American Babies

The American Babies have done more than shape shift; they changed their entire aesthetic in the 12 years they've been making music. You might chalk up their evolution to sheer happenstance but according to singer Tom Hamilton and lead guitarist Scott Metzger, they just got smarter and older—standing at a greater distance from their reckless youth at the advanced age of 26. No matter what the process was, this New Jersey band writes songs that rivals early Springsteen with the menace and angst of Death Angel and the emotional intelligence of Richard Thompson. Listen to them try to convince fans they really aren't what they listen to. Yeah, right.