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Of Montreal at the Paradise
7pm/18+/$38 Indie rock/psychadelic pop band Of Montreal was founded in Athens, Georgia in 1996 after frontman Kevin Barnes' failed romance with a Canadian woman. Of Montreal played Boston earlier this year, when they sold out a House of Blues show with opening act Janelle Monae. For Record Store Day (April 16) this year. Of Montreal released 1,000 copies of a special edition split 7" with Casiokids. -
The Bynars at Great Scott
9pm/18+/$8 Boston-based synth pop quartet The Bynars celebrate the release of their self-titled debut album (out April 26th) with this show at Great Scott, accompanied by Bearstronaut, Sincereley The Management, and Every Other Country, "Asking Your Mom For Money," the second single off the new album, is available for free download here. The concert is presented by Boston University student radio station WTBU. -
Sleigh Bells at Paradise
7pm/18+/$26.50 Fresh off an appearance at the Indio, Calif. Coachella festival, Derek E. Miller and Alexis Krauss bring their noise-pop act Sleigh Bells to Boston. While the Brooklyn-based duo has yet to reach national fame, some of the songs off their 2010 debut album Treats are well-known: "Infinity Guitars" was recently featured in a commercial for the Windows phone and "Kids" was used in the promo for the MTV show "Skins." -
The Besnard Lakes at Great Scott
9pm/21+/$12 Husband and wife team Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas are the centerpiece of the four-person Canadian indie rock band The Besnard Lakes, named after a body of water in Saskatchewan. Two of their albums, including 2010's The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night, were nominated for Canada's Polaris Music Prize. The Besnard Lakes are currently writing the score to a Mark Ruffalo film. -
tUnE-yArDs at Brighton Music Hall
8pm/18+/$10 Tune-Yards is multi-instrumentalist Merrill Garbus, who loops drum and ukulele along with her vocals. On this tour in support of her new album W h o k i l l, Tune-Yards will be accompanied by a saxophonist for the first time. Bassist Nate Brenner also joins in for live shows. While her new album has a more polished sound than her lo-fi debut BiRd-BrAiNs, she still focuses on found sounds and an improvised style. -
Arctic Monkeys at House of Blues
7pm/$34.55-$44.80 The Arctic Monkeys are a band for the millenial generation, widely regarded as one of the first groups to achieve fame via online fan-based interaction rather than through traditional promotion. The five-piece indie rock band from Sheffield, England boasts the fastest-selling debut album in UK history. "Brick by Brick," the first single off the band's fourth album, will be released on vinyl on May 30th. -
Lykke Li at House of Blues
7pm/$31.70 Lykke Li is a 25-year-old Swedish singer-songwriter. Her second album, Wounded Rhymes, was released March 1st. She is best known performing the song "Gifted" with Kanye West, and for her cover of "Knocked Up" by the Kings of Leon. She also wrote the song "Possibility" for the soundtrack to the movie New Moon. In expectation of large crowds, this concert was moved to House of Blues from the smaller venue Paradise. -
Okkervil River at Royale
7pm/18+/$22.65 The members of folk rock band Okkervil River first met at prep school in New Hampshire, then moved to Austin after college to start their band. A year later, they performed at Austin's famed SXSW festival. Their sixth studio album--their second with the current lineup--comes out May 10. After playing Boston, they leave for Tennesee, where they're performing at the 10th annual Bonnaroo music and arts festival. -
Yeasayer at Royale
7pm/$22.70 Yeasayer is a three-piece experimental rock band from Brooklyn. Popular music aggregator blog The Hype Machine named Yeasayer the "most blogged about" band of 2010. Much of their coverage that year related to their second album, Odd Blood, and appearances at festivals like Lollapalooza. On April 16th, the band released a limited edition 7" vinyl recording of two new tracks in honor of Record Store Day. -
Cults at Brighton Music Hall
8pm/18+/$14.50 When not performing as Cults, guitarist Brian Oblivion and singer Madeline Follin are film students in New York City. The duo launched their career by posting their own haunting pop tracks online for free download, and quickly received received hype -- as well as offers to tour with bands like Best Coast and Sleigh Bells. The band is putting together their first full-length album, including hit single "Abducted." -
The Dodos at Paradise
7pm/18+/$20 San Francisco duo The Dodos are known for their unique mix of folk rock with psychadelic pop, and experimental instrumentation. Percussionist Logan Kroeber uses a drum kit with no bass drum, and often neglects the drums entirely in favor of their rims--or the tambourine he wears on his shoe. Their fourth album, No Color, came out on March 15 and charted at #70. -
Givers at Middle East Downstairs
8pm/18+/$12 Givers is a group of high school friends from Louisiana who came together as a band in 2009. When Givers opened for a Dirty Projectors concert in their homewtown, their performance impressed the more established band so much that they were invited to join them on tour -- even though the Dirty Projectors hadn't heard of Givers before that night. -
Matt and Kim at House of Blues
8pm/$28.60 Matt Johnson is a singer and keyboardist. Kim Schifino is a singer and drummer. Together they are dance-punk duo Matt and Kim, The music video for their hit single "Daylight" reached over 3 million views on YouTube in less then a year, and now the Brooklyn-based pair is out to prove there's more to their sound than upbeat, sunny pop music. Newer tracks and videos focus on their do-it-yourself attitude. -
The Wooden Birds at Great Scott
9pm/18+/$9 Andrew Kenny of American Analong Set founded The Wooden Birds in 2008, bringing together musicians from Brooklyn and Austin. Their first album, Magnolia, came out in 2009 and received much acclaim, with the single "Sugar" named NPR's "Song of the Day." In support of Magnolia, the Wooden Birds played 100 live shows in under a year. The band's second album drops June 7th. -
Twin Sister at Brighton Music Hall
8pm/18+/$14.50 While band's name might imply a female duet, Twin Sister is actually a quintet made up of both genders. The Brooklyn-based chillwave/dream pop group has toured domestically and in Europe, but has yet to release a full-length album. Their two EPs, however, have been well received: in Pitchfork Media's reader poll, Twin Sister won the title of "Best Hope for 2011." -
EELS at Paradise
8pm/18+/$26.50 Singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett is the frontman of EELS, and the group's only permanent member. Other musicians rotate in and out for studio and live performances. The alternative rock group first formed under the name EELS in 1996 and was one of the first bands to sign a deal with DreamWorks Pictures. As a result, many movies have featured EELS songs in their soundtracks, including the Shrek franchise. -
Imelda May at Brighton Music Hall
8pm/18+/$17.50 Irish singer Imelda May mixes blues and jazz vocals with guitar and the traditional Irish drum the bodhrán for a unique rockabilly sound. The guitar in her live shows is actually played by her husband, Darrel Higham. She began her musical career at the age of 16. Before embarking on her solo tour of smaller clubs like Brighton Music Hall, Imelda May is spending the early months of 2011 opening for Beck. -
Vanna at Royale
5pm/$18.60 Post-hardcore band Vanna is a group of New England natives who came together in 2004 and signed with Epitaph Records the following year. Fans appreciate their metal-influenced sound and energetic live shows. Their first full-length album, Curses, came out in 2007, and Vanna followed it up this year with A New Hope. The band considers A New Hope to be a step in a new direction, with greater focus on songwriting.
