“Fall of ’74” is the new single from Grimace Federation, which features original band member Zack Zweig on vibraphone, second drum kit and Fender Rhodes. It was recorded at Soma Studios by producer/musician John McEntire (Tortoise, Sea and Cake, Stereolab etc). A warped spin, as though a helicopter is hanging overhead, merges with the clarity of the vibraphone and the ramping up of bass, as drums launch the song into action. A free-flowing, jazz-prog aesthetic melds in the delightfully morphing, musical movement.

Grimace Federation celebrates the launch of their latest intergalactic musical vessel, Auroville, with a live performance this evening at Underground Arts. Honing in high-speed precision, the band cruises while pushing the envelope. Bombarding beats, resulting from the steady thrust of keys and percussion, develop in masterful, woven threads of sonic discovery. Those dynamic points of intersection, when the luminous possibilities of the unknown are weighed against the dangers that potentially lie in one’s path, create suspenseful peaks of intrigue. Meanwhile, the warp-speed, electro-jazz, experimenting engine maintains its varied, but never off course, trajectory. Tonight, they lay the groundwork for the funky, electro-dance assemblage of !!! (Chk Chk Chk), who are in town supporting their new album Shake the Shudder. - Michael Colavita

Auroville, the forthcoming full-length album from Grimace Federation, is scheduled for release on June 9. “Did I Ever Tell You?” quickly blooms with electro-drum interplay. Adventurous rays of guitar, steadying keys and the space-clearing percussive thrust throw the psych-prog spectrum wide-open. Building and then enhancing one theme onto the next, the song transitions through areas of ease and tension, threading illuminating discovery with an air of danger. They'll be celebrating the record's release with Chk Chk Chk on Friday, June 9 at Underground Arts.

Sometimes, the best option is to fall into a deep, funky, psych groove, and see where it leads you. With that approach, Union Transfer could be the destination this evening as Grimace Federation provide streamlined, spatial, scanning sonics that extend in a whimsical fashion, lifting the standard stressors, while dropping you in the trenches of those dance-inducing patterns. Tonight, the ever-evolving post-rock outfit will be armed with dual drummers, once again, and they'll be helping to set the table for Aesop Rock, who has collaborated with the gang in the past, like remixing “Strange Hours” and “Steamboat” for the band's latest release, The Measure in the Mix (Rhymesayers). Collaboration is the link that binds the artists this evening, which also features Brooklyn-based emcee Homeboy Sandman, whose eclectic jazz/soul-inflected new album, Kindness for Weakness, was released last month. And with Rob Sonic and DJ Zone in the fold, an old-school, Hail Mary Mallon sound may slip into action. Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., 8:30 pm, All Ages - Michael Colavita