July CD Reviews (in alphabetical order)

9 SHOCKS TERROR
FALL TOUR 2003
MAD AT THE WORLD
Recorded live during a three-week European tour, this four-song EP is short and brutal. Breakneck drumming combined with punk guitars and blaring shrieks line every track. Some nifty guitar solos can be heard. Along with the four new tracks, a region-free DVD containing six live shows accompanies the CD. Fans of early-'80's hardcore will enjoy this.
-Anthony

A KISS COULD BE DEADLY
A KISS COULD BE DEADLY
SELF-RELEASED
This disc offers six songs lead by enchanting siren Lauren. Her voice will have you coming back to this CD like rats to the button for food pellets. I became addicted to this sampler immediately and look forward to getting the album. They boast that there isn't anything like it out there—and it's true. I can see people dancing to this...or painting, humping, reflecting—whatever. For me, the synthesizer does it. Not enough music out there features a well-used synthesizer. You can tell when a group of musicians play well together and know what they are doing. You can tell even more when the disc isn't even professionally-done with some big budget and still sounds better than most of the stuff out there. Check this band out. www.akisscouldbedeadly.com
-Thomas Murray

ACCURSED DAWN
MANIFEST DAMNATION
POP FACTION
Virginia's Accursed Dawn's latest, eight-track endeavor showcases a quintet who have nailed the extreme metal formula so well that they've almost rewritten the rules. Melding the sounds of Swedish metal with elements of crust-laden doom rock and a sprinkle of American thrash metal, tracks like the intriguing "Last Requiem for the Storm" clock in at over six minutes—and not once do they become burdensome to listen to. While these guys do dig a bit deep into the Carcass/At the Gates catalog, they do so with the utmost respect and with their own unique twist, making Accursed Dawn's latest one of the most brilliant extreme metal albums to come down the pike in a long time. www.popfaction.com
-Mike SOS

ALL SHALL PERISH
HATE. MALICE.REVENGE
NUCLEAR BLAST
Bay Area death-metal mongers All Shall Perish rip through eight tracks of seething extreme metal on HATE. MALICE. REVENGE. The quintet's hardcore approach to the genre is carried out with brutal conviction, as tracks like "Our Own Grave" and "For Far Too Long..." contain neck-snapping breakdowns and whiplash-inducing rhythms that any type of kid who likes to rage can easily follow through to. www.nuclearblast.com
-Mike SOS

ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH
ALWAYS OUT OF CONTROL BUT NEVER OUT OF BEER
DISCONNECTED RECORDS
It would be difficult to make this album any worse, although I haven't quite decided where the chief cause of mediocrity resides. On one hand, there is a constant stream of mindless political commentary spewing from the lead singer throughout much of this album, while other songs are filled with tiresome lyrics attempting to be humorous and failing miserably. It's a tough call. Some of the lyrical content did make me chuckle once or twice, but these seconds of laughter resulted solely from my disbelief at what I was reading. As far as the music, all the tracks are derived from the punk formula of the late '80s/early '90s. ALWAYS OUT OF CONTROL BUT NEVER OUT OF BEER is a compilation of all the band's recordings from this time period. If you are ultra-conservative or enjoy working with wood, then finish eating your paint chips and order this nonsense.
-Anthony

AMBIVALENT
TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT
BROKEN BONES RECORDS
TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT is fast, angry, and full of profanity. What more could one want from a rock album? It's not as if you could understand the words (even if you tried), so we won't go into lyrical content. I found one thing about this album VERY funny: the first person they thank on their album is God, while the first words uttered on the album are "Hey, motherfuckers, turn that motherfucking shit off." Those sound like God-fearing boys to me! If you're in the mood for some God-fearing modern rock, look no further than Ambivalent. Even if you aren't so God-fearing and just want something to mosh or get shit-faced to, this will do.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
MAFIA
ARTEMIS
The veritable Zakk Wylde returns with yet another solid display of biker boogie on the latest Black Label Society adventure, the 14-track MAFIA. Bursting with riffs that solidify Wylde's status as guitar hero, tracks like "Suicide Messiah" and "Been a Long Time" allow the virtuoso guitarist's roughneck vocals and dazzling dirty fretwork the chance to grab you by the throat; while the tender "In This River" (dedicated to Zakk's fallen friend Dimebag Darrell) showcases the Southern rock roots of BLS. Never disappointing and always on point, MAFIA once again finds BLS going the Motorhead and AC/DC route, giving the people what they want: some honest, no-frills hard rock done with soulful conviction. www.blacklabelsociety.net
-Mike SOS

BANE
THE NOTE
EQUAL VISION
Worcester, MA-based Bane are back (after putting out GIVE BLOOD in '01) with THE NOTE, 10 tracks of unadulterated East Coast hardcore. Keeping it real and playing what they know and love, they refuse to bow down to the latest crazes. For instance, the guys still reject the metal inflections that have been infusing hardcore so much these days. They also eschew the lame clean-vocal trend (well, barring the uncalled-for midsection of the finale "Swan Song", that is) for frontman Aaron Bedard's signature shouts, which blanket the intensely passionate and heavy hardcore. Yeah, there's melody in there, and sure, at times they slow the tempo and lessen the aggression (check out "Pot Committed" and its affecting orchestral-leaning interlude), yet happily (as per usual with this band), they don't wuss out but manage to maintain the intensity and power in each song. Fans should be quite pleased with this latest album.
-Janelle Jones

