When you've heard the same local bands enough times to play covers of their songs yourself, sometimes it's great to drag yourself out on a rainy fall night and feel re-inspired about all the cool shit worth leaving your cozy confines for. For me, there's a nexus of bands inbred like royal families who consistently produce quality music. A Frames reminded everyone at the Comet last weekend that even if they break a bass string, the post-punk trio are still at the top of their game, and their song "Surveillance" is one of the creepiest, coolest love songs in my book--the bass lines alone could disembowel the obese over the course of a song. A Frames drummer Lars Finberg just returned from a New York trip with his other band, the Intelligence, who recently opened for the Fall for two shows at CMJ. And, don't lose me here, but the drummer for the Intelligence, Matthew Ford, showcased his new band at that same A Frames show. They're called Factums and they feature Dan Strack from Fruit Bats on guitars, keyboards, and effects and Jesse P. Miller on bass, guitar, keyboards, and effects. Which, before you even get to Ford's vocals, add up to a mountainous display of distortion. There's definitely a parallel between the lo-fi, experimental aesthetic of Factums--who, Ford says, have been around for about a year and have a 20-song demo disc available--and the Intelligence, as both contain elements of the Fall's headfucking propensities. Factums place a little more emphasis on unadulterated, blown-out noise in their songs, though. Their tunes vacillate between sounding like simple chemistry experiments between static, demonic vocal electricity, and beats slower than a comatose heart and more garagey-based stuff, coming off the rails only to reattach at the oddest angles. Despite this being their first show, Factums were definitely impressive.

And then there's the relationship between Factums and the Lights--whose frontman, Craig Chambers, plays in Pyramids with Ford. The Lights' most recent release, Beautiful Bird, was among the best local records last year, and their dynamic post punk has returned on a limited-edition EP, Wood & Wire, and a 7-inch available now. Chambers' distinctive baritone hovers over his taut, ice-pick guitar work, drummer PJ Rogalski's eclectic, jazzy beats, and bassist Jeff Albertson's droning landscapes, which descend on the band's dark nest like a fog. You can pick up a copy of the EP at one of two upcoming Lights shows--either November 9 with Mclusky at the Croc or November 13 at the Paradox with IQU.

On a more somber note, most of you have probably heard that the independent-music world recently lost two greats. Greg Shaw, founder of the beloved garage/power-pop label Bomp! Records and music journalist, died of heart failure October 19 at the age of 55. And another underground-music enthusiast, BBC radio DJ John Peel died of a heart attack on October 26. You can read The Stranger's tribute to the influential Peel at www.thestranger.com/specials/johnpeel.html.

jennifer@thestranger.com