#48 Pissed Jeans – Hope For Men

Although the moniker of this Allentown, Penn., band may be a little unpalateable for most, their major label debut Hope For Men is the first in this collection that stands out as a truly solid album. A mushy mess of garage rock, theatrical goth vocals and thrashing punk metal, this Sub Pop release harkens back to the days of Nirvana’s Bleach that purposefully sloughed off mainstream audiences and broke pop sensibilities for noise-driven burnouts. That’s not to say that singer Matt Korvette will hardly follow in the destined shoes of Kurt Cobain, or that they would even rightfully claim their influence – this reminds more of Henry Rollins or the Jesus Lizard. But this act has a singularly unique focus that couples sardonic condescension of a middle-class, suburban mentality in which only chocolate ice cream can salvage a doldrum day, and the ill-at-ease self-improvement of jogging, racquetball and whole foods, with a penchant for nail-on-the-chalkboard rejection of comfy pop songs.