Quite a few bands from the area may possess the ability to rock per se, but it is only a rare outfit like locals on the rise LIKEHELL that are worthy of labeling their output as “rawk.” Formed in 1994, these boys are perhaps most well known for providing the soundtrack for an authentic live Mexican wrestling match held at the Mainroom back in 1999. Having toured with aging crowd-pleasers like the Cult and Local H, the new singles belie a sarcastic and somewhat twisted take on the tried-and-true three-chord verse-chorus-verse-anthem technique.

Recorded by various stoner-rock luminaries, these songs are not going to save the world. They won’t even mine virgin musical territory, for that matter. These tracks, which feature more random cameos than a Jerry Lewis telethon, is the most indicative recording of their schizophrenic live show to date.

LIKEHELL’s sole weakness has always been it’s fascination with women’s breasts, a shtick that crosses the line from adorably anti-PC to boorishly sexist rather quickly. Nobody ever said musicians are obligated to run everything past N.O.W. first, but shooting multiple irony-free music videos with bikini babes is pathetic. That said, nothing makes me happier than knowing they’re playing places like the Viper Room and banging on cowbells while extolling the virtues of chilidogs for breakfast.