Also this issue:

The Bee's Knees
With Honey in the Hive, The Bigger Lovers get a taste of the sweet stuff.
-Sam Adams

Looking for the Perfect Beat
Dälek champions the original spirit of hip-hop.
-Paul Burress

Beat Box
-Ain Ardron-Doley

And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Busted Ceiling Panels
-John Vettese

The Gig
-Nate Chinen on Jazz

Feria del Barrio
-Mary Armstrong

Money Mark
-Andrew Parks

Lynn Miles
-Nicole Pensiero

September 5-11, 2002

music

Here Lay the Liars

HAIR CLUBBED: The Liars look like they were thrown in a trench.

Post-punk or not, you can believe the hype.

by Paul Burress

Brooklyn’s the Liars seem to have found themselves in the middle of the media-hyped “post-punk” revival. Though it may seem like the bands associated with the tag (The Seconds, The Lapse, Radio 4, Erase Errata, among others) are growing tired of the skin-deep ties to post-punk, the Liars have seen fit to answer critics with the title of their 2001 debut album, They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top (Gern Blandsten).

"We titled our record in anticipation of this scenario," says singer Angus Andrew. "It was clear from the start that being lumped into categories was going to be our battle-cry... We don't feel trapped. It's more of a challenge."

A casual listener will easily pick up on the influence of Gang of Four or The Pop Group, but the Liars look to hip-hop for inspiration as well. Andrews was quick to bring that up. "Biggie and Gang-Starr. [We're] always trying to rip off cool drum beats and bass lines. Equally, Can is a staple for us and probably a good example of the honesty in music we are striving for."

Formed from the remnants of seminal Midwest bands Opium Taylor and Mercy Rule, the Liars have made a name for themselves with hellishly frantic live concerts. The energy the band puts into their shows seems to be an extension of the often combustible nature of the band's music. "We are entertainers," asserts Andrew. "Sometimes the performance transcends the boundaries of notes and beats, where the music takes a back seat to the spectacle."

Fri., Sept. 6, 8 p.m., $8, all ages, with The Heartache Disease and DJ Dirty Dave P, North Star, 27th and Poplar sts., 215-684-0808.