Why it’s tops: The formula is simple: Take neck-snapping guitar riffs, add howls, fat drums and a menacing organ. Mix, then rock. The Omens read the recipe. This foursome takes elements of some of the best early garage rock (Stooges, Question… (Read More)

If you’ve been paying attention for the past several years, you know that scores of bands have been cultivating atmospheric pop music with sweeping melodic hooks. While most claim Joy Division as a predecessor, too many are diluted third-rate Radiohead clones… (Read More)

Better Than: LSD …Hawks of Paradise, lead by former Hawks and Doves frontman James Yardley, played its debut gig. Quite a few people, including a lot of local musicians, showed up early to catch the maiden voyage of a band that… (Read More)