It’s rare that a band can make the past sound novel, but Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s self-titled debut does exactly that. Released in June, the album combines the freewheeling guitar experimentations of psychedelia with breakbeats and tightly wound, krautrock-leaning song structures to produce 30 filler-free minutes of music. But for better or worse, all of this gets overshadowed by the band’s back story. Much like the similarly ’60s-pop-influenced Cults, Unknown Mortal Orchestra seemingly emerged from out of nowhere a year ago after posting a demo of “Ffunny Ffriends” on its Bandcamp page. However, unlike many bands that rapidly gain blog buzz, Unknown Mortal Orchestra has the collective chops to back it up—evidenced by Ruban Nielson’s effects-laden guitar work and Julien Ehrich’s rock-solid drumming. Expect an exercise in distinctly futuristic nostalgia. With Gauntlet Hair. ANDREW GOSPE

Wed., Nov. 9, 8 p.m., 2011