsequent hits include "Why" and "U Make Me Wanna." HipHopDX praised his latest effort, writing: "This album definitely translates as Jadakiss’ most celebratory to date. The beats are more grandiose, less gutter horror story and more hustler’s celebration. The whole theme plays out like his very own victory lap."

Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. Club Red, 1306 W. University Dr., Mesa. $20-$75. 480-258-2733, clubredrocks.com.

5/3: Rodney Crowell

The Grammy winner was a major country hitmaker in the late '80s and early '90s, thanks to such superb singles as "After All This Time," "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" and "What Kind of Love." In recent years, he's moved away from radio-oriented fare to Americana-flavored discs and collaborations with Emmylou Harris; he was a member of her band in the 1970s.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. $39.50-$48.50. 480-478-6000, themim.org.

— Randy Cordova

5/3: William Elliott Whitmore

To hear him sing the blues, you'd swear this banjo-picking White guy in his 30s was a 60-something Black man from the Deep South, regardless of whether he's taking a stand against "malicious politicians with nefarious schemes" or suggesting you "bury your burdens in the ground." He added electric guitar to the mix without abandoning the qualities that made his music matter in the first place on his latest recording, an album called "Radium Death."

Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. The Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $18; $15 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.

5/4: Pentatonix

Texas-based a cappella ensemble Pentatonix won NBC's "The Sing-Off" in 2011 by covering songs by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Survivor, and infusing them with their own brand of R&B, pop and electronic flavor.  But for their 2015 self-titled release, the quintet have left behind the covers and delivered an a cappella pop album full of original tracks using only their voices; which is needless to say, a-ca-awesome.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 4. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $35-$59.50. 602-379-2800, concerts.livenation.com.

— Anthony Sandoval

5/4: Tortoise

These post-rock legends are playing Phoenix in support of "The Catastrophist," their first release in more than six years. It's a stunning effort, from the almost prog-like grandeur they arrive at on the climax of the title track to the clattering groove and psychedelic jazz guitar of the transcendent "Shake Hands with Danger." That they also dig their teeth into an oddly faithful reinvention of the David Essex classic "Rock On" only makes the journey that much more intriguing.

Details: 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 4.  Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $30; $26 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

5/4: Dead Meadow

These guys embody the best of the stoner-rock '70s, whether indulging in Sabbathy sludge or going for more of an unplugged "Led Zeppelin III" vibe. As the Guardian once noted, "In full flight of one of their frequent psychedelic crescendos, Dead Meadow are among rock's most eloquently deafening joys."

Details: 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 4. Club Red, 1306 W. University Dr., Mesa. $15; $10 in advance. 480-258-2733, clubredrocks.com.

5/4: Hit the Lights

It's been 10 years since these pop-punk sensations emerged from Ohio with a debut titled "This Is a Stick Up... Don't Make It a Murder," after which their front man bailed, leaving guitarist Nick Thompson to take over lead vocal duties. They're touring in support of last year's "Summer Bones," hailed as their best record yet by Kerrang! And Rock Sounds said the album found them in their finest form in years.

Details: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 4. The Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $15; $13 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.

5/5: Dream Theater

The progressive-metal virtuosos have promised a “historic set" and an "unparalleled live experience” when they perform their double concept album, “The Astonishing,” in its entirety. Earlier this year, a Rolling Stone reporter seemed to find the album quite astonishing indeed. “Even for a group that has blazed new trails consistently, there's never been anything to compare to ‘The Astonishing,' the full-blown rock-opera, jumbo-size concept album,” he wrote. “Put simply, the new release lives up to its title in every way imaginable.”

Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 5. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St. $41-$89. 480-644-6500, mesaarts.com.

5/6: Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne topped Billboard's Hot 100 with the candy-coated sex talk of the Grammy-winning "Lollipop," a five-times-platinum smash. And that was just the first of four platinum singles from "Tha Carter III," which remains his biggest-selling album. Released in 2011, "Tha Carter IV" went double platinum, producing major hits in "6 Foot 7 Foot," "John," "How to Love" and "She Will." More recent hits include "My Homies Still," "Love Me" and 2014's "Believe."

Details: 8 p.m. Friday, May 6. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $48-$88. 602-379-2800, concerts.livenation.com.

