Generationals @ The Sail Inn

Finding success with two different bands puts you in some pretty rarefied company. But just like Dave Grohl, Eric Clapton, and everyone in Joy Division not named Ian Curtis, Louisiana singer-guitarists Grant Widmer and Ted Joyner — the core of upstart indie-pop outfit Generationals — have managed to pull off the feat. In 2005, the pair’s old band, The Eames Era, scored a ubiquitous hit with the Strokes-meets-10,000 Maniacs single “Could Be Anything,” which was featured on the first Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack, alongside the likes of The Postal Service and Rilo Kiley. After The Eames Era called it quits in 2008, Widmer and Joyner quickly regrouped as Generationals and shifted their sonics a bit, drawing inspiration from ’50s sock-hop rock, mid-’60s British Invasion jangle, California surf-pop, and the simple-and-crisp rhythms of early Cure. Con Law, the pair’s impressive debut, arrived in 2009, and Generationals followed up with the even-better Actor-Caster in March. Melodically rich, the album’s rootsy, reverb-y guitar grooves rub against effusive (in that MGMT kinda way) vocal harmonies. It’s definitely one of those perfect summer albums, and their Valley gig could be one of those perfect summer shows.