THE ALL AMERICAN REJECTS
The All American Rejects (Dog House)
I hope these guys don’t think that their self-deprecating band name will save them from the wrath of the Reglar Wiglar Record Reviewers. That would be a mistake. As it turns out, I’ll be leaving the name alone in order to concentrate on some other particulars. The AARs are a pair of Okie songwriters who write over-produced pop songs containing the always-threatened “infectious melodies.” It’s basically Weezer without the rock (I was gonna say without the balls, but that didn’t sound right). Possibly teenage girls will get into this, but probably not the teenage boys and certainly not old burnt-out hipsters (myself being included among the later)—P.C. Jones
THE ATARIS
…anywhere but here (Kung Fu)
Anywhere but my stereo. Sorry, couldn’t resist that one. Upper Management has been trying to get me to tone down the negativity in my reviews since ad revenue pretty much flat-lined around ’96. Old habits die hard, but you can teach an old dog new tricks just like a watched pot always boils (if the burners on). Likewise, I can change. Speaking of the late 90s, this disc was originally released by Kung Fu in 1997 with little fanfare. Now that the Ataris have come into their own as part of the massive pop-punk army — a people’s army, if you will — this disc has been re-released to the civilian population. So buy it again, buy it for the first time, buy it for a friend, just buy it ’cause we could all use the money—Joey Germ
AUDIO KARATE
Space Camp (Kung Fu)
Debut full-length from this Rosemead, CA quartet of young pop punkers. AK posses better than average songwriting abilities in a genre that’s been glutted for quite some time (as should be evident from reading only a handful of reviews in this magazine). AK do it a little better, due mostly to the vocals of Art Barrios which are delivered in that raspy, crackly, urgent, bordering-on-emo style. Tight, poppy, punk for the kids. Aiiii-ya! (that was a karate chop scream)—Drunk Bill
AVENGED SEVENFOLD
Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (Hopeless)
Heavy metal on a punk label? Yep. It’s metal pretty much through and through. Nothin’ wrong with that. Nope. I likes metal. The problem is Avenged Sevenfold’s attempt to mix genres by taking the double bass drum, the growling vocals and the muted metal riffs and then throwing in the occasional burst of metal-style crooning ala the late Layne Staley is cause for nothing short of a brain hemorrhage. (and not the good kind!). Queen is the last band I know of to be able to pull off this much fucking around per song. The question is, does Avenged Sevenfold pull it off? Not for me they don’t, but I like Weedbrain so go figure—Malcolm Tent
THE BEAUTIFUL MISTAKE
Light a Match, for I Deserve to Burn (The Militia Group)
Somebody light a match! This is one of those slow-tempo emo bands that, in addition to the emo vocals, also have some hardcore dude barking shit on the choruses. Not a beautiful mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. Let’s nip this particular music trend in the bud—Joey Germ
BLACK WIDOWS
Stops a Beating Heart (Initial)
Don’t let the metal name fool yah, these guys play the punk rock music. I say, don’t let the name fool yah, ’cause the cousin of a friend of mine back in high school was in a band called Black Widow. This was circa The CrŸe’s Too Fast for Love, and they weren’t bad as far as friends’ cousin’s bands go, know what I mean? Hold up a sec. Now I can’t remember if I just made that whole thing up or not… no, it’s true. I think. Anyway, these Black Widows are the punk rock equivalent of a mid-Eighties, CrŸe-worshiping metal band from Wisconsin… or a spider. Sorry if I’m not making sense, I really haven’t been sleeping that well lately—Malcolm Tent
BLOOD RED
Hostage (Initial)
The members of Blood Red share a mutual admiration for the rock and roll band, U2. An indie punk band that openly admits they like U2 and is influenced by U2 gets automaticprops from me. It’s not easy coming out, but doesn’t it feel good? No more lies. Anyway, this Long Island band is the result of the merger of two other L.I. bands, Silent Majority and Inside, (also known for their melodic brand of hardcore music). While I’m not ashamed to admit I like U2 better than I like Blood Red, I’m still giving them props for liking U2 (The Alarm would have been a different story altogether)—Jayne Wayne
THE BLOW
Bonus Album (K)
Oh, what a smart-ass, shit rag record reviewer couldn’t do with a band called The Blow. The mind boggles at the possibilities… I won’t go there ’cause I’ve been there, ok? It’s too easy. It’s a coward’s way out and I’m a Record Reviewer goddamn it! Kids look up to me. The Blow is kind of a quirky weird pop band and by band I mean Kaela Maricich who sounds not unlike fellow K recording artist, Mira, at times. The Blow also covers that “Jet Ski Accidents” song about Hüsker Dü that I was telling you about in my Wolf Colonel review which I know you read (and if you haven’t go read it now). Kinda freaky, huh?—P.C. Jones
BOUNCING SOULS/ANTI-FLAG
BYO Split Series Volume IV (BYO)
Perhaps the most solid of the BYO Split Series (although I must admit to missing out on II). Two evenly matched, tight, quality punk bands bring some new tunes to the table as well as covers of classic punk songs by Buzzcocks, Cocksparrer, and Anti-Flag (courtesy of Bouncing Souls, of course.)—Drunk Bill
BRATMOBILE
Girls Get Busy (Lookout!)
