Moods for Moderns
Two Tracks Left
Doghouse
With a band name that draws images of a hi-fi soundtrack album
found in a dusty record bin in the dark corner of the nearly
abandoned thrift store, picturing an alluring young lass in
a nightgown on the cover, Two Tracks Left promises to bring
the listener to the state of arousal during, or shortly following
a candle-lit dinner. From the Plymouth, Michigan trio (members
of King for a Day, Empire State Games), we find glistening
power pop that well-dressed mod kids would shimmy to. We find
their seductive pop songs (ala Sloan) have the same affect
on the target of your romantic endeavors with the pleasant
bonus of crackles and pops of aging vinyl that fail to interrupt
the foreplay. -Keith York
Sin
Noisy Pipes Lovely Noises
Koch
This is not just sweat drenched naked bodies hanging from
the ceiling writhing at every blow from some dark shadow,
this is fucking art. More than just goth industrial, Sin lays
down a creepy vibe full of explosive aural orgasms If you’re
a good little slave. -Kenan
Mock Orange
The Record Play
Lobster
Enlisting the help of mega-producer Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat
World, Knapsack), The Record Play is why I listen to music.
Each song seems better than the previous, and yet all are
wondrous. There is this substance that each song provides,
songs with such emotion and power that the listener is forced
to not only listen, but to feel each word and each note. They
are amazing songs reaching through all spectrums of the emotional
rainbow. Sometimes reminding me of the quirkiness of Hot Water
Music, and at other times like the sincerity of Brandtson.
Mock Orange isn’t about to break onto the emo/punk platform,
rather they are about to tear this model down and build it
bigger so that the world can recognize their greatness. For
those that say there’s no good music out, I beg to differ.
-Che Brooks
De La Soul
Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump
Tommy Boy
De La Soul has come out with another album that will go down
in history as another hip-hop classic. I listened to this
album while I was stuck in L.A. traffic for about three hours.
This album had me so hyped that it didn’t even bother
me that I was stuck on I-405 in mid-90 degree weather. Mosaic
Thump has so many choice cuts, it would take too long for
me to go through all of them. Lyrically this album continues
to blow me away more and more every time I listen to it. As
far as the beats go, c’m on, this is De La Soul we’re
talkin’ about. Of course the beats are hype. And with
guest appearances by folks like Tash and J-Ro of the ‘Liks
and Xzibit (all on the same song), Redman, Busta Rhymes, Chaka
Khan, and Mike D and Ad Rock (of the Beastie Boys) anybody
who likes hip-hop, even just a little bit, is bound to dig
this album. On top of all that there’s seventeen tracks
on the album, plus one on the Internet. If I say anymore about
Mosaic Thump I’ll just be ruining it for you. Pick this
up immediately! -J Ian Williams
Antartica
81:03
File 13
As mid-80s Roland sequencers swiftly embark upon their journey
to spine and hip, you can see the cynical stare of Antartica’s
members. Tipping the scales at well over an hour, this two-disc
set holds no clunkers, only showcasing the smarts of a quintet
poised to create a stir. Paying homage to New Order, Twice
a Man, Abecedarians, Happy Mondays and even A Primary Industry
and Colourbox, the high-octane synth-rock is way out on the
fringe from yesteryear’s well-accepted 12” dance
culture. Unclear whether or not this is their way of putting
Factory Records on an altar, or just an occurrence of band-member
chemistry, the results are timeless. Having listened to this
dozens of times now, it is one of the most baffling collections
of songs to my ears, I am suspicious but my smile can’t
hide the truth, this is wonderful. -Keith York
Death Cab for Cutie
We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes
Barsuk
Sullen tones of the over-loved, the under-loved, the lonely
as well as the popular are encased in DCfC’s latest release.
Songs of friends, lovers and the 405 freeway exist in a temporal
and spatial void like a cloud bank of melodic guitars and
bobbing basslines. I’d say this is the most listenable
post-emo love rock I’ve witnessed in years. Bellingham
hasn’t felt this good since Estrus put the town on the
map, and rock hasn’t sounded so fresh since your first
listen to Radiohead, Ride and the Wedding Present. Sound like
a mouthful? Take my word for it, this is necessary. -Keith
York
Deckard
Stereodreamscene
Reprise
Deckard’s Stereodreamscene, the follow up full length
album to their 1999 EP release on Carport/Kinetic Records,
is possibly one of the best brit-pop albums I’ve ever
heard. Mixing the perfect ratio of noise and melody with good
drums, and vocalist Chris Gordon has a delivery that more
than compliments Deckard’s over all sound. This band
is bound to make just as big of an impact in America as it
has in the UK.
Even though I thought Stereodreamscene was damn good from
the beginning all the way to the end, I couldn’t help
skipping to track 6, Wasted at Your Wig, a song that’s
a little reminiscent of Radiohead, and track 8, Christine
II, simply because it was just a really, really good song.
Anyone that picks up a copy of this album is going to find
something they can really appreciate on it. If not, they just
need to listen more closely ‘cause there’s way too
much good stuff to catch it the first time through. -Ian Williams
Shiner
Starless
Owned & Operated
Compared with the lo-fi bedroom rock that we spend much of
our days listening to, Shiner is significantly more mature
than their colleagues. The wiser listener, the more dignified
listener, will learn a great deal from Starless, especially
when considering it in light of their previous efforts. -Keith
York
Rancid
Epitaph
This is definitely the Rancid album fans have been waiting
for. It’s fast and furious, melodic and magnificent.
A 360 degree turn from the last album, they return to their
hard-core/punk roots with perfect timing. Here’s the
stats; 22 songs in about 30 minutes; only 3 songs are over
3 minutes long. This shit is no joke. Starting with Don Giovanni,
the first 3 songs bleed into each other, and in no time you’re
hearing the catchy chorus of Let Me Go which is an excellent
song. This is probably the only song on here with ska riffs,
and it also has a sort of funk/dub thing going on with wah-wah
pedals in the background. After that the next two songs that
stand out are Poison and Rwanda. They bring the listener in
with memorable choruses and inspired topics. Poison is about
people who bring you down. Rwanda is an almost spiritual street
punk song in support of that country. Not exactly your average
subject matter, but then again it is Rancid. Rattle Snake,
Not to Regret and Radio Havana all keep the momentum going
halfway through the album. One thing I noticed about this
album is that it seems much darker. The album cover itself
is just a skull and everything is a simple messy black and
white. The song titles are very basic and stripped down and
seem kind of blunt. Musically the bassist, Matt Freeman, sings
on a lot more songs this time out and most of the songs are
short and fast. An exception to this is Radio Havana which
is kind of spacey and Golden Gate Fields which is fast, a
little longer and ends this album with the same energy with
which it started. Overall I would say this is a must own disc.
I liked Rancid’s last album but at the same time I had
hoped they wouldn’t get any more experimental with the
songs. This time around they’ve come out blasting with
an album that rocks like a motherfucker and won’t leave
your system. -Big Chuck
Purkinje Shift
Five for the Road and One for the Ditch
Samizdat
Like mice, the listener runs mazes of guitar, bass and drum
constructed walls, searching for elusive packets of melody.
Our cheese is the improved understanding of the Purkinje roar.
Feverishly, we mice grow accustomed to running the maze for
entertainment and the lab coat donning graduate students of
math-rock (read: Don Caballero, Breadwinner) pull away from
the psychological experiment and let us addictively respond
to the maze-like roar. Afterall, we love cheese, and we love
the Shift. -Keith York
River City High
Richmond Motel
Big Wheel Recreation
After barely a year together, Richmond, VA’s River City
High are poised to turn any frown upside down. With resumes
including Lazycain, Fun Size and Inquisition, the members
of RCH display a fondness for bright pop songs built on a
big rock guitar foundation that left emo behind after their
first practice session. Not too far distant from Promise Ring’s
ability to fill an arena or get kids to sing along to Cheap
Trick’s Surrender, River City High’s sound is here
and their sound is now. Recreation for all ages. -Keith York
Pole
3
Matador
Pole has created a sonic sandwich for my hungry ears. Combining
the minimal electro style of Autechre with the ultra-low,
lazy-fingered basslines of dub reggae, Pole’s Stefan
Betke has fathered a sound so unique I’ve had a hard
time figuring out where to place him within the categories
of my CD collection. So far I’ve found a temporary home
for him alongside Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works
Vol. II and my NASA Voyager Satellite recordings - a section
of my collection reserved just for CDs that effect me like
prescription medication - sonic soma. One of the necessary
ingredients for Pole’s brand of headphone heroin is a
broken audio filter that produces electronic pops and clicks
which Stefan sprinkles liberally on every one of his compositions,
lending his songs the character of really ancient phonograph
records. If you find yourself listening to this CD on a really
flimsy stereo you might completely miss the tasty second ingredient
- subsonic basslines that make your stomach queasy and your
ears tingly. Pole’s 3 is an absolute landmark album of
ambient dub, and is highly recommended for anyone who likes
to turn out the lights, sit down, and let the headphones take
you to another world. -Chachi Jones
Damon and Naomi
With Ghost
Sub Pop
Another record of lush, beautiful pop from these Galaxie 500
expatriates. These nine songs, which run an average of five
minutes apiece, take you to the land which Lou Reed called
“Magic and Loss”. They eschew gimmicky bloops and
bleeps in favor of accordions, acoustic guitars, flutes, pianos
- even the processed sounds, sound acoustic. Add in several
tons of reverb, and high vocals, and you get an ethereal soundscape
that makes everything seem to be OK, for now. -Ben Morss
Les Savy Fav
Rome
French Kiss / Southern
Les Savy Fav make music that’s complex and poetic. Smart,
without being elitist or too mathy. Syd Butler keeps the rhythms
tight with his jagged basslines and Seth Jabou, now the band’s
lone guitarist, colors the songs perfectly with minimalistic
blurbs of discord. Tim Harrington offers up lyrics that almost
always have a double meaning, usually in a voice that sounds
like it’s about to blow out.While their sound is unique,
it seems fair to say that Les Savy Fav seems to be heavily
rooted in DC’s lockstep rhythms and screamed vocals (Jawbox,
Fugazi) while at the same time embracing the extraterrestrial
moog fueled weirdness of the now defunct Dayton, Ohio noise
gods Brainiac Although it is only a four song EP, this is
easily one of the greatest records I’ve ever come across.
