Preview: Islands @ The Mohawk [Tonight]

Halloween is just around the corner and it’s natural to gravitate towards all things dreary and sinister leading up to October 31st. Especially in light of the gloomy weather in Central Texas lately. But if you’re in the mood for irresistible melodies garnished with glistening synthesizer and drum machine beats, head down to The Mohawk tonight for a hearty helping of Islands’ shiny pop songs. Although the Canadian band’s lyrics have been known to contain some dark subject matter, their forte is undeniable hooks and hum-along choruses, the kind that bounce around in your head all day. The duo of Nick Thorburn and Jamie Thompson formed Islands in 2005 following the demise of The Unicorns and released their debut album Return To The Sea in April of 2006. Thompson left the band shortly after, leaving Thorburn to spearhead 2008’s Arm’s Way but rejoined the ranks prior to Vapours. The new album (released last month) finds Thorburn, Thompson, and company in good form, fine-tuning an accessible collection of atmospheric synth-pop soundscapes to perfection.

First up this evening, enjoy Toro Y Moi’s (a.k.a. Chaz Bundick) experimental electronic palette along with polished punk-pop from Jemina Pearl (once of Be Your Own Pet). Pearl, who mesmerized us with her ferocious stage presence at SXSW a few years ago, recently dropped her solo debut Break It Up, featuring cameos from the likes of Thurston Moore, Iggy Pop, and David Sitek (TV On The Radio). Although we won’t be seeing any of those legends this Tuesday night at The Mohawk, Pearl packs enough punch to power any live show just by herself. Take it all in for a measly $12.

Outside:
[Islands MySpace]
[Jemina Pearl MySpace]
[Toro Y Moi MySpace]
Inside (11:30 p.m.):
[A Faulty Chromosome MySpace]
[The Great Nostalgic MySpace]