DeVotchKa merges the spastic desperation of late-'70s Talking Heads with the orchestral sweep of Arcade Fire's more grandiose work. Leader Nick Urata's vocals often recall Win Butler's yelping vibrato, which makes the Arcade Fire...

If used correctly, orchestral instruments have a place in contemporary pop music. Before assholes like the (eye-patch wearing pirate) singer from Kansas and Dave Mathews ruined it for . . .

he Swell Season @ The Riverside Theater, 8 p.m. In an Academy Awards musical moment that ranks with Elliott Smith’s “Miss Misery” performance or Three 6 Mafia’s unlikely win for “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” this year’s Best Original Song award went to singer-songwriters Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova...

DeVotchKa merges the spastic desperation of late-’70s Talking Heads with the orchestral sweep of Arcade Fire’s more grandiose work. Leader Nick Urata’s vocals often recall Win Butler’s yelping vibrato, which makes the Arcade Fire comparisons even more plentiful. On DeVotchKa’s latest, A Mad & Faithful Telling, the . . .