The Willowz

Anaheim, California, seems an unlikely place for one of the country's better garage-rock revival bands to call home. Fortunately, the saccharine sweetness of Disneyland -- the burg's biggest attraction -- hasn't permeated the Willowz' earnest brand of youthfully exuberant, stripped-down garage punk. Formed in 2002, when its members were still in their teens, the group released its first two singles on noted punk labels Wanker and Posh Boy before issuing its debut on legendary garage-rock imprint Dionysus. From these auspicious beginnings, the Willowz have moved on to Sympathy for the Record Industry, a label known for signing bands that are either from Detroit or sound like they could be -- acts that embody the same type of raw, primal sound that made the Motor City famous. But it's clear from their exhilarating live show and bold yet catchy songs that the Willowz are on more than a nostalgia trip.