Artist The Humbugs

It’s always risky for a rock band to try and master what others already have, but it helps if the band’s enjoying it to extremes. Minneapolis’ The Humbugs just seem to get so much fun out of copping and re-blending the sounds of Elvis Costello, The Beatles, Blondie, and The Pretenders, with a pinch of alt-country too, wielding perky guitars and tweaked-out synths. The band’s celebration of male-female harmonies, bright melodies, and the innocent charms of power pop continues on its latest disc, On The Up Side.