Two of the best new bands in the area team up for a holiday weekend show at Kings on Friday, Nov. 26.

Darren Jesse, former drummer/songwriter for Ben Folds Five, unveils a gentle alt-pop beauty on Hotel Lights‘ self-titled new album. Covering the gamut from keyboard-y new wave to bubbly pop rock and circumspect ballads, Jesse demonstrates a fine palette and an undeniable pop sensibility. Cub Country know something about pop sensibility themselves, though theirs follows the dusty trail down the alt-country path informed by the sumptuousness of Beachwood Sparks, Byrds’ jangle and Nick Drake.

Bio: After a fond stint in the Triangle, Chris Parker lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where he writes about music and politics for a variety of newspapers and magazines. He has written about music for INDY Week since 2002.