Stephen Wells and Joe Jordan

Stephen Wells plays the House of Blues Houston on Wednesday, October 7, with Joe Jordan joining him on the bill. Wells is a Houston native, so this is a hometown show for him.

He works across bedroom pop, psych pop, rock, and pop, and he describes his sound as a kaleidoscopic fusion of the paisley underground with the sparkling intensity of new wave. That's a lot of ground to cover in one set, but the elements that hold it together are lush vocal harmonies, shimmering guitars, and brooding synthesizers. If you're not familiar with the terms, the paisley underground points toward the psychedelic pop of the late 60s, while the new wave side brings in the sharper, synth-driven energy of the late 70s and early 80s. The two meet in the middle with those vocal harmonies and the contrast between the bright guitars and the darker synth lines.

Wells is a Texas-based musician, songwriter, and producer, and he's a Houston native, so this is a local artist playing one of the city's well-known stages. He'll be sharing the bill with Joe Jordan, and the show starts at 7 PM. The venue is the House of Blues Houston, at 1204 Caroline St, Houston, TX 77002.