The Dimeras

In spite of its primitivist ethos, straight-ahead punk is one of the hardest forms of rock music to truly nail. Be too dismissive of pop songcraft and you risk becoming a tuneless thrasher, amusically flailing about. Go too far in the other direction and you're in cloying kiddie-punk territory. Which is one of the reasons the Dimeras are so impressive - despite rocking out recklessly, they never fall off that thin edge of perfectly stripped-down, sneering, aggressive rock 'n' roll. Since their first gig in September of 2007, the band - drummer Timmy Fiorucci, singer-guitarist Kevin McCann and bassist Sebastian Wagner - has caught the attention of the cassette-only label Central Command Center, which will release the band's debut full-length later this winter, with a 7-inch on the Yeti Kegger label to follow in spring. Until then, self-released CDRs are always available at the band's shows, one of which you should see sometime. - Ron Krestch