5/6: Fear Factory

These industrial-metal veterans hit the dark side of the mainstream with the 1998 release of “Obsolete,” a third album that featured a monologue by Gary Numan and an oddly faithful cover of the New Wave icon’s breakthrough single, “Cars.” They arrive in continued support of last year’s “Genexus," a punishing affair to which the Guardian responded with: "Fear Factory exude real authority, resulting in their finest album in two decades and a timely reminder that when man and machine collide, the outcome can be both joyous and devastating."

Details: 6 p.m. Friday, May 6. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $25. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

5/6: Lily & Madeleine

These Indianapolis sisters were still in their teens when their first album caused a buzz back in 2013, earning raves from Uncut and the Independent. They're in their 20s now, back on the road in support of a third album, "Keep It Together," that effortlessly lives up to the promise people heard in that debut. Drowned in Sound weighed in with "Each track contains a melodic or harmonic flourish, a synth layer, a moment of unexpected aggression or vulnerability which shows that, at the same time as delivering a potentially career-defining album, there is the exciting potential of so much further that Lily and Madeleine could go."

Details: 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 6. The Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $12; $10 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.

5/7: Kenny Chesney 

Chesney is the only country artist in Billboard's Top 10 touring acts of the last 25 years. And he managed to crack that list in only 12 years as a headliner. His hits include country chart-toppers "She's Got It All,” "You Had Me From Hello," "The Good Stuff," "There Goes My Life," "When the Sun Goes Down," "Anything But Mine," "Summertime," "Beer in Mexico,” “Never Wanted Nothing More,” “Don’t Blink,” “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven,” “Out Last Night,” “The Boys of Fall,” “Somewhere With You” and “Come Over.” The Spread the Love tour also brings Miranda Lambert, Sam Hunt and Old Dominion to the Arizona Diamondbacks ballpark for a night of country hits.

Details: 5 p.m. Saturday, May 7. Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson, Phoenix. $29.50-$250.50. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

5/7: Beach Slang

There aren't many young artists who seem to be chasing the rock-and-roll ghost of the post-"Pleased to Meet Me" Replacements, so don't tell a soul, but that's exactly what these Pennsylvania punks would appear to be doing on "The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us." And they wear it like a poorly knotted skinny tie. As the A.V. Club, whose writer heard more "Pleased to Meet Me" than "Don't Tell a Soul," concluded, "If (James Alex) Snyder’s goal is to get the band’s points across and accomplish that feeling of catharsis all the same, then this record sure feels like a success.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 7. The Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $15; $12 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.

5/8: Torche

Their best work is a loud, proud throwback to the golden age of stoner rock served at times with the reckless abandon of punk and at times with a hint of arena-compatible prog-rock bombast. It's all about the riff, of course, some sludgy, some explosive, but practically all of them memorable. They file these guys in metal, but there's something here for anyone who's ever felt the slightest urge to rock at all.

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, May 8. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $15; $12 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

5/9: Lacuna Coil

These Italian gothic-metal veterans, whose sound makes the most of the contrast between their males and female singers, scored a major U.S. breakthrough in 2006 when their fourth album, "Karmacode," hit No. 28 while spawning their first Mainstream Rock charts entry, "Our Truth." Subsequent hits include "Spellbound," "I Won't Tell You," "Trip the Darkness" and "Die & Rise." They arrive in advance of the May 27 release of their eighth album, "Delirium."

Details: 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 9. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $20. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

5/9: Bettye LaVette

This raspy-voiced soul veteran was all of 16 when she cut her first single, “My Man — He’s a Lovin’ Man,” in 1962. And while that single was a Top 10 hit on Billboard’s R&B charts, LaVette’s big break came 40-odd years later with the release of an album called “I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise,” produced by Joe Henry and featuring songs by sources as unlikely as Fiona Apple, Dolly Parton and Sinead O’Connor. Her latest album, last year's "Worthy," was as the title suggested a worthy addition to the singer's catalog, produced by Henry and blessed with souful reinventions of songs by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rollng Stones and more.

Details: 7 p.m. Monday, May 9. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. $48.50-$53.50. 480-478-6000, themim.org.

5/11: Four Tet

Four Tet is Kieran Hebden, a British artist whose music tends to be a blend of electronica and post-rock. His latest album, "Morning / Evening," is two trance-inducing suites, each weighing in at roughly 20 minutes. It's all very ambient and yet rewards the listener who doesn't let it slip into the background. A review at Pretty Much Amazing raved "As patient and even elegiac as these sounds get, both 'sides' successfully split the difference between, shall we say, swelling waves heard from a distance and the clatter and buzz of gadgets tuning up all around you. And a lot of the implicit distance in between. Buy it."