-Karen Graves
Swearing at Motorists
More Songs from the Mellow Struggle
Secretly Canadian
This is not a country sound, a blue grass sound, or trite
attempt at Americana that I hear in More Songs, but the feeling
of honest American ingenuity at work. A couple of minds instilled
with democracy and the great outdoors seem to have taken the
guitar and drum construct to a higher plane than a genre needing
boundaries. The lo-tech approach captures dissonant mood swings,
rendering it human. Singing, strumming and stomping on distortion
pedals as snare hits wake you from the lulled state. Untroubled
by urban angst, Swearing at Motorists struggle with the wide
open plains of the midwest, and have created an album of unbelievable
warmth and tenderness. -Keith York
DJ DB
Drum ‘N’ Bass Session
F-111 / Higher Education
A good drum and bass mix CD played through a bangin’
system gives the listener the next best thing to being in
a club with a live DJ. DJ DB, an English native who relocated
to New York ten years ago, has become one of the most well
known American counterparts to a scene unquestionably dominated
by the Brits. In 1999, DB released a mix CD entitled Shades
of Technology. Now he’s back with The Higher Education
Drum ‘N’ Bass Session. Both of these discs have
succeeded in presenting some of the best drum and bass tracks
in existence. High points on this disc include Grooverider’s
- Soul Coughing remix, Rob and Dom’s - Control Freak
remix, Konfilct’s - Karl K remix, and E-Z Roller’s
Tough at the Top. Buy this one for the car or if you don’t
have a couple hundred buck to shell out on twelve inches.
-Eric Stenman
Belle & Sebastian
Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant
Matador
Belle & Sebastian are captivating the hearts and minds
of youthful music fanatics in the same manner The Smiths did
a decade ago. Mining the elitism of teen music culture, B&S’
Glaswegian obscurity, and near-hermitic lifestyle becomes
ultra-chic, only adding to their ability to magically woo
even those agnostic toward indie rock/pop/folk. Sounding more
and more familiar as they continue their path of perfection,
the B&S sound is part Monochrome Set, part Momus and Monterey
Pop. Fold Your Hands is nothing short of generationally definitive,
inspiring, timeless music. -Keith York
Mates of State
My Solo Project
Omnibus
Armed with one Yamaha organ, a drum set, and two of the most
amazing voices you’ve heard, Mates of State have definitely
conquered a sound that most four-piece bands can’t accomplish.
I first saw these two late last year, and they have brought
a breath of fresh air to the San Francisco scene and I have
been following them closely ever since. I will say without
hesitation, that this band will be the next big thing in the
indie circuit. Not only are MOS a great band, but the label,
Omnibus, is one of my favorite new record labels, featuring
the Shins, Electro Group and many more.
-Kevin Evinger
Tenfold
720
There has been so many times that I have seen a band that
was great live, but the emotion that I felt while seeing them
on stage doesn’t make it into the recording studio. Tenfold
put on a show that is so rich with both energy and emotion
that I couldn’t wait to hear a recording of them in hopes
that I would be able to take that feeling home with me. The
band exceeded my expectations with this six song release -
it’s melodic harmonization’s and screaming emotional
outbursts jumped out of my speakers. Tracks like This Life,
Mindpush, and Nothing stood out as songs that I found myself
listening to over and over again. I felt that same tingle
in my spine as when I first popped Tool’s Opiate, or
the Deftones Around the Fur in my CD player; both modern emo-core
classics in my eyes. Vocalist Justin Butler’s range is
incredible, and the rest of the band accentuates his talents.
You can tell that they’ve been putting work into making
their sound as tight as it can get. -Chad Slagle
Sonic Youth
NYC Ghosts and Flowers
Geffen
It is my humble opinion that Sonic Youth is one of the most
important bands in rock history. Throughout the 1980s, they
melded melody with noise in consistently innovative ways.
They reached an improbable commercial success in the early
1990s with the album Goo and a movie that showed them on tour
supported by Dinosaur Jr. and Nirvana. Well, Sonic Youth has
been around for almost twenty years now, kind of like The
Who or something, and their last few albums have turned away
from melody and punk energy, instead becoming introspective.
This new record is more of the same, with Kim, Thurston, and
the gang intoning mysterious words over pretty and mystical
guitar tones. You can tell how good these guys are, because
there is nothing is bad about this. Unfortunately, nothing
is really great about it either - I can’t see why they
made this record, except for the sake of making a record.
Go out and get their album EVOL instead. -Ben Morss
Mondo Generator
Cocaine Rodeo
Southern Lord
This is Nick Oliveri’s solo album in a sense. Mondo Generator
features ex-members of Kyuss and Karma To Burn and has a sound
akin to a GTO cruisin’ through town. This is road-tested
stoner rock, emblazoned with all of the signature fuzz bass,
warm drum tones, and laissez-faire vocal stylings. Mondo Generator
shines because it changes tempos, adds stylings of Scratch
Acid and Jesus Lizard, and still manages to have some kind
of consistency. Nick plays in Queens Of The Stone Age today
and Mondo Generator is like his alter ego. His talents as
a songwriter show on this new slab and, word has it he’s
playing some of these songs live with QOTSA. Cocaine Rodeo
is the perfect antidote for a summer filled with crappy pop
releases. -Eddie Jorgensen
Paris Texas
So You Thing It’s Hot Here?
Polyvinyl
Raucous, upbeat songs highly spirited in twenty-something
optimism. Comfortable in their urgency, this Madison quintet
snap like firecrackers through ten concussive 4/4 punkers.
With ringing Buzzcocks guitars, the drums and bass tangle.
Scott Sherpe’s inimitable vocal style conjures images
of a youthful Dylan or Iggy wearing tight black leather pants
singing for a real honest to goodness garage band. I suppose
comparing Paris_Texas to the Vue or Jonathan FireEater is
more appropriate, but the emo-isms are a bit more important
to these guys. -Keith York
HBA
Whisker Biscuit
White Trash Taco Records
HBA, which stands for Hidden By Authority is a melodic punk
rock quartet straight outta Northern Cali. These dudes get
the grand prize for gross looking album cover and funny label
name. A white trash taco is a hot-dog wrapped in a piece of
white bread. Along the way they get blue ribbons and honorable
mentions for their brand of fun, yet not goofy, style of punk
rock. My favorite song, Being Mean, is about girl problems.
The music kicks ass and the chorus is the catchiest on this
album. The first two songs, In the End and Give to Give are
among the best on the album, while the last two songs Anti-American
and Was That Your Mom? are my least favorite. Politics aside
Anti-America seemed slower and more awkward then the other
songs. Was That Your Mom? is about getting revenge on an ex-lover
by fucking her whole family and it just wasn’t that good
despite a couple of funny and crude lines. Two songs have
a gentle R.H.C.P. sound to the intros before exploding into
energetic punk and they pull that off pretty well. New Socks
was another favorite and features the classic line “New
socks I love to put them on, new socks the reason for this
song!” Very wholesome. Hopefully their distributor Volcom
will hook them up with some socks cause they deserve them.
-Big Chuck
Extol
Undeceived
Solid State
As extreme metal tends to be on the rise, and metal kids stand
on the cutting edge, it always surprises me when they miss
the boat on an amazing band. Hailing from Norway the land
of extreme metal, comes Extol with their second full length
release for Solid State. This time around the boys provide
a fuller sound with experiments in the form of violins, cello,
and even horns. These additions give Undeceived an ancient
sound that brings forth images of folklore from their native
lands. The guitars are as solid as ever, mixing full throttle
black metal style with layered solos that don’t reek
of ego. The song writing and structure has taken a giant leap
forward from their debut. These are long, intricate songs
featuring many time changes and diverse parts for all five
members. There are even segments where vocalist Peter Espevoll
tries his hand at actual melodies and singing. Their ability
to take chances has created a substantial addition to the
metal community. Now if that community will just pay attention.
