H.R. Dept.

H.R. has a new album finished—Hey Wella comes out in September, and a handful of the tracks are streaming on his MySpace page. Respect is due and all that, but my attempt to do some quick math on the album's reggae-to-punk track ratio led me to "You Got a Girlfriend," a mess of loping beats and ka-chunk-ka-chunk guitars that almost made me miss Sublime. So, figure half and half, but stick with Rock for Light anyhow. Best to remember Bad Brains this way:

Or perhaps this way:

Still, if you want more, he headlines Velvet Lounge Friday, July 11.