The Big Gigs: Our critics' music picks

One might expect the Enormous Quartet to have eight or 10 musicians, or to be four overweight guys. No such luck, but it is a fine, modern, often spacey jazz outfit comprising saxophonist Chris Thomson, bassist Chris Bates, guitarist Park Evans and drummer Joey Van Phillips, who play intriguing originals with odd titles ("Imaginary Vampire Girlfriend"), though they do turn back the clock to do a swell version of Charlie Parker's ever-hip "Segment." (9 p.m. Tue., Kitty Cat Klub.) (T.S.)

One of several young bands bolstered by Fall Out Boy, whose Patrick Stump produced their last album, Cobra Starship has upped its star affiliation all the more with its third disc, "Hot Mess," due Aug. 11. The first single, "Good Girls Go Bad," was co-written by "American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi and features "Gossip Girl" babe Leighton Meester on guest vocals and in the video. The grossly overproduced dance-rock track is pure mush, but it'll probably be huge by summer's end, making this album-preview gig an "I was there!" kind of show for young fans. The Friday Night Boys and Plastiscenes open. (5:30 p.m. Wed., Triple Rock. Sold out.) (C.R.)

Tori Amos matched her signature hairdo with a fiery theme of lust vs. religion and heaven vs. red-light district on her 10th CD, "Abnormally Attracted to Sin," featuring some of her edgiest and most outlandish piano ballads to date. She has scaled back to a trio lineup again on the accompanying Sinful Tour with bassist Jon Evans and drummer Matt Chamberlain. Opening is One eskimO, a U.K. buzz band that incorporates animation into its songs, Gorillaz-style. (7:30 p.m. Wed., State Theatre. $27.50-$55.) (C.R.)

The modest noise kicked up over British soul-punk-dance-rock trio the Noisettes two years ago is about to grow louder. Led by spunky and sexy singer/bassist Shingai Shoniwa, the band was recently signed by L.A. Reid to Mercury Records and will release a new album stateside Sept. 22, "Wild Young Hearts." The disc has already shot to No. 1 on iTunes' UK site and produced a hit single over there, "Don't Upset the Rhythm." Adding to its already impressive oomph as a live act, the group has added two backup vocalists and has been going over well at European festivals. Here, they're playing free to help build the hype. (8 p.m. Wed., Varsity Theater. 18 & older. Free.) (C.R.)

Wall-of-sound psychedelic-rock septet the Warlocks are an unabashed throwback act, with a Velvet Underground-style reverberating whir and a Jesus & Mary Chain-like fuzzy guitar. But the Los Angeles haze-makers cover some bold new ground on their fifth full-length album, "The Mirror Explodes," a mellower and more haunting collection. Australia's Morning After Girls and Gliss open. (9 p.m. Wed., 7th Street Entry. 18 & older. $10.) (C.R.)

Georgian crunch-rock quintet Collective Soul picked Minneapolis as the kickoff city for the tour behind its latest album, another self-titled collection with the unofficial title "Rabbit." Singer Ed Roland's gnarly howler voice, forever remembered from the 1994 hit "Shine," is alive and well in the anthemic and poppy new single, "Staring Down." Safety Suit and Ryan Star open. (6:30 p.m. Thu., First Avenue. 18 & older. $25.) (C.R.)

Los Lonely Boys fans, take note: Del Castillo is another Tex-Mex rock band from Austin, Texas, that has been kicking up quite a buzz along the border states with sweet harmonies and electrifying guitar work, although in this case the lead instrument is a Spanish guitar instead of a Stratocaster. Some of its fans include Willie Nelson and filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, both of whom appear in the group's new video for the infectious, cumbia-rhythmic song, "Anybody Wanna." (9 p.m. Thu., Lee's Liquor Lounge. $10.) (C.R.)