Ross and the Hellpets Straight Choice

Optimism, Ross and the Hellpets’ disc from last year, is a blast of hook-laden power-pop with pitch-perfect harmonies and leftist political lyrics mixed with a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek humour. Founding member and Louisiana native Ross Beach comes with top indie credentials—he played bass with the Elephant 6 collective, including Neutral Milk Hotel (whose 1998 record In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is a psyche-pop classic). Bassist the Countess is, well, the Countess—what more need be said? Chris Baker on drums rounds out the Portland-based trio, which plays Pub 340 Saturday (April 8).

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