When the Murder City Devils announced their “last show” on Halloween of 2001, a little piece of our heart turned black and died. But that wild animal couldn't be kept quiet and the group reunited five years later, continuing to play a show every now and then since. This year, sandpaper-voiced vocalist Spencer Moody and company released a seven-inch featuring the first new works in a decade—sure, it's only two songs but holy hell, it's fucking amazing. “Every Day I Rise” is quintessential MCD, loud and wild and howling, while “Ball Busters in the Peanut Gallery” sweeps in with a higher production value and gets as smooth and melodic as possible (which isn't very). They're playing only three shows in California this month—two in San Francisco and one in Santa Ana. To miss this would be a very bad start to 2013.
Sat., Dec. 22, 8 p.m., 2012
