Danko Jones realizes he’s way out of tune with his fellow Canadian musicians. While the Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, et al. play chamber-pop music that requires about two dozen people onstage, Jones’ self-named trio makes a Thin Lizzy-style racket centered on his muscular guitar riffs. “That whole thing’s a trend,” he says. “It’ll die out soon, when all the money gets distributed and everybody says, ‘Hey, we should have been a three-piece.'”

The Toronto band’s new album, Sleep Is the Enemy (in stores Tuesday), brooks no pretense — its dozen songs dip and rip like Van Halen or AC/DC. “We’re not trying to do anything new or expand our sound,” says Jones. “Albums are just excuses for us to go on tour.” Danko Jones keeps it pretty straightforward lyrically too. There’s no CD-spanning theme about family or funerals buried in songs like “Sticky Situation,” “She’s Drugs,” and “First Date.” “We just write stuff that sounds good to us,” says Jones. “I’m just looking for a good riff.”
Sat., May 20, 9 p.m.

This article appears in May 17-23, 2006.