Artist Dr. Manhattan

With its Watchmen-referencing moniker and recent history as a Warped Tour regular, Dr. Manhattan might appear to be yet another dopey pop-punk band at first blush. In reality, the Illinois group is more like pop-post-punk: The grinding “Biscuits And Groovy” aspires to the funky abrasiveness of Gang Of Four, even though its melody is strongly reminiscent of Weezer’s “Hash Pipe.” Showing up on last year’s Jam Dreams, “Groovy” stands out among even more examples of the band's ecstatic, poppy harshness. The group's closest comparison may be Thunderbirds Are Now!, down to its predilection for funny song titles like “Electraumatized” and “Man With A Woman’s Chest.”

Updated 08/25/2010