Despite (at least one) breakup in the last ten plus years, the B-Mobile is still mobile, still in commission and still on a mission to deliver a cynical yet positive message to the youths of today. With their own blend of monotone vocals delivered over pared down surf-tinged punk, the Brats beat back—Toad Anderson
THE CHERRY VALENCE
Riffin’ (Estrus)
I gotta tell ya, with some of the people I’ve had the displeasure of sharing living space with over the past dozen or so years (many who’ve had questionable taste in music) an album titled Riffin’ might as well have a big yellow sticker on it that says: DANGER! HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE! PROPERTY OF YUCCA MOUNTAIN—DO NOT OPEN FOR 24,000 YEARS, etc. Does anyone know where I’m coming from on this one? I mean, let’s not riff and say we did, ok? But this ain’t no album-oriented rock recycled from the 70s via the 60s. Riffin’ makes it cool to riff again and who amongst us can’t understand why we need that? Seems like a different sound from their self-titled Estrus debut, from what I remember. They seem to have tempered the garage rock in favor of, well, in favor of some riffin’. A logical progression. Whiskey not included—Malcolm Tent
CHIMERA
The Cost (Lookout!)
If the holy fire-breathing beast of post-emo came home to roost in the corpse of a decaying post-rock fantasy, it would probably sound something like this, whatever the hell that means—Irresistible Frank
COCO
The Coco Sound (K)
Minimalist dance music from Chris and Olivia City of Olympia. Did I get up and dance to it? No, like many white people, I can’t dance. If I could dance, would I have gotten up and danced to this? I might have tried after a few cocktails. While I don’t have a problem with dance music necessarily and while I appreciate the simplicity of the drums and bass sound, this was neither engaging to my brain nor did it arouse my booty and inspire it to shake—Drunk Bill
THE CONTROL
The Forgotten EP (Go-Kart)
Four blistering bits of throat-wrenching hardcore that you could listen to ten times in ten minutes, which is why this review took ten seconds to write. Hardcore is about brevity. From Buffalo. Buffalo gives you wings—Drunk Bill
COUNTRY TEASERS
Science Hat Artistic Cube Moral Nosebleed Empire (In The Red)
Billy Catfish told me about these guys a few months ago and said I needed to have them in my life. I’m glad he did, because now I do. Truly, truly, truly, effed-up garbage. If you like the Fall and/or Billy Childish (yes, Jim, I’m talking to you), you should like this. If you don’t like those things, I suggest you flush this magazine down the toilet right now. And don’t forget to wash your hands—Al Gore
CRAW
Bodies for Strontium 90 (Hydra Head)
Craw? Craw? Craw? Remember Milkmine, Morsel, Jaks? That early nineties, Midwest, AmRep sound? Is this the same Craw? Sounds like the same Craw. It is the same Craw. Same heavy fast attack. This takes me back to a place that I don’t know if I wanna go to? Oh hell, gimmie a forty (that was my drink back in them days) and I’ll tip it for my homies. That’s when I first started writing record reviews for this magazine. Christ, I was young then. Full of piss and vinegar and forties of… whatever. You couldn’t tell me nothin’ back then. I remember this one time when a buddy and me went to- (We interrupt this record review in order to spare you, the reader, from reading any more of this sickening nostalgic reminiscing of days probably best forgotten. We now return you to the review still in progress. You’re welcome.) —that stain never did come out!—Muggsy McMurphy
CURLUPANDDIE
Unfortunately We’re Not Robots (Revelation)
I’m guessing that the title of this CD is a line from a movie but I could be mistaken. I just gotta come right out and say that, while I dig the music, I have a real low tolerance for this style of screaming-bloody-hell vocal delivery. You think that makes me a pussy? Then try to lick me. See you in the pit—Muggsy McMurphy
D+
Mistake (K)
“There must be some mistake! I couldn’t have possibly gotten a D+” How many times have you heard yourself desperately scream that question? I’ve been there. D+ may have been there too and that’s how were going to segue into this record review. D+ is somewhat of a super group of laidback and understated indie rockers consisting of Bret Lunsford (Beat Happening), Phil Elvrum (Old Time Relijun) and Karl Blau (Captain Fathom). It’s pretty sparse and minimal crooning by people who don’t necessarily have what you might call “good” singing voices. But if you like mellow, sitting-around-the-living-room-on-a-rainy-day-strumming-a-guitar-and-singing music, then make no mistake, you’ve earned a D+—Jayne Wayne
DAG NASTY
Minority of One (Revelation)
The Godfathers of Emo return after a ten-year absence. I kinda missed out on Dag Nasty. Never really listened to a Dag Nasty record ’til now. Having said that, this ain’t a bad introduction. Yes, they do blend punk rock aggression and rock melody together. Yes, I can hear that they’ve influenced more than a few bands. Yes, they do indeed seem to do it better than most of their predecessors. Yes, it does rock pretty hard. Yes, yes, yes—Drunk Bill
DEAD TO FALL
Everything I Touch Falls to Pieces (Victory)
Everything I touch turns to shit too, man, I know what it’s like. This is the debut release from Chicago death metalheads, Dead to Fall. It’s pretty heavy, it’s tight enough, and I like the guitar shit but it seems like the whole thing could stand a heavier treatment with louder drums and bass, and I wish there was some knob on my stereo which would turn down the vocals, but what are you gonna do?—Malcolm Tent
DILLINGER FOUR
Situationist Comedy (Fat Wreck Chords)
I really, actually, truly, sincerely like this fucking band and this record…alot. Why do I feel the need to stress that point? I don’t know, so many bands try to do this, but D4 do it with so seemingly little effort and do it so well and in the grand tradition of Minneapolis (don’t forget St. Paul) bands that know how to rock. I just don’t think I need to expand anymore on this topic so I’ll leave you now—Joey Germ
DIVIT
Broadcaster (Nitro)
Divit is one of those bands with “pop and punk sensibilities.” I don’t really get the punk part of that from this CD but I’ll take a press sheet’s word for it any day. Divit are actually a pop band, and as such, they do their duty and serve their genre by writing songs concerning various emotional situations and feelings. Most of the twelve songs on Broadcaster tend to blur together into one mid tempo song with the exception of “Plan B” which breaks out of the mold a little bit and would probably be the single in another time and a different industry—Joseph Germs
THE ENEMIES
Seize the Day (Lookout!)
