SOLD OUT: Fleet Foxes, Dungen

Their five-part harmonies say beach and corner stoop even if their lyrics say woods and river, an indie soft-rock as rooted in Brian Wilson and doo wop as in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young or whatever else is blowing through the jasmine of their minds. Paying too close attention to Fleet Foxes' words seems hazardous, anyway—their apparent place- and name-specificity combines with an impenetrable narrative vagueness, surprising given how much obvious care went into baroque song structures and gleaming guitar textures. That said, "Mykonos" (from an EP included with the vinyl version of last year's eponymous Sub Pop debut) is great pop music, pure if not simple, and it would be if it were sung in a made-up language, which it practically is. As catchy as a Jefferson Airplane or Fleetwood Mac classic but attuned to the production tastes of Elliott Smith fans, it makes the case for frontman Robin Pecknold as a pop star, no matter how much atmosphere, harmony, or beard he hides behind. 18+. (photo by David Belisle)
Sun., Aug. 9, 8 p.m., 2009