Daniel Johnston, Brian Wilson, Kurt Cobain, Roky Erickson, Cole Porter, Syd Barrett, Elliott Smith: all musicians saddled with one unpleasant mental disorder or another. It would seem bipolar Say Anything frontman Max Bemis is in good company, what with his phenomenal 2004 sophomore effort/emo-rock masterpiece ... Is a Real Boy, and with those multiple institutionalizations he’s experienced. Whether they’re intertwined with or in spite of a haywired brain, Bemis’ roaring, rich and emotionally raw lyrics also drive last month’s two-disc, 27-track In Defense of the Genre. Nowadays his psychological outlook is on the upswing, but though Bemis may not be as crazy, his live shows remain just as crazy good.
With Hellogoodbye, Young Love, Socratic. November 23, 5 p.m., $18. House of Blues, 632-7600.