Bloglander

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is a glass of cool water in a dry industry. The New York indie-pop quartet pulls back the gauzy curtain of shoegaze a bit to produce a sound that’s bright and upbeat, but tinged with real sadness. On the band’s lauded 2011 sophomore album, Belong, it maintains its take on shoegaze, but adds in the optimism of ’90s college rock and Brit Pop. It’s bitter, happy music: the sounds of smiling in the rain, and laughing at disaster. Catch The Pains of Being Pure At Heart with Radiation City and Gathered Ghosts tonight at 8 pm. The Belltower, 125 SE Spring St., Pullman. $15 at the door. All-ages. belltowerpullman.com

D A W N S, the musical project driven by Montana singer-songwriter David Boone, makes emotive rock for the Coldplay crowd. In fact, UK producer Danton Supple — who had hands in the making of Coldplay — caught wind of DAWNS last year, and helped produce the band's first self-titled EP this past June. Check out the swelling, dynamic sounds of D A W N S — with songwriter j.wong — tonight at Nyne at 9 pm. $8. Gotta be 21.