Sleater Kinney!!!!!!!!

Very excited about the upcoming Sleater Kinney concert in Washington DC June 25 at the 9:30 Club.

Seen Sleater Kinney at least four times now going back to 1997 at the Black Cat and they are the best american live band at the moment. They have been getting better over the years. Meanwhile, their album releases have moved forward. I like pretty much all their LPs but am partial to "Dig Me Out" and "All Hands On the Bad One." I have the toughest time wrapping my arms around "Hot Rock" but thats not too say its not a great album. I think pretty much all their recorded output speaks for itself. I think its punk music but not your dad's punk music.. its a much needed breath of fresh air and step forward for punk...

Live they put on a great show with searing interlocking guitar melodies, contrasting vocals by Corrine Tucker, who tends to shriek-sing, and Carrie Brownstein, who speak-sings (and plays the guitar a la Pete Townsend), anchored by a ferocious backbeat courtesy of Janet "Keith Moon" Weiss..... I've heard a few songs from the latest LP "The Woods", like what I've heard, and will be listening to the entire thing soon... The first single "Entertain" seems a reaction to the scourge of recent flavor of the month bands making their careers copping from 80s post punk bands (Interpol I'm talking to you!) and teases the classic chords of Joy Division/New Order's "Ceremony" before moving on to business...

I can't end this blurb without mentioning that the lyrics to "Combat Rock"- a great nod to the Clash- from the One Beat Lp - are one of the more mature intelligent lyrics yet penned on our nation's reaction to 9-11.