How to describe Lazar Lazar without making its members – brothers Zach, Max and Alex Hoffman – sound like the Muppet Babies? They are so young! So adorable! It’s tempting to name them Kings of Leon, Junior and just call it a day. But that’s just not fair to a band that’s already so solid.

True, the band displays a great deal of prodigious, raw talent. And true, its members are young. However, to only describe Lazar Lazar as "up-and-coming" is a discredit to its members’ lifetime of music. The brothers Hoffman were raised by musical parents and taught to play instruments at a very young age, and it shows in their sound. Complex chords, vocal harmonies and heavily melodic tunes set them apart from many other young wannabes.

And even though they are family (almost always a prickly situation in rock music), there seems to be no Followill-esque egos in this group. They share lead vocals on many songs, and each member gets his chance to shine – more Hanson brothers than Gallagher.

Lazar Lazar appeared at 12th & Porter Saturday night, and in truth, the band felt somewhat out of their element. They zipped through their set at a breakneck pace, without stopping to allow the audience to revel in the music. They’ve got some things to work out in terms of their overall stage performance, there’s no doubt. However, perhaps the Hoffmans were hoping that the music spoke for itself – and with riffs as catchy as theirs, it certainly made an impression. – Katherine Heriges

Tetsuo is one of the best rock ‘n’ roll outfits to emerge from Murfreesboro in the past few years, but it’s hard to catch them out in Nashville proper in terms of venues. So make sure and catch them shredding at The Springwater this Saturday with Seafood Hotline, and give a listen to their shabby punkish record, These Crystals Don’t Burn. 9 p.m., $5.

We know you’ve been planning on it, but if not, consider this a last reminder from us to get yer asses over to The Basement tomorrow night to catch The Remains. You know, that band dubbed “garage heroes” by The Guardian, that kicked all sorts of ass and opened for The Beatles’ US tour in ’66 then kinda dropped off the map. Those Remains. $10 at 9.

Only a few more days til indie electro-pop whiz Kyle Andrews drops Robot Learn Love on Aug. 16, but you can download “The Search For A Heart” now via Baeble Music. Or soak up all the beats now and stream the entire album through Absolute Punk.

Photo by Katherine Heriges

It’s often said that Nashvillians are hard to impress at a rock show. Nashville crowds are often prone to lifeless head-bobbing, or perhaps a little too much commentary on the band of the night. Everyone’s a critic here.

That’s why it was a breath of fresh air to be present at 12th and Porter Thursday night for The Future‘s album release show – nobody was busy being too cool, and everyone was moving their feet. The audience was almost half as lively as The Future’s electrifying frontman, Adam Culver, who moves across the stage like James Brown tweaking on Four Loko.

Culver and his band mates – bassist Jordan Culver, guitarist Eric Sadowsky and the bespectacled, bowtied Bryan Feece – commanded the audience not by begging everyone to clap their hands, but with the sheer energy they projected during the entire duration of the show. Songs that fell somewhat flat on the band’s newest album, Grow Young, suddenly rose to new heights. The Future knows how to put on a rock show.

They highlighted some of the best tracks from the album, including the haunting "Man of the People" (which was more rocking and less creepy in a live setting), "Don’t You Dare" and "Come on Down," the album’s closer. They also played a fantastic, soulful rendition of Sam Cooke’s "Bring it on Home to Me," which they transitioned into a much less successful cover of Cooke’s "A Change is Gonna Come." The Future’s set was short but effective, which was a blessing as they were the fourth and last band of the night.

The Future shared the staged with Oh No No, Stagolee, and Kink Ador, all out of Nashville. Oh No No were incredibly fun and offered some choice moments, but the real surprise of the night was Kink Ador and their ridiculously talented lead singer/bassist, Sharon Koltick. In two or three years’ time, there’s no reason that Kink Ador shouldn’t be opening for a blockbuster band on tour. – Katherine Heriges

The weekend’s jammed with killer shows, kicking off tonight with The Clutters and True Widow opening for Kurt Vile & the Violators at Mercy (if you don’t have Vile’s Smoke Ring For My Halo, stop what you’re doing and get it right now). But before you head over there, swing by The Groove at 5:30 to see William Tyler, Ancient Ocean and Lylas.

