Debuting in 2003 after the dissolution of Neil Michael Hagerty's previous band Royal Trux, The Howling Hex make tweaking, kinetic rock that tends to follow an ingenious if sacrilegious formula: 85 percent "Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones, 15 percent "Satisfaction" by Devo. "Pair Back Up Mass With" shows how effective this approach can be, looping a delirious guitar riff under hollering vocals to make a gloriously melodic porridge. "No Good Reason" shows they can even pull off ballads, tenderly piecing together lo-fi keyboards, scratchy guitar, and cooing background singers into an intimate bedroom patchwork.