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Three shows to consider this week: The Octopus Project, Cheap Tissue and Ladysmith Black Mambazo

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All eight arms of The Octopus Project.
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The Octopus Project “Music Is Happiness,” a cut off 2005 LP One Ten Hundred Thousand Million, remains a mission statement—both its title and its deliriously bouncy vibe—for this Austin, Texas, quartet. For nearly 20 years, The Octopus Project has been crafting an electronic-washed strain of indie music that might best be categorized as experimental-pop, provided neither avant adventurers nor hook seekers get scared off by the label. Live, husband/wife team Josh and Yvonne Lambert, Toto

Miranda and relative newcomer Lauren Gurgiolo are famous for swapping instruments as they go, during shows that entertain the eyes along with the ears. With Rabid Young, Purejoypeople. February 1, 8 p.m., free, Beauty Bar. –Spencer Patterson

Cheap Tissue Loud, snotty and full of attitude, this Lolipop Records’ four-piece brings an abrasive, raw energy to everything it touches. Head to the band’s Soundcloud to hear “Bag and Number,” a venomous song about LA’s drug-addled barflies, before the group hits Beauty Bar on Friday with fellow LA punks Zig Zags. On the fence? Cheap Tissue has opened for punk grandfathers The Vibrators, which should warrant the ticket price alone. Fans of classic punk should plan their Friday night around this one. With Bounty Hunter Brothers. February 2, 8 p.m., $10. –Leslie Ventura

Ladysmith Black Mambazo You ought to catch Ladysmith Black Mambazo in a particularly celebratory mood on Saturday. The 50-year-old South African band earned its fifth Grammy last weekend—Best World Music Album for Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th Anniversary Celebration, one of three albums the internationally renowned harmonizers put out in 2017. But it doesn’t take the music industry’s most sought-after paperweight to uplift these dudes. Their a cappella songs, sung in the traditional Zulu musical styles of isicathamiya and mbube, exude hope, joy, unity and perseverance. We could use a whopping shot of that right now. February 3, 7:30 p.m., $30, Sammy Davis Festival Plaza. –Mike Prevatt

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