White Demin at The Plug, Sheffield, July 2

This year it appears dirty American rock is definitely in. The Black Lips, Fucked Up, Pissed Jeans et al are simply the edited list of White Denim's contemporaries, yet as this group bound onto the stage they appear to be a much more professional outfit.

Over a sea of whirring guitar solos the group sound unwilling to fully commit to their Texan label. Named as one of the hot acts at this year's South by Southwest they continue to live up to the garage stereotype but remain too complex for the genre.

Their rough and ready vocals provide a flimsy backdrop to the powerful screeching sound, yet each member continues to grace the stage effortlessly with a carefree attitude. At times it's a dated sound with very little progression and musically there's a clash on stage as this group prove themselves too good for the garage band label. Ditching the simple riffs for more complex instrumentation has steered the group away from similar bands, and dropped them in an entirely different world. We're definitely not in Texas anymore.

Photo: Andy Cook