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MUSIC REVIEWS:

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2006 UPDATE

Alright Pimps, here's some new stuff that slipped into the Reglar Wiglar offices after the last issue went to print:

ADAM ARCURAGI
Adam Arcuragi (High Two)
This is Philadelphia singer/songwriter, Adam Arcuragi's untitled first album. And you know, I don't typically go for such earnest and heartfelt crooning such as this, but after giving this CD a couple plays that still hold true. The effort, nonetheless, is appreciated—Bow Diddley

HEALTHY WHITE BABY
Healthy White Baby (Broadmoor)
I'm not familiar with the bands The Blacks or Blue Mountain from whence HWB members once hailed, but I do enjoy the sound on this recording. Kinda folksy, kinda rock, gots kind of a 70s feel to it for some reason I can't exactly pinpoint. 70s in a good way, though. Don't mistake my meaning. Don't care much for the name, but even so, the HWB done right by me musically, and in my advanced age that's all I ask—Irresistbile Frank

THE KRUNCHIES
In De Winkel (Criminal IQ)
Holy shit. Holy shitt. Hot shittt. Krunchies lay it down fast and furious. Don't know what a In De Winkel is. I know what a Rip Van Winkle is. I know what a Rob Van Winkle is but I sure don't know what a In DeWinkel is. I think I knew in college but anyway, I think it must surely mean the music made when three freaks make punk rock music—Joey Germ

M.O.T.O.
Raw Power (Criminal IQ)
Oh, the M.O.T.O. and that rock and roll they do so well, so effortlessly. Granted, this ain't the wheel Caporino and crew are reinventing here but it satisfies a certain part of the brain that finds comfort in the familiar. Songs about physics class ("Getting It Up for Physics"), meeting by the flagpole ("Meet Me by the Flagpole") and getting drunk alone ("Gonna Get Drunk Tonight"), generate a certain and undeniable nostalgic feeling in the listeners' synapses. That's raw power, professor—Jimminy Van Tuffet

THE PHENOMS
Home Brain Surgery Kit (Beer Can)
Home-made rock and roll from Chicago. Dirty, sloppy, crude, spastic, unrelenting, stoopid, mind melting home-made rock and roll from Chicago. The Phenoms aren't just owners of the Home Brain Surgery Kit, they're also a client—Joey Y. Germ

THE POLKAHOLICS
Polka Uber Alles (self-released)
(Pretend there's an umlat up there on the 'U' in Uber.) The Reglar Wiglar has been a Polkaholics booster for years, since back in the days when Jumpin' George and Merry Mike were the Polka-nist rhythm section on the nort' side, or the sout' side for that matter. But it's not just polka, there's elements of rock and roll thrown in there so even the baby boomers can dig it. And, am I crazy or is that a tip of the hat to Television's "Marquee Moon" on "Pimps of Polka"? Brilliant. Now if you'll excuse me, my brat is ready—P.C. Jones

SELF-EVIDENT
Self-Evident's Epistemology (DPG)
As everyone knows epistemology is the part of philosophy that studies the nature of knowlege and shit like that. What is self-evident is that this is some indie math rock from Oklahoma. It's like a prog rock emo band. That is what is self evident. What may not be so self-evident is that I am not a flag-waver of any of those particular genres. Well, I do have a few Yes albums, but I bought those mostly for the album covers (you know what I'm talking about) so listening to Self-Evident's treatise on the nature of knowledge is not something that I am enjoying—Pig Patterson

THE WILLIS
Bathtub, Lightbulb, Heartattack (DPG)
The Willis have kind of an early 90s indie rock sound. It's reminding me at times of American Music Club and Pavement which are two bands that I dig but have not listened to in quite awhile. It's ok to go back there. Some of my mid 90s wounds have healed and I can listen to this and deal with the painful memories. Besides, if the 80s are back now, can the 90s be far behind? We just have to get through the grunge revival first. Look for that to start hitting in 2008—Sneaky Petes

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RW #21 (2005)

A18
Dear Furious (Victory)
Would someone kindly, please tell me just what the FUCK everybody is so angry about? For Christ's sake, people, lighten up. A18 is a SoCal hardcore/metal band that's been growling around the scene for about a half dozen years or so. Heavier than some, angrier than most. Don't worry. No new ground was broken in the making of this record—Irresistible Frank

ABATTOIR 3000
Road Trip to Oblivion (Kommy Elektra)
I took a road trip to oblivion once. Fifteen years later and here I am working for this shitty magazine. So the deal on this CD, in case it ever comes up in conversation, is that it's a companion to the book, Road Trip to Oblivion by Kent Messer (also featured on this CD) which is about a dude growing up during the Cold War. Since this is a companion to a book I've never heard of, much less read, I'm kinda jumping in with no reference point and I gotta tell ya, I ain't following it. But if you've ever read Road Trip to Oblivion by Kent Messer and you wish there was a CD featuring lines from the book put to music, well then. . .—P.C. Jones

AGAINST ALL AUTHORITY/ COMMON RIDER
AAA/Common Rider split CD (Hopeless)
This is a split release between two punk rock stalwarts. First up is Against All Authority who give us four-on-the-floor for your punk ass. Although I don't think their attempt at ska/reggae on "World Dominator" works. Common Rider (lead by Operation Ivy's Jesse Michael) on the other hand, pull it off with ease on "Where the Waves are Highest" and thus are a little more melodic in general and therefore more to my tastes—Joey Germ

ALEXISONFIRE
Watch Out! (Equal Vision)
AOF are a Canadian hardcore/emo hybrid that I'm told (by their press kit) is named after a lactating contortionist–the world's only lactating contortionist! I think they're really milking that angle though. Ha! Get it? Anyway, these guys are pretty good musicians and a tight band to boot, but personally, I don't like this blending of musical genres, this emo and this hardcore. It's like reggae and western, man, they don't mix—Joey Germ

AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAN
Print is Dead (Double Zero)
Maybe it's the six Old Style tall boys I drank last night, but I wanted to hate this band as soon as I slapped it into the CD player. Don't get me wrong, I did hate it, I'm just saying that I wanted to hate it first and that's not right. I'm sorry—Joey Germ

AMBER PACIFIC
Fading Days (Hopeless)
The bad news is, this is five songs of pretty mediocre, if not downright awful, unoriginal emo rock. The good news is, it's only five songs. The great news is, it's going out the window just as soon as I'm done typing this sentence (and signing my name)—Joey Germ

AMPS II ELEVEN
Amps II Eleven (Smog Veil)
This hard rock band, with a whiff of stoner rock to it, arose from three other Cleveland ensembles: Step-sister, Southern Trespass and Shuteye. This is loud and proud rock 'n' roll in the tradition of Pink Fairies, Moterhead, and Kyuss. The two guitar quartet is getting great press for its live set, but this debut album fails to capture enough energy to separate Amps II Eleven from the legions of other bands crowding this genre—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

ANADIVINE
Zoo (The Militia Group)
Didn't U2 already make a record called Zoo or am I completely off my nut? A quick Google search would probably reveal the answer but it is much, much easier to lazily speculate. Anadivine, the OC (New York) band, may be stretching themselves out musically and straying a bit from the emo formula on their self-titled debut, but the vocals have a way of making it all sound the same in the end—Jake the Two-Eyed Snake

ANAGRAM
Songs from Far Away (Scenery)
Mragana, Gramana, Nagarma, these would be anagrams for anagram if they were actual words, which they are not. Anagram is a fitting name for this duo of Bay Area musicians, in the sense that if you were to take the elements (or letters) of their songs (or words) and rearrange them, you would have different songs (or words). But why would you want to do that?—The Puzzler

ATOMIC 7
En Hillbilly Caliente (Mint)
The Atomic 7 are back with another piping hot batch of instrumental snacks (seventeen in all) running the gamut of Western-style to surf-flavored jams (had to get that surf part in there). And if you think this Canadian band sounds a bit like Shadowy Men from a Shadowy Planet, it might just be because guitarist Brian Connelly headed up that project too. In fact, that is the reason—Irresistible Frank

ATREYU
The Curse (Victory)
Music for vampires by vampires. Atreyu is at the forefront of the new brand of "hard" music that is determined to make "nü metal" look like "üld metal." But I must say, as innovative as people tell me this new hybrid of "hard" music is, I can't get with it in its entirety. I like parts of this kinda shit and I dislike parts, but I think Atreyu is at the forefront of whatever the hell this thing that I shouldn't categorize or pigeon-hole is called. I'm stymied. Hogtied. Ham-strung on this one—Irresistible Frank

THE BAMBOO KIDS
The Bamboo Kids (Get Hip)
The Bamboo Kids serve up the garage rock in the vein of the Kinks and the Stones. Eleven chunky rocking foot stompers. Get Hip has been doin' the garage rock thing for years. Years! Are you people even aware of this fact?—Slim Jim

BAGHEERA
Twelves (Asian Man)
For some reason Bagheera sounds like a metal name which is probably why they gave this CD to me to review, but metal Bagheera is not. I do not hold that against Bagheera as I like saying the name Bagheera, but that is neither Bagheera nor Bagthera. Bagheera is Heather Dallape and Todd Moll and this St. Louis duo write some pretty laid-back, catchy, indy-type rock that even I, Boots McMurphy, don't mind listening to on a Saturday night curled up in front of the fire with a good book. And if you tell anybody I said that I'll cut your throat—Muggsy McMurphy

BAMBIX
What's in a Name (Daemon)
Until I checked the press sheet–which one should never do by the way–I was pretty confident that Bambix was from the sticks of the American Midwest. Maybe not the sticks necessarily but they definitely have that Midwest bar band sound, and by bar band I mean punk rock bar band. In fact, Wicks Bambix, the husky voiced singer, reminded me of Toledo, Ohio's (late?) great Gone Daddy Finch. Turns out, however, Wicks and crew are from The Netherlands and not The Ohio. So there you have it, if you like that Midwestern, melodic, beer-soaked punk rock then check out the Bambix—Jayne Wayne

BENCARBEN
demo (no label)
BenCarBen is a band of teenagers from suburban Northbrook, Illinois. This is their badly recorded demo. Included with this CD-R are the lyrics to their songs. They have a photocopied band photo. The drummer is wearing a Harry Potter t-shirt which won't be ironic until 2019 at the earliest. I was once a teenager in a band and if some jerkoff zine writer would have said my music sucked I would have been crushed (and very vengeful). Therefore: BenCarBen Rules!!! Their demo is awesome!!!—Slinky Bob Neil

BLOOD FOR BLOOD
Serenity (Thorp)
My what a serene record. Not! This is some angry Boston hardcore. After four records on Victory, Blood Blood is back and they're looking for all you little hardcore poseurs to wipe their sweaty, veiny brows with. You know who you are. No, you probably don't do you? Ha! That figures!—Muggsy McMurphy

