Within its ranks, the DC band Gauche includes members of two of our greatest groups, Priests and Downtown Boys. Based on that alone, you should pay attention to them. If you know Priests and Downtown Boys, then you know that both bands make taut, electric, urgent underground rock music — music that more or less demands your attention. The same is true of Gauche. But Gauche doesn’t really sound anything like either of those other bands.

On their debut album A People’s History Of Gauche, Gauche draw from a bunch of different sources — jittery postpunk, fired-up new wave, righteous riot grrrl punk, warped mutant disco — to make some seriously fun oblique party music. Gauche’s sound isn’t terribly easy to describe; it’s a bit like what might’ve happened if 1979 rolled around and the Slits or the Delta 5 decided that they wanted to become the B-52’s. Or maybe stick with that B-’52s thing, but imagine that everyone in the early B-52’s was somehow both Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson at the same damn time. Point is: It fucking rules.

Today, A People’s History Of Gauche is out, and it might be a while before you find a rock album this driven and joyous and catchy and purposeful. Based on this album, Gauche can absolutely hang with both Priests and Downtown Boys, and that is no small thing. We’ve already posted the early tracks “Running,” “Pay Day,” and “Flash.” And right now, you can stream the whole album below. See that you do.

A People’s History Of Gauche is out now on Merge.