BANG! BANG!
ELECTRIC SEX
MORPHIUS RECORDS
How is it that every month I end up with one or more CDs about sex? It must be a popular subject. Bang! Bang!'s music is extremely bouncy, female- driven pop/rock...well, half the time at least, as bass player Gretta Fine and guitar player Jack Flash take turns being lead singers. By "pop," I mean '80s pop. All this band needs is a synthesizer and it would be the perfect comeback band for new wave. I like this CD so much that I'm going to run out and buy myself a Juno60 and see if they'll let me join. While I'm out doing that, you should get this CD.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

BBQ
TIE YOUR NOOSE
BOMP!
Precisely executed and delivered, BBQ's TIE YOUR NOOSE is a wake-up call to my generation. Can records truly still sound like they were recorded in a shack in 1952? According to this record, the answer is yes—and the results are spectacular. Upon further inspection, the listener will find that this is actually a live album put out as a studio album. The Black Keys-esque guitars literally bite right through any form of bubblegum pop that is embedded in the spine of every person on Earth born after 1980. If The Rolling Stones and Muddy Waters collaborated with Bo Diddley on a $65 budget in 1952, the result might be something like TIE YOUR NOOSE. The authenticity is spectacular, and the constant blues scales are enriching to an already perfect folk/country sound. Now it's just a matter of whether or not they'll be noticed.
-Zac

BEBEK
SELF-TITLED
SELF-RELEASED
Why the hell was this CD sent to THIS magazine? Hello! PUNK/INDIE/ALTERNATIVE MUSIC MAGAZINE HERE, not hip-hop dub music magazine. If you wanted someone who appreciated this, perhaps you should have sent it to SPIN or Opera's new magazine. I really don't like the music at all. It's annoying, repetitive, and singer Lynn Michalopoulos forces her vibrato half the time, and it sounds like ass. LIKE ASS, I TELL YOU. Jesus fucking Christ [PR company name here], don't you know your market? Do you really think kids in leather pants sporting mohawks, whiny emo kids with thick-rimmed glass, or much-too-trendy indie kids are going to dig this? They're not—and neither do I.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

BENZOS
MORNING STANZAS
STINKY RECORDS
This New York sextet may seem to be just another one of those bands following in the footsteps of Radiohead's birthing of the rocktronica movement. However, MORNING STANZAS, Benzos' debut CD, proves that they are much deeper than that. With influences ranging from Pink Floyd to Miles Davis, this band will send you soaring high into some sort of otherworldly dimension. Fuzzy, almost distorted vocals will make you want to both dance and cry, while exhilarating instrumentals will simply make you sit in awe. If you're in the mood to be amazed (and how could you not be?), this is one CD you REALLY want to get a hold of.
-Tijana Martinovic

BLACKLISTED
WE'RE UNSTOPPABLE
DEATHWISH
Brimming with confidence and stacked with the hardcore chops to take you out like a windmill kick to the head, Philadelphia's Blacklisted embodies the unique spirit of beatdown hardcore on WE'RE UNSTOPPABLE, an unbridled collection of the band's past efforts with some new stuff thrown in for good measure. In the vein of bands like Madball, Hatebreed, and Terror, this outfit chug its way through 10-tracks of no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners, assaulting hardcore, as tracks like "3800" and "My Advice" burst through the speakers with all of the menacing aggression you'd find in the pit. Blacklisted aren't reinventing the wheel here, but they are holding it down with conviction and are a sure-fire mosh-pit picker-upper. www.deathwishinc.com
-Mike SOS

BLAZED
NOW THE PARTY STARTS
SELF-RELEASED
Blazed is a Long Island metal troupe whose famous lineage has garnished the band some astonishing exposure, as lead singer Jesse is the son of metal luminary Dee Snider (Twisted Sister). And while Dad still dons the outfits and rocks arenas worldwide, his son's quartet is trying to follow in those hard-to-fill footsteps. With a discernible '80s rock sound and attitude pervading the eight-track affair, Blazed is unapologetic about closely trailing behind the ghosts of hair metal's past. Pulling off a good hybrid of Skid Row, Shotgun Messiah, and Love/Hate, the balls surpass the brains every time, and the message is way lighter than the musical output. And who knows? With the recent cock-rock revival plastering the airwaves and Blazed already in pole position, they surely have the chops and the upper hand in leading the new wave of youth gone wild. www.blazedrocks.com
-Mike SOS

BLEEDER RESISTOR
SIXTEEN
BASEMENT RECORDS
What's fast, aggressive, and sounds like a cross between Kid Dynamite and The Lawrence Arms? Your answer is the new Bleeder Resistor record. This is straight-ahead hardcore/punk with pop sensibility. It's refreshing to hear an aggressive band that isn't jumping on the metal-emo-core bandwagon that seems to have plagued the entire underground music scene. I'm one of those people who misses the old Kid Dynamite, and hearing a record like this satisfies my appetite—if even only for a few minutes.
-ADF

BOSIO
THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS
SELF-RELEASED
Boring. This is yet another smalltown band out to conquer music with a wanna-sound-like-Taking Back Sunday-/Thursday/The Used/all the other musical acts that have this screaming, angst-filled nonsense that is no longer looked upon as new or innovative but rather dull and tired. I mean, how many nasal singers are out there?! I'd like to pool them all together and say, "Shut up." BOSIO definitely has the formula down, play their instruments well, and would probably have a comfy spot on the Ernie Ball stage at Warped Tour, but if you expect to hear and album from a band that will appear on the cover of SPIN and ROLLING STONE, keep looking.
-Aimee Curran

