Distortions

The Litter were a solid '60s rock 'n' roll band from Minneapolis; in modern times, their track "Action Woman" has established their reputation as a top-tier garage rock band that didn't make it beyond a regional curiosity the first time around. "Action Woman" is a jarring piece of classic rock 'n' roll, and the debut album, Distortions, is a solid listen throughout, including inspired covers of The Small Faces' "Whatcha Gonna Do About It," The Who's "Substitute" and "A Legal Matter," and a truly hypnotic take on the classic blues, "Codine," where the band's slow trudge reaches the transcendence of another legendary drug number, Love's "Signed D.C." (The Litter's cover of "Hey Joe" is as speedy and frenzied as Love's as well, so they were likely listening long and hard to L.A.'s favorite sons.) Bo Diddley's oft-covered "I'm a Man" is evidence that sometimes an era's less-discovered bands captured the lightning in the bottle. Guitarists Zippy Caplan and Dan Rinaldi take off on a fuzz'n'feedback freakout that's pure beauty. A generous helping of bonus tracks makes this a solid investment.