Welcome to our latest edition of Blips, where we look at three under-the-radar bands that you need to know about.

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band

Website / MySpace

If you ever catch yourself in one of those funks where they noodling doesn’t hit the spot, indie rock is too tired, and you just can’t find the cure for what ails ye’, what you need is a dose of Reverend Furry Peyton playing some old time guitar, slide or dobro, “Washboard” Breezy on the washboard, and Jamie Peyton on the drums. Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band does for Delta Blues, what the Dropkick Murphy’s do for Irish Music; they douse it with strong whiskey and light it on fire. The threesome lives up to their ironic moniker by transcending their size in both sound and stage presence. This is a band that is destined for greatness, particularly festival greatness. For summers to come, this band will attract festie stragglers to their stage as the quirky, frenetic sound reels ‘em in like the Banjo Minnow. – Rupert

READ ON for two more bands that you need to hear…

Donna the Buffalo

Website / Fansite

I know, I know, you’re thinking “Donna the Buffalo isn’t new, they’re Ice-T old.” While Donna the Buffalo has been entertaining crowds for over 20 years, they are most certainly under the radar. Perhaps the eclectic brew the Ithaca-based sextet cooked up for their new album, Silverlined, will finally wake America up to what they’ve been missing. Silverlined shows off Donna the Buffalo’s knack for combining zydeco-infused melodies with passionate lyrics and rootsy rhythms.

Here’s a mini-documentary about the making of the album:

- Scott Bernstein

Albert Hammond, Jr.

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Website / MySpace

Much like Scotty I’m going with a familiar name to a lot of you out there – Albert Hammond, Jr – who you probably know better as the frizzy, afro-headed guitar player from The Strokes. What you may not know is that AHJr. has one solo album under his belt and is on the verge of releasing his second ¿Como Te Llama? next week. Hammond has managed to take the dirty, downtown New York rock of his full time band and filter it through some California sunshine for some surprising results. Still present is his unmistakable guitar sound, but he’s added a healthy dashes of pop oohs and aahs, bits of reggae and a large dose of John Lennon to produce a great modern rock record. So while The Strokes continue their extended hiatus – with a rumored return next year – this will easily satiate the void.

- Jeffrey Greenblatt