Those Darlins - "Screws Get Loose"

Fuzzy swinging and twisting guitars; gravely punk and garage rock vocals contrasted with chorusing girl group sung "whoas"; quick-witted lyrics and rhymes; a tinge of Buddy Holly 1950s-inspired rockabilly; and enough attitude and personality to fill up a tall beer-crusted pitcher. It's addictive, metaphor-laden and catchy—what more do you need? How about a tour with Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears? Deal.

Those Darlins - "Screws Get Loose" (from Screws Get Loose)

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears :: Scandalous

It's heavy, it's loud and it's funky. Black Joe Lewis and his band of Honeybears have returned with their second full-length album, Scandalous, produced again by Spoon's Jim Eno. If this is soul music, there's nothing smooth about it. Lewis just isn't a smooth guy. He attacks his music with jagged guitar riffs and a raspy throated and emotive yell of a singing voice. The songwriting here is nothing new, but with his backbone of talented Honeybears behind him at every turn, the passionate Lewis turns Scandalous into a seriously jarring record: an overwhelmingly physical force of funk and blues that will turn you loose on the dance floor until the sweat is pouring off your forehead and your muscles are begging for respite. Buy this record. Then see this man live.

Black Joe Lewis - "Black Snake" (from Scandalous)


Black Joe Lewis - "I'm Broke" (Live at Woxy Lounge)

Balls to Rock: A Discerning Ratio

Even independent music goes through states of stylized homogeneity. When Animal Collective got red hot last year, we were flooded with bands every other week worshipping at their experimental altar. The same can be said for sub-genres like freak-folk, chill-wave, and the noisy Jesus & Mary Chain gang. In other words, when everyone is trying to be different and that "difference" is being celebrated, a repetition of style is inevitable. Sometimes "different" means music that is eccentric, weird or groundbreaking and that, of course, should be celebrated; but when "different" or "indie" connotes overly quirky and clever skinny-jean donning bands of the moment, it can become difficult to wade through that abyss of tight denim.

That's when I resort to "balls to rock," a ratio that sifts out the overly stylized and cliched from the blood, sweat and tears. "Balls" is colloquial for bravado or courage and could easily be replaced with terms like "soulful," "bad-ass," or "inspired"—in music, it's that intangible something that hits you in the gut. On a scale, Wavves or the Jo Bros might register a 1:37; Vampire Weekend a respectable 6:13; White Denim, always full of life and energy, a 5:7; a perfect 1:1 for the damaged goods Bon Iver delivered in For Emma, Forever Ago; and lastly, the ratio would spill over with the likes of Janis Joplin and Prince, whose gigantic huevos' size were and are simply impossible to determine.

Here are five groups that bring it balls and ovaries first every song:

The Ettes - "Crown of Age" (from Look At Life Again)

White Denim - "Regina Holding Hands" (from Fits)

Beach House - "Silver Soul" (From Teen Dream)

The Drive By Truckers - "Steve McQueen" (from Alabama Ass Whuppin)

Black Joe Lewis & The Honerybears - "I'm Broke" (Live at WOXY Lounge)

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