Ah, El Ten Eleven. The instrumental rock duo, Kristian Dunn (double necked guitars) and Tim Fogarty (drums), put out such engaging music that it still surprises me that they aren’t playing larger venues. However, those who have heard them will return to show after show when they get a chance. And it was surprising that the New York area had a chance when the band came to Maxwell’s in Hoboken for one short night in early 2012. The band had made some last minute decisions to do a tour along the east coast following a string of dates on the west coast and through SXSW.

The tail end of opener Busy P’s set did not give any suggestion as to what Justice had in store for their sold out shows at Terminal 5 in New York on March 16th. The audience was still meandering in while Busy P played some indie / rock songs to hype up the crowd. Justice, however, are not the mainstream. They aren’t even part of the mainstream dubstep or rock trends in electronic music. This French DJ duo put together songs with a bit of artistry and a bit of drama like their fellow countrymen, Daft Punk. The audience, anticipating a heavy hitting set of tracks from the albums † and Audio, Video, Disco were not wearing neon, fuzzy boots or waving glow sticks. This wasn’t a club night, this was was the start of the electronic producers Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay’s first US tour in two years, and the first since the release of Audio, Video, Disco.

A few months ago, this gig was announced for a date at the tiny Mercury Lounge by a new band called New Build. Only thing was the group’s members have been in some very big bands, namely LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip. So when that night quickly sold out, another was added with the same result. Maybe New Build’s indie pop is a bit underdeveloped—not the perfectly polished party music of Hot Chip or the brilliantly nuanced dance music of LCD Soundsystem, but it’s a welcome addition to the scene just the same. The crowd that did manage entrance to the first show on March 13 was eager to get their groove on and the set list certainly did not disappoint anyone in that regard.

Fanfarlo appeared at Webster Hall on March 6th to play new songs from their latest release, Rooms Filled with Light. Listening to this album, it seems like a strong collaborative effort by the London-based quintet. They fuse layers of indie pop with folk instrumentation that creates the group mentality of a jam. But seeing them on stage, fans realize that the band is more a vision of frontman Simon Balthazar, as he calls the shots from center stage. As the singer/songwriter with a rich baritone of a ‘80s pop star, he commands the group in its musicality and pacing of the show. After opening the night with the first track of their new album, “Replicate”, he offered a cheery hello, thanking the crowd for coming to see them. Balzathar explained how these new songs were like having a second baby, so he was hoping they were to the audience’s liking. He also called the red lights in the venue the “fires of hell” and gave a Swedish language lesson in his native tongue to say, “skål” as he drank white wine out a bottle.

Behind the band, a hexagon-shaped screen was used for footage of bikes, flora and other such random items. The set was sprinkled with hits from their first release, 2009’s Reservoir, such as “I’m a Pilot”, “Comets”, “Luna” and “Harold T. Wilkins, or How to Wait for a Very Long Time”. These older, better known songs were greeted warmly as people chimed in with the familiar lyrics. But these selections also came off as the stronger compositions, barring the single “Shiny Things”. (An accompanying light show of sparkling dots behind the band added to the allure of the majestic melody.) For the encore, a mellow new song entitled “Bones” was presented before Fanfarlo’s biggest hit, “The Walls Are Coming Down”. With a building introduction into this tale of delusions by the Italian priest Pellegrino Ernetti, the night ended with everyone in the audience swaying back and forth while singing together.

It’s been a busy year since PopMatters covered the London-based band Bombay Bicycle Club at their first American gig last March in the confines of Mercury Lounge. Singer/Songwriter Jack Steadman still leads the charge from center stage, with bassist Ed Nash on one side and guitarist Jamie MacColl on the other. Together they power through their indie rock with drummer Suren de Saram blasting behind them, but keep each other in check for softer dynamics when needed. When the energy is dialed high, the trio backs off the edge of the stage into their thrashing zone together as the core sound. All the hard work of touring and producing another album has not dimmed their excitement to be on stage, and they are clearly able to enjoy their time together in live performance.

The band took to the stage at Bowery Ballroom with the lilting melody of “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep”, off last year’s release A Different Kind of Fix.  The single was featured in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack and now has its own EP of remixes, so cheers of recognition greeted this offering. They all seemed comfortable on the bigger stage, with the expanded sound of additional members on keyboard, trumpet and vocal harmonies. (Songstress Lucy Rose joined the group for additional vocal support on some of the newer songs after opening the evening, appearing solo on acoustic guitar.)