There is an old rock axiom that warns against becoming bandmates with your significant other, but it's hard to argue with the results of riding love's emotional roller-coaster through work every day -- especially if you happen to favor inventive, drug-flavored garage rock. From Sonic Youth to Royal Trux to Pussy Galore to the White Stripes, college rock has always been the place to find emotionally charged music without the messy breakups. Jucifer offers stream-of-consciousness takes on dope and love that sound like James Joyce recounting a coke binge, meandering between tragic and beautiful. Amber Valentine and Ed Livengood weave these stories through a barrage of punk drum beats, bluesy guitars and pop melodies, making Jucifer's sordid tales palatable to anyone still waiting for garage's first Sonny and Cher. Wisely, though, Jucifer's members avoid the pitfalls of network variety television. Instead, the dynamic duo delivers a forceful live show that compels crowds to revel in rock hedonism.
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