Kevin Bronson on June 9th, 2009

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The tightly wound, overcaffeinated electro-pop on the Handsome Furs’ second album, “Face Control” (released in March), seems almost too agitated to be Canadian in origin. Are nerves really that frayed in Montreal? Apparently (and thankfully) so, in the world of Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade) and Alexei Perry. Boasting sizzling electric guitars and outsized dance beats, the too-good-to-be-a-side-project duo visits the Echoplex on Thursday.

||| Download: “Radio Kalinigrad” and “I’m Confused”

Magnolia Electric Company’s forthcoming album “Josephine” (due July 21) pays tribute to the band’s former bassist Evan Farrell, who died in December 2007 from injuries sustained in a house fire. This one figures to ache a little, and songwriter Jason Molina is in fine form on the title track. The band plays the Echo on July 28.

||| Download: “Josephine”