CHAMPION
TIME SLIPS AWAY
BRIDGE NINE
Champion is a straight-edge hardcore group whose criss-crossed the country with everyone from Sick of It All to Terror and whose latest release chronicles the band's previous works—namely, their last two albums. The 13-track offering contains the quintet's anthems of self-pride, lost relationships, and the pressures of growing up and getting older. It's suitable for dancing, moshing, and ripping it up to, as tracks like the contagious title cut and the stabbing "One Sixteen" mark Champion as one of the premiere hardcore bands on the scene today. www.bridge9.com
-Mike SOS

CHEESEBURGER
GANG'S ALL HERE
KEMADO RECORDS
This six-song EP from New York rock trio Cheeseburger is stripped-down rock 'n' roll. With crunching power chords, powerful drumming, and some roaring vocals, the band sounds like a rough bar brawl. Unfortunately, all the power chords in the world won't help you if you can't write a catchy melody or lyrics better than "Turn that frown upside down." Although the band might be a good bar band with lots of drunks stumbling around, growling obscenities coming from the lead singer, and lots of lyrics about ordering more drinks, the band will never share the stage with serious musicians. Although punk bands like The Germs and The Sex Pistols were able to pull off successful gigs with this level of incompetence, Cheeseburger will have to come up with some better gimmicks to actually become entertaining. As for now, rate this burger as junk food.
-Dug

CIRCA SURVIVE
JUTURNA
EQUAL VISION
Circa Survive's passionate debut contains a shimmering array of heartstrings-pulling post-hardcore songs that sound like a hybrid of The Mars Volta and Quicksand. The high-pitched wail of vocalist Anthony Green is the most distinct instrument used by this Philadelphia-based quintet, but this is a band that creates well-textured sounds that swirl around your speakers with both lush flare and striking imminence. Tracks like "Stop the Fuckin' Car" and "Oh, Hello" don't overpower you straightaway, yet the overwhelming intensity (especially on the overly-effected but extremely effective guitars) hit apexes of jazz-like proportions. Teetering between tough and tender is no easy feat, yet Circa Survive succeeds by taking nuances of prog rock without elongating the songs, maximizing the impact and nearly eliminating all pretentiousness. If you can deal with a dude with a high vocal range and have a soft spot for cascading melody, JUTURNA will accompany FRANCES THE MUTE and 2112 quite nicely. www.equalvision.com
-Mike SOS

CLOSENUF
CLOSENUF
WRECKORDS RECORDS
Closenuf is a NYC outfit whose middle-of-the-road approach to rock is suitable for all ages, based on the outfit's 15-track disc. Sounding like a cross between Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Billy Joel, and Grand Funk Railroad, this quintet's pristine sound and stellar performances shine on tracks like the hypnotic "At Night" and the atmospheric "All the Same". Armed with a lighter approach and accomplished musicians whose musical prowess hearkens back to '70s soft rock, Closenuf is a band that you and your older relatives would probably agree on. www.closenuf.com
-Mike SOS

COLISEUM
GODDAMAGE
MANIC RIDE
Merging punk, hardcore, and metal is commonplace these days—but no one told Kentucky's Coliseum, as the quartet's eight-song, 15-minute, explosive EP destroys everything in its path with vitriolic conviction and true underground fervor. Tracks like "Theme" and "Reborn to Hang" combine the wares of crusty punk, blistering metal, and fist-pumping hardcore into musical equivalents of Molotov cocktails ready to detonate at any given time. www.manicriderecords.com
-Mike SOS

COLLAPSAR
COLLAPSAR
ESCAPE ARTIST
Collapsar is a trio hailing from Louisiana who employ two guitarists and a drummer and still manage to sound as heavy as any band with a bassist. On the band's self-titled debut, there's a whole lot of riffing going on, as well as dual guitars galore and a sense that these guys like Pink Floyd as much as they do Converge—which is never a bad thing. Up for adventure? Allow Collapsar to lead the way with their avant-garde metal styling. www.escapeartistrecords.com
-Mike SOS

CORAM LETHE
THE GATES OF OBLIVION
CANDLELIGHT
Italian death-metal troupe Coram Lethe's cranking 10-track release is yet another fine work of extreme music. This outfit utilizes the technicality of Death with the sheer sonic power of At the Gates throughout THE GATES OF OBLIVION, as tracks like "Shouts of Cowards" and "Hand of Lies" contain the mindful progressiveness and the savage vibes of both bands without directly ripping one off outright. If you enjoy your death metal laden with unexpected twists and turns, check these guys out. www.crashmusicinc.com
-Mike SOS

COUNTRY CLUB
FRIENDS DON'T MAKE FOREARMS EP
SELF-RELEASED
Take some good ideas about structure from Queen, add the dual-vocal style of Alice in Chains (minus the hardcore downers and suicide), and invite the Tower of Power horn section over to hit all the hard notes, and you got Brooklyn's six-man Country Club. I did enjoy the combination of styles merged together, but obviously none of the styles belong to Country Club. FRIENDS DON'T MAKE FOREARMS EP is a fun disc, and from the sound of it, I am guessing that Country Club is a powerful partying live act...but FRIENDS DON'T MAKE FOREARMS EP is not for me. Bottom line: major skills, no imagination, and a shitty band name.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

DAM
PURITY
CANDLELIGHT
English death-metal troupe Dam has studied their Death and Carcass discs ad nauseam, and it shows on the 12-track PURITY. Combining the technical prowess of the more progressive members of the death-metal genre with sledgehammering heavy antics, tracks like "City of Envy" and "Fury" kick it old-school à la Entombed and Malevolent Creation, complete with a heartfelt intensity not heard in much of today's death-metal offerings. www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
-Mike SOS