With enemies like this who needs friends? If you want a good punk rock kick in the pants then seize this CD!—P.C. Jones
FLESHIES
The Game of Fotbol (Adeline)
A touching tribute to the game of fotbol from Oak-land’s crazed hooligans, Fleshies. Both fascinating and funny, and coming out as it did at the height of World Cup Fever (or in this country World Cup Warm Fore-head) Fleshies get another wet thumbs up the cooch for Fœtbol. The title track is simply beautiful and had me weeping in my pint. Also released as a ten inch picture disc featuring a futbol. Can’t wait for rugby season to start!—Joey Germ
THE FLIPSIDES
Clever One (Pink & Black)
Clever, poppy, punky Bay Area three-piece fronted by singer/songwriter (not in the bad way), Sabrina. Reminds me of the 80s (in the good way)—Jayne Wayne
THE 4-SQUARES
Steve’s Hamper (Quincy Shanks)
Not a barber shop quartet despite the name. In fact, they probably don’t get to the barber shop too much. Nope, they probably just shave their heads in the sink (just like Mom used to do). Heady, heavy hardcore with a metal edge and a dual spit-fire vocal attack. Not unlike Suicidal Tendencies. Are they really squares though?—Joey Germ
THE GLORYHOLES
Knock You Up (eMpTy)
I just got knocked up by the Gloryholes…hard—Joey Germ
GORE GORE GIRLS
Up All Night (Get Hip)
These Motor City Gore Gore Girls mix a little 50s doo wop, a little 60s R&B and a lot of garage rock into what would be a trip down memory lane if I wasn’t only a twelve year old kid, but I’d still let them be my mommy any day (wink, wink)—Jimmy the Twelve Year Old Record Reviewer
NEIL MICHAEL HAGERTY
Plays That Good Old Rock and Roll (Drag City)
Pretty far out, man. One song here, “Shaved C*nt,” almost makes me cry every time I hear it. It’s a song about a woman who was treated unfairly early in life, but who finally found the love and admiration of others via the Internet. “It’s known around the world/ A picture of a woman/ From the belly-button to the knees/ In a style some might call Chinese” and at the end, “You gave your best to help them/ Though they never even saw your face/ You touched them and you changed them/ And it will last forever.” I can’t help but feel a little proud of the part I played in helping these lost souls—Soggy Sprinkles
INDK
Kill Whitey! (Go-Kart)
Kill Whitey? Fuck yeah, kill Whitey. Destroy Whitey, motherfucker! But don’t just kill Whitey, burn down Whitey’s house too! Shut Whitey’s factories down! Interfere with the means of Whitey’s production. Throw a wrench in Whitey’s financial plans. Fuck up his frickin’ prospectus, man! Wait a minute. I’m Whitey. Excuse me. INDK, features members of Leftover Crack and Choking Victim and address similar social themes with an approach that fuses hardcore with some elements of the more melodic oi and ska genres. The Lower East Side may be gentrificationifying* but New York Hardcore is back!—P.C. Jones
*No, I didn’t steal that word from the President, but I’d like to say thanks to George Bush for making illiteracy cool again!
