Danko Jones
We Sweat Blood
Razor and Tie
 
...and no doubt chew razorblades, shit stilettos, and rock jean jackets (sporting years of faded Kerrang!/Circus-approved bands' patches) with Hessian impunity, yes? Seriously though: if you like well-turned, hard rock power trio spew that's hip to what year it is, and able to laugh with and not at itself and its precursors, this great-white-northern threesome might be your cup of Jager. The band's namesake leader is a little bit Phil Lynott, a little bit Handsome Dick, writes lyrics that are not above referencing Minor Threat and Fear song titles, and churns up a lower-chakra assault of a guitar sound that will doubtless find easy purchase among heads stationed within doctrinaire punk and metal camps alike. Not to mention fitting in nicely on the CD shelves of those post-modern types who just traded in their Cure discs to make room for the complete GnR catalog. That having been said, to their estimable credit, Jones and his cohorts do have an infectious grasp on the party-hardy dynamics of the genre, making the sum total add up to far more than this year's Darkness. Danko Jones is set to play the Bottom Of The Hill this April 9th. On the evidence of We Sweat Blood, there are probably far worse ways to spend an evening getting your springtime ya-yas out; leaving your irony at home, of course, is optional. -- Michael Layne Heath