Words fail a writer somewhat when trying to classify a group like The Extraordinaires. Are they folkies? Are they old-timey, boogie woogie saloon music? Are they Beatles-esque, 60's pop? All of these things are accurate to some extent, but you can't help but feel a little guilty after saying each of them because it's quite clear that The Extraordinaires occupy their own oddly familiar universe. However, one thing that's constant is their theatrics and off-kilter sense of humor. They have a song called "Hi Five the Cactus" (about a cactus fellow named Hi Five who enjoys giving hi-fives...seriously). Their albums are released as conceptual, hand-made storybooks. But there's a distinct difference between nonsense and gimmickry, and The Extraordinaires certainly aren't gimmickry, as their fun melodies and memorable lyrics attest to. And fresh off a stint of shows with gypsy-punk pioneers Gogol Bordello, they show no signs of stopping. Enjoy them tonight at Johnny Brenda’s when members of The Armchairs join Jay Purdy and Matt Gibson on stage as part of their madcap band with opener New Jersey’s Real Estate! Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave, 9 p.m., $10, 21+ myspace.com/theextraordinaires - Joe Poteracki

 

After such a strong showing in our annual Best of Philly Emerging Artists Open Contest, it’s nice to see that we’ll already have a chance to hear Levee Drivers perform live in 2010. It seems like this band “born in the wrong era” is beginning to make their mark on the present landscape of the local indie music scene. Count on their sound to emulate artists like The Man In Black and Wilco when they rock out tonight at North Star Bar. They’ll be joined by Yardley’s powerpopsters Run To Sandy. North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., 9pm, $8, 21+ myspace.com/hentaimusic - Bill McThrill

It is still kind of sad to see the house show spot Chernobyl no longer hosting events. But ever since Da Comrade! moved on from their venue/home, they’ve continued to blow it up like the disaster that it was named for! The War From Your Living Room was another favorite release of mine last year. Everything from the recording to the design of the album cover was a full blown group effort by the band and their Chernobyl Collective. Catching their live performance usually adds up to seeing them painted up and doing something quite unexpected on top of their incendiary music. That’s why catching them at Tritone tonight might just have to be your prerogative. They’ll be joined by Tongue Sculptors whose music seems to echo everything from lo-fi garage to Tom Waits. Tritone, 1508 South St., 9pm, $5, 21+ myscape.com/dacomrade - Bill McThrill