Maylene and the Sons of Disaster

Ever wonder what it would sound like if Southern rock met screamo? Meet Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. Originally started in 2004 by former Underoath singer Dallas Taylor, the conceptual band's lyrics revolve around the life of a Prohibition-era gangster named Ma Barker, whose tales are told via buzzsaw guitars, down-home swagger and vocals that could scrape the paint off the walls of a speakeasy. The band lists Neurosis, Merle Haggard and Jesus Christ as influences on their MySpace page; a listen to its latest disc, II, confirms that's a pretty accurate description of Maylene's red-blooded brand of rock. Judge for yourself when the band comes to town. Just be sure not to get too close, or you might end up going home in a box.