Goldcure

Austin quartet Goldcure plays a straightforward blend of indie-ish pop-rock, but the Texas still comes through. Guitars are bright, rollicking, and purely American, and frontman Adam Buhman's rough-edged croon can veer close to twang. But the band's real talent is in reducing its roots and rock influences to their essences, then spinning it into a polished package. Just check the band's MySpace page — the posted version of the song "What's It Gonna Be Then, Eh?" is labeled as a "radio edit," giving a clue to the band's final aspirations. It's been a long time since the reign of bands like Gin Blossoms, whose lumping into the 1990s-alt category was unfair and inaccurate. Goldcure could rise to fill the vacancy for feel-good jangle rock.