“Really Wanna Know,” the first song off of the Superbees’ debut, High Volume, is a little bit silly, with lyrics that go, “Buzz, buzz, buzz around/Shake our way right through your town.” But despite the awkward beginning, High Volume is an electrifying set of garage rock that would impress fans of Thee Hypnotics, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and the White Stripes. High Volume never sounds quite as original as the U.K.’s Fifty Tons of Black Terror (also known as Penthouse), but the band crafts undeniably catchy tunes out of influences like MC5, the Stooges, and the Rolling Stones, complete with vocalist and guitarist Dave James’ wall of searing riffs. “Girl From Kansas City” is a thundering homage to both the Stooges and the Beatles — a feel-good, instant classic that proves the Superbees to be one of the most energized bands to emerge in 2002. – Charles Spano
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