Song of the Day (12/8/09)

Combining punk with indie, Phoenix-based band Dear and the Headlights have a knack for putting together traditional three- to four-minute pop numbers that plead to have a head nodded and a foot tapped to them. Their songs have acoustic foundations that are given more life with drums and electric guitars, but the key selling point are the strong vocals of frontman Ian Metzger, who can belt it out when necessary or keep it low-key on softer songs. Serving as a perfect example of this short-but-sweet approach is "Sweet Talk" from the band's debut album, Small Steps, Heavy Hooves.

Dear and the Headlights: "Sweet Talk"