The Casual Dots (2004)

It's been 10 years since Slant 6 released ''Soda Pop Rip Off'' (Dischord), which anticipated the kindred Sleater-Kinney a year before the trio's debut. Christina Billotte's newest band (see also Quix*o*tic) is still punk, but it's a less pugilistic, more retro affair. ''Mama's Gonna Make Us a Cake'' is garage rock that could share a two-port with the White Stripes. But the cover of Etta James' ''I'll Dry My Tears'' is steel blue old-school heartbreak, and on ''Bumble Bee,'' an old LaVern Baker number, Billotte swats an errant lover over a steam-engine chug. Good to know she's still in the game. FOR THOSE WHO LIKE THEIR PUNK ABSTRACT Check out ''Kila, Kila, Kila'' by OOIOO, a.k.a. Yoshimi of Japanese art-noise-drone guerrillas Boredoms.