Critic's Choice

While it's fashionable for many indie-rock bands to dabble in electronica, precious few electronica artists successfully integrate rock elements into their styles. San Francisco's I Am Spoonbender, Thursday, April 5, at the Cat, deftly melds the two genres into a cinematic and hypnotic whole -- with sincere (yet demented) noise-pop sensibilities. Sounding not unlike a modern-day Can -- mixed with generous helpings of New Order, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Nimrod and Stereolab -- I Am Spoonbender consistently engages, surprises and entertains. The arty trio's current thirty-city tour is no small feat, considering the massive amount of gear the combo shleps around with it -- including a video-projection unit, bass, drums, laptop and various synths. It takes a lot of stuff, apparently, to re-create the many sounds found on Teletwin, the group's latest release for Vancouver's Mint Records. I Am Spoonbender may just be the cure for the "indie-tronica" blues.