Hello Stranger

Touring behind their self-titled debut CD, Hello Stranger invaded the Replay Lounge on Wednesday, Feb. 21, playing to a small group of people ready to hear some dance-rock mixed with new wave and disco. But unlike several bands in the genre, Hello Stranger didn’t fill their set with dirty dance-punk, and lead singer Juliette Commagere didn’t try to sound British.

Instead, their smartly crafted pop songs (reminiscent of The Cardigans, Fleetwood Mac and The Sounds) demanded attention, with their killer hooks and solid grooves anchored by drummer Joachim Cooder and bassist Ben Messelbeck.

“Her in These Lights” featured soaring keys and a strong halftime groove, while “Dancing For No One” had a mysterious disco feel. Guitarist Jared Smith lost his guitar strap during the song, but never stopped giving his all as the band continued to put energy into every beat.

On “We Used to Talk” the band got quiet for a few minutes and showcased a great bluesy lead from Smith. It was great to see a dance-rock band play a laidback song without having to explode at the end.

On “Es Tu Vida,” Hello Stranger showcased one of its neatest talents — playing a song completely in Spanish and actually pulling it off without sounding like a cheap gimmick.

They closed the powerful set with “Which Side Is Mine,” which showed the band truly focused with the locked-in rhythm section and clapping assistance from the audience.

Since you missed your chance to see them, your best bet is to pick up their self-titled debut and fall in love, because simply put, every song is good.

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Midnight Movies

Los Angeles’ Midnight Movies brought their psychedelic rock to the Bottleneck on Tuesday, Feb. 20. Playing before a good-sized audience, they meandered through a set full of driving anthems and droning vocals.

The set opened with “Lion Song,” which started with subtle tambourine and a low and steady feel before building to a quicker tempo with fiery guitar leads from Larry Schemel, subtle background vocals from drummer Sandra Vu, and thumping bass.

From there, the set continued in a similar fashion of slow, quiet intros building to fast tempos, with driving guitar and somewhat off-key vocals.

Throughout the set, the band looked awkward and aloof, as if they were jamming on the material for the first time. Though this hurt them in some ways, it matched the imagery of the songs: mysterious, confusing art rock with a heavy low end. Yet it did little to liven up their repetitive set.

Midnight Movies’ new album, Lion The Girl, comes out April 24.