January 18 - 25, 1 9 9 6

Roadtrips

It's been quite a while since New York's quirkiest popsters, They Might Be Giants, released a new CD, but John Flansburgh and John Linnell aren't letting that, or the snow and ice, keep them off the road. They'll bring the newest incarnation of They Might Be Giants to Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) in Providence for an all-ages show on January 19 and to the Paradise (562-8800) in Boston on January 20. Both shows feature an opening set by the Candy Butchers. Another fine New York City-based group, Railroad Jerk, team up with their Matador labelmates from Boston, Helium, for a short tour that hits the Met Café (401-861-2142) in Providence on January 19 and the Middle East (497-0576) in Cambridge on January 20. Arab on Radar open the Providence show; Guv'ner are first on at the Middle East.

Back in the early '80s, the Bush Tetras were one of the few American bands to make new wave seem not such a bad direction for punk to head in. As part of the NYC no-wave scene, they infused punk catharsis with spasmodic funk grooves; then they disappeared before they had a chance to release an album. The newly resuscitated ROIR label just released Boom in the Night: Original Studio Recordings 1980-1983, and the Bush Tetras have gotten back together for a tour that lands at Mama Kin (536-2100) in Boston on January 25 and Ralph's (508-753-9543) in Worcester on January 26.

On March 12, Boston's Fuzzy release their second full-length on the new Atlantic imprint TAG. It's called Electric Juices, it was recorded at Fort Apache, and it's chock full of winsome pop hooks, charming harmonies, and gritty guitars. Get a preview of some of the tunes from a disc that's likely to make Fuzzy a national name when the band open for Buffalo Tom at Lupo's on January 26 and then headline T.T. the Bear's Place (492-BEAR) in Cambridge on January 27.