Old Man Markley

Fat Wreck Chords threw predictability aside when signing Old Man Markley, a bluegrass-inspired nine-piece punk band from Southern California. While the "punk" label might be a bit of a stretch, punks always argue that the genre's more of an attitude anyways. Guts N' Teeth is the band's first proper full-length, and it's largely an enjoyable experience. Many of the tracks sound like sped-up, punkier versions of songs found on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, but some slowed down, simpler offerings, such as the title track and "Song Songs," demonstrate great songwriting and Gainesville-worthy grit. There's no question Guts N' Teeth leans much closer to the bluegrass side of the spectrum than the punk end, but it's got enough spunk and whisky-raising sing-along moments ("Living and Learning") to make any Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphys fan proud, which is really as far as comparisons to those bands should go.