Ladyfinger (ne)

Lest one thinks that all bands from Omaha, Nebraska, keep their testicles in a jar on the nightstand, Ladyfinger (ne) rock balls-out. Musically, the group mixes the fits and starts of At the Drive-In with the buzzy overtones of the Jesus Lizard (translation: It's kinda like metal, but without the deadening gravitas), while singer Chris Machmuller has the pipes of a wizened '80s hair-metal frontman, one able to rise above the din and reach liftoff. Heavy Hands is the band's latest album (and first for Saddle Creek), and while it's certainly heavy at points, Hands proves to be nimble as well: The band snakes around time signatures and split-second tempo shifts with something close to grace.