CHOW NASTY, VELELLA VELELLA, THE GOMORRAN SOCIAL AID & PLEASURE CLUB, THE BEAUTY (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) The jury is still out on San Francisco’s Chow Nasty. Granted, they seem like an act that is a blast in the live setting, but their glutinous frat-funk seems a bit too ironic to be taken completely seriously. Meanwhile, Seattle’s Velella Velella are the real deal, an intelligent dance outfit that masterfully utilizes live band warmth alongside bumping synths that beg to soundtrack some intense dance floor grinding. Fresh with a new EP, Fight Club, which—if you don’t mind me breaking the “The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club” mantra—showcases a natural evolution of their thick indie grooves and soft spoken/sung vocals. One of the few non-Portland Hush Records acts, Velella Velella have masterminded a style that is entirely their own. Here’s hoping more folks catch up to what they are throwing down. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

NEW BLOODS, AGENT RIBBONS, THE VAGINALS, ALAS ALAK ALASKA (Dunes, 1905 NE MLK) Punk’s not dead, but it’s not as obviously alive as it used to be. Today’s punk is crafty and sometimes quiet, discovering itself rather than acting as a liberty-spiked counterpoint to a mainstream that has seen it all. Think No Age. Think Mika Miko. Like some sort of thin, new branch of modern dance music, punk is again in its budding infancy; growing toward a light only it can see. Portland’s New Bloods are a barely electric example of this organic rebirth—sawing imperfectly at a violin, tapping out virginal ska beats, harmonizing about mountains and oceans. The female trio’s forthcoming Kill Rock Stars debut, The Secret Life, grows memorable at a steady clip. “Fast Asleep” and “Eyes” could be Operation Ivy-thick, but with players possibly reared on Erase Errata and the Aislers Set, they sound more sustainable. MIKE MEYER

RISK VS. REWARD: FIST FITE, STARFUCKER, DJ TOBIAS, DJ METRONOME, PAPERBACKS (Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) For such a puddletown, Portland sure does love to get d-o-w-n. From soul nights, to hiphop, to bhangra, and on and on, we seem to have grown an overabundance of dance parties, and with them, a reinvigorated love for reckless booty shaking and general dance floor mayhem. To that end, Risk vs. Reward joins the pack with a lineup that includes the mishmash of careening death-punk and electro beats of Fist Fite, alongside the delicious (almost guilty pleasure) undertones of Starfucker, who strike the perfect balance of musical smarts and pop twists. DJ Tobias, DJ Metronome, and Paperbacks round out the night with, well, whateverthefuck they feel like. Dance on, Portland! “Genre Anti-Genre Dance Party,” indeed. HANNAH CARLEN