The Fever

While countless acts hawk Faint-ly familiar dance punk, check out the Hot Hot Heat emanating from the Fever. The quintet's rowdy, '80s-inspired garage rock has the power to move the most clenched denim-clad booty. Frontman Geremy Jasper twitches and yelps like a reanimated Mick Jagger (wait, he's not dead?), while guitarist Chris Sanchez and bassist "Pony" Stapleton craft dirty grooves. Drummer Achilles ticks like Timex on "Cold Blooded," does his best Stewart Copeland on "Gray Ghost" and stomps like a Stooge on "Labor of Love." Finally, the 103-degree organ lines provided by J (just J, thank you) bring things to a -- um -- fever pitch. And right when you think these boys just wanna have fun, they lay down a magnificent ballad like "Diamond Days." The Fever repaves much-traveled roads with sincere sweat and spastic soul. Make no mistake: Retro is back.