Details: 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 11. Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington St., Phoenix. $15; $10 in advance. relentlessbeats.com.

5/12: The Internet

Al Gore may think he invented the Internet, but it was actually Odd Future hip-hop collective members Syd the Kyd and Matt Martians.  Patrick Paige, Christopher Smith, Jameel Bruner and Steve Lacy round out the lineup. Last year's “Ego Death” became their most successful album when it hit the Billboard R&B/hip-hop charts at No. 9, while a single called “Special Affair” topped the magazine's Twitter Emerging Artists chart. Their music is blend of neo-soul, R&B, hip-hop and jazz.

Details: 9 p.m. Thursday, May 12. Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale. $20. 480-361-9783, livewireaz.com.

5/13: Vince Staples

Staples is touring on one of last year’s more compelling hip-hop records, “Summertime ’06.” The A.V. Club called it “a major triumph disguised as a minor one - 60 minutes of lean, inventive, important rap music that never pats itself on the back for being any of those things.” It also spawned one of the year’s best videos (and songs) in “Senorita,” in which a tattooed preacher, carrying a bible, leads a small group of disciples through an inner-city warzone as they’re picked off one by one by snipers.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 13. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $17; $15 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

5/14: Journey and the Doobie Brothers

Journey and the Doobie Brothers are headed to Phoenix on the San Francisco Fest 2016 tour with Dave Mason, who's actually British. This tour marks the return of Journey drummer Steve Smith, rejoining lead guitarist/founding member Neal Schon, original bassist Ross Valory, longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain and the YouTube discovery whose vocals gave the band a second lease on life, Arnel Pineda. The Doobies lineup features founding members Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons on guitar and vocals, longtime member John McFee on guitars, strings and vocals and Little Feat co-founder Bill Payne, who's played on many Doobie Brothers albums and tours.

Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 14. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $37-$142. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

5/14: Young Thug

The man has 15 mixtapes to his credit, and his first official studio release is on the way. It's titled "Hy!£UN35," so ask for it by name. His biggest hits so far are "Hookah," "About the Money" and the platinum "Lifestyle," which peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. He's also also known for his collaborations with a Who's Who of the Southern rap scene, from Rich Homie Quan to Birdman, Waka Flocka Flame, Gucci Mane, Travis Scott and Migos."Slime Season 3," his latest mixtape, pulled in raves from PopMatters and Tiny Mix Tapes, whose critic said it was "as celebratory, emotionally rich, and life-affirming as a good funeral should be but never is. And this isn’t the end; it’s only the beginning of a brand new chapter."

Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $47-$82. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

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5/14: B.o.B

This Southern rocker topped the Hot 100 his first time at bat in 2010 with the triple-platinum pop hooks of "Nothin' on You," which featured Bruno Mars. Subsequent hits include the five-times-platinum "Airplanes" with Hayley Williams, the double-platinum "Magic" with Rivers Cuomo, and his latest double-platinum hit, 2013's "HeadBand," featuring 2 Chainz. Last year, he dropped an album titled "Psycadelik Thoughtz" with no promotion or pre-release singles. It became his lowest-charting album and produced no hits.

Details: 10 p.m. Saturday, May 14. Maya Day & Nightclub, 7333 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale. $19.75-$109.95. 480-625-0528, mayaclubaz.com.

5/14: Night Moves

I would have thought we'd reach the saturation point by now of young indie bands channeling '70s soft-rock. But Nights Moves' "Pennied Days" is such a flawless evocation of that era with the songs to back it up, I can't help but just be grateful that they chose to squeeze their way onto that over-crowded yacht. Of course, it helps that the singer's falsetto is more Daryl Hall than Frankie Valli. As the Line of Best Fit summed it up, " 'Pennied Days' is an album anyone who has ever been in love with rock music should listen to, and it has the kind of universal appeal that should mean big things for Night Moves down the road."

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 14. The Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $10. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.

5/15: Motion City Soundtrack

These Warped Tour veterans are heading to Phoenix in support of last year’s “Panic Stations,” a third consecutive release that rocks the effervescent pop hooks in a way that leaves me wondering why people tend to think of them as pop-punk when their more infectious moments feel more like a throwback to the golden age of power-pop. Or power-pop as Smoking Popes and Weezer did their best to redefine it.

