If the cardinal rule of musicianship is to write what you know, it’s an even greater achievement when your audience relates to your expertise. Fall W.I.L.D.-goers may just see themselves reflected in the two openers, the White Panda and OCD: Moosh & Twist.

No branch of social science parties harder than psycholinguistics. It’s a little-known fact, to be sure, but one that can easily be taken advantage of this weekend, when the annual Psychonomic Society conference comes to St. Louis.

Escape the Fate’s self-titled third album can be pretty accurately judged by its cover, which depicts the four band members arranged in a goth-rock homage to 80s metal and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” video.

Senses Fail have been distancing themselves from the screaming their fans have come to expect, though their reasons are perhaps more medical than aesthetic. Vocalist James “Buddy” Nielsen’s throat surgery, the band’s constant presence on Warped Tour and Taste of Chaos, and their ever-rotating lineup and have all led to a progression of their sound on their most recent album, “The Fire.”

Despite all the confusion about dates, times and venues, Brother Ali will be performing tonight in the Gargoyle at 9 p.m. An independent hip-hop phenomenon, Ali came onto the scene with his 2000 demo tape, “Rites of Passage.”

It’s been almost twenty years since Strung Out formed in Simi Valley, California, and during their show at the Firebird on Sept. 24, the guys were showing both their maturity and their continued exuberance.

Cadenza recently caught up with bassist Chris Aiken of the legendary punk band Strung Out before their show at the Firebird on Sept. 24. After months on the road in support of their newest album, “Agents of the Underground,” Aiken had some insights on the band’s longevity, their most memorable shows and their inclusion on the next installment of “Guitar Hero”.

Bad Religion is back, serving up another helping of their signature politicized punk rock. The first track, “The Day That the Earth Stalled,” wouldn’t have sounded out of place on either of Bad Religion’s past two albums, giving rise to fears that they may be stuck in a rut. Fortunately, the rest of the record lays those fears to rest.

Hair metal is the greatest thing ever to come from the ’80s. I can make this statement with some objectivity, having been born in 1990. Nevertheless, the truth stands: glamorizing hard rock with spandex, enormous hair and sick riffs was the best idea ever. Whether or not it stands the test of time is another issue.

Just a few weeks ago, Fox pulled the plug on its venerable series, “24.” How do we think the series is going to end? Honestly, who knows? Like the entire plot of “Lost” packed into every season, nothing is ever what it seems.