Brimstone Howl

“Bad Seed” by Brimstone Howl

Few are the garage bands that actually sound like they rehearse in a garage. Brimstone Howl is one of them. It’s hard to imagine anything but a space heater and a temperamental tape machine powering the Lincoln, Nebraska, quintet, which treats reverb tanks like life support and in-the-red meters like lil’ smokies. Phrases such as first pressing and colored vinyl apply here, as do comparisons to neo-retro blues rockers like King Khan & BBQ. But these guys don’t take smoke breaks to spin the latest Hives LP — the voodoo they’re chasing is a crate full of Iggy and the Stooges, the Cramps and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.