Liz Phair + Chris Brokaw

This past Fourth of July weekend, Liz Phair snuck out Funstyle, her first studio disc since 2005, by posting it on her website with zero advance notice. It was an uncharacteristically quiet way for this media-savvy hypemeister to unveil new work, especially given the wacky, in-your-face experimentalism of Funstyle. In addition to Phair’s signature guitar-pop sound, she includes dalliances with synthed-up electroglam (“Smoke”), laid-back soul-funk (“My My”) and bhangra-accented hip-hop. Arty indie-rock vet Chris Brokaw (Codeine, Come) opens.