Jucifer -wt War Bird -wl Velocette -wf Jucifer is good, period. Don’t be put off by the fact that Jucifer is a two piece, boy-girl combo, because these guys are a real, honest to goodness band (unlike that corny band obsessed with stripes). And they’ve got the make up to be successful, as the female in the band is pretty and the male is fairly handsome. Not to mention the fact that they rock, and their songs are really catchy. Lucky for you, War Bird offers a chance to jump on the Jucifer bandwagon before they get huge. -wm Jucifer, for those who have never heard them, are a powerful, heavily distorted and fuzzy guitar band that sounds similar to Pod-era The Breeders slowed down a bit. Most of the songs are quite heavy and plodding, but the sweet, syrupy vocals of Amber Valentine help to make the sludge go down the hatch rather easily. When I say that the songs are catchy, they are catchy in the same way that Helium’s early stuff is; it is weird and awkward, but something about Mary Timony’s voice makes it memorable. The same can be said of Amber’s vocal contribution to Jucifer. On “Haute Couture,” one of the album’s faster, more upbeat songs, Amber sounds kind of like a cross between Kim Gordon and Nina Gordon (Veruca Salt days). I know it’s not cool to reference Veruca Salt, but her voice is so similar! This song is a simple, yet crushing little poppy ditty that will embed itself in your brain for weeks to come. -wm As noted before, most of their press photos and write ups tend to focus on how cute Amber Valentine is, and she is. But, that really overshadows how truly rockin’ these guys are. From start to finish, War Bird rocks out with reckless abandon, and makes for the perfect indie rock (emphasis on “rock”) record. This one is highly recommended! -wd Velocette Records: http://www.velocetterecords.com/ -wb Daniel Mitchell