Echoplex

Cries of "punk is dead" resurface every few years, but it's been hard to make that case of late as scads of fast, noisy bands are gaining acclaim. Melt Banana, the Japanese titans of thrashy tumult, have been at it for ages, and they top a great bill of like-minded veterans including locals 400 Blows and the supergroup Retox. Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. Sun. $15. http://www.attheecho.com

The captain may be gone, but the ship sails on; experience raw sonic power and mad poetics at Gary Lucas' Captain Beefheart Symposium, celebrating the work of bluesman and painter Don Van Vliet ? a.k.a. Captain Beefheart. Guitarist Lucas was a member of the last incarnation of Beefheart's Magic Band and will be playing live, spinning unreleased tracks, and showing slides of Van Vliet's artwork. The Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. Thurs. Seats: $15 adv; $17 door; Standing: $12 advance; $14 door.

Ariel Pink seems quintessentially L.A. He's lived virtually his entire life in Los Angeles and can't imagine living anywhere else. He's written songs with titles such as "Beverly Kills" and "Life in L.A.," and echoes of the city's musical past, including the Byrds, Love, Fleetwood Mac and the Germs' Darby Crash, reverberate across his albums. All this comes through in his band Haunted Graffiti's combination of the swagger and epic drama of classic radio rock with the passive-aggressive vulnerability and petulance of bands like the Cure (Pink's favorite as a goth-loving teenager)

On Flying Lotus' strange and wonderful new album, "Cosmogramma," he destroys genres with his jazz-infused avant-garde music, and he may just rise to international prominence for it. Lotus is commandeering the Echoplex on Friday and Saturday for two very different performances. On Friday, he'll play a solo set with full visual accompaniment and excellent openers including fellow travelers Ras G and Samiyam. On Saturday, however, it gets even more intriguing, as Lotus debuts his new live band (or, as he's dubbing it, an "infinity" sign)

NIGHT LIFE After a year-long break, the deviant dance club/drag show Club Dragstrip 66 returns to the Eastside for a late night of glitter, gender-bending and "Diva Gangsta" dress. DJ Paul V. is set to spin a mix of electro-pop, indie beats and mashups, so don a wig and heels and let your freak flag fly. The Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., L.A. 9 p.m. Sat. $15. (213) 413-8200. http://www.attheecho.com

It's a roller skating renaissance at the Echoplex, as the folks from Down and Derby wheel out a special holiday-themed edition of their monthly rink party. Be prepared for the bruise-worthy combo of skating, drinking and dancing, with DJs Steve Ider and Dirt Dave spinning "jingle jams" till 2 a.m. Echoplex. 1154 Glendale Blvd., L.A. Today, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. $10. www.downandderby.org.

Using a gravy-smothered, horn-heavy approach to original songs, this Brooklyn-based collective conjures up images of movies starring Fred Williamson and Richard Roundtree, gold chains inside open-necked collars and gigantic '73 Cadillacs with a mix of vintage funk and Afrobeat. But Budos Band is unquestionably part of the present, with the 2010 album "The Budos Band III" flexing an irresistible, crowd-moving edge. The Echoplex, 1822 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A. Sun., 8:30 p.m. $20-$23. http://www.attheecho.com .

The bass savant producers in the Low End Theory scene are better known for moving hips than hearts, but at this concert — a benefit for tsunami and earthquake relief in Japan — founder Daddy Kev, Nobody, Gaslamp Killer and guests will spin to help the country recover. All door proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross Society. Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., L.A. 9 p.m. Thursday. $12. http://www.attheecho.com.

The Canadian post-punks in You Say Party! We Say Die! Thoroughly live up to the name with serrated dance jams equally likely to inspire you to make out with your neighbor or punch him or her in the sternum. New album "XXXX" elaborates on the early-aughts disco formula with a real sense of arena-ready yearning. Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., L.A. 8:30 p.m. Sat. $14. www.attheecho.com.