Worlds away from her previous gig in Chastity Brown's band, Nikki Schultz fronts a stormy, hard-rocking new quintet called the Discord Syndicate, also featuring drummer Aaron LeMay (Mark Mallman) and some other experienced dudes. They're playing Memory Lanes on Friday with Nightosaur to tout a debut EP, "Mergers and Acquisitions," reminiscent of Concrete Blonde and the Heartless Bastards' heaviest stuff (10 p.m., free). ...

One of the stormiest bands in town -- with one of the most in-demand local drummers, Ian Prince -- Story of the Sea finally has finished its first album in four years, a self-titled double-LP split between 10 instrumentals and 10 B-sides. The instrumentals are especially bombastic and enticing. Think: Trail of Dead without the grating vocals. SotS's release party is Friday at the Turf Club with Life and Times, ex-members of Shiner (10 p.m., $7). ...

The well-received "Real-Phonic Radio Hour" series marks its one-year anniversary Thursday by bringing in Texas singer/violinist Amanda Shires, who has performed with everyone from Jason Isbell's 400 Unit to Gwyneth Paltrow (on screen in "Country Strong"). She's sure to shine in the ornate James J. Hill Library with the Cactus Blossoms and the usual "Real-Phonic" cast of Erik Koskinen, Molly Maher and their cohorts (8 p.m., $20, Realphonic.com). ...

Speaking of Koskinen and Maher, they will perform with the 4onthefloor at another amazing venue Saturday, the historic Silver Dome Ballroom in Neillsville, Wis., about 2 1/2 hours from the Twin Cities past Eau Claire (7 p.m., $5). You can look up the Silver Dome on Facebook. Minneapolis lawyer Doug Myren took it over a couple years ago and has been sporadically booking cool shows like this. ... Speaking of Isbell, Communist Daughter is about to tour with the former Drive-by Trucker as his opener, but it's back home briefly and squeezing in a show Saturday at the Amsterdam Bar with Kansas' Quiet Corral (10 p.m., $7). ...

Just four months after his old band's farewell show, Chooglin' frontman Brian Vanderwerf is back with a couple of his former bandmates in a rowdy and exclamative new group called Eleganza!, also featuring guys from Ol' Yeller and Kruddler. One of their first gigs is Saturday at 7th Street Entry opening for Dan Auerbach-produced Ohioans the Buffalo Killers, and they're also booked to play a set for the Replacements tribute at First Ave on Nov. 23. ...

While most acts only throw release parties the week their albums come out, rapper Greg Grease has a big enough local buzz to throw a party just announcing when his new record will be out (next year), titled "Cornbread, Pearl & G." One of the guests on Mike Mictlan's new "Snaxxx" EP, Grease's "loft party" is on Saturday with Meta at an undisclosed location (one that's all over the Internet). ...

Spider John Koerner and Tony Glover have taken up another residency at the 400 Bar every Monday night in November (9 p.m., $5). ... Actual Wolf, the all-star band led by Retribution Gospel drummer Eric Pollard, will handle the Tuesday night slot all month at the Turf Club (10 p.m., $5). ... The Twin Cities' own resident alum of Apple Records, Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland, will perform with students in a Beatlemania concert Friday at Robbinsdale Cooper High School to benefit the band program there (7 p.m., $15-$20, details at CHS.rdale.org). ...

Brothers and former Trip Shakespeare bandmates Dan and Matt Wilson are pairing up for another show Feb. 1 at the Pantages Theatre. Tickets ($38) go on sale Friday at 11 a.m. It will be a good chance for hometown fans to send Dan condolences for his co-writing work on Taylor Swift's "Red" album, which sold a measly 1.2 million copies in its first week.

chrisr@startribune.com • 612-673-4658 • Twitter: @ChrisRstrib