Hot Snakes, The Bell House, December 1, $19
Of all the seemingly endless reunions of late, there’s something particularly exciting about San Diego post-hardcore legends Hot Snakes. Made up of Rick Froberg and John Reis (formerly of much-beloved emo progenitors Drive Like Jehu), Hot Snakes always rocked harder and threw in more razor-sharp hooks than any of their contemporaries. If you scream loud enough, they may even play Luau.
Thursday, December 1, 8 p.m., The Bell House, 149 7th Street (between 2nd and 3rd avenues), Brooklyn; 718-643-6510.
Gauntlet Hair, Big Sleep, Dive, Mercury Lounge, December 2, $12
Gauntlet Hair may have one of the worst names in indie rock, but as they say, don’t judge a book by its silly, terrible cover...or something. This stacked lineup also includes the excellent Big Sleep as well as Dive, one of the best up-and-coming bands out of Brooklyn in some time.
Friday, December 2, 10 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street (between Essex and Ludlow streets); 212-260-4700.
Baths, Dinosaur Feathers, Ki:Theory, Bowery Ballroom, December 2, $15
To you, an MPC would appear to be a portable, electronic music sampler made up of a four-by-four grid of small, square buttons. To Baths’ Will Wiesenfeld, those 16 buttons become an open landscape for some of the most complex and catchy pop songs you could ever imagine. Watching Baths recreate the songs live can be a mind-blowing experience.
Friday, December 2, 8 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street (between Bowery and Chrystie Street); 212-533-2111.
Photos: Via Hot Snakes, Big Sleep, Dum Dum Girls