MONDAY

Oh, sure, the name augurs the band’s being a cynical-nostalgic Gen-Y sneerfest (it isn’t), and its members sound as if they might be playing toy instruments (they’re not), and Tammy Ealom’s naive vocals are so simple you wonder if the deal is she can’t sing (she can—the deal is she’s totally relaxed with this pop thing; why aren’t you?). But Dressy Bessy actually sings about shy guys, buttercups (rhymes with “fessing up”), laughter and tears, and generally the love thing circa high school ’66 with such clean lines that it makes being really pleasant sound like being really smart. Bringing the songs of its new CD, SoundGoRound, to the Metro Cafe, DB ought to fit right into the zeitgiest. After all, if D.C. is famous for its intelligent lounge, militant rock, inaccessible indieism, and frightening aggro, then the Denver, Colo., scene is famous for its, hmm, its…moun…tains? And being nice—it’s nice, isn’t it? Mountainous and clean, rife with old-fashioned values like decent pop and garage harmonies. And you bet DB is nice—Tammy poses twice here in a thick red coat with every button done up. There will be tambourines, there will be finger-snapping, and there will be pleasantness for everyone when Dressy Bessy plays with Deathray Davies at 10 p.m. Monday, March 25, at the Metro Cafe, 1522 14th St. NW. $7. (202) 588-9118. (Arion Berger)