SOMA SOUNDS

"Deeper, deeper, I sink," Christiane D. sings on the second track of "Telomere," a sixth record from Soma Mestizo that mines some heavy emotional ground.

The Pittsburgh band -- which describes its sound as "deep, dark, sexy global-genre busting, booty-shaking, head-filling magic music" -- turns up as part of the Three Rivers Arts Festival's 4th River Project this weekend with a multi-media event that will combine music, art and dance.

It will serve as the release party for the record, which Soma calls its most personal work. Christiane D. says it's about "fighting the invisible battle about who we are."

A frontwoman with a dark smoky voice, she spits her poetic lyrics about relationships and personal identity over highly improvisatory music filled with jazzy riffs, global beats and deep didgeridoo grooves.

They'll do it live at 121 7th Street, 6th Floor, Downtown, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and 10 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5.

BLACK MOTH SUPER

Black Moth Super Rainbow ruffled some feathers here when frontman Tobacco bashed the local scene in Rolling Stone last month, but Monday night's show at the Three Rivers Arts Festival was a happy homecoming, a way to re-connect with fans.

Playing amid the shiny buildings in that span between light and dusk, Black Moth got a warm reception from a packed crowd of around 1,000 people.

There's not a lot of action on the stage during a BMSR show. Bassist Power Pill Fist and drummer Iffernaut are the only members who seem to move. The rest have their heads buried in their vintage keyboards. But the band perfectly executed its trippy trademark sound with a jammy rhythm section, dreamy synths and Mellotrons and Vocoder vocals that evoke a visit from friendly aliens.

Black Moth punctuated the show with a sly dig. Reacting perhaps to a mixed review of "Dandelion Gum" by Manny Theiner in the PG, Black Moth flashed on its busy video screen a Photoshopped image of Theiner in a red, white & blue hat that said "God Bless Manny."

I would have gotten a better look at it if I hadn't been distracted by the kettle corn.

LIGHT BREAKING

The Morning Light, a new pop-punk band featuring two former members of Transition, will release its debut, "The Sounds of Love EP," with a show Saturday night at 6:30 at Mr. Small's.

The Morning Light lists its influences as The Beatles, the Beach Boys and Ben Folds, while still managing to sound like Dashboard Confessional.

Joining them will be All Time Low, Victory Lane, Mark This Day and Annasay.

Admission is $8 advance; $10 at the door. Call 1-866-468-3401.

-- Scott Mervis