THE SHOWDOWN: Yesterday's sounds of tomorrow, today!

Music critic Eric Schuman's weekly concert roundup includes House Bat, Cats And Cats And Cats, and Neil Innes.

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THE SHOWDOWN: Yesterday's sounds of tomorrow, today!

POSTED: Monday, May 2, 2011, 1:00 PM

Monday: In the event that a bat gets into your house, you should arm yourself with a broom and shoebox. That is, unless you’re the kind of person who doesn’t mind having bats in your house (read: unless you are a vampire). Even if you aren’t a vampire, New Jersey’s House Bat is sure to wake you from your work week lethargy. Vigorous rhythms and whirring synthesizers combine for an intense sound that’s bound to lift plenty of spirits. w/ Interlagos & Not Fur Longs, 8 p.m., $8, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 215-291-4919.

Tuesday: Going on name alone, UK combo Cats And Cats And Cats are one of the coolest bands around. Consider their music and you’ll find that their feline-friendly moniker is but an ornament. Sly and playful, the band’s sound mimics the aloof demeanor of our carefree house pets. Trading off vocals and bashing out dynamically varied tunes, Cats And Cats And Cats are like many breeds: sometimes swoony, sometimes fierce, but captivating nonetheless. w/ Ladycop, PooPaw & Tinmouth, 8 p.m., $7, The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298.

Wednesday: Best known as the original lead singer and songwriter of LA new wave weirdos Wall Of Voodoo, Stan Ridgway has spent twenty-five years crafting an incredibly prolific and eclectic solo career. From wild experimental rock to reverent takes on American standards, Ridgway is both a consistent and unpredictable force. His latest project, Neon Mirage, is a tropical folk meditation several years in the making. Ridgway is always prepared to dig into his own massive songbook to please his longtime fans, but don’t be surprised if “Mexican Radio” is absent from the setlist. He hasn’t done it in his past few area visits, and it’s hardly missed. 8 p.m., $21.50-$30, Sellersville Theater, 24 West Temple Ave., 215-257-5808.

Thursday: The jagged sounds of Foals’ acclaimed debut might’ve been softened for its follow-up, but the Oxford lads can still rock a lopsided beat. Total Life Forever was released just about a year ago, but its odd series of influences makes it sound slightly out of time. Longer songs and an ear toward gradual builds and atmospheres turned the album into a bombastic listening experience. That can only mean that their live show has become more thrilling than ever before. w/ Freelance Whales & The Naked And Famous, 9 p.m., $15-$23, TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011.

Friday: Not since the days of the Carpenters has a sibling duo made a fuss as notable as The Fiery Furnaces’. Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger don’t have a new Fiery Furnaces album to offer (the most recent one, I’m Going Away, came out a few years back), but they are each releasing new solo material. The Friedbergers are notorious for radically re-imagining their own material for live performances. Whether or not they’ll do this to their still-unreleased solo tunes shouldn’t be out of the question, seeing as how anything goes when it comes to the Fiery Furnaces. 8 p.m., $18-$20, World Café Live, 30th St. & Walnut St., 215-222-1400.

Saturday: The name Neil Innes might not be immediately familiar, but his humorous and impeccably catchy melodies were cornerstones of the Bonzo Dog Band and Monty Python. Innes appeared in several Python presentations, providing musical interludes at the Hollywood Bowl and served as minstrel to “Brave Sir Robin” on a search for the Holy Grail. Always imbuing a touch of humor into his work, Innes never sacrificed clever song structures in the name of getting a laugh. This was most apparent in his work with The Rutles, his mid-‘70s pastiche of The Beatles that yielded some truly remarkable Fab Four tributes. 7:30 p.m., $20, Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd St., 215-928-0770.

Sunday: Time travel too expensive? The Growlers bring yesterday’s sounds of tomorrow to the world of today! The psychedelic sounds of the garages of yore are resurrected by these Long Beach rockers. Surf beats and snarling, reverb-drenched vocals might be overplayed by other bands, but The Growlers know how to twist these classic tropes into their own style. On whatever planet The Growlers are really from, it’s perpetually 1966. I’m certain of it. w/ Adam And Dave’s Bloodline, 10 p.m., $10, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684.

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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