It List: Tuesday

Harlem/White Drugs/The Frustrations (Rubber Gloves): There's an interesting cover by Harlem on their page of the Royal Trux classic, "Junkie's Nurse." I call every song made before 2005 a classic now, because it really pissed someone off the other day. Anyways, it got me to thinking that the original was made by actual junkies, and that's why they decided to cover the whole thing with a weird, noisy, wash. Now even though that kid in the picture is wearing a junkie's pancho, I'm going to guess that these guys aren't real junkies. For the sake of argument, even if they are, there is no way they are as into heroin as Royal Trux once were. Not only is that probably humanly impossible, but it's really for the best. Some days that's how I feel about the current crop of highly stylized and willfully vague recording practices in "current music." Many times I'm glad that the music is recorded or treated in a certain way, because I am afraid that it might be terribly uninteresting if it were recorded clearly or without the layers of static between artist and listener. It often seems as if we are running away from the efficiency and clarity of modern technology. Don't run so fast, fellas! I like things that suck.

The Frustrations seem like a group that would be pretty effective no matter what circumstances they play or record under, and their successful melding of psyche-wah sounds with punk rock rhythms and hysterics are likely to prove very entertaining tonight. Throw in White Drugs, who I haven't seen on many bills of late, and this looks like a good show on several levels.

90's Night With Yeah Def (Hailey's)

Mos Def/Jay Electronica (House Of Blues)

Andrew Jackson Jihad/Excretion/County Lines/O'Pioneers (1919 Hemphill) Speaking of covers, I thought it was totally forbidden to cover Neutral Milk Hotel.