photo by Jack Spencer

Live Music

Mats Gustafsson & Thuston Moore, Sonny Landreth, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Millionaires, The Friggs, BC Camplight

Sonny Landreth

Fri., Jan. 30, 8:30pm. With Patrick Sweany. $29.50. Sellersville Theatre, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville. 215.257.5808. www.st94.com

Music isn’t tied to seasons like sports. It can still surprise you years later; both the past and present is always being rewritten and recontextualized. So while Clapton may call Landreth “the most underestimated musician on the planet, and also probably one of the most advanced,” the grounds for this qualitative comparison is pretty shaky, particularly coming from someone more than 40 years removed from god-hood. What one can say is that Landreth’s supple slide glides from country and Cajun to Delta-born rock squawk, from liquid shimmies to 16th-note punctuation as he frets chords behind the slide and a reedy croon. Don’t miss young rustic blues opener Patrick Sweany. (Chris Parker)

Jessica Lea Mayfield

I hope 19-year-old Jessica Lea Mayfield is snapping plenty of “before” photographs of herself right about now so she can either a) look back and falsely glorify a more innocent time before smashing success or b) cry over missing the sparkly moment where she had everything going for her. ’Cause Mayfield’s got the idiot’s guide to modern-music-industry success for a singer-songwriter chick happening: a debut album that polishes dear-diary lyrics with cool-kid cred (thanks to fellow Ohioan the Black Keys’ Midas man Dan Auerbach), a KEXP song of the day, 8.2 inches of love on Pitchfork, stiff pull quotes from more successful friends like Dr. Dog and the Avetts and a jam-packed touring schedule. Not destined to be anonymous girl with guitar in Ohio, not yet a woman, catch JLM in full bloom. (Tara Murtha)

Amebix

As heavy music enjoys its umpteenth revival, this has proven to be the most evolved phase to date. This is due in no small part to the challenging, intelligent and massive Amebix. Spawned from a love for Motorhead, Crass and Killing Joke, Amebix formed in England in 1978 around an pseudo-political anarchistic squatter ethos. Their influence over similarly epic-minded bands (think Neurosis) can’t be overemphasized. Marrying thoughtful, inward-looking lyrics with music both delicate and gigantic, Amebix predates the current postmetal explosion by decades. Best of all, in the intervening years, their bassist and vocalist, the Baron, has become a swordsmith! (John Cramer)

The Friggs

Post-riot grrrl monthly meetup Sugar Town is celebrating its eighth anniversary (and the impending pre-wedding downtime of organizer Sara Sherr) with reunited lady rockers the Friggs, who got together this past summer after almost 10 years apart to promote the release of their singles collection. Turns out the Friggs liked playing together as much as we liked listening, so they’re doing it again, this time with a smattering of local musicians paying tribute to Sugar Town playlist staples Mecca Norma, L7 and of course Bikini Kill, who started this whole revolution-girl-style-now thing. (Caralyn Green)

Mats Gustafsson & Thurston Moore

One of four “Tête-à-Tête” duo concerts of the Ars Nova Workshop season, this pairing of Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore and Swedish free jazz saxophonist Mats Gustafsson will be vicious. Heck, it could be beautiful too. Moore describes the sound as “supermodernism,” a genre-free term that says much about the nexus of improvisation, experimental composition, electronics and pure thrashing noise that these two have dealt with for many years. Gustafsson, a collaborator with Peter Brötzmann, Barry Guy and other European mavericks, is no stranger to Sonic Youth: He appeared on the band’s SYR 8 and Hidros 3. (David R. Adler)

Millionaires

L.A. club-kid sisters and their gal pal bump and grind over candy-coated, Apple comped beats. It’s a eulogy for Sparks, the Cobrasnake in the underage flesh. It’s the Millionaires on their Just Got Paid, Let’s Get Laid tour. Fresh offa providing the theme beats for MTV’s A Double Shot at Love (a fine CV), these Blue States Lose Lolitas are all about the emo bangs, Wentz-worthy eyeliner and foul language fueled by martinis, mixed feelings and veneration or something like it for Uffie, that hot chick you can’t even touch. (C.G.)

BC Camplight

Mention piano pop rock, and Ben Folds comparisons are inevitable. While Folds and BC Camplight’s Brian Christinzio might share an instrument and first initial, BC Camplight can hold its own flame. Christinzio creates a sparkling combination of twee pop and ’60s psych with whiffs of the Beach Boys, Silver Apples and New Pornographers. His songs feature emotional peaks and valleys, soaring choirs and tension-filled harmonies. Meanwhile, Christinzio’s stunning treble, which often borders on falsetto, is a natural accompaniment to the pounding keys and rollicking harmonicas that punctuate the crystalline, jangly tunes. (Katherine Silkaitis)