Mastodon, Kylesa @ Metro (Chicago)

Metal sweethearts Mastodon return to the Midwest with Crack the Skye, the group's new album of epic accessibility and big psych-metal riffs. The band will be joined by atmospheric stoner metal quintet Kylesa, which also hails from Georgia and also sports a brand-new disc.

Peanut Butter Wolf @ Abbey Pub (Chicago)

Hip-hop producer and Stones Throw founder Peanut Butter Wolf hits town tonight with a chunk of his roster — James Pants, Dam-Funk, and Mayer Hawthorne — to mix music videos live.  Pants is playing with his band Royal Zodiac, and Funk and Hawthorne are DJing.

Chicha Libre, Lamajamal @ Martyrs' (Chicago)

Enthusiasts of the Peruvian chicha, Brooklyn's Chicha Libre perform the style with surf guitar, Farfisa organs, and Moog synths.  The group gets a great local opener in Lamajamal, a self-dubbed "Gypsy surf" quintet that emphasizes traditional Romani sounds much more than anything inspired by Dick Dale.

Friday, May 1

Russian Circles @ Bottom Lounge (Chicago)

Melodic metal instrumentalists Russian Circles debut new material during this two-week US tour, after which they will return to the studio to record a follow-up to 2008 album Station, due in October or November on Suicide Squeeze.

Converge @ Subterranean (Chicago)

In advance of its own anticipated recording session, mega-riffing hardcore outfit Converge plays two shows in Chicago this Friday and another on Sunday in celebration of the release of Burning Fight, a jam-packed book about 1990s hardcore.

Charlie Hunter Duo @ SPACE (Evanston)

Post-jazz/jam guitarist and Garage a Trois co-founder Charlie Hunter spends a night in Chicago's prominent northern suburb in support of his most recent album, last year's Baboon Strength.  Propulsive drummer Simon Lott, of the Will Bernard Band, joins Hunter for this duo performance.

Calexico

Jimmy Carl Black, the original drummer of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, has passed away at the age of 70 after a fight with lung cancer.

All Tomorrow's Parties has announced a new festival, scheduled for May 15-17, 2009 in Minehead. The fest will be curated by The Breeders and tickets are already on sale.

In other ATP news, '90s doom-metal group Sleep will reunite to play the series' next festival in Minehead, taking place earlier in May of 2009.

Interested parties can watch a free streaming video of Calexico's Southwestern folk from a 23-song performance in Amsterdam.

Genre-leaping identical twins and instrumentalists Nels Cline (guitar: Nels Cline Singers, Wilco) and Alex Cline (drums/percussion: The Alex Cline Ensemble, Tim Berne) are each releasing a solo album on Cryptogramophone on February 10, 2009. Follow the link for a sample track from each.

Technically assailing math-metal Relapse artists Dysrythmia have booked shows for February with labelmates Tombs.

Hard-hitting Brooklyn trio Goes Cube will have a limited-edition EP for sale on its upcoming Midwest and East Coast tour dates, some of which are paired with ALARM cover favorites Dub Trio.

Unsigned jam/groove duo Family Order has made all of its excellent upcoming album available for free download.

Funky jazz guitarist Will Bernard has begun a handful of West Coast tour dates with his trio.

Deftones bassist Chi Cheng is hospitalized and in serious condition after being involved in a car accident.