Here’s the deal straight out: Meridene might be one of the next great Eau Claire bands – that is if they can tighten just a few screws and get in front of the right audiences. I somehow ended up attending both of their CD release shows this past weekend, 21+ at the House of Rock on Friday and all ages at the Grand Little Theatre on Saturday (both with local favorites Laarks). Saturday featured a trombone section playing the parts that help make their new album “You’re Not Pretty, You’re Worse” such a solid effort. The songs are catchy, well-crafted, and well-executed, bringing to mind the likes of The Hold Steady, Rilo Kiley, or Wilco. The band has had a bit of a clumsy climb to get to this point, and the live show can still be a bit rough in spots, (especially on the low end) but make no mistake, Meridene is well on their way. In fact, the album charted at No. 11 on the CMJ Top-20 nationwide last week with 40 Top-5 adds around the country (that’s where indie stations pick new albums weekly to add to their playlists.) Check out this issue’s full article here. See photos from the show here. Test drive some tracks here. Buy the album, officially out Tuesday, from Amble Down here.