Mount Carmel

A product of the bountiful Columbus, Ohio music scene, Mount Carmel steers clear of the pitfalls that commonly plague bluesy power trios. The group’s fuzzy, Cream-indebted, classic-rock sound is well-honed, and frontman Matthew Reed’s vocals conjure up the weary debauchery of John Lennon’s infamous “Lost Weekend.” Mount Carmel’s sophomore album, Real Women, was released earlier this year, and contains strutting, balls-out rockers (“Swaggs,” “Oh Louisa”), as well as slinkier numbers that could give The Black Keys a run for their retro-indebted money.

Updated 06/20/2012