Rooney is like the anti-Interpol. With their shiny and ebullient take on sunny American rock of the 70s and early 80s, and their shaggy, post-hippy rocker looks, they stand as a mirror image of Interpols noirish, British post-punk inflected sound and sleek, sharply dressed public face. Taken in that context, the band helps with hindsight exploration of one of the most hotly contested stretches in musical history, fiercely advocating for the lush and heavily produced pop that in part influenced the rise of the punk and eventually post-punk groups so inspirational to Interpol and its ilk. Whether or not you appreciate what Rooney does, take a minute to think about what Rooney means. These days, both the excessive, popped up and glossy sound of 1970s American airwaves, and the reactionary simplicity and edginess it inspired in the punk and post-punk movement exist side by side in the iPods, minds and hearts of the children (both literal and metaphorical) of those musical moments. Everything thats uncool will one day be cool. Its only a matter of time before something comes along to Rip it up and Start Again, but its all gonna come back around someday. With Tally Hall, Crash Kings. All ages. NICHOLAS HALL
Wed., Dec. 2, 7 p.m., 2009
