The Ettes

The Ettes sound like a lost 1960s girl group that grew up on a steady diet of The Stooges and cheap whiskey. There is a palpable heat to their recordings, likely a byproduct of their frequent collaborations with Liam Watson at Toe Rag Studios, which gives the guitars a fuzzy, analog bite and the drums a primitive, thumping urgency. Coco Hames' vocals bridge the gap between a classic country croon and a punk rock sneer, delivering hooks that are as catchy as they are jagged.

What truly sets them apart is their ability to balance 'pop smarts' with raw, unpolished aggression. While many garage revivalists lean too hard into irony or mimicry, The Ettes feel authentic to the grit of their surroundings, whether that was the L.A. scene or their eventual home in Nashville. They possess a rhythmic swing that most punk bands lack, owing much to Poni Silver's expressive, hard-hitting percussion and Jem Cohen's melodic but distorted bass lines.

Start with 'Do You Want Power' to hear them at their most focused and punchy. It captures the band's transition into a more sophisticated songwriting space without losing the 'shake the dust' energy of their debut. It is the perfect entry point for anyone who wants their rock and roll to feel dangerous, sweaty, and undeniably cool.