-Che Brooks
764-HERO
Weekends of Sound
Up
Because 764-HERO have established themselves as an important
indie icon, it seems useless to refer back to what is now
the early part of their careers in rock. For old times sake,
I grabbed some old records off the dusty shelves and listened
to some of their pre-764-HERO recordings as Bell Jar, Hush
Harbor, Lync and Red Stars Theory. Strangely, I kept hearing
Weekends of Sound’s kindly offered melodies in their
infancy. From chunky 4/4 drum kit clatter, bass and guitar
woven together in a wall of sound, pop songs emerge that are
dangerously infectious - like the best moments of their contemporaries
Modest Mouse, Pavement, and Sunny Day Real Estate. -Keith
York
The Honor System
Single File
Asian Man
This is by far one of the best albums I have heard all year.
Made up of members from the late great Broadways, this Chicago
based quartet will rock your stereo system for months and
years to come. The music is filled with tons of beautiful
guitar work. Chris Carr comes through with an assortment of
catchy bass lines and melodies. There is undoubtedly a major
Jawbreaker influence going on in this record. Dan Hanaway
drives through this record with a truckload of witty lyrics
and stunning vocals. Chock full of emotion, this album will
be a treat for your ears. -Ryanevil
Brandtson
Fallen Star Collection
Deep Elm
Lyrics are usually more important to everyone but me. Strangled
guitar and vocal melodies and percussive bass and kick antics
are what I listen for upon hearing a new band. Strangely,
I broke from my lyrical aversion as Brandston’s Breaking
Ground came to an end. Only after this, the second track on
Fallen Star Collection, did I pull apart the booklet and follow
along with the quartet’s two vocalists. Certainly more
than the emotive delivery of the passage “I’m always
using words like maybe and someday and sorry/ I’m sorry
I couldn’t say you remind me of everything I ever wanted
to be/ maybe we were meant to be” caught my attention.
Memories of every lost-love and missed opportunity came to
the surface as Brandtson’s eleven-song album lit up the
living room. Wonderfully illuminated, edgy pop songs reminiscent
of Sunny Day Real Estate and Camber are hear for you to grab
onto. One more jewel in Deep Elm’s crown. -Keith York
Elliott
If They Do
Initial
For a couple bucks extra you can buy the CD version of Elliott’s
latest single If They Do and get four additional worthwhile
tracks. While Elliott listening has little to do with the
sale price, as the quality is worth the big bucks, you may
want to consider picking up the companion disc on Revelation
Will You? at the same time to get the full picture. With the
bands Falling Forward, By The Grace of God, and Empathy on
their resumes, this five year old child of the hardcore scene
is really growing fast. With bright guitar and drum work,
they stand confidently at the threshold of fame. What we get
from this indie rock post-emo quartet are two brand new tracks,
a couple songs off their ‘96 EP In Transit and two previously
unreleased songs that take us back a couple years. Engaging,
and still a bargain at whatever insane mark-up your local
retailer chooses. -Keith York
One King Down
Gravity Wins Again
Equal Vision
After a highly successful tour of duty with original vocalist
Rob Fusco, OKD went in another direction and released the
metal tinged, and ultra-brutal album God Loves, Man Kills.
Deciding that it was time for another change, Fusco has rejoined
the band and this time has turned the tide in the hardcore
community. Sporting 3 brand new crushers and 4 songs featured
on their impossible to find 1995 release Absolve, the sound
I’m hearing can only be described as remarkable! You’d
figure bringing back an old member might give you some sort
of identity crisis, but with OKD, you get the classic hardcore
sound, updated for the new millennium of hardcore. Falling
somewhere between Destroy The Machines era Earth Crisis and
Lookinglasself Snapcase, this record will blow your mind.
It’s a mixture of two classics, but with that anger that
only OKD can manage.-Che Brooks
The Thumbs
All Lesser Devils
Adeline
Here comes The Thumbs, and they brought seven great punk rock
tunes with them. Well six originals and a Smiths cover that
rocks. The Thumbs supply us with aggressive punk rock, with
a melodic twist. Fast or slow, these guys rock either way.
The vocals remind me of Hot Water Music at times, which isn’t
a bad thing. Lots of screams and some harmonies. This is a
great album. With only seven songs I was left wanting more.
Any fan of punk rock should like this. -Ryanevil
Man Or Astroman
A Spectrum of Infinite Scale
Touch and Go
This is one weird fucking record. It’s like the older
stuff in that it’s sorta surfy, but that’s where
the similarities end. They use all kinds of machinery to get
the desired effect. All instrumentals and all new and unique.
Well worth a listen for fans new and old. -Reverend Ed
The National Acrobat
For All Practical Purposes is Dead
Arise Records
I popped this CD in as I was sitting around reading the Sunday
paper. It was playing for a while and while I was listening,
I came upon an ad for a CD for kids that was shaped like a
duck. If The National Acrobat CD was shaped like something
it would be mangled body parts. I don’t know exactly
what they call this kind of music, as I don’t normally
listen to it; maybe noise music. But I can tell you this,
the singer Casper Adams, can scream his ass off and he does
it through the entire album with great skill. You can’t
understand most of what he is saying, so I went to the lyric
sheet for the inside dope and found that these songs are a
trip. Eyes the Size of Organs starts like this; “Yeah
my eyes are bleeding. My eyes are bleeding as I sit and wonder
why time passes by. My eyes are bleeding so intercept the
candle light, I’m not coming home tonight with eyes the
size of organs.” From The Prophecy of the Old Sage :
“Perception may sometimes lead to deception. Perception
is deception, are your memories like eggs?” If this were
a sport it would be extreme talking. At the end of the CD
there is a 25 minute song with no words, just one note repeating
over and over. It sounded like the CD was skipping, but it
wasn’t because I checked! After that, the very last song
is a six second jazz piece. For people who like this music,
and you know who you are, this is one beatnik, crazy, screaming,
abstract, horror movie, body parts, eyes bleeding CD just
waiting for you to bring to the next picnic. -Mel Torment
Bangs
Sweet Revenge
Kill Rock Stars
With roots in northwest combos Witchypoo and Spook & the
Zombies, the Bangs trio light up the night like Fourth of
July fireworks on this, their second album. Whether or not
you hear classic Runaways or 90’s grrrl bands, KISS or
Sleater-Kinney, the songs are gonna make an air-band star
out of you as you drive your car (steering wheel drummer),
or dance about your living room (ala Tom Cruise in Risky Business).
-Keith York
Jurassic 5
Quality Control
Interscope
Jurassic 5 returns to the hip-hop scene with the long awaited,
highly anticipated LP Jurassic 5 is without a doubt one of
the most unique and creative hip-hop groups today. Their smooth
lyrical skills backed by dope beats, cool samples, and ill
scratching puts them in a class of their own. Lyrically their
rhymes are flawless. Switching from a single lyricist to a
group rhyme provides a harmony which is both appealing and
unbelievable. They have an old school melody with a new school
flavor. Jurassic 5 also features Cut Chemist who is one of
the most innovative hip-hop DJs in the scene today. As far
as substance they don’t rap about the same old stale
shit like bitches, money, and drugs. Their lyrics are genuine
and true to their lives. Quality Control is as entertaining
as it is mind blowing. Definitely a dope album. -Eric N.
Boom Bip & Doseone
Circle
Mush / Dirty Loop
Having stepped out on a ledge with the likes of Living Legends,
Presage, and Black Starr, hip-hop poet Doseone took time off
from working on his Them project (with Jel) to record an epic
journey through experimental word and beat play. The beat
and bass architect this time around, is hip-hop and jazz DJ
Boom Bip. Together on this 60+ minute excursion, Boom Bip
and Doseone take listeners by the hand on a journey through
the paranormal and schizophrenic world that these guys inhabit.
Call it the grindcore version of hip-hop, where there is no
limit to where the prose may lead. From childlike rants and
hissy-fits to Shakesperean narrative construction, life out
here on the edge is a heady trip. -Keith York
Fonda
The Invisible Girl
Top Quality
Fonda makes the kind of music that you might have heard in
a 1960s James Bond movie, if 007 had some real style. Several
things set them apart from your run of the mill retro-influenced
pop band. You get these great songs of lost love, with bold
chords and choruses that demand to be sung along with. You
get this big spacious sound with oodles of reverb, guitar,
and charming keyboard. And you get these propulsive beats
that make you want to dance around while you clean the kitchen.
