The Earaches are the Pacific Northwest's strongest exponents of pure Nuggets-style high-octane garage rock since Mudhoney's early singles, with an added dose of political fury that recalls the MC5. The group originally formed in 1998 under the name the Reckless Bastards, with singer and guitarist August Henrich, guitarist Zak Schneider, bassist Joe Kilbourne, and drummer Alan Wright gigging around Seattle and placing occasional tracks on local compilation discs. Changing their name to the Earaches, the group made their full-length debut with 2003's Fist Fights, Hot Love. Unfortunately, tragedy hit the band in June 2004 when Wright -- also the band's manager and a longtime Seattle scene fixture as a journalist and fanzine publisher -- committed suicide. Local producer Steve Jones took over the drum throne and the Earaches rebounded with the late 2004 single "Freedom Fries," a sharp castigation of the Bush administration. That political bent was amplified on 2005's Get the Revolution Out of Your Head. Kilbourne left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Oni Timm for their third album, Time on Fire. ~ Stewart Mason