The Spits

The Spits build their two-minutes-or-less tunes out of some pretty grimy spare parts—lurching punk-rock progressions, barking staccato vocals, and tinny guitar and keyboard sounds that trap a lot of white noise—and the Seattle band's been known to wear such accessories as ski masks and flowing white robes onstage. The resulting bursts of static are full of hyper hooks, and the lo-fi finish actually helps to conduct the catchiness rather than smother it. The Spits have channeled this pleasingly raw collision of new-wave and punk-pop into a run of self-titled albums, the fourth of which was released earlier this year.

Updated 05/13/2010