Sometimes you know nothing about an artist other than the label they’re on, and sometimes that label carries enough weight that you take a chance. In The Red Records is one of those labels, and when I was looking to pick up a specific album (the latest from Des Demonas) I spied the self titled debut full length from Bella and the Bizarre. Hailing from Germany and boasting some indie cred lineage (lead singer Bella Khan is the daughter of noted alternative artist King Khan) Bella and the Bizarre aims for and hits some seriously fun garage punk mixed with pure rock and roll swagger.

Produced by her father, Bella and the Bizarre whizzes by, nine tracks in just under half an hour, kicking off with “Baby It’s My Turn” and it’s got some hard X (the band) DNA, Oliwia Krzysztofik’s guitar snarling with 50s riffs amped up to 70s speed. Bella Khan’s voice carries some serious gravel when she needs it, and can quickly dispose of it when she goes for some classic girl-group squeals and yelps in the song’s catchy moments. “Into Your Mind” carries the same vibe, the bass and drums providing a steady backbeat for Khan’s voice to traipse across the guitars.

Things slow down for “Oh So Many Times” and it’s another showcase for Khan’s vocals, taking on a smoky soul against the 60s R&B-inspired soul track. The majority of Bella and the Bizarre alternates between these two vibes, straight up rockers (“No More”, “Stop Wasting Time”) and slower, time-worn ballads (the lovely chiming chords of ‘”Don’t You Wait”) but when the two mix together there’s a special magic, most notably on the single “Inky Waters” that makes great use of some tremolo and delay to project this dreamlike vibe over the verses. The intensity slowly creeps up until it blazes in the chorus, and this sense of dynamics makes the song one of the most vibrant on the album.

I don’t think Bella and the Bizarre are making the largest statement in the world with their debut, but they’re definitely making music that’s engaging and fun and doesn’t sound like it was produced by 1,000 people. It’s solid, fun, active rock and roll, something that been in arrears for too long. I dig it for a quick battery recharge or to put some pep in the step, so to speak.

It’s a solid rocker is what I’m saying. You’ll probably dig it.