Not much really tickling my fancy this weekend in town other than Pony Pants…

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Saturday Feb 16
- For those so inclined, Serj Tankian, the versatile voice of System of a Down, plays Rams Head Live. He is shilling his solo material which sounds remarkably similar to SoaD…maybe with just a little more ethnic flavor/diverse instrumentation. But I guess since System is on a sort of hiatus, this is better than nothing.

- DC’s Kodiak delivers some blues-flecked rock at Charm City Art Space. They do a killer cover of Social D’s “Ball and Chain” if they decide to tune before they play their set.

- Telenovela Star from NYC sound promising; at times, they channel the best of Sleater-Kinney with distorted guitars and vocals atop punishing drums. But really they are a bit harder to pigeonhole. They headline a show at the Metro Gallery with fellow New Yorkers Object and local boys the Payola Reserve.

Sunday Feb 17
- Top billing goes to the aforementioned Pony Pants show at Talking Head on Sunday.

- As much as I adore DC’s twin-fronted, cute-as-a-button twee-pop band Exit Clov, I don’t want to pay the cover for Against Me! in order to see Exit Clov’s opening set…

- If you are closer to DC, I recommend you head over to the Black Cat to check out DC’s own Death By Sexy playing their own brand of dirt-and-grime rock and roll along with our hometown kids in Fishnet Stalkers.

- And unfortunately, Linkin Park is still marching along doing their thing at 1st Mariner Arena…

Pony Pants. The first time I heard that name I practically guffawed myself off my seat.

But then, I heard their music. The stuff these Philly kids pump out via Badmaster Records is what indie dance nights were made for, driving the most stoic of the cross-armed masses into a freaky, spaz-and-grind dance frenzy. The comparisons of Emily J.K.’s vox to those of Le Tigre are apt. And the crunked up electro guitar work is just as grimy as those from the now-defunct Death From Above 1979.

And call it sinful, but I think their recorded material is much more enjoyable than our hometown boy Dan Deacon’s.

Do yourself a favor. Before the drudgery of the work-week begins, head out to the Talking Head this Sunday, and spaz the fuck out. You won’t be the only one, I can personally guarantee you that.
Photo credit Molly Landergan

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