Portlands Hockey is already a huge hit in the UK, and it probably wont be long before we follow suit. The quartets debut, Mind Chaos, might be something of a cross between the Talking Heads and the Strokes, with its jumpy rhythms and singer Benjamin Grubins mumbly, very Casablancas-esque vocals. Its really too easy to see the appeal here the exuberant groove of Learn to Lose and the irresistibly sexy shuffle of Work are seriously catchy and still psychedelic and soulful enough to keep the hipsters happy. Hockeys already been billed as a new wave revivalist band and in a consciously self-aware spirit, tracks like Too Fake poke fun at the very sheen of cool that the songs pulsing beat exudes (Ive got too much soul for the world), while Song Away winkingly name-checks Roxy Music and goes as far as to declaim, I like to let you know Ill always be straight with you. Its all meta as fuck, but since the beats sound as good as these do, well bite. All ages. E. THOMPSON
Wed., Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m., 2010