Catfight! has something to say. In "Get It On," Bobby Rotten observes that "I know my baby's gonna get it on"; in "Alone Today," Christine growls that she's "alone today/alone today"; and in "Ready Steady Go," Rotten insists that he's "gotta get it on."

OK, so you gotta read between the lines. What Catfight! is saying is that the two- and three-chord vamps of garage/punk/grrrl aren't exhausted, and that such rudimentary exhortations as "ready steady go" can be eloquent if presented with brand-new swagger and old-fashioned sonics. In fact, it would make sense for the Oregon duo's new EP, In Stereo, to be titled Back to Mono. If not as unexpected as the first blasts of '60s beat-group rock, Catfight! does recapture much of that music's excitement.

Rotten is the guitarist, Christine (who's too impatient to invent a fake surname) plays drums, and both sing, sometimes together. Although its music is formally retro, the twosome does add the occasional sample, phasing or synth-poppy keyboard riff. Alas, they mess up the album's magnum opus, the almost four-minute-long "Sheila," with the most clichéd found sounds available: telephone rings, tones and messages. That misstep aside, though, In Stereo is ready and steady to get it on.

Standout Tracks: "Get It .. Steady Go" MARK JENKINS

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