Various artists,

Seattle Noise Vol. 1 (May 20, Good to Die Records, goodtodierecords.com)

A collaboration by Good to Die, AVR Music, and the Cha Cha Lounge’s bartending rocker Kerry Zettel, this compilation features 14 tracks from 14 of Seattle’s best bands. Recorded over a 10-day period last February with all bands sharing the same backline (with some band-to-band modifications), each track was specifically recorded for this compilation, and the energetic nature of the sessions shows as a result. The record opens strong with “Dogwater,” Sandrider’s shotgunned beer blast to the head, then takes a sharp turn with Crypts’ menacing electronic noise track “Carnivore.” While there are some notable names here (Constant Lovers, Deadkill, Theories), the tracks by some of the city’s newer bands—like The Great Goddamn, Blood Drugs, and Tacos!—are what really make this comp worthwhile. It’ll issue first via an (interesting) T-shirt/digital-download package on May 20, and thereafter can be found on goodtodierecords.com and Bandcamp. (CD release and listening party, May 20, Cha Cha Lounge)