Andrew Jackson Jihad

It's not uncommon for a rock group to feature guest spots, rotating personnel or additional instruments. Add a guitarist here, substitute a vocalist there, mike that kit a bit differently, and the textures change. Usually, though, the band retains its foundational elements. Not so when the Andrew Jackson Jihad includes a drummer and plugs in its acoustic repertoire of guitar and bass. The first time we put needle to vinyl on this seven-inch, we nearly flipped the record, thinking we'd made a grave turntable error. Then Sean Bonnette's vocal pyrotechnics fell into the '80s garage band soundscape, which works perfectly for the three tunes on the A-side, and we were shocked. And, dang, they still sounded kickass. Because of the electricity, the Phoenix-based band comes off more pissed-off, especially on the one AJJ original, "Deep Dark Basement," with the lyrics, "You punched my mother in the mouth / We fled to shelter safe and pure / But now I never feel at home / I will never be secure / Oh, to be secure."