It's a busy Friday, Aug. 1, and there's a little something for everyone tonight. Check out some highlights below.Royal Thunder & O’Brother with Sons of Hippies Mixing blues and metal may sound as unappealing as combining orange juice and toothpaste (OK, maybe not that horrific) but Royal Thunder’s Southern-coated riffs and love-stricken wailing of frontwoman/songstress MIny Parsonz make a strong case for the genre cocktail. Fellow Southern quintet O’Brother guarantees to get your head bangin’ with their fuzzy basslines and breakneck drumming. The vocals walk a fine line between post-hardcore screaming and ‘90s-era grunge belting, but O’Brother never crosses too far into either territory. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —Cody Smith
F with SINGOD, The Scurvy, The Horribles, No-Talent No, there’s not something missing or hacked from the name of elder Florida punk statesmen F, pushing nasty aggro sounds (eight full-length records and a 12” EP) and making manic mayhem from Miami since 1982. F headlines this free First Friday show backed by some of the area’s own righteously heavy acts. (Fubar, St. Petersburg) —Leilani Polk
Curren$y Curren$y works harder than almost every rapper out there. Sure, his lyrics detail the typical day of a hip-hop star — enjoying copious amounts of weed, alcohol and fine women while bringing in stacks upon stacks upon stacks of cash. Despite all the partying, Curren$y dropped several music videos and this new mixtape The Drive In Theatre all in the span of five months; guy’s got a work ethic. The NOLA-based rapper’s latest tour hits Tampa in light of him dropping another new track, “A Lil’ Sumthin’ (Come Up Big On ‘Em).” Teaser for a new album? We wouldn’t be surprised. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —CS
Maxwell Normally musicians who disappear for years lose all steam and rely on royalties from old endorsements and paltry ticket sales for gimmicky comeback tours. Not Maxwell, whose 2009 album BLACKsummers’night debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 even after he took an eight-year break. He went on hiatus shortly after touring behind that album, returning this year with a brand-new road show (but no new album …yet). His characteristic countertenor soothes soul and body alike; couples may have to leave the show early after he hits his baby-making falsetto. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —CS
Rocket 88 with 6 Volt Rodeo, Johnny Zoom Hi Fi Show The headliner on this Skipperdome bill hasn’t been through since Tropical Heatwave: Rocket 88, a bombastic rockabilly outfit from Orlando with Jerry Lee Lewis swagger and B-movie affectations, their vintage rock sounds marked by bouncing upright bass, plunky piano, twangy guitar and the drawling brassy hoots and howls of frontman/vocalist Michael Bales. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) —LP
Dirty Heads & Pepper with Katastro Twenty-fourteen may go down in history as the year that every band pulled complete 180s on their fans. In the latest case of genre switcheroo, ska-reggae rock outfit the Dirty Heads diverged from their hazy swaying roots to make a fittingly-titled LP Sound of Change accessible to a new audience. Hawaiian-brewed trio Pepper brings balance with their upbeat guitar licks. Frontman Kaleo Wassman’s smooth delivery raises the bar from typical white-boy dub to commendable alt-reggae. We’ll pass on the moshing, though. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) —CS
Zomboy British dubstep producer Zomboy returns to Tampa shortly after a headlining appearance at this year’s Sunset Music Festival. Once known for his throbbing bass wobbles and cheeky vocal samples, the latest single off new album The Outbreak steers his music in a noticeably lighter direction. Equipped with airy vocals from Rykka, “Delerium” ditches dubstep for a mesh of progressive and big room house (the latest craze in EDM). Dubstep’s expiration date came and went but Zomboy still spins his hardest tracks, now just mixed among more accessible fare. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City) —CS
More in live music tonight:
Joe Bond w/Brian Busto/Kenderdine Bros/Tony Faline Fri., Aug. 1, Hyde Park Café, Tampa
The Black Honkeys Fri., Aug. 1 Local 662, St. Petersburg
Aubrey Wollett Fri., Aug. 1, Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg
Rebecca Zapen/David Rosenfield/Mark Robertson-tessi Fri., Aug. 1, Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg
Liquid Jesus DJ Dance Party Fri., Aug. 1, New World Brewery, Ybor City
Geoff Abraham & Stone City Fri., Aug. 1, Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
Wiltshire & The Chosen Few w/Grove View/Sahe/Carlisle and The Dealers Fri., Aug. 1, Brass Mug, Tampa
Ramblegrass Fri., Aug. 1, Ale and the Witch, Clearwater