BLUEPRINT CAR CRASH
Rhetoric Of A Marionette (The Militia Group)
Some interesting, heavy guitar at play here. Loud/soft, noisy and heavy at times and a little more melodic in places. Not bad for this kind of music that mixes the screaming with the singing with the anger with the angst. I'm gonna go ahead and give them props for this EP: Props, dudes!—Goose Neck

BOTTOM LINE
Eloquence (Nice Guy)
Press sheet says that Bottom Line is "one of the most explosive acts in punk rock today." Which is funny because there is nothing punk rock or explosive about them. They're a pretty well-coifed, safe, unoriginal, pop band. Yeah, they have an edge but only compared to Yellowcard or New Found Glory. I think the bottom line here is that kids tend to buy this watered-down punk rock in greater numbers than really explosive punk rock bands like Fleshies . . .or, or. . . shit, I don't know, name one—Joey Germ

BRANDTSON
Send Us a Signal (The Militia Group)
If you want to hear a young man emoting to some pretty generic rock then this piece of music might be just what you've been waiting for all these years. Hey Brandston, let Aaron Carter sing this shit, but PLEASE, keep it away from The Kid—The Kid

THE BRIEFS
Sex Objects (BYO)
Love it. Love it. Love. It. The Briefs are a living, breathing homage to the best punk rock of the Seventies and somehow they do it without sounding clichéd, out-dated or too terribly derivative. A welcome blast from the past that's planted firmly right here in the present. IF you have one Good Charlotte CD in your collection you should buy three copies of Sex Objects to get your punk rock karma back on track. . . AND so you won't burn in hell—Irresistible Frank

BULLETS AND OCTANE
Revelry (Criterion)
I can hear the Misfits and it definitely has the octane, but the B&O dance with a little more straightforward rock sound that can come off as a little generic at times. It pulls no new tricks out of an old hat, but I couldn't sit here and tell you that it doesn't rock or that I thought the passion wasn't there. A guilty pleasure for old punk rockers and not a bad gig if you can get it—Jayne Wayne

CATCH 22
Catch 22 Live (Victory)
This is a live Catch 22 CD/DVD. Yes, audio and video documentation of this New Jersey ska band and their performance at The Downtown in Farmingdale, New York in August of 2004. As New Jersey ska goes, this is probably pretty good, but I don't really know what that means. Let me break it down like this, because it's easier for me: I like Less than Jake less but I like the Slackers way more—Inconsiderate Boy

CLASSICAL ASS
After Lunch We Kill Tony (Diaphragm)
Part hard rock freak out with Big Black flourishes, part schizo surf rock. This band has an identity crisis but its members seem to be dealing with it OK and I say we kill Tony right freakin' now!—PC Jones

COMEBACK KID
Wake the Dead (Victory)
Comeback Kid are a heavy band that may be from Canada. Alternative Press listed them among their "100 Bands to Know." I gotta know a hundred bands? Life just keeps getting harder and harder. Is CBK that "must-knowable." Perhaps if you like this kind of heavy punk, melodic hardcore music, then perhaps they are "must knowable." Maybe I'll call them up and get to know them—Joey Germ

THE C*NUTS
Eat My Nuts (Disturbing)
The C Nuts have done it again! Back with eleven new songs and six bonus tracks, the Sout' Side's most enduring punk rock legacy persevere, or should it be pervertsever? No, it shouldn't. That would be retarded. The album cover features a squirrel made out of wood or quite possibly coconuts. Need I say more. No, I needn't—PC Jones

THE DEXATEENS
Red Dust Rising (Estrus)
The Dexateens are a four piece bluesy, swoozy rock band from somewhere in this country. They play a laid-back Exile-era Stones kinda homegrown rock that sounds good on a Saturday morning. It being both a Saturday and morning right now—Captain Krunch

THE DIPLOMATS OF SOLID SOUND
Destination...Get Down! (Estrus)
The DOSS keep it groovy. Dig it. These cats play a mellow, groovin' dance party that will keep the cool kids dancing all night long. The DOS are thee Ambassadors of Instrumental Soul, baby, and they're outa' site—Captain Krunch

DIRTY BLUE
Out of the Blue Sessions (no label)
And you thought Alan Keyes was the only rocker in Cal City, huh? The Dirty Blue are also from Calumet City, Illinois and like Alan Keyes, they prefer to keep their rock blue and perhaps a little dirty—Irresistible Frank

D.O.A.
Live Free or Die (Sudden Death)
This is a new studio album from D.O.A., but some of the best tracks on the album are newly recorded versions of earlier material: "Agony and the Ecstasy" and "The Concrete Beach." Speaking of re-recording songs, there is a trio of anti-war classics here: "Masters of War" (Bob Dylan), "Bad Moon Rising" (Creedence Clearwater Revival) and Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction." All in all, this album is nineteen tracks of punk rock bucking the system—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

DOWN TO EARTH APPROACH
Another Intervention (Vagrant)
This CD was sent without any cover art or any press kit which means I don't have to spend any time on it. Thank God—Sloppy Seconds

DYNAMITE MASTERS BLUES QUARTET
The Essential Sounds from the Far East (Estrus)
The Dynomite Masters Blues Quartet's a great and nutty, heavy, psychedelic demolition team from Japan. To my ears, they do a more tightly composed, though no more "in control" sounding, take on whatever it is that Comets on Fire are supposed to be doing. The berzerkest moments of early (but not Rod Evans-early (if you know what I mean)) Deep Purple could be a useful reference point for where these three gents and one lady lift off from. Whew, the sheer gonzo-ness of the band's attack–wild riffs, wandering fuzz bass, wailing he-man vox, and drums that may be operated by an unusually limber octopus-is just alot of fun to listen to. The musical action doesn't barrel forward so much as float above the ground erratically like a hot-air balloon that's lost its captain overboard. While a band this great and uncategorizable may seem a little out of place on the Estrus label. I'm not going to complain or hold it against anybody. More people should make records like this—Country Joe McDonald's

ESTEE LOUDER
Ohio's Best (Diaphragm)
The album cover has boobs on it. I don't know how you feel about that but it doesn't bother me. The music is what matters though, right? This is some Columbus rock and roll the likes of which that town never seems to run out of. Fast, rockin' tunes, fronted by Big Daddy Ray Ray and backed by three rockin' ladies who also provide the backing vocals. Also features an amped up cover of Bowie's "Moonage Daydream" to boot—Muggsy McMurphy

THE FIGHT
Nothing New Since Rock 'n' Roll (Repossession)
The Fight are a British band that seem more influenced by bands who were influenced by old school Brit punk rock than the original source. They sound like they could be from Southern California and that's not necessarily a good thing. In fact, it is absolutely not a good thing. In fact, if it wasn't for the twist on the SoCal punk rock formula in singer K8's gender being F instead of M, they could pass for any bouncy pop rock band you're likely to see come down the pike. It's not bad in that it follows the rules of that rather limited genre but it ain't all that—Joey Germ

THE FIRST STEP
Open Hearts and Clear Minds (Livewire)
Not too many open hearts and clear minds around the Wiglar Compound. Nope. Nor are there many open, friendly people, or a lot clear skin for that matter, but enough of my co-workers' many shortcomings. The First Step is back with another round of hardcore punk rock, which I would be negligent if I did not mention at least in passing, sounds like what most eighties hardcore sounded like. No new twists, but for those whose first step into hardcore is this band, you could do a lot worse. Hardcore was always was for the kids anyway—Irresistible Frank

FOUR HORSE
demo (no label)
From Providence, Rhode Island, where a hot dog covered in ground hamburger and onions is considered a delicacy, (hot ween-ahs) Four Horse come to kick your ass back a year or two. Back to the AmRep pig-boinking, nut-scalding days of the early 90s. A full-on noise assault on the ears and a fine piece of meat for the dining table—The Turkey Slayer

FROM SATELLITE
From Satellite (Pat's Record Company)

Dear Record Label,

Thanks for sending this insignificant pissant zine a CD without any cover art. Are you trying to suggest that I, as a record reviewer, should do an incomplete record review? Point taken.

Sincerely,

Record Reviewer

FUCK
Those Are Not My Bongos (Future Farmer)
This band has a moniker that usually lends to the offensive, but the group creates eminently pleasant lyrics under this rubric. The opening track combines all these elements into the memorable introduction "Motherfuckeroos." Beautiful to hear but hard to repeat in mixed company, this may be the audio equivalent of dirty pillow talk. The brevity of the sixteen selections adds to the humor of such pieces as the instrumental "Jazz Idiodyssey" and such first date highpoints as "fingers locked in caramel corn goo" in the song "Her Plastic Acupuncture Foot." Melancholy and magical in a lo-fi and perverse way, this wants to be your favorite album with oboe on it—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

RACHEL FULLER
Cigarettes & Housework (Universal)
What in the Wide World of Sports would make Universal Records send this Rachel Fuller CDto us? To us!—Joey Germ

THE GAMITS
Antidote (Suburban Home)
The Gamits kinda float to the top of the bowl in the power pop/punk genre in my esteemed and much sought after opinion. It's got some catchy hooks and singer Chris Fogel doesn't milk the whine so much. Not like some of these guys, know what I'm sayin'? Antidote starts off with the "Dotted Lines," a high note not duplicated on the rest of the album, although some moments come close. "Golden Sometimes" being an example—PC Jones

GATSBY'S AMERICAN DREAM
In the Land of the Lost Monsters (LLR)
Don't really know what the GAD is going for on this one but I do know this: I don't particularly care for it—Irresistible Frank

THE GHOST
This Pen Is a Weapon (Some Records)
The pen is mightier than the sword, someone once said. I wanna say it was Shakespeare, but that sounds too, I don't know, obvious? Well, for The Ghost their pen is their weapon (they play pens onstage, you see). The press sheet says that The Ghost in This Pen is a Weapon has written "the most sincere album of this generation." But Spin (and everyone else in the mainstream music press) has been telling me Connor Oberst already did that. Now I don't know what to think—Irresistible Frank

GONE WITHOUT A TRACE
Gone Without Trace (Thorp)
This record actually vanished from my memory without a trace a few seconds after the last song played. It is not very inventive or original, but it is heavy, and brutal, and quite possibly sick. It's also like a White Castle Hamburger in the sense that you may enjoy it while you're ingesting it, but it ain't gonna be with you very long—Frankie The Boot

