If, as has often been argued, pastiche is one of the defining features of “postmodern” culture, then Girls is a band that is very much of the times despite its decidedly retro-leaning sounds.

Girls @ the Black Cat. Photo by Holly Le. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the Real Estate/Girls show Tuesday night at the Black Cat was an extended tribute to The Clean, an open-mic homage to the under-known but influential Kiwi punk band. Hell, the show might have been a two-set-long cover act, the way both bands indulge in heavy chorus pedal and simple chord progressions and fancy-free songs about summer love. You’d certainly…

A 16-year-old girl was stabbed last night at 1024 Kenyon Street NW at about 11 p.m., WJLA reports, and the attack stemmed from a feud between two “girl gangs” who were upset about something one of them posted on a MySpace page, according to D.C. Council member Jim Graham. The victim, Graham says, is thankfully expected to recover. The incident is sure to prompt several infuriating “Are Your Children Safe on MySpace??!!!” stories on the…