Much in the way hair metal briefly blinded us with Aqua Net and eclipsed heavy metal, New Wave in its androgynous fervor shanghai'd the spotlight from a period and style of music that never really got classified. Sure, it's all rock 'n' roll in the whole grand scheme of things, but bands like Gang Of Four, Ultravox, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Pixies, and even bands as big as The Police sprang up in the post-punk, pre-New Wave world - yet they were neither, or maybe they were both. They weren't quite angry enough for the former or plastic enough for the latter. Wait a minute, I've got it: No Wave. We'll call it no wave. I'm so smart.

The No Wave (trust me, it'll catch on) leader in this area back in the day was New Math. The band created ominous, foreboding, drum-driven hypnosis with guitar-driven psychosis. The band faded to black in the mid-80's and has recently un-faded back as The Jet Black Berries. Nothing's new, just more, just better. The band's three-song EP-release show Friday at The Lovin' Cup was riveting, and it played in front of a packed house. Opening with the eerie, zombified classic "They Walk Among You," guitarist Chris Yockel was king of the mountain with a prestidigitatious wrangling of notes and ideas. Singer Johnny Cummings, who was -2 when the band started, was clearly in the driver's seat, as if he'd always been there. The Cream cover was an odd choice but really got the joint jumpin.' What a great band, what a great show.

Filo Beddoe was chugging odd and cool when I made the Monty's Krown scene Saturday night. Guitarist Todd Krasz (he used to eat bees, you know?) is a shredder, and the music rocked. But it was the arrangement detours and the vocal ease that sent me. Krasz apparently has vocal chords that run the length of his lanky frame. There was some trucker-type roots beneath the metal arpeggios. Picture Dave Dudley dressed as a vampire. The band still seems a tad larval - it's too bad bands can't stay this way - but as it comes together, I reckon this band will stand alone. Right turn, Clyde.

Filo drummer Grimey pulled double-duty and filled in for Krypton 88's former drummer. He fell out of a tree and broke his leg and they had to shoot him. Grimey ain't a rockabilly drummer by trade, and brought considerably more heft to the proceedings. The rest of the trio brought its signature fun full of slap, twang, and tickle. Who was that man with the orange guitar?