This is one of my favorite bands right now and you will kneel
down and thank James Bond if you buy this record! -Ben Morss
The Weakerthans
Left and Leaving
Sub City
A couple of years after releasing a very nice debut, John
Samson (ex-Propagandhi) and boys are back to put Canada on
the map. The Weakerthans are punk enough to keep the boys
happy and emotional enough to steal the girls hearts. But
more than just another punk rock record, this may be the best
written record of it’s genre to come out this year. Each
song tells a story of consequence and heartbreak, moments
of things gone bad. I guess it’s not incredibly strange
to find such dynamic writing from a man that used to spend
time in Propagandhi. But this band isn’t a Propagandhi
clone, they strive for a unique sound and they nail it. Interesting
songs, perfect production,
and something for everybody. -Che Brooks
Automatic 7
Beggar’s Life
Vagrant
Good guitar driven punk rock in the vain of Social Distortion
or Face to Face. Beggar’s Life, the latest release from
Automatic 7 is a ten song masterpiece full of hook’s,
catchy vocals and nice production work. Song’s such as
Broken Record, Syringe, Waiting For My Ride and Last Train
To Hitsville are classic punk anthems that won’t easily
be forgotten by anyone who has the fortune of stumbling across
this release. Solid from start to finish. -Robb Armstrong
Drunk
Tableside Manners
Jagjaguwar
Ricks Alverson’s song writing talent is like allowing
8 year olds to undertake the complexities of DNA structure
unabated by a learning curve or the difficult language and
context most of us think necessary to understand “adult”
themes. Drunk assume knowledge, but help us handicapped folks
as well. Rick and the others that comprise Drunk, seduce us
with melodies placed atop deranged brilliance in skewed song
structure, and delicately balanced themes. -Keith York
Oma Yang
From the Heart of Jumbo Malaria
Slowdance
The two bands I have heard from this label share the same
sense of instrumental rock with a really good groove to it
all. Mellow, and precisely to the point with two guitars,
bass, two keyboards and some other miscellaneous gadgets going
on. Right away you can tell that these guys know how to lay
down a song. The melodramatic feel it delivers certainly flows
through your body. When you’re alone at night, or just
want something to relax to, you know where to go. -FungusBot
Calexico
Hot Rail
Quarterstick
Calexico and Mexicali hug the US/Mexican border tightly as
they stare in mirror reflections of one another across the
dirt. In this arid region mariachi trumpets and guitars sing
the anthems of celebration, despite the exhaustive conditions.
On their third album, Hot Rail, John Convertino and Joey Burns
document this lifestyle in a romantic, atmospheric hour-long
narrative. The marimba, vibes, cello, organs and bass lines
venture into Chicago-via-Louisville domains without being
caught up in any formal structures that disrupt the cool vibe.
In the hazy guitar lines and relaxed percussion, one can hear
John and Joey spending quality time reflecting on the region’s
motifs - the heat and the passion. Get the iced tea out, curl
up under a shady tree in a butterfly chair and turn up the
stereo. -Keith York
Chicks On Speed
Will Save Us All
Speed
Honestly, I’d probably buy this just for the name of
the band - it rocks! But the CD was not what I was expecting.
This is more akin to performance art than a regular music
CD. Fans of electronic music might enjoy this album more than,
say, your standard young music buyer. Reminiscent of Kraftwerk
or Devo, these three young women paint a surreal landscape
with deliberate monotone vocals and strange electric music.
A couple tracks do veer off from this, however, into a Lou
Reed rap-type groove on songs like Glamour Girl or Warm Leatherette.
Apparently these girls like wearing paper dresses and singing
sometimes in German - I don’t know, but there is some
good writing on this album that stands out. Lines like “Listen
to the distance between us” really knocked me out! Although
some tracks sound like they were recorded on a Mr. Microphone
in a closet, this is definitely not the same old thing. -Drew
Lawson
Concretes
Boyyoubetterunow
Up
Creating a room full of sound even at the lowest volume, The
Concretes are the swankiest of Stockholm’s exports. Within
the sextet of guitars, bass, drums, trumpets, and keys we
hear a brighter, cheerier St. Etienne, a homey feeling lo-tech
Stereolab, and a bit of Americana in their pop songs. Reminding
me of Lambchop, Magnetic Fields and Godzuki simultaneously,
Boyyoubetterunow is the most addictive pop confection in years.
-Keith York
Pepper
Give’n It
Volcom
Part reggae dub, part punk, and 100% smooth, Pepper is the
shit! Recently relocated from Hawaii, this fab four now calls
San Diego home. Combining musicianship with attitude and island
flavor, this band is hard not to like. With a deep bottom
sound that mirrors The Police, they throw in sick turntables
and rhythms to produce a full, rich sound experience. Fans
of Sublime should love Pepper because their lead singer sounds
so much like Bradley at times that it’s spooky. And although
the mellower tracks are great, I prefer the faster thrashy
stuff on the record. They are great live, if you get the chance.
-Drew Lawson
Two Skinnee J’s
Volumizer
Capricorn
Two Skinnee J’s are back and better than ever with their
latest release Volumizer. Two Skinnee J’s combine elements
of hip-hop, metal, a little bit of electronic, and a whole
lot of funk. Unlike other bands jumping on the hip-hop/metal
bandwagon, the J’s have their own style of bringing the
funk. Volumizer is a little different than their last release,
Supermercado. A lot of their new songs on the hip-hop tip
are provided with harder beats and lyrics. The rock songs
are a bit more poppy and everything else is just plain funky.
-Eric N.
GC5
Kisses from Hanoi
Outsider
These guys sound rad. They definitely choose the right song
to start off the album with. Nothing but these Songs is an
ass kicking jam with a lot of depth and soul. The next 3 songs
are more of the same catchy street punk melodies and sing-along
choruses, with a rock ‘n’ roll heart. This band
has the bass lines of Rancid, the energy of punk and the leads
are straight rock ‘n’ roll. Some influences that
immediately jump to are Rancid, Stiff Little Fingers, Dropkick
Murphys, and The Clash. Vocally the singer moves easily between
gruff oi! yelling to Johnny Thunder style singing. Currency
, one of the many rousing working class anthems on this album
explains their position in society. Stating that the currency
of the upper-class is dollars, while their strength lies in
numbers and perhaps even violence. Justice for working-class
and lower-class people is a running theme on this album, and
the lyrics are smart and well thought out, which is a plus.
Between the lyrics and kick ass music these guys let everyone
know they have something to say. The message should spread
in no time as people are sure to like this album. -Big Chuck
Blectum from Blechdom
The Messy Jesse Fiesta
Deluxe
In a world where many bands try to be strange, this band is
truly, honestly strange. The songs are made up of weird sounds
and beats that sound like someone poured grape juice into
the CD player. My favorite track has this girl saying again
and again, very ominously, “I just want to be a part
of you.” Bonus packaging points given for the wraparound
cover that seems to be a diagram for the transmission of V.D.
among various critters. -Ben Morss
Alien Crime Syndicate
From the Word Go
Will
With former members of San Francisco’s Meices and Seattle’s
Lemons, you would think Alien Crime Syndicate would sound
something like a cross between Replacements and the Ramones.
What we get instead is a delicious Brian Wilson homage filtered
through the Flaming Lips’ intoxicating psychedelia. -Keith
York
The Go-Betweens
Friends of Rachel Worth
JetSet
Twelve years after releasing their last album (back when albums
still came out on vinyl), Australia’s Go-Betweens are
back with 10 new tracks that show that Grant Mclennan and
Robert Forster can still write relevant, fresh-sounding songs.
This time around the duo is backed by Northwest indie rock
darlings Sleater-Kinney as well as Quasi’s Sam Coomes.
The result maintains the frosty, shimmering sound of the Go-Betweens
with the snap, crackle and pop of Sleater-Kinney’s lilting,
dualistic guitars. Friends of Rachel Worth opens with Magic
In My Head, a brooding, reflective song. When the third track
The Clock cues up it’s like a sonic punch in the gut.
Here, Sleater-Kinney’s signature guitar lines surface,
coating Forster’s bitter sneers with a candy-coated crunch.
“Why, when you come here, does the rainbow turn black?”
sings Forster with the kind of understated, literate venom
most modern rock bands don’t seem capable of grasping.
This minimalist approach works well on the album’s final
track When She Sang About Angels, a somewhat reproachful elegy
for Patti Smith who eulogized Kurt Cobain in her 1996 song
About a Boy. “When she sang about a boy, Kurt Cobain.
I thought what a shame it wasn’t about Tom Verlaine,”
sings Forster. “Then she threw some names like she always
did, she threw some names, she dropped some names like she
used to when I was a kid. When she sang about angels ... I
let it go by.” The underpinning of violins and gentle
acoustic guitar fleshes the song out with a sad undertone.
The Friends of Rachel Worth is a refreshing return to rock
by two of its smartest, most lyrical songwriters. -Rachel
Leibrock
Carrie Akre
Home
Good Ink
Carrie Akre has a voice that reaches out of the speakers,
grabs you by the ears, and makes you strain to understand
the hidden meanings of the words she’s singing. This
is a great record full of emotion and soul and Akre’s
voice of dignity, elegance, and understated pain is one of
the best around. -Kenan
Duster
Contemporary Movement
Up
Contemporary Movement is the newest release from Duster and
reinforces why Up Records is such a powerhouse of an independent
record company. Reminds me of listening to the Cure’s
Seventeen Seconds with a little bit of Galaxie 500 thrown
in, but with a new edge that is very hypnotic. This is definitely
not a CD you want to listen to in your car when driving across
country at 4:00 A.M., but there is absolutely a time and place
for this drone-pop style. -Kevin Evinger
Blonde Redhead
Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons
Touch & Go
With French cigarette smoke flowing across the Italian suit
lapels, Blonde Redhead have entered a new position in haute-couture
posturing. With Kazu Makino’s voice maturing and the
Pace kin growing tired of their frenetic angst explosions
evidenced as recent as their last album In An Expression Of
The Inexpressible, the trio exude more sex appeal than ever
before. Not letting go of their Sonic Youth-isms entirely,
within Melody of still remains lots of beauty hiding dangerous
cliff-hangers. -Keith York
Like David
Beyond the Shifting Sand
Bettie Rocket
Sometimes, after a few people keep telling you to listen to
a certain CD, you begin to wonder how good it really is. Like
David was just one of those bands that fell on my list of
CDs I need to listen to. From Stockton, CA. come three kids
(all under twenty-one I might add) with their own breed of
Christian hardcore. Don’t diss them because they’re
Christian and you think you’re better than them. They
have something going here. Much like their labelmates, Anguish
Unsaid, they play for a reason other than the fame. Like David
sounds like a merging of a few Sacramento hardcore bands (i.e.
