Experimental Dental School

Experimental Dental School is the band that would play prom -- that is, if the prom was on Mars and the student body was made up of pre-pubescent space aliens. Distilling polished hipster dance rock, the Oakland-based trio filters the likes of Adult. and Mates of State down to simple Casio beep-bops and adolescent art-school ferocity. The lovely Shoko Horikawa blasts organ keys and samples of chirping birds under the vox abuse and guitar-pedal nonsense of Jesse Hall, while drummer Ryan Brundage plays as if his arms were run by a crank machine. Experimental Dental School is erratic -- and that's an understatement. Last month the act released its sophomore full-length, 2 1/2 Creatures, on Cochon Records. The album is a sonic collage of emotions and vibrant keyboard melodies that will whip those dancing shoes into a sweaty fury. With openers Orwellian Math Project and Pictureplane at the helm, this will definitely be a night to remember.