The Vintage Kicks’ name conjures up cheerful, gritty, throwback jams, but ever since the release of their debut King Geek, it’s a name that only describes part of their repertoire. They’ve honed their talent for making “all over the place” work for them: At their core, the Kicks play garage-inflected pop punk that sounds like it’s being played on a storm-cloudy day. Razor-sharp guitars do battle with icy synths, and Alex Marlys’ ragged holler takes their trappings even further into more agitated territory. They’re equally handy at all ends of the pop/surf/post-punk spectrum, and have an unwavering commitment to geek-rock homage, as on April’s release Math + Science. They recently share with us a new track, “Bad News Broski,” a perfect storm of snotty-earnest lyrics and rollicking, dark surf-punk riffs, not to mention an errant Reservoir Dogs quote thrown in for good measure. They’re joined at Underground Arts tonight by Temple King, Boston garage rock darlings The Fagettes, and charmingly-named Atlanta oddballs The Clap. Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill, 8pm, $6, 21+ (Photo by Chris Hartline) – Alyssa Greenberg
