Last year, Merge Records released I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On, the debut long-player from Los Angeles quintet the Broken Westan excellent introduction to the band’s bright blend of power-pop, jangle-rock, and classic late-’60s Cali-pop songwriting. Though hints of Big Star, the Hollies, and the Beatles could be heard in their tunes, the Broken West was relentlessly compared to Summerteeth-era Wilco, and not entirely unfairly. But a sweaty, exuberant performance last spring at the Showbox opening for the Long Winters proved the band is confidently heading down its own sonic path, with terrific songs in tow. They’ve just put the wraps on a new album that’s due to drop this fall, so expect to hear a bunch of fresh tunes when they roll back into town. As Kirkland, Wash.-born bassist Brian Whelan told me last year, “The next album will be a different experience, and I’m looking forward to that it probably won’t be that sorta wide-eyed innocence, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be good.” Guess we’ll find out on Tuesday. With the Blakes and New Faces. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m., $10. All ages.
Tue., June 24, 8 p.m., 2008