THE HUNCHES
Hobo Sunrise (In The Red)
The sonic excess and the extreme volume that this over-the-top recording suggests may be just the thing for some. This may be the "amplified heat' Cream advertised for sale in "Pressed Rat & Warthog," or it may be prickly sludge falling all over you. Whatever your analogy, this is an album that hits you over the head track after track—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

THE INSOMNIACS
Switched On! (Estrus)
Either Mike Wing (Vambo Marble Eye, Team Satan, Caboose, Booker Noe, Leghorn) sings in like twenty-five hundred freakin' rock bands or the populace is coping his vocal style. Anyway, The Insomniacs are exploring the more pop-oriented, jangly, psychedelic side of the garage in which the more rockin', distorted and spazzy bands have been hogging all the outlets lately. It's switched on, so switch over, Grease Monkeys—Irresistible Frank

IN THE HOUSE THAT LORDS BUILT
In the House That Lords Built (Initial)
The cover art and ridiculously long name had me fooled that this was some gothy, egghead-psychedelic Radiohead shit. I couldn't have been more mistaken in my prejudgement. This is hardcore simple and plain, like Rollins era Black Flag only sped up to Keith Morris (and the rest of them) era Black Flag. Pretty ferocious, raw, loud...you know the drill. You've heard it before, but now you can hear it done well again—Joey Germ

KANE HODDER
The Pleasure to Remain So Heartless (Suburban/Cowboy v. Sailor)
I like this record right up to the point where vocalist Andrew Moore shifts into the throat wrenching screaming that seems so popular with the kids these days, like that band My Chemical Romance and that other band whose name I can't think of right now but the singer is a mormon who drinks a lot and so everybody's real worried about him. What's their name, dude used to go out with out with that fucking spoiled brat Kelly Osbourne? The Used, that's it! Anyway, vocal somersaults and comparisons to next big thing on Fuse bands aside, this is pretty good compelling rock music—Irresistible Frank

KARATE
Pockets (Southern)
Karate play jazz-tinged chops. They sound like an indie rock Steely Dan and if that hasn't turned you punkers off then you've been frontin' all this time. Karate is to jazz what Ted Leo is to punk rock, neither label fits but it's the closest comparison I can force upon them, and force I must for that is how our brains process abstract ideas. Anyway, if that makes any sense you're a lot smarter than the Kid—The Kid

JUSTIN KATKO
Pixel Cloak (no label)
A collage of sounds and spoken word diatribes/poetry comprise the short bursts of chaotic and creative energy that is this CD-R from zinester, Justin Katko. Politcal. Edgy. Wierd. I like it—P. Wolfowitz

LAST AMANDA
Last Amanda (FEA)
Awww, dudes, you must not have gotten the memo about how you're not supposed to use a girl's name in your band's name anymore on account of that fact that it's been done to fucking death. Anyway. It's a good thing that you can't judge a band by their band photo. Well you can, but you shouldn't. I do, but it's not right. Do as I say not as I do. Last Amanda, despite their being from Sweden, are neither black metal nor are they the Hellacopters, which is okay, but they just happened to be a little too straight-forward and radio-friendly for my tastes—Muggsy McMurphy

TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS
Shake the Sheets (Lookout!)
An accomplished guitar player in his own right and a literate lyricist, Ted Leo and his RX buddies, The Pharmacists, create a sound not unlike his predecessors, Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, and others in the angry young man, singer/songwriter category. Perhaps angry is a bit overstated. More like disappointed. Disappointment in people or things (or governments maybe?) that don't live up to their own high expectations can lead to anger, which can in turn lead to such cathartic measures as Shake the Sheets—Jayne Wayne

LETHAL REJECTION
2,1,2,2 (Day 51)
Lethal Rejection kick out the short bursts of old school (overdone?) punk rock. Don't make me list the bands they sound like, please. The important thing is that they rock sufficiently enough to wake me up after listening to some of that godawful boy band punk rock they can't seem to send us enough of around here—Joey Germ

LITTLE WINGS
Magic Wand (K)
Kyle Field, a.k.a. Little Wings, has a childlike vision: pure and direct into a world magical and present. Listening to these simple and honest songs is overhearing Little Wings relate his personal and unique view of the world. For what is surreal he brings a clarity that is a rarity. Field is an experienced hand at creating Little Wings albums, but the lyrical content of "demos" and singing and "I am your local band" all make it sounds like a first time effort, an exercise in confidence building. Rather than becoming amateurish, this honest reflection ("the music brings me back to life") adds authenticity to this quirky electro-folk, lo-fi odyssey. For this album, Field worked with producer Calvin Johnson at Dub Narcotic Studio in Olympia. Among the guests that showed up during the process are Phil Elverum, Bobby Birdman, Lee Baggett, Genevieve Elverum, Miggy Littleton and more. However, none of this overwhelms the sparse, stripped down approach Little Wings is known for—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

MANHANDLERS
Manhandlers (Criminal IQ)
I want to be manhandled! That didn't sound too gay, did it? The Manhandlers are a Chicago manifestation of nasty estrogen-fueled rudimentary rock and roll. These ain't sophisticated ladies, although they may say thank you for allowing them to dig a stiletto heel into your scrotal you-know-what—Sam Doodle

M.O.T.O.
Single File (Criminal IQ)
A collections of singles that range from the silly to the absurd, from the sloppy to the divine, but all catchy poppy gems by the New Orleans via Boston via Chicago ever-morphing M.O.T.O. phenomenon. This is a re-issue of the mid-90s Mind of a Child release by Chicago's hardworking Criminal IQ label. R.I.Y.L: M.O.T.O. (I forgot what that means or why I typed it, but I'm leaving it in. If anybody figures it out, let me know)—PC Jones

MAXIMUM RNR
Maximum RNR (no label)
After you hit the play button, this six song CD will already have blown by you before you even reach the couch, but you will have have been shaking your ass all the way there—Irresistible Frank

MIDNIGHT EVILS
Breakin' It Down (Estrus)
Man, do the Midnight Evils kick a donkey's ass (to coin a term from the late Wesley Willis). There is no such thing as a let up or a let down on this CD. I wanna walk in the garden of the midnight evils—Sam Doodle

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GUEST REVIEW

The American Idol® Judges Randy Jackson®, Paula Abdul®, and Simon Cowell®

MOMENTS IN GRACE
Moonlight Survived (Atlantic)

Randy Jackson® What's up, dog? How you doin', baby? You my dog, man. You my dog. What's up, man? I gotta tell you man, I wasn't feeling that. I wasn't feeling it tonight, man.

Paula Abdul® You have a great voice. You're terrific. You're a terrific singer and a terrific band. This material isn't for you though. This just isn't your strength.

Simon Cowell® I'm going to have to agree with Paula and Randy on this one. If I can be honest, that was the most atrocious thing–I won't even call it music–I've ever heard. Horrible.

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NONE MORE BLACK
Loud About Loathing (Sabot Productions)
This EP will tide over None More Black fans until the Fat Wreck Chords full-length release later this year. The raspy voiced vocalist fits well with the tight and punchy hard rock music that covers the spectrum from Dischord-like progressive hardcore to Southern boogie hard rock. This postpunk indie rock band benefits from effectual use of such rock'n'roll tricks as cool breaks and catchy choruses on such standout tracks as "iScrapbook" (video in production as I write) and "I'll buy you the Fucking Single"—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

OVER IT
Silverstrand (Lobster Records)
I really am over it. Seriously, they're right, I'm over it—Joey Germ

THE PAYBACKS
Harder and Harder (Get Hip)
Detroit's legendary Wendy Case (Ten High) continues to burn bright in the neo–garage constellation. Some of the hard–driving songs continue her projected persona of hard drink and hard sex ("Can You Drive," "Scotch Love"). To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln in regards General Ulysses S. Grant, find out what she is drinking and send a case to all the other ladies leading garage punk rock'n'roll bands, because this album swings as well as it rocks. A lot of that swing is undoubtedly due to the presence of the rhythm section from The Hentchmen: bassist John "Johnny Volare" Szymanski and drummer Mike "Audi" Latulippe—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

THE PEACOCKS
Silverstrand (Asian Man)
What's that you say? You've never heard a Swiss rock band before? Well, today is your lucky day Ugly, the Peacocks are Swiss like holy cheese. Unfortunately, they are not quite as flamboyant as a peacock, nor are they quite as versatile as a Swiss Army knife. Alas, it is a tad generic and a bit derivative. Buy a Swiss clock, 'cause Swiss rock ain't as precise—Irresistible Frank

THE PEELERS
The Peelers (Orange Recordings)
This Tim Kerr-recorded slab of aluminum is a deceptively massive collection of hard edged-garage revival rock. The Chicago band includes former members of Gaza Strippers, The Hodads, and The Hired Goons. The group's sound features a driving drum beat, clamorous guitars and fevered group vocals. The group is at its best when it dives headlong into a rough and psychedelic jam like "Into the Sun"—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

THE POWER AND THE GLORY
Call Me Armageddon (Deathwish)
Call me apocalyptic but this music would make me wanna end it if the end was in sight. Like in real plain site, right out there coming over the plain, Four Horsemen and the whole nine. Actually, this would drive me out of the bar pretty fast if I saw this band playing. You know what? No, it wouldn't. I can deal with this shit. Who am I kidding? No I can't—PC Jones

THE PRIESTS
Tall Tales (Get Hip)
Totally competent and by-the-numbers. If someone (an alien? The Pope?) asked you what rock music sounded like, you could play them this. This would do. No doubt about that. The Priests have every stock move down pat and show professional courtesy by executing them at each and every exact moment listeners are accustomed to hearing them. They always stay inside the lines of their Seeds Coloring Book. Um. . . it's like they've got one of those old-fashioned dance-step diagrams, but it says "garage rock" on top of it. How many more ways should I come up with to say "this is really generic and uninteresting"? The only thing less original and uninspired than The Priests music, is the lame 'Unleashed in the East' send-up on the back cover of their CD. Okay, I'm done—Larry "Burger" King

RAT BLOOD
demo (no label)
Rat Blood has got a kind of lo-fi bluesy feel to it on this three song demo. It reminds me at times of the Modern Lovers or perhaps one of those bands from down the road there in New York circa the same time—Joey Germ

THE REPUTATION
To Force a Fate (Lookout!)
This band has a reputation for being quite amazing: excellent songwriting, brilliant lyrics, stunning production, but I'm not gettin' it. It's actually kind of boring if you would like me to be perfectly, if not irresistibly, frank—Irresistible Frank

RIGHTEOUS JAMS
Rage of Discipline (Kung Fu)
First let me just say that I think it takes some balls to name your band Righteous Jams 'cause if you do that you got something to prove right out of the gate. Yeah, you gotta prove you don't suck with a name like that. Righteous Jams are pretty much a straight forward hardcore band in the Boston tradition and they have proven to me on this CD that they don't suck and that was all I required of them—Joey Germ

THE ROCKET SUMMER
Hello, Good Friend (The Militia Group)
My first reaction upon hearing this CD was, "Oh my god I hate it." But that seemed like a pretty knee-jerk reaction, so I made a promise to myself and The Rocket Summer (even though they couldn't hear me) that I would listen to this CD until I appreciated it. What could it hurt, right? Well, I'm still trying to come to grips with this band, which I think is one guy, Bryce Avery. This sounds like a young Richard Simmons singing over bouncy guitar and piano pop. I think that's a fair assessment. I'm just gonna leave it there and let ya'll decide for yourselves what you wanna do with that information—Irresistible Frank

SAINT VITUS
V (Southern Lord)
The death metal heroes rise like a flaming phoenix to reclaim their throne in V. The key elements of Mark Adams' prevalent fuzzed out bass, Armando Acosta's dead-thud drums and the ghostly transparent ectoplasmic haunting of Dave Chandler's lurking guitar bring us back to the classic five song self-titled debut from the doom metal band. Shades of early Black Sabbath, but even more primitive and visceral, are preserved here and that makes this reunion Vitus classic Vitus—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

SCREECHING WEASEL
Boogadaboogadaboogada! (Asian Man)
The re-re-release of the 1988 Screeching Weasel album, boogadaboogadaboogada! is here kiddies. I bet you thought you'd never see the day when boogada-boogadaboogada! would be re-re-released. Hell, it's been seventeen years since boogadaboogadaboogada! was released and thirteen years since boogadaboogada-boogada! was re-released, but now boogadaboogada-boogada! has been re-re-released! And now you can own the re-rerelease of boogadaboogadaboogada! So boogadaboogadaboogada! boogadaboogadaboogada! boogadaboogadaboogada!—Boogada Boogada Boogada

THE SEXY MAGAZINES
Sex, Murder, Music (no label)
Imagine The Strokes only really, really bad—Jayne Wayne

COYOTE SHIVERS
Gives It to Ya. Twice 2 CD Set (Foodchain)
With a wit like gothic rocker Voltaire ("Live to Regret It," "You're Mine"), Coyote Shivers has a hip New York postpunk rock sound that gives him the ability to reduce the whole spectrum of Lou Reed's career through the Mistrial album on "Secretly Jealous." The decadent humor of the opening "Plus One" sets the funny and ridiculous Disc 1 One Sick Pup of this double CD release. Says singer/guitarist Coyote Shivers, "In that absolute first moment when I heard The Ramones and realized there was music out there that wasn't on the radio, my life changed." Coyote Shivers hasn't let go of that feeling and expresses it in a way we can all still pick up on on this album. The second disc is an acoustic opus entitled From My Bedroom to Yours. Just like it says, this was recorded with only an acoustic guitar in his bedroom. When you realize the delightful, opening song "Sugarhigh" is an ode to oral sex it is like that moment when Nigel Tufnel tells us the name of his baroque piano piece is "Lick My Love Pump." We all need moments like that—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

THE SIRENS
The Sirens (Get Hip)
The ladies of Detroit's quartet The Sirens dress the part, harmonize like The Shangri–Las and rock out with a great selection of covers on this twelve track garage rock album. We have here Gary Glitter, Suzi Quatro ("Glycerine Queen"), Ike Turner ("I'm Blue"), Roky Erickson ("Don't Slander Me") and more. This is all delivered in a burst of fuzzed out '70s glam energy. Singer is Muffy Kroha, little sister to Dan Kroha (Gories, Demolition Doll Rods). (Muffy has come quite a ways from teaching theater to youths in Africa.) Playing guitar is Melodylicious (Gore Gore Girls)—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

SLIM CESSNA'S AUTO CLUB
Bloudy Tenent Truth Peace (Alternative Tentacles)
Choosing a pre-'60s country sound more like Hank Williams than anything in FM country today, Slim Cessna offers a refreshing take on Americana. The sound is big and eerie, like the open country at night with a blend of Johnny Cash and Nick Cave—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

SOUR DELUXE
White Noise (no label)
Sour? Not necessarily. Deluxe? It's all relative. Noise? That's very subjective. White? Probably white, yes. Sour Deluxe play a kind of lush, female-fronted (Carly Simon, maybe, at times?) pop music that has been described as a mix of shoegazing and Brit-pop which is not off the mark—Irresistible Frank

THE SOVIETTES
LP II (Adeline)
Like their fellow Twin City counterparts, Selby Tigers, The Soviettes play a similar brand of punk that rocks and pops and even slows down on occasion. And they bring it all in in under twenty-five minutes so you don't have to spend all day listening to it, but you could if you wanted to—Jayne Wayne

STEREOTYPERIDER
Prolonging the Inevitable (Suburban Home)
Quadruple play-on-words band name aside, these guys play a kind of hard edge indie rock that reminds me in spots of Archers of Loaf. There's some melody roughed up with some distorted guitars. It took a couple listens until it sunk in but that was just prolonging the inevitable (which is that I would like this eventually)—Jasper Maltby

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS
Guitar and Drum (Kung Fu)
Thee SLF? Yes, apparently Guitar and Drum is the return of the venerated 70s Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers. The lads have mellowed a bit in spots, but not completely and there's some quality stuff here. SLF capture the sound of their contemporaries in the 70s punk scene; The Ramones, The Jam, The Ruts, and of course their old selves. Much better than the bulk of the derivative punk rock that's been pumped out in stockpile quantities since SLF first hit the scene almost twenty years ago–Joey Germ

SWITCHBLADE
Switchblade (Icarus/Trust No One)
"Scary" cover art, no song titles, and unintentionally hilarious lyrics printed on the CD case (example: "Bring your needles and glasspipes for meditation in contempt / Stone yourself to heaven as another pitstop to Hell") made putting this one on a dicey proposition, especially with all those unheard Cheap Trick bootlegs to listen to, but duty called. Not bad at all. I was expecting some pitiful nu-style-metal, but instead, Switchblade brings it heavy and droney with the mathematical, mostly instrumental spider-metal. Nice! Turns out they're from Sweden, which goes a long way toward explaining the lack of ironic B.S. posturing—Rick Pencilman, Rock and Roll Dad

TIME IN MALTA
Alone With The Alone (Equal Vision)
I don't remember my time in Malta being this extreme. Time in Malta is a Bay Area metalcore band that lets a little melody seep into their sound every once in awhile. Sure it sounds like a lot of bands playing in this genre, but when you want to hear country you listen to a country band, when you want to hear klezmer you listen to a klezmer band, and when you want to hear a metalcore that lets a little melody seep in every once in awhile you listen to a a metalcore band that lets a little melody seep in every once in awhile. Like Time in Malta for instance—Muggsy McMurphy

TUB RING
Zoo Hypothesis (Underground, Inc.)
Speaking of rings around the tub, if Dunc the Punk ever asks you if he can "kip on your couch for a few nights, mate," don't let him. But seriously folks, don't do it. It's never a few nights and you will always regret it. Anyway, Tub Ring is a chaotic (yet quite tight) mess of instruments and lightening quick style changes that run the gamut of...well, let's just say they run the gamut. Kinda like Mr. Bungle in their spastic, manic energy. They would probably be quite a site to see live but I would stay off the hard drugs if I were you—Joey Germ

THE UGLY BEATS!
Bring On The Beats! (Get Hip)
Nobody understands my pain. Maybe God does, but he lives way up in space and is therefore removed from my mortal sufferings. But maybe, maybe The Ugly Beats! understand my pain. They certainly sound like the do—Irresistible Frank

UNDERMINDED
Hail Unamerican! (Kung Fu)
Once again, I assumed when I shouldn't've, and made an ass out of u and me. I was expecting–I don't know, what I think Fall Out Boy and Taking Back Sunday and all that bullshit sounds like, even though I've never heard any of it. Instead I got what Metallica should probably be doing these days. Which is what Metallica used to do. Excellent, precision-guided, stop-start, boomboom, wheedley-wheedley feats of inhuman crunch and crush. The tunes are nice and short, and boy oh boy do these gents have the chops. My only complaint is that the singer's throat-shredding howl sounds a little thin. Guys: promise me next album you'll put a little reverb on the vox. That'd be great—S.B. Sweaty

THE VALLEY ARENA
Take Comfort in Strangers (Astro Magnetics)
Yeah, The Valley Arena got kind of a 90s DC-era feel to them due to the angularity and sparseness of their instrumentory arrangements. Sounds like Fugazi only British. Sounds like a British Fugazi, although not really. Know what I mean? They're not British either. I hope that helped—Don Rumsfeld

VEE DEE
Further (Criminal IQ)
Vee Dee is a Chicago band that play the stripped down punk rock with some sixties garage rock influences ("Flashes of Her" reminds me of something the Screaming Trees would have attempted, them being influenced by the more psychedelic of the sixties garage rock canon). Vee Dee add yet another dimension to this town's 3D garage rock scene. This is the only kind of Vee Dee you wouldn't mind contracting at the Mutiny on a drunken Saturday night—Irresistible Frank

VOODOO GLOW SKULLS
Adicción, Tradición, Revolución (Victory)
Remind me again what the horn section is supposed to add to bad punk rock–—Joey Germ

WORLD WAR IX
Panic Attack (Elis Eil)
You catch that, Gomer Pyle? World War IX! We're skipping III through VIII motherfuckers so get yer boots on! Pardon that outburst. This New York quartet play an old school brand of the punk rock music that is refreshing in its lack of overproduction. "Body Dump" reminds me of vintage TSOL and the song "Hungry for Beer" makes me thirsty for pizza for some reason—Joey Titanium Germ

YELLOW SECOND
Attitude (Flood Gate)
More like bad attitude—Irresistible Frank

7" VINYL:

STALKERS
Sun's Coming Up b/w I Couldn't Wait to Get Home (Dollar Record)
I've done a little stalking myself so I can relate. Light stalking though, not anything real intense and weird or anything. Anyway, these NYC stalkers serve up two heaping chunks of 60s garage rock and roll that sounds great on popping vinyl and would probably sound even better in a dark, bleary bar—Pope "Lil' John" Paul

SONIC LOVE AFFAIR
Sonic Love Affair Dble 7" (Dollar Record)
Ahhh, the double seven inch. Such a rare and fascinating beast. A beauty to behold. Indeed is there anything tastier or more rare than the double seven inch served in a gatefold sleeve. SLA provide the listener with four songs on this project, two covers (Thirteenth Floor Elevators, "Reverberation" and "Bad Attitude" by Boston punk band DMZ [known to cover the a Roky Erikson tune or two themselves]) as well as two of their own rockers. Dollar Records claims to be the home of lifers, people who are in it for life. Those labels tend to be broke, yet they got heart what can I tell you—Pope "Lil' John" Paul

