Smell of female

Ted Leo is always a killer live show, and often brings along a swell band on tour. His opening act for this Zaphod Beeblebrox show back on June 24 was Screaming Females.  The band has emerged from their New Brunswick - New Jersey, that is - hometown’s basement scene and is fronted by diminutive (and occasionally screaming) female Marissa Paternoster. Despite being tagged as punk rock in some circles (perhaps to Paternoster’s occasional Bikini Kill-style ululations) a closer antecedent would seem to be Dinosaur Jr., thanks to her highly tweaked and furious guitar sound. At least one audience member was moved to do a whirling dervish impression as she blazed away on her fretboard.

The sound of the Screaming Females can best be described as "13."



Marissa sings!



Bassist King Mike spent a lot of time with his back to the audience.



Marissa works the frets.



Jarrett Daugherty mans the traps.



Guitar action!



More Mike!



Closeup action!



Rhythm section action!



A shouty bit!



Even more King!



The whole shadowy lot!



More shouting!



The sound-tweaking, microphone-munching end!



The Screaming Females have a busy few months ahead of them, with touring over the U.S. and Europe through November. They also have a new record, Castle Talk, out in mid-September.

• Show reminder: Lovenbodyparts play Zaphod's; Neema Mugala and Elage-Afro Blues cools things down at the Rainbow; the Elmdale House hosts The Ethers and The Woodrunners; Today I Caught The Plague, Hunter City Madness, President and Lay Low, Aim High rock Mavericks; there's punk rock aplenty at the Montgomery Legion Hall with Headed For Disaster, Germ Attak, Secret Police, G.O.D., Weak Link, Dirty Nuns, Substance, The Donner Party and Critical Convictions; No Other Way, Hellbros and Knives for Kids are at Babylon; Dry River Caravan and Andre M. Bluteau play Irene's; The Sonic Defense and The Damn Truth perform at the Avant Garde.