Helms Alee were so loud at the Sunset last night, their gear was vibrating off the stage. Really. More than once, a member of the audience had to hop on stage and re-adjust Ben Verellen's amp so it didn't fall. If any other band in the city were playing that hard and loud on a Thursday night when I was battling a cold, chances are, I'd have left. No band needs to be that loud, after all, and I forgot my earplugs. But Helms Alee are an exception—they sound better the louder they get.

I don't know if it's Verellen's custom amps that keep the guitar and bass from getting too muddy or fuzzy at that kind of volume, but Helms Alee could've made me go deaf by the end of the show and I'd have thanked them. Their performance was mesmerizing. Their songs are dynamic exercises in volume control—one minute the guitar is fluttering and sparkling high above your head, then Verellen lets out a guttural yowl, the bass drops low, and, well, shit almost starts falling off the stage.

I could watch that band forever.

Born Anchors' set was impressive as well—they've got that guitar-heavy, driving sound nailed. And even though I've seen 'em a couple times in the past, last night it finally clicked with me who the singer reminds me of. It's Bono. As in the dude from U2. As in Mr. Mirrored Wrap Around Shades.

The band sent over a couple new tracks from their upcoming album Sprezzatura ("Deep Cuts" is my favorite):

Born Anchors - "Deep Cuts"

Born Anchors - "In Disguise"

The Bono thing isn't apparent on the recordings—on record he has an almost J. Robbins quality to him (which I love), but I swear there's just a hint of Bono live. I'm not crazy. And it's not a bad thing either. In this case, it's a good thing. It works. It rocks.