There’s something reassuring about international ska bands, a comfort that comes from knowing that although a band may hail from half a globe away, their music can still sound like it was recorded next door. The French outfit Babylon Circus, which plays an 8 p.m. show at Alverno College tonight, puts a few globe . . .

Blending a mix of narrative lyrics, lush instrumentation and synth-pop flourishes, the Toronto-based indie-pop collective Stars has distinguished itself from fellow bands treading this well-worn terrain. Led by vocalists Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan, both sometimes members of Broken Social Scene...