The Targets

Guitar-driven power pop is always better with a Northern English accent. Armed with that marked advantage and a sledgehammer rhythm section, Brit trio the Targets hit the gas pedal for a boozy slot that brimmed with Sex Pistols ("Wake Up") and Franz Ferdinand ("The Big Issue") references. The three-piece have lately been a Toronto fixture, playing mini-residencies all over town, and the steady gigging hasn't hurt their chops. While the song structures are familiar and the lyrics are more concerned with cadence than content, the execution -- aside from the occasional Stereophonics-aping gaffe -- was charged and rollicking. Big breakdowns, sweaty T-shirts and beer swilling made them a charming and compelling bar band. And, again, the lilt did wonders.