Middle Brother

Middle Brother must have sneaked into older brother Monsters of Folk’s bedroom and ripped a page out of its diary. The supergroup of sorts is another alt-country dream team with a little less cheek in its title: John McCauley of Deer Tick, Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit and Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes. Magazines with folk boners are already pleading with the guys to make sure this isn’t just a one-off — cough, cough, Paste — but, in this instance, it’s merited. The fusion is hip-twisting, old-fashioned rock-and-roll music with a touch of twang, and it’s infectious. Don’t believe me? Listen to the raspy-voiced, piano-pounding shimmy of “Me Me Me.” (It doesn’t hurt that the trio is clearly paying homage to the Replacements by copping a cover of “Portland.”) Don’t miss the chance to see McCauley, Vasquez and Goldsmith cast off the dusty confines of the acoustic spectrum and rock out. You might not get the chance again.