When I was checking out the Spin issue with the 40 most vital artists, I saw these guys listed as 39th and I had never heard of them. At that time, they had only released one album, but were apparently blowing away audiences with their live show. If there latest album is any indication of their live sound, I can totally see why.

The hooks are tight and the guitars are often fast and furious. Their actual sound is a strange hybrid between rock, country and punk, and their arrangements are all over the place. They've even got a violin, but most of the time it sounds like the strings are being stressed to their breaking point. Lead singer (and former performance artist) Carla Bozulich's sometimes croons in almost a country tone, but she can belt out a nasty line with just as much emotion (and does on several occassions). One listen to the opening track "California Tuffy" and you might be hooked on their sound. The album has a couple drawn-out points, but it's still quite an interesting listen.