Kevin Smead | Uptown News

Five local shows over the next two weeks

Dry River Yacht Club,
The Palominos @ Bar Pink
Saturday, May 24, 10 p.m.
No Cover

Dry River Yacht Club is quite the interesting group. Its sound has a very old school-country feel to it, though it boasts instrumentation featuring the jazzy woodwinds and brass. The group has a great string section, too, that really drives home their desert-inspired sound. At times, their music can be haunting and eerie, which balances well with the driving percussion that keeps things upbeat. Hailing from Tempe, Arizona, they really capture the sound of their place of origin. Also, be sure to get there for the Palominos. They place classic honky-tonk that’ll have your boots shakin’.

Protomartyr, Viv Vates,
Lube @ The Hideout
Sunday, May 25, 9 p.m.
$8

In their press blurb, Detroit’s Protomartyr devotes a paragraph to the difficulty of classifying their sound. I’m not going to try to describe it either, seeing as how I doubt I could do a better job than the band itself. However, I will say that I really like it. A little lo-fi, a little new wave, a little post-punk, these guys are all over the board, but still manage to keep things cohesive. Give them a listen before heading out to the show.

Wages and Manuok @ The Whistle Stop
Friday, May 30, 5 p.m.
No cover

I dig Manuok, especially its latest album, “Traps.” It’s a bit heavier sound for the band — definitely louder and more chaotic than previous releases. Still, they’re a pretty low-key group perfect to hanging out to rather than getting wild. Wages keeps things on the down low, too, with its dream-pop sounds. Think big drums, reverb-y vocals and crisp, clean guitars. I guess technically the third group on the bill is the Organic Food Truck, so come hungry.

Schitzophonics, Heavy Glow,
Neighbors to the North, Grim
Imperials @ Soda Bar
Wednesday, June 4, 8:30 p.m.
$5

Schitzophonics is a band you have to see live. It’s loud, fast, aggressive music that’ll keep you dancing. The group’s got enough energy to power the venue for the evening, but if you’re just coming to watch, that’s cool too. I can’t guarantee you’d stay a passive bystander for long though, as it’s tough not to want to join in on the fun. This is Heavy Glow’s CD release, too, so pick up a copy of that while you’re there if fuzzy, psychedelic blues rock is your thing.

Man Overboard, Transit, Forever
Came Calling, Knuckle Puck @ Soma (sidestage)
Friday, June 6, 7 p.m.
$13

Oh man, I’m really excited for this show. The first three bands on this bill are really great (can’t say I’ve listened to Knuckle Puck) and seeing just one of them is worth the price of admission. Sure, Man Overboard’s “Defend Pop Punk” campaign is pretty whatever. They still put out some great tracks. Transit’s “Listen and Forgive” is one of my favorite pop-punk records in recent memory and Forever Came Calling writes catchy tunes that’ll have you be grabbing the microphone to sing along with. Be ready to come explore your feelings, talk about pizza, give high fives, and do stage dives.