Thank God for Astronauts

Yeah, it’s indie, it has a cute name and its guitars chime more than they crunch. And the group shares a hometown with Dressy Bessy and Apples in Stereo. But being pop — pleasant, complex, unshowy pop — doesn’t mean Thank God for Astronauts is twee, and it certainly doesn’t mean the riffs in “1,000 Guitars” and “Shovel in a Basement” won’t lure you in anyway. Touring behind a pair of stellar records, TGAF has been wowing the indie press in every town for good reason: It hits that rare, sweet spot between the sugary obviousness of most power-pop and indieland’s obfuscation. Which is to say the group knocks out tunes you can hum without risk to your gray matter, and after the show, your less-discriminating friends will be lining up for merch just as quickly as you are.