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What do the Black Keys, the White Stripes and Sacramento’s Middle Class Rut have in common?

Answer: all of ’em have managed to create a glorious cacophony despite (or, more likely, because of) being a two-piece band.

No Name No Color is the first full-length release from MC Rut and is culled from tracks from their previously released EPs alongside a brace of new songs. From the opening chord, they sound like a heady cocktail of Jane’s Addiction, early VAST, with a shot of 30 Seconds To Mars and a splash of Kings Of Leon’s pop sensibility thrownin.

Propelled by drummer Sean Stockham’s thunderous beats, guitarist/vocalist Zack Lopez’s Farrell-esque howl screams its way across relentless wall of guitar noise on tracks like the unstoppable USA and opener Busy Bein’ Born. Despite being a compilation of sorts No Name No Color hangs together well, apart from a momentary sag half-way in where things get a little samey with the lacklustre Are You On Your Way (which sounds too close to an Angels & Airwaves B-side for comfort) and Alive Or Dead.

But Thought I Was with its massively propulsive drumbeat and closer Cornbread bring things back up to code in fine style, the latter being a song that would have been a perfect fit on the last My Morning Jacket album – all southern rock swagger and monotonous (in the best possible way) melody.

Classic Rock editor Siân has worked on the magazine for longer than she cares to discuss, and prior to that was deputy editor of Total Guitar. During that time, she’s had the chance to interview artists such as Brian May, Slash, Jeff Beck, James Hetfield, Sammy Hagar, Alice Cooper, Manic Street Preachers and countless more. She has hosted The Classic Rock Magazine Show on both TotalRock and TeamRock radio, contributed to CR’s The 20 Million Club podcast and has also had bylines in Metal Hammer, Guitarist, Total Film, Cult TV and more. When not listening to, playing, thinking or writing about music, she can be found getting increasingly more depressed about the state of the Welsh national rugby team and her beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.