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RW #20 (2004)

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ALI WITH AN I
I Learned It by Watching You (Law of Inertia)
Aly With An I, whoops, I mean Ali (with an i) With an I, despite a rather dumb name, are a pretty decent rock band–kind of a cross between a pop punk band and an emo band without overdoing the pop or the emo. Aly's- I mean Ali's (with an i) press sheet says that they "don't care if they get big or not, but they probably will." If I was probably going to get big then I might profess the same indifference. But alas, there are no guarantees in this business—Irresistible Frank

ALL OUT WAR
Condemned To Suffer (Victory)
All out friggin metal, man. If you don't like metal then you, my friend, are the one that is condemned to suffer. Sorry, I'm new to this review writing stuff. I'm more of a memo writer and a crafter of foreign policy, but I love everything about this band—Donald Rumsfeld

ANADIVINE
Anadivine (Sidecho)
WARNING: This review contains language not suitable for people offended by the word "fuck." Readers of this review be further warned: you've got a cranky, slightly bitchy, Joey T. Germ at the helm. Just be careful, that's all I'm sayin'. OK, let me tell ya why I'm in a fuckin' tizzy. You forced it out of me. So I rented Whatever Happened to Baby Jane on DVD from a major fucking video rental chain and it's all scratched to fuck (my VCR is broke by the fucking way). But, despite being scratched, it plays no problem. That is to say, it plays no problem until the last five minutes of the movie and then it freezes and I can't get it to go forward or backward and I can't skip ahead and go back–I can't do anything. I'm fucked and now I don't know how the flick ends. Did that one old broad end up strangling that other old broad or what the fuck? Whatever happened in the end of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Shoot me an e-mail if you know the answer. Anyway, Anadivine formed because of their "common love for the craft of songwriting." I LOVE that somebody still cares about the craft of songwriting! Fuckin' A! OK, let's get beyond that short burst of sarcasm shall we? I don't even know if this qualifies as emo. I don't even know what emo is anymore. The facts, however, are thus: Anadivine is a four piece band out of Orange County, New York. They craft songs that are sincere and emotional and deal with emotion and the music is driving. It also sounds an awful lot like most of the emo I've heard in the past couple of years, but it's good that there are still bands out there that care about the craft of songwriting. God bless 'em, I guess—Joey Germ

ANTIFREEZE
Search for Something More (Kung Fu)
Antifreeze, I knew these guys when they were kids, man, little whippersnappers from up there in Appleton, Wisconsin, home of Houdini and... some other shit probably, not far from Neenah and Menasha, where they make manhole covers, over there by Oshkosh, by gosh. Anyway. I think these guys are the Ataris' bitches, maybe. You never know. More mature than their debut Four Letter Words ('love' was one of them if I remember correctly) which was mostly hyperactive pop punk. Not really my cup of tea, but I only just recently started drinking tea (this is true) and it's not bad. I plan to drink more of it. Any analogies to this CD and the drinking of tea were unintentional. Just singing the praises of tea is all—Jayne Wayne

AVENGED SEVENFOLD
Waking the Fallen (Hopeless)
Some cool metal riffs on this record and just a lot of shit going on in general. I'm hearing a lot of Iron Maiden in the guitar and vocals, and Ozzy, and maybe some Slayer and just a bunch of shit, man. It's good to see that somebody's goin' back and dippin' into that big bucket of once stigmatized 80s metal and mixing it up with the aggression of hardcore and playing it for the kids. This is what we were fighting for in the 80s, man! This is it!—Malcolm Tent

BANG BANG
Do You Like It? (Bang)
Excitable poppin' rock music from this co-ed Chicago trio, Bang Bang. Sounds like Richard Hell fronting the B-52s, a retro gang bang if you will—Jayne Wayne

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME
The Silent Circus (Re-Issue) (Victory)
Crazy breaks and time changes on this super heavy, loud circus of a record. Some shit on here is so insane it's almost comical. Twists, turns, and some unexpected shit make The Silent Circus stand out from the rest of the hardcore-meets-screamo pile. In fact, this record is all over the place. It's almost too all over the place. Between you and me (and the Buried of course), it's almost too much. Almost—Malcolm Tent

BIG BIG FURNACE
Losing You (Crustacean)
Big, Big Furnace no doubt deserve something more than just a flip review for this record... unfortunately it they sent it to the Reglar Wiglar. Oh well, such is the fate of many a deserving piece of music. There seems to be a Chicago theme with this CD from this Wisconsin group. A rare tip of the hat to us Fucking Illinois Bastards? F.I.B.s, that's what they call us. Isn't that mean? After all we've done for them.Wisconsinites are always hatin' on us Illinoisans. Hate the game not the player, Cheese Eaters! Anyway, the cover photos were shot in Chicago, some of the songs were recorded in Chicago and the the song "Losing You" sounds like the band Chicago (must be the trumpet). So anyway, if this is some attempt at reconciliation then on behalf of Illinois, I accept your apology for being our nerdy neighbor to the north—Joey Germ

BIG COLLAPSE
Prototype (Militia Group)
I don't know, I've gotta listen to bands like this carefully 'cause for every good thing I like about this band and this CD, I can find something that I feel the opposite about. Big Collapse is pretty much a straight ahead rock band. Nothing wrong with that, but they dip back to their hardcore and emo roots enough times that is throws the whole thing for me. They'd be better off just going for a more mainstream solid rock sound, in my opinion—Irresistible Frank

THE BLACK KEYS
The Moan (Alive)
The Black Keys has so incorporated the Delta juke joint hard liquor blues sound that the duo of Patrick Carney (percussion) and Dan Auerbach (guitar/vocals) sounds out with deep rooted authenticity on each track of this four song CD EP. The primitive instrumentation and raw blues sound is gritty and substantial. Auerbach does not feel it necessary to growl like Jon Spencer, but instead lets flow melodically, if disjointedly, and the vocals are soulful, if rugged, as in "Heavy Soul." Another standout track on the album is when the pair takes Iggy Pop's "No Fun" for a Mississippi drift down to where the kudzu grows—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

BLACK PRINT
Movement (Quincy Shanks)
Five songs of angst ridden, melodic hardcore from Black Print, who for all intents and purposes, play angst ridden, melodic hardcore. And they do it pretty convincingly... and pretty well. And you're reading that in black print so it must be true—Whoratio Alger

THE BLED
Pass the Flask (Fiddler)
The Bled is a metal band from the desert and Pass the Flask is their CD. The cover art is pretty weird and arty (dumb?). That aside, the music is pretty heavy, the lyrics appropriately abstract, the mood: intense, somber. I do believe that a few Lamb of God riffs have been appropriated. Nicely done. Not bad for Tucson. I kid Tucson. I love Tucson. I've never been to Tucson. I must never go to Tuscon—Dinky Dellabella

THE BOBBYTEENS
Cruisin' for a Bruisin' (Estrus)
The basic punk rock of The Bobbyteens draws much from The Ramones and New York Dolls. The brazen ladies of the band seem to be of the kiss-and-tell variety. The group dispenses with foreplay and launches right into a tale of the bathroom wall ("Jenny") as well as the total lack of hidden meaning in "Hot, Sweet 'n' Sticky." One of the high points on the album is the cover of "He's So Dull" done originally by the Prince spin-off female trio Vanity 6. While the brassy punk attitude of The Bobbyteens does not remind one of Vanity 6's pop/new wave blend, both bands feature three women waving the flag of wild, decadent, and trashy entertainment for your listening and fantasizing pleasure—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

BONNIE "PRINCE" BILLY
Sings Greatest Palace Music (Drag City)
Bonnie Prince Billy indeed sings the greatest Palace music. Greatest Palace music as determined by fans, and the musicians appearing on the record, some of whom are Nashville session players. A good song is a good song whether it's done on a single acoustic guitar or rounded out with pedal steel, fiddle, or mandolin. That holds true with Palace music. Same sad, beautiful music, man (sniff, sniff). Perfect Saturday morning coffee drinking music. Which is ironic 'cause that's what I'm doing right now—Snappy Jim

BOSS MARTIANS
The Set-Up (MuSick Recordings)
This is a melodic indie rock album that strays into Elvis Costello-like territory on "Walk Away" and "He'll Be Around". So, this is pretty accessible stuff. This may be garage punk, but the garage has a new automatic door, is heated and freshly painted with everything in ship-shape order. This group has left its surf rock roots behind for something like polished Joe Jackson. Witness the steppin' out on "Oh, Angela"—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

BOXCAR SATAN
Upstanding and Indigent (Dog Fingers Recordings)
Boxcar Satan takes so much from Captain Beefheart one almost has to look past that to realize how good the group is. Vocalist Sanford Allen is a real Beefheart soundalike and he also plays guitar in the intricate, angular style of The Magic Band's Jeff Cotton. However, Boxcar Satan is heavier and darker than the Captain, coming from the post-goth direction of bands like Scratch Acid and early Birthday Party. The content of such damaged characters as a bandit queen ("Shoot Down the Sun") and an alcoholic that trades drink for the Lord ("Drunk on the Blood of the Lamb") owes much to Tom Waits, I would say. Boxcar Satan certainly has all the right references and mixes up the elements right for manic, imaginative, damaged blues. Much press references cite a Southern influence here, but I find that valid only when considering the gonzo early punk tradition of Texas such as Roky Erickson, Big Boys and early Butthole Surfers. The band goes from those roots to the artists already mentioned to approach near to the territory of The Jesus Lizard. Few bands run such an excellent spectrum and shine so well in its multi-hued glow—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

BRAINERD
There's No Eye in Pussy (Crustacean)
This sounds like what you would get if you captured Rob Zombie, fattened him up with bacon, shipped him in a wooden crate to wherever-the-fuck Wisconsin and let him loose into the wilderness to form a band with whatever jamokes he could round up and ply with whiskey. Throw in a dash of seventies rock and maybe a whack from the funk stick and I guarantee you will see the eye in puss eye—Sasquatch Jim

BREAKING THE SILENCE
Near Life Experience (Hopeless)
One of the perks of being a record reviewer (an unpaid record reviewer I might add) is that I get to witness musical trends as they come and go. Whether it's alternative, grunge, pop, ska, indie, emo, or this mixation (not a word) and meldation (not a word) of hardcore and the emo music–screamo, some call it–I see and hear it all. Well, the screamo shoe fits snugly with this Chicago band and their record Near Life Experience. Not bad for what it is, but it's already kind of worn out (or is that well worn?). The former can be annoying and yet the later can be comforting. Interesting—Jayne Wayne

