Some like it loud, and if you’re a fan of industrial-leaning metal and supergroups, you’re in luck. City of Fire, which features members of Fear Factory and Strapping Young Lad land at Dickens Pub on Friday, February 25. Or, for those seeking scrappy, all-local punk rock, Broken City hosts the excellent, bearded orgcore of Bad Habits Die Hard, the uptempo grit of Decoy Decoy and the gryphon-slayin’ glory of the excellently named Outlaws of Ravenhurst. We aren’t kidding: The Outlaws’ bio calls the band the “champions of chivalry in the medieval period… talking of swordfights, dragons and the like.” Now that’s a band we can support.

Next, head to the Palomino to catch local treasure Deadhorse on Saturday, February 26. A wonderful blend of bizarro psych and ear-pleasin’ country licks, it’ll be joined by the death-country of Prairie of Prax, the wonky roots of Moose Jaw’s Brain Sauce and the Lethbridge alt-country outfit Toques and Beards, who might possess one of the more self-aware monikers in rock ‘n’ roll. That, or blues harmonica innovator James Cotton lands Bowness Hall.

Quebec songstress Little Birdie flutters into town next, landing at the Ironwood on Sunday, February 27. Nowhere near as sweet as her name might suggest, her delicate rasp is backed by the twangy mélange of heaven-seeking slide guitars, tumbleweed banjos and tinny harmonica. Or you could save up your money for Goo Goo Dolls the following night, best known for the legendary chin cleft of Jonny Rzeznik, whose offer to “get married and run away” likely still stands.

Finally, end your week with the rough-around-the-edge garage-indie of Edmonton’s Hot Panda, which lands at Broken City on Thursday, March 3. It has rewarded Calgary audiences plenty in recent memory — the band has played here no less than three times since the release of How Come I’m Dead last October — but that’s no reason to miss out on the show: Hot Panda will be joined by moody electro-pop of Saskatoon duo Violent Kin and local rabblerousers Seven Story Redhead.