Hurtbird nimbly avoids classification. In form, perhaps they most closely resemble hip-hop but, similar to Revengers, they eschew classic hip-hop instrumentation in favor of rock ‘n' roll. That's where the similarities end, though, as Hurtbird brings a mellower, more experimental edge to the table. Accompanied largely by spoken word samples and led by a vocalist who has a more conversational, less confrontational style of emceeing, Hurtbird frequently falls into a meditative, though still quite danceable, groove. In the case of a song like "I Like My Bike," they even proudly flash their Portland roots by championing the very un-hip-hop subject of city transit. It's fun, not knowing what a band will do next - an inscrutability that Hurtbird seems to have mastered.

[Northern, with Mosley Watta and guests, 8 p.m., $6, 321 Fourth Ave., Olympia, northernolympia.org]