Readers of this column will know of my love for Gainesville's HOT WATER MUSIC. Over the years, they've been one of the most consistent acts in the melodic punk scene. On their sixth full-length, The New What Next, the band continues a maturation process that is antithetical to almost every band in rock.

Some groups break out after their first record or so; then sign a major deal or making a lot of money on an indie. And then you never hear of them again. Not so with HOT WATER MUSIC. While I still maintain No Division is their best collection of songs, The New What Next is by far the best sonic work the group has put together. Their songwriting has left behind the formula found on No Division and matches extraordinary songwriting with a rich tapestry of powerful riffs.

That's a lot to say for a band in any hard rock genre. But once you hear "All Heads Down," it is apparent the group has been listening to THE CLASH and allowing melody to smooth over every rough edge. There's also a little BAD RELIGION mixing in, but the organic gristle of the band's upbringing on the road always shows through, especially in the ragged vocals of Chris Wollard and Chuck Ragan.

The two convey needed emotion over a sometimes too glossy production, "My Little Monkey Wrench," and "Ebb and Flow." But producer Brian McTernan allows the rhythm section to build songs like "Under Everything" naturally, leading to a powerful and memorable chorus. Bassist Jason Black just continues to prove himself as a top in the genre, one that doesn't necessarily reward talented musicians playing bass.

Whether it's the rhythm section, the guitars or the gruff vocals, The New What Next is a delight to the ears and is more rock n' roll than any retro band hopes to be. I'm just glad the band has stuck around long enough to become this good.

Derivative Pick of the Week
SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME, Every Night (Polyvinyl Records)

I really like what the guys at Polyvinyl do. They seem to have a good roster and pick decent bands from time to time. But I just can't understand why anyone would release a record, let alone a second one, by SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME. Yes they're trying very hard to be the American version of BELLE & SEBASTIAN, but to pull that off, they'd need some talent.

And I don't just throw in reviews like this to be mean, they do have a purpose. They tell record labels to not release crap. That means I don't have to hear more crap a few months down the road. Now what's wrong with Every Night? First, Betty Marie Barnes (that has to be the most over-the-top indie rock name I've ever heard) doesn't have the voice to pull-off the faux-1960s Beach Boys pop that's all the band seems to be able to write.

Her voice is thin and wispy and has very little range. Similar bands like DENALI, and even the defunct ROCKING HORSE WINNER, at least have a female lead with pipes. And none of them can hold a candle to women in the genre like Dominique Durand of IVY.

And that's not to take Fred Thomas off the hook. I'm really upset I share the same last name as Fred. His attempts as the male half of BELLE & SEBASTIAN are misguided and fall flat. All the constant organ-playing also gets on the nerves. Let us move on already.

Realization of the Week
BULLETS AND OCTANE, The Revelry (Criterion Records)

One of the reasons I think it is harder and harder to be a music journalist is due to the obscene amount of records you get from labels and bands that you've never heard of, even remotely. Sure, at one time, I didn't know who GUNS N' ROSES was either, but these days anyone and their brother can record a really good-sounding record, press it to CD and send it to media folks. All for very little money.

This small investment gets their disc onto the desks of poor schlubs like me! But it won't turn the band into the next WHITE STRIPES, or whoever is the pinnacle these days. BULLETS AND OCTANE sound terrific on this disc from completely unknown label Criterion Records. The production is pretty good, besides some awful drum cymbals on "Fallen." The writing is pretty basic in a DOWN BY LAW meets G N' R way (odd combo but it works). I have no clue if these guys could pull off a live show but I wouldn't hesitate checking it out. It would be a good excuse to have a drink and listen to loud music. And that's probably what these guys are aiming for.

But the band just illustrates how easily it has become to throw your music out to the bottomless depths of today's scene. How do they gauge their success? How do they differentiate themselves from everybody else? How do they even get someone to get past the first track? My answers would usually include the fact that I don't often listen to a disc half way through. And I listened to this twice. So maybe talent has a little something to with it all.

Readers love RUSH: I get some e-mail from time to time. And last week's s review of RUSH brought the prog-rockers out of the woodwork. And good for them. Thanks for reading, guys.

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