Quitter

Among the best of Boston's teeming underground scene, Quitter are much more than simply a Roadsaw side project, even though the band is three-quarters of Roadsaw. Singer/guitarist Craig Riggs and drummer Hari Hassin swapped roles, and Maine-born guitarist Ian Ross (who has even logged road time as a member of Nebula) deals hard-driving, Aerosmith-ian boogie mixed with the bulldozer grooves of Roadsaw, while Riggs is now behind the drums and bashing as if he'd been born with sticks for hands. Hassin is a whole different story; not only does he possess some of the gutsiest pipes around - imagine a cross between Steven Tyler and the Guess Who's Burton Cummings - but he also sports a wicked falsetto that, when used sparingly, approaches the tone perfected by Supertramp's Roger Hodgson in the late '70s. Naturally, the opening tracks "Black Box" and "Tear You Down" are knockdown, drag-out rockers, but it's the slithering power ballads "Blind" and "Fools Gold" that'll leave you begging for more with their especially intoxicating Lynyrd Skynyrd/Bob Seger vibe and, of course, Ross's guitar wailing like Joe Perry. Despite its relative sonic muddiness, the closing track "Whiskey Chixx (demo)" boasts Hassin's sweat 'n' swagger that conjures up only images of him wearing snakeskin boots, chunky gold chains and mirrored sunglasses at night. One of the most electrifying post-stoner acts around, Quitter are sure to transport you back to a more decadent era when rock fandom was all about velvet black-light posters, mail-order fan clubs and head and wrist sweatbands.