Swervedriver/Dearly Beloved

When Swervedriver first came together, singer-guitarist Adam Franklin, who had played with guitarist Jimmy Hartridge in the band Shake Appeal, says he had a clear idea of how he wanted Swervedriver to differ from that project. “We were doing Stooges/MC5 type of thing,” he says. “There was exciting guitar music in both the U.S. and the UK with Husker Du and Sonic Youth in the States and My Bloody Valentine and Spacemen 3 in the UK. We regrouped and I became the singer.” He says there were plenty of bands in Oxford at the time, but there wasn’t a vibrant scene. During its initial ten-year run, the band issued four studio albums and a slew of singles and EPs. Its debut, 1991’s Raise, features a sonic wall of guitars; it holds up as one of one of the most innovative albums of the ’90s. After splitting in 1998, the band reunited in 2008 and played Coachella. It’s been active ever since and began writing songs for a new album in 2013. While Franklin says he wasn’t as interested in putting out new material as the other members, they won him over. Right from the opening number, “Autodidact,” it’s clear the band has sharpened the pop hooks of its music while retaining the noisy guitars for which it’s known. Expect to hear a mix of old and new material at tonight's show. (Niesel)