The Neighborhoods

A punk-fueled garage-rock sound with big hooks, melodies, and snarling six-strings, The Neighborhoods are pretty much where it all starts in Boston Rock. A series of excellent albums, including 1987's Reptile Men (Emergo) and their 1991 major-label swan song, The Neighborhoods (Third Stone), plus their non-stop touring made them the snotty favored sons of the Northeast and dark horses in much of the rest of the country. They called it quits for a spell, but they're back and are very much the real thing.