Vanity Crash

Vanity Crash may be the most self-assured band in Cleveland. Of course, a healthy amount of confidence is required when smothering oneself in feather boas, fishnets, and form-fitting leopard-print tops. But Vanity Crash's sound is just as cocksure as its haughty come-ons and Velvet Goldmine stage garb. Frontman Dan Folino sings in a commanding yet affected croon, hamming it up with lines like "I would have sold my soul for fame/But damn good thing I've got my mane."

The best bands of their type temper superficiality with sincerity. While there's plenty of songs here about gals who like to be tied to the bed and such, there's also earnest tunes about the value of social protest, like the album-opening "Come Forward." Sure, these dudes are high on themselves, but like their pleather trousers, they wear arrogance well.