Pinback

The commercial success of Modest Mouse may have something to do with the fact that Pinback is finally reaching a smidgen of the adoring audience that it has toiled for a decade to find. Twin cogs Rob Crow and Zach Smith share Isaac Brock’s penchant for toe-tapping compositions that incorporate singsong melodies and cleverly assimilated hip-hop beats, but the San Diego, California, group’s chunky baritone-guitar riffs and whispery vocals are immediately identifiable and distinctly Pinback. The group’s latest, Autumn of the Seraphs, is a slightly more rocking affair than previous efforts. Still, it might be a stretch to push Pinback’s subtle charms on aurally skull-fucked Coheed and Cambria fans.