How the Pica Beats call Seattle home is a mystery: This music is just too damn upbeat to be borne of cloud cover and rainy days. It’s certifiable indie pop; there’s no grunge or angst on 2008’s aptly named Beating Back the Claws of the Cold. Instead, vocalists R. Barrett and Alice Sandahl actually sound happy to be making music, even when their lyrics — “I am the tension/ You are the tightrope” — are emotionally cryptic. And that’s probably the best thing about the Pica Beats: No matter how feet-tapping or hip-shaking the music might be, there is a depth behind the songs’ lyrics. “Bound By Law” warns that love is dangerous, opening with the words “While I’m bound to love you/I’m not bound to stay.” It’s like the band members are sending some sort of subliminal message: “Keep dancing to our music, even if you’re dancing in the rain.”

Sat., Jan. 31, 10 p.m., 2009