Melt-Banana

Melt-Banana

Shonen Knife assaulting Animal Collective? Double-decade Tokyo trio Melt-Banana still stymies conventional codification as it approaches a dozen discs, but within this tribal drum chase of helium vocals, grindcore guitars, and songbombs, Fetch brings back raw mosh. Japanese bees ("The Hive") could've titled this stinging circle pit ("Lie Lied Lies"), Yasuko Onuki leading the frenzy with her Minnie-Mouse-on-nitrous cry, but the Jesus Lizard-like back-to-back of "Lefty Dog (Run, Caper, Run)" and "Infection Defective" raises neck hairs with the vertiginous, Duane Denison-esque guitar strangulation of Ichirou Agata. In the sluicing merry-go-round of "Schemes of the Tails," the band channels Stereolab straight-jacketed in the lunatic asylum. Sane comparisons elude Melt-Banana, but your mouth will froth and your tail will wag every time you Fetch. (Saturday, 3:20pm, Black stage)