On his latest album, "Fruit of the Spirit," eclectic folkie Paleo, born David Strackany, piles on all manner of clattering effects, constructing his junkyard beats like a low-budget Beck.

The rumbling "Poet II," for one, sounds as though it were haphazardly pieced together using an array of salvaged instruments. By contrast, "Lighthouse" flirts with fractured Tropicalia, combining the playful dance of steel drums, nimble acoustic picking and the singer's slacker wordplay. Still, there are moments of calm amidst the chaos. In the downcast "Favorite Places," Paleo delivers his broken words ("If it could be like it was before") in a voice as small and fragile as bird bones.

The singer-songwriter plays the High Noon Saloon, 701 E. Washington Ave., at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 12. Tickets for the 21-and-over show are $6 and can be purchased through high-noon.com. Crane Your Swan Neck, Land of Vandals and The Quota also perform. (Safe Bet)

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The Demix

When: Thursday, Aug. 11, 9:30 p.m.

Where: The Frequency, 121 W. Main St.

Tickets: $5 (21+); madisonfrequency.com

With album titles that read like would-be horror films ("Lights Out," "Vendetta Kind of Mood," "Exorcism"), it's little surprise that experimental electronic musician The Demix tends towards songs that exude a creepy, haunted vibe. The Milwaukee artist combines sampled voices, atmospheric synths and jarring outbursts of electronic noise into a potent cocktail that could have some listeners sleeping with the lights on. Man Mantis, Fambly Fun and Control also perform. (Safe Bet)

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Blamm-o!

When: Friday, Aug. 12, 5 p.m.

Where: High Noon Saloon, 701 E. Washington Ave.

Tickets: $3 (21+); high-noon.com

On their latest album, "The Road," local crew Blamm-o! deploy guitars like wrecking balls. Swampy opener "Addiction" sets the tone for the muscular effort, six-string riffs splintering out like would-be shrapnel. Even better? The band will donate a portion of the proceeds from this show, which doubles as a record release party, to Porchlight, Inc., a group that assists the Dane County homeless. Suns of Black also perform. (Safe Bet)

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Aaron Williams & The Hoodoo

When: Saturday, Aug. 13, 9:30 p.m.

Where: Harmony Bar & Grill, 2201 Atwood Ave.

Tickets: $7 (21+)

After a two-year wait, blues-rock trio Aaron Williams & The Hoodoo are finally set to unleash their sophomore album, "10:49" (not to be confused with Sugar Ray's "14:59"). The group couldn't have picked a more appropriate venue than the Harmony for the release party; songs like "Drinkin' Blues" and the hound dog strut of "Hotel or Motel" could easily soundtrack a night of drinking at this blues-obsessed neighborhood joint.

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The Gentlemen Trailblazers

When: Saturday, Aug. 13, 6 p.m.

Where: High Noon Saloon, 701 E. Washington Ave.

Tickets: $5 (21+); high-noon.com

Even performing with his band The Gentlemen Trailblazers, Madison-via-Duluth singer-songwriter Mike Behrends favors a stripped down sound, coloring his gentle folk screeds with little more than acoustic strumming, the tinny pluck of banjo and the suggestion of drums. Though restrained, it's often gorgeous stuff. Boo Bradley also performs. (Safe Bet)

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Crossfade

When: Tuesday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m.

Where: Majestic Theatre, 115 King St.

Tickets: $9.41 in advance/$12 at the door (all ages); majesticmadison.com

While not technically a Christian rock band, these South Carolina rockers struggle with a host of biblical issues (regret, self-doubt, redemption) on their third album, "We All Bleed." But while the lyrics are beginning to exhibit some depth, the band's music remains a paint-by-numbers pastiche of milquetoast acts like Staind and Nickelback. New Medicine also performs. (Diehards Only)