The Terrace line-up, from Brazilian rockers to Homosexuals

Four very awesome, very different bands hit the Terrace concert hall this weekend. Here’s the lowdown:

First up Thursday night is the experimental hip-hop group Themselves. Made up of rappers Dose One and Jel, the duo describes itself as committed to pushing the boundaries of the hip-hop genre, lyrically and sonically. The results are gritty, low-fi sound collages, peppered with wisps of electronica and lightning-fast, near-incomprehensible raps. They sound like a must-see for any fans of East Coast rapper Aesop Rock, peddling the same brand of nerdy and eccentric hip-hop.

Playing after Themselves is hip-hop trio Claire Hux, whose day-glo party music should contrast well with the brainy style of the preceding act. The group’s recently released mixtape, “Jammin’ on the One,” is filled with fun, deliriously light-hearted electro-rap that should have no problem taking the Terrace dance floor by storm. Everything from ‘80s pop to club music seems to be rattling around in there, and the result sounds a little like Missy Elliott crossed with Girl Talk — music for people with short attention spans, basically. Well-known for its energetic live shows, the group describes itself as a “party in a box,” whatever that’s supposed to mean. Maybe it’s a reference to a famous youtube.com video starring Justin Timberlake — after all, one of Claire Hux’ most popular songs is rather suggestively titled “2 Much Dick on the Dancefloor.”

Terrace’s Saturday night line-up sees the focus shift from hip-hop to rock, though the two bands playing couldn’t be more different. Up first is a seminal post-punk band called The Homosexuals, whose music is just as aggressively confrontational as their name. With their jerky riffs and terse vocals, The Homosexuals are often described as the unsung heroes of early ’80s alt-rock, influencing groups from Wire to Joy Division. Somehow, though, the band never fully made it, fading into obscurity and breaking up before they attained the success and acclaim of many of their contemporaries. Maybe it had something to do with that name — can’t really imagine that one being a favorite for concert promoters in the late ’70s. Anyway, the group recently reformed to record a new EP, the well-received “Love Guns,” and now they’re touring the United States to claim their place among such ’80s greats as The Clash and The Sex Pistols. If you thought Terrace only hosted bands made up of gawky college kids, then this is the exception — a rare chance to see living, breathing rock ‘n’ roll legends from up close.

Sure to shatter the angry vibe set by the preceding act, Garotas Suecas is a chirpy Brazilian funk-rock band packing the perfect soundtrack for the first days of spring: keyboards, harmonicas and sexy Portuguese singing! Their myspace.com bio tells the moving story of a 35-year-old man who rediscovered his sense of fun while listening to the band. At the bio’s emotional climax, our narrator reveals that it’s “literally been a decade since I went up to a stage and danced like fool” and claims that he “never wanted the moment to end.” These Brazilian rockers must be pretty darn good, then. Fingers crossed for mass catharsis on the Terrace dance-floor — otherwise, I’ll be suing.