INSENSE
Insense (This Dark Reign)
Look out! Oslo metal band comin’ through! While Insense is heavy and hard in a Lamb of God sort of way, it also turns a corner pretty quickly by slowing down the tempo but without losing the intensity. It’s good when an attempt at versatility doesn’t turn into the kiss of death but rather, a big slobbery kiss of death metal instead—Malcolm “King of All Metal” Tent
JUCIFER
I Name You Destroyer (Velocette)
A very interesting juxtaposition of sounds and styles here. Sexy, hushed vocals and screaming thunderous metal AND they named me Destroyer—Destroyer
LAMBS
Random Radio (Devil Doll)
Lay it down little lambs. Finnish Metal that is neither the church burnin’ variety nor the hair band brand. Random Radio is nothing glacier-shattering but it’s pretty decent. I didn’t get my Lapplands in a bunch over it, but it ain’t bad. Definitely worth a markka or two, if you got it to spare—Tarja Halonen
LITTLE WINGS
Light Green Leaves (K)
There seems to be a healthy stock of feral singer/ songwriters running wild and free in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, and K seems to have poached a great many of them and got them to record. Little Wings is the brainchild of Kyle Green and like many of his labelmates on K, he keeps it simple, mostly acoustic and heartfelt. Light Green Leaves is an understated album of rainy day, backwoods, front porch folk music and to add to the appeal of that, if I am to understand correctly, this album comes in three different formats, CD, LP and cassette with each format containing a different recorded version of the songs, a novel idea—Jayne Wayne
LOST CITY ANGELS
Lost City Angels (Nitro)
Punk and rock: rock punk from Boston. LCA do it as well as any punk band and better than many a Southern California pop punk band I’ve heard. Watch out for track nine though. It can throw you for a loop if you’re not ready for it—Joey Germ
MANIFESTO JUKEBOX
Remedy (BYO)
While I certainly don’t dispute the Hüsker Dü comparisons that have been generously heaped upon this Finnish power trio, I would like to offer the suggestion that they sound more like Soul Asylum. Yes, Soul Asylum did have some punk rock soul at one point in time and Manifesto Jukebox has it now. Was it Jon Stewart that called Finland the “taint of Europe”? As hilarious as I think that is, Manifesto proves that this tain’t necessarily so—Müggsy McMürphy
MCLUSKY
Mclusky Do Dallas (Too Pure)
Mclusky is a three piece band from Cardiff (UK) with a record call Mclusky Does Dallas which was recorded in Chicago (by Albini). My point? I have none. Just trying to kick off the review with a fairly uninteresting geographical observation. Hey, I’ve read worse so back the fuck off. Anyway this is some pretty good shit comin’ out of the UK. Mclusky is Bush’s (the band) wet dream and they have a pretty good fuck-all sense of humor as is evident from the wonderful “The World Loves Us and is Our Bitch” That’s tellin’ ’em! So mind yer bollocks, mates, Mcluskys here and they’ve got their boots on—Anthony Blair
THE MICROPHONES
Song Islands (K)
This is a collection of singles and songs from various cassette tape compilations-just a bunch of sparse and quirky pop songs from The Microphones, a.k.a. Phil Evrum, with help from his friends which include a bevy of K Recording Stars. It would cost you a fortune to buy all these releases separately. In fact, it would probably be impossible, but here they are for the discerning pop enthusiast—Sloppy Bill
MIDNIGHT THUNDER EXPRESS
Midnight Thunder Express (eMpTy)
I wouldn’t necessarily say that MTE’s attitude and high-powered rock makes up for their apparent lack of originality, although this is many times the case with this new breed of garage rock, but I must say that the New York Dolls took care of all this almost thirty years ago, and they did it in heels—Irresistible Frank
MUDHONEY
Since We’ve Become Translucent (Sub Pop)
If rock and roll has a John Salley, it’s Mudhoney—Soggy Sprinkles
NOFX
45 or 46 Songs That Weren’t Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records
(Fat Wreck Chords)
The title should be 45 or 46 Songs That Weren’t Good Enough to Go on Any of Our Records Ever and that title should be on the one copy of a cassette tape in the glove compartment of the tour van, way, way in the back. Kidding, of course!!! I actually enjoyed this, so I think the premise for this CD is silly. It should be 45 or 46 Songs That Aren’t Strictly Punk Rock So Some of You Fourteen Year Old Punks Might Be Put Off By It—Drunk Bill
NO USE FOR A NAME
Hard Rock Bottom (Fat Wreck Chords)
More pop punk music on the seventh release from the band that has brought you six previous pop punk releases—AutoReviewer 2000
OZMA
The Doubble Donkey Disc (Kung Fu)
This CD contains two EPs, The Russian Coldfusion EP and The Bootytraps EP, which adds up to just over forty minutes of music! Reminiscent of the Weezer in more ways than sharing the letter Z in their names. Ozma has an unabashed similarity to that particular powerhouse pop band, but for as much as they sound like Weezer, Ozma is not afraid to add it’s own special flava and shake it up a bit by mixing in some Russian folk dressing and adding the unlikely rock instrument of balalaika, which makes for some interesting instrumental interludes. In the end it’s the power pop framework of Weezer that Ozma stick to. Fans of Weezer take note—Irresistible Frank
THE PAYBACKS
Knock Loud (Get Hip)
I pop CDs in most of the time without looking at cover art or looking at the press sheet. Only later do I consult these tools to make sure I don’t make any assumptions about anything. I listened to this Paybacks CD once all the way through thinking the singer was a dude with a really rock, if somewhat effeminate, voice. It’s actually a chick with a really rock, if somewhat masculine, voice. Same shit. Works either way. Paybacks play classic 70s style rock in the Cheap Trick vein. They’ll have you checkin’ yer assumptions at the door—P.C. Jones
PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES
Good Health (Lookout!)
