Songwriter John Valenti has a vintage charm that is rarely seen in our local scene. Similar to artists like St. Vincent and My Brightest Diamond, Valenti mixes an obvious love for standards with lo-fi, atmospheric production. His gift for melody, combined with sweeping strings and a simple, but catchy chord structure recalls the music of early rock-and-roll greats. Valenti himself writes that the world inside his mind "consists of a syrupy mixture of 60's bubblegum pop, Cole Porter music, and black-and-white melodrama." All of those influences are made apparent both through his live show, and throughout his EP, "Passive Aggressives Anonymous."

John Valenti performs with The Absolutes, White Woods, and Anchorage Nebraska on Friday, July 5, 9 p.m. at the Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. $6-$8. Bugjar.com.