The Short List: The Week’s Recommended Shows

Black Heart Procession ~ Wednesday, November 11

It's funny, but not too long ago indie-rock scribes were debating Black Heart Procession's "gothness." Of course, that was the late '90s, the height of pre-commodity indie rock (remember how mind-blowing it was to see the Flaming Lips on the cover of Magnet?) But indie rock was actually pretty damned rippin' back then, back when the Shins were still called Flake Music and Devendra was still a teenager. Near the top of the heap was Black Heart Procession, a group of San Diegans who seemed to avoid sunlight and play dark, Nick Cave-y rock music more suited for our soggy terrain than the sunny SoCal they called home. Their latest album, Six, feels like a summation of all that made them great back in the day—the grim, romantically distressed tone of their first three albums meshed with the bright, pop songsmithery of Amore del Tropico and The Spell. With Bellini, El Olio Wolof. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005. 8 p.m. $12. BRIAN J. BARR

Explode Into Colors ~ Wednesday, November 11

The Portland trio Explode Into Colors turns pop songwriting on its ear by reducing vocals to a mere background layer and throwing away melody altogether. In its place are clattery drums and cymbals from two drummers, a chugging baritone guitar, and woozy, reverb-heavy vocals. In this way, they have more in common with M.I.A. than post-punk progenitors Mission of Burma, who headline this show. M.I.A.'s combination of hip-hop, baile funk, and dance hall often means aborted melodies, with rhythms and shouted vocals used to propel her songs instead. Explode Into Colors play similarly distilled rhythms. In a recent interview, vocalist Claudia Meza remarked, "When we started EIC, we wanted it to be an art project that could be a creative vehicle for all our interests, rather than just a band." Through collaborations with video installationists and side projects in dance, book-making, and fashion design, it's no wonder their songs and performances come off so fresh and unusual. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-7416. 8 p.m. $15 adv. ERIK NEUMANN

Batrider ~ Thursday, November 12

Itinerant by nature, New Zealand's Batrider has steadily acquired and shed members as mainstay Sarah Chadwick has traversed the globe over the years. Following an initial stint in its native country, the band set up shop in Australia until a move to London brought Europe within clear striking distance. So Batrider has settled for now, with a steady lineup, even, in its current three-piece incarnation. This inaugural U.S. tour follows the release of the band's new album, Why We Can't Be Together, a spooky march toward collapse over the course of 14 tracks and two hidden ones. Chadwick's cigarette-raked voice contorts in the service of bracing, personal lyrics, while grimy gobs of bass, guitar, and drums spatter on all sides. It's a misanthropic racket informed as much by blues and garage as botched relationships and careening benders. Even amid so many songs and a confronting emotional core, Batrider doesn't sand down a single rough edge. With Post Adolescence, Eighteen Individual Eyes, Stereo Sons. Comet Tavern, 922 E. Pike St., 322-9272. 9 p.m. $6.DOUG WALLEN

Space Cowboy ~ Thursday, November 12

French DJ and producer Space Cowboy (Nicolas Dresti) is best known these days for being wingman to pop superstar Lady GaGa during her live performances. But he's actually been active in the club scene for more than a decade, remixing hits by Paul McCartney, Marilyn Manson, and The Darkness into irresistible dance tracks. His new album, Digital Rock Star, is unapologetically self-indulgent, featuring glittery party anthems drenched in vocoder, heavy bass, and sharp synth. And he's a dynamic live performer who thrives in the spotlight—especially when he doesn't have to share it with GaGa. With LMFAO, Shwayze, Far East Movement, and Paradiso Girls. Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., 652-0444. 7 p.m. $18 adv./$20 DOS. All ages. ERIKA HOBART

Mudhoney & Brothers of the Sonic Cloth ~ Friday, November 13

In case you haven't been paying attention, right now is a great time to be a Mudhoney fan. Not only did they recently release one of their most hard-hitting albums, The Lucky Ones (2008), but their live shows have been raucous, incendiary affairs in which frontman Mark Arm has found his inner Iggy (remaining, however, fully clothed). On top of all that, their dear friends at Sub Pop wisely reissued (on vinyl, no less) Superfuzz Bigmuff (1988), Mudhoney (1989), and Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge (1991). That's a punk-rock holy trinity on par with The Stooges, Fun House, and Raw Power. Recognize, fuckers! Sharing the bill tonight is Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, formed by local legend Tad Doyle of TAD fame. BOTSC pounds out massive slabs of heaviness—it's not exactly metal, but an awesomely huge noise nonetheless. Imagine that steamrollers formed a band in outer space...that's what Tad's new band sounds like. With Unnatural Helpers. Neumos, 925 Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. $12 adv. BRIAN J. BARR

The Dead Trees ~ Saturday, November 14

I could take the easy way out and say that the Dead Trees sound just like Pavement, and leave it at that. But that wouldn't be entirely fair to the scruffy Portland-via-Boston quartet. Yes, they've borrowed a fair amount of shambolic guitars, disheveled rhythms, languid vocals, and country-rock textures from Malkmus and company here and there, but they also have a sharp-enough songwriting acumen and ear for other sounds—grimy power pop, riff-rock, and such Pavement source material as the Meat Puppets and Dinosaur Jr.—to keep things interesting. I caught them last year opening for Little Joy, the side project of Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti (who like fellow Strokesman Albert Hammond Jr. has been a fervent Dead Trees champion), and their set was spirited, sweaty, and charismatic. It was far less about hearing something that's been done before than about hearing something done exceptionally well. With the Whigs, the Features. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9 p.m. $12 adv./$14 DOS.MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG