The Top Local Recordings of 2008

4. Action Strasse, “American Gas Jive”

Vocalist-guitarist Vess Ruhtenberg is as stylish as ever, but he’s rougher around the edges.

Ruhtenberg played experimental pop in 1990s band United States Three and bubblegum pop as a member of the Pieces earlier this decade.

Action Strasse seeks out the gritty and impatient margins of pop, and “Impatient Love” happens to be one of the standout tracks of “American Gas Jive.” No song in history offers more explicit travel instructions for a weak-willed girl or boy.

Visit www.myspace.com/actionstrassemusic.