LERA LYNN Lera Lynn has long been the quiet darling of the Athens, Ga., folk/country scene, but that's about to change. Among other accolades, NPR's Gerrison Keillor was so impressed when he picked her ringing, lyrical soprano out of a pile of audition tapes that he invited her to share the stage with bluegrass great Sam Bush at the Atlanta installment of A Prairie Home Companion. Comparisons to a young Emmylou are somewhat of a given, but Lynn puts her own sultry spin on the country siren genre. Catch her while you still can at an intimate venue (with The Trishas). It's clear that Athens won't be able to keep Lynn much of a secret any longer. $12. Evening Muse.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY/TORCHE Raleigh punk-metal progenitors Corrosion of Conformity, whose 30-year history reads like a crash course in aggressive genres, released a self-titled record earlier this year. It's a good career summary for those who didn't grow up with the band, and a solid dose of shred-n-yell for those who did. Torche, Florida's kings of sunshiney doom-metal pop (no kidding), bring a driving power-stoner squall with amazing titles like "Kiss Me Dudely." This year's Harmonicraft is solid - and you gotta love the Lisa Frank-reminiscent cover art - but 2008's Meanderthal was one of the best records of that year, metal or not. With Black Cobra. $15-$18. Amos' Southend.

LARKIN POE The Lovell Sisters made plenty of waves as a bluegrass trio, but when Jessica left to get married in 2009, Rebecca and Megan formed a new group that leans a bit more toward folk-rock. That's not to say Georgia's Larkin Poe has forgotten their roots - Megan still plays dobro and Rebecca can shred a mean mandolin. The band is on the road in support of its fifth EP, April 2012's Thick as Thieves. There's something refreshing about a younger generation bringing solid harmonies and a modern flair to bluegrass. 8 p.m. $10. Evening Muse. (Jeff Hahne)

JERRY JOSEPH & THE JACKMORMONS Overcoming drug abuse, self-destruction and squandered talent, Jerry Joseph has emerged as a road-ravaged populist and poet. Insanely prolific, he's collaborated with Vic Chesnutt, Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis and Widespread Panic, singing of sex, disaster and redemption. Powerhouse trio the Jackmormons are equal to anything Joseph brings, be it no-frills ballads, bloodshot country or ragged rockers. A tough-but-compassionate lefty like Springsteen and Strummer, Joseph is still more likely to kick Tea Party ass, rather than open a feel-good dialog. Waxing primal, plain-spoken and pissed off, Jerry Joseph's closest kin may be The Grapes of Wrath's fallen but still fiery preacher Jim Casey: "I got a lot of sinful idears - but they seem kinda sensible." $10. Visulite Theatre.

CHURCH OF MISERY While their infatuation with serial killers and exploration of dark corners of the human soul informs their lyrics, these Japanese doom metal maestros can rattle the rafters like there's no tomorrow. Diving into psychedelic stoner-sludge, with plenty Sabbath and Electric Wizard-influenced riffs and moody effects fused into the blend, Church of Misery's slow-churning tornado builds layers of guitar drone and percussion. This vintage heaviness lands the band in the upper stacks of the genre. Also on the bill: The Gates of Slumber and Hail! Hornet. $13-$15. Tremont Music Hall.

POLYPHONIC SPREE If you've got any real mileage on your odometer, it may seem weird to talk about this act as seminal because it doesn't seem that long ago that Dallas native Tim DeLaughter and his robed choir took SXSW and "the music industry" (look it up) by storm in 2000. But holy shit, a lot has gone on in that span. Back then, the idea of a mega-band built around orchestral and rock elements (flute, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, glockenspiels and the electric stuff) seemed kinda novel. You could argue that the Spree has since spawned the whole orchestral rock rebirth (Sufjan Stevens' winged string section angels, Arcade Fire's roaring choruses), but then their debt to the Beatles and The Soft Bulletin-era Flaming Lips is just as apparent. Still, there's just something about a roomful of people singing their hearts and lungs out. $19.50-$27.50. McGlohon Theater.

OTIS TAYLOR "We all got to die. But some people got to suffer before they die." Iconic and iconoclastic bluesman Otis Taylor is stark, uncompromising and hypnotic. His "Ten Million Slaves" introduced many to his signature sound - nimbly plucked banjo melded to distorted guitar. While Taylor's dragged-across-the-tarmac vocals are pure blues, they engage with organic trance and Indian influences as well as gospel, soul and funk. Marrying past to present, the mythic flooded levies of Son House to our contemporary dismissive attitude toward life, Taylor's lyrics mark him as blood brother to activist poets Fela Kuti and Stephen Biko. But only Taylor would have the balls to frame the crucifixion as a "Woke up this Mornin'" blues about yet another act of terrorism. Free. U.S. National Whitewater Center.

ANCIENT CITIES If you were a fan of Stephen Warwick before (and you should've been), buckle up - we may not be in Secondhand Stories land anymore. OK, sure, that's hyperbole and based on the one song - and a Shannon cover, at that - I've heard from his new group, Ancient Cities. Still, based on that admittedly tiny sampling, this new band relies more on the electronic elements Warwick dabbled on his marvelous debut, Talking Machine, than its organic voices of strings and trumpet. That said, this ain't no disco - Warwick's lo-fi folk guitar is prominent, and the song's wizened tempo transforms the dance floor into a far darker and lonelier venue. Frankly, it's one of the better recastings of a song you'll hear, and bodes well for a musician who deserves a much bigger audience. With Hello Handshake and Luz. $7-$10. Visulite Theatre.

HRVRD What started as a post-rock outfit has matured into an atmospheric amalgam of experimental art and music. Having recently signed to Equal Vision Records and dropped the vowels in the previous Harvard band name, this Charlotte quintet doesn't have a weak link in the mix. Instead of sounding cluttered, the band's songs are calculated, orchestrated and downright stunning in aural presentation. $8. Neighborhood Theatre.

SNUG 600 Now five years in, this rock 'n' roll Memorial Day celebration promises 16 bands over a full weekend. Temperance League's big, Springsteenian heartland rock headlines a Friday largely populated by overdriven Americana. Especially digworthy is Hungry Girl's reckless garage-R&B. Saturday's a bit punkier - with highlights like the blindingly positive, yet still street-smart One Another. Sunday opens with a rootsy feel, with history buffs Overmountain Men playing early, and culminates in Scowl Brow's country-educated, emotionally-devastated punk. $6. Snug Harbor.