FRIDAY

Everyone knows pop stars can’t dance. So how has Primal Scream managed to earn so many raves for its dance music? After all, the band was one of the original C-86 bands; their contribution to that scene-defining compilation provided local post-anorak-pop band Velocity Girl with its name. After ditching its original Byrdsian sound in the late 80s, Primal Scream gathered moss as a kind of boozed-up, bluesed-out indie Rolling Stones before finding inspiration in the British rave scene. When DJ Andrew Weatherall—who had never even been in a recording studio before—did an acid-house remix of the band’s “I’m Losing More Than I’ll Ever Have,” retitling the resulting track “Loaded,” he launched the band on a whole new trip. Did Weatherall add beats to Primal Scream’s rockers or did Primal Scream add guitars to his dance tracks? Either way, it worked. The ensuing album, Screamadelica, consolidated the band’s new sound. Except for a brief Stonesy relapse, Primal Scream has stuck to this genre-splicing approach. Its latest, Exterminator, continues to bridge the gap between dance and rock. It’s got beats, both techno and progressive house, but it’s also got growling guitar chords. This grafting reaches its peak on Kevin Shields’ dissonant mixes, and the majestic “MBV Arkestra (If They Move, Kill ‘Em)” should satisfy his fans until he finally sends them another bloody valentine of his own. At 9 p.m. Friday, May 26, at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $15. (202) 393-0930. (Mark W. Sullivan)