Last time out, the Whigs landed a blow with the barroom brawler Give 'Em All a Fat Lip. Now, fans of the "swing first, ask questions later" scufflin' Southern ethos will be glad to know the Athens, GA trio are back with the chip still on their shoulder. The Whigs hail from onetime indie-rock haven the University of Georgia, but with their alt-country twist, all of their roots bleed through, sounding stuck between the stations of college radio and classic rock. On "Right Hand on My Heart," the Whigs' Parker Gispert channels My Morning Jacket's Jim James and takes his satin tone to a sandpaper surface. The kick-drum jabs and the cymbals sting, but the sucker punch is the wall of guitars -- bright, triumphant, and yet still growling. A squealing solo ushers in a shattering climax until the gas runs out and Gispert, running on fumes over feedback, connects with one more punch -- line, that is: "We got your money, now we'll make a new start." The latest from the Whigs, Mission Control, drops Jan. 22 via ATO. 

Now Hear This:
The Whigs - "Right Hand on My Heart"

On the Web:
The Whigs at MySpace
thewhigs.com

Talk: Do the Whigs get your 'heart' pumping?