Cheap Trick

The members of Cheap Trick have been recognized as the patron saints of power pop for the past 30 years. On album after album, they've engaged listeners with a unique brand of amplified sing-along melodies. This year they return to the black-and-white-checkered road in support of a new album, Rockford (named after Rockford, Illinois, the band's beloved home town). With help from songwriter extraordinaire Linda Perry, this album is one of Cheap Trick's best yet, one that displays all the catchiness that made classics such as "Surrender" and "I Want You To Want Me" so irresistible. Live, the energy of the boys out front — added to the infectious beats of drummer Bun E. Carlos — implores even the most inactive audience to surrender, surrender to their little nuggets of pop perfection.