With 85 bands packed into a four-day weekend (counting Thursday's kickoff show), it won't take long to get your $16 worth at Recess Fest. Attendees are guaranteed some tough choices, though, considering the glut of bands and numerous venues. Here are a few solid picks out of this busy, busy weekend of music. Obviously, these are only a few of the excellent bands coming to town in a few days, so we'd love to hear what you're excited about. That's what the comment section is for, duh!

PC Worship
Seemingly everyone has this friend who drives a destroyed old pickup that really shouldn't still be running: though it takes counter-intuitive mechanical tricks to even get it started and though the driver's door hasn't opened since 1996, they'll still swear it's the best vehicle ever. PC Worship is that pickup: this New York project plays incredibly damaged rock that lands somewhere between psych, folk and noise-punk - but it still runs, and it runs great. If Stereopathetic Soulmanure is your favorite Beck record, this ought to be your scene. (11 p.m. Friday at the Milestone)

Zack Mexico
If the beach rock movement of a few years ago echoes tourist views of the shore, this Kill Devil Hills outfit speaks for the locals. Not to be confused with the author, Zack Mexico couples surf-y guitar and drums with shoegaze-huge reverb and John Saturley's mature croon. If the beach makes you think "The Ocean Doesn't Want Me Today" sooner than "Carolina Girls," then surf's up. (9:15 p.m. Friday at Jack Beagle's)

Lilac Shadows
Sometimes a band settles on the perfect name, such as with Lilac Shadows. This moody, '80s-flavored psych-gaze perfectly inhabits that hour after sunset when everything shifts through blues and purples and on to black. These songs are catchy, gorgeously constructed emotional epics, and while there are notes of optimism keeping total gloom at bay, this is still nearly as foreboding as The The's masterpiece, Dusk. (10:15 p.m. Saturday at Snug Harbor)

Mutant League
These dudes build on a '60s spy-rock foundation of reckless go-go drumming and sinuous guitar, but inject powerpop lessons in tight, multi-hook composition and manic noise-grunge vocals groaning "you're all gonna die/ you're all gonna die/ you're all gonna die/ I'm gonna beat up your dad/ I'm gonna beat up your dad/ I'm gonna beat up your dad." Choose coffee or Mutant League, but don't go for both at once. Your heart might explode. (6:15 p.m. Sunday at Snug Harbor)

Modern Man
These S.C. psych-rockers may have played Charlotte numerous times over the past few years, but they're going to California in August! Like, for good! So if you dig what they do, take this chance to see them. (7:45 p.m. Sunday at Snug Harbor)