Girls Against Boys

Girls Against Boys' dual-bass attack and Scott McCloud's wheezy sing-speak vocals (reminiscent of the Fall's Mark E. Smith) produce an energetic, if sometimes noisy, sound that would probably annoy listeners if it weren't for the Baltimore band's great Fugazi-influenced songs. The band's 1989 debut album, Tropic of Scorpio, appeared on the Adult Swim label, followed by a leap up to the major indie Touch & Go for Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby. The albums that followed — 1995's Cruise Yourself and 1996's House of GVSB — charted the growing fortunes of Girls Against Boys, but their jump to major label Geffen, 1998's Freak*on*ica, was the worst record of their career. After a lengthy hiatus, the band returned to the underground with a contract for Jade Tree and a 2002 full-length, You Can't Fight What You Can't See. Girls Against Boys broke up the following year, but subsequently reunited to tour Europe (with a lineup now featuring bassist John Schmersal from Enon) in February 2005. The group also scheduled a tour of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Russia for February 2009.