Will Haven) put together. Exciting to just stand and watch.
Stockton hardcore, Sacramento hardcore, the lines are becoming.
-FungusBot
Green
Day
Warning
Warner Bros.
This CD won’t help Green Day’s punk cred anymore
than their last, as they continue to mature into pop tunesmiths.
If you like good, catchy pop songs then you’ll dig this.
The only thing that bugs me is the excessive use of the Antares
Auto-Tune Effect, aka the Cher effect. You’ll know what
I mean when you hear it. I swear all these Auto-Tune mixes
coming out right now are going to come off the same way big
huge gated drums from the 80s do. Anyone reading this who
works in a studio, please lay off the Auto-Tune. -JB
Frank Jordan
Decoy
Skunk
First things first, Frank Jordan is not one person but three
people. I had heard the buzz ‘bout these guys, but never
got a chance to see them until about three months ago. The
first time I watched them play I thought to myself, “What
took me so f%#@n’ long to experience this?” Their
acid jazz/funk/rock style paired with Mike Vesser’s soothing
but strong voice makes a perfect match. I finally got this
CD and couldn’t wait to pop it into my stereo to find
out how they sound recorded versus live. Knowing that they
had recorded this album two years prior I was really curious
to see how much they have grown. I came to the conclusion
that Frank Jordan is like a bottle of fine wine; growing smoother
and tastier with age. I definitely can’t wait until their
next album comes out. If you miss out on this trio you will
only be denying yourself a total mind tingling, body shaking,
music experience. -faye*faye
Vast
Music For The People
Elektra
Like any good recipe in your favorite cookbook, beginning
with a list of ingredients is a must. So here’s the recipe
for the proverbial musical Molotov cocktail known as VAST.
Take some early U2 (you know, the stuff that was chock full
of emotion), then throw in the complexity of Radiohead’s
Pablo Honey and The Bends (yet not quite so ground breaking),
and finish off with a fondness for electronic manipulation
– and we’re beginning to get an accurate description
of the band’s sophomore release. Granted, to enjoy this
album, you’re going to have to throw away all your preconceived
notions of this alt radio play band and dismiss the fact that
their name (Visual Audio Sensory Theatre) is, in fact, pretty
lame. Growing up in California’s Humboldt County and
living around San Francisco, singer and main architect, Jon
Crosby, wears his influences on his sleeve and they radiate
throughout the album. But as a well-constructed whole, Crosby
and his ensemble (including a guest appearance by the New
Bombay Recording Orchestra) have the ability to powerfully
rock the unsuspecting listener but also slow it down and create
some amazingly intimate and delicate tracks. All in all, VAST’s
Music For The People provides an unexpected contrast to those
listless one-hit bands we loathe so dearly. –Lisa Gunter
Silent Majority
You Would Love to Know
Initial
Having recorded for Reservoir as well as Wreck-Age/Exit, Silent
Majority surface suddenly gasping for air with five new tracks.
The Long Island hardcore outfit have been compared to Avail
and Lifetime and hits the nail on the head with the strength
of an NFL tackle. Throat scratching vocals rise atop six-string
riffing, while the rhythm section chugs along like a steam
locomotive. For teenage air-guitarists and hardcore hopefuls
You Would Love to Know is the genuine article from which one
can cop or steal an idea and launch a new rock ‘n’
roll revolution. -Keith York
King Black Acid
Loves A Long Song
Cavity Search
To hear bands like Grandaddy, Radar Bros and now King Black
Acid, you’d think that Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of
The Moon was still on Billboard’s top 100. That’s
not a bad thing though, and Portland, OR’s KBA plys this
niche as well if not better than most, with some very solid
song writing between the longish and beautifully produced
songs. Props also to the tasteful package design. -JB
XTC
Wasp Star
TVT / Idea
Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding are back, and despite their
hermit-like existence (for pop stars that is), XTC have punched
out a comparable work to their milestones Skylarking and English
Settlement. Straight forward 4/4 pop melody orchestration
and catchy lyrics about women and love (I’m the Man Who
Murdered Love, Church of Women) comprise much of the album
that fails to harbor a clunker from the “lame comeback”
police. Excellent. -Keith York
Lolita Storm
GFSU
DHR
After a little research I found out that this album’s
title GFSU stands for Girls Fucking Shit Up, and that is an
understatement. This British all-girl punk band makes groups
like The Donnas look like the Brittany Spears punk-poseurs
they really are. Imagine Bikini Kill remixed by German death-jungle
producer Alec Empire (Atari Teenage Riot) and you’ve
got Lolita Storm. This is honestly the best thing girls have
done for punk rock since, well since nothing because honestly
most girl-punk groups are a joke. These girls shoot speed,
beat up their boyfriends, and make strangers go down on them
in public bathrooms. Song titles include You Make Me High
When You Go Down Low, Hot Lips-Wet Pants, I Luv Speed, I Wanna
Meat Injection, and Slave Boy. Lolita Storm reminds me that
girls can kick ass, big time, it’s just that most of
them stupidly buy into that submissive cheerleader Abercrombie
& Fitch half-assed bullshit. If you are a girl, wake up
and realize that the options presented to you by both mainstream
and so-called “alternative” media, are bullshit.
Lolita Storm and the femme-core F.A.T.A.L. division of DHR
are presenting an empowering, energy-fueled soundtrack to
the legitimate girl-power revolution. -Chachi Jones
Larger Than Life
Lowedown
Who’s the sensitive punk? You are, that’s who (well
at least while listening to this). San Diego’s latest
export of spanking new split images of MXPX (featuring former
Scrappy Too lead singer) deliver pop-punk faster than pizzas
to college dorms. With catchy guitar riffs, and singalong
lyrics about reluctant parents, partying, and growing apart,
Larger Than Life wake up the car stereo and your sister. Perfect
for a first date drive along the coast when you want that
special person to know that you are a sentimental punk rocker.
-Tony R. Sunzeri
Live human
Elefish Jellyphant
Matador
Hitting the grooves with its second full-length album, Elefish
Jellyphant, the Bay Area based Live Human is out to redefine
your notion of sound. If the album title sounds unsettling
and mixed-up that’s because the music here is just that.
Featuring the semi-legendary DJ Quest (Bullet Proof Space
Travelers), Live Human is an amalgamation of trip-hop, avant
garde turntable jazz and total free form experimental meanderings.
Marrying spacey chords, icy beats and tribal riffs, Live Human
creates a seemingly infinite loop of dreamy music for emotional
survivalists. Lost World, with its pulsating jungle rhythm
sounds like a hot and muggy excursion into a tropical netherworld.
Quick Eleven gives rise to a monstrously catchy, inherently
primal drone and Lazy Hip bubbles over with ambient noise
and a wealth of samples. Sound candy for the brain. -Rachel
Leibrock
Barnyard Playboys
Dumbass On A Rampage
Rubric
This is some funny-ass music. Truck driving, hick-style backwoods
country, meets old school punk? Trucker core? Trust me you’ve
never heard anything like this. Singing about 18 wheelers,
drinking, and other popular country themes, the Barnyard boys
spice it up with aggro guitar and hecka’ funny lyrics,
“Check out the losers, at the local bar/ Cause’
when it comes to drinking/ I’m a superstar!” My
favorite cut is probably Foggy Mountain Nervous Breakdown.
This CD might come in handy if your woman runs off, your dog
dies, and your truck won’t start. -Drew Lawson
Bright Eyes
Fevers and Mirrors
Saddle Creek
Easily Bright Eyes’ best work to date. From the child
reading aloud, to the haunting radio interview with Conor
Oberst’s Exorcist-like alter-ego, Fevers and Mirrors
is the most insistent collection of songs of self-investigation
for the new millennium. This strummed-guitar melodrama is
the noise of honesty and sincerity as Oberst actively searches
for meaning and truth in his life. Singing atop guitars, accordions,
piano, mellotron and drums, Oberst’s anxieties will put
the listener on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Sometimes
soothing, while at other moments frightening, we scoot from
the scoop to the edge of the chair never knowing how the cliff-hanger
will play out. If you haven’t dipped your foot into the
pond of this man’s mind, this is the right time to explore
the chilly, murky, dangers below. -Keith York
The Jazz June
The Medicine
Initial
This album was my introduction to The Jazz June, and I must
say I’m impressed. It seems like it’s hard to stay
on top of the emo scene these days, but these lads should
have no problem keeping up. I like the experimental part of
the music. They don’t get too experimental so that everything
sounds like a blob of noise. They keep everything tight and
melodic. Emo fans grab your wallets and shell out a few bucks
for The Medicine. -Ryanevil
Thrones
Sperm Whale
Kill Rock Stars
Barely able to harness the power of Joe Preston’s massive
sound, the digital bits encoded in Sperm Whale release unquantifiable
energy. With the spirit of Melvins (of which Joe was a member),
godheadSilo, Godflesh, Ut, Arsenal, Big Black as well as Napalm
Death in him, Joe, his guitar, bass, effects and drum machine,
cull together the world’s pain into dramatic structures.
