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Being on antibiotics has its advantages too. I haven’t been able to drink since last Saturday when I was diagnosed with a possible sinus infection, so I missed out on both 4th of July drunken antics and yesterday I was one of the few sober people at a friend’s wedding (OPEN BAR!). Yet, I was able to excuse myself from the post-reception “let’s drink everything we couldn’t at the reception” due to my inability to drink.

With this newfound freedom, I snuck out to Bruar Falls to catch Family Curse, The In-Out, Pop 1280 and Guinea Worms.

Family Curse is a new band who’ve performed three shows, two of which I’ve known about. They play what they’ve called “doom pop” which isn’t too poor of a description, really. The music hovers at the edge of an uptempo post-punk darkness of oppressive and songs that use repetition to build mood. At the center of the band is Erick (formerly of Golden Errors), a man who cannot keep still during his set. He’s writhing and twisting himself as he sings, attacking members of the audience one second and ignoring them the next; as though the audience is only secondary to what’s happening on and off the stage.

The first time I caught them the only song which really stood out was “Julia” (due to be the first single they release) but last night, I teased some more song titles out of the band. “Memory Sickness” was a complex song of geometric attacks while “The Last Days” (a song about nuclear war) really encapsulates the self proclaimed genre of Doom Pop. It’s a sparse song which continues for long after the lyrics have stopped, using the space for the audience to catch its breath once more.

Guitarist Ken Edge is working on a video for the band, and you should be on the look out for it if only to catch what is becoming a very solid band very quickly.

The In-Out was the second band of the night, touring with Guinea Worms. The In-Out is a Boston band formed in 1992. It was a band I had always heard of, but never actually heard. They “sound like The Fall” is what I knew about them, but that’s just the shallowest of interpretations. There is that kind of sharp, staccato quality to the songs, the drums that propel you and draw you into dancing, but that’s really only a portion of the songs.

The In-Out gives you many different genres in a set. There’s garage rock’s slinkily sloppy sound which is nestled in with complex and intense prog rock interplay between Nick Blakey’s Bass and Todd Nudelman’s Guitar that gives way to hints of traditional doom metal and, yes, elements of The Fall.

The In-Out had a good set until the last three songs which were incredible. “Screaming Edge”, “Lawn Trousers” and “Frenzy.” One song was old, one song off the new album and one song hadn’t been released yet. As every song was comfortably juxtaposed even though they were three different flavors of “post-punk” demonstrated how well The In-Out had managed to coalesce the divergent genres within one band’s sound.

Pop 1280 has been called “Cyberpunk” and that’s very accurate Their sound is harsh and abrasive relying on synths, guitar sounds that come screeching into the night like screams, occasional percussive use of a sheet of rusted metal to punctuate phrases and vocals that channel paranoia and dismay into sharp songs.

Singer Caleb March dresses exquisitely, in tight black jeans and a loose button down shirt, giving you the impression of someone you’d pass in the night. Caleb’s shouted, strained vocals carry messages of hopelessness and isolation as he moves into the audience bouncing into people and throwing himself around as Ian Cambell’s guitar carries a half heard wail through the set. Though we just got a video for “Step Into The Grid” I really want to have some of the newer songs to carry around with me on lonely empty streets.

Guinea Worms headlined the night and it was fucking great. I don’t even know if I have the vocabulary to try to describe them, but they were the highlight of a thematically perfect bill.

Like The Fall? You’ll love Guinea Worms. Razor sharp guitars, vocal ejaculations and Will Foster taking you through all the songs with a quirky charisma as he acts out the song lyrics giving a novice Worm like myself an insight into what the hell is happening on stage.

Guinea Worms played a good 40 minutes or so, but they could have kept going all night it seemed. They were only hampered by Bruar Falls and the “must stop at midnight” policy, but even then, they pushed against that rule playing until about 12:10 AM. If you get the chance to see Guinea Worms, go. Just…go.