Best art-punk band

Dasher has quickly established itself as a force to be reckoned with on the local art-punk scene. The group has received much praise for its seven-song demo tape, and anticipation is mounting for its forthcoming vinyl full-length debut this year via local garage-punk mainstay Die Slaughterhaus Records. The group features three talented Atlanta underground vets: Kylee Kimbrough with precise drumming and abrasive screams, Ian Deaton on bass, and guitar work from Abby Go Go’s Jon Allinson. Dasher shreds through bleak and arty soundscapes, bringing mighty music to some of the city’s gruffest venues. www.dasher2.bandcamp.com. less...

Like a thief in the night, VERA FANG emerged from the house-show and DIY-gallery scenes with a debut 7-inch that rocked. The kids who comprise the group had been hanging out around town forever, but who knew they were lying in wait, ready to pounce when the local punk scene least expected it. Sunni Johnson shreds her bass to pieces in ways that leave audiences wondering if her mother checked her scalp for the mark of the beast at birth. Vera Fang crafts sharp, sinister hooks and surrealist imagery that merges bits of fairy tale and feminism in a whirl of addictive punk dirges. www.myspace.com/verafangatl. less...