April 15-21, 2004

music

Sound Advice

rock/pop

Sugarcult

For a bunch of SoCal pop punks, Sugarcult has a solid grip on the value of quiet. Like most of their Y100 peers, singer-guitarist Tim Pagnotta and friends drink in and spit out the quiet-loud-quiet dynamic like fluoridated water. But some of their strongest songs are of the talk-and-you'll-miss-it variety. Palm Trees and Power Lines (Fearless) gets the fast, catchy crowd-movers out of the way early on, and it's pretty good stuff. But rather than running out of steam, Sugarcult wins grace points by steadily dropping the volume, culminating with the hushed adieux of "Counting Stars" and "Sign Off." --M.J. Fine

Thu., April 15, 7 p.m., $15, with Motion City Soundtrack and Maxeen, The Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE.

Old Time Relijun

Since so much of what the Pacific Northwest indie scene gives us is smooth and sweet, it's nice every once in a while to listen to something so unpretty and jagged as Portland's Old Time Relijun. With singer Arrington De Dionyso's fuzzy growl stomping all over the clangy folk melodies, this band has no interest in making anybody feel comfortable. But it's the kind of uneasiness you can deal with in doses. Cutesy bedroom rockers repent!--Patrick Rapa

Sat., April 17, 8 p.m., $5, students free, with Dark Inside The Sun, Haverford College, Lunt Basement, 370 W. Lancaster Ave., Haverford, students.haverford.edu/fucs.

90 Day Men

There's a thin line between majesty and wankery, and where you file Chicago's 90 Day Men depends as much on your appetite for the Carpenters-glam-prog pileup of '73 (or just the pills of that era) as on your appreciation for alliteration. "Now Neanderthal nihilists of the nouvelle vague," bassist Rob Lowe warns in falsetto. "They will navigate necromance." (The alphabetical wandering of "Chronological Disorder," from Panda Park, trails off at T.) One thing is indisputable: Andy Lansangan's piano is never less than gorgeous.--M.J. Fine

Sun., April 18, 7:30 p.m., $10-$12, with Liars, Get Hustle and Young People, First Unitarian Church, 22nd and Chestnut sts., 800-594-8499.

Graham Parker

Twang proves a comfortable fit for Graham Parker. The pub-rock pioneer's Your Country (Bloodshot) is sparse, unpretentious country-rock, and it's a fine place to call home for character studies like "Anything for a Laugh" and the slyly embittered love ballad "Cruel Lips" (featuring harmonies from Lucinda Williams). Some of the best songs come near the end -- a spot-on cover of Jerry Garcia's "Sugaree," the gleefully un-PC trailer-park saga "Tornado Alley" and a roadhouse re-think of a Parker classic, "Crawling from the Wreckage."--Michael Pelusi

Fri., April 16, 10 p.m., $18-$20, NXNW, 7165 Germantown Ave., 215-248-1000.

Butchies

If Kaia Wilson's writing what she knows, girlfriend must have a new lady in her life. After dumping Mr. Lady, the label Wilson co-founded, the Butchies rebound with their Yep Roc debut, Make Yr Life. The power-pop sheen suits them like a great haircut that reveals the pretty face beneath. Songs of suicide and hate crimes made 2001's 3 a heavy, if rewarding, listen, but aside from the titular angsty activist anthem and the obligatory breakup song ("Second Guess"), Make Yr Life confines its drama to budding romance. It's more seductive. Giddier. Crushier. And no one's ever walked away from a Butchies' show without a crush. --M.J. Fine

Mon., April 19, 7 p.m., $8, all ages, with The Jane Anchor and Kimya Dawson, The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298.

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