The unseemly coupling of Japandriods and Craig Finn delightfully punctuated an otherwise boring Tuesday school night. Quick hits: Craig Finn’s latest project with the Uptown Controllers is going to turn a lot of heads. The melodic vehicle that Finn commandeers is more exciting than anything the Hold Steady ever did. The Minnesota bred artist appears more engaged than he has in years with a heavy emphasis on his gift: an immense attention to detail with woven stories about everyday type individuals. Look for “We All Want The Same Things” out this month.

Brian King and David Prowse are more than amicable these days. The Vancouver act took a brief moment to recapture themselves. Brief as in five years brief. The rollicking duo more than delivered in support of their third album, “Near to the Wild Heart of Life” last night at the Gothic Theatre.

King and Prowse didn’t change their formula. What they have done is become more comfortable in their own skin. What use to come across and jittery and raw is now more polished, but too big for their own good. The Gothic Theatre at capacity couldn’t handled the guitar shredding and drum pummeling provided by the “Post Nothing” duo. Despite the short length of the new album, the two made each track count. On “In a Body Like a Grave,” the two exhibited a considerable amount of range not seen in previous efforts where they flipped the script completely and dare I say, a rare moment of tenderness that is the closest that we will ever see in the form of a love song.

Japandroids lit up the evening and plowed through their first two albums delving into “Wet Hair” and “Younger Us” as highlights.

Japandroids

Craig Finn & the Uptown Controllers