The Stars will be shining at the Boulder Theater Wednesday.

The Canadian band Stars is creating a buzz in the music industry with its lush indie rock tunes and narrative lyrics. Band founders Torquil Campbell and Chris Seligman started Stars in Toronto, and the group is part of the Arts & Crafts label that also features Feist and Broken Social Scene.

The Stars are now touring with their newest CD "In Our Bedroom After The War" - a record that many rock critics picked as fave record for 2007. Locals will get to hear many of the CD's emotive tunes at the Boulder Theater.

"Stars went through several formations -- until we found the one that stuck," said vocalist Campbell. "Some of us have been involved with Broken Social Scene, but we wanted Stars to be more of a pop band. We want the songs to come first. We always want to make that intimate connection between song and listener."

Campbell says his band really took the time to craft the double-disc "In Our Bedroom After The War." This is an act that's all about presentation, and the group went the extra mile to create a CD that looks as good as it sounds. Each song lyric has been printed on the back of a colorful piece of artwork - and when the pieces are put together they form a jigsaw puzzle of the CD cover.

"We really wanted to stretch the sonics out on this record," said Campbell. "We had a serious budget, so we even brought in a grand piano. That opened up a lot of options and gave us the chance to give the best performances. We also loved the idea of having the lyric sheets make a puzzle of the CD cover. It gives people something beautiful to hold when they listen to the record."

Monday Minus The Bear rocks out the Boulder Theater. Tuesday The Waifs and Paper Bird play the downtown club.

Mike Doughty and "27 Jennifers"

Last week's "Saturday Night Live" show featured a hilarious skit parodying singers Jack Johnson, John Mayer, and Dave Matthews. Johnson and Matthews are both record label owners and a couple of their acts are hitting the Fox Theatre this week.

Mike Doughty is the former lead singer for Soul Coughing, but now he's in a midst of a successful solo career. The performer's new CD "Golden Delicious" just came out on Matthews' ATO Records and his single "27 Jennifers" is rocketing up the record charts.

Doughty played for a very rowdy crowd at Trilogy Lounge a few months ago with his Q&A acoustic show. Wednesday the musician is back in to town to rock the Fox Theatre with his full band.

"The new record just came out, so this time I'm touring with a band," said Doughty. "I'm digging a more active thing -- this will be more of a rocking and dancing show."

Doughty's new CD "Golden Delicious" was produced by Dan Wilson - the guy who picked up a Grammy for co-writing the Dixie Chicks' hit "Not Ready to Make Nice." The record also features a stellar group of musicians that have played with the Black Eyed Peas, Cake and Jem. Doughty's new CD features dance numbers like "27 Jennifers," but the record's messages also cover heavier topics like the Iraq War.

"I wrote the song 'Fort Hood', because of my feelings about the war," said Doughty. "I was worried about the guys coming back. It's not just about what happens to them physically--I was concerned about their lost innocence."

Doughty is also the proud owner of his own record label called Snack Bar. The debut act on the label is The Panderers and the band will open his Fox show.

Rogue Wave -- Jack Johnson's Latest Discovery

Jack Johnson doesn't always sign laid-back acoustic strummers to his Brushfire record label. One of his newest discoveries is the indie rock group Rogue Wave. The Oakland band was originally signed to Sub Pop Records, but released its newest CD "Asleep At Heaven's Gate" on Johnson's label.

Rogue Wave has had a few brushes with musical fame. The band's tune "Every Moment" appears on the "Napoleon Dynamite" soundtrack, and the group's multi-layered rock tunes have appeared on "The O.C." and a recent Microsoft commercial.

"I was working in dot.com development when everything melted down, so I decided to do what I really wanted to do - start a band," said bandleader Zach Rogue. "Our music draws from all the influences we grew up on. We grew up listening to the British invasion, The Cure, and R.E.M. Now, we've grown up a little and the music's evolved to a more modern sound. We have a wall of harmonies and our songs aren't all sweet - some have this darker side."

This year Rogue Wave will tour with Death Cab for Cutie and Jack Johnson. Meanwhile, the group's looking forward to playing its Tuesday show at the Fox.

"We don't plan that far ahead for our shows," said Rogue. "Last night we decided to play the last 25 minutes of the show on the floor -- acoustic-style. Then, we play some songs heavy and raw. Anything could happen at the Fox."

Contact Wendy Kale about this story at (303) 443-6272 ext. 128 or kale@coloradodaily.com