THE BREAKUP SOCIETY
James at Thirty-Five (Get Hip)
Don't know who the kid is on the cover but somebody whacked him good with the goofy stick. Anyway, the singer sounds like a dead ringer for Mike Wing (Vambo Marble Eye, Team Satan, Leghorn, Booker Noe, etc.). I'm not gonna hold that against him though. This is a collection of sixteen songs of rock, pop and roll about love, girls, love and shit. I still don't agree with the cover art but that's just me—Jayne Wayne

THE COLLISIONS
Talk Is the New Action (Windjam)
Along with "Gasoline Can" and "Amateur," one standout track on this post-garage indie rock album is "Live by Fire, Die by Fire." That title reminds me of the Bukowski book Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame. That leads me to fellow Bukowski fan Adam Grossman who used that title for the title of a Skrew album. This album from The Collisions remind me at times of Grossman's earlier post-Texas punk band Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat was doing industrial music with a rock combo, and it is the focus on heavy, persistent rhythms that is making that connection for me. However, there is also a wild, unfettered, shrieking flair for the dramatic that really makes this disc singular and worth listening to repeatedly. There is also something about a held back laugh in the extreme subject matter that suggests gallows humor and may be due to the fact that singer/songwriter/ guitarist Bo Barringer was a one time gravedigger. All of this comes to a climax in the trio's fiery rendition of Robert Johnson's "Me & The Devil Blues"—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

THE CRACK PIPES
Snakes in My Veins (Emperor Jones)
This Texas band has a rough garage punk blues in-spired sound that bounces along on organ. Some occasional horns lend a damaged Stax air to the rugged retro rock. By giving its garage noise a blues lining the band ends up with a sound like Ike Turner meets Blue Cheer, or James Brown producing a Mudhoney release—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

DECIBATORS
Four Songs (no label)
Four rockin' tunes from Chicago's one and only purveyors of whiskey and beer soaked big rock riffs, Thee Decibators. This EP features the spastic-tacular, "Factory Floor," as well as a new version of "Burning Under the Sun," plus two more new and previously unreleased nuggets. Good old fashioned drinkin' rock and rollover—Private Chomps

DEERHOOF
Milk Man (Kill Rock Stars)
Deerhoof excels at a balance of memorable melody and ear-catching experimentation. Part of the charm of the post-rock ensemble's sound is the child-like, high-pitched falsetto vocals of vocalist/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki. Her lullaby delivery over the angular guitar sounds and electro-beats completes the picture. The amalgamation of cutesy pop and edgy crunchiness has been tried before, but few have or will reach the fine heights of this weird and wonderful ensemble. The arrangements are dramatic and open, like a chamber work, while the Japanese schoolgirl vocals fill in the spaces with islands of sweet sound for a well rounded, varied album—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

THE DEXATEENS
The Dexateens (Estrus)
I took a bunch of dexateens one night at a party, and dude, I was soooo wasted, man. But that's beside the point (and rather silly, actually). The Dexateens are from Tuscaloosa, which I do believe is Alabamy. The D-Teens play a bluesy, southern rock, that is both high energy and laid-back at the same time. The vocalist sounds like Mike Wing (Vambo Marble Eye, Team Satan, Leghorn, Booker Noe, etc.) but I won't hold that against them—Jayne Wayne

THE DICK PANTHERS
Would Like to Congratulate You (Hollow Bunny)
This CDR arrived in a plastic baggy with little or no further information on what exactly a Dick Panther is. After listening to their CD, I am no closer to unraveling that sweet mystery. I will say that it is some bizarre, humorous, twisted home recorded music. They appear to be from Jamaica Plain, Mass. Possibly a drum machine or some computerized drum program, keyboards. Possibly the work of a lone Dick Panther, could even be someone's name. If that's the case, I congratulate Mr. Panthers on his strange accomplishments—P.C. Jones

D.O.A.
War and Peace (Sudden Death)
Subtitled 25th Anniversary Anthology, this collection includes recordings from 1978 (Disco Sucks 7") to 2001 (Win The Battle). This seminal, incredibly influential Canadian hardcore band was instrumental in laying out the hardcore formula for all of North America to follow. Listening to tracks such as "World War 3", "War" and "Death to the Multinationals" show that frontman Joey Keithley has been remarkably consistent in keeping his band on message. Decrying war and a new world order with great punk rock, activism and angst aside, and even putting aside that anti disco anthem, Keithley has always had a penchant for a pronounced and heavily accented rhythm which is probably one reason why his music has succeeded so well to reach over 500,000 total record sales—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

DUVALL
Volume & Density (Asian Man)
For those of you who don't know (I didn't) Duvall is the return of Josh and Eli Caterer of 90s Smoking Popes fame. Josh formed Duvall after his spiritual rebirth as a devout Christian. I must admit I've always considered The Popes to be an acquired taste (one that I myself never acquired) but I like Duvall's simple, steady, distorted guitar hooks and Josh's crooning. As South Park has taught us you can pretty much take any love song and sing it about God or Jesus or whoever. So if you were/are a Smoking Popes fan and that's you're only hang-up, get over it... and praise Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Amen—P.C. Jones

ECHO-STATIC
Empty Spaces (Crustacean)
From the Dairyland capitol of Madison, Wisconsin, Echostatic deliver a late eighties indie rock sound on this eight song CD. Sonic Youth is an obvious influence and Empty Spaces even features a cover of SY's "Schizophrenia" which manages to capture the dual guitar frenzy created by Thurston and Lee with admirable results. The other original tracks, while maybe not as dynamic as the venerated masters, seek to recreate the textural soundscape of that aforementioned group and era of guitar rock pop noise—Jayne Wayne

EVENINGS
Other Victorians (Lookout!)
Unlike anything heard on Lookout! before is right. Forget the p-rock for a moment (or an evening) and you'll find Other Victorians is a much more progressive enterprise than any Screeching Weasel EP you're likely to encounter anytime soon. More in the vein of Radiohead than the Mr. T Experience. I don't know what other Victorians think about this record but this Victorian thinks this ain't a bad piece of atmospheric, post-pre-modern-Post-Raisin-Bran rock and I'm digging it—Donkey Man

THE FORCES OF EVIL
Friend or Foe? (Jive)
You didn't think that just because ska has fallen out of favor with the kids that ska would just go away, did you? Seriously, you didn't really think that, did you? You did? You jerk-off! The Forces of Evil are back with the ska, y'all, and now that every other band isn't trying to get over on the ska tip, I kinda like it, so you had better put me in the Friend category, FOE, 'cause you don't want me as a foe. Believe that!—Dick Cheney

GOLDSTARS
Gotta Get Out (Pravda)
Formed by Skipper and Goodtime of New Duncan Imperials fame, and including ex-Krinkle, Sal, on bass and guitarist Dag Juhlin of Poi Dog Pondering and the Slugs, the Goldstars are here to kick your ass back a decade or two but more possibly three. Back to the electric organ grinding garage rock of the 60s. Gotta get retro-fitted—T. Bone

GREENDAY
1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (Lookout!)
Greenday didn't just drop from the sky the year punk broke. Nope, they actually put in their time in the Berkeley punk scene and released a few LPs and seven inch EPs for Lookout! records. This is a repackaged re-release of their first album, two seven inches and a compilation track. Green Day didn't invent the genre, but after years and years of listening to countless imitators, it's good to hear it done so well. As Yoda might say, a new found respect for Green Day I have. (Sorry to get all Star Wars geeky on ya)—D. Rumsfeld

THE GROODIES
The Groodies (Red Line)
Don't know what a Groodie is but this is some good, crunchy, tight hardcore. The live and raw sounding recording and the reverb on the vocals make them sound like the Adolescents' female counterparts. SoCal Hardcore from the Windy City. I love it–Joey Germ

HAPPY
Sincerely Without Wax (doubleplusgood)
Happy was formed by ex-H. Chinaski guitarist/singer Andrew Johnson, and if I remember that band correctly, continues in that same vein of controlled spasmic rock that falls somewhere close to punk, math rock, and emo without ever falling close enough to be captured by that comparison. From Oshkosh, b'gosh—Irresistible Frank

HAROLD WASHING MACHINE
Self-titled (no label)
They took their name from one of our favorite public servants and one of our favorite home appliances, and I suspect that's not just tobacco in those cigarettes they're smoking. HWM wisely avoids slavish genre exercises by tastefully skimming the surfaces and tapping the rich veins of AC/DC-ish classic riffing and Touch & Go stop-start berzerko-rock and imbuing them with a self-confident, un-fussy songwriting sense, allthewhile wringing four nifty you-have-or-maybe-you-haven't heard it all before numbers out of the still-moist dishcloth of (yes) rock and roll. I'm fully aware that I'm mixing metaphors and running on with my sentences, but this is the Reglar Wiglar and Harold Washing Machine are great enough to justify the desecration of the Queen's tongue—Ken Snow

HIDDEN TRACKS
The Sweet Sound of Excess (Disposable Pop Revolution)
Twelve songs of clever, catchy pop music from the artists formerly known as Grain U.S.A. If a lot of those pop punk bands could write more like these guys, a lot of those pop punk bands wouldn't suck quite as much as they do. Oh yes, I'm talking to you, Blink 182!–Joey Germ

THE JERRYS
Jerry Rigged (no label)
One of the more absurd aspects of writing reviews for this increasingly stupid magazine is the diversity of music that we receive for review. Diverse in the rock universe that is. For example, I could go from listening to a blisteringly angry hardcore/punk screamo band to this self-released pop music CD. Boom! Just like that. The Jerrys is called such, presumably, because all the songs were written and performed by Jerry Schwartz, so everyone in the band is named Jerry. Get it?! The Jerry's songs are catchy in a Beatles, 60s pop kinda way but the production is sorely lacking. The drums sound like they were recorded down the street and around the corner (and up a tree). I have to admit though, the police sirens on "911" did fool me. I thought it was the real deal. That's just the neighborhood though. I'm just sorry I ate my stash. I guess I'm not that sorry though—Muggsy McMurphy

JUST A FIRE
Light Up (Asian Man)
Just a fire. Not a very bright fire, not a very warm fire, and consequently, not a very good fire—Jayne Wayne

LAST VEGAS
Lick 'em and Leave 'em (Get Hip)
There's something vaguely (overtly?) retro about this Chicago band, which might explain why they're on Get Hip. Down and dirty rock that's not ashamed (I would hope) to tread water in the same dirty rock pool of our forefathers. Guitar solos? Yep. Long hair? For the most part. Snarly, sneering vocals? Check. Clever sexual innuendo-laced album title? Lick 'Em and Leave 'Em? That's totally nasty, I totally get it! By the way, who gave rock permission to make a comeback anyway? That's what I wanna know—Irresistible Frankfurter

