Led by Drab Majesty’s Andrew Clinco (aka Noel Skum), Los Angeles trio VR Sex exist at the intersection of minimal wave and goth-leaning, post-punk resurrection. It’s a common approach in the second decade of the 21st century, and the songs on VR Sex’s new Human Traffic Jam album hit you like draughts of smoggy air from above a clogged LA highway. The guitar sounds like an aerated version of the corroded chimes ground out by Killing Joke’s Geordie Walker and the Banshees’ John McGeoch in those crucial British bands’ early years. Prettiest Eyes churn in similar waters, but their attack is sparser and stealthier. The LA trio’s new Volume 3 LP stabs with stiletto precision, leveraging a cranky Von LMO/Brainiac-like aggression that leaves you pleasantly stunned. by Dave Segal