Dappled Cities at the Pabst

The gig 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 30
Genre alt-pop
Where Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St.
How much $10
Info www.dappledcitiesfly.com

Here’s another reason you should go to the Pabst tonight: it’s a night where the British Empire rules again. The Fratellis are Scottish, the Switches are from England and Dappled Cities are Australian. So you’re totally justified in calling your mates cause you know this show’s going to be a banger.

Dappled Cities (also known in Sydney as Dappled Cities Fly) has been ruling my iPod for months now. My cousins are Australian so they keep me abreast of good music from Down Under, and as a great publicist said, their latest, “Granddance” is one of the best of the year. The band is on tour now, and is staying stateside til December, said Dave Rennick, co-frontman of the band. (He shares vocal duties with Tim Derricourt.)

Now touring throught the U.S., Rennick (who was easier to understand than Jon Fratelli, by the way), said American geography has yet to have any relevance to him. Still, the reception has been awesome, he said (before the Fratellis they were touring with Canadians Tokyo Police Club). “We definitely got to see the American crowd — now that the album ‘s out, it’s really great and rewarding because people knew our songs and were singing along,” he said.

Dappled Cities’ songs are a mix of bravado, whimsy and dance-pop, drawing comparisons to David Bowie, and the Church. “I always thought we were just your garden variety indie pop band,” Rennick said, drolly. Instead, with it’s upbeat melodies, interchanging vocals and happy hooks, it makes for perfect make-out music, perfect cleaning music and perfect driving music.

It’s also very charming music, a trait that Rennick delivers over the phone easily. He jokes about needing naps and being unable to keep up with tourmates Tokyo Police Club (who are only 20). He names Arcade Fire, the Beach Boys and Roy Orbison as their influences, and even namechecks the Midwest indie scene (i.e., Pavement and the Flaming Lips) for their eclectic sound. Like every garden variety indie pop band, “What we try and do is create something on our own,” Rennick said.

Having two songwriters –and singers — in a band is a bit odd, no? I ask if it’s like being parents, as there’s a definite yin and yang contrast in their music. Rennick laughed. “That’s a good analogy. But as long as I get to wear the pants then it’s OK,” he said. And yes, there is a “competitive edge to get things moving,” he added.

Bonus: Trivia Box!

Rennick named a few of his favorite things because he was being cute. Ahem.

Fave cheese Blue Vein
Fave beer “We don’t drink Tooheys in Australia, you know. Just kidding. Umm…Pabst Blue Ribbon.” Yeah, right. “OK, Cooter Browns. Which I drink a lot.”
Do they watch football? “No. We don’t have football in Australia. We have cricket, rugby and soccer. There’s also a weird sport called Australian football with different rules.”
Fave movie “Godfather 2”
On his playlist “Lucky Man,” by Emerson, Lake and Palmer…oh you don’t know it? Look it up, it’s a banger,” Rennick laughed. “Actually, I’ve got an mp3 player that’s not an iPod. Its one of the dodgy ones so I never know what I’m listening to. You should just make one up for me.”

—Lilledeshan Bose