Blowin' up in '09

The Riverboat Gamblers

Who: Although already tagged as a must-see live band by both Spin and Rolling Stone (mainly for frontman Mike Wiebe’s “I’m going to sing this from the pit/on the rafters/in your face” mentality), this Austin, Texas, band still flies under the radar even after a decade of drunken anthems. But on the band’s fourth record, “Underneath the Owl” (due out in March), the Gamblers’ speedy garage punk develops a slick coating, courtesy of renowned metal producer Mudrock (Godsmack, Avenged Sevenfold).
 
What: While their creative forebears Rocket from the Crypt and the Supersuckers never got past the “huge cult following” stage, the Gamblers seem poised for the next level. Sure, the band still plays everything loud, reckless and a bit sloppy, but “Owl” has both punk rock energy and real pop sensibility. There’s some new variety here, too: “A Chopppy Yet Sincere Apology” and “Pilgrims in the Unholy” flirt with ska and reggae rhythms, while guitar rave-up “DissDissDissKissKissKiss” has an indelible Foo Fighters feel.
 
Most likely to blow up: The herky-jerky, xylophone-enhanced “Robots May Break Your Heart” possesses both a perfect “whoa whoa” chorus and a Devo-ish sensibility.—Kirk Miller