Distortion-drenched bass notes roll across the skyline like
thunder, as digital cymbals echo in lightning-light. Murmurs
of droning horror flick special effects as well as the murderous
mayhem vocal signature bounce around your living environment.
Be afraid, be very afraid. -Keith York
Aloha
That’s Your Fire
Polyvinyl
Aloha’s debut reminds me of Joan of Arc. Aloha, with
the jazz elements, gives me the feeling that I’m watching
Mister Rogers Neighborhood. It’s weird to hear something
different sometimes, but this is rewarding. Calming, and I
can just get swept away in all of it. -FungusBot
The Berzerker
Earache
Clearly, one of the most interesting and barbarous records
I’ve heard in years. The Berzerker look like they’ve
walked out of a serious monster B-movie sounding like a cross
between Mortician, Cannibal Corpse, and Atari Teenage Riot.
It sounds like an army of mutants are chasing you and will
only stop to kill other beings before they get to you. BPM
is somewhere near the blinding 200 range. Some of the music
reminds me of those old film clips of people on fire, thrashing
about, hoping to be saved. Only these guys throw more fire
on just to watch the show! Add in some great film clip quotes
about serial murders and mass destruction and this may just
be the party album of the year! -Che Brooks
Land of the Loops
Puttering About a Small Land
Up
If you entered a toy store without ever witnessing the engaging
power of Mattel’s and Hasbro’s line of goodies,
you’d likely faint suddenly with joy. The same goes for
those virgin’s to Land of the Loops’ product line.
Puttering About a Small Land, and the debut, Bundle of Joy,
are pieces of necessary entertainment equipment for ages 1&up.
Approximating the lo-tech minimalist synth-pop of They Go
Boom, and early Depeche Mode, with the sinister psychoses
of Magnetic Fields and Momus, Alan Sutherland (a.k.a. Land
of the Loops) lands yet another bombshell on the record-buying
public. Again with his female vocalists in tow, these dozen
songs are an essential addition to your play regimen (as are
his workings with Buckminster Fuzeboard). If only Toys-R-Us
had an aisle for lo-tech sampler bumpin’ jeep beats.
Parental supervision should be avoided at all costs. -Keith
York
The Forty Fives
Get it Together
Ng / Artemis
Hey boys’n’girls, get ready to rock, the Forty Fives
are in the house. Atlanta’s favorite garage band is hitting
CD decks across the nation with a vengeance. Get it Together
is old-school, good time rock’n’roll. Recorded in
Memphis, this 13-track disc is chock full of meaty riffs and
swirling melodies. Drive All Night should inspire you to do
just that; it swerves with all the attitude of a ‘68
convertible Mustang. Ain’t That Lovin’ You moves
with a drunken strut worthy of Mick Jagger and Don’t
Wanna Be the One is replete with some very spacey B-3 Hammond
chords in a moody reproach set to make any girl squirm. Songs
such as King of Mexico and Get it Together mix up the pace
a bit. The former is a jumpy, swing-influenced tune (in a
good way, really), the latter is a slow and dreamy lament
that sounds like honey spilling onto the floor. Get it Together
is a record made by four Americans sounding very much like
four ‘60’s era Brits trying to emulate their Yankee
idols. It all works in an intensely intoxicating sort of way.
-Rachel Leibrock
Snake River Conspiracy
Sonic Jihad
Reprise
This duo features a super-sexy lookin’ chick and a quasi-beatnik
lookin’ dude taking the art of ‘sequensizing’
to badass heights of soft and scary, loud and rocking. The
jams are killer, the singing is great. Sort of techno, kind
of goth. Very, very, cool shit. Get it. -Kenan
Weston
Demonstrative Recordings
Mojo
After a two-year break the rock band known as Weston is back.
And by the sounds of things these guys are still making great
music. It seems like they slowed down the tempo a bit and
added an emo tint to the music. Song one is a nice slow jam
with a little bit of an eighties flavor to it. It sounds like
it could have appeared in a John Hughes flick. The B-side
track has little bit more of a pop feel to it, with enough
“ba, ba, ba’s” to make you feel like you’re
at a Mr. T. Experience show. This seven inch is just a warm
up for the full length, which should be arriving in stores
within the next couple of months. Lets hope these guys can
come through with another classic like Teenage Rebellion or
Got Beat Up. -Ryanevil
J Mascis & The Fog
More Light
Ultimatum
J. Mascis and Dino Jr. fans will not be disappointed by this
CD one bit. At his best, Mascis has a firm handle on what
makes Neil Young so great and timeless, and on songs like
Wastin’ he nails that feeling. A very welcome return
from one of rock’s greats. -JB
The National Acrobat
For All Practical Purposes is Dead
Arise Records
I popped this CD in as I was sitting around reading the Sunday
paper. Listening, I came upon an ad in the paper selling a
children’s CD that was shaped like a duck. If The National
Acrobat CD was shaped like something, it would be mangled
body parts. I don’t know exactly what they call this
kind of music, as I don’t normally listen to it, maybe
noise music. But I can tell you this, the singer Casper Adams,
can scream his ass off and he does it through the entire album
with great skill. You can’t understand most of what he
is saying so I went to the lyric sheet for the inside dope
and found that these songs are a trip. Eyes the Size of Organs
starts like this; “Yeah my eyes are bleeding. My eyes
are bleeding as I sit and wonder why time passes by. My eyes
are bleeding so intercept the candle light, I’m not coming
home tonight with eyes the size of organs.” Here is a
line from The Prophecy of the Old Sage , “Perception
may sometimes lead to deception. Perception is deception,
are your memories like eggs?” If this were a sport it
would be extreme talking. At the end of the CD there is a
25 minute song with no words, just one note repeating over
and over. It sounded like the CD was skipping, but it wasn’t
because I checked! After that the very last song is a six
second jazz piece. For people who like this music, and you
know who you are, this is one beatnik, crazy, screaming, abstract,
horror movie, body parts, eyes bleeding CD just waiting for
you to bring to the next picnic. -Mel Torment
MeYow
Meyowch
I saw this trio open up for a friend’s band. They had
driven a few hours from Chico to play an empty venue, but
made many new fans. I was so amazed by their creativity; singing
though walkie talkies into guitar pick-ups, or playing guitar
with a vibrator. I wish I could have been there when he had
to ask his girlfriend if he could borrow her pleasure toy
for the evening... “its for our rock and roll show I
promise.” Think a very creative circus rock band a la
the first Mr. Bungle album. Look out for these cats. -Brian
Shevlin
Enemymine
K
What we have here is the result of efforts put forth back
in October ‘98 at Dub Narcotic Studios in Olympia, Washington.
Four guys with three instruments and some recording equipment
managed to commit to tape a hurricane of frantic testosterone.
On one side of the mixing console sat Calvin Johnson (Dub
Narcotic, K, Beat Happening) across these three days of microphones
and mixing consoles. On the other side of the cables and wires
were Mike Kunka (godheadSilo) on bass, Danny Sasaki (Mocket)
on drums, and Zak Sally (since replaced by Ryan Baldoz of
Some Velvet Sidewalk) on another bass. I keep hearing godheadSilo.
You may hear Track Star. Calvin heard voices in his head.
Audiences across this nation are hearing less and less because
of the volume. It’s great and you keep wanting to hear
it over and over again, louder and louder. -Keith York
Yve Adam
Fiction
Atlantic
This is grandiose smooth pop in the best tradition of artists
like The Eurythmics, Madonna, Gloria Estefan and Sadé.
