Kevin Bronson on May 3rd, 2010

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I have no idea why the Futureheads aren’t almost as big as some of the other U.K. post-punk bands that emerged in the middle part of last decade. The Sunderland, England, quartet’s music certainly seems like rocket science compared to many of their more popular contemporaries. (Tangentially, when I included a new song in a DJ set the other night and mentioned to an inquiring/admiring friend that it was from the Futureheads’ fourth album, he said, “They have four albums?” So somehow the good word is not getting out.) The foursome’s new album is titled “The Chaos” (out June 1 on Dovecote Records), and it’s a worthy follow-up to their sensational 2008 DIY release “This Is Not the World.” Explosive guitars, propulsive beats, four-part harmonies – I’m prescribing this once a day so you can cut back on your caffeine and energy pills.

||| Download: “Struck Dumb”

||| Live: No West Coast dates (disappointing) but the Futureheads have 10 U.S. gigs in June.