A capsule look at Pittsburgh bands making news.

BLACK CRASH

The band: Dean Aloise (guitar, vocals), Ryan McElroy (guitar, vocals), Matt Ramey (drums), Rick Logue (bass)

The sound: Black Crash's post-rock pop songs veer from dark and moody tracks recalling Joy Division to an anthemic opening track, "A Thousand Eyes," that soars like vintage U2. Hold tight for the title track's post-punk guitar heroics.

	Photographer, Post-Gazette Black Crash -- Matt Ramey, left, Dean Aloise, Ryan McElroy and Rick Logue -- celebrates its CD release party Saturday at the Rex. Click photo for larger image.

The history: The proper group got together in February 2004, but Aloise and McElroy have been playing together since the seventh grade (approximately 13 years ago), at which point they were "really into Rush." They all went to Bethel Park High School together, but the two guitarists ended up going to college together as well. "So we ended up playing together for over a decade," Aloise explains. "We did all different kinds of bands and did the acoustic coffeehouse thing for a while, and this is just kind of our latest thing."

The inspirations: When the members first got together, Aloise explains, they were "very aware of all the influences out there, and I think we made a pretty conscious decision as to 'OK, where do we want to fall in line here? What do we really think is the best kind of music that we truly love?' We hate to name-drop bands, but I guess it comes down to stuff like Ride or early U2, Joy Division, the Verve and stuff like that. A lot of, I guess, British stuff. We weren't trying anyone or anything but that was kind of the mindset we had fueling our songwriting."

The album: The band recorded "maybe 40 tunes" to arrive at the eight recordings on "Red Lights," Black Crash's first release. "We had our own little recording unit in our practice space," says Aloise. "So everything we practiced we recorded. I have a bootleg called 'The Black Crash Basement Tapes.' " At least two tracks, "A Thousand Eyes" and "La Mire," have pulled in airplay on the Austin, Texas, station KVRX (through the "wonder of the Internet," says Aloise). Locally, "A Thousand Eyes," the feedback-sculpting instrumental title track and "Underground" have turned up on "Edge of the X."

The Release Party: 8 p.m. Saturday at the Rex, South Side, with the Pleasure Technicians, 20goto10, LeSonique and Craig Smith. Tickets are $7.

-- Ed Masley, Post-Gazette pop music critic