Absolute Monarchs

6 Absolute Monarchs (tie) 16 points
The first time I saw Absolute Monarchs, they were playing a Capitol Hill Block Party show in the Cha Cha basement sandwiched between vintage-y folk collectives, raucous drunk punk bands and metal bands. This is one of those bands that doesn’t fit comfortably in any existing genre or scene in town. They balance loose discordance with well-anchored melodic hooks delivered with genuine emotion and energy. It's rad to see them silence a noisy, unsuspecting bar crowd of hip-hop fans one night, and crusty punk kids the next. They’re an undeniably awesome new band. —Ben Verellen, owner, Verellen Amps - City Arts Magazine

Sounds like: The Jesus Lizard, Murder City Devils, Slint.

Why they matter: Heavy drinking and daredevil technique add up to palpable danger in Absolute Monarchs. The Seattle quartet unleash a torrential thunderfuck that crashes math rock's meticulous timing and breakneck changes against sleazy, pheromone-fueled bluster. Angry, self-deprecating, and fearless, these guys tear the scab off a wound first inflicted on Seattle by the Murder City Devils back in the mid-'00s.

You should know: Absolute Monarchs played their first show at Capitol Hill Block Party 2009. Sequestered in a cramped basement bar in the middle of the afternoon, the Monarchs weren't part of the official lineup. Two years later they hit Block Party proper as one of Seattle's most-buzzed bands. - Spin.com