BAEBLE CONCERTS: The Raveonettes at Maxwell's

Mixing '50s-styled bubblegum melodies with loud, raunchy guitars might not sound like an instant hit. And you know what? It's not. To be fair, it takes about 10 seconds to fall in love with the Raveonettes' doo-wop/garage-rock sound, another 2 seconds to fall in love with their self-contained stageshow, and then a final 2 seconds to develop crushes on the band members. So, all in all, the Raveonettes will have you raving in 14 seconds flat.

The duo cranks up the distortion for this live show, and the absence of a drummer turns most of the songs into guitar-led vehicles for Wagner and Foo's harmonies. Their vocals are Velcro-tight, rising and falling in identical steps, nearly indistinguishable in their similarity to each other. Even with the guitars turned up, the pair's voices remain soft and sweet, providing a sugary topping to the hard-edged rock candy beneath.

If you combined The Velvet Underground with the Everly Brothers, you might approximate this band's sound. But you know what? You can't do that. You can check out the Raveonettes' intimate, two-person performance, though, so Push Play and enjoy That Great Love Sound.
- Andrew Leahey