As I write this, I'm watching Alanis Morrisette sing the National Anthem at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Wow, she nailed it. And this was less than 24 hours after running the New York Marathon. You go, girl!

There are also plenty of musicians who will be hitting homers locally this week. From the singer-songwriter genre to 100 percent USDA-certified metal and some pure electronic dance pleasure, a burning-the-candle- at-both-ends weekend awaits. I say, light it.

And let me say that if you're seeing Shawn Colvin on Saturday at One Longfellow Square, I'm nine shades of envious green, but I still hope you enjoy her along with her opener, the acoustic hipster Anais Mitchell.

Boston new-wave electronic dance music sensations Lovewhip are celebrating the release of their new album, "Electric Love," with a mother of a Saturday-night shindig at Port City Music Hall.

The song "Becky Oh" has a dance-hall bounce with lyrics sung by Erin Harpe: "She said she's losing it and she was gonna hit Prozac and cigarettes again."

"Wrecking Machine" is a jump-up-and-down, drive-the-downstairs-neighbors crazy kind of song. It's got four inches of keyboard frosting on it, and candied electronic vocals. In short, I love it. If you only have time to check out one Lovewhip song at www.myspace.com/lovewhip, make it this one.

Oops, spoke too soon – I just heard "Drama Queen" and Sam Marshall's electric guitar and keys, Jim Countryman's bass and Ryan Dryburgh's assorted drum action were more fun that riding the tilt-a-whirl. Harpe's repeated "Ohhh, we're all crazy" was sweeter than my co-worker's dwindling supply of banana-flavored Laffy Taffy.

I'm looking forward to my weekend getaway in Boston, but man alive, I'm sad to not be a Saturday-night Lovewhip reveler. The party favors take the form of local acts Dreamosiac with its electro-house sound. Check out "Moving to Neptune" at www.myspace.com/dreamosaic.

Also performing is one-man wonder Whitehouse on Trial, a.k.a. Scott Whitehouse, with his acoustic guitar, synthesizer, pedals, mic and something called an RC-50 (no relation to R2-D2 as far as I know) that he uses for live looping.

But wait, we're still not done. Order now and you'll also receive a pair of local movers and shakers.

The experimental dance duo of Becky Bottoms and Mink Diamondz, better known as Atomic Trash, are also getting in on the fun. I've seen them, and they were chimerical.

Last but far from least is another pair of not-so-private dancers, the Whipettes, described as "lollipop totin', eyelash battin', whip crackin' space age babes." They bear a striking resemblance to Bottoms and Diamondz – go with it. And go to it.

Lovewhip CD Release Extravaganza with Dreamosiac, Whitehouse on Trial, Atomic Trash, the Whipettes. 8 p.m. Saturday. Port City Music Hall, 504 Congress St., Portland. Ages 21 and older. $8.

OK metal fans, this is your weekend to shine. The Big Easy is home to the two-night Slave to the Metal Music Festival. Twenty-two metal acts will climb onto the Market Street stage, and when all is said and done, there will be a lot of smiling people walking around on Sunday saying, "What did you say?"

A partial list of the Friday- night lineup includes Athame, Severed Mind, Where Monsters Come From and Spawn of Man. Saturday night's aural assault features Knee Deep in Murder, Absence of Innocence, 13 Winters and Tear Down the Sun.

Slave to the Metal Music Festival. 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Big Easy, 55 Market St., Portland. Ages 21 and older. www.myspace.com/slavetothemetalmusic. $10.

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