Blood on the Wall: Liferz

In an era when the past is being systematically mined for dormant genres to reinvigorate modern music, it's almost a subversive act to adopt a form so recent it never had a chance to go out of style. The low-fi alternative guitar rock of Pixies, Sonic Youth, Guided By Voices, Dinosaur Jr. and others has never lost its indie cred, so it's not a good style choice if one is trying to get by on meta-ironic gimmicks. On the other hand, Blood on the Wall do something pretty unusual for an indie band in the 21st century: solid, inspired musicianship. Liferz shows that with care and attention to detail, even the most well-worn paths can feel fresh and vibrant.