If you read Leah Pietrusiak's outstanding cover story this week, you may find yourself wondering what kind of music the Arts of Life Band volunteers make on their own time. The musicians who write and perform with Arts of Life play around town in their own bands as well, and I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorites: Bad Drugs.

Bad Drugs is a superheavy noise-rock band led by Andrew Martinec, the Arts of Life guitarist (he plays bass here) who helped compose the "Shark Attack" song mentioned in Pietrusiak's article. He's the tall guy in the photo above who isn't Greg Ginn. Rounding out the Bad Drugs lineup are powerhouse drummer Kyle Reynolds, also of Cacaw, and guitarist Patrick LeBahn. Their debut LP, an explosion of concentrated rhythm and noise, came out last month on Reynolds's Rotted Tooth Recordings. Local label Permanent Records passed on releasing the album, a decision co-owner Lance Barresi is now on the record about regretting.

Here's a video of Bad Drugs destroying at the Empty Bottle in August:

A local band definitely worth checking out, especially live. They're playing at Mortville on November 18. If you're interested in grabbing their cool, glow-in-the-dark LP, drop by Permanent or e-mail Kyle.