DEATH IN VEGAS
SATAN'S CIRCUS
DRONE
For this release, rather than collaborating with guest vocalists like Liam Gallagher and Iggy Pop, Death in Vegas decided to pay total homage to the music that strikes their fancy. Electronic German pioneers Kraftwerk, Neul, and Harmonia are just a few names dropped by the band as being essential to their growth. The results are excellent. Nowhere are there any real fat drum and bass; rather, there is a focus on melody, beeps, and twitches that generates a somewhat ambient piece but with more power, conjuring up an excellent array of synthetic atmospheres bordering on the melancholy of Joy Division. Each track builds and builds into a crescendo of various twitches and Gary Numan new-wave goodness. Most importantly, the lack of vocals allows the listeners the opportunity to create a visual piece of their own making. This is a fantastic, mature work for Death in Vegas, making us eager for the future.
-Norberto Gomez, Jr.

DEERHOOF
GREEN COSMOS
MENLO PARK
After hearing this legendary experimental rock band from San Francisco, I feel as though I am drenched in complete cuteness. The keyboard melodies that accompany the angelic Japanese female vocals of Satomi Matsuzaki are so tender and sweet (reminiscent of The Cardigans' frontwoman). The effortless, childlike vocals are excellent against the intensity of the instruments surrounding it. The music itself is a very exciting blend of art-punk (à la Clinic), along with retro, synthesized strings and (sometimes) horns. "Spiral Golden Town" is a brilliant track that exemplifies Deerhoof's sound. Playful keyboard melodies, funky and strong drum and bass, haunting strings, and a somewhat spaghetti-western appeal all add to the creative and collage-like atmosphere of GREEN COSMOS as a whole.
-Norberto Gomez, Jr.

DEMONS AND WIZARDS
TOUCHED BY THE CRIMSON KING
SPV
Team up members of Blind Guardian and Iced earth, and you're bound for some serious metal—and Demons and Wizard's sophomore effort is this and a whole lot more. This 10-track endeavor is laden with all of power metal's staples, from the anthem-like feel of the title track to the savage riffs displayed on "Terror Train" to the inspired cover version of Zeppelin classic "Immigrant Song". Providing a head-exploding experience for fans of both bands and of the genre in general, TOUCHED BY A CRIMSON KING is a power-metal fan's wish come true. www.spv.com
-Mike SOS

DIE YOUNG
ONE
DIYFS
Die Young is a gritty California glam band gone bad, opting to scream their heads off and denounce the vapid posturing while cranking out six tracks chock full of crossover appeal. There's a strong sense of influence of bands like Circle Jerks, Suicidal Tendencies, and Black Flag on songs like "What They Say", giving off a "fuck the world" mentality over scathing music and unearthly vocals. ONE displays a band hell-bent on taking the scene back by any and all means—starting with a solid yet catchy release laden with anthems to kick someone in the head to. www.chrisgultch.tripod.com
-Mike SOS

DIRTY AMERICANS
STRANGE GENERATION
LIQUOR AND POKER
This is rockin' music, despite the band's name. It's not that I take offense, but the name seems contrived. Still, STRANGE GENERATION does represent a "dirty American rock band" (as drummer Jeremiah Pilbeam said when the band first came together). Based out of Michigan, Dirty Americans claim to be the new kings of Detroit rock. Perhaps they'll be able to rule that region of the country, but it will be more difficult to expand to either coast. Highlights include "Car Crash" and "Time in Space". Strong vocals by lead singer Myron stand out and make the album worth a listen—especially if you're into '70s rock.
-Luke Skywalker

DISCIPLE
SELF-TITLED
SRE RECORDINGS
The seventh full-length release for this hard-rocking quartet comes in the band's 12th year—not exactly a breakout date for most bands. After more than 1,200 concerts, six #1 rock hits on the Christian charts, and four Dove nominations (a Christian award) for Best Rock Song and Album of the Year, the band has moved away from its indie Christian roots to showcase some kick-ass talents with a new label. Disciple's sound is hard enough to be a cross between Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, with tons of screaming vocals, blasting guitar, and excellent backing vocals. The band even has the balls to play a traditional power ballad, "Beautiful", that doesn't suck (well…no more so than any other power ballad). This is a great album, and it's about time some Christians show they can do more than screw up our political system.
-Dug

DISENGAGE
APPLICATION FOR AN AFTERLIFE
FRACTURED TRANSMITTER RECORDS
APPLICATION FOR AN AFTERLIFE is Disengage's third LP and doesn't hold back when it comes to foot-smashing beats and hard-hitting, heavy guitars. As I finished listening to the first track, "Pharmacyland", I was pretty impressed with the musical aspects of this album. As I ventured on through the next five tracks, the music became repetitive. The beat structure of the majority of the songs remained the same and became a bore to listen to. I found the lyrics well-written and meaningful, but lead vocalist Jason Byers's vocals didn't convince me they were heartfelt. In fact, I didn't feel anything. "Love Letter Rough Draft" did impress me with its tempo changes and lyrical content, as I finally felt some true emotion from this band. With that being said, I can't suggest buying APPLICATION FOR AN AFTERLIFE. The few songs that were promising aren't enough to keep this title afloat.
-Matt Edmund

DISGORGE
PARALLELS OF INFINITE TORTURE
CRASH
California quintet Disgorge isn't concerned with anything besides presenting a sick array of splattercore riffs on guttural vocals on this grim 10-track death-metal release. Hitting the drums like it was a life-or-death choice while growling out a multitude of guttural utterances, Disgorge aren't likely to win any awards soon—but are highly likely to rip your face clean off. www.crashmusicinc.com
-Mike SOS

