Milemarker

Don't let the Pegasus-adorned pretty pink CD cover fool you, this is not some bubblegum, My Little Pony tribute record. This is all rock, baby! Blending a curious affinity for '80s no wave synth pop, dissonant guitar noodling and art rock structures, the seven tracks on this disc sound like a mutant hybrid of Devo, Sonic Youth and Rush. On their fourth album, the four-year-old Chicago-based quartet further infuses their punk-inspired origins with dense, squonking Moog-synth layers and X-like boy-girl vocal trade-offs. With noted hardcore producer Brian McTernan's trademark "in your face" sonic style, Anaesthetic is anything but numbing. It's a uniquely inspired and textured, multi-dimensional record that oozes pure rock fury. P.S. When you buy this, as you should, look under the CD tray for the hidden liner notes.