An American Chinese reminds me of that feeling you get when you hear something that’s totally new and yet oddly familiar at the same time, like an old friend that you forgot about and then remembered is absolutely amazing. There’s definitely a lot of that punky folk-pop, not unlike the Violent Femmes, and then other tracks carry the mark of Elephant 6 bands, with their playful synths and vocal harmonies. But neither of these things is particularly intrusive, and at the end of your listening experience, all you can really think of is "Hmm…An American Chinese…Wow." Also get there early for those space oddities Orbit to Leslie. North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar Street, 9pm, $8, 21+ – Joe Poteracki