DISPATCHED
TERRORIZER
CRASH
Morphing black and Swedish metal into one continuous entity, the Swedish quintet Dispatched's latest endeavor is a 10-track metal experiment gone well. Produced by Anders Friden of In Flames, tracks like "Override" and "Cyber" borrow liberally from their producer's back catalog, while tracks like "Wicked Dreams" display more of a keyboard-tinged, galloping metal attack that sounds like a cross between Children of Bodom and Dimmu Borgir. Interesting when experimental and solid when keeping it heavy, Dispatched's latest release tightly gels two of metal's more intricate styles together. www.crashmusicinc.com
-Mike SOS

DONNYBROOK
LIONS IN THIS GAME
HAND OF HOPE
"You may not like us but we don't care, so fuck you!" shouts Dre Stewart in the opening line of the incendiary eighth track ("House of Rage"), and that irrefutable anger pretty much graces the rest of Donnybrook's debut full-length, LIONS IN THIS GAME. Heavy-hitting, aggressive, merciless, dark, and (yes) angry, L.A.'s Donnybrook play hardcore that, although notably on the old-school side, still sounds fresh and exciting, what with unrelenting bass/drum work and absolutely crushing riffs paving the way for the aforementioned feral vocal stylings. These guys are no poseurs, to be sure. Just check out the hellish and mean ending of "Down for the Core" or the heavy-as-hell midsection breakdown on the otherwise blisteringly fast "Word Is Bond". This stuff is menacing and powerful. It's terrific to see a newer band (they formed in 2003) keeping hardcore alive in '05!
-Janelle Jones

DOWNSHALLOW
SO MANY WANTS, SO LITTLE COMPROMISE
SELF-RELEASED
New Jersey's Downshallow is at it again, offering up another round of visceral, rousing music that combines metal, alternative, and hard rock. This outfit's latest, 12-track endeavor exposes an impressive array of hard-rock sensibilities, effortlessly shifting gears from the ethereal feel of Tool, the bluesy grit of Alice in Chains, the sinewy sonic blasts of Chevelle, the melancholic, metallic nuances of Staind, and a touch of Black Label Society's six-stringed heroics. Relying on the strength of a passionate vocal performance—which is paced by the precise bass and drums and the versatile guitar work that flows from sledgehammer-style riffage to delicate interludes with refined grace—this quartet's pulsating melding of metal and hard rock is the kind of provocative and cathartic music that rock fans everywhere should get an earful of. www.downshallow.com
-Mike SOS

DUDLEY SAUNDERS
THE BILLY WHITE ACRE SESSIONS+
FANG RECORDS
Upon first listen, this album seems hauntingly romantic and beautiful, but when you give it another listen and focus on the lyrics, you start to understand that, although it's beautiful and romantic musically, it's filled with pain and darkness lyrically. "The Undoing (Every Day)" got to me like no other song on this album just from the first two lines: "Can these hands of mine unslap this child / Can you teach his tears to turn around and uncry?" It takes a lot to touch me. (I've been called a cold, heartless bitch on many occasions.) Dudley Saunders has made a wonderful album that's worth every word of praise it's ever gotten. If you don't believe me, then you're an asshole.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

DUSTY RHODES AND THE RIVERBAND
ANTHOLOGY VOL. 1
DE SOTO
This band loves me. Seriously. I gave a raving review to their LIVE IN HOLLYWOOD EP, and wouldn't you know it, they had a few more treats to send me. To cut to the chase, these guys continually prove that they are years beyond their age in terms of songwriting maturity. Tunes like "Story of Glory" (which sings "You'll never be that kid / I used to know") and "So Long Wichita" bring the listener's ears to the inside of a boxcar where some hobos have stowed away just for a free ride to somewhere far away. Think Neil Young meets Eels to get a start at the band's sound. I dare my readers to look into this band and pursue the records that they've put out. You will not be disappointed. www.dusty-rhodes.net
-Zac

DUSTY RHODES AND THE RIVERBAND
CUT OPEN LIKE A FISH
DE SOTO
Personally, this is my favorite Dusty Rhodes release. CUT OPEN LIKE A FISH contains the most raw energy of all of the band's work. The harmonies are like delicious slices of pie served with a melted piece of cheddar cheese (because we all know that's the old-fashioned way). The EP's centerpiece, "Visions", holds the album together with its unscathed melodies reminiscent of a once-greater America. "It's About Time" (coincidentally the exact same length as "Visions") closes the album with an almost Thom Yorke-goes-country feeling, sure to inspire the independent music lovers of today. Dusty Rhodes is a band waiting to be noticed. It won't be long before these folk-rockers become folk superstars and Dusty Rhodes will be thought of as is Willie Nelson. Keep on keepin' on, guys!
-Zac

DYNAMITE CLUB
IT'S DEEPER THAN MOST PEOPLE THINK…
FUNHOLE RECORDS
In an interview, drummer Mike Pride describes Dynamite Club as "jazz musicians trying to play punk." The term "trying" defines Dynamite Club considerably better than anything else expressed in that sentence. This threesome abruptly and awkwardly shifts in and out of many musical styles, including country, rock, reggae, surf, funk, and (unfortunately) rap. These musical moments, though, occur only occasionally, amid minutes of excruciating screams and asinine samples (which are sometimes so sloppy that it's intolerable). Songs such as "Frozen Penis" and "High Life" are sung so sourly, screeched with such a feral feel, and feature such senseless, silly lyrics that one might wonder if the idiocy is intentional—an intellectual, avant-garde attempt at absurdity in audio—or if the musical immaturity is sincere. Many online magazines describe Dynamite Club's stage show as amazing and amusing. Maybe this music is a supplement to something that should be seen. Maybe.
-Dane!

