No Age

With the musicianship of Pebbles and Bam Bam, No Age's Dean Spunt and Randy Randall make refreshing D.I.Y. noise-rock in a time of overwrought indie niceties. With a spare drum kit, highly distorted guitar and monotone vocals, the L.A. duo's debut, Weirdo Rippers, scrapes at a raw emotional core and casts out all the unnecessary junk. Think early Sonic Youth (without the artiness) grafted to the grimiest of garage rock, and you're mostly there. "My Life's Alright Without You" is a blistering breakup song, while "Everybody's Down" slowly builds into a buzzing mosh-pit grinder.