The Constantines

9 p.m. Tuesday, June 20. Blueberry Hill's Duck Room (6504 Delmar Boulevard, University City)

Jun 14, 2006 at 4:00 am

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Canada's Constantines deliver highly danceable punk grooves and superb lyrics all wrapped up in a gruff, working-class-flannel exterior — which has led to many Bruce Springsteen-via-Fugazi comparisons. But while this is a good and easy description for the uninitiated, it ultimately fails to encapsulate the Constantines' idiosyncrasies and apparent contradictions. For example, on the band's latest record, Tournament of Hearts, there's the energetic, would-be union-rally-cry "Working Full-Time" and the tune "Draw Us Lines," which is about the eco-spiritualist/Wiccan author Starhawk and the idea that a song is like an incantation. Much like magic, the greatest bands can't be easily explained. It's best just to experience them for yourself.