Gaunt

Kryptonite (Thrill Jockey)
by Jon Sarre

Although it’s been given scant national media attention, the state of Ohio has been consistently cranking out great punk rock bands since Day One. There’s been a steady progression, from Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys in the ’70s, to Death of Samantha and Great Plains in the ’80s, to the present crop which includes New Bomb Turks, Cobra Verde, Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments, and Gaunt. Gaunt mixes melodic punk with super-loud raunch rock to produce something that’ll satisfy both your pop sweet tooth and your craving for darker, harder stuff. If the kids get ahold of this band, it could be all over for Lars and Billie Joe…