Philadelphia’s got a pretty stellar recent history of psychedelic rock, from the narcotic bombast of Bardo Pond to the heady drone-folk of Espers and Kurt Vile. Long-running Philly quintet the Asteroid No. 4 is nestled right in between, offering up garagey, shoegazery psych- and space-rock that sometimes twists in the air like smoke tendrils, and other times packs a sweet wallop, like an ice cream truck skidding into a telephone pole. Fans of Spiritualized, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and early Verve will find tons to love in the layers of craggy, reverbed guitars, the droopy-eyed vocals and harmonies, and the sterling arrangements that occasionally nod to old touchstones like the Velvet Underground and the Kinks (“Hold On” uses Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy” as a melodic launching pad to blast into the stratosphere). Asteroid No. 4 has a knack for sheathing its atmospherics in classic pop structures, so you’ll probably remember at least a few songs long after the trip is over. With Morning After Girls, Black Nite Crash.

Mon., Sept. 14, 8 p.m., 2009