Nineteenseventyeight

To call this Ottawa-based trio an "emo" band, or rather "just another emo band," would be to do them a huge disservice. Led by the thick guitar work and tortured vocals of Bryan Curry (formerly of the late, great Endgame), and backed by the thundering rhythms and complementary backing vocals of King Kung alums Johnny Nash and Scott Terry, the '78s certainly take elements of emo - the whole tormented guy thing and the imaginative riffs and musical dynamics - but they move well beyond those into classic posi-punk power-trio territory. And they are more likely to recall Moving Targets, Arcwelder and latter day Hüsker Dü than Jimmy Eat World. Just check out the roller coaster ride that is the track "Capstan," which opens with a gentle twang and explodes into an orgy of pure rock fury before settling into a solid melodic groove.