For Your Ears

Children of Bodom, Death Angel, TYR
Sunshine Theater
Friday at 8 p.m.
$20
All ages

As far as gateway melodic death metal bands go, Children of Bodom is a great introduction for those unaccustomed to the genre. This five-man group from Finland toe the line of accessibility well, knowing when the time is right for head-banging screeching vocals or for a soaring guitar solo.

For Your Ears: The lead guitars of “Transference” build up a solidly paced song, giving vocalist Alexi Laiho decent groundwork to screech without sounding rushed. In a sense, this is an easy go-to jam for metal heads.

Metalachi, The Misphats
Low Spirits
Sun. March 23 at 8 p.m.
$10
21

In a music landscape where genres clash at an alarming rate, it was really only a matter of time before metal music made friends with mariachi. Members of Metalachi are all about having fun, often wearing traditional outlandish metal garb of spiked shoulder pads and face makeup with sombreros while playing metal covers with traditional mariachi instruments.

For Your Ears: Metalachi’s cover of “Crazy Train” is appropriately silly, lead by a violin and marked with fleeting moments of trumpet and shouts of “aye, aye, aye.”

Southtowne Lanes, Narrowed, Cursed Grave, Saintly Row, Tides
The Gasworks
Sun. March 16 at 7 p.m.
$5
All ages

Southtowne Lanes is reminiscent of emo from the early 2000s — think less of the pop-inclinations of Fall Out Boy and more of the screamo tendencies of Saetia and pg. 99. For those in need of a translation of the last sentence, Southtowne Lanes like to scream and occasionally sing poorly, backed up by a decent amount of guitar and percussion.

For Your Ears: “Are You Happy?” answers the song title’s question immediately, opening with a smattering of screams and dragging guitar lines.

Red Light Cameras, St. Petersburg, Ugly Robot, Kevin Baca, Margaret Rogers, Drew Wayne
Launchpad
Fri. March 28 at 9 p.m.
$10
21

Comedian Sarah Kennedy, voted Best Local Comedian on the Alibi’s “Best of Burque 2013,” will be throwing a goodbye party with local musicians and comedians. Grab a laugh with comedian Drew Wayne, or tap your toes to the indie rock group Red Light Cameras.

For Your Ears: Red Light Cameras’ “Fire” is tailor-made for college radio, opening with “ooh-ooh-ooh’s” and handclaps before launching into a catchy chorus.

The Slackers, The Blue Hornets, The Casual Fridays
Launchpad
Sun. March 30 at 7:30 p.m.
$15
13

The Slackers cast aside traditional tropes of third-wave ska, ditching the punk attitude for a tone that’s far more laid-back. This New York ska act has been together for nearly 20 years and, luckily for listeners, never found time to grow up.

For Your Ears: “My Bed is a Boat,” a track off the group’s latest EP, is a ska ballad for those who would rather spend their day in bed than out in the real world.

B. Dolan, Wheelchair Sports Camp, Rubedo, Shoulder Voices
Low Spirits
Monday at 9 p.m.
$8
21

Rhode Island rapper and activist B. Dolan first gained a name for himself in New York City as a slam poet in 2002. He has since stepped away from slam poetry and moved toward music, while still keeping his political voice.

For Your Ears: “Which Side Are You On” is an abrasive track concerning gay rights in America, while looking inward at hip-hop culture and its many cases of misogyny and homophobia. For those not looking for a college course in the lyrics, the beat is a catchy mix of banjo and drum beats.