I liked the name before I ever heard the band and then I got this CD and then they played the Fireside the very next week and the three planets aligned. I think I had a “moment” when they played “Speakers Push the Air,” (thank God pee stains wash out)—Joey Germ
ARCHER PREWITT
Three (Thrill Jockey)
Creator of the loveably naive Sof’ Boy comic book character, guitarist for Sea & Cake and (formerly of) the Cocktails, Archer Prewitt it would appear, is the poster boy for Indie Rockness. Three is fourteen songs of pop music; ballads ditties, and the like, in the tradition of Seventies soft rock balladeers. Not my usual cup of tea, but quite enjoyable. Easy like a Sunday morning, I would say, since it is Sunday morning and things have been pretty mellow so far—Irresistible Frank
THE QUEERS
Pleasant Screams (Lookout!)
Sounds like somebody beating the shit out of a bag of cats—Grandpa Pete
REIGNING SOUND
Time Bomb High School (In The Red)
Wow! What a record! Underground rock!Phooey! The Reigning Sound would much rather go under the boardwalk. Greg Cartwright, a lifelong resident of my own home state, Tennessee, doesn’t seem to have a bad record, or a bad song, in him. A modern Democrat through and through. I have access to the voting records so I know. He picks his tunes carefully and considers and reconsiders all his licks before he stumps them before the citizenry. As a member of the Oblivians, Compulsive Gamblers, ’68 Comeback, and briefly, Deadly Snakes, he’s had a hand in some of the best rock & roll (as it was practiced by the Founding Fathers) records of the past ten years. But does the constituency care? Like his ideological forebear Alex Chilton (an anarchist who has never voted-he’s not even registered!) Cartwright understands, “Ask not what music can do for you. Ask what you can do for music”, and likewise fills out his albums with obscure nuggets from the forgotten past. As I said, there’s not a bad tune on here and Greg and his crack band burn through fifteen numbers in just under forty minutes. If only our own elected officials could be so efficient. Sure, you could say that the title track is three years late addressing the Columbine massacre, but that’s not the point. When’s the last time Bruce Springsteen did a better Bruce Springsteen song than “Time Bomb High School”? Listen to this and you’ll know the answer is “Never!” The ten other originals and four covers on this slab run the gamut from the minute-and-a-half, back-to-the-wall perfection of “Straight Shooter,” to the Stones groove on “Reptile Style,” to classic tear-jerkers like “I Walk By Your House,” and “I Don’t Know How to Tell You,” to the just plain gorgeous “I’m Holding Out.” They manage to hit all points in between, simultaneously, on the rest. If I still haven’t convinced you that you should hear this, let me put it this way: this is the album that you always wished Paul Westerberg solo albums would sound like, and hit you in the chest like, but they never did, and probably never will. Oh, and if you’re ever in Memphis, be sure to drop by Greg’s new RECORD STORE: Legba Records, near the intersection of Cooper and Young, for the best in rock & roll, blues, country, and folk! Tell ’em Al sent ya!—Al Gore
REMEMBERING NEVER
She Looks Good in Red (Ferret Music)
It’s a binary universe, so let’s decide this one with a coin toss. Heads, it’s good, tails, it’s not….. Heads it is!-Soggy Sprinkles RESCUE Volume Plus Volume (Dead Droid) I was sitting on the couch at Mike Sims’ house, stoned on grass, drunk on three-quarters of half the case of Busch I was splitting with Mike, and he put a Richie Havens record on. I couldn’t tell if it was the greatest thing I’d ever heard, or if I was just too out of it to tell the difference. I do know though, that this record isn’t as good as the Richie Havens—Soggy Sprinkles
THE RESONARS
Lunar Kit (Get Hip)
The Resonars resonate like a blast of the past from the past to the past. It’s a musical model, a replica if you will, of a 60s garage/folk/rock/pop like you might find somewhere on a disc in a Nugget’s box set. Turn that reverb up, brother, I can take it—P.C. Jones
ROTTEN APPLES
Real-Tuff (Durable Plastic) (eMpTy)
One rotten apple spoils the bunch. You’ve heard that right? Well, step into Rotten Apples’ orchard, pluck some fruit from the tree and take a bite out of a delicious punk rock band from the Pacific Northwest. A rotten apple a day keeps the doctor away—Jayne Wayne
RUINS
1986-1992 (Skin Graft)
Twenty-three early recordings from Japan’s avant noise kings, Ruins. Rare, remixed, and remastered by Tatsuya Yoshida, this is a good introduction to one of the planet’s most flipped drum and bass duos. It’ll make yah a little crazy-crazy like a rat!—Irresistible Frank
SELBY TIGERS
Curse of the Selby Tigers (Hopeless)
The Selby Tigers unleash thirteen snarly and mean slabs of rock that’ll slash yah if you stand too close — careful now! The Tigers go off like a crabby B-52s playing dance music for kids who get up on the wrong side of the bed every day ’cause they like it that way—Drunk Bill
