The Short List: This Week's Recommended Shows

N.A.S.A. ~ Tuesday, March 3

Not to be confused with our illustrious space program, N.A.S.A., aka North America/South America, represents the continent-crossing collaboration of L.A.'s Squeak E. Clean and Brazil's DJ Zegon. These skater jocks' debut disc, The Spirit of Apollo, crash-landed in stores February 17 with a polyglot sound and armada of guests. From David Byrne to Chuck D, Kool Keith to Tom Waits (and even a resurrected Ol' Dirty Bastard), N.A.S.A. skirts the troposphere and beyond with its fusion of hip-hop, New Wave, and other genres. Just check "People Tree," a fitful head-nodder featuring Byrne's haunting wail and Gift of Gab (Blackalicious) and Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) riding the beat. Or the Wu-Tang–like "Way Down," featuring (appropriately) RZA, Barbie Hatch, and John Frusciante. With Staxx Brothers. Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020. 9 p.m. $10. KEVIN CAPP

Benzo

N.A.S.A. is high enough to eat a comet.

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Swallow the Sun ~ Tuesday, March 3

Like Soilwork, for whom they're opening, Swallow the Sun brings melody to death metal. But whereas those antiseptic headliners graft "Speed" Strid's ultra-clean choruses onto hard-rock verses, the atmospheric Swallow uses a virtual orchestra, tapping keyboard effects to supplement its doom-laden riffs with symphonic hooks. Hailing from Finland, Swallow the Sun reached #4 on its homeland's clearly adventurous singles chart with 2005's "Forgive Her...," a nine-minute murder ballad filtered through guttural vocals. Singer Mikko Kotamäki tranquilizes his growling-bear delivery in the group's more recent material, catchy, progressive fare that sounds optimistic though it's actually as gloomy as ever. Even the song "Hope" is a downer, plucking its title from the phrase "well of poisoned hope." The band's latest release contains a 34-minute track about star-crossed lovers and plague-carrying butterflies, pinning tragic deaths on one of nature's least frightening animals. Swallow the Sun can find the downside to anything, lyrically speaking, but live the group promises to make the most of its modest time allotment. With Soilwork, Darkane, Warbringer, Darkest Grace, De-KreP-iT. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave., 381-3094. 7 p.m. $20 adv./$23 DOS. All ages. ANDREW MILLER