LEG HOUNDS
Leg Hounds (Demolition Derby)
New York punk rock groups (New York Dolls, Dictators) and 60s trash rock (Sonics, Wailers) inspire this band, however, this Wisconsin group also has a melodic and romantic streak that allows for such ballads as "Too Late". This is a fun and rocking album that is a time capsule of what was cool and underground thirty years ago and remains vital today—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

THE LITTLE KILLERS
The Little Killers (Crypt)
The Little Killers get the distinction of being Crypt's first release in over five years. Why a five year break? Dunno. The LKs play stripped down, bass-guitar- drums, dirty rock and roll. Twelve songs, twenty-seven minutes and some seconds to shake your shit and get you back to the basics (provided, of course, that you weren't already there)—Irresistible Frank

LOCAL H
Whatever Happened to PJ Soles/Alive 05 (Studio E)
I remember way, way back in the day, I chanced upon Local H playing at The Avalon in Chicago. The Avalon is now a tanning spa, but way, way back in the day it was a dark and dirty rock club with two music rooms that had bands playing simultaneously, so a lot of rock music moved through there. They would also always be out of their advertised beer special too. Even if you were there fifteen seconds after the doors opened, which never ceased to get my goat, but I digress. Local H happened to be playing that night and while this was at the height of Nirvana mania and my initial reaction was that this was nothing more than a Nirvana rip-off, the ferocity with which Scott Lucas and drummer, Joe Daniels attacked their songs was undeniable. They went on to bigger and better things and seem to have come full circle with this new record. The Nirvana influence is still there. Now with ex-Rights of the Accused drummer, Brian St. Clair on the skins, Local H still pack a punch. Smashing Pumpkins, Veruca Salt, Urge Overkill; gone, No wait, Urge Overkill: back. Local H: still here–Joey Germ

MADCAP
Under Suspicion (Victory)
I was at the dentist today having a filling replaced, or refilled or some shit, so half my mouth is still numb from the Novocain, so when I take a drink from my coffee cup, coffee dribbles down the side of my mouth. It's freaking me out, man. Anyfuckingway, Madcap. What do you think of when you hear the name Madcap? Madcapped, no? Pretty decent punk rock. It's good to see that Victory ain't just pushin' metal down our throats, you know? Madcap ain't bad. Of course, I've only listened to one song so far—Jack Cracknuts

MICHAEL MCDAETH
Rusted on Through (Sophisticated Monkey)
Despite the rather humorous press kits' promise of oral sex if I, the music writer, listen to this CD three times, I think I'm going to pass on that offer. I'm going to pass even though I fulfilled my part of the bargain. I did listen to this CD three times and having done such, I have only one thing to say: I want those 78 minutes of my life back!–Joey Germ

THE MEANS
Divine Right of Means (doubleplusgood)
This is the third Means CD in about as many years and the second for DPG. The Divine Right finds the Means continuing in their own tradition of heavy guitar rock and throat wrenching vocals, but with a few surprises thrown in. In fact, one or two songs even come close to balladry while still exposing the ugly side–Joey Germ

MOTHERSCRATCHER
Slumber Party (Roostercow)
You know what? Hüsker Dü are, like, the most overrated band of all time. I swear, the way people go on and on and on about them on THE FUCKING INTERNET, actually, I like Hüsker Dü okay, but I don't wish they would get back together or anything. Same goes for The Replacements and I think MotherScratcher shares that sentiment, because if The Replacement ever got back together, the jig would be up. This sucks!—Soggy Sprinkles

THE MUMMIES
Death By Unga Bunga!! (Estrus)
This is a collection of rarities from these costumed garage rockers taken from rare 45s. The band revels in the most primitive of arrangements and sound so that these tracks sound like unearthed go-go teenbeat singles from the 50s. These songs hum and buzz with over modulated tones and the burning stench of pharaonic wrappings bursting afire with white-hot rock. This is a fitting testament to the bandaged kings of the lo-fi garage rock revival, the costumed super heroes of the proto-punk sound—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

CHRIS MURRAY
The 4-Track Adventures of Venice Shoreline Chris (Asian Man)
This is some home-recorded rootsy ska written and performed by one-man-ska-band Chris Murray. This ain't no Reel Big Fish or Less Than Jake ska. This might, in fact, be your parent's ska. That rough sound that at first listen Moon Records thought too rough to release, is exactly what is so endearing about this 4-track adventure. This is actually a re-release from that original Moon Records issue. And it's a good thing too, as I plan on leaving this sucker right where it is (it's in my CD player)—Jayne Wayne

THE NEUROTIC SWINGERS
Artrats (Demolition Derby)
This French punk rock band offers an old school sound on this LP. The band draws heavily on the North American punk tradition: Teenage Head, Dead Boys, and New York Dolls. Another influence is France's Dogs. "Nineteen" on this album is a cover from that band. So, this is a very hard rock influenced take on punk with heavy riffs and pronounced choruses—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

NEW BOMB TURKS
Switchblade Tongues, Butterknife Brains (Gearhead)
If you're like me, and you think that the Turks' debut album "Destroy! Oh Boy!" is one of the top five achievements in the history of human endeavor, then you'd certainly agree that this collection of singles and outtakes ranks somewhere in the top twenty. Right between constructing The Great Wall of China, and eating eighty-five hot dogs in twelve minutes—Don Cheeto

NUMBER ONE FAN
Compromises (Pat's Record Company)
It's funny to me to see that so many bands coming out of Appleton, Wisconsin because my Grandma used to live there and it was boring as fuck-all when I used visit. Of course, this was in the late 70s/early 80s. It's good to see that the effects of my visits when I was twelve are finally being felt in that town. Anyway, Number One Fan play passionate rock music with "deeply personal" lyrics, and are sure to be huge and it's all thanks to me. You're welcome—Thee Brat

MIKE PARK
For the Love of Music (Sub City)
This is a CD of acoustic songs written and performed by Asian Man Records founder, Mike Park. Songs of love, politics and racial harmony yet not folky, not trippy, dippy, or even hippy for that matter. And not a bad break from the punk rock, either—P.C. Jones

POLYSICS
Neu (Asian Man)
This spastic Japanese quartet have been compared to Kraftwerk and Devo but to me they sound more like Scissor Girls were trapped with Frogger in an Asteroids machine. (How do you like that comparison, Germ, you fucking hack!) And if any of those handy comparisons haven't quite piqued the interest of your little peabrains, then trust me when I say this CD kicks ass—Irresistible Frank

RAINY DAY SAINTS
Saturday's Haze (Get Hip)
Rainy Day Saints is a one man band featuring Dave Swanson on all instruments. Some of you may be familiar with Dave from his work with GBV, Cobra Verde, Death of Samantha (the list goes on). Saturday's Haze is a collection of a dozen psychedelic pop rock tunes that actually sit quite well with a Saturday haze, or I imagine it would since it is Thursday afternoon now. It is quite hazy today, however—Grover Cleveland

THE RAMBLIN' AMBASSADORS
Avanti (Mint)
In the spirit of Dick Dale, this is big beat guitar music with nods to surf rock, Dave Alvin and Link Wray. This instrumental trio of twang-men is formed around Huevos Rancheros guitarist Brent J. Cooper. This is recommended if you like The Ventures (witness "Hawgtied"), Ennio Morricone (witness "Theme from 'The Ramblin' Bastards") or Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

RPG
Fulltime (Direct Hit)
Mega-super-big-fuckin' riffs on RPG's debut full-length. Larger than life amps, many cubic feet of hair and an insatiable appetite for the rock. RPG may stand for rocket propelled grenade but I think it should stand for Rad Phuckin' Ggggrrrock, man!—Joey RPGerm

ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS
Rocket Redux (Smog Veil)
The band that gave birth to Pere Ubu and Dead Boys, 70s Cleveland rockers Rocket from the Tombs here offers a reprise of a reprise. Material for this first ever studio album was taken from the collection of demos and live recordings that made up The Day the Earth Met the Rocket from the Tombs (Glitterhouse, 2000). This means we have the first studio recordings of "30 Seconds over Tokyo" and "Life Stinks." These two Peter Laughner songs were originally done by Rocket from the Tombs and only later by Pere Ubu. The group had already been together for a summer tour before it decided to record these songs, now fully rehearsed, with Richard Lloyd at his Manhattan EGB Studios. This seminal group existed for less than a year but was very important which makes this belated recording an important moment in rock history—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

ROY
Tacomatose (Initial)
Five songs in the indie rock tradition by some dudes who are (were?) in much heavier, darker bands (Harkonen, Botch). Anthemic blue collar rock and roll according to the press kit, but I don't necessarily get the blue collar thing, whatever that means. One of the songs has a harmonica. Maybe that's where that comes from. Anyway, while not a bad attempt at something else, not too satisfying for this listener overall—P.C. Jones

SALEM
Love It or Leave Me (Fiddler)
The influences of The Police, The Cure, and U2 were not delivered as promised in the press sheet. What was delivered was a rather generic brand of bland rock that insulted my intelligence as someone who has, not only heard of the aforementioned bands, but who's also heard their music. Tsk, tsk—Jayne Wayne

SIMPLY SAUCER
Cyborgs Revisited (Get Back!)
Sheez, humanity's overrated ain't it? Sure, once in a great while, someone, somewhere does something that isn't, like, totally counter-to-what-we're-all-supposed-to-be-in-this-together-for, but really, when and if you get down to us doing what's good for us, we'd be better off without ourselves, right? Well, maybe. So Simply Saucer sure made a pretty good case for a brighter future as such on Cyborgs Revisited. For the unhip out there, CR is one of those records. One that you should hear, but perhaps you haven't. Yet. A record like Trout Mask Replica or the third Big Star record or Champion Do or Oar. If you've ever wished that The Dream Syndicate sounded a little more–no wait–A LOT more like The Velvet Underground, were from Canada, wrote songs celebrating the inevitable (entire human race replaced by machines (GOOD RIDDANCE, yippee!)) and rocked harder, this is the album for you!—Oliver Trask

THE SKINTONES
Rock Scene Problem (Crustacean)
This Madison four piece keep the Killdozer tradition alive and well, utilizing the same heavy drudge rock, gravely vocals, and dark sense of humor. Entertaining on CD and I would imagine equally if not more entertaining to catch in a drunk, bleary Wisconsin bar atmosphere. Their press kit says, "they usually try to avoid one another outside of rehearsals and shows." I love it, that's the way it should be—Snappy Jim

