Cardiff, Wales-based indie pop septet Los Campesinos! is the sort of band that arouses much adoration, its members adopting the same enthusiastic surname – Campesinos! – and sharing vocal duties in addition to the occasional all-in-unison shouts and choruses. They produce quality guitar-driven pop hooks that fall against rich arrangements of boisterous sound marked by violin solos, the bell-like notes of a glockenspiel (like a xylophone but with metal bars), and the pleasant reediness of a melodica; offer a healthy dose of boy-girl harmonies (punk-snotty British brogue meets delicate, saccharine melody); and write humorous 21st-century style lyrics (“I swap the bruising for a bumping sensation / I'll be Ctrl-Alt-deleting your face with no reservations”). Titus Andronicus, a Jersey punk-pop five-piece, provides support on the band’s current U.S. tour. Tues., Jan. 20, 7 p.m. doors, Orpheum, 1902 Avenida Republica de Cuba, Ybor City, $13 in advance/$14 at the door.
This article appears in Jan 7-13, 2009.