philadelphia concert preview

philadelphia inquirer

by bethany klein
september 17, 2004

Throughout the '90s, as mainstream rock became angrier and mainstream pop became manufactured, bands like the Trashcan Sinatras, with its tender, pun-filled, guitar-based pop, were left in the lurch. For the Trashcans, that meant a third album that went unreleased in the States and bankruptcy. But since the group's relative reclusion following 1996's A Happy Pocket, something changed, and the moderate success of fellow Scots Belle and Sebastian proved that there's at least some Stateside appeal for clever soft pop. The Trashcan Sinatras' long-awaited fourth studio album, Weightlifting (SpinArt), manages to stay true to the style of the band's early material, while thicker production gives the record a less dated sound. Tracks such as the unabashedly melodious "All the Dark Horses" will sit happily and deservedly beside cult classics on this tour.

Trashcan Sinatras, with Roddy Hart, at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Trocadero, 10th and Arch Streets. Tickets: $15. Phone: 215-922-5483.

Originally appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer.