Kevin Bronson on August 30th, 2012

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Tsar were retro before you were. The Los Angeles quartet, embracing the power-pop hooks of Cheap Trick, the glammy affectations of Sweet and punk-rock swagger of the Stooges, released two albums last decade that were the antidote of weighty angst of grunge and its progeny. Neither exactly heaped riches on their labels (the self-titled debut in 2000 on Hollywood Records and “Band-Girls-Money” in ’05 on TVT, respectively), but they were sure fun, especially the band’s grandiose live shows. The quartet of Jeff Whalen, Dan Kern, Jeff Solomon and Steve Coulter drifted apart, and then two years ago, burying some hatchets, drifted back back together, finding new creative juices in the process. Those have resulted in a new EP, “The Dark Stuff,” their first new material in seven years. To hear it, you’ll wonder how the Darkness got so huge and Tsar didn’t. Or why Tsar weren’t invited to all the T. Rex tribute parties. As for the video for “Police Station,” that flashing light oughta be bigger.

||| Download: (Limited time, through Monday only) “Police Station”

||| Live: Tsar, along with Nerf Herder and the Dollyrots, play Saturday at the Bootleg Bar.