Solid Goat

A moniker such as Solid Goat means you're not dealing with overly serious conceptualizing. The War on Terra, the Austin fourpiece's second album, boasts titles like "Nuclear Sushi," "Naked Talking Monkeys (of the Future)," and, our personal favorite, "Batmanchurian Candidate." The band's goofy outlook transmits through noisy hard rock, gnarly cowpunk, and idiosyncratic grunge, a musclebound approach that covers a lack of hooks with sheer power. It also allows those allergic to whimsy to simply revel in Matt Szemkus and J. Dylan Rhoads' horns-throwing guitar riffs and Szemkus' burly growl without having to pay attention to the messages.