This week, North County brings together a few Southern California locals with a couple of out-of-town treats. Whether they hail from Montana—or just sound like they do—each musician brings their own flavor to these stages. And isn’t variety the spice of life?

Ocean Natives – 1/26

Boar Cross’n

Carlsbad

Ocean Natives “seeks to unite like minds through conscious reggae music.” What better way to unite minds than being conscious via music?

A four-man brass section makes this Southern California reggae band a special treat for any fan of the irie lifestyle.

Ellis Paul – 1/27

Brick 15

Del Mar

Singer/songwriter Ellis Paul tells stories. He shares the tales that encompass us all with a country twang—even though he’s from Maine.

His 2014 album Chasing Beauty seems to sum up his life’s work in its title. Aren’t we all just trying to catch up to something gorgeous?

Paul’s latest album Dragonfly Races reflects his recent entry into fatherhood by creating tunes for kids that the parents don’t mind hearing too.

Ty Segall – 1/27

The Belly Up

Solana Beach

Ty Segall’s site exemplifies what his music consists of: the homepage features a video of Segall smashing a toilet with a sledgehammer and the navigation bar uses singular simplistic words that give an air of a shadowy cabal.

Don’t miss this marriage of garage rock and psychedelia from Los Angeles when he performs at one of North County’s most memorable venues.

Death Eyes – 1/28

Pour House

Oceanside

Metal band Death Eyes brings heavy riffs and heavy material to North County. Their dark comedy makes even the lowest note easy to swallow.

Songs like “Amor Reptilio” and “Sigue Tus Suenos” allude to the band’s cultural influences and pair hefty topics with black humor.

George Winston – 1/28

La Paloma Theater

Encinitas

George Winston is a touring pianist with 11 studio albums to his name since 1980, but those are just piano. He also dabbles in guitar and harmonica, recording albums and performing concerts with those instruments as well.

Winston draws his inspiration from New Orleans R&B pianists such as Henry Butler, James Booker, Professor Longhair, Dr. John and Jon Cleary.

Catch these nimble fingers at a historic theater this weekend.