STAVESACRE
Stavesacre (Nitro)
This record and this band sound like it and they should be huge. Right up there with Creed and Puddle of Mudd, and Nickelback, et al. It’s got a big alterna-rock sound. They toured with POD and did the Vans Warped thing. Maybe this is it. Maybe this is their breakthrough release. This is Staveacre’s fourth album and according to singer, Mark Solomon, it’s “the hardest we ever worked at crafting our songs.” Maybe. I guess it just sounds, I don’t know, too crafted?—Drunk Bill
SIXER
Beautiful Trash (BYO)
This reminded me of Ann Beretta almost immediately and for good reason, Sixer contains two members of that fellow RVA band. This is some top notch, sing-along, fist-pumping punk rock that’ll kick you hard in the pants—Twelver
STILLWELL
Don’t Face a Problem…Burn It (Forge Again/Hewhocorrupts)
That’s always been my motto. Burn the fucker down. Math rock from Homewood, IL. It’s good to see that not every four kids who graduate from high school form a pop punk band. That’s not the only career path you can take, kiddies. It just pays the best—Joey Germ
SUICIDE NOTE
You’re Not Looking So Good (Ferret Music)
Some pretty heavy shit from Indianapolis. Who knew? Hardcore bordering on metal and not so much as a suicide note for an explanation. None of us is looking too good these days. Must be the booze—Drunk Bill
THE TUFFETS
Jump on the Tiger (no label)
Don’t let the name deceive you. The Tuffet’s name might conjure up images of Little Miss Muffet and curds and way(?) and all that fairy tale shit but this Chicago trio leans more towards the metal side than Mother Goose’s nursery rhymin’ ass. So jump on the Tiger, Miss Muffet, and go for a ride!—Malcolm Tent
ULTIMATE FAKEBOOK
Open Up and Say Awesome (Initial)
Decent Weezer rock without any strong personality comin’ through. You know, it’s just OK—P.C. Jones
VARIOUS
A Fistful of Rock’n’Roll Volume 9 (Devil Doll)
A fistful of cock rock is more like it. Nevertheless, this CD comp., which seems to change labels a lot, does indeed rock from beginning to end and while that will never go out of vogue in my book, it certainly seems to be in vogue now. New Bomb Turks, Hellacopters and many, many (twenty-two!) more—Jayne Wayne
VARIOUS
Hopelessly Devoted to You (Hopeless)
Some released and some unreleased tracks from the Hopeless roster, like my faves, Selby Tigers, Scared of Chaka and Atom and His Package and your faves, Mustard Plug, Samiam and Weakerthans—Joey Germ
VARIOUS
Pop for Charity (Doubleplusgood)
A good balance of rock and rap on this benefit CD from Minneapolis label, doupleplusgood. The benefit? Local musicians, naturally, but you the listener will be benefiting from Spivey’s, Dillinger Four, Non-Prophets and Buck 65 and the wonderfully named, Congratulations on Your Decision to Become a Pilot—P.C. Jones
VARIOUS
Punk Rock is Your Friend (Kung Fu)
There aren’t too many things that start with the letter “P” that you need more than this album. So, if you’ve already got pants, peanut butter, Parcheesi, a porch, parents, palms, Play-Doh, pajamas, a pup tent, plenty of prophylactics, a parachute, progeny, a Ph.D., Plato’s Republic, pus, perfect attendance, peace of mind, Pine Sol, papers (to put your pot in, so you can puff it), Post Traumatic Stress syndrome, a prostate, and a pussy, well, then, by all means, purchase this, pronto!—Soggy Sprinkles
VARIOUS
MTV Road Rule: Don’t Make Me Pull This Thing Over Volume 1 (Roadrunner)
Pull it over, pull it over, I wanna get off!—Jimmy the Geek
VARIOUS
Quincy Shanks Sampler #4 (Quincy Shanks)
A sampler from the Quincy Shanks label that features some quality punk rock and hardcore from bands like Biscayne, 4-Squares, and Munition (that singers got some pipes!) among others. Check it out, it’s a beautiful thing—Joey Germ
VARIOUS
Sample This, Too (BYO)
The cover of this CD has a drawing of punk rocker punching a dude with glasses, which made me think, “Wait! This is an anti-nerd record, not cool.” Then I realized that the punk rocker has breasts so I’m thinking, “Oh that makes it ok, I think.” Then I realize that this punk rock chick is punching a techno geek so it’s all good. Anyway, this compilation celebrates twenty years of BYO and features released and soon-to-be-released (by now probably released) stuff by BYO affiliated bands: Rancid, Anti-Flag, Youth Brigade, NOFX, and more!—Joey Germ
VARIOUS
Shipwreck Day (know-yer-own)
Is it Shipwreck Day already? Seems like only yesterday we were sitting around the wrecked hull of the of the old U.S.S. Indie Rock reminiscing about the good old days. This is a compilation from Anacortes, WA’s know-yer-own label which features the talents of homegrown Washington artists Calvin Johnson, Micro-phones, Little Wings and others. If you’re a fan of K Records and their catalog, you will find a kindred soul in the know-yer-own label and this compilation—Irresistible Frank
VARIOUS
The Thing That Ate Floyd (Lookout!)
