Roman Numerals/The Bureau/Ghost in Light

Add the kicky synth-batdances created by locals the Bureau to the surging post-rock of fellow club haunters Ghost in Light — and in an algebraically logical, solve-for-x way, it all adds up to Kansas City's Roman Numerals. Composed of alumni from underground luminaries (Season to Risk, Dirt Nap, Shiner), the Nooms mesmerized an all-too-small Hi-Pointe crowd back in August with some serious Joy Division/Bowie/Failure affectations — although Kansas City Pitch music editor Jason Harper sums up the band best: "The 'dark wave' guitar-and-synth-driven dance-rock that happens to be in voguethe towering melodies of Shiner[and] Season [to Risk] live, [where] its music is just as dance-inducing as it is moshworthy." Now that's some hot calculus.