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, May 15. The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison St., Phoenix. $20. 602-396-7136, thepressroomaz.com.

5/15: Aesop Rock

This alternative-hip-hop veteran made Rhapsody's list of the 10 best albums by White rappers with the concept album "Labor Days." His latest studio release is 2012's "Skelethon," which brought home raves from Drowned in Sound and Okayplayer, where he was praised for having "found ways to make complexity entertaining and to harness pain in the names of maturity and laughter."

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, May 15. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $22. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

5/16: Coasts

The British rock press doesn't much care for these eager young Brits with their radio-friendly chorus hooks that sound like they were written with the back rows of a stadium in mind. The Guardian wrote: "Expect to hear Coasts’ pumped-up anthems in a shoe-shop near you — just don’t expect an iota of character." But here in the States, the All Music Guide critics declared it "a competent collection of catchy arena-ready tunes that could eventually carry them there," which isn't as funny and yet seems a good deal closer to the truth. See also: Coldplay.

Details: 8 p.m. Monday, May 16.  Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $18; $15 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

5/17: Filter

Richard Patrick played guitar with Nine Inch Nails on the tour for "Pretty Hate Machine" before launching his own very similar project, Filter, whose breakthrough single, "Hey Man, Nice Shot," peaked at No. 10 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1995. Their biggest hit remains the 1999 track "Take a Picture," but if you liked those early hits, you’ll find a lot to like about their latest effort, 2013’s “The Sun Comes Out Tonight.” There are several tracks that would have fit right in at commercial-alternative radio in the ‘90s.

Details: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 17. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $20. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

5/18: Tech N9ne

This underground rapper has sold more than two million albums with precious little airplay, relying instead on the grassroots following he's nurtured on the road. And making brilliant records hasn't hurt. As he told azcentral.com, "Really good artistry always shines. No matter if it's weird. They used to call me a devil worshiper and all that. After all that disappeared and they had nothing else to say about me that was negative, all they could say was, 'Whoa, that boy can rap.'" His most successful songs to date are "Fragile," a 2013 track featuring Kendrick Lamar and Mayday, and last year's "Hood Go Crazy" with B.o.B and 2 Chainz.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $40-$60. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

5/18: Wild Nothing

Released in 2010, Jack Tatum’s first Wild Nothing effort, “Gemini,” made year-end album lists at Stereogum and Pitchfork, whose critic wrote, “’Wild Nothing’ doesn't feel like a facile genre exercise so much as honest personal expression borne of intense musical fanhood.” They’re playing Phoenix in support of this year’s model, “Life of Pause,” to which the reviewer at DIY Magazine responded with: “’Wild Nothing’ might have planted their feet firmly on the ground, but that hasn’t stopped Jack Tatum from creating a soundscape straight from your wooziest daydream.”

Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 18. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $18; $15 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

5/19: PVRIS

Blending heavy rock guitars with moody electronic textures and topping that foundation with a female singer with the voice and swagger of this singer, Lyndsey Gunnulfsen, and the end result as captured on 2014's "White Noise," their debut, is bound to feel a little like the great lost Garbage album. In a good way. Kerrang! called it "a positively enchanting album, from what's easily the best new band of 2014."

Details: 6 p.m. Thursday, May 19. Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale. $18. 480-361-9783, livewireaz.com.

5/19: Atreyu

Taking their name from a character in “The Neverending Story,” these metalcore hitmakers rolled out of Orange County in 2002 with a Victory Records debut titled “Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses,” earning airplay on “Headbangers Ball” for “Lip Gloss and Black.” They hit the mainstream harder in 2006 when their third Victory album “A Death-Grip on Yesterday,” hit the album charts at No. 9, spinning off “Ex’s and Oh’s,” their first single to have an impact on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. This tour marks the 10th anniversary of "A Death-Grip," and they're playing the entire album while sprinkling in some of their better-known songs through the years and tracks from their most recent effort, "Long Live.". 

Details: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 19. Club Red, 1306 W. University Dr., Mesa. $24; $20 in advance. 480-258-2733, clubredrocks.com.

