Heavy Dates

by John O'Neill and Carly Carioli

WORCESTER: In the booking department, this week's oddest show features the Strangemen, who appear at the Sit 'N Bull Pub this Friday, July 10th. The Bull is generally a place reserved for the softer, more traditional forms of American music. What the crowd will get in the Strangemen are a (literally) wigged-out, plastic-clad, quasi-surf combo with a massive Lux Interior fetish. Not a bad thing to be, really. Also on Friday, Bob Jordan hits the Java Hut. Make sure to pick up a copy of his new CD, Four Corners, which, like Bob, isn't easy to describe. Ship of fools, van of idiots, it's Random Road Mother, Allston's chief purveyors of half-assed rock and roll. They share the bill at Ralph's with the equally-obnoxious Lyman brothers and their new/old band Hüge (formerly Pale Nephews) on Saturday, July 11. Sir Morgan's Cove offers up Godsmack, a band who are ripping it up to a steadily growing audience, as well as local up-and-comers, Junk Sculpture. Woodgrain Theory and Split also play. On Sunday, the Espresso Bar hosts a pretty cool line-up, featuring Special Duties and the Unseen. One road trip you might consider is the Cantone's reunion at the Linwood Grille in Boston. The legendary Real Kids are playing, which is all that really matters, though there's also a special surprise guest. They better be extra-special to follow those guys. Back in town the Space offers an as-usual underground cornucopia of sound this Monday, with Seattle's Botch, Virginia-bred Jesuit, and the Dillinger Escape Plan, who are touring in support of their CD Under the Running Board (Relapse).

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE: Seems there's a new Chicago post-hardcore/post-rock band coming through town just about every week, but of all the recent visitors, Traluma are the only one whose disc (Seven Days Awake, on Caufield) has stayed locked in our stereo -- mainly 'cause it's more rock, less post. They can be evasive in a June of '44 kinda way, but they're also liberal with those mid-period Fugazi-ish choruses most of the time. And they're on a tour with fellow Windy City fellows Sweep the Leg Johnny (all we know is they have a saxophonist) that brings 'em to the Middle East, (617) 864-3278, in Cambridge, on July 14 with the Wicked Farleys, and to the Call, (401) 751-2255, in Providence, on July 15 with Rose of Sharon and Kind of like Spitting.

Former Bongload/Shockabilly dude Kramer is at the Call on the 10th with Sean Eden and Damon Krukowski (of Galaxie 500/Damon & Naomi fame); on the 11th Kramer's at T.T. the Bear's Place, (617) 492-2327, in Cambridge, with Ms. Pigeon, Shiva Speedway, and Lou Barlow's sister's band, Hospital. Northampton still claims Buffalo Tom as its own. We'll grant them dual citizenship, but BT -- who have a new album due in the fall -- give the western half of the state first crack at the new stuff when they play the Iron Horse, (413) 584-0610, on July 16.

Matador's Bardo Pond bring the space rock to the Middle East on July 15 with local psychedelic pop masters Lockgroove, Abunai!, and Charlene; the Pond are also at the Met Café, (401) 861-2142, in Providence, on the 16th with Super Jesus and Terrastock vets V. Majestic. And on a merely semantic note, Spacehog are at Pearl Street, (413) 584-0610, in Northampton, on the 15th.

There'll be plenty of painful scenes played out when the Genitorturers -- who do, indeed, torture their genitals -- mangle themselves industro-goth style at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, (401) 272-5876, in Providence, on July 12 and at Pearl Street on the 16th. It may be even more painful, however, to sit through Stabbing Westward and God Lives Underwater at Lupo's on July 11 or at Avalon, (617) 262-2424, in Boston, on July 21.

-- Carly Carioli