Tsunami Bomb

At first glance, California pop-punk outfit (and mi6 labelmate) Tsunami Bomb recalls every other speed-melody act out there playing short, sharp songs that are just a little too cute 'n' catchy for their own good. Dig a little deeper, however, and you'll find yourself slowly drawn in by the Bomb's wide-eyed, earnest approach. Even the most paint-by-numbers punk ("Roundabout," "Take the Reins") is infused with more animation and ambition than anything creating moshpits in front of Warped's main stage. Though the quartet's guitar-bass-drums configuration and tongue-pierced progressions don't even pretend to be cutting-edge, singer Agent M proves a deadly secret weapon. It's refreshing to hear a female punk vocalist who's not comically pissed at the world, boyfriend-bitter or bored to tears. Oh, M can snarl and spit with the best of 'em ("Count Me Out," "Top 40 Hit"), but she's inclusive rather than snooty and elitist. And she has real pipes. Try as she might, M can't disguise the fact that she can sing her ass off, and her bobble-doll harmonies slither with loose-limbed precision, the music stopping midway to allow for some free-range cooing.