If the jubilant melodies and debonair singing of You And I seem way too poppy for a band called Cut Off Your Hands, credit former Suede guitarist and in-demand producer Bernard Butler, who glossed over the sinewy New Zealand quartet’s punk roots with a strings-swept wall of sound. That it doesn’t dampen the high-impact core of frontman Nick Johnston’s shuddering anthems is nothing short of a miracle. Live, the band remains a sweaty blur of limbs and instruments, while the album is sort of a prep-school detour that is nonetheless one of the brighter spots on this year’s guitar-pop map. And there’s something to be said for each side of the band: You And I is the proper, likeable guy you bring home to your parents – there are even a few choice ballads – while the live show is the badass rebel that thrives on street smarts and adrenaline. Who ever said you couldn’t have both? With Thee Emergency. All ages.

Sun., June 21, 7:30 p.m., 2009