Monday, July 19; Launchpad (all ages, 7 p.m.): These Arms are Snakes are a difficult band to pin down. Formed from the ashes of Botch and Kill Sadie, they carry a bright torch of classic '80s hardcore while embracing the more modern sounds of bands like And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Kill Me Tomorrow, Jucifer and other post-punk champions of noisy hard rock.
Their current Jade Tree EP, This is Meant to Hurt You, does its level best to do just that, and to resounding success. Live, the band have a growing reputation for engaging theatrics and unbound energy. And the fact that TAAS don't easily fall into any single genre turns the excitement to 11. This should be one for the scrapbook.
