Fri. March 9

Nick Blakey of the Boston band the In Out has been yakking up Britain's Nightingales for some time now, and has been trying to lure the band to the States to play some gigs. Lo and behold, that is going to happen. My problem - and maybe yours - was that while I respect Nick's taste and his band a lot, I didn't know much about Nightingales. A new disc, "Out of True," came my way and set me on fire. It's a clanking, clanging, snarling thing, with front man Robert Lloyd serving up tart, semi-comic/caustic talk-sung lyrics over insistent hooky, semi-funky avant-rock. Lloyd, who was the front guy for the Birmingham-based Prefects back in '77, is to this quintet as Mark E. Smith is to the Fall. The Prefects actually evolved into the Nightingales and were championed by the late BBC dj/arbitor of all things good, John Peel. The cult heroes, but fell through a lot of cracks. Obviously. What might help you get an idea of where they're coming from are some sample song titles: "The Chorus is the Title," "Taking Away the Stigma of Free School Dinners" and "UK Randy Mom Epidemic." On the disc, they also cover Kevin Coyne and an unreleased track (how'd they get it?) by the Ray Davies. This is smart, sharp stuff. They're at the Abbey Lounge Friday March 9 and on at 10:30 p.m. The In Out opens, natch,(at 9) followed by the Victoria Lucas. The Silver Lining close the bill just before midnight. It should be an evening post-punk nirvana. Tickets: $9.

3 Beacon St., Somerville, abbeylounge.com