Animal Kingdom
By Thomas Fawcett, Fri., March 17, 2017
GoGo Penguin
Wed. 15, the Main II, 9pm; Thu. 16, St. David's Historic Sanctuary, 11pmManchester jazz piano trio GoGo Penguin blends classical jazz elements with tasteful touches of electronica and dubstep. Mimicking electronic music on acoustic instruments, the beauty and tension of Blue Note debut Man Made Object recalls the late David Axelrod.
Neon Bunny
Wed. 15, Valhalla, 8pmNeon Bunny gained a random shout-out on Last Week Tonight With John Oliver via her electro pop-hop and smooth South Korean vox.
Rik & the Pigs
Wed. 15, Hotel Vegas, 10:15pmThis Olympia, Wash., garage punk combo is lo-fi as fuck and equally f-u-n.
Active Bird Community
Wed. 15, Maggie Mae's Gibson Room, 9pm; Fri. 17, Parish, 1amThis Brooklyn garage-pop flock has made music together since age 11. Now early twentysomethings, ABC explores post-college angst.
Otoboke Beaver
Thu. 16, Maggie Mae's Rooftop, 11pmAll-female punk powerhouse from Japan, Otoboke Beaver destroys stages with breakneck speed and a litany of Kyoto slang.
Manatee Commune
Thu. 16, the Iron Bear, 9pmSeattle classical violist Grant Eadie paints dreamy electronic soundscapes.
Mail the Horse
Thu. 16, Cooper's BBQ, 11:30pmBrooklynites deliver catchy Seventies rock swag, a pedal steel guitar stamping it with a bluesy twang.
The Pooches
Fri. 17, Mohawk Indoor, 10pmGlasgow power-pop quartet barks out sunny sing-alongs and fetches comparisons to Belle & Sebastian.
The Parrots
Fri. 17, Hotel Vegas at Volstead, 7:15pm; Sat. 18, Hotel Vegas at Volstead, 11:30pmRollicking garage rock trio from Madrid squawks brash, loud, off the rails.
Drunken Tiger
Fri. 17, the Belmont, 10:30pmIf the Black Eyed Peas were Korean they'd be Drunken Tiger.
The Sloths
Sat. 18, Hotel Vegas Patio, 7:15pmThe Sloths dropped garage rock perfection in 1965 on "Makin' Love." L.A.'s onetime openers for the Doors and Animals keep rockin'.
The Iguanas
Sat. 18, Continental Club, 1amNew Orleans' Iguanas stew up a hodgepodge of musical influence from A to zydeco, with heaping sides of Tex-Mex and Chicano rock.