Carpenter

Composed of ex-members of some of the West coast’s finest under-appreciated punk rock outfits, including All-State Champion and By a Thread, Carpenter’s debut EP is one fine warning shot of great things to come. "Brighter Stars,” the anthemic opening track, is Texas is the Reason’s Do You Know Who You Are? played by four guys with a near-irrational love of John Cougar Mellencamp (check out their MySpace page for proof), while "Wake Up” bristles with all the over-the-top energy of early Piebald, tempered by hints of country and classic rock. Maintaining a compelling balance between early emo and pure rock’n’roll, Carpenter will likely prove to be a deadly force with the release of a full-length later in the year. Buy this now and get stoked.