Iceage

The debut from Copenhagen's Iceage strikes a savage balance between unaffected amateurism and an advanced understanding (or at least reverence) of early punk's cross-sections. English post-punk and American proto from the '70s collide with'80s hardcore to create something that somehow doesn't sound quite like any of that. The four-piece (still only in their teens) sound fraught with nerves and high on possibility ― only a band unburdened by, well, much of anything, including the need for technical perfection, could churn out the blistering slop of "Total Drench" and the experimental assault of "Rotting Heights," alongside the unhinged power pop of "Remember" or basement show anthem "Count Me In," coming pretty close to what it would have sounded like if Ians Curtis and MacKaye had somehow merged. For all of its old, New Brigade most certainly sounds like something new, and is bound to stand out as something special in 2011.