EERIE VON
BAD DREAMS NO. 13
GHASTLY RECORDS
Eerie Von, the onetime roadie/photographer for The Misfits turned bass player for Samhane and Danzig, has released his third solo disc. Eerie plays it all, wrote it all, and produced this 13-track horror movie. BAD DREAM NO. 13 contains creepy, slow blues "Down on the Slab", odd groove rockers "In the Shade" and "Bad Dream", and my favorites, some excellent horror-movie instrumentals: "Prelude to Death", "Sing! Sinner Sing!", and "The Velvet Shroud". BAD DREAM NO. 13 will scare the pants off of you. This is a great disc. If you dare...
-H. Barry Zimmerman

ELECTRELANE
AXES
TOO PURE/BEGGARS GROUP
Among the rollicking English mates coming to the U.S. (e.g., Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs), add Electrelane to the list. However, AXES is made up of an intriguing post-punk persuasion—not as pushy and in your face as other British acts coming to the States. Boasting great instrumental tracks like "Eight Steps" and "If Not Now, When?", there's more depth here. Experimental tidbits like piano, samplings and catchy synths come nicely together. Let's not forget that there are also lyrics in four different languages.
-Darren Ratner

EPOXIES
STOP THE FUTURE
FAT WRECK CHORDS
Female-fronted eccentric rockers The Epoxies give us 13 new songs with their second full-length album. The Epoxies' sound can be adequately described as an interesting mix of punk rock and new wave. Despite the fact that synthesized sounds are an integral part of STOP THE FUTURE, the electronic element doesn't overshadow the electric guitar. Admirers of both punk and pop will relish at the sound of these danceable tunes. Fans of Blondie and Pretty Girls Make Graves will greatly appreciate this unconventional blend of genres.
-Anthony

EVILE
EVILE
SELF-RELEASED
Evile is a metal trio from Spain whose four tracks of metal mayhem display a raw, overwrought style. Plagued with atonal singing, Evile's songs would be better suited with a less gruff vocal delivery (although it serves the death rattle of "Liar" quite well). Not exactly doing anything original, this band sticks to the book and turn out some competent, cohesive tunes that you can bang your head to like it was 1989. e_vil_e2004@yahoo.es
-Mike SOS

FELLER QUENTIN
I AM NOT A MONSTER
ECHELON PRODUCTIONS
This is a children's book gone terribly, terribly wrong. Quirky, folky songs about animals, insects, sports legends, etc., take a very creepy approach to storytelling. Sometimes the songs become a bit too experimental. Mostly, however, this CD is totally awesome. A very different, interesting, new form of folk rock. I loved it. It put me in this funky zone where I didn't pay attention to anything expect for the songs.
-Tijana Martinovic

FIXED IDEA
TRADITIONS OF MY ADDICTIONS
BROKEN BONEZ RECORDS
Ska bands ought to be listed along pandas and rare tree frogs as a critically endangered species, as the ska revival enjoyed rampant, albeit fleeting, success in the mid to late '90s but has since largely vanished from the world of popular and underground music. While Fixed Idea may be unique in regards to genre, their music is hardly unique as ska. The string and horn arrangements sound fundamentally like every other ska band to produce music in the past 10 years—particularly from a number of other bands currently or formerly on the Hopeless Records roster that enjoyed some success years ago. The popularity of ska was short-lived, and for a band to continue to play in the genre without more than superficial innovation seems a recipe for an almost remarkable mediocrity.
-Matt Wallace

GENE DEFCON
THROW UP & DIE
RETARD DISCO
THROW UP & DIE is 46 tracks of modern mod rock, and I love it! A cute little sticker on the front of this CD says "for the fans of: The Beatles, 50 Cent, Throbbing Gristle, and Beethoven"—and I don't think they're joking. Not only is this album good musicwise, but it's hilarious, with lyrics like "Yes, Beatles, and yes, Black Flag / Yes, pizza and porno mags" ("Yesses and Nose"). But what do you expect from an album that describes itself as "Over 74 minutes of hogwash involving vampires, nuclear war, Italy and junior high"? This is the BEST album about vampires, nuclear war, Italy, and junior high I've ever heard,. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen yourself.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

GHOST ORGY
LULLABIES FOR LUNATICS
SELF-RELEASED
If Concrete Blonde, Dead Can Dance, and Lacuna Coil joined forces, the end result would probably sound like the spooky dissonance of New Jersey's Ghost Orgy. This unit's 12-track effort's unsettling nature is exemplified by the use of viola, which creaks in and out of tracks like "Bogota" and "Nothing" with eerie reservation. Laden with mid-tempo guitar churnings and emblazoned with an empowered female lead throat, Ghost Orgy's latest release instantaneously chills the bones and gives off that uneasy feeling that any good horror flick would. www.ghostorgy.com
-Mike SOS

GODS
I SEE YOU THROUGH GLASS
HAND OF HOPE
Gods features Jesse Smith, founding drummer for Christian metalcore stalwarts Zao, on both drums and vocals, as well as 10 tracks of discernibly more rock-like material. Taking over the singing on this endeavor, Smith and company try real hard to emulate bands like Glassjaw and Grade but instead come off as poor versions of the aforementioned, complete with uneven songwriting and less than stellar vocals. Sounding like they're trying too hard, I SEE YOU THROUGH GLASS does have a few solid moments ("Ephedra" would be a cool Faith No More song if Patton took the helm) but ultimately falls way short of the mark. www.handofhoperecords.com
-Mike SOS

