Hypernova could have been arrested for playing their music. In their home country of Iran, Western music is banned from the radio on the basis of moral code, and to imitate it is another crime entirely. They couldn’t practice where they’d be heard, and every show held in secret was played at risk of getting locked up or publicly flogged (seriously). But play they did, and if that’s not rock and roll, then I don’t know what is. Now based in NYC, the foursome released Through the Chaos in April, full of dark, angular dance rock worth every night of sticking it to the man. With Abandon Kansas, We Hate The Desert, Blame It On The Girl, The Monostereo. MARY PAULINE DIAZ

Sun., July 11, 7:30 p.m., 2010