More than a few nights of late, we’ve had an agonizing time deciding among a smorgasbord of good shows. Being enterprising folks, we’ve considered a variety of ways to get around it. Setting back the dashboard clock and driving at 88 miles per hour wasn’t too hot; Officer Bronson informed us that those aren’t time circuits. We combed the Spell Compendium for advice on astral projection, but wound up with a frog in our throat. Sometimes, you just have to choose.Tonight’s competing lineups at Exit/In and High Watt are especially brutal, with long-standing Cream faves and interesting newcomers on both sides. But what are we going to do, ask the promoters to stop booking bands we like? Follow us after the jump, where we lay it all on the line for you.In the blue corner, starting at 9 p.m. at The High Watt; no cover, 21+:

Mystery Twins: Doug and Stephanie from The Clutters set hearts and fists a-pumping with their anthemic Kinks-meet-Everley Brothers stew of covers and originals.

Clear Plastic Masks: Recently relocated from Brooklyn, this fearsome foursome wait in the shadows of Muscle Shoals until time to ambush with a barrage of garage fury. Contributors have been known to call upon the power of Thunderbitch.

Century Club: Offshoots of The Carter Administration, these East Side power poppers are known to bring something called “the right hook.”

Fragments of God: New kids on the block sound more like psych- and math-kissed post-punk than black metal to us, but we’re game to give them a shot. This is their second show ever, and second this week, having opened for Maserati last Sunday.
In the gray corner, also starting at 9 p.m. at Exit/In; $8 cover, 18+:

White Mystery: Chicago garage duo, named for the best flavor of AirHeads, feature actual siblings — not so mysterious. Miss Alex White shreds the guitars, brother Francis Scott Key White leaves a smoking crater where the skins once were. They also apparently can shoot energy beams from their hands; no word on whether that only works on skeletons or not.

Fancytramp: Grungy rock with a wicked bottom end takes turns for the dark and heavy. Secret weapon is frontlady Olivia Fancytramp’s ability to communicate with cats.

Tipper Whore: Following The B-52s and Hunx and His Punx along the glittery path from glam to New Wave, the Whore displays chops that you wouldn’t expect from a band dealing tunes about drink tickets and other less-than-serious subjects (we’ll leave you to guess what “Two Sticks” is about). Look for their recent 7-inch via Michael Eades’ YK Records. Also look out: Their lineup includes a shovel player.

Bully: Debut show from trio featuring Stewart Copeland and Daniel Severs, late of PUJOL, with Battle Tapes sidekick and Stone Fox house engineer Alicia Bognanno up front. If you can’t wait for the upcoming Breeders show, these folks have you covered.
So, let’s review:

High Watt:
* Soul and other old-school flavors stirred into your rock
* No cover
* Band with “Twins” in their name; not actual twins
* 21+, no kiddos
* Up two flights of stairs

Exit/In:
* Things you miss about rock from the ’90s
* Out-of-town band
* Band with actual siblings in it; does not feature “Twins” in their name
* 18+, kiddos can actually see this one
* Parking on Elliston Place

Yeesh! Even after the dust settles, there’s still no clear winner. Depending on your age, your ability/desire to climb stairs and your bank account, there are some mitigating factors. But we hope this exercise has proven a helpful reminder of just how awesome our scene is.

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