A blast from the past and a rerelease of a relic of punk rock history. Whatever happened to Vomit Launch or Bitch Fight? Some recognizable names on this for sure, No Use For A Name, Crimpshine, Operation Ivy, Steel-pole Bathtub. Seems like a lot more creativity and diversity was going on back then. Seems like these bands weren’t afraid to do whatever the fuck they liked and screw they punk purists. “Bananas Smell Funny Sonata in G” by Boo! Hiss! Pfftlb! and Eyeball’s “The Incredibly Blue Mustache of Mr. Tinselteeth” are good examples of the Dickies inspired silliness that seems to be absent with today’s studied and serious young punk rockers. Or maybe I’m just old. That’s probably it actually—Joey Germ
VOLUMIZER
Gaga for Gigi (Mint)
A rock band composed of a bunch of legendary, underground Vancouver musicians who’ve played in various punk and new wave bands back in the 80s. Volumizer is in no way as groundbreaking as the collective projects of the individual members may have been “back in the day,” but it’s decent female-fronted midtempo rock music—Jayne Wayne
VOODOO GLOW SKULLS
Steady as She Goes (Victory)
This is Tommy Lasorda’s favorite album. This is Jane Wyman’s second favorite album. This is Andy Richter’s third favorite album. This is Sammy Hagar’s fourth favorite album. This is Fred Grandy’s fifth favorite album. This is Janet Reno’s sixth favorite album. This is Madonna’s seventh favorite album. This is Marcel Marceau’s eighth favorite album. This is Les Lipschitz’s ninth favorite album. This is Gerald Ford’s tenth favorite album. This is Fab Moretti’s eleventh favorite album. This is James Taylor’s eleventh favorite album. This is Nancy Spungeon’s twelfth favorite album. This is Andre Salmon’s thirteenth favorite album. This is Jayne Wayne’s fourteenth favorite album. This is Chef Boyardee’s fifteenth favorite album. This is the D.C. sniper’s sixteenth favorite album. This is Ray Romano’s seventeenth favorite album. This is Rock Hudson’s eighteenth favorite album. This is Joe Six-pack’s nineteenth favorite album. This is Steven Tyler’s twentieth favorite album. This is Earline Rickett’s twenty-first favorite album. This is Richard Simmons’s twenty-second favorite album. This is Blaise Cendrars’s twenty-third favorite album. This is Reese Witherspoon’s twenty-fourth favorite album. This is Steve Stelling’s twenty-fifth favorite album. This is Saddam Hussein’s twenty-sixth favorite album. This is Morton Downey Jr.’s twenty-seventh favorite album. This is Mike Wing’s twenty-eighth favorite album. This is Ann Coulter’s twenty-ninth favorite album. This is Mary Todd Lincoln’s twenty-ninth favorite album. This is Danny Panic’s thirtieth favorite album. This is John Madden’s thirty-first favorite album. This is Chilly Willy’s thirty-second favorite album. This is Marlon Brando’s thirty-second favorite album. This is Ed Ruscha’s thirty-third favorite album. This is Jim Derogatis’s thirty-fourth favorite album. This is Donald Trump’s thirty-fifth favorite album. This is Pat Benatar’s thirty-sixth favorite album. This is G. Gordon Liddy’s thirty-seventh favorite album. This is John Fogerty’s thirty-eighth! favorite album. This is Chelsea Clinton’s thirty-ninth favorite album. This is Hulk Hogan’s fortieth favorite album. This is Dan Rather’s forty-first favorite album. This is Ted Falconi’s forty-second favorite album. This is Linda Lovelace’s forty-third favorite album. This is Axl Rose’s forty-fourth favorite album. This is Anna Kournikova’s forty-fifth favorite album. This is Kelly Clarkson’s forty-sixth favorite album. This is Ed Bradley’s forty-seventh favorite album. This is Jimmy Connors’s forty-eighth favorite album. This is Henry Rollins’ forty-ninth favorite album. This is the Tombstone Kid’s fiftieth favorite album. This is Lindsay Buckingham’s fifty-first favorite album. This is Chi-Chi Rodriquez’s fifty-second favorite album. This is Bob Dylan’s son’s fifty-third favorite album. This is Susan B. Anthony’s fifty-fourth favorite album. This is Chuck Woolery’s fifty-fifth favorite album. This is Penelope Pitstop’s fifty-sixth favorite album. This is R.W. McQuarters’s fifty-seventh favorite album! This is Todd Rundgren’s fifty-eighth favorite album. This is Tony Hawk’s fifty-ninth favorite album. This is Belinda Carlisle’s sixtieth favorite album. This is Cardinal Francis George’s sixty-first favorite album. This is Tom Petty’s sixty-second favorite album. This is Pauly Shore’s sixty-third favorite album. This is Alex Van Halen’s sixty-fourth favorite album. This is Sue Storm’s sixty-fifth favorite album. This is Robert Blake’s sixty-sixth favorite album. This is Pele’s sixty-seventh favorite album. This is my sixty-eighth favorite album—Soggy Sprinkles
BEN WEASEL
Fidatevi (Panic Button)
Ben consitpatedly sings his way through fourteen tracks on his latest introspective solo project—Joey Ferret
