INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Stereo Deluxe, The Melismatics, The Comfies, The Honesty, The Jeremy Vogt Band

Yes, the bandleader’s name is Ben Harper, but one listen to the Comfies will eliminate any confusion with that other guy you’ve heard on the radio.

The Nashville, Tenn.-based power-pop quartet draws from the full four-decade history of the genre: the chimey guitars and sweet vocal harmonies of the Byrds and the Beatles; the ’70s crunch of Big Star, Badfinger and Cheap Trick; the sophistication of Squeeze and Elvis Costello; and the controlled squall of ’90s Britpop.

Appearing Friday at Spin Nightclub (the former Patio) with Minneapolis friends the Melismatics, local faves Stereo Deluxe and others, the Comfies are touting their seven-song debut EP, Close to Me, and building a buzz for their first full-length, set for release later this year on Atlanta-based Livewire Recordings.

Close to Me, which sounds like the work of a long-touring band, but isn’t, showcases a versatile songwriter with an unusual gift for melody and arrangement.

“I write a song and I hear the whole arrangement, harmonies and all that stuff,” Harper says. “I hate it when I buy a record and by the sixth song in, the songs might be good still, but it all runs together. I want to keep on experimenting.”