Hooded Fang

Consortium pop crew, Hooded Fang, finally have a permanent drummer. The hiring let the band cut down on onstage mileage and shed the ever-dangerous Don Henley stigma for their CMW gig. Brandishing a New Order keyboard on "Land of Giants," playing a 1950s spotlight dance number (see Back to the Future's Under the Sea Dance) with "Pageant," and showing off Garth Algar-style whistling and Stephen Merritt-style crooning on a pair of new songs, the septet covered extensive ground. Ebullient closer, "Fall Leaves," showcased an assuredness that belied the band's single-EP catalogue. It was a shimmering, bombastic exclamation point.