GRAND MAGUS
WOLF'S RETURN
CANDLELIGHT
Boasting the talents of Spiritual Beggars throat JB on both vocals and guitar, the latest effort by Swedish power-metal trio Grand Magus blurs the edges between metal and stoner rock. This 11-track collection finds the band's as epic and grandiose as ever, while the performances on the songs like "Kingslayer" and "Repay in Kind" expertly find that middle ground that both ardent metal fans and purveyors of doom rock can revel in. www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
-Mike SOS

HANIN ELIAS
FUTURE NOIR
COCHON & FATAL RECORDS
A co-founder of the legendary digital hardcore band Atari Teenage Riot, Elias is also busy with her own musical projects. FUTURE NOIR is filled with what we are familiar with in the dark-electro world: fat electronic beats, acid-drenched melodies, and strong neo-goth atmospheres. However, unlike her banshee wails in ATR, we find Elias actually using her sexy voice sans distortion or any other electronic tinkering. Unfortunately, variation in her vocals is lacking, and therefore they become somewhat monotonous. In fact, monotony seems to be the overall problem. Gone is the more expressive, ballsy, creative aspect of her ATR material, traded in for a more straight-up goth-culture synth. As far as the lyrics are concerned, they remain true to ATR in their socio-political aims. "They belong to us like a hole in the head / What you're gonna do if the sky turns into red / War against terror / Where have you been?"
-Norberto Gomez, Jr.

HIPBONE SLIM AND THE KNEE TREMBLERS
HAVE KNEES, WILL TREMBLE
VOODOO RHYTHM RECORDS
Wow, what a truly great name (which is apparently based on some '50s teenager gang). This band have a strange old-school bayou sound to them, like something you'd hear pouring out of a swamp alligator that swallowed an old radio with a screwdriver for an antenna. One of their influences is actually swamp blues (which I have never heard of), and once you listen to the album, it is easy to make out the characteristics of that genre, along with some rockabilly and '60s poodle skirt/sock-hop stuff. These guys utilize the stand-up bass—which you got to respect—as well as the constant throwbacks to music of 40 or 50 years ago. Well done.
-Thomas Murray

HOLLOW GROUND
COLD REALITY
ORGANIZED CRIME
Winnipeg, Canada's bruising clan Hollow Ground's latest, six-track release is a subtle shot of metallic hardcore that is short in length (12:31, to be exact), yet just long enough for you to get injured really bad to. Featuring some of the most scathing vocals this side of Hatebreed, chugging riffs that elicit violence, and a thunderous rhythm section that holds it all down, tracks like "Final Words" and "Torn to Pieces" are succinct in both message and damage caused by the whiplashed breakdowns. If you dig your hardcore menacing, Hollow Ground delivers. www.organizedcrimerecords.com
-Mike SOS

HOLLYWOOD ROCKS!
PROMO SAMPLER
DEADLINE RECORDS
Break out the spandex and eyeliner—here comes the audio companion to the 2004 book HOLLYWOOD ROCKS! Though this disc was just a sampler of the actual four-disc boxed set, I'm sure it presented a pretty thorough picture of the full five-and-a-half-hour set. With tunes by such big-haired stalwarts as Stryper, Keel, Dokken, and Great White, this is enough to give you a headbanging neckache. Shouldn't this be relegated to "classic rock" radio status by this point? There was a time when Hollywood's metal scene was the shit, and this is a pretty good document of those times; but it's almost like the Holocaust: you have to admit it happened, but you don't want to look at those pictures over and over again. For those ready to "Fuck Like a Beast", get "Down on You Knees", or affirm "The Right to Rock", this might be a good opportunity to comb out that mullet and buy some hairspray.
-Dug

HOSTAGE LIFE
SING FOR THE ENEMY
UNDERGROUND OPERATIONS
First off, I noticed a Boston bar, sing-along quality (à la Dropkick Murphys). This band has an impressively intelligent agenda. They don't strike me as a band that is out there trying to sell records strictly for the opportunity to get laid and drive an SUV with blingy, spinny rims. One song actually makes fun of dolled-up groupies and people who spend too much time on appearances. The narrator worries that the girl won't fuck him now that he is in a band—like he sold out to the dark side and she liked him better before. I like how each song title has two or three other clever sub-names with hints at Ayn Rand, angry politics, Jonathan Swift, etc. Someone involved is well read.
-Thomas Murray

HOWLING DIABLOS
CAR WASH
ALIVE RECORDS
Blues rock is a rather foreign genre to me, mainly because I am not often exposed to it. Not to assume too much, but in these circles everyone knows someone named Bones and people call each other "cats," right? Okay, fine. This album has a slithering sound, the guitar chilling out and doing its own thing while smooth vocals lay down like it doesn't matter either way. Drums sprinkle themselves in to get listeners' heads moving from side to side. I would be better at shooting pool with Howling Diablos in the background—this I know. This band is turning heads along the warpath, apparently having already made quite a name for themselves opening for such names as Hank Williams Jr. and George Clinton. If you like the whole hot-rod thing and have an eight ball for a stick shift, give it a shot.
-Thomas Murray

