Feature

Brit Bands in New York

Deep down, we all prefer fries and a Coke to tea and crumpets. But when it comes to rock, the door the Fab Four kicked in just keeps opening wider and wider. These excellent imports invade New York this week.

By Monica Khemsurov

1. Spiritualized
Front man Jason Pierce (remember him from the eighties outfit Spaceman 3?) ditched his latest band in favor of a 100-piece orchestra for last year's Let It Come Down -- but he's back with his eight old mates at the Beacon this week. (Beacon Theater, April 24.)

2. Paul McCartney
Sometime between Target Stars on Ice and Blues Clues Live!, our favorite Wing will fill the Garden with the sounds of Driving Rain. Expect plenty of Beatles classics, teary tributes, and -- no lie -- circus performers. (Madison Square Garden, April 26–27.)

3. Super Furry Animals
If you miss Beatle Paul, leap one degree of separation and catch these quirky Welshmen, whose new album, Rings Around the World, features a cameo by the veggie ex-Beatle in which he munches celery to the beat. (Irving Plaza, April 24.)

4. Neil Halstead
Slowdive alum Neil Halstead has gone solo for the evening, leaving behind Mojave 3 and embracing his stripped-down country tastes on Sleeping on Roads. Order a Red Bull -- his pretty lullabies might leave your lids a bit droopy. (Knitting Factory, April 23.)

5. The Cranes
Yes, these goth-ish shoegazers are still around, and yes, Alison Shaw's creepy, ethereal voice still sounds the same. A onetime Cure opening act, they're now headlining their first U.S. tour in five years. (Knitting Factory, April 27–28.)