The Broken West @ Spaceland, 1/15

As eclectic and long-tailed as today'''s musical market is, there still must be a hit factory somewhere, a la Tin Pan Alley or the Brill Building, where perfect pop is churned out. Just when you thought Belle and Sebastian or the Shins had perfected the three-minute indie-rock pop song, along comes a new band like The Broken West (formerly the Brokedown) to prove that particular art form still has some juice left in it. Perfect example: ''"Down in the Valley,''" off of the band'''s Merge debut I Can'''t Go On, I'''ll Go On (out January 23), a tune full of Big Star guitars and a helluva catchy chorus. The Valley mentioned is most likely our own, as the boys are Angelenos. Merge is a perfect home for the band, right beside fellow pretty pop-rockers Portastatic and Camera Obscura. This free show is part of the band's January residence at Spaceland before they hit the road later this year in support of the Walkmen. Also on the bill are singer-songwriter Richard Swift and indie-rockers Head Like a Kite. (JZ)
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