Child Abuse + Microwaves + Couch Slut

Desite its überoffensive moniker, Child Abuse isn’t without its lighthearted side, as gnarly hooks percolate from beneath a robotic splattering of grindcore, industrial and free jazz. (Envision a death metal Devo.) Here, the local underground stalwarts present whiplash grooves, start-stop rhythms and electronics-powered streaks and stabs, as heard on their recent third album, Trouble in Paradise. Also on board are punk-minded fusionists Seabrook Power Plant and Windhorse, and Matt Nelson, a saxophonist who mingles acoustic circular-breathing workouts with cavernous electronics-assisted sound collage.