Grand Lake’s slanted indie pop toes the line between curious and satisfying, never straight enough to be pop and never weird enough to be outside. Keyboardist Erika Pipkin is a Mills College grad, while guitarist Jameson Swanagon’s minimalist lines expose his conservatory roots. The more mainstream chops of Caleb Nichols (Port O’Brien) and Ryan Parks (No’S) provide valuable balance.
At the Knockout (3223 Mission St, San Francisco) on April 29. 10 p.m., $5