Parquet Courts Fitzgerald's, June 2

Since their 2010 debut, Parquet Courts' have been frequently branded with variations of "slacker-rock '90s revivalists," a description that really pisses the Brooklynites off. While their music does bear a striking likeness to at least the spirit of golden-child '90s bands like Pavement, transplanted Texan Austin Brown and his bandmates abhor such language as "lazy." See what else the Beaumont native had to say, besides ""I lived in Texas for 22 years...and that was long enough for me," in last Friday's interview with Brown. Parquet Courts' second album, Sunbathing Animal, is in stores tomorrow. NEPH BASEDOW

John Egan The Big Easy, June 2

Solo bluesman John Egan sings in a tone that suggests someone is constantly walking over his grave, and his lyrics are loaded with bad mojo like nature gone haywire and apocalyptic visions. All he needs live is his National Resonator, one of those shiny silver guitars that sting and snarl, which has allowed him to advance to the semifinals of the International Blues Challenge's solo competition for two years in a row. The release of Egan's followup to 2012's spare and sinister Phantoms is imminent. CHRIS GRAY

Paul Ramirez Band Continental Club, June 4

Versatile Houston blues-rockers the Paul Ramirez Band's sets are mellow enough for a late-night lounge vibe, only pocked with heavier, Cream-like moments of pure jam and sometimes a cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In the Wall, Part 2" that heads straight to the planetarium. Now working on a followup to 2012 debut Sex With a Dragon, on which the Santana-esque "Gypsy Woman" was a highlight, the group balances a keyboard-heavy Latin-jazz groove with Ramirez's probing guitar solos, some of which can get pretty far out there. CHRIS GRAY

More shows on the next page.

Borgore Stereo Live, June 5

The young Tel Aviv-based death-metal drummer turned DJ and producer known as Borgore, who brings an old-school rap swagger to dubstep's coarse glitches and swirls (or "brostep," if you will), is either a complete lout or a typical 26-year-old or has a wicked sense of humor. Since earlier releases include the 2010 EP Borgore Ruined Dubstep and 2011 compilation The Filthiest Hits...So Far, we're guessing he just enjoys a good laugh. More recently came Sikdope collab "Unicorn Zombie Apocalypse" -- yes, that's 90210's Shannen Doherty in the video -- and "Ratchet," heralding new album New Gore Order, which pretty much sealed the deal. CHRIS GRAY

Avril Lavigne Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, June 5

It wasn't that long ago at all that Avril Lavigne was one of the biggest pop stars in the world, recent enough that it's all too easy to detect her wild-child influence on today's bratty ingenues like Kesha and Katy Perry. Avril, of course, always fancied herself a rocker, and now pushing 30 (which she'll turn in November) and married to Nickelback's Chad Kroeger (the couple co-wrote several songs on her self-titled 2013 album, including duet "Let Me Go"), she appears to be spurning maturity in favor of the guilty-pleasure rush of tunes like "Here's to Never Growing Up," "Bitchin' Summer" and "Bad Girl." More power to her. With the Backstreet Boys. CHRIS GRAY

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