These sober, literate punk rockers from America's capital, Washington, DC, get points for being such staunch supporters of indie rock and for their refusal to either compromise their sound or rest on their laurels. This commitment and artistic integrity has garnered them legions of devoted fans and has made them into latter-day punk heroes. Steady Diet Of Nothing is a full plate of hard-hitting, power-chord-driven, thinking man's punk. Aggressive in most places, flirting with melody in some, the band more than delivers on its promise and even manages to mature a bit. "Reclamation" deals with self-empowerment whilst "Nice New Outfit" and "Runaway Return" attack such closely held tenets of American society as consumerism and conformity. --Mike Corrigan