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JANUARY 7
Five guitarists, two bassists, and a drummer. Instrumentals. A love of the multitextured drone. Sound suspiciously like Glenn Branca’s neoclassical rock ensembles? D.C.’s Tone has heard the comparison before, but it’s not an apt one. Unlike Branca, the band concentrates on beating standard song structures to a pulp. On its debut CD, Build, the ensemble evokes both the semi-exotic thud of Savage Republic and a minor-key Stereolab without the keyboard gurgles. But unlike those bands, Tone never succumbs to the urge to croon or bellow—it’s content to let its strings hum and fight for air space. Tone is sometimes suffocated on record, but the acoustics and dynamics of a live show should give the band’s music room to breathe. Massachusetts’ Concussion Ensemble co-headlines and Delta 72 opens at 9 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 930 F St. NW. $5. (202) 393-0930. (Chip Porter)