Heartless Bastards

A straight-up Midwestern rock & roll band, the Heartless Bastards reveal their weapon 15 seconds into "Stairs and Elevators": the blinding roar of Erika Wennerstrom, which cuts straight through this debut album with unflinching ferocity. A pretty young blond woman from Cincinnati, the guitar player is blessed with a gutsy and androgynous singing voice that's suggestive of Robert Plant, minus his girly frills. She has written music to serve her gullet: On "Stairs and Elevators", Heartless Bastards spit out songs that are at once epic and gritty.... more