Mole

A big, grinding release from Soda Stereo's drummer, Charly Alberti. Bow down before the coarse riffs, the down-tuned guitars, that fat shambling beat, because Mole calls on the tricks of the '90s alt rock trade (with a nod to '80s college rock), and the result is deeply satisfying. It's as if Alberti's pouring out all his frustration with the business world (he has worked in the Internet industry for the past decade), and it taps into aging punks' need to hear music painted in many shades of black. It may be anachronistic, but Mole is a great -- and furious -- alt rock release.