Stoned & Beautiful/Scarlet & the Harlots

Calling itself a "garage funk power trio," this local act boasts, "We like to rock. If your face likes to rock, we will rock your face." It's an appropriate motto given the trippy music on the group's debut, Songs for My Mom. The woozy opening tune "Lines in the Sand" features cooing vocals and a snappy bass riff. It's hardly representative of the band's approach, however. The group quickly shifts gears with the hard-rocking "Fuck It," a twangy tune that recalls early Wilco. And the band lets its funk flag fly in the synth-y tune "Your Love." Some of the sonic shifts are rather abrupt (the wispy intro to "The Woods" doesn't really work) but these guys are good enough musicians to pull it off. (Jeff Niesel)