Review by Doug Cornell

If you are seeking proof that the alternative/rock/punk scene still has a pulse, look no further than the Detroit band, Thunderbirds Are Now!  Another slightly famous Detroit band, The White Stripes, has made it possible for fun, raw, energetic bands to surface and take a stab at cracking the charts.

Thunderbirds are Now! are a mixture of Split Enz, Devo, and your favorite Saturday morning animated programs.  Wildly spaced guitars spew forth with clever chord patterns, raw riffage, and dazzling melodies.  Nothing in recent times has been released that is this angular, this fast, and this much fun.

Justamustache opens with "Better Safe than Safari,"  a blast of melodic yet dangerous punk.  Vocalist/guitarist Ryan Allen's ADD inspired guitar riffs blend perfectly with his energetic singing.  The albums stand out track, "Eat This City," features a vocal hook that isn't easily forgotten, spastic guitars and synths, and a beat powerful enough to create a life-threatening mosh pit.  "198090 (Aquatic Cupid's)" merges sputtering guitars, synths, and a disco beat with rapidly chanted vocals ("We are present / We are assembled / We are ready / So let's get started / The first order / To attend to / Is to get rid of / Are we outsmarted?  / But to do this / We'll have to poison / All the brothers and the sisters / Make it quick we're on deadline...").

Electric guitar mayhem, synth bleeps and melodies, sing song rhymes, propulsive beats, and a clever sense of humor should put Justamustache on top of the 21st century music scene.  Ten years ago, this album was unconceivable.  Today, it is an evolutionary example of how far the envelope can be pushed.

Miss this at your own risk.