Weekend Picks: Electric Guest at Kung Fu Necktie, Neon Trees at The Piazza

FRIDAY, MAY 4TH
Electric Guest, despite common belief, is not detached. The duo’s Danger Mouse-produced debut is so clean, it’s almost sanitary, despite it being described as vocalist Asa Taccone’s “passion project.” Though many projects with an R&B twinge can be assumed to be raucous and passionate, it seems Taccone is more interested in the R&B structure of songwriting than he is in being the next great soul singer. His falsetto approach to crooning may seem removed, but it makes sense in context with his previous work. Taccone is used to producing for his brother Jorma’s comedy group, Lonely Island; his specialty is taking outrageous material and packaging it as aesthetically pleasing pop. It seems that with Electric Guest, Taccone is actually doing the exact same thing. Even the music videos for Electric Guest are darkly humorous satire. Of course, they’re each beautifully produced, which Taccone is clearly passionate about as well. Electric Guest performs with New Look and Mock Suns at 8 p.m. at Kung Fu Necktie; tickets to the 21+ show are SOLD OUT. —Naomi Shavin

Also Playing: Caveman + Ape School, The Homophones at Milkboy Philly (9:30 p.m., 21+, $12); Low Cut Connie + Church, California Wives at North Star Bar (9 p.m., 21+, $12); Pink Skull + Instamatic at The Level Room (9 p.m., 21+, $7); White Birds + Dinosaur Feathers, Laser Background at PhilaMOCA (8:30 p.m., all ages, $7-$10); Woods + Mmoss, Spacin’ at Johnny Brenda’s (9 p.m., 21+, $12)

SATURDAY, MAY 5th
In 2010, Neon Trees ruled the alt-rock radio stations with the song “Animal” from the band’s debut album, Habits. Last month, Utah-based quartet tried to replicate that success with their second album, Picture Show. As the name suggests, the album is heavily influenced by Hollywood, including a movie poster from each song on the band’s website and a track, “Hooray for Hollywood”, that reads off a list of dead celebrities as a testament to the town’s destructive power. Neon Trees performs with Eve 6 and Darryl Miller & the Veil at 3:45 pm at the Piazza at Schmidt’s; the all-ages show is free. —Nicole Soll

Also Playing: Pierced Arrows + Far-Out Fangtooth, Band Name at Kung Fu Necktie (7:30 p.m., 21+, $10); Swift Technique + Lady, First Capital Funk at Johnny Brenda’s (9:15 p.m., 21+, $10); We Were Promised Jetpacks + Breton, Fort Lean at Union Transfer (8:30 p.m., all ages, $15)

SUNDAY, MAY 6th
Future Islands + Ed Scharder’s Music Beat, Ladies Auxiliary at First Unitarian Church (8 p.m., all ages, $12); East Hundred at Johnny Brenda’s (6 p.m., 21+, $10-$12)