Things to do: Our weekly concert picks

Thursday, November 29: Passion Pit at the Electric Factory

2012 has been a turbulent year for Passion Pit front man Michael Angelakos: full of exuberant highs and devastating lows. The band's sophomore record, Gossamer, earned rave reviews and debuted at Number 4 on the Billboard charts—only to be followed by the news of tour cancelations and Angelakos's unstable mental health. Months later, Angelakos is healthy and ready to rock, and his stop at the Electric Factory should be a release for Angelakos and fans alike. The last time we saw the band live, they blew us away with their energy and raw passion—given that the stakes are higher this time around, we expect nothing short of catharsis.

8.00 at the Electric Factory, 421 N. 7th St., $29.50. Tickets available here.

Saturday, December 1: Tanlines at Union Transfer

Brooklyn's Tanlines craft the sort of feel-good, indie pop gems that inspire endless grooving, such as the bouncy, insatiable "All of Me"  and the yearning, beat-driven "Not the Same." Live, these tunes explode with color and energy, making Tanlines one of our very favorite dance party hosts (for proof, check out our photos of the band playing Making Time back in July). The brainchild of Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm (of Professor Murder and Don Caballero, respectively), these dudes have been writing and performing for years, and it shows.

We can think of no better way to celebrate a chilly Saturday than by grabbing a few friends (and a beer or two) and letting loose on the dance floor.

8.30 at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., $14. Tickets available here. 

Sunday, December 2: The So So Glos Upstairs at KFN

Brooklyn punks The So So Glos are your favorite band you've missed out on all this time: offering big, jangly hooks that pay tribute to The Clash and The Kinks (among others) while maintaining a trademark sense of political irreverence. Formed in 2007 by brothers Alex Levine, Ryan Levine, and Zach Staggers—with childhood friend Matt Elkin hopping on board shortly after—the band quickly won fans with high energy performances, and helped cofound Brooklyn performance spaces The Market Hotel and Shea Stadium. These days, they're busy touring and readying a new record (release date TBD); scoop up singles "Lost Weekend" and "Son of an American" now to get psyched.

8.00 Upstairs at Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., $10. Tickets available at the door. 

Tuesday, December 4: Nightlands at PhilaMOCA

Philly's Nightlands http://www.nightlands.us/ (aka: multi-instrumentalist Dave Hartley) has already conquered critics and fans alike with his 2010 record, Forget the Mantra; this Tuesday he'll tackle a new challenge, as he performs an original score to Kubrick's classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. The project is part of PhilaMOCA's Tune Out Tuesdays series, which features a different local musician performing and screening a film each week. Hartley's score aims to reconceptualize the film's futuristic themes within the historical context of the 1960s; explains Hartley: "It represents a reverence for science and a dream of the future that died in the '60s, killed by the fear of change and the dogmatism of religion." We can't wait to hear the result!

7.00 at PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St., $12. Tickets available here.