Fpurl

Clearly we are big fans of The Cribs. The Brit-rock trio put out a great album last year, Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever, featuring the barreling title track (above). The band is a family affair--twins Ryan and Gary Jarman on guitar, bass, and vocals and baby brother Ross on drums--with the result being a sharp (and often sexy) mix of post-punk and edgy, precise pop.

But for all that they've got going for them, The Cribs just might be upstaged by their opening band, Ra Ra Riot. The Syracuse six-piece makes super-catchy orchestral pop with well-integrated flourishes of keyboards, cello, and violin. Last year, they came out of nowhere to wow crowds before the tragic accidental death of their drummer. Undaunted, the band bounced back, putting out a self-titled EP, touring pretty much non-stop, and working on their first full-length album (out sometime this year). Their sets are always charmingly jaunty and bouncy, and even with such a busy stage full of energetic musicians, they still maintain a sense of (still-fun) seriousness and gravitas. In that way, they're kinda like Arcade Fire, just without the world on the verge of imminent collapse.

Regardless of whether one band outshines the other, for the audience tomorrow night, it's win-win.

9pm // Chop Suey // 1325 E Madison // $12 // 21+