ICHABOD
REACHING EMPYREAN
BLACK LOCUST
Ichabod's second sojourn into the sun is titled REACHING EMPYREAN, and the six tracks adorning this disc are swirling pieces of savory mid-tempo stoner rock. There's a whole lot of dirge-y, droning melodies here to keep the mood dark and brooding; and the sludge factor from the rhythm section is right on point. Sounding like The Melvins, Trouble, and some early NWOBHM can never be a bad thing, and Ichabod succeeds on tracks like "Succubus" and "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" by invoking all of those bands' spirits without directly ripping off any of them. Keeping it slower and lower than many of their contemporaries, Ichabod's caustic musical offering is welcoming to riff-worshippers and purveyors of the pummeling sounds of stoner rock everywhere. www.blacklocustent.com
-Mike SOS

ICKY BOYFRIENDS
A LOVE OBSCENE
MENLO PARK RECORDINGS
This is a double-disc collection of a band I, and probably you, never knew existed. With very nearly 60 lo-fi tracks that all sound like really terribly-done live recordings, it takes a special person to get into this extreme, raunchy rock. However, fans of in-your-face punk rock like that of The Dead Kennedys and The Melvins are almost guaranteed to get some kicks out of this. Although largely filled with dark riffs and doomy drums, the nasal screeches of the vocalist and his tongue-and-cheek lyrics (like "I wanna take some PCP / And kill some pigs") create an interesting conflict between humor and noisy, grinding rock 'n' roll. This is a true rock effort in the vein of legendary motherfuckers The MC5. For more info, visit menloparkrecordings.com.
-Norberto Gomez, Jr.

I.D.M.
I.D.M.
SELF-RELEASED
I.D.M. (which stands for It Doesn't Matter) is a hard-hitting trio from California whose musical leanings sound strikingly similar to NYC bands like Helmet and Prong, but without the layer of grime. The band's five-track collection's raw intensity and heavy-handed hooks give off a metal backlash complete with staccato riffs, pummeling bass, and thunderous drums, making I.D.M. a band that one day may matter to a lot of people outside of their immediate surroundings. www.idm-music.com
-Mike SOS

INFIDEL? CASTRO!
BIOENTROPIC DAMAGE FRACTAL
CRUCIAL BLAST
This disc is not for the faint of heart. Infidel? Castro! is a duo whose warped musical minds have spilled out all over this twin-disc collection. BIOENTROPIC DAMAGE FRACTAL is the name of this unsettling array of electronic ambient noise rock, and it is as ambitious and adventurous as anything you can imagine. Spastic, raging, and altogether challenging, you either need a doctorate in engineering or some potent drugs to get what these guys are giving. www.crucialblast.net
-Mike SOS

ISIS
OCEANIC REMIXES/REINTERPRETATIONS
HYDRA HEAD
Metal has never sounded so weightless. The idea of electronically remixing heavy-metal songs is a relatively new movement, and the artistry on this collection is completely unrivaled. The standout track of the double-disc collection is obviously Mike Patton's rendition of "Maritime", which is now a Middle Eastern triumph over a once-conventional metal tune. The biggest worry is that the extreme fans of Isis' work will be turned off by the lightness of this release—which is quite different from OCEANIC's original format. Take my advice: samples from this disc just will not do, so you must either buy the release and let it consume you or never bother with it at all. True Isis fans should keep their collection up to date, but new Isis fans might want to begin with the album's original format.
-Zac

JOHN SCHOOLEY
AND HIS ONE MAN BAND
VOODOO RHYTHM RECORDS
The debut solo full-length from Austin-based John Schooley (ex-Revelators) is a sweaty, grungy, rockabilly blues feast that doesn't miss a beat. Actually, a beat is pretty much the only thing this album doesn't miss. Schooley is reminiscent of Dick Van Dyke doing "Chim Chim Chiree" in MARY POPPINS. He relentlessly kicks a snare and a high hat while growling out bluesy vocals and accompanying his tin-pan antics with distorted rhythms on guitar and some fairly mean harmonica. The songs do have energy, although it seems a little sad to see one person work so hard to develop his own sound. At a live gig, half the crowd might stand back and marvel, "How the hell does he get that much noise out of that setup?"—yet the other half might just wonder why he couldn't get anybody else to play along with him.
-Dug

JOHNIE 3
SELF-TITLED
CHEAPSKATE
It hits you like a ton of bricks with the opening chords and vocals of the first track, "Girls Girls Girls". Johnie 3 are heavily—I mean HEAVILY—Ramones-influenced (as with The Queers, Screeching Weasel, Riverdales, and Methadones). From the quick pop-punk (in the GOOD sense of the term!) musical arrangements, upbeat and fun quality of all 12 tracks, and the VERY Ben Weasel-esque vocals (with those requisite "whoa-ohs," "oh-way-ohs" and the evermore complex "whoa-oh-way-oh-ohs"). Additionally, they add a ballad-ish love song, "Baby Come Back", to the mix. And these guys do NOT take themselves too seriously—something totally lacking in the scene these days. For example, J3 adorn their record with songs like "I Wanna Masterbate", "Let's Get Pissed", and an ode to every boy's dream gal "Alyssa Milano"—but they're not stupid in the blink-182 retardo way. No, J3 may not be original, but give 'em credit: they rock, and they're NOT following the hordes of bands playing staid, overly-sugary/horridly whiny "pop-punk."
-Janelle Jones

KANE HODDER
THE PLEASURE TO REMAIN SO HEARTLESS
FUELED BY RAMEN
A band's biggest challenge is to get a reaction out of its audience. Laughter can often be the best antidote to musical mediocrity. Sometimes it is unclear if the humor is purposeful, such as with