California soul-rockers the BellRays have a lot of things going for them: hard riffs, solid records, a wild live show. But nothing tops frontwoman Lisa Kekaula, whose super-high 'fro and extra-short dresses make her quite a sight onstage. The title of the band's latest album, Hard Sweet and Sticky, doesn't lie. Tourmates the Architects, on the other hand, play heartland-style punk that never quite builds on its mid-'80s Amerindie riffs. The Kansas City quartet packs many influences on the new Vice CD, but besides a few nifty nods to Hüsker Dü and the Replacements, there's not much going on here.
