By Mike Ethan Messick

Led by the fevered rock ’n’ roll wail (and left-handed guitar virtuosity) of frontman Hunter McKithan, the New Offenders hang out way on the hard-rock end of the Americana music scene. Based in Houston, Texas, the band has evolved from a McKithan solo project to a tight, ferocious quartet crashing through blues and classic rock riffs at garage-rock volume.

Their first album under the banner of the New Offenders, titled Stones to Throw, is due out March 25. To celebrate the occasion, the combo will play a SXSW showcase with the Austin Music Foundation at The Tiniest Bar in Texas on March 19, followed by an official March 25 CD-release party at Houston’s storied Firehouse Saloon. Through late spring and early summer, the band will depart the Lone Star State to barnstorm through Tulsa, Nashville, Chicago, and any points in between that could use a dose of their signature smoky, boozy good times.

For a taste of what the band’s all about, check out the engagingly disorienting video for their lead-off single, “Don’t Let It Getcha.” “That one’s the best representation of all these various styles we like,” McKithan beams, “something for everyone without compromising anything we believe in.”

Most important of all, it’s a good time. Check it out.