Sounds Of Hopscotch 2013 #1: Protomartyr

Hard as it may be to believe, it's once again time for Hopscotch. One of my favorite festival happenings, Hopscotch is a mere hop, skip, and a jump or two from the DC metro in lovely Raleigh, North Carolina. For the past few years they've been reeling in some seriously impressive lineups, and this year looks to be no different. Thanks to scheduling conflicts, I won't be heading down for this year's sonic extravaganza, but (not at all surprisingly) I've got recommendations on who to check out if you're heading to the fest.

We shall begin with Detroit. Protomartyr, the collection of sons of Motor City in question, comes off all sorts of cagey and jittery, decidedly dark and grimey, and perhaps even a touch surly. Their smoldering, live-wire sound is reminiscent of Iggy, surely, but also the finest of post-punk Brits (their Hopscotch bio namedrops The Fall, and you'll find no argument here). The more I hear, the more I like, and the more I suspect that this is a band that can really take your breath away live.