Five Tossers Form One Rosser

“East Atlanta local club circuit survivors rekindle ’80s and ’90s sonic hook craft and smash it together with some authentic EATL alt rock stomp and stammer.” That’s the opening sentence of the PR one-sheet that came in the package with the self-titled debut CD from fresh local quintet Rosser. So they’re either dropping the name of this ’zine in a cheap ploy to prompt us to give them some ink (Is that what did it? Hmmm…) or S&S is now its own musical genre.

In any case, the CD exists (at least, I have an advance copy that’s a burn) and it sounds like The Cars, except the songs with overly affected limp-wristed-guy-wearing-eyeliner vocals that sound like The Killers. So I go to their Facebook page and what are their stated influences? The Cars, The Killers, Weezer and Talking Heads. Can’t really discern much Weezer, and as for the Heads, only thing I can figure is they must mean “Wild Wild Life.” Ten songs, all with titles that are better band names than Rosser, except Loverboy was already used. Gotta say, the lead guitarist’s cosmic tone is superb, the tunes as a whole don’t suck and the production (by Dan Dixon and the band) is top shelf. At least it’s not another tribute band. They’ll be at The EARL on Sept. 13 opening for K. Michelle DuBois if ya swing that way.