Moaners

Looking like the love child of Jackie and Blackie Onassis and dredging up an orgiastic frenzy of scuzzy, bottom-feeding riffs, Melissa Swingle has the good fortune of fronting hands-down the best two-piece band ever to wriggle out of the underground. On Dark Snack, Swingle and drummer Laura King take the blurry blues riffs of the White Stripes, slow them down and give them a sultry, atavistic swing. The band drip sex on "Heart Attack,” "Water” and "Paradise Club,” as Swingle showcases a vocal style best described as a deadpan bedroom growl and King throbs behind the drum kit. While you may not have heard of the Moaners yet, Dark Snack is, pound for pound, a solid contender against the two-piece heavyweights on the circuit. All they need is a little radio play, and they’ll be ready for a title fight.