Seattle's rock scene traditionally has been dominated by white men, but it's safe to say that two of the city's best bands are currently fronted by women of color: the Black Tones and Black Ends. Guitarist/vocalist Nicolle Swims leads Black Ends, a group—including bassist Ben Swanson and drummer Jonny Modes—who came into their own with this year's misleadingly titled EP Sellout. Swims sings like Chrissie Hynde getting down to brass (in pocket) tacks while wresting deviant guitar riffs and textures over rhythms that, unlike most rock bands', swerve in surprising ways. I've compared Black Ends to excellent bands such as Throwing Muses, Quix*o*tic, Raincoats, and Oh-OK, which is not something I do every year. Anything but predictable, Black Ends' newest song, “What,” is a horn-augmented, acoustic-guitar-powered ballad sauntering in the vicinity of Neil Young's “Old Man.” by Dave Segal