The three-headed lineup this evening at Johnny Brenda’s has been marked on my calendar for quite some time. The show begins with Sheer Mag, whose 7’’ is currently our album of the month and for a good reason; it genuinely rocks! The relatively new Christina Halladay-fronted group packs a decisive punch, filling all four songs with a garage-rock sound littered with saucy guitar riffs. Halladay’s snarly-combative vocals mesh well with a heavier jangly groove, which falls into place and provides a smooth shape to otherwise tough sounding tunes. Exuberant Tennessee garage-rockers Pujol, whose songs hover that threshold where grit and catchy-hooks intermingle, bridge the gap to New Brunswick juggernaut trio Screaming Females, whose live shows are a sight and sound to behold, captivating with all-out sizzling guitar shreds and a relentless hard-charging backbeat that will have the building bouncing tonight. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $13, 21+ – Michael Colavita
