Liars

The Blood Brothers' post-punk operatic screamo balances an exceptionally theatrical performance with the succinct vocal delivery you would expect from classically trained musicians. The band's two vocalists play off one another, entwining their lightspeed lyrics into one orgiastic mass of sound. Constantly varying in form and pace, they create a seemingly limitless flood of vocals which you would be an idiot not to drown in. This is an alive live band. The Blood Brothers have something about their sound that sugar-wraps the usually inaccessible sound of destabilised post-Sonic Youth music. They are developing the time-splitting sound of the art-post-rock American scene but, importantly, you can sing and dance to it.

In contrast to The Blood Brothers' post-modern melting pot of musical styles, Liars songs are raw and unapproachable; unstructured compared to anything we have come to expect from conventional music and melodically vacant. Vocalist Agnus Andrew sings with an ominous monotone, pronouncing syllables in time with drum beats like a shaman reciting a prayer or a spell.

But though Liars' music differs from that of The Blood Brothers, their performance is as intriguing. Dressed like a mad man on ket, Agnus Andrew collapses around the stage in a three-quarter-length matron’s uniform featuring the shakily written slogan, 'Weapons of ASS Destruction', on the back. He does well to jump into the ceiling and not fall into seizure. Or perhaps this crazy dancing _is_ his seizure. However crazy this may be, the underlying charisma makes you love it; watching this man is fun.

At times it is questionable if Liars are really pushing boundaries in music or just taking the piss. Songs become so extended that once stimulating repetitive drums become annoyingly drawn-out and dull. Where the Blood Brothers were giving and exuberant, Liars seems self-indulgent and pretentious. In theory, Liars' fresh take on avant-garde music is formidable, but commercially, it's just not Busted.