Heartless Bastards

Over the years Ohio has pumped out an impressive number of punk-blues beasts, including the Gibson Brothers, Bassholes, Cheater Slicks and the Black Keys. With their debut album, Stairs and Elevators, we can now add Cincinnati's Heartless Bastards to that list. Stripped down and soaked in fuzz, the power trio's focal point is singer-guitarist Erika Wennerstrom, who howls like a cross between Patti Smith and Jon Spencer. She's as tough as the industrial grime from which the band was born.