Mississippi

Mississippi:

Bass Drum of Death

CITY: Oxford
SONG TO DOWNLOAD: "Get Found"
WEB SITE: bassdrumofdeath.blogspot.com

WHY THEM: Bass Drum of Death are actually as awesome as their name suggests. The band is primarily the songwriting project of frontman/guitarist John Barrett, whose blown-out garage rock is backed up by Colin Sneed on drums. Bass Drum's sound blends bluesy rock-and-roll with classic punk-rock influences, all the while maintaining a trustworthy sense of minimalism. Even on their debut LP GB City, dropped in April via Fat Possum Records, their minimal punk ethos and DIY mindset were intact: Barrett wrote and recorded the whole record in his basement using just a drum set, a guitar, and a USB microphone. "Get Found" is a solid introduction to their noisy yet melodic psych-punk jams, out on a seven-inch via Oh Baby Don't Records. Summer 2011 sees them playing shows with Hanni El Khatib (with whom they recently destroyed Great Scott), our Tennessee pick, Pujol, plus Blonde Redhead, Crystal Antlers, Best Coast, and others. Fans of Ty Segall, the Black Lips, or Jeff the Brotherhood will be stoked.

ALSO CONSIDERED: DEAD GAZE — Scuzz-pop that stood out at SXSW this year. Dead Gaze and Bass Drum of Death are both part of Cats Purring, a Mississippi-based artist collective.

By LIZ PELLY

Missouri

Minnesota