Atomic Flea

With everyone trying so hard to carve out a brand-new place for themselves in the world, Atomic Flea seem to have discovered plenty of room in the old spaces and set up shop on Babadebaba, the release of which they will be celebrating tonight. The ghosts of the Byrds and the Beatles—with just a smidge of They Might Be Giants—shake the dust off their chains and haunt these songs for a new generation, not to explicitly remind anyone of a particular band so much as a particular time. Atomic Flea don't sound overtly nostalgic themselves, but certainly possess the ability to trigger nostalgic feelings within the listener for the simpler time in your life when things like a job, bills, mortgages, and the like were adult concerns and all you had to worry about was the level of air in the tires of your bicycle and the occasional math problem. Well, now you're an adult with all the crappy, boring responsibilities that go along with it. Hopefully, though, your sense of wonder and ability to a have guilt-free, careless good time have not left you. If not, prepare for a euphoric night out; if so, may God save your soul. With the Humbugs.
Sat., July 5, 9:30 p.m., 2008