This was one of those CDs I really wanted to get to sooner but circumstances beyond my control in the past year had me diverted from it.  This time around Dash Rip Rock step up to the plate for a batch of the catchy party rock they’ve become known for over the decades.  Using their roots in blues and New Orleans flavored R&B as a starting point, the band’s songs match classic hooks with tasty guitar work and tongues firmly in cheek for these tales of partying, women (meth lab girls and otherwise), and the like with a blend of attitude, crunch, and a sense of fun.  Combined with a delivery that seems easy and natural and you have one of those discs that demand repeat listens and makes you wonder why a band isn’t better known these days.  Kudos to DRR for offering up one of the most underrated albums of the past year.  (BOONE)

(Alternative Tentacles Records. P.O. Box 419092. San Francisco, CA 94141-9092.  alternativetentacles.com)