5/19: Titus Andronicus

Taking their name from the title of William Shakespeare's most violent tragedy, these Jersey boys uncork their epic, existential anthems like a half-mad Springsteen raised on Irish punk and pounding Guinness like there's no tomorrow. "The Airing of Grievances" was a brilliant first move, "The Monitor" proved even more intense, and by the time they got to "Local Business," they'd tightened things up without losing their edge or urgency. Four years later, they're headed to town in support of the "The Most Lamentable Tragedy," a sprawling 29-song concept album as ambitious as the Clash's "London Calling" but retaining more of the intensity the Clash had largely set aside by that point. It's a masterpiece driven by reckless abandon and insatiable ambition.

Details: 8 p.m. Thursday, May 19. The Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $17; $15 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.

5/20: Shawn Phillips

Bill Graham once called this singer-songwriter "The Best Kept Secret in the Music Business," so don't feel bad if you're not familiar with his music. Phillips is a veteran of the early '70s singer-songwriter boom with a sound that features elements of folk-rock, jazz, progressive, pop and classical. Born in Forth Worth, Texas, he worked as a session player on several Donovan albums, including "Sunshine Superman" and "Mellow Yellow" and reportedly sang backing vocals on the Beatles' "Lovely Rita."

Details: 8 p.m. Friday, May 20. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St. $20 and up. 480-499-8587, scottsdaleperformingarts.com.

5/20: Frightened Rabbit

These Scottish indie-rockers pulled in raves from NME and Pitchfork for 2006’s “Sing the Greys.” And Nicholas Harmer of Death Cab for Cutie called the follow-up, “The Midnight Organ Fight,” his favorite album of 2008. Their sound is haunted indie-folk with moments of real urgency and a Pixie-esque dynamic range that can take you from hushed to majestic and back again in seconds flat. And they’re from Scotland, so the accent is a nice touch. They arrive in support of a cathartic meditations on matters of life and death, the aptly titled "Painting of a Panic Attack."

Details: 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 20. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $25; $23 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

5/20: James Hunter

It’s been a decade since this British soul revivalist emerged with a debut aptly titled "People Gonna Talk," topping the Billboard blues chart while earning a Grammy nomination and near-universal acclaim from both critics and fellow musicians, including Van Morrison, Sharon Jones, and Allen Toussaint. He arrives at the MIM in support of his release on Daptone, "Hold On!"

Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 20. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. $38.50-$45.50. 480-478-6000, themim.org.

5/21: Dirty Disco

The promoters behind the seventh annual Dirty Disco festival are promising that "Arizona’s premier desert party" is "bigger and badder than ever!!!," transforming the Rodeo Arena into a "dirty dance playground" with state-of-the-art production, a massive stage, a booming sound system, a vibrant laser show and lots of pyro lighting up the desert sky. They've also assembled a solid collection of EDM movers and shakers, including Getter (who went viral by appearing in the "Suh Dude" Vine meme), Herobust, Bryan Kearney, Dirty Audio, Freedom Fighters, Metrik and Wasted Penguinz.

 Details: 6 p.m. Saturday, May 21. Rawhide Rodeo Arena, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler. $30-$40. relentlessbeats.com.

5/21: Dru Hill featuring Sisqo

They topped the R&B charts three times in their '90s prime ("In My Bed,""Never Make a Promise" and Redman-assisted "How Deep Is Your Love") while serving as a launching pad for Sisqo, the white-haired R&B sensation best remembered for giving the world "Thong Song." It's been six years since Dru Hill dropped their first new album in eight years, "InDRUpendence Day," which hit the charts at No. 30. This is their 20th anniversary tour and it features a breakout solo set by Sisqo. BYOT.

Details: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 21. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $20-$25. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.

5/22: Bad Company and Joe Walsh

Joe Walsh and Bad Company have promised no less than One Hell of a Night when their co-headlining tour brings the classic-rock-radio icons to Phoenix. They’re taking turns topping the bill on the tour, with Bad Company doing the honors here. Both artists have already promised to deliver certain hits. For Walsh, those songs are “Rocky Mountain Way,” “Walk Away,” “Life’s Been Good,” “Funk #49” and “Life In the Fast Lane.” Bad Company promises “Shooting Star,” “Feel Like Makin Love,” “Bad Company,” “Can’t Get Enough” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy.”

