Tonight, the three piece blusey thrash-rock outfit STRNGRS start a July residency at Pianos, with featured shows on the 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th. Their 2013 release “5 Dynamic New Tunes!” emphasized a hyper blues energy that drew comparisons to the White Stripes/Black Keys axis. Stand-out tracks like “Subtle Reminder” channeled Jack’s vocal inflections, while “Settle Me Down” went heavier with an angular start/stop progression that leaned more towards early Led Zepplin. 2014’s “Magic Boy” showed the band dialing down its frantic pace on the slow burn intensity of “Running Dry.” While that track emphasizes a bluesman’s harrowing wail, “17 Letters” (streaming) finds the band streamlining their sound into a pop-friendly two and a half minutes. “Never Can Tell” smolders with a “Voodoo Child” vibe, while “Outta My Mind” bursts out on a harmonica enhanced rave up over a rabid psychotic beat. – Dave Cromwell
