The string of words that make up the name Death by Stars sounds at once full of portent and utterly frivolous. This dichotomy seems to seep into and help define the band's music as well. Combining the biggest, most direct qualities of punk, electronica and psych-rock, Death By Stars has cooked up a cutting, immediately hooky sound. There's an invigorating quality to Death by Stars that seems to transcend the band's basic formula of spacey, psychedelia-informed vocals encased in programmed beats, exploding into life-sized dance-punk refrains. In a live setting, the band - led by frontman Patrick Galactic - veers into performance art territory, with light shows and costumes. It's a delirious soup - all surface, really.

But what a surface it is.

Death By Stars plays with local favorites Umber Sleeping and Seattle-based instrumentalist Gems at The New Frontier Saturday.

"We rarely get to play with bands that fit together so well," says Galactic in a press release for the show. "We are big fans of Umber Sleeping and Gems and are very glad to play with them."

[The New Frontier Lounge, with Umber Sleeping, Gems, 9 p.m., $5, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]