Sunset Rubdown

Sat., June 13, 9 p.m., $12-$13, with Elfin Saddle, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.

by Brian Howard

rock/pop

I'll eat up anything histrionic Canuck Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Swan Lake, Sunset Rubdown) puts out. Sometimes I'm not sure why. Here's my impression of a Krug song: intro that's either soft and melodic or nervy and anticipatory; into oblique lyrics that might be crazy; building to crescendo with banging piano, guitars and drums; climaxing in warbly, fever-pitch lyrics that, yes, are crazycrazycrazy (and maybe mythological); into a gasping, spazzy, shout-along chorus. If it's a formula, it's a weird one, and one that Krug's managed to keep fresh because manic hysteria is rarely boring. There's "Idiot Heart" on Sunset Rubdown's fourth LP, Dragonslayer (Jagjaguwar), with its refrain of "I hope that you die, in a decent pair of shoes" or the title-says-it-all "Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!" Each Krug piece is a longish swirl that feels at some point like it's about to spin completely out of control. Which I guess things are these days.

Sat., June 13, 9 p.m., $12-$13, with Elfin Saddle, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.