Archers of Loaf

Five song E.P. contains more great pissed-off rockers. Eric Bachman's hoarse shouting and the band's twin-guitar noise assault can't obscure the melodies. "Lowest Part is Free" sums up the indie ethic with three chords cribbed from the Clash and an acerbic dismissal of lesser bands: "so full of sh*t/let's write some hits."

Even when they f*ck around--half a minute of silence to open, two minutes of scales to whet or ruin your appetite for their catchiest tune--they sound like a live band ready to service a living audience, their gleeful anger felt rather than assumed. And with a new album coming down the chute, this abrasively aestheticized little EP could be your last chance to one-up the madding crowd. (Grade - A-)