WEIRD WAR
Weird War (Drag City)
Wecords, I mean records, don’t get much weirder than this one, Weird War, and by weird, I mean, “Woah!”—Soggy Sprinkles
WOLF COLONEL
Something/Everything (K)
I’ve never read any reviews of a Wolf Colonel (Jason Andersen) record but I’ll bet you one thing, I’ll bet he’s sick to death of being compared to Rob Pollard. Well, don’t kick it yet ’cause I got one more: From the arrangements, to the voice, Anderson’s style, even the way the songs start, like “Sophomore” or “The Most Delicious Part” for example, it’s pretty GBV derivative. Maybe Andersen has been primed by indie rock powers-that-be to step up in the event that anything should happen to Pollard, kinda of like the Vice President or something. I must admit that Andersen could fill those shoes pretty competently and with a sense of humor as well, the evidence of which is on a song like “Jet Ski Accidents.” “And don’t you think we should kiss while the HŸsker DŸ is playing/Do you like Grant Hart’s songs?/Do you like Bob Mould’s songs?/And have you ever sung along with New Day Rising? The answers are no, yes, yes, and yes. An indie rock troubadour for sure—P.C. Jones
YESTERDAY’S KIDS
Can’t Hear Nothin’ (Panic Button)
This ain’t yesterday’s kids, these guys are still kids! I mean “young adults” who play a pretty good brand of pop punk music and they’re from Green Bay, Wisconsin. I hear from their press sheet that they’re the most talked about band in the Midwest! I imagine that would be a very difficult thing to gauge. I personally have yet to discuss them or overhear anyone else discussing them but that doesn’t make it untrue. Oh, yeah, one more thing, and this has nothing to do with YK or their music but, PACKERS SUCK!—B. Urlacher
YOUNG AND SEXY
Stand Up for Your Mother (Mint)
I’m all for Young and Sexy. I support Young and Sexy rights, Affirmative Action for the Young and Sexy, funding for the Young and Sexy… Anyway, this isn’t the usual fare we get doled out here at RWHQ, if it ain’t punk rock I don’t know what it is, but this is some pretty, slow-paced, poppy indie rock from Canada that makes me weep when I listen to it. Seriously—Frankie the Boot
YUME BITSU
The Golden Vessyl of Sound (K)
This is a pretty cool CD that not only has no song titles but very few vocals. It’s unchartered improv meanderings and free-form wanderings that sets the mood for in-your-head space travel with nary a jolt or a bump or even a ripple in the space time continuum to disrupt your journey—Ace of Space
7″ Vinyl
DECIBATORS/REAGAN NATIONAL CRASH DIET
“Burning Under the Sun” b/w “White Man” (decirecs/RoosterCow)
Everyone’s in a band or has a friend in a band, and I could count the number of my friends in a band on this record on my fingers and still have one left over for you. In fact, I’ve been–um, intimate, with more than half of them (kisses on the mouth to and from three of the four RNCDers, “Frenching” and a little groping with Todd and Eric of the DBs). But! Don’t think for a minute that just because I like these people as, you know, people, that their music automatically qualifies for the big thumbs up. I’ve had plenty of friends in absolutely awful bands. Just ask me sometime about Magnetic Health Theater, Eat the Document, Crabshack, the Steelers, or too many others to mention. However, these two groups don’t make bad music. The Decibators play hard rock that’s only distinguishable from the best classic Heavy Metal in that it’s faster in the tempos and shorter in the guitar solos. “Nash Crash”, as their friends call them, have always utilized an impressive array of rock strategies and tropes that have impressed many rockers and eggheads, and confused the editors of at least one local music sheet. On “White Man” a Tonto-in-the-jungle motif in the verses gives way to an anthemic chorus worthy of Bruce Springsteen or Britney Spears (or Billy Squire or Barbara Streisand). But Bruce isn’t the kind of guy I like to hang out with, and the time I made out with Britney her mouth tasted like a fucking ashtray. Ptoooie!—Al Gore
THE MEANS
The Means EP (RoosterCow)
Swing to the left, swing to the right-POW- sledge-hammer in your face! That’s what you get for swinging. Let that be a lesson to all you swingers. The Means mean business—Muggsy McMurphy
SALEM LIGHTS
“Barefoot in the Bathroom” b/w “Wolves Fear Sheep” (Funhouse)
A couple of bluesy rockers to kick off the morning. Makes me want to crawl back in bed and rethink this whole “gettin up” thing. Wolves really do fear sheep though, that’s why they eat ’em like they do–Brunk Dill
THE SHAMS
“You Got It” b/w “Your Lovin’ Man” (Deary Me)
Real ’60s garage rock that sounds like it may have actually been recorded in a garage. “You Got It” gots a real Velvet Underground feel, similar recording techniques were employed I’d wager. Not a scam, sham or a shame even—Brunk Dill