For a crash course on some of the catchiest indie bands around, the Rock and Roll Hotel is the place to be this evening. It's a stacked lineup with nary a weak spot, so get there early and make sure to wear some comfortable shoes. We haven't heard much from headliners the Roosevelt since the band's excellent 2006 EP, which was full of breezy, tuneful tracks. Hopefully the band's new material sounds just as good. Gary B and the Notions play power-pop and do it very well. Hooks, melodies, harmonies -- there will be no shortage of any of those elements when the Baltimore quartet hits the stage. Kitty Hawk, overlooked members of the Federal Reserve collective, have recently been reduced from a quartet to a duo, but the stripped-down lineup works just fine for the band's hushed indie-folk offerings. The Beanstalk Library made David's year-end Local Mixtape and the band's album "America at Night" still sounds great months after the initial thrill of the new has worn off.

--David Malitz (Jan. 2008)