Audrye Sessions

Newcomers to today's modern-rock scene probably don't realize that there was a time in the '90s when virtually every band wanted to sound like Radiohead. (This was before Radiohead itself went off the electronica deep end at the turn of the century.) Most of these groups have long since vanished off the pop-music radar (anyone seen Spacehog or Kent recently?), which is why the self-titled debut from Oakland, California's Audrye Sessions is such a nice shot in the arm. Frontman Ryan Karazija's vocals wouldn't sound out of place on The Bends, nor would most of his song ideas. (If Thom Yorke ever hears the brilliant "Where You'll Find Me," he'll most likely be bummed out he didn't come up with it fifteen years ago.) Plus, another advantage Audrye Sessions has over its English forefathers is sexual tension — Karazija and bassist Alicia Marie Campbell used to be an item, which certainly adds to the band's onstage chemistry.