Number Girl

Number Girl's music precariously balances noisy, hard, punk-influenced rock with clear melodies. Number Girl is nothing if not precise. Ahito Inazawa is perhaps one of the best drummers to come around since Smashing Pumpkins' Jimmy Chamberlain graced a kit. He and bassist Nakao Kentaro 27-sai are locked in tight over the twin-guitar attack of female guitarist Tabuchi Hisako and vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Mukai Shutoku. Mukai's off-key singing gives way to a powerful Banshee scream. Not since Kurt Cobain has one man's growl sounded so musical.

The Japanese quartet plays two kinds of tempo (fast, faster) and two kinds of volume (loud, louder). And while Number Girl busily rocks out, pushing the amp volume to 11, the band doesn't sacrifice its hooks -- however buried they are under a barrage of guitars and thunderous drums.

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- Number Girl