Ask most modern rock fans if they've heard of Super 400, and most likely, unless they’re fairly knowledgeable about bands local to the state of New York, they’ll say no. Which is a shame, actually, because they’re a band deserving of recognition. Recognition that they may have received, had they not been dropped when Island Records was bought out. They continued to thrive, in any case, and with their fourth studio “Sweet Fist”, they’re active now more than ever.
The Arkitecht is an interesting take on metal music. A “one man band” type project, put together by Genaro Ochoa, it was created to prove that musicians do not have to be dependent upon other musicians, to create the typical “band” sound and feel. A difficult undertaking in itself, The Arkitecht has released one album to date, Hyperstructure. With this release, does he achieve the desired effect? In a word-absolutely. 
Ruder Than You is the unsung epitome of modern ska. Although a popular the most popular subgenre of third wave ska is ska-punk, Ruder Than You has avoided this kind of exclusivity. Obviously taking some influence from punk, they also have derived their sound from the more traditional dancehall, rocksteady, and even hip hop, funk, and jazz, although they are most known for their unique cover of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid.” And with Creation Sounds, their most recent, admittedly off the radar, release, all these elements are as prevalent as ever.
