Cover Story

L.A. trio Anavan first appeared in 2004, in the wake of the handful of percussion-centric bands who'd been stirring-up the underground for the previous couple of years. With their drum kit taking center-stage (and their helmet-mics firmly in place), I prematurely assumed at first sight that their sound would owe much to the likes of Pink and Brown and Lightning Bolt. I was wrong. Anavan's empassioned, dare I say sexy, postpunk groove bypasses the cerebral yardwork of noise and pummel-rock, by aiming squarely on the listener's need to shake something. Free your mind and, well, you know the rest.