Oh My Rockness

Cincinnati trio The Heartless Bastards play furious garage rock led by the sweaty soulful swagger of singer/guitarist Erika Wennerstrom. You don't want to fuck with Erika. On stage, she produces guttural and tribal growls that explode above the fray of the band's tight, noisy guitar/bass/drums.

Wennerstrom is all raw power, with guts AND grace. You know you're seeing someone special when they can wail, rock guitar riffs, and play pretty piano melodies, all in the span of ten minutes. She's been described as PJ Harvey meets Chrissie Hynde, if that means anything to you. But really, you just need to like bluesy grimy rock with a strong leader to like the Heartless Bastards.