Distillers

The addition of second guitarist Tony "Bichon” Bradley has done little to change the distinct sound the Distillers found success with on their breakout album, Sing Sing Death House. Brody Dalle, the group’s leader and surely the reason for their sudden rise to fame, continues to do her best impression of an obscenely intoxicated Courtney Love, ripping through tracks like the killer opener "Drain the Blood” while sounding like her trachea may tear itself apart at any moment. One of the most interesting facets of the Distillers sound, however, is that stripped of their rough vocals, they are not much more than simple pop tunes, more in the vein of the Buzzcocks or the Ramones than their harder-edged punk rock peers. Still, Coral Fang sounds punk as hell, despite the fact that one gets the impression that this is more by virtue of attempt than legitimate attitude. Brody and company do their best to convince you that they can still be "punk-as-fuck,” despite releasing a record on an AOL/Time Warner subsidiary. While they may start out on the right foot, the second half of this album would lead you to believe that their best may not be good enough.