Vivian Girls

The goal of this youthful Brooklyn trio, appearing alongside the Pseudo Dates and Eyes and Ears, probably wasn't to push the buttons of most male rock critics — but they've managed to do so anyhow for three important reasons. First, the Girls are all girls, with no male members to harsh the vibe. Secondly, Cassie Ramone, Kickball Katy and Ali Koehler sport monikers sure to turn on, respectively, punk-rock believers, guys who regularly got their ass kicked on elementary-school playgrounds and fans of people named Ali who hit things (Koehler is the drummer). And finally, the group boasts a patina of intellectualism — its appellation refers to a work by outsider artist Henry Darger — even as the songs on its self-titled album embrace primitivism associated with acts such as the Shaggs, the sort of group only rock critics remember. True, the songs are mostly minor — but that hardly matters when a band hits the Reviewer Trifecta.