The three brothers in New York's indie group AJR manage to reduce the essence of acts like Ben Folds, They Might be Giants, the Beastie Boys and contemporary musical theater into seasonings they then sprinkle liberally atop their own brand of witty, ambitious pop.

In fact, their latest album, "OK Orchestra," seems precisely calculated to end up on a Broadway stage — and the clever, catchy tunes and arrangement would seem perfect for every high school drama department across the country. Personally, I was hooked after hearing the song "3 O'Clock Things," which includes the lines:

"If I keep on talking politics, my friends will dip, they're over it / If I keep on talking politics, I'm Hamilton (without the hits)."

Celebrate New Year's Eve with AJR at Foxwoods in the Premier Theater.

AJR, 9 p.m. Friday, Premier Theater, Foxwoods; $75-$125; www.foxwoods.com.