SNAPCASE
Bright Flashes (Victory)
A little treat for Snapcase fans, a CD of outtakes or "lost songs" from 2002's End Transmission album. Interesting, interesting. The covers include two Devo, ("Freedom of Choice, "Gates of Steel"), one Helmet, ("Blacktop") and a Jane's Addiction ("Mountain Song"). If you are a Snapcase devotee then you simply must possess this unusual and interesting album—Jack the Dandy

STICKS & STONES
The Strife and Times (Chunksaah)
This is a forty-two song, two disc remastered release chronicling the history of New Jersey's Sticks and Stones, a band that was around in the early 90s East Coast hardcore scene, which I wasn't around myself. I mean, I was around, of course I was around, but I wasn't around this, you know. Anyfuckingway, The Clash, Replacements and Television are cited as influences but I also hear a little bit of early Soul Asylum as well. It will take me awhile to get through this CD proper and will require more time than I have to get this review in but I'm thinking this one will hold up even beyond last year's tenth anniversary of the release of the bands debut, Theme Song for Nothing. That's why re-releases are so important. They introduce people to bands who have long since broken up, bands people like myself, who couldn't be everywhere in the country at the same time, have never heard of. Sticks and Stones may break my bones anyday—Condi Rice

STREET DOGS
Savin Hill (Crosscheck)
Boston's Street Dogs are a working class punk rock band featuring Mike McClogan (formerly of the Dropkick Murphys) on vocals. If you've heard this kind of anthemic shout-along punk rock before then you have a pretty good idea of what the Street Dogs are all about, and if you haven't, this might not be the best place to start—Jimmy Jangle

THE SUBHUMANS
Incorrect Thoughts (C.D. Presents Ltd.)
Joey Germ told me that "Slave To My Dick" was the only thing that this band ever did, and that then they turned into D.O.A. I'm no punk historian, so I don't know about the D.O.A. part, but about the "S.T.M.D." part: wrrrong-o! Sure, they recorded that classic classic (included here) but they also made the fifty-sixth best record album ever, which sounds a lot more like the Wipers than I would have guessed. And if Germ ever wants to hear "Let's Go Down To Hollywood (& Shoot People!)", he's just going to have to beg!—Andre Salmon

SUGARCULT
Palm Trees and Power Lines (Artemis)
Palm trees and power lines? Lemme guess, we're talking about fuckin' California. Well, anyway that's cool. I was in a sugar cult when I was, like, five years old. Yeah, I was down with Sugar Bear when that brother was down with sugar, but times change and you grow up, you know what I'm sayin'? So, anyway, Sugarcult is a pop rock band that writes decent, if not a bit generic, pop/rock songs. This is their second record. Their first one soundscanned 300,000 copies. They have played with The Strokes, The Hives, The Vines, Blink 182, and Good Charlotte. They made #3 on Rolling Stone's recent "Hot List." They have a "DIY attitude"—Frosty O.

THE SULTANS
Ghost Ship (Swami)
John Reis puts out records more frequently than many of our readers get laid. No affront intended to the sexual prowess of our readership, but the guy's in a lot of bands. He's no Robert Pollard in the prolificacy department, but the answer to the question "What kind of man reads Reglar Wiglar?" ain't quite Ron Jeremy either. Nevertheless, the Sultans aren't the best band J.R.'s in (the Hot Snakes are) but they do tread water admirably in The Real Kids' and The Clash's end of the pool. Definitely worth a few bucks if you find it used, like I did—I.C. London

THOSE UNKNOWN
Those Unknown (TKO)
This is a reissue of Those Unknown's 1995 debut CD. In hindsight, this album proves to be a high water mark in old school punk of the mid-'90s. The group has a tough, muscular street punk sound with nods to hardcore. At its feistiest it is what an old friend of mine would have descriptively called "booth thrash". There is a real working class attitude here ("Bound for Glory, Headed for Hell") and slight English accent that makes the music oi-friendly. The original release has been expanded to fourteen by the addition of two bonus tracks. All the lyrics are provided and there are liner notes from band member Rich Owens. In today's largely apolitical neo-punk scene the incisive radicalism of those unknowns is refreshing and Rich Owens fairly calls for a revolution in his liner notes. Should a revolution come, this would be an ideal soundtrack. Punk revival that is RIYL: Sham 69, The Business, The Addicts—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

TWINHATERS
twinHATERS (Failed Experiment)
Elements of metal and punk rock get all mixed up together in this batch of ten tunes from Chi-Town's TwinHaters. As a twin however, I am very offended by the name—Tweedle Dee

TYRADES
The Tyrades (Broken Rekids)
After three EPs, Tyrades are out with a full-length CD of sputtering and spastic retro punk reaching back. This album recalls the spitting and outrageous first wave of L.A. punk, like The Weirdos and The Screamers. Intense and infectious, this is fun and cathartic music—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

VAMPLIFIER
3 song demo (no label)
Vamplifier either play blood-sucking amplified music or perform amplified seduction, I'm not sure which but this three song sampler demonstrates a knack for sophisticated songwriting that will have you thirsting (loudly) for more!—Count Von Blowenstein

VARIOUS
Blizzard Blue No. 1 (Yawn)
A surprisingly good and diverse compilation of bands from across the country. I say surprisingly because this comp. is comprised of bands who are affiliated with zines and the zine community and who knew there was such a talented groups of zinester/musicians out there> The people at Yawn Records for one. Some highlights are the crazy ska-influenced madness of Wichita's O'Phil, Dropsonic's bluesy slide guitar rock and the Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth produced Mad Happy. Solid, yo—J. Ashcroft

VARIOUS
Guns N' Roses Tribute: Bring You to Your Knees (Law of Inertia)
With GNR's latest opus, Chinese Democracy, in its seventh year of production and close to the fourteen million dollar mark (and destined to become an industry joke for the next fifty years), a group of up and coming LA metal bands are here to tide you over until the aforementioned would-be classic gets scrapped for good. Zombie Apocalypse, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Eighteen Visions all get in on the act, and yes they do "Welcome to the Jungle," and "Sweet Child of Mine," and "Paradise City," but you're gonna hafta find out for yourself who does what and how—Axl Pose

VARIOUS
Hello, We Are the Militia Group, Vol. 1 (The Militia Group)
Grab yourself a beer (or some soda), get a tattoo, and throw in this Militia Group comp. for some heavy emo rockers from Big Collapse, The Beautiful Mistake, Anadivine and my fave, Tora! Tora! Torrance. Most of these tracks are previously unreleased, so you know what you gotta do, soldier. NOW DO IT!—Sgt. Chomps

VARIOUS
New York City Rock N Roll (Radical)
DJ Stephen Blush, author of "American Hardcore: A Tribal History", compiled this compiling of twenty-two bands and he did a great job. Blush seems to be documenting a return to the post-glam punk scene of Blondie, New York Dolls and more from the Max's Kansas City and CBGB's heyday. Listening to Detox Darlings, SkŸm and Slunt, one has to agree. Interestingly, female vocalists fiercely lead most of the bands presented here—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

VARIOUS
Spiders from Venus: Women Cover David Bowie (Skipping Discs)
The long-winded title sums up the angle here. This disc avoids the fate of most compilations of being uneven with only a few shining tracks. First, the material is, of course, excellent. The Bowie songbook is sampled from Space Oddity to Heathen. This includes such songs as "Golden Years", "Starman" and "Boys Keep Swinging". On hand to cover the Bowie material is Lunasect, Switchblade Kittens, Neil Young's sister Astrid Young and Essra Mohawk, the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter that has been making music since the 60s and was the "Uncle Meat" of the Mothers of Invention—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

VARIOUS
Take Action!, Vol. 3 (Sub City)
A gigantic butt-load of rock bands on this comp. a portion of the proceeds of which benefit the National Hotline Network (1-800-SUICIDE). Small Brown Bike, Division of Laura Lee, Rise Against, This Day Forward, and, like I said, just a butt-load more. Two discs, forty-five tunes, a good cause...buy it!—Joey Germ

VICE DOLLS
Die Trying (CrossCheck)
Hardcore from the Heartland. Singer Carrie Nance has got a pretty intense voice/delivery. I might step into the pit for the Vice Dolls, despite the fact that it's been about fifteen years since I've stepped into a pit and my spine would probably get snapped like a twig. Like a dry, brittle twig—P.C. Jones

WAY OFF THE HORSE
Way Off the Horse (Crustacean)
I wouldn't say these guys are way off the horse, they sound more like they're recently off the horse or struggling to get off the horse, or maybe they're still on that sucker. Desperate, dirty, mean. From the photos in their press release it looks like WOTH is fronted by my Aunt Irma (if she hadn't shaved for a couple of days). I'll have to ask her about that, she doesn't live far from Madison—Irresistible Frank

THE WEIRDOS
We Got the Neutron Bomb: Weird World, Vol. 2 (Frontier Records)
Today "punk rock" generally refers to hard rock down to amateur youths with visceral enthusiasm. The Weirdos is one of those seminal punk rock acts that developed from a scene that was all promise and never derivative. All this experimentation led to a lot of uneven material. However, this assembly of archive material is very consistent. The album brings together unreleased studio, live, and rehearsal material covering 1977 to 1989—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

WESLEY WILLIS
Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 (Alternative Tentacles)
Alternative Tentacles chose to make this posthumous Wesley Willis greatest hits package its first enhanced CD release. As a fitting tribute, this compendium includes selected tracks from self-produced Willis CDs as well as unreleased and very early material. Henry Rollins and Jello Biafra wrote the liner notes to the manic mosaic of keyboards and profanity, commercial quotes and nonlinear metaphors—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

7" Vinyl

TSAR
"Straight" b/w "The Creature in Disguise" (Birdman)
Tsar places itself between joyously rocking glam that is in no way self-conscious and the eerie, guitar based goth rock sound that gave us Bauhaus and Siouxsie Sioux. Shades of that goth loom over the b-side, "The Creature in Disguise." "Straight" is an anthem to glam throwbacks in the spirit of New York Dolls delivered with Dead Boys passion—Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

KASPAR HAUSER
"4 Time Winner" b/w "Western" (RoosterCow/Spacesuit)
Two folksy, countrified rockers from Chicago's Tom Comerford and Company. I was gonna say that they just don't write 'em like this anymore, but they do. They do—Billy Neil

MJB
"Hey Forty" b/w "Fake Rock" CD-R (Semper Lo-Fi)
Technically this is not a 7" but since it is only two songs it is being treated as such. "Hey Forty" is not a tribute to my favorite drink but rather a shout-out (or shout-at) to those approaching the big Four Oh. By the same token "Fake Rock" would have to be a shout-out to those who espouse or endorse the playing of inauth-entic rock and roll—Sherlock Homey

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