Inaro, CherryTop Scatter, Intake

An Addiction to Fiction, the 2007 debut from Irving's Inaro, was as good of a local emo/punk release as one could have hoped for. Bristling with hooks but never too slick or poppy, the songs of Josh Fuston, Justin Bonnet and the rest of this youthful quintet offer both spunk and sparkle. Cuts such as "Branded," "Henry VIII" and "Dear Mr.," while not exactly overflowing with ingenuity, still feature off-key vocals and sufficient guitar chops to endear Inaro to just about any disaffected youth. Adding some oomph to the bill are Dallas' Cherrytop Scatter and Intake from Farmers Branch. Intake claims influences as diverse as Ozomatli and Coldplay and songs such as "Virgil" and "Isn't It Beautiful" bear out such a bold assertion. Lead by the brothers Camacho (Jonathan on lead vocals, guitar, piano and Johan on drums), the music of Intake goes well beyond the mind-numbing malaise commonly associated with suburban living. Taken together, this trio of well-coiffed, fashion-conscious, talented punk bands would be hard to improve upon.