In the '90s, the booming underground college-radio scene that had started in the '80s continued to thrive. Many bands found niches in older genres that had once enjoyed a brief in-style moment in those heady days of the '50s and '60s. One case in point was the Auburn, Ala.–based Man or Astroman?, which took Dick Dale's early-'60s surf-rock instrumentals and added a new wave/punk edge, as well as outer-space kitsch. After some cult success in the '90s, the band went on hiatus in the '00s, only performing a few strategic shows to keep itself in the public eye. Since 2010, Man or Astroman? has stepped up its performances. In 2013, the band released the excellent Defcon 5…4…3…2…1—and has never sounded better. Recorded in Chicago (with longtime engineer Steve Albini) and in Birmingham, Ala. (with Daniel Farris), Defcon features everything fans could hope for. Space-age surf instrumentals have defiant growls and even a rare vocal move here and there ("Disintegrate," "Arc," "Cocoon"), solidifying the group's underrated chops and accessibility.