Georgie James

Tue., Nov. 13, 9 p.m., $10, with Aqueduct, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.

by John Vettese

rock/pop

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Some might cry heresy at this, but I always found Q and Not U to be tremendously boring. Yeah, they had a ton of frenetic energy and a slick post-punk sound before "post-punk revival" became terminology du jour. But the defunct D.C. trio relied entirely too much on math-rock-style technicalities and technique, rather than crafting songs that might actually demand repeat listens; the resulting cuts were interchangeable and their appeal waned quickly. Drummer John Davis clearly had interests outside of this scope, and when the band split in 2005, he joined songwriter Laura Burhenn to form Georgie James, a lively indie outfit informed not by dingy dance, but rather by sunshiney '60s pop. On the group's debut, Places (Saddle Creek), we hear the propulsive drums Davis rocked in Q, but we also hear him singing, harmonizing Mates of State-style with Burhenn on "Need Your Needs," carrying a hook on his own in "Look Me Up" and generally emitting a force and presence that was missing from his old band. The frenetic energy is still there, but now it's addictive.

Tue., Nov. 13, 9 p.m., $10, with Aqueduct, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.