Pit er Pat

Pit er Pat is like a Long Island iced tea -- what sounds like a nasty concoction actually turns out to be pretty good. And ends up messing with your head. One part Alkaline Trio, one part Neutral Milk Hotel (speaking of) and, figuratively, one part Blonde Redhead, the members blend their varied talents to become a percussion-driven, post-rock cocktail. With just drums, bass and keyboards, the band ventures from such diverse territory as space rock to carnie-inspired lushness, all the while remaining solidly fixed on the propulsive drumming of Butchy Fuego (who might just have the coolest rock alias ever). Pit er Pat belongs with Sonic Youth and the Fiery Furnaces in difficulty of classification, but there's surely something to treasure in seeing a band this novel.