Doublecross

If you're going to name your band after one of the coolest rock & roll gals in movie history (see the classic Rock 'n' Roll High School for the details), you better have the snazz to back it up, and thankfully the Riff Randells deliver some appropriately fast, loud, hook-filled rock & roll on their debut long-player Doublecross. While the Riff Randells have been together since 1999, this is their first full-length release, though at under 24 minutes they're not exactly pushing the boundaries of the "album" concept. Still, the Riff Randells clearly know how to make the most of their time; Kathy Camaro's guitar leads are chunky, elemental fun and her vocals sound tough but engaging at once, while drummer Anne-Marie and bassist KJ Jansen drive the backbeat hard, and the tunes are poppy without turning into mush. Jay Solyom's engineering respects the rock without putting too high a gloss on the audio, and there isn't a noticeable dud in these 11 tracks. The Riff Randells aren't exactly the future of punk rock, but that doesn't seem to be what they have in mind; these gals want to have some good loud fun, and Doublecross allows them to bring the rock & roll party into your living room, and a good time is bound to be had by all.