Jonuh

Detail: The air is thick and humid. A wet, lung-hurter. The Mad Hatter's glass side door busts open. Then skin. A shirtless, rib-revealing-thin guy flies out of the door, landing on the ground. Hard. His bare back breaks his fall. Unaffected by scrapes, led by his fists, he rises and jumps back into the crowd inside, the door magically shutting behind him. Rougher than usual, the adrenaline-soaked club is so loud that the street vibrates. The club is only warming up before Pop/Punk band Jonuh takes the stage. Daniel Parsons (lead vocals, bass) and Michael Maher (vocals, drums), are in no rush. Plenty of time for more sweat-filled falls before Jonuh goes on.

Parson's deep dark eyes stand out, showing a hidden, deep burn, but he seems content holding back, thinking things over patiently, then talking. Not shy, but choosy. From Cincinnati, Parsons began with keys and was later inspired by his older brother (who produced Jonuh's recent CD). With his brother as a band mentor, Parsons strayed into guitars, listening to The Misfits and Bad Religion. Parsons played bass out of necessity, keeping the band a trio, which worked for Punk commercial kings like Green Day.

Parsons says, "Now one of my favorite artists is Prince ... an example of us exploring and diversifying. We realized that you could appreciate a well-written song in any genre." Hitting skins by age 12, quirky Maher wears 'fro-style big hair. Sporting a lime-green shirt and thumb ring, Maher is mega talkative, energetic and outwardly fiery about music, rhythm and life. Born in California, he says, "I moved around a lot." He's been in Cincinnati since 1997.

Parson's vocals are clear, crisp and less melodic and rough than old-school Punk singers like Glenn Danzig. More modern, Pop and straight-up. Although Jonuh's sound doesn't hold the trash-compactor grit of The Ramones, the overall feel is tight, energetic and catchy, giving a shout to early '90s California Punk bands like Blink-182 and The Offspring.