Jacuzzi Boys- Glazin'

I'm sure the Jacuzzi Boys would love to be mentioned in the same breath as the Ramones, they'd be happy just to sniff the Converses that Joey wore. But that's impossible because the Jacuzzi Boys are from Miami, not New York City. Growing up in the grimy borough of Queens in that rat-trap city of New York left a permanent sneer on The Ramones faces. NYC drove them to implore the people to "beat on the brat with a baseball bat". You can't be that kind of angry in Miami. Sorry, but you just don't have that kind of edge on the edge of the Everglades. And that's not a bad thing. You live in a beautiful area with beautiful water fringed by beautiful beaches full of beautiful people. You can play your garage rock with a no edge South Florida punk attitude and you'll still have a quality of life, probably live to a ripe, old posh retirement home on a golf course age, and get to look back on your former selves, the good-looking trio of nice boys who wrote some catchy tunes.

Buy this record if you own a hammock and your drink umbrellas come etched with Anarchy signs.

www.myspace.com/jacuzziboys 

Bass Drum Of Death- GB City

Imminently forgettable rehash of Black Keys and The White Stripes from Mississippi guitar/drum duo. Dude who wrote Bass Drum Of Death songs worked for Fat Possum and the music fits the lo-fi/bluesy/garage rock aesthetic that the label has tended to seek out recently. I have a soft spot for Mississippi, my dad lived there for years, he's also buried in Corinth, plus dude sports a Sixers jersey in band promo shot, probably a nod to Philadelphia, Mississippi, so I can't blame these dudes for jumping on the two-man garage rock bandwagon. And they nailed the marketing angle because kids will dig wearing a shirt that says Bass Drum Of Death on it.

Buy this record if you can't decide between a Yazoo Razoo and a Mississippi Mud Pie.

bassdrumofdeath.blogspot.com

Fungi Girls- Some Easy Magic

Three teenage boys from Texas serve up a rehash of surf and psychedelic garage rock with reverb and treble cranked up high. The playing is sloppy, the singing is haphazard, but the flow is earnest. For all we know these kids may not even be aware of their predecessors The Ventures, The 13th Floor Elevators, Dick Dale, et al. Fungi Girls provide a good bookend to Vivian Girls for younger listeners, providing them a peer group to steer toward the dusty shelves of rock's history.

Buy this record if you're learning to ride a bike.

www.hozacrecords.com/2010/08/fungi-girls/

The Prisoners- Wisermiserdemelza

This compilation, from Big Beats Records, gathers material released by obscure British band The Prisoners between 1983-1984. They blended garage, psych, and mod pretty effortlessly, but never found mainstream success despite their consistent touring presence throughout the UK. They borrowed from the Jam and bequeathed their sound to the Charlatans UK, buoyed by the sweet Hammond organ playing of James Taylor (not the "Fire & Rain" Taylor) who went on to form the successful band The James Taylor Quartet. The Prisoners are the reason music collectors still scour dusty record bins and thrift shop racks for lost treasure.

Buy this record if you want to dive into the deep end of the pool.

www.myspace.com/theprisonersmusic

Purling Hiss- Lounge Lizards

Real lo-fi take on garage rock, with swirls of distorted guitar and muffled vocals, that invokes the spirit of The Stooges with a hint of Dinosaur Jr. Sounds like Kurt Vile is singing on the lead track as well, both bands are from Philly so who knows? Purling Hiss are keeping themselves busy, having released the Lounge Lizards EP on the heels of their last EP Hissteria. I actually dig the progression to a lower fidelity sound. While most bands are trying to expand their sound and production value, Purling Hiss is content paring theirs down and representing Philly's blue-collar roots.  "Hoodoo" is a real scorcher that should sate any punk's palette. They certainly know how to make a racket so expect them to peal the paint off of your club's wall, then eat it when they come to your town.

Buy this record when you need to unclog the sink.

www.myspace.com/purlinghiss

The Coathangers- Larceny & Old Lace

They look like they don't know how to hold their instruments, their vocals (when not being screamed) are pretty weak, and they're from Georgia, but they have a cool name. There aren't many all-female bands bopping around Atlanta playing snotty garage rock these days so the girls must stick out. Whether you like them or not it's refreshing to have a female perspective in a medium that is so inherently dominated by men. The standout "Johnny" sounds like the B-52s on meth while "My Baby", with its repetitive guitar riff and carnival organ run, shows a mellow, more rhythmic side of the band.

Buy this record if you wanted to try out for the cheerleading squad but dropped acid instead.

www.thecoathangers.com

Apache Dropout- Apache Dropout

Vintage garage rock from modern day Bloomington, IN trio. Feels a little too calculated in its approach, which I find counter-intuitive to the whole garage rock aesthetic, but it hits all its marks. There seems to be some buzz around this band now so go catch them before they get signed to a big and start making music for Honda commercials.

Buy this record for your next naked twister party.

www.myspace.com/apachedropout