The German Alien Snatch label is steadily becomin' one of the prime sources for current none-lame p-rock. Take the Von Zippers, a Canadian band who's name spells third-rate-Estrus at best, but who deliver the goods in fine style on their latest 'The Crime Is Now' disc. I could call 'm a slightly more accessible New Bomb Turks, but that would be sellin' 'm short 'cause there's a singular mind at work here, but it gives you the general direction anyhoo. Poppier (mainly thanks to the addition of some great cheesy organ sounds), but no less hard edged are The Minds. Housed in a suitably tacky 1979 "new wave" sleeve, their 'Plastic Girls' LP borders on powerpop, and that ain't no bad thing per se, but the guitars are loud enough to keep you hard-liners satisfied. Best of the bunch tho' is the eagerly anticipated (by me anyway) debut full-length by Ghetto Ways, who put out an excellent, but impossible to find, 45 last year, that gets a solid follow-up with this; the first great LP of 2004. "Detroit" is the first thing that springs to mind listenin' to this, but forget about the Stooges for a while, think soul/punk ala the MC5 or Dirtbombs, but only as some kinda reference, 'cause these guys have a similar scope, one that's way beyond that of you're average garage combo, touchin' on several decades 'n styles for inspiration w/ out ever soundin' derative. A sound investment if ever there was one.