Also this issue:

Positive Charge
For all the controversy, Steve Earle's Jerusalem ends on a profoundly optimistic note.
-Sam Adams

Star Power
Homer Jackson's Dogon PM finds art and science under the same sky.
-Patrick Rapa

Joe Kim
-Patrick Rapa

Engine Down
-John Vettese

GZA
-Paul Burress

Pleasure Club
-A.D. Amorosi

Smog
-Paul Burress

DJ Garth
-Sean O’Neal

November 21-27, 2002

musicpicks

The Capital City Dusters

Along with Q & Not U and Faraquet, the Dusters are the somewhat new kids on the D.C. punk block and they want to do the Dischord alumni proud. Do they pepper their songs with social/political/personal commentary lyrics? Yes. Is it delivered via melodic yet strident music? Check. Genre-targeting aside, though, the Dusters' new album, Rock Creek, doesn't disappoint. Over the course of 10 songs, the band mingles post-hardcore fury with pop undertones and finds that tricky balance between the two. Though shades of Jawbox and the High-Back Chairs are discernable, those are just accents, not all-out influences. And you've got to hand it to Dischord: Their track record for quality control is better than most (see our review of their 20-year retrospective box set in the Gift Guide), and the Dusters have the potential to keep the streak alive.

Sat., Nov. 23, 8 p.m., $8, with KeN, The Scraggs and Aina, The Balcony, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE.

—Paul Burress