Sondre Lerche + Nightlands + Kishi Bashi

With his exceedingly tuneful guitar melodies, pointed lyrics and winning cheekbones, Sondre Lerche has carved out a troubadour’s niche that rivals those of his older idols—among them Elvis Costello, with whom he has toured twice. For 2009’s Heartbeat Radio, Lerche toured as a solo act; this time he takes to the road with one of the drummers from the Brooklyn sessions (Dave Heilman, known for his work with Regina Spektor), along with bassist Dave Hartley (Nightlands) and violinist Kaoru Ishibashi. Expect masterfully wrought alt-pop songs that often prompt the question: Where in the world does he find such lovely chords?