Joining them is Audio Karate, whose latest, Lady Melody, is sharper than a Ginsu knife and tight as a young Dean Martin at an open-bar wedding. Singer-guitarist Art Barrios' gruff vocals are two parts Blake Schwarzenbach growl and one part Tim Kasher groan, and that equals a plaintive howl that's too rough for pop-punk but not caterwauling enough for emo. As with Schwarzenbach's Jawbreaker, Audio Karate is unwilling to sacrifice melody on the altar of chunky ringing guitar textures and angular leads, and as with pop-punk, the production is super-crisp. Unlike pop-punk, though, the arrangements are clever enough to withstand repeated listens, and that makes all the difference.