M83
Named after spiral galaxy Messier 83, M83’s epic song-scapes are as sprawling and crystal clear as the night skies viewed from a mountaintop observatory. French visionary, synth wizard and seer Anthony Gonzalez is M83, and these days he’s a bit of a wide-eyed optimist. Exchanging the Eno-esque ambience and dark My Bloody Valentine-style murk of earlier efforts for sleek neon tones and symphonic grandeur, Gonzalez’s recent work retains the cinematic sweep of yore, but applies it to pop songs. M83’s newest disc, Hurry up, We’re Dreaming, is a throwback to that most 1970’s of artifacts, the double LP. Though Smashing Pumpkins and Pink Floyd are cited as influences, M83’s adrenalized grandeur is closest to Manfred Mann’s proggy-but-tuneful early '70s stand-out “Joybringer.” With his yelping Peter Gabriel vocals, Gonzalez adds a dash of the ornate ’80s brat-pack sound left over from M83’s Saturdays=Youth. The result is clear, but not brittle, a sonic swirl that evokes the exhilaration of youth, when everything was possible and a little frightening as well. $44.50. Oct. 7, 8 p.m. The Fillmore, 1000 N.C. Music Factory Blvd. 704-549-5555.