Black Angel Down + Acey Slade + Dead Rocking Horse + Black Cat Xing

Rather surprisingly, B'more-based alt-rockers Black Angel Down feature two members of ’90s R&B outfit Dru Hill: Nokio and Tao. Thus their sound weds R&B-influenced vocal harmonies with distorted rock riffage. Elsewhere, the teetotal Acey Slade (he met his guitarist in rehab), a member of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, plays amped-up, punky rock & roll.