Punk and rock are like mac ‘n’ cheese: While both hold up on their own, mixing them together is even more delicious. Hotlanta punkers the Heart Attacks bring the heat, blasting out their genre-mixing sound with the energy of true old-school rock and the bravado of Van Halen. The Heart Attacks were discovered and signed by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong (the founder of Hellcat Records), while the band’s latest album, Hellbound and Heartless, was produced by another Rancid alumni, Lars Frederiksen; unsurprisingly, the disc has the potential to trigger both a violent pogo-pit and an audience sing-along. There’s also a pretty pop duet with Joan Jett sandwiched between the high-energy title track and a song that lifts the guitar riff straight from “Hot for Teacher.” (Oh, shut up, you love it.) Lou faves the Queers headline.

• article link
• Heart Attacks – MySpace
• The Queers – website