On third LP Almost Free, L.A. grunge punks Fidlar transition from reverb-heavy riff jolts of yore like “Alcohol” to a dance groove such as “By Myself.” Taking a page from the Beastie Boys and inspiration from both SoCal gentrification and homogenization of his hometown neighborhood in Hawaii, lightning rod Zac Carper loosens a colonizer call-out in “Get Off My Rock,” which subs previously hard-hitting drum rhythms for a simple beat to let the lyrics do all the talking: “Well, excuse me motherfucker, you’re on my block/ Pack ’em up and ship ’em off the rock.” Produced by Grammy-winning producer Ricky Reed (Twenty One Pilots), the troupe also trades in the lo-fi blades of Too for a polished maturity without sacrificing any edge. (Friday, 1:45pm, American Express stage, weekend one only)

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This article appears in October 4 • 2019.

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