The Cheat

If you need convincing about just how cinematically epic three-chord garage rock can be, check out The Cheat’s “Weird, Md.” A miniature, fugue-like organ pattern, something halfway between J.S. Bach and The Monks, starts the song; the contrast between that repeating line and the sing-along punk chorus create an atmosphere that’s elegant and tinged with a threat of cartoon violence.
The rest of The Cheats’ catalog rarely captures that kind of tension; the band generally opts for balls-out rock. But there’s usually plenty of tension at a live show—God knows what kind of crazy shit they’ll do next. (Matthew Everett)