Amplified Sonic Kicks

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 22, 2009 4:00PM

Tonight's monthly installment of the Amplify New Music Series at Schubas seems to be a misnomer since headliners The French Kicks have been playing out for about a decade, and supporting locals Ultra Sonic Edukators ain't exactly new to the scene.

The last time we saw The French Kicks was at Southpaw in Brooklyn (is that joint even still around?) and we remember thinking they weren't as fun to watch since Nick Stumpf stopped simultaneously singing and playing drums and decided to just be the frontman. While the group did lose some of their visual dynamic their winsome take on streamlined indie rock remains strong.

Openers Ultra Sonic Edukators are always a great time -- a sort of cross between the numbers of The Happy Mondays and the harder edged musical attacking Britpop of mid-period Blur -- so they're sure to provide fireworks of both the instrumental and ocular-intake variety.

Schubas, 3159 N Southport, 9 p.m., $14, 21+