The most refreshing thing about spaces like the Echo in Echo Park is that they don’t put on shows with the sole purpose of selling out the room. I guess it comes with the territory of being an unmarked, unlit façade on a stretch of Sunset Boulevard chock-full of hidden treasures. Sure, up-and-coming bands could opt for the pay-to-play system of such Los Angeles landmarks as the Whisky, but that soon becomes a process based completely on ticket sales that effectively removes any and all street cred from the equation and leaves little room for failure. These shows are often booked just to fill the room with T-shirt purchasing binge drinkers, which is why the Echo is a lot more suitable for underground acts that are satisfied simply with playing a really good set. The Echo, and its downstairs annex, the Echoplex, is the sort of divey venue you seek out, or stumble upon, or find via any number of other romantic analogies. And once inside you’d be hard pressed to see a show that’s not surprisingly enjoyable, especially when it comes to their Sunday night staple — Part Time Punks. It’s this weekly “club” that brought the experimental noise tag team of Death Sentence: Panda! and These Are Powers to the modest Echo stage, distortion pedals and all, to blow the collective eardrums of anyone savvy enough to stop by. San Francisco trio Death Sentence: Panda! kick-started the evening with a touch of feigned class, involving pixie-like frontwoman Kim West on flute and Paul Costuros filling out the wind section on clarinet. Closing your eyes, however, any stitch of chamber music vanished as the pitch-shifted clarinet easily challenged the metal-est of metal guitars and the flute let out a banshee’s squeal not unlike its player’s own impassioned cries. And West’s fierce shriek really did come out of nowhere, like a five-year-old throwing a temper tantrum that would be much more worrisome if it weren’t so damn cute. It was a level of experimentation not for the weak of heart as Costuros multitasked on distortion duties while The Monkees’ career-destroying feature film, Head, flashed behind them throughout. The intensely conceptual display was anchored nicely by the fervent but refined rhythms provided effortlessly by drummer Chris Dixon, reigning the many far-reaching elements at hand into a cohesive, down-to-earth futuristic folk explosion that ended all too soon. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before These Are Powers brought all the energy rushing back with a raw and raucous set that would no doubt throw M.I.A. into a jealous tizzy. Hailing from Chicago by way of Brooklyn, the self-proclaimed “ghost punk” trio is touted for employing former Liars bassist Pat Noecker, but it was the beautiful singer/synther Anna Barie who stole the show with her lilting spoken word vocals and spirited movements. Like a hallucination, the heavily rhythmic and effects-laden tunes carried an organic danceability that was at once both primal and mechanized. Barie’s entrancing screams flowed dexterously over drummer Bill Salas’ skillful pulse, causing the front row to shake it and Barie herself to gush, “We really appreciate the dancing. Thank you.” This selflessness was doubly endearing, given that the show itself packed such an unexpected punch: Noise acts have a tendency be hit or miss, but this was definitely a hit. The set flew by, leaving the crowd breathless and delightfully dumbfounded. Not bad for a band coming up on it’s third year of existence without yet gaining the notoriety that they so greatly deserve. But that’s the beauty of a small, unassuming venue in the heart of a big, bad city. These lesser-known acts can fly comfortably under-the-radar and play primarily to those lucky few astute enough to recognize a good thing when they see it (and to dance to it, to boot). From that angle, it’s probably an equally good thing that the Echo remains unmarked. The mainstream can keep driving on by.