Pissed Jeans

For those of you who thought indie rock no longer puked up scuzz rock, we present you with Pissed Jeans. These four dudes grew up in Allentown, Penn. But they might as well hail from Austin or San Francisco or any other town infamous for producing sweaty 'n' shirtless miscreants like the Happy Flowers, Halo of Flies and Butthole Surfers. Indeed, Pissed Jeans are like the ultimate Amphetamine Reptile tribute band; "I'm Sick," the lead track on their debut, Shallow, proves it. Matt Korvette howls, "I'm sick/ I'm dehydrated/ I've got diarrhea/ I can't keep my food down/ My sinuses are clogged/ I'm sick/ ARRRGGG!" But as with the mighty Jesus Lizard -- possibly the band's No. 1 influence -- Pissed Jeans' power isn't just a product of bad vibes, gross lyrics and monster riffs. These dudes jam their butts off. They're also surprisingly controlled for a band whose rhythm section rumbles like a coal-burning train barreling down a mountain. But best of all, the band writes catchy tunes that have paid dividends. Sub Pop released Pissed Jeans' second album, appropriately titled Hope for Men. Not bad for a band that wrote a song titled "Caught Licking Leather."