Even if one had never heard the band before, a spin of Firewater"s third release, Psychopharmacology, would tell even the most naive of minds that the band was furiously focused on the rock-and-roll prize. Much like the Grifters, Firewater creates edgy, somewhat shady rock and roll for the not-so-easily-amused set. The aerobic energy of the title cut, with its hints of madhouse-meets-circus, is a perfect example; do you dare look it directly in the eye, or do you let it reach in and pull out your guts? Equally huge and graceful is "Car Crash Collaboration," a cut that finds frontman Tod A (ex-Cop Shoot Cop) at his most sinewy, like Mick Jagger with a more subtle agenda. --Jason Josephes