By name alone its kinda weird that i haven’t caught on to this band until now, on the verge of their upcoming fifth full LP and in existence since 2006. From New Brunswick, New Jersey’s teeming DIY rock scene, this band has put out their first three records and booked all their own shows independently until their fourth record Castle Talk. Their Fifth LP Ugly is due out in April of this year and they have toured with The Dead Weather, Throwing Muses and Dinosaur Jr. Their LPs are now available on Don Giovanni Records and you can find them sharing bills with hot bands like Jeff The Brotherhood, Titus andronicus and Diarrhea Planet. The first thing that grabbed me about this band was the raw unhinged vocals of singer/guitarist Marissa Paternoster, 25, who says she listens to Sleater-Kinney and The Pixies. You can really hear the much missed intensity of those vocalizations since Sleater-Kinney disbanded in 2006. Marissa channels this for a whole new generation of fans. But thats not all. This girl can play the dickens out of the guitar, complex gutsy and unique arrangements show her as a natural, if not supernatural talent. She brings to mind a young jack white but where he solidly reigns in a traditional blues-based sense, she embarks on uncharted territory, experimental. even mysterious. You dont know where that guitar line is going but you’re ready to ride. Great instincts prevail through all of these records and i cant wait for the new one. I also cant wait for their upcoming show at bottom of the hill april 24. be there–i know i will.