Roomrunner

Hey, kids, do you like Nirvana? Then you're going to love the new album from Roomrunner. There was a period where that kind of statement would kill a band's credibility dead but, as with anything, times heals all (musical) wounds and ripping off Kurt and co. at their most furious is now a point of pride rather than derision. That's not say this is straight-up grunge worship; Roomrunner already had a healthy number of releases under their belts and Denny Bowen logged time in Double Dagger. Like Metz and Japandroids, this Baltimore, MD unit have borrowed liberally from the late '80s American noise-rock underground to create a single-minded record, marrying bottom-heavy riffs with an equal dose of sticky hooks. Their latest ups the production ante — the band's penchant for chaotic noise remains, but doesn't overshadow Bowen's double-tracked croon. Best of all, it works, making Ideal Cities one of the most fun, if not wholly original, albums of the year.