Sat. July 19 

Think Tree was one of Boston's most-progressive and inspiring art-rock bands to emerge out of Boston in the early '90s. They even had a major label deal, which must have struck them, even, as a bit weird: This was not mainstream rock, this was Radiohead before Radiohead went prog. Think Tree leader Peter Moore (in photo) formed Count Zero - which headlines the Church Sat. July 19 - in 1996 and has released three full-length records so far, as well as many singles and compilation one-offs. The're not as out-there as Think Tree, but they're no easy glide, either. Says Moore: "Our sound is an obsessively creative mashing of many classic and modern styles ofpopular music, from retro-groove to indie-rock to electronic pop to country twang. Raw sounds intermingle with lush Radiohead-esque orchestrations and unexpected sound/sample manipulations, affording a unique listening experience known for grabbing even the most jaded ears." Comparative bands? "Our distinctive sound combines the flair for melody and complexity of Flaming Lips and later Blur, the brains of Talking Heads/ Brian Eno and the raw power of Queens of the Stone Age." In JSink's book, every mention here is a winner and Count Zero's melange is what Moore says it is. Opening: The Runners, followed by Gene Dante + The Future Starlets and, yes, Peter Moore, solo Starts around 8. Tickets: $8,

69 Kilmarmock St., 617-236-76000 www.churchofboston.com

 Anyway, they're playing Church in the Fenway, which, Moore says, "while being a rather new club, Church is basically the old Linwood Grille after an episode of 'Extreme Makeover: Rock Club Edition.' You know, new bathrooms and pool table, fresh coat of black paint.  Drinks are still pretty cheap for this part of town.'
Count Zero's current lineup consists of Moore: vocals, main songwriter;  Will Ragano: guitars; Izzy Maxwell: bass; and Joel Simches: keyboards. Their original drummer, Eric Paull, moved to LA after their final show with him last June.  They've replaced him with Hari Hassin, notoriously fierce and solid drummer from bands like Quitter and Roadsaw.  This Thursday will be Hari's first show with the band.Peter met Hari through working with the Blue Man Group.  Peter has been touring much of the past year through North and South America with the Blue Man Group "How To Be A Megastar" rock concert as the keyboardist and male lead vocalist. He is taking a few months off of the wildly successful tour to concentrate on finishing his first solo record ("The Romance"), producing other local talent, writing music for a documentary, and writing and recording a fourth Count Zero full-length. More from Moore: "Since completing their third record "Little Minds" (2005), Count Zero has toured North America with the Dresden Dolls and has had their cover of "Golden Years" included on a David Bowie compilation. Also, two of their songs were in the highly popular video game 'Guitar Hero' and 'Guitar Hero 2.' They will have another unreleased song, "Shake," soon available as a download for the recently released "Rock Band" video game.  Inclusion on these games has opened their music up to a much wider audience. The band's richly arranged music and creative, dense lyrics yield well to multiple listens. Thank God for video game addiction!"j Joining Count Zero Saturday will be Superlow (featuring members of Senor Happy), Axemunkeee (a psychedelic prog-rock noise band fronted by guitar whiz Cathy Capozzi) and the Death of Cool, their debut. Their industrial pop song "Can't Let Go" is featured in "Rock Band," the new game by Harmonix, the same folks who brough you "Guitar Hero." Show starts at 9 and the cover is $9.

10 Brookline St., Cambridge, 617-492-0082 www.ttthebears.com