Pissed Jeans — King Of Jeans

Despite having one of the worst names in music, Allentown, Penn.'s Pissed Jeans have done an admirable job of bringing '80s hardcore to a wider indie audience by mixing in a healthy dose of grungy punk rock akin to Nirvana's Bleach.

Although the quartet never leave much room to move sonically, they've progressed past the mundane subject matter (like songs about eating) they explored on their Sub Pop debut, Hope For Men. Now it's on to relatively more mature themes of alienation ("Half Idiot" and "False Jessii Part II") and relationships ("Dream Smotherer"). Still, songs like "Request For A Masseuse" and "R-Rated Movie" continue hardcore's tradition of chronicling everyday life in decidedly unambiguous terms.

Like their name suggests, Pissed Jeans sound like a mess and aren't for everybody. But their knowing goofiness is so charming that once you're in, you're hooked for life.

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