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Bryan Scary & the Shredding Tears The Shredding Tears (Black & Greene), the debut album from 23-year-old auteur Bryan Scary, succeeds either because of its laser-accurate reproduction of old Beatles, Kinks, and Bowie or despite it, I’m not sure. It feels a little cheap to laud Scary, who did everything except play drums here, for being a great mimic–with its deft melodies, expert arrangements, and arch campiness, The Shredding Tears is a pleasurable ride even if the scenery is a little too familiar. Scary will be backed by his new band at this show; Death Mask, Neil Diamond Phillips, and Ultra Sonic Edukators open. a 8:30 PM, Elbo Room, 2871 N. Lincoln, 773-549-5549, $7. –Miles Raymer
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c rob brown trio See Friday. a 9 PM, Velvet Lounge, 67 E. Cermak, 312-791-9050, $15.
LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES This Caracas band has been hawking more or less the same stuff since it emerged on the U.S. scene in the late 90s–a slick Spanish-language mix of latinized disco, funk, and acid jazz meant only to keep the dance floor burning. On last year’s Super Pop Venezuela (Gozadera), they managed to alter their formula by tackling a slew of hits from their homeland, and while the beats don’t let up, for the first time in the group’s history there are honest-to-goodness melodies beneath the grooves. Cultura Profetica and Mexican Institute of Sound open. a 8:30 PM, House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn, 312-923-2000 or 312-559-1212, $37.50-$50, 18+. –Peter Margasak
JOHNETTE NAPOLITANO If it weren’t for Johnette Napolitano, Concrete Blonde would be just another forgotten pop-rock band of the late 80s and early 90s–her big, rich voice, smoky and intimate even when stadium size, is the reason for their enduring cult status. She’s released a few collaborative albums and done some soundtrack work since the band broke up, but her first proper solo record, Scarred (Hybrid), was just released last week, and it’s a mixed bag. The spoken word stuff doesn’t really fly, but some of the hard-rock numbers soar; on “Save Me” she revisits New Orleans, the setting for much of Concrete Blonde’s Bloodletting, for some hair-raising, flood-inspired terror, and then she covers Coldplay. Chris Connelly opens. See also Wednesday. a 9 PM, Abbey Pub, 3420 W. Grace, 773-478-4408 or 866-468-3401, $18, $15 in advance. –Monica Kendrick
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cPIPETTES Given the ongoing mania for retooling old pop genres (alt-country, disco punk, freak folk) it seems almost preordained that the 60s girl-group sound will get its day in the sun. At first glance, this act from Brighton, England–singers Becki, Rose, and Gwenno plus an all-boy backing band called the Cassettes–might seem like a silly joke. But the Pipettes (with a soft i, not like the chem-lab gear) are as authentically inauthentic as any Phil Spector creation. In 2003 guitarist and promoter Monster Bobby (aka Bobby Barry, now a Cassette) observed how much people liked the Shangri-Las and Ronettes songs he dropped into his DJ sets and began recruiting singers with the help of a friend who’d been reading the KLF’s infamous manual on how to have a hit single. The women’s matching polka-dot dresses and choreographed moves are picture-perfect, and the group’s full-length debut, We Are the Pipettes (Memphis Industries), has the tunes to match. “It Hurts to See You Dance So Well” nails the vintage Spector formula with chirpy harmonies and glorious pop hooks, and the handful of cloying moments can’t spoil the escapist fun. Smoosh and Monster Bobby open. a 9:30 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, 773-276-3600 or 866-468-3401, sold out. –J. Niimi
