Brooklyn bands Lights and Saadi make their way to Garfield artworks this Saturday which comes in the middle of an already  busy November for the Pittsburgh music scene.  But even as the Steel City continues to thrive, the music world’s attention is once again fixated on the Scene of scenes: Brooklyn.

The indie music blogosphere is currently buzzing with New York Magazine‘s recent piece that all but canonizes Brooklyn as the indie rock Mecca we already knew it was (we just don’t want to admit it). Even as we resist to buy into all that hyperbolic bull shit, these two, damn fine Brooklyn bands come to Garfield Artworks this Saturday ready represent the borough by kicking the outsider cynics (myself included) in the nuts.

Saadi (with Greensburg born lead singer Boshra AlSaadi pictured above) concocts a quietly subtle mash-up of ethereal, lullaby vocals and lyrics, tape loops and spaced out electronic percussion.  You can dance AND be soothed to sleep with their track “Pollen Seeking Bees” from the Bad City EP, which evokes a fragile, ghost-like persona that AlSaadi easily embodies.  After the break from the first chorus, she coos “am I just in…pixels?/songs you know would ke-eep/fading into ether…fading into ether.”

Lights take their cue from several big name staples of 70′s prog (Pink Floyd, Genesis),  rock (Fleetwood Mac, Harry Nilsson) and disco (Chic), infusing their own subtle mash-up with a vaseline-on lens haze destined for wood-paneled basements and shag carpet. “Heavy Drops,” lead track from their 2009 release Rites, boils down these influences into a slow burning, noodly, post-rock jewel of the highest order.  It’s the kind of song you wouldn’t mind taking up an entire side one, not that it’s particularly long, but it feels Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon-sessions BIG.

Garfield Artworks has had quite the hot streak as of late with national tours including Rural Alberta Advantage, Japandroids and UUWWVVZ over the past few weeks and now Lights and Surfer Blood (11/15) coming in consecutive days.  Keep it up Manny, even if you don’t let me in off the guest list.

And big ups to Songs in the Key of Touche for being all over this show before I was.

Saadi – Pollen Seeking Bees

Lights – Heavy Drops

Canadian synth pop princess LIGHTS makes a delightful concert stop in Pittsburgh on February 18th at the Brillobox, with local acts Big Hurry and The Sexes opening the show.  All three acts show off pretty, lead singin’ gals who, most interestingly, show a broad range of vocal stylings.  LIGHTS obviously comes off most polished, but earnest, catchy and compact.   Kelly Tobias of Big Hurry is a little more daring, channeling Karen O. during her more melodic, angelic phases.  Last but not least, Sarah (don’t know her last name) of The Sexes keeps it cool and collected, reflecting a female version of Julian Casablancas (and I mean that as a compliment) seducing you while putting back shots of whiskey and a pile of cigarettes in the back of the club.  It’s quite a line up of feminist power, and it looks like I will be making it out to this show, so hopefully I will have many wonderful things to report back.  In the meantime, here’s LIGHTS’ video for her latest single of her self titled EP “February Air” which has her gazing out of her Toronto window wantingly at an astronaut on a snowy night.  Oh wait, that’s not Toronto, that’s a cheesy space-opera set on a sound stage, I get those two so easily confused.

Check out the Shows page for more informaiton on the LIGHTS concert and other goings on in Pittsburgh.