The Dragons

This San Diego-based combo is one of the few garage bands that manage to drink from the cup of their predecessors without reverting to stale song structures and, ultimately, swigging more than they can handle. Sin Salvation, the Dragons’ first offering for San Francisco-based Gearhead Records, is an eyebrow-raising affair complete with ganged vocals and wicked, soaring leads. “Play for Keeps,” perhaps the album’s best track, recalls both vintage Social Distortion and Backyard Babies without sounding derivative of either. Led by vocalist and guitarist Mario Escovedo and the driving leads of Ken Mochikoshi Horne, the Dragons’ high-energy delivery is unrelenting from beginning to end. Salvation for less than 15 bucks? You betcha. Vodka and Red Bulls, on the house.