THE SHOWDOWN: Undeniably entertaining

This week's lineup: Florence + the Machine (!!!) @ Festival Pier, Total Babes @ Kung Fu Necktie and Fucked Up @ the First Unitarian Church

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THE SHOWDOWN: Undeniably entertaining

POSTED: Monday, June 20, 2011, 1:00 PM

Monday: On the strength of a single album, Florence + The Machine have risen to superstar status. Alright, so they might not demand dressing rooms full of assorted yogurts or roadies sorting through bowls of M&M’s, but their quick path to international recognition is nonetheless staggering. There is perhaps no better time to take in the soaring, anthemic sounds of Florence Welch and her band than during the so-called ‘dog days’ of summer. Yes, yes, the song’s called “Dog Days Are Over,” but just go with me here. w/ Twin Shadow, 7 p.m., $30-$42, Festival Pier, Columbus Blvd. & Spring Garden St., 856-365-1300.

Tuesday: Formed by members of skuzzy pop favorites Cloud Nothings, Total Babes is a group of, well, skuzzy pop purveyors. Joyously overdriven guitars pound out simple power chords while the collective vocals shout beach-dazed hooks. It’s too bad this show is at an indoor venue, because Total Babes would cause quite the commotion if loosed outside. As side projects go, Total Babes aren’t really a departure from the main band, but you really don’t need an excuse when you’re music is this much fun. w/ Cold Fronts, A Lull & Sherman (The Band), 8 p.m., $8, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 215-291-4919.

Wednesday: You’ve most likely seen California duo Pomplamoose without even realizing it. The quirky, self-consciously adorable pair makes equally quirky ‘video songs,’ featuring spliced-together covers played on a variety of instruments. The group gained some widespread recognition during last year’s holiday season, when they were drafted by Honda for a series of giddy commercials. Their handful of albums and EPs contain plenty of covers and original material, but it’s the jubilant energy of their performances that is Pomplamoose’s signature. w/ Lauren O’Connell, 8 p.m., $18-$37, World Café Live, 30th St. & Walnut St., 215-222-1400.

Thursday: Best known as the former leader of Pedro The Lion, David Bazan has been slowly but determinately building up his career as a solo artist. With a variety of influences from the wide spectrum of rock and pop, Bazan’s new album, Strange Negotiations, is his first to be written and recorded for a full-band since his days in Pedro The Lion. The album’s sound is alive and dynamic, compounding the more introspective tone of his solo debut, Curse Your Branches. The road to re-establishment isn’t an easy one for anyone to traverse, but Bazan carries on bravely. w/ S. Carey, 9 p.m., $12, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684.

Friday: Band reunions, if done properly, transcend the inherent foul cries of exploitation and capitalization and offer continuations of a stifled band’s career. More succinctly, the reformed Dinosaur Jr kicks serious ass. Now two albums deep into their second wind, J, Lou and Murph are looking back at what splintered them apart in the first place: 1988’s Bug. It’s not that the album itself caused the original lineup of the band to implode, but that was the last album to feature the founding trio for nearly 20 years. For more stories, arrive early as Henry Rollins interviews the band onstage. w/ OFF!, 8:30 p.m., $29.50-$39.70, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., 215-627-1332.

Saturday: The Bronx, actually from Los Angeles, is not your typical punk band. Sure, they draw more heavily from the experimental sounds of Fugazi and Black Flag, but there’s another side to them that’s even more intriguing. In 2009, The Bronx dug into their Southern California roots for an album as Mariachi El Bronx. Yes, it is indeed a mariachi album. Though it is, by definition, a gimmicky side project, Mariachi El Bronx is undeniably entertaining. The band will perform sets in both styles, and they’ll make sure you know which group they are at any given time. Matching bolo ties? Mariachi. Elbow in your face? Regular Bronx. w/ American Speedway, 9 p.m., $13-$15, North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., 215-787-0488.

Sunday: “Hardcore art punk” and “epic musical song cycle” don’t sound like things that would go together well, but Toronto’s Fucked Up is a whole mess of glorious contradictions. They’re getting a ton of critical recognition for their new album, David Comes To Life, though their very name remains rebelliously unfit for print. The music they play is growing increasingly complex, yet frontman Damian “Pink Eyes” Abraham still delivers his lyrics with a monstrous bellow. They’ll make you think (and maybe get a little emotional), and then slam you into the floor. Should you survive, you’ll carry some serious scars of honor. w/ Jeff The Brotherhood, 7:30 p.m., $12-$13, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 215-563-3980.

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