Kitty
With Awkwafina, the Weekend Hustler and Jenny Robinson, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 24, at Dada, 2720 Elm St., dadadallas.com, $12
Drug users have been really into Kitty Pryde since she debuted in 2012 with the "hit" track "OK Cupid." But let's be real here: The brunt of the attention she receives is due to people's fascination with her being a young white girl playing coy and working in a genre that's not traditionally associated with people of that type. That's highly unfortunate if hardly surprising, particularly in the boys' club of hip-hop. Yet her laid-back flow and dreamy production work are more interesting than she gets credit for. Don't let the faux innocence of her lyrics fool you. She's already done plenty of "maturing." After all, it's just Kitty now. Jaime-Paul Falcon
Fitz & the Tantrums
9 p.m. Thursday, July 24, at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com/dallas, $38.33-$49.83
Unapologetic, feel-good music can sometimes be hard to find in indie-pop, a genre notorious for taking itself too seriously. Fitz & the Tantrums are arguably one of the funnest bands to come out of the indie/soul/pop resurgence, and their live performances are so infectiously upbeat that they're impossible to hate. You'll probably need a shot of espresso to keep up at Thursday night's show at the House of Blues, if only because incredibly talented lead singers Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs are known for kicking it up to 11. And then some more. There was some speculation that Fitz & the Tantrums may have just been another one-hit indie buzz band after the release of Pickin' Up the Pieces in 2010, but last year's More Than Just A Dream proved they'll be sticking around on the alternative charts for a while. If you need a midweek pick-me-up, this show is the perfect choice. Amy McCarthy
Young Thug
With YMCMB and DJ Stevie J, 8 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at The Prophet Bar, 2548 Elm St., 214-742-3367, $25
With a slew of chart-topping hits under his belt, Young Thug has made his case as hip-hop's hottest hit maker. Since the release of his much-buzzed 1017 Thug mixtape in February 2013, the 21-year-old Atlanta native has churned out music with an impressive consistency, making his sneezing, yelping ad-libs and raspy, stuttering flow chart-topping fixtures. Equally impressive is the rapper's affinity for collaborations: T.I., Nicki Minaj, Gucci Mane and Tyga are just a few of the many rappers who have tapped Young Thug for hits of their own — and with good reason, given Thug's current reign over hip-hop radio. Now, in only the first six months of 2014, Young Thug has released four mixtapes, no doubt inspiring a staggering amount of hits for the rest of the year. With a domestic tour underway, there's no telling where you'll see or hear from hip-hop's newest star next. Michelle Ofiwe
Boris
With Ceremony and Nothing, 7 p.m. Monday, July 28, at Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-1122 or treesdallas.com, $15
When the term "noise rock" is applied to mind-bending bands such as Swans or Big Black, it's a categorization with a compliment implied in the label. Tinnitus-baiting fans with brains aren't complaining that these groups stack insane amounts of amps on top of already insane stacks of amps; they're suggesting the groups handle the loud noise with a sensory-assaulting flair. Anyone who doesn't include trailblazing Japanese group Boris, now into their third decade of performing, has likely lost their hearing from going plug-less at too many shows. As is the case with the best arbiters of all-things-blistering, Boris blend styles to at once avoid easy classification and send a listener's senses into the most dizzying of tailspins. The group's new album, aptly titled Noise, lays it on heavy and spreads it out generously. Yeah, you heard me. Kelly Dearmore
Tori Amos
With Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 29, at Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora St., 214-880-0202 or attpac.org, $39.50-$59.50
After more than 20 years in the recording industry, everyone's favorite brooding songstress is still going strong. Tori Amos has long been a favorite of people who enjoy soft, confessional pop with a touch of badassery, and her latest release, whose namesake world tour makes a stop at the Winspear Opera House on Tuesday, is no exception. Critics from NPR, The New York Times and SPIN all raved about Unrepentant Geraldines, Amos' 14th studio album, and praised her return to the emotional ballads her fans had come to miss in previous releases. If past stops on the tour are any indication, you can expect an equally emotionally intense performance in Dallas. If you aren't a fan of the latest album, then you'll still at least be able to hear your favorites from Under the Pink and American Doll Posse. Amy McCarthy
Peter Murphy
With Jerusalem and Nervous Curtains, 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., 214-824-9933 or granadatheater.com $35-$49
"The Godfather of Goth," Briton Peter Murphy, is swinging back through Dallas touring behind his 10th solo album, Lion. Last year he came through and made many of his longtime fans happy by playing an entire set of Bauhaus tunes. Such an occasion is much more the exception than the norm, though: On his current tour Murphy is mostly drawing from his last two solo albums, with a few cuts from his '80s college radio classic Deep and a few Bauhaus tunes thrown in. For some fans his set might skew a little too heavy toward his more recent output, but then again in the '90s he refused to play Bauhaus tunes altogether. At least nowadays Murphy will throw out a few of the hits to reward his fans for patiently sitting through his new material, which actually owes more to Murphy's deep love of glam-era David Bowie than the normal gloom and doom associated with his own music. Wanz Dover
