Also playing Tuesday:
SAM ROBERTS BAND, MOTOPONY at Troubadour; SEAN ROWE at Hotel Café; SCOTT WEILAND at Viper Room.
PHOTO BY AYLIN GÜNGÖR DEDEOGLU
The Radio Dept.: See Thursday.
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wed 5/25
Twilight Singers
@THE MUSIC BOX
Devoted Greg Dulli fans got a look at the latest five-piece iteration of the Twilight Singers in February, when the sort-of-local soul-rock group played Amoeba to mark the release of Dynamite Steps. But an in-store performance under bright shopping lights hardly seems like the best environment in which to see these guys: As he did with the Afghan Whigs and occasionally does with the Gutter Twins, Dulli uses the Twilights as an opportunity to examine the inevitability of his own moral turpitude; without the benefit of shadows, the whole project kind of falls apart. Last year Dulli did a solo tour, playing tunes from his lengthy songbook, which may (or may not) mean he'll throw in some Whigs stuff tonight. —Mikael Wood
Also playing Wednesday:
NOAH & THE WHALE, BAHAMAS at El Rey Theatre; WHITE DENIM, RABBITS RABBITS RABBITS, ALLAH LAS at the Echo; YELLOW RED SPARKS, RADARS TO THE SKY at Silverlake Lounge; MORNING TELEPORTATION, JAILL, DEVON WILLIAMS at the Satellite.
thu 5/26
The Radio Dept.
@THE TROUBADOUR
This Swedish trio emerged in the early aughts as buzzworthy shoegaze revivalists, but their latest album, Clinging to a Scheme, ironically finds them taking a new tack. The fuzz and feedback are all but gone, replaced by shimmering guitars and synthesizer flourishes. Those with a sweet tooth will be sated by the bright and breezy hooks of Phoenix-esque singles like "Heaven's on Fire," while the rest can revel in the roughed-up production of lo-fi treats like "The Video Dept." Expect homage to Pet Shop Boys and the Cure, and a low-key confidence that perfectly complements the group's entirely unpretentious on-album brilliance. —Chris Martins
Stiff Little Fingers
@EL REY THEATRE
Forming in Northern Ireland at the height of that country's grisly Troubles gave these first-wave punkers instant cred in a genre where grit was gold. That they're still headlining theaters far from home nearly 35 years later suggests their craft outlived its context. SLF's perky protest songs are spiky and serious, yet often bloom into chant-along outbursts of defiant optimism. The Troubles, thankfully, are behind us, and "punk" is now little more than haircuts and bumper stickers, but something in these agitated, gruffly romantic anthems has hopped borders and transcended eras. —Paul Rogers
Also playing Thursday:
MIA DOI TODD, BLANK BLUE at the Echo; KWANZA JONES at Cat Club; LOS ANGELES JAZZ COLLECTIVE FEST at the Blue Whale.
