New bands are everywhere, well not everywhere (take 107.5 for example). And for the final Moss Pit of the summer we’re show casing a few new bands. Here’s a look…

Red Five expose their debut release Flash behind the strong female vocals of Jenni and Betty (their last names have been withheld to protect the innocent or something like that). Red Five capture the essence of boredom-rock with this 12 track 35 minute venture into “I wanna-be like Courtney Love” land.

Jenni and Betty make or break each song with their dual vocal and guitar work. On tracks like “In Spite of Me” and “Space” the duo beautifully blend for a Juliana Hatfield covering Joan Jett sound. Then on other tracks, the combination reflects mere garbage, and I’m not referring to the band.

What’s most puzzling about Red Five is where the fifth member is. What kind of quartet calls itself Red Five? Can they count? ‘Cause they sure can’t write music.

Downset contribute their new release Do We Speak A Dead Language? to the world of music gone politics. Downset take the angst and political frustrations of Rage Against The Machine and speak them in a language easier to understand.

Rage also come to mind in comparing the sound of the band. Downset’s rap-like vocals overlie strong guitar trickery at various paces throughout the record. “Empower” opens the disc with a spoken introduction by Martin Luther King and takes off into a powerful collection of thoughts on inequality.

“Sickness” and the “Sickness (Reprise)” explore homelessness issues with lyrics like “poverty is the worst form of violence” and “I am not a lower form of human life.” The messages rings louder and clearer as Do We Speak A Dead Language? moves on into “Ashes In Hand,” an angst-driven tune with the chorus “Sex kills, sex kills, sex kills.”

“Permanent Days Unmoving,” a dark poem set to a guitar ballad, captures a different twisted feeling of sympathy and depression. “Horrifying” catapults one depression and takes on numerous issues from AIDS to suicide with an interlude of statistics about death.

Downset isn’t Mr. Rogers friendly, but if you can avoid the seriousness of the lyrics, the record’s rap metal sound is enough to keep you entertained. Put Rage’s Zack De La Rocha in with Korn and 311, throw in a few of Newt Gingrich’s wettest dreams and you’ll have Downset.

Do We Speak A Dead Language? Well, maybe sometimes. But nothing’s dead on this debut.

Far singer Jonah Sonz Matranga is an average (borderline worse) singer playing in an average (borderline worse) four piece. Saving Matranga on the band’s new release, Tin Cans With Strings To You, are his way beyond average (borderline demented) lyrics.

Matranga and cohorts lay down the law early with tracks “What I’ve Wanted to Say” and “In the Aisle, Yelling”— seven minutes plus of absolutely nothing that makes sense.

“Love, American Style” flirts with insanity on lyrics “Which one? Geraldo or Montel or good old Oprah? All those shows are one. The eating of brains and the bleeding of hearts, it all makes for some pretty good art.”

Far’s music is nothing original (see Hum or better yet Sunny Day Real Estate), but it’s Matranga’s belting out of lyrics that is surprisingly fun.

Far is like one of those old sci-fi movies from the ’70s that you still watch for a good laugh. It’s cool and it sucks at the same time. Kind of like college.

Corey Moss is a freshman in journalism from Urbandale, Iowa.