Two years ago, EXTREME frontman GARY CHERONE and his guitar-playing younger brother Markus formed a one-off band to cover Who’s Next. Dubbed SLIPKID, the band remain intact, and they’ve expanded their repertoire to include more than 30 Who songs. Their next gig is October 20 at the Hard Rock Café. But Slipkid have spawned another band, HURTSMILE — yet to play out but already posting songs on their MySpace site. “Slipkid is a labor of love for us,” Gary says, “but I knew this was an opportunity for us to write and create together: that’s how Hurtsmile evolved.”

Early AC/DC, Alice Cooper, and White Stripes are some of the bands Markus cites as influences. “Gary’s worked with guitarists who aren’t too shabby — Nuno Bettencourt and Eddie Van Halen — so I wanted to get in my comfort zone, which is kind of raw.” Hurtsmile are aiming to play live by the end of the year, and Gary adds, “I’d like within the next four months to put out the equivalent of a record on MySpace.” Meanwhile, Bettencourt has left Perry Farrell’s Satellite Party, and there’s already talk of a new Extreme CD and tour next year.

MISSION OF BURMA make their ICA debut with two shows on September 23. Drummer Peter Prescott says the band are “working on tons of new material, and we’ll play three or four new ones each show.” What’s more, he’s struck a deal with Taang! to reissue the first albums by his post-Burma band VOLCANO SUNS.