Nine Black Alps

Nine Black Alps

Everything Is (Interscope)

Manchesters's Nine Black Alps are on a mission to blow out your new stereo speakers, and, if you don't check your breakers before spinning their debut LP, Everything Is, you'll find yourself haunting Best Buy's electronics' department before day's end. Unlike so many of their Mancunian compatriots, this ravening quartet eschews and then spits out all over their nice new trainers, the soggy heartache of the Smiths and the gobby chavmastery of whatever Shaun Ryder's been doing of late (Carbona? Bisquick?) in favor of genuinely sternum-rattling humjobs, flush with screeching, almost Seattle-esque guitars from frontman Sam Forrest and cohorts David Jones and Martin Cohen. It's the man atop the drum riser – poor James Galley – who has the worst lot, however. From the bludgeoning four-four of opener "Get Your Guns" to the riff-happy Cobainisms of the punishing "Ironside," he hammers out some of the most thunderous, anthemic beats since Dave Grohl exited D.C. hardcore outfit Scream. Is this A: The oft-delayed hangover to long-gone Britpop? Or just B: Another UK stab at strip-mining American dreams? My money's on C: The dawning of a new era. (Saturday, March 18, 12mid @ Exodus)