Pictured: The Cliks. The Pipettes. ________ First, The Cliks were hand-picked by Cyndi Lauper to partake in the True Colors Tour this summer; now the Canadian quartet has been selected by The Cult to open for the goth-alternative rock outfit on The Jaegermeister Tour. Making a stop in Chicago at the House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn, on Sun., Nov. 25, The Cliks have fine-tuned their live show thanks to a heavy touring schedule.

Leave it to the mainstream media to be hung up with this band’s make-up, often overlooking the genuine rock n’ roll found on its album The Snakehouse. Trans lead singer Lucas Silviera makes tongues wag as he locks lips with comedian Margaret Cho repeatedly in the video for Eyes In The Back Of My Head, a surefire hit on YouTube. Read more story below…. Stepping out of a time capsule to kick off a U.S. tour in the City of Angels is the British trio The Pipettes.

Imagine combining the sounds of The Ronettes with a hint of Bananarama’s DIY sugar-coated punk attitude and Amy Winehouse’s British flavoring of Motown’s heyday. The Pipettes add their own polka-dot style to the girl-band formula with girl-power anthems like One Night Stand and Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Accompanied by the backing band The Cassettes, this buzz-worthy group is scheduled to swing by The Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee, on Wed., Nov. 21.

Also looking into the past while marching into the future is Nicole Atkins. Her full-length debut, Neptune City, is out now on Columbia Records. Here, Atkins has the charm of a young Lesley Gore ( Maybe Tonight ) and the aching of Patsy Cline ( The Way It Is, War Torn ) , yet distinctively blends this sound with the more modern melancholy of Beth Orton, courtesy of Swedish producer Tore Johannson ( The Cardigans, Saint Etienne, New Order ) .