Chicago's Chin Up Chin Up are one of those rare bands that I not only instantly liked the first moment I heard them, but also have kept me interested after all these months of spins. Many bands can be awesome once, but very few have songs with the complexity to remain in heavy rotation.

Chin Up Chin Up are just an incredibly catchy band, whose meticulously layered math-pop music sweeps you away to American Analog Set territory and beyond. The band creates an inviting wall of sound by fusing warm, clean guitar melodies and subtle synths around the "typical" time/tempo changes of a Midwest indie band, but these guys should not be lumped into any one category based on their zip code. This is something else.

The songs on Chin Up Chin Up's songs flow with unnatural grace, each track's transitions not only working, but also sounding as if the story couldn't unfold any other way. It's not an album where you feel the need to skip to the "good tracks." Live, the band more than brings their album to life, coaxing out an even richer, more dramatic, sound from their instruments.

The musical talent coming out of The City of Broad Shoulders seems to be finally coming out of its lull, and Chin Up Chin up is right at the forefront of reclaiming Chicago's indie glory.

Headlining this show is Seattle's forever popular, Minus the Bear. They're mostly a math-rock-emo band that comes up with cute titles for their songs. "Get me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo" is a personal favorite, but "Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister" is a very close second.

Chin Up Chin Up open for Minus the Bear at The Echo (EX_PLX), on Saturday, May 5th