Broka's Bliss, Autovaughn, Electric Church, Bang Bang Bang

These days, modern rock—and by that, we mean straight-ahead bass-drums-guitar—has taken a strange and often irritating turn. A genre that once frightened parents has grown tepid, plagued by hookless guitar work and excruciatingly boring, anthemic, off-key vocals that sound more like Christian rock than the devil's music. And let's not forget the overly slick production that only an editor of Guitar World could love.

In such a context, Dallas' Broka's Bliss is worth a listen. The group has its drawbacks—namely, decent but uninspiring melodies sung by a decent but unspectacular voice—but there's something attractive about the group. If you listen closely, you'll hear some nicely fuzzed-out guitars, intricate little licks weaving between power chords, thick bass distorted just so. They fly way, way under hipster radar—which is a good thing—but as far as modern radio-friendly rock goes, Broka's Bliss' set makes for a splendid, if unchallenging, evening.