PLAYLIST traveled all across America in its virtual Winnebago to discover sounds from as far away as Oregon and Oklahoma.
Lucky for you, it’s all coming to the city this week, along with some lovable New York acts.
Let’s start with one of Detroit’s finest, and we’re not talking about the White Stripes or Eminem.
The Hentchmen have been making music longer than both of those acts, but the punk-garage group is no oldies act.
Once named in Seventeen mag’s “Cute Bands Alert” (in 1997), the boys are older now and much more than cute.
The guitar, organ and drum trio have a bunch of summer-ready tunes about girls and cars on their latest “Three Times Infinity,” including the best car song we’ve ever heard – “LeSabre Radar,” about searching for spare parts for their ’70s Buick LeSabre.
The tunes are silly (“Ate the Phone”) and infectious – try to resist their cover of Devo’s “Shimmy Shake.”
The Hentchmen bring their straight up, stripped down rock and roll to Pianos (158 Ludlow St.; [212] 505-3733) on Thursday with the Hypertonics and to Southpaw (125 Fifth Ave.; Brooklyn; [718] 230-0236) on Friday, when they open for Th’ Legendary Shack*Shakers.
THURSDAY: Oklahoma’s Starlights Mints, who just released “Built on Squares,” are good at floating that quirky psychedelic pop inspired by a wide range of influences from the ’60s Brit-pop and American masters to ’80s new wave artists. Their music is dotted with strings and crossed with vibraphones. The group performs at the Mercury Lounge (217 E. Houston St.; [212] 260-4700) on Thursday, with opener April March.
The Star Spangles, a new NYC post post-punk band created under the influence of the Ramones and the Replacements, are releasing their debut, “Bazooka!!!,” in September.
The retro-ragged four and London’s Police and Thieves are doing double duty this week, performing at Sin-é (150 Attorney St.; [212] 388-0077 on Thursday (with the Hissyfits) and at Southpaw on Saturday along with Runner & the Thermodynamics and Harlem Shakes.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY: Not obsessed with Luna yet? The NYC indie band’s disc “Romantica” is the latest in a long line of stellar work with Dean Wareham’s evocative lyrics and suave vocals mixed with a wildly expressive variety of guitars. It’s what rock’s all about. Luna performs at Maxwell’s (1039 Washington St., Hoboken, N.J.; [201] 798-0406).
SATURDAY: On “Love Zero,” the debut from the Prids, of Portland, Ore., via Lincoln, Neb., the music is dark and urgent in that ’80s guitar- and synth-driven way, fitting into that space between Joy Division and New Order. The band performs at Luxx (256 Grand St.; Brooklyn; [718] 599-1000) with Autodrone and Say No Go.