Details: 7 p.m. Sunday, May 22. Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. $37-$142. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

5/22: Mrs. Magician

John Reis of Rocket From the Crypt produced “Strange Heaven,” their debut, which filters twangy surf guitar riffs through the cavernous reverb such pursuits requires while the singer turns the thought that “There’s no God” into a rousing singalong, a thought he punctuates with “la la la la.” Delusion of Adequacy responded with “This summer, don't just think about going surfing, listen to 'Strange Heaven' instead.” And don't miss Snake! Snake! Snakes!

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, May 22. The Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $8; $5 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.

5/23: Hatebreed

These metalcore veterans, led by singer Jamey Jasta, topped the Hard Rock album charts in 2013 with "The Divinity of Purpose," their latest release. Alternative Press responded with "the Connecticut-based band have truly outdone themselves" while PopMatters sized it up with, "Older, wiser, with more fire in their bellies than they've shown in years, this hardcore mainstay finally has its bite back."

Details: 8 p.m. Monday, May 23. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $20. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

5/23: Pentagram

These doom-metal veterans are touring a brilliant new album called "Curious Volume" that finds them still bringing the sludge with authority after 40-odd years in the business. Granted, singer Bobby Liebling is the only member of the current lineup who's been involved from the beginning, but guitarist Victor Griffin, whose playing plays as big a role in defining the brilliance of "Curious Volume" as Liebling, has been there, on and off, since 1983. Kerrang! says the album is "proof that when it comes to enormo-doom heaviness, few do it better. Still."

Details: 7 p.m. Monday, May 23. Nile Theater, 105 W. Main St., Mesa. $23; $20 in advance. 480-559-5859, niletheater.com.

5/24: Mayer Hawthorne

Imagine a blue-eyed soulman whose funkiest moments groove with the sophisticated jazz-rock vibe of vintage Steely Dan. Now imagine that he's also really into Hall & Oates. It may not do much pushing of the envelope. But as PopMatters said in reviewing the new album, "Man About Town": "Like it or not, there aren’t many people who can pull off what Mayer Hawthorne does best these days as well as Mayer Hawthorne does it. It fills a very real void in an increasingly crowded and grossly jaded pop music world. It is, in essence, important work."

Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 24. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $25; $22 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

5/24: Taj Mahal

He repped the blues at the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus in 1968, the same year he dropped his self-titled debut, which found him covering “Dust My Broom” and “Statesboro Blues” with Ry Cooder and Jesse Ed Davis. He took home his first of two Grammy Awards for the 1997 album “Senor Blues,” and his latest album, “2008’s “Maestro,” was another strong addition to the catalog.

Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 24. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. $43.50-$53.50. 480-478-6000, themim.org.

5/25: Tyler, the Creator

He’s the spiritual leader of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, a controversial L.A. rap collective Rolling Stone declared their generation’s Wu-Tang Clan. And he was looking set to be the breakout artist of that Wolf pack until Frank Ocean hit the blogosphere with “Channel Orange.” But Tyler did bring home a major MTV Video Music Award nomination for “Yonkers,” which memorably ends in him hanging himself, but only after dining on a Madagascar hissing cockroach and puking in silhouette. His latest album, "Cherry Bomb," became his third consecutive release to debut in the Top 5. He's never had a proper hit but there's no reason to believe he needs one, either.

Details: 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 25. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $32.85; $30.85 in advance. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

5/26: STRFKR

Their danceable electro-flavored indie-pop isn't half as in-your-face or anti-social as their band name, which is not a bad thing. And that name didn't stop them from placing a song called "Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second" in a Target ad. That same song turned up on an episode of "Weeds," where it's doubtful their name was as much of an issue. When "Miracle Mile," their latest album, arrived in 2013, Paste magazine praised it as "one of the prettiest party records you'll hear this year." They were among the highlights of McDowell Mountain Music Festival in 2015, their dance beats topped by the haunted ethereal sighing of bandleader Joshua Hodges. They even threw in a spirit cover of the Cyndi Lauper song "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," which they were pleased to announce they had recently done with Lauper herself.

Details: 8 p.m. Thursday, May 26.  Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $20. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

5/27: Lamb of God

Randy Blythe spent five weeks in a Czech Republic prison cell in mid-2012 after being arrested on manslaughter charges stemming from an incident at a Lamb of God concert in Prague two years earlier. A 19-year-old fan, who reportedly rushed the stage three times before Blythe pushed him off, sustained head injuries upon hitting the concrete floor below and, after two weeks in a coma, died. Blythe, who faced five years in prison, was released eventually acquitted and went back to work, releasing “VII: Sturm und Drang” last summer. A punishing onslaught of groove-metal riffing topped primarily by tortured howls and growls from Blythe, the album features two songs written in a Pankrac Prison cell.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $35. 602-379-2800, concerts.livenation.com.

