Dance Gavin Dance

Don't let the name fool you. If you show up to a Dance Gavin Dance show expecting to boogie like it's the disco era all over again, you'll be disappointed. The six members of the California-based group focus more on four-to-the-floor, balls-out power rock than dance music. If you happen to like your power chords laced with a sly but noticeable electronic vibe underneath, then go ahead and mosh to the beat. These fashionable 20-somethings are gaining acclaim with indie audiences all over the country and are known for cranking out fast-paced songs with emo (at times, sappy) lyrics that can grab listeners by the heart or kick 'em in the nuts. On "The Robot With Human Hair Pt. 1" from its latest album, Downtown, Battle Mountain, the band churns out lines about whores, hemophilia, and hypocrisy in a macabre style, then shows its Bay Area roots on part two of the song — and talk about getting hyphy! Sonically, DGD is still working out some of its kinks, but when you can catch a band with passion and talent at the beginning of its career, what else do you want left on the dance floor after the show except blood, sweat, and kinks?