Known for fidgety experimentalism and crabby lyrics, San Jose’s Xiu Xiu would not win a lifetime achievement award for cheerfulness. Nevertheless, the group has often channeled a certain joy of noise. Unbound by genre, Xiu Xiu unwinds nervous energy, creating songs that land halfway between accessible and off-putting. On…

Whipped into form by religion and the restrictive indoctrination it often entails, Kentucky singer-songwriter Sarah Beth Tomberlin finds herself searching for answers her religious upbringing could not provide. At Weddings Tomberlin Aug. 10 Toiling with the denouncement of her faith while reflecting on the negative repercussions of her Baptist…