Music Forecast 10.9–10.15: The War on Drugs, Glenn Tilbrook, the Souveneers, and more

Temples

It wasn’t that long ago that Temples was in town, playing to a sold-out crowd at RecordBar. The English band is back Tuesday, this time at the Riot Room, continuing a tour in support of its debut, Sun Structures. When that album was released in February, music critics and fans fell over themselves to praise it. On Sun Structures, Temples borrows from 1960s psychedelic influences and re-creates them with light alterations to the sound. So anyone who was tripping in the ’60s or is fond of romanticizing that particular era has found in Temples the antidote to Summer of Love nostalgia. So what if Temples isn’t showing much originality? At least it sounds good.

Tuesday, October 14, the Riot Room (4048 Broadway, 816-442-8179)

Glenn Tilbrook

In March, Squeeze frontman and guitarist Glenn Tilbrook released a solo album, Happy Ending, which I assumed was a euphemism. (C’mon, you did, too.) But Tilbrook isn’t that jaded, and his songs end up pretty fluffy without Squeeze partner Chris Difford to write lyrics for his melodies. Not that Happy Ending is a waste of time. Far from it. It’s a friendly, charmingly folksy album (Tilbrook has forsaken electric guitars for this release) with earthy themes. It’s the kind of album that you’d pop in on a road trip with a car packed with kids, teens and parents, and no one would find anything to complain about.

Monday, October 13, RecordBar (1020 Westport Road, 816-753-5207)

The Souveneers

In August, St. Joseph’s the Souveneers released Dance American, a fast-paced, jaunty ride that sounds a bit like Roots Music 101. The band hopscotches through various subgenres — bluegrass, rockabilly, hillbilly — on the nine songs, and the energy level never drops. Dance American is just less than 30 minutes, and it’s a fun, infectious ride, replete with catchy harmonies and high-spirited bursts of mandolin. Wednesday night at the Westport Saloon, the Souveneers kick off a regional tour. There’s no chance of staying in your seat once this band starts playing, so order your whiskey shots ahead of time.

Wednesday, October 15, Westport Saloon (4112 Pennsylvania, 816-960-4560)

The War on Drugs

The War on Drugs’ singer and songwriter, Adam Granduciel, has spoken extensively about the depression and paranoia he suffered after returning home from a long tour for Slave Ambient in 2011. If the best art comes from pain, Granduciel’s struggle has produced one of 2014’s best albums, Lost in a Dream. Hazy, restless Americana-rock tracks carouse through Dream‘s hour. It’s like early Springsteen meets Guided By Voices’ psychedelic fuzz, and it sounds better with every listen. See the Philadelphia band live Saturday at the Granada.

Saturday, October 11, the Granada (1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence, 785-842-1390)

Field Report

The charm of Field Report lies in frontman Chris Porterfield. In the early aughts, Porterfield played in Justin Vernon’s first band, DeYarmond Edison. Then, two years ago, Field Report released a stunning self-titled debut. The raw songs had a distinctly Midwestern flavor as Porterfield drew landscapes of endless, brown-snow Wisconsin winters and honest portraits of easily relatable people. On October 7, Field Report released Marigolden, and though Porterfield’s songwriting talent is still sharp, his themes have taken a personal turn. Marigolden finds Porterfield at his most honest, exploring the displacement that his surprise success has brought him and his dependence on alcohol to cope with those changes. Ready yourself for some raw healing Sunday at the Tank Room.

Sunday, October 12, the Indie on Main (1228 Main, 816-283-9950)