The unanimous winners of L.A. Weekly's best live band contest, Mars and the Massacre throw everything but the kitchen sink into their live performances (and we're not discounting the possibility of a kitchen sink at a future show). They play psychedelic garage rock, but if you can't picture that, just know that they really shred. That is, when they're not drifting off into another stratosphere entirely. Still, their shows feature neither masturbatory noodling nor overblown theatrics; all three members play multiple instruments and they all know what they're doing, even throwing looping machines and other technical equipment into the mix. Of course, all of this musical mastery would be useless if their shows weren't entertaining. But, trust us, that is not the case. If there is ever a dull moment, they simply pour blood on themselves. —Ben Westhoff

marsandthemassacre.bandcamp.com.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.