It's a point the Maryland trio has proven on its last five albums, as well as on its latest effort, Double Exposure, a split release with San Francisco's The Fucking Champs. Dubbed the TransChamps, the amalgam finds snarling enjoyment in the act of raving up the cliché of guitar-dominated '80s rock bands such as Rush and Iron Maiden. Trans Am's music, however, doesn't get held up by this red light of the past; as with its Thrill Jockey labelmates Mouse on Mars and Tortoise, the group uses both outmoded and modern electronic elements to put together its soundscapes. The prog-rock and kraut-rock loftiness is there, and so is the precision playing. Thankfully, the pretension is completely absent.