Although the production is high end and very contemporary,
something about these songs sounds almost retro like the whitewashed
pop of the pre-Beatles 60’s. If you like slick pop, but
can’t take the bland plastic pop of today’s boy
and girl groups, this is very much worth checking out. -JB
The Enkindels
Can’t Stop The Enkindels
Initial
The Enkindels deliver a straight ahead pop-punk album full
of catchy songs. The album reminds me at times of the Bay
Area’s own Samiam. It’s upbeat, melodic, and full
of hooks. It’s nice to know there are some bands out
there making quality melodic music rather than trying too
hard to be the next Korn, Limp Bizkit, or Kid Rock. This album
gets the thumbs up. -Brent Spain
Cross My Heart
Temporary Contemporary
Deep Elm
Finally, the much anticipated first full length from Cross
My Heart is here. Temporary Contemporary exceeds any expectations
I had for this record. From the first chord played I was drawn
in and held for the entire album. I can imagine listening
to this on a rainy day while staring out the window and smoking
cigarettes. For the most part the album is pretty mellow,
but it can also change dramatically into powerful guitars
and screaming vocals. Ryan Shelkett (vocals, guitar) matches
the music just right with his vocals, changing with every
mood. This is an excellent album; Temporary Contemporary is
a hit. Fans of Jimmy Eat World or even Braid should pick this
up. -Ryanevil
Pills
Musicsoldia
Wax Trax! / TVT
While going off on industrial guitar and dub reggae tangents,
much of Musicsoldia is hard edged French dance music sharing
some synth sounds with Clinton and Daft Punk. Influences are
worn on the sleeve as Pills covers KLF’s What Time is
Love and invites guests MudBone (Parliament) and Lee Scratch
Perry on vocals. -Keith York
Go-Nuts
Dunk and Cover
Lookout
Spawned from the fringes of the Phantom Surfers, with a mission
that beats all, the Go-Nuts are finally back with another
release of snack food lovin’ beauty. Mastering the guitar
driven surf-rock sound isn’t enough for these super heroes,
they strive to bring tasty snack treats to all of us. Health
food is a hazard, and with songs like Let’s Bring Cheese
To China, More Mayo, and the Van Halen cover Hot For Twinkie,
you know the Go-Nuts are on their way to having their very
own Justice League hot dog stand. Honestly though, this is
a great band. Every song cracks me up. The Donut Prince and
Captain Cornut are super and may even make you change your
diet. -Che Brooks
Demon Cleaner
The Freeflight
Molten Universe
Do you like Fu Manchu and Kyuss? If so, drop everything you’re
doing (packing the bong, rolling joints, cleaning the pipe,
etc) and go buy this album. From Sweden, this is the quintessential
stoner album. This full length rocks with all the emotion
of an Orange Goblin or Queens Of The Stone Age without the
glossy production. Check out Megawheel or Mothertrucker to
see just what these guys can do. Man’s Ruin should’ve
signed these guys years ago to a multi-album deal. Given the
recent signings to majors (Queens Of The Stone Age, Unida,
etc), Demon Cleaner are the band to watch out for. This shit
is tight and the album is laden with hooks that’ll catch
on. -Eddie Jorgensen
Mike G.
Sugar Daddy
See Thru Broadcasting
Not to be confused with Mike D. of the Beastie Boys, this
Mike plays guitar and sings. No flashing lights or special
effects for this singer/songwriter on his debut LP, just good
music. Listening to it I found some songs had a melodic quality
much like classic Beatles, while others had a funkier groove,
with lyrics that reminded me of Jennifer Trynin. Predominately
acoustic, Sugar Daddy has a lot of good things going for it.
Lines like “I’m so into you, I forgot about myself”,
show Mike G. to be introspective, as well as talented. If
you like Ben Harper, or Lucious Jackson, you might dig Sugar
Daddy. -Drew Lawson
Planes Mistaken For Stars
Knife in the Marathon / Self Titled
Deep Elm
Knife in the Marathon, or as they write it as one word KnifeintheMarathon,
is a turbulent firestorm of anxiety, fear and longing. In
Leaning from the Room, the stormy vocal chords state exasperatingly
“And you can be sure I’ll be leaving half as fast
as I came,” leaving the listener with a curious feeling,
one that will likely propel them to find the 8 song self-titled
album on the same label. It seems more natural to start with
Knife in the Marathon and dive into the self-titled afterwards,
as it rides a calmer tide. The self-titled album not only
opens up the emotional range of these young men, but in tempo
and song writing stretches their capabilities of lulling us
into a false sense of security as the guitars continue to
roar and drums beat fiercely. The path across these songs
displays a complex variance in intensity and maturity. -Keith
York
Saint Low
Self-Titled
Thirsty Ear
The lead singer of the alternative rock group Madder Rose,
Mary Lorson is taking it personally with her side project
Saint Low. Her self-titled debut is filled with the most gorgeous
collection of pop songs that cry with passion. Lorson’s
vocal palette is spine-chilling, sexy and affectionate. This
is Lorson’s first attempt at total creative control over
her songwriting, and it shows. Johnson City takes
us to a smoky back-alley bar while Crash dims the lights to
a minimal lull as she softly sings simple folk melodies over
violins, whisping through the night lights. The next time
the rain falls on city streets, creating a steamy haze, Lorson
will be in the background crooning away like the best of them.
-Andrew Duncan
Pony Stable
24 Hours In A Day, 24 Beers In A Case
Cornerstone/R.A.S.
Songs are written, basses are thumped, drums are beaten and
strings are bent, all for the glory of Rock and Roll, or Punk,
or Country, or whatever. Hank Williams and Paul Westerberg
have more soul than Mariah Carey and that’s all that
matters. So here’s Pony Stable, rambling, glossy-eyed
and reckless, just waiting to beat Miss Carey’s ass at
a game of horse-shoes. Ponystable seem to know what a good
time is all about, and how to pay for it in the morning, which
I suppose is why it’s called... “24 Hours In A Day,
24 Beers In A Case.” Unlike so many of their alt-country
breathren, they haven’t forgoten to put steel toes in
their shit-kickers. Loose arrangements belie the tight production
and punk energy. What sets them apart from the bands that
make fun of country music rather than play it for it’s
own merits is the way they attack everything with equal amounts
of reverence and irreverence. “The Night They Drove Ol’
Dixie Down” gets the 7 Seconds treatment, and Kevin Seconds’
“Good Morning Hanna” takes a bong hit. Nothing is
sacred, except possibly beer, which is just how we like our
albums, don’t we? -Grub Dog
Family of God
Exiter
Sugar Free
Having just listened to Clinton’s Disco and the Halfway
to Discontent, the freshness of France’s new wave reverberated
through my assessment of Exiter. Psychoses adorn melodic synth
lines as coochy-coo beats get the spine jiggling. While the
coyness in French music (Daft Punk, MC Solaar, Clinton, Pills,
Air) seems only to mask the real attitude, the water-wake
left behind from listening to Family of God is honest. Chug-chugging
basslines, flying guitar licks, and the constancy of mid-tempo
drum-kits mingle with 80s synth-pop (Depeche Mode circa A
Broken Frame), while the kitsch remains hidden in the fresh
approach. Much like how a good film erases thoughts of the
real world outside of the theatre, there’s enough clatter
and melody to shake you free of all that ails you in the real
world, allowing even amateur escapists to revel in the fantasy
of Exiter an hour at a time. -Keith York
Wyclef Jean The Eclectic
2 Sides II A Book
Columbia
In Clef’s 1997 The Carnival broke all hip-hop formats
and truly represented creativity and artistry. It’s no
wonder that it took a few years to complete this new one;
it is incredible. Wyclef is a singer, a rapper, an MC, a guitarist,
an engineer, a producer, and even a comedian. As a musician,
he is top notch. As an artist, Wyclef’s work sets new
standards in not only hip-hop, but popular music as a whole.
The arrangements are near perfection; no song leaves you wanting
more and none have you pushing fast forward. The instrumental
and vocal amalgamation is organic and classic, but at the
same time, pushes the envelope for modern music, setting new
standards. Take hip-hop, folk, rock, salsa, dance and R&B
fronted by Wyclef and then add WWF star The Rock, Refugees
Melky Sedek and The Product G&B, soul legends Earth, Wind
& Fire, diva Mary J. Blige, and country icon Kenny Rogers
to the mix. Sound eclectic? It is. Is it cohesive? Viciously.
Is it good? The best. -Sonny Mayugba
Capone-N-Noriega
The Reunion
Tommy Boy
Gangstafied, thugged out, and fresh from prison, CNN cut the
jams with this new album. Unfortunately, there’s nothing
completely original here, as far as sound goes. However, the
album will make its mark by way of street anthems. The sound
of the record isn’t as consistent as it could be- mainly
because of the various producers (notably DJ Premier, The
Alchemist, and L.E.S.) and collaborators. This is not an altogether
bad thing- most of the songs are catchy and mixed well. Bang
Bang featuring Foxy Brown is a track that made me pump up
the volume in my Mazda as my rims shone as bright as my gold-plated
Dracula teeth. Queens Finest is what I call a “Traffic
Jam” - one that is optimal for play if you are stuck
in traffic and have heavy bass in the trunk. All We Got is
Us is the ultimate ode to Gangstaz. Unfortunately, a cell
phone rings, must be answered, and the song ends; fuck PCS!
B EZ features nasty Nas going off to heavy synths and pounding
beats. Street anthems, yo’- this shit will definitely
stick with the thugz and co. If you like NYC hardcore hip-hop
and the beats, then you’ll think this shit is off the
hook. -Ruvan
Sunshine
Velvet Suicide
Day After / Big Wheel Recreation
It is indescribably wonderful to hear mid-80s post-punk resurface
in the form of Czech freneticists Sunshine’s debut LP
Velvet Suicide. With the psychotic confidence of Magazine’s
Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley influencing their musical cognitions,
Sunshine’s palette of turbulent spit-in-the-face pop
deconstruction is delivered with a bang. Kay’s guitar
play wears a rarely heard Daniel Ash (Bauhaus) influence on
his sleeve as Joy Division-like keys hump behind the backdrop.
Appealing to some folks for its raw retro flavor (read: Theatre
of Hate, 999, Killing Joke), and others for its furtive sexuality
(ala The Vue, Make-Up, Jonathan FireEater), Sunshine’s
allure need not be questioned, only embraced. -Keith York
Roni Size/Reprazent
In The Mode
Island
If you liked the first album, then your going to like this
one too. Not only because it sounds much like the Newforms
album from ‘97, but because some of the same themes are
again repeated on the new shit. Its seems he has all around
picked up the tempo a bit and has headed for the groove route,
but he still pulls from a mix of hip hop and house music.
