Kind of a Drag

It appears that Mika Miko is calling it quits. I'm disappointed to hear this for a couple of reasons. For one, as far as girl punk goes, they were pretty friggin' good at it. Second, the last time they played Atlanta, they headlined the Drunken Unicorn. I went to that show to see the Strange Boys open up, and I had planned to stick around for Mika Miko, but left because it was running late and I had an early start the next day. My rationale was that they would likely pass through town again soon, as they had played here several times before. Rats.

Speaking of the Strange Boys, it looks like they're changing their makeup pretty radically. As I mentioned yesterday, Matt Hammer is no longer their drummer. He has been replaced by Seth Densham from Mika Miko. Bands change drummers all the time, but according to The Strange Boys' Myspace page, they're now a 6 piece, with Jenna from Mika Miko as a vocalist and sax player, and Tim Presley from Darker My Love as a backing vocalist.

I don't know what to think about this, but my instincts tell me it's not going to be good. It may be nothing to worry about it; they may just be using a sax and backing vocals on a couple tracks in the studio and still touring as a four piece. That wouldn't be such a big deal. However, touring as a six piece and featuring saxophone on every song would be a drastic change to what I think is already a fabulous thing. The Strange Boys are the only jaw-dropping act I've seen in the last year. I saw them open for Darker My Love at the Earl last December, I saw them headline the Earl in April while my alma mater was getting the shit stomped out of them by UNC in the NCAA men's basketball championship game, and I saw them at the aforementioned Drunken Unicorn show. They were outstanding all three times. They are living proof that just because you're putting out a lo-fi sound, you can still have good songs, great tone and can be a tight band. If any band has earned the benefit of the doubt, it's them, but I can't help but be a little skeptical. The Strange Boys' ...and Girl's Club is still one of my favorite albums from 2009, so hopefully they won't veer too far off of the course they've already set.