Roadtrips

Bluetip may have been the most promising young pupils of Ian Mackaye Academy (their class-of-'96 debut, Dischord 101, was produced by the master himself), and having matriculated to the University of Jawbox on their latest, Join Us, they once again move straight to the head of the class. In a genre where resemblances to Fugazi and Jawbox are givens, Bluetip are relative iconoclasts. For one thing, they're catchy as hell (their bio mentions something about being influenced by Cheap Trick and Failure, though we're thinking more like Joy Division) and delightfully irreverent (Dischord honor roll or not, on Join Us they give themselves an "F-," which "stands for what I know I am: fucker"), and they have less of an aversion to freight-train anthemics than anyone down DC way since the Monorchid (check out the Slint/Come-by-way-of-Jane's-Addiction stunner "Bad Flat"). Having toured with the likes of Tool and the Melvins -- as well as, of course, Fugazi and the Promise Ring -- Bluetip find themselves playing across town from Black Sabbath (who are at the FleetCenter) on February 3 at the Middle East (617-864-EAST) in Cambridge with the Farewell Bend and the Bismarck. On February 4 they're at the Met Café (401-861-2142) in Providence with the Farewell Bend, Jetpack, and Before I Break.

It's been a while since Chicago indie-rockers Seam have been in these parts. In fact, until last fall, it had been more than a couple of years since the band had even released anything. But with the aptly titled The Pace Is Glacial (Touch & Go) finally out, they've hit the road again. They'll bring their quietly dissonant guitar-pop to the Met Café on January 29 with Pacific Ocean and V for Vendetta, and to the downstairs room at the Middle East on January 30 with Pacific Ocean and Victory at Sea.

Kate & Anna McGarrigle, long respected specialists in the field of folk, are out supporting their new Rykodisc album The McGarrigle Hour, which features cameos by Kate's ex-husband, Loudon Wainwright III, and the couple's two musical progeny -- Gap spokesman Rufus, and Martha Wainwright -- as well as Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. Loudon, Emmylou, and Linda won't be joining Kate and Anna on January 30 at Sanders Theatre (617-876-4275) in Cambridge, but Martha will definitely be in the house and there's a chance Rufus will show too. You can also catch the McGarrigles on January 29 at the Iron Horse (413-584-0610) in Northampton.
-- CC