The rhymes on this album are upped a notch, and the singing
is as soulful as it has ever been. Similar to, but not an
exact duplicate of his older material, but then again, they
say if its not broken, don’t fix it. - Brian Shevlin
Drowningman
Rock And Roll Killing Machine
Revelation Records
Well it’s been about 7 or so months since Drowningman
released their first EP on Revelation, How They Light Cigarettes
in Prison, and I can honestly say that I’ve been eagerly
awaiting the release of their latest mind-fuck Rock And Roll
Killing Machine. With this genre of music growing at such
a high rate with act’s such as Dillinger Escape Plan,
Botch, Cave In (who by the way will have a new one out soon,
until then check out Creative Eclipses....it’ll blow
your mind) etc. Drowningman to me is the front runner of this
genre (just my personal opinion). I was first introduced to
Drowningman on How they Light Cigarettes but since have become
one of their biggest fans hunting and collecting any of their
material that I’ve been fortunate enough to get my hands
on (check out Hydra Head Records release Busy Signal At The
Suicide Hotline, insane!) Rock And Roll Killing Machine is
exactly that, a killing machine. Not only does every song
kick ass but the album cover and song tiles are insane as
well. How can you go wrong with song titles such as If God
Loves A Winner He’s Going To Want To Fuck Me In A Minute,
Last Weeks Minutes From The Meeting Of The Secret Society
Of Your Friends Who Actually Hate You , and an album cover
that is completely white with some blood spots and someone’s
knocked out tooth on it, pure violence through and through.....This
one is in my top ten of the year! -Robb Armstrong
Sientific American
Saints of Infinity
Slabco
Compiling the first four vinyl EPs by Andy Rohrman (a.k.a.
Sientific American) on a double CD set, Slabco has created
an afternoon’s worth of electronic grooves. Formerly
of the Seattle band Hush Harbor, and contributor to FCS North,
Rohrman erupts as an intelligent, soulful peer to Milwaukee
electronica projects like Pele, Casino vs. Japan, and Roommates.
In one uninterrupted set, the first of the two disc set illustrates
Andy’s rise to stardom by editing together the B-sides
of his first four EPs (Basicrockbeats, Destroyer, Science
& Technology, and Boost the Mid-Range). Disc two be-bops
the A-sides of the same EPs so you not only get the goods
on a digital playback platform, you get ‘em mixed into
one mind-numbing set. Now there’s no excuse remaining
why you haven’t investigated this curiosity - hell free
downloads are at the Slabco website. -Keith York
Alien Crime Syndicate
From The Word Go
Will
Seattle’s Alien Crime Syndicate is a pleasant surprise.
One part Duran Duran-style new wave, another part balls-out
rock-and-roll, ACS’s debut release is a stealth bomb
that has just exploded in your speakers. Comprised of former
Meice’s vocalist Joe Reineke, Nabil Ayers (formerly of
The Lemons) on drums, Jeff Rouse on bass and Jason Krevey
playing guitars, From The Word Go explores ethereal-and-mindless
pop effects while keeping their feet firmly on the ground.
Their ammunition lies in their music, playing with confidence
as on the songs Take Me To Your Leader, Land We Made Up, or
Another Time. From The Word Go is as carefree and fun as when
you discovered college rock on the radio. -Andrew Duncan
Foreign Legion
Kidnapper Van
Insidious Urban Records
I don’t listen to much hip-hop anymore and I usually
preface the few things I review with the same tired-ass opener
about how a lot of current hip-hop seems lyrically bankrupt
and musically boring. I really like some hip-hop quite a bit
though, and I’m always really stoked when I find a new
group I like. This San Francisco/Bay Area collective has some
really fresh beats and mostly original and intelligent lyrics.
The music has a very cool, layered and atmospheric feel to
it and the rhyming is aggro yet kind of laid back at the same
time. I really like this, and if you’re like me-into
older stuff like De La Soul and PE-You will too. -JB
Sorry About Dresden
The Mayor Will Abdicate
Route Fourteen
Trying ever so hard to not take music seriously anymore, I
find a great deal of value in Sorry About Dresden. The songs
are wonderfully erotic indie rock anthems constructed on diets
of Grifters, Archers of Loaf, Superchunk, Pavement and Sebadoh
- and there’s not a damn thing wrong with it. Album opener
King of Hobbies is worth speeding to the record store to find
this diamond in the rough. -Keith York
Idaho
Hearts of Palm
idahomusic.com
This is a beautiful sounding and packaged CD. Languid and
dreamy, but still very melodic with strong song writing. I
suspect this is something I’ll be listening to for quite
a while. If I had to label it I’d put it somewhere between
Elliott Smith and mellower J. Mascis. If you like bands like
The Radar Brothers and Grandaddy, then you’ll like this
as well. -JB
Gloria Record
A Lull in Traffic
Crank!
Years ago Echo & The Bunnymen infiltrated the minds of
Austin’s youth. Later reinvoked by Radiohead listening,
these early memories of melodic keyboard-adorned pop songs
would startle upstart rock musicians into forming bands. After
the demise of kitsch revelry in 80s pop songs, and song writing
leaned out by emo paths, The Gloria Record can create something
as quietly evocative as a Seam song. As the band has grown
past their self-titled record, the keys have grown to be a
more significant force upon the song structure. Very nice.
-Keith York
Harvey Danger
King James Version
Sire
I’m guessing it was around 5 years ago when I walked
into the Crocodile in Seattle to see some band that was getting
a little local buzz going. After their set I bought their
self released version of Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?
I was amazed with Sean Nelson’s creative vocals and intensity.
Just a few months ago I was in Seattle again, going out for
a drink with a friend when we stumbled by the O.K. Hotel to
find out there was a damn cover because some band was playing.
‘We just want a beer’ I told the door guy, who waved
us in because the band was off soon anyways. Sitting down
at the bar I realized that I knew that voice from somewhere,
and to my pleasant surprise, H.D. was playing through a set
of songs that would soon be released. That day has come, and
the CD has not left my player all day. They have returned
with an even more thought out album of great rock tunes. It’s
their odd and insightful poetic lyrics that set this band
apart from the rest of pop rock. This album made my day. -Brian
Shevlin
Pilot to Gunner
Hit the Ground and Hum
Me Too!
110% effort is evidenced in the five-song Hit the Ground and
Hum. Horizon cracking drum fireworks set the tone for unrelenting
guitars and a tactical bass player that connects the dots.
From Sonic Youth to Quicksand, the influences don’t measure
up because in war men will bare their souls - and that is
what the energy on this disc is all about. -Keith York
Sixteen Deluxe Vision
Take Me, Make Me, Never Forsake Me
Sugar Fix
Still retaining a firm grasp on the shoegazer guitar hurricanes
that graced their Backfeed Magnetbabe and Emits Showers of
Sparks albums, Sixteen Deluxe has somehow managed to grow
beyond their debut brilliance. Pairing down to a trio over
the last several years, Sixteen Deluxe have finally now begun
to showcase Carrie Clark’s Lush-like vocals. With the
consumer inroads made in the acceptance of Yo La Tengo’s
rock ‘n’ roll dreamscapes, Sixteen Deluxe is poised
for your stereo. Download it, or hit the shops in search of
the sleeper hit of the year. -Keith York
Dewey Defeats Truman
B-Sides, Rarities, and Out-takes
Silver Girl
Despite the title, I believe that this is DDT’s first
national release. Buy it and you will come face-to-face with
intense, meaningful, purposeful rock and roll. It’s got
big moments and an epic feel without being at all bombastic
or pretentious. One of the songs even contains a speech that
sounds like it might be Truman speaking after his upset of
Dewey in 1948. So what else do you want? -Ben Morss
Little Champions
Pillow
Barsuk
The Little Champions are smart as a whip and willing to show
you in string, vocal and rhythm bending. A wonderfully askew
pop combo that in a coy Gang of Four post-punkness, have a
dark wit about them that makes listening a repeated exercise.
From a label that has yet to falter. -Keith York
Sunday’s Best
Poised To Break
Polyvinyl
It sure isn’t popular to use a label on someone anymore.
“We aren’t emo, we’re rock and roll, or we’re
pop rock.” I just don’t understand it. Great songwriting,
catchy lyrics, and a good time feel... The kind of music you
would like to listen to as you drove along the coast. If you
Promise the Kids a Ring if they Get Up on a Sunny day, you
will soon Jet to Brazil for Real Estate. If you understood
what I just said, you will like this album. If you’re
clueless, don’t worry Brittney Spears and Limp Bizkit
will have an album out soon. -Brian Shevlin
Spring Heel Jack
Oddities
Thirsty Ear
Six pieces of music, not one of which is the drum ‘n’
bass which fans of their albums and singles would expect.
What we find instead on this “official bootleg”,
Oddities, is jazz. Oddities, in fact, is the closest thing
to pure improv that compatriots, John Coxon and Ashley Wales
have offered music consumers. With ambient droney bits, Williiam
S. Burroughs’ over-appreciated monotone monologue, and
turntable orchestras, this 6 track EP showcases less of the
spirited driving melodies infused in their steppers, and more
of what we get in between songs - muted heartbeat hiccups,
feedback, drone excursions, and industri