Depending on how much cash you got, you can catch Caitlin Rose opening for The Decemberists at the Ryman on Saturday, or we’ll see you at The Springwater for Frank The Fuck Out, Bummer and Reid Magette. Also a FREE show at Mercy with Kyle Andrews (whose new record Robot Learn Love drops Aug. 16), The Cadillac Black, Jeremy Lister and DJ Fat Andy for Black 13 Tattoo’s third anniversary party.

We’re really excited for Sunday though, cause Natural Child is gonna be at Spring with Liquor Store. Check it out.

Last Saturday, JEFF the Brotherhood appeared on MTV2’s return-premiere of “120 Minutes” with its old host, Matt Pinfield. If you missed it, you can watch the full episode here. (When are we gonna stop using this old-ass picture of JEFF?)

The Raconteurs have confirmed a home show at the Ryman Sept. 15, which is one reason to look forward to the end of summer. Tickets go on sale Aug. 5 at noon at the Ryman Box Office and Ticketmaster for about $40.

Also, one of Nashville’s favorite twee garage trios dropped one wicked release today. Too bad The Ettes are celebrating in New York and not Nashville. Stay tuned for a review of Wicked Will, maybe an additional piece on The Ettes if you’re lucky.

LA-based Evol Prod, an all-encompassing company that provides managerial, pr and recording services to artists, are presenting a showcase at Hard Rock Sunday night featuring three of their bands, which includes locals Staying For The Weekend. The Nashville headliners are sharing the bill with fellow indie rock acts A Hero En Route and Sounds Taken. Show starts at 8.

Grow Young, the latest effort from The Future, is an improvement overall from their 2009 debut Is Now, but it lacks the individual gems that the first record boasted.

The Future, whose members call Tennessee home by way of North Dakota, have made a great impression on the local scene over the past few years with a sound that mixes the soulful rock of Nashville with good old-fashioned Midwestern angst. However, they have also suffered from a disease that has plagued many rock bands – they sound great live, but they have trouble keeping up the same energy on recorded tracks.

The first track, "Man of the People," seems to be an attempt to address that issue. It is one of the most fascinating on the album, with vocalist Adam Culver adopting an eerie falsetto over a creeping dirge of instrumentation. It’s deeply interesting, and it seems like it would be difficult to recreate during a live show. "Locker Bay" and "Another Last Chance" also seem to contain some experimentation with the abilities of a studio as a fifth band member.

Other parts of the record, however, move along too slowly; while I imagine those same songs sound amazing in a live setting, to listen to them on an iPod is not an energizing experience. (While live music is, generally, going to be a more invigorating experience for a listener, when a band doesn’t pay enough thought as to how it will sound recorded, it begs the question as to why one should buy the album at all).

This album is, however, much more polished and thoughtful than The Future’s previous work, though it doesn’t have the same danceable quality that Is Now had. One track that does seem to be a tip to fans of their first record is the immensely fun, Hives-esque "Don’t You Dare,” though again, I imagine the live version transcends the recording.
The Future is in a state of transition, from an anonymous indie act to one that is on the proverbial verge. Grow Young might not be the act’s herald onto the national stage, but it is nonetheless a step to greater things. – Katharine Heriges

There’s been lots of buzz around town this week about the Nirvana tribute album that SPIN Magazine just released, mainly because our local punk rockers, JEFF the Brotherhood were included on it. They chose to cover "Something In the Way," and we have no qualms about saying that their track is the best on the album. Hands down. Jessica Lea Mayfield, Amanda Palmer, and Surfer Blood weren’t too bad either. The album is free to download, however–all you have to do is "Like" SPIN’s Facebook page–so you should check it out anyway and decide for yourself. Thank you kindly, SPIN.–Deli Editor