[03.02] What do you get when you cross two veteran Nebraskan musicians with one L.A. punk rocker and one NBA-sized Australian and place them in NYC? The chaotic mass of sound that is the Liars.

In the wake of the post-punk revival, it's not uncommon to find bands that echo the sound of the ´80s scene. But the Liars are not your common punk rock band. The debut LP from this gang of four is a unique blend of punk rock sensibility, dashed with digital samples, electronic dance beats and a swirl of hip-hop breakbeats. Never fear, this isn't the latest in MTV metal-rap bands in the likes of Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit. The Liars are an adventure in punk rock/electronic sound without being controlled and contrived.

From clicking typewriters to siren-like guitar strokes to electronic hand claps (yes, electronic hand claps!), They Threw Us All in a Trench is a whirlwind of sound that is anything but typical. Boasting a heavy bass presence that echoes the thump of No Means No, dizzying guitar riffs interlaced with digital beats and the British-laced howls of frontman Angus, this is music for even the shortest of attention spans…and you can dance to it. This is a CD with solid songs from start to finish…and at a meager 21 minutes, not including a 30-minute finale of infinite guitar loops, there's not much room for skipping tracks anyhow.

Despite their innovation, the Liars have set themselves up for a tough sales pitch: Each song title is a mouthful ("Tumbling Walls Buried Me in the Debris With ESG," "Nothing is Ever Lost or Can Be Lost My Science Friend") and the actual sound is something that's difficult to describe in a couple of words ("really cool" doesn't count). But rest assured, They Threw Us All in a Trench is not something you're likely to forget.
—Aerin