5/28: Skrillex

A former hardcore singer for From First to Last, this Grammy-winning EDM sensation reinvented himself as a DJ/producer with “My Name Is Skrillex,” an electronic dance EP he released on MySpace. After two more EPs — “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” in late 2010 and “More Monsters and Sprites” in 2011 — he was nominated for five Grammys, including best new artist, winning three (best dance/electronica album, best dance recording and best remixed recording, non-classical) in 2012. He picked up three more Grammys in 2013 and two more earlier this year, bringing his total Grammy wins to eight, the most any EDM artists has won. His most successful solo records in the States are the double-platinum singles “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" and "Bangarang." But he and Diplo scored a triple-platinum smash last year as Jack U when they called in Justin Bieber to supply lead vocals on the song "Where Are U Now?"

Details: 11 a.m -7 p.m., Saturday, May 28. The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale. $30. 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

5/29: Built to Spill

t's been 23 years since Built to Spill rolled out of Boise, Idaho, with an explosive debut they ironically titled "Ultimate Alternative Wavers." And their next three albums all turned up on Pitchfork's greatest-albums-of-the-'90s list. But they're still making epic guitar-hero music for people who don't like guitar-hero music, a richly textured symphony of interweaving riffs with aching vocals sung just north of Neil Young's comfort zone. They touring on a great new album called "Untethered Moon," their long-awaited first release since 2009's "There Is No Enemy."

Details: 8 p.m. Sunday, May 29. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $25; $22 in advance. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

5/30: AlunaGeorge

The U.K. synth-pop duo of Aluna Francis (alluringly soulful vocals) and George Reid (production and instrumentation) brought home raves for “Body Music” in 2013, the same year Francis turned up on Disclosure’s classic “White Noise” single. Her vocals were used to amazing effect on the single that remains AlunaGeorge’s calling card, “Your Drums, Your Love,” an eerie, minimalist funk track that features quirky pitch-manipulation on the chorus hook and Francis approaching the rest of the song with the soulful intensity the words require.

Details: 8 p.m. Monday, May 30. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix. $20. 602-716-2222, crescentphx.com.

5/30: Voivod

These progressive-metal veterans have been at it since the early '80s, starting more on the speed-metal side of the mosh pit and evolving over time. Released in 2013, "Target Earth," their 13th album, pulled in raves from Spin, PopMatters and Kerrang!, whose critic wrote, "That Voivod have made a killer album is no surprise at all. The sounds they've pulled from the void, however as ever, are."

Details: 8 p.m. Monday, May 30. The Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $20; $18 in advance. 602-296-7013, therebellounge.com.

5/31: A$AP Ferg and Tory Lanez

This show is headlined by the A$AP Mob sensation who inspired Pitchfork to praise his work for having brought "a tantalizing skill set to the table, a startling versatility and an electricity that not even his more famous friend can touch.” The Harlem rapper's best-known songs are “Work,"  “Shabba” and last year's "New Level." But that list will grow. Canadian rapper Lanez is best known for the single "Say It." His first official studio release is due this summer on WeDidIt Records.

Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 31. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe. $30-$82. 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.

5/31: Modern Baseball

It may be safe to file these guys alongside fellow Philadelphians the Dead Milkmen as part of a long proud tradition in underground culture of quirky-voiced smart-asses responding to a world gone mad with darkly comic punchlines. Consider the opening line on 2014's "You're Gonna Miss It All": "I hate worrying about the future 'cause all my current problems are based around the past."

Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 31. The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison St., Phoenix. $20. 602-396-7136, thepressroomaz.com.

5/31: Giuda

These Italian glam revivalists are touring on last year's "Speak Evil," a third album hailed by Q Magazine as "a boot-stomping blast from start to finish." But the writer for Classic Rock magazine said it best: "Needless to say, this is irresistible stuff that demands to be listened to while twerking in a 70s style (Steve Priest pout on your face; mock-surprise eyes à la the disgraced Gary Glitter)."

Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 31. Club Red, 1306 W. University Dr., Mesa. $12; $10 in advance. 480-258-2733, clubredrocks.com.