Blue Division

Lineup: Finley Grant, Cameron Evers, Winston Barbe, Mercer West, John Fernandes. Featuring Members Of: The Rodney Kings, USA, Velocirapture, K I D S, Bubbly Mommy Gun, Sleeping Friends, Quiet Hooves, The Olivia Tremor Control, Old Smokey. Influences: Bad Brains, GISM, The Faith.

Named after Francisco Franco's infamous, Hitler-sanctioned, Communist-busting WWII unit, and harboring a seemingly insatiable need for musical speed, everything about Blue Division screams "punk rock." Indeed, the band holds its punk idols near and dear, showing definite shades of The Germs and other fast-burning L.A. notables of yore.

But this ain't your daddy's hardcore: armed with layers of kooky keyboard courtesy of local oddball Joe Kubler (and on special occasions, scene mainstay John Fernandes' voracious violin chaos), the members of Blue Division forgo typical punk power in favor of weird, tightly twisted tuneage, the likes of which Athens hasn't seen since its '80s heyday. Onstage, vocalist Finley Grant is a woman possessed, the total opposite of damaged icons like Darby Crash yet vaguely reminiscent, a ball of inward-shifting tension and catatonic chaos. It's all very weird and very good. Finally, the punk rockers are trippin' balls.

Next Show: Friday, Aug. 31 @ Go Bar