The current manifestation of Echo and the Bunnymen is not as ravaged as, say, the Axl-driven version of Guns N' Roses, but Echo 2005 might not be what fans remember from the '80s. The iconic band has seen tumultuous times over the past 15 years, side projects and breakups abound, but at least the variation found on their newest release, Siberia, includes original singer Ian McCulloch - unlike 1990's Reverberation. McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant have released four albums under the Echo moniker since their '97 comeback, and the most noticeable alteration to their band's characteristic sound is optimism. The dark gloom that made "The Killing Moon" such a big hit is hard to find on Siberia - which seems odd, considering the connotation of the title. In fact, even the lead song, "Stormy Weather," is delightfully poppy, complete with jangly melodies and an uplifting chorus. Apparently Echo kept the nomenclature shadowy but introduced a brighter beauty to its tunes. (Appearing with Innaway at Metro on Nov. 25) --text: Lindsay Sakraida--photo: Joe Dilworth

Formed in Chicago in late 2002, Future Rock pioneered a live sound incapable by most attempting to fuse rock with electronic dance elements. Dance rock, as the scope of the indie world sees it today, is really just a revivalist approach at a less pretentious post-punk/new wave creation from the late '70s and early '80s. Future Rock stands out from the current crowd of dance rockers for not just reinterpreting this sound, but for developing something sincere for the future of what dance rock really should be. They have no particular set genre. Not just yet. With drums, bass, and keys creating the framework of their sound, Future Rock builds their breakbeat-driven grooves up through a collection of electronics - completely mastered by these geniuses of music theory. Live shows elicit blissful dancing chaos while in the studio, Future Rock are looking to capture the finest of their electronic mastery on their debut record. Look for it sometime next spring. (Appearing with Orchard Lounge at Subterranean on Nov. 23) --text: Alan Yoshi

Multiple personality syndrome hasn't been this entertaining since Rosanne Barr. Southern California's Innaway stir up musical genres like drinks at a frat-house happy hour. Two shots of languid shoe-gaze, one long pour of frenzied psych-rock and a jigger of blues make for a potent first record that will turn your eardrums blurry. Mixed by Tortoise's John McIntyre, one of the best sonic bartenders in the business, Innaway's self-titled debut drapes singer Jim Schwarz's breathy vocals in quiet synth organs, slow-core guitars and a militant drumbeat. Opener "Threathawk" starts off with a dusty harmonica intro circa early Zeppelin while songs like "The Strings of North Egg" recall Meddle-era Pink Floyd. The band secured a tour slot with Echo and Bunnyman this winter after music bloggers pasted the Web with cyber-buzz about their summer shows with Brian Jonestown Massacre. Innaway's nightly upstaging of the DIG! celebrities proved that sometimes it's better if your music acts crazier than you do. (Appearing with Echo & the Bunnymen at Metro on Nov. 25) --text: Sean Foran

Technically, the Clientele is a London-based band. But rather than follow the city's frenetic pace, the heart of this band beats to a calmer, more composed drummer. The ethereal musicians are in fact transplants from the bucolic and seaside Hampshire County, which may explain why the band is oft linked to California psychedelia. There is some merit in such comparisons. The idyllic pop on the Clientele's latest Merge release, Strange Geometry, seems more at home echoing across coastal lands than busy city streets. But unlike old psych records from the '60s, there's no dust to blow off the Clientele. Their music is retrofitted psych pop for the new millennium. Their fresh soundscapes conjure warm and breezy images - thanks in part to the orchestral work of fellow transplant, by way of France, Louis Philippe - and their tranquil pace forgoes flashy riffs for musical embraces. The Clientele doesn't jostle shoulders for attention; instead, it creeps in. (Appearing with Annie Hayden at Abbey Pub on Nov. 19) --text: Lindsay Sakraida--photo: Pat Graham

© 2008 Innerview Media, Inc.

:: developed by InfraStrategy