Lawrence.com

Lawrence's The Jen Say Kwahs were seemingly just hitting their stride when bassist Jeff Milberger moved to Chicago and the group went into hibernation mode. With Milberger back in town for a week of shows, the Kwahs finally have a chance to properly support their promising debut EP "Fear and Magic." Built around busy basslines, dancey drum beats and intertwining guitar leads, the group possesses a unique sound that builds on frontbro Martinez Hillard's past work with thesistermaria.If you've only seen Eric Melin play trivia on VH1's "World Series of Pop Culture," you owe it to yourself to check out his beast-like prowess behind the drum kit for Dead Girls Ruin Everything. As the Dead Girls put it: "This ain't your daddy's rock and roll. Unless your daddy is Ultimate Fakebook or Podstar, in which case it IS your daddy's rock and roll." And, by extension, your Grandpa was either Cheap Trick, Superchunk or The Replacements. DGRE also moonlights as a Thin Lizzy cover band called Thik Lizzy, so you know they can bring the heat.The ACB's formed in 2006 in Kansas City. Mostly they're influenced by artists who know how to write bona fide HITS. Michael Jackson is a big one. Also early Beatles. Maybe a little Matthew Sweet. The ACB's are also influenced by an inability to interact comfortably with the opposite sex, fear of hair loss, male friendships that have been described by outsiders as bordering on homoerotic, and the lingering effects of their deeply Midwestern religious upbringing.