Mando Diao

Hurricane Bar (Mute)

Now that the Libertines’ Honeymooners act has gone off the air, in slots Mando Diao’s gusting Hurricane Bar with readymade Britpop aplomb. Three bouncy bonus videos transform skanky Pete Doherty and Carl Barat’s “What a Waster” ways into the Kate Moss-worthy cheek bones and beauty marks of Mando Diao’s runway Swedes Björn Dixgård and Gustaf Norén. Trading mic volleys and Velcro riffs on their second LP the quartet’s frontmen lead perfect group harmonies (“White Wall”) with the sweet/sour yin/yang of every great lead tandem since John & Paul. Gustaf’s Lennon/Doherty – tart, scrappy – via the dodgeball hookery of bangin’ opener “Cut the Rope” and “Clean Town,” pure Libertines produced by the Clash man Mick Jones. “God Knows” follows suit like Great Escape-era Blur, while “Down in the Past” and its gleaming iPod riffs beg for prime-time network programming. Björn’s cool, diluted Ron Sexsmith seduction, meanwhile, plays acoustic chick magnet (“Ringing Bells”) serenader (“All My Senses”) with panache. Fellow Swedes the Caesars waited a year before “Jerk It Out” hit the tube and everyone sat up. Looks like a couple seats just opened up in the Hurricane Bar. (Emo’s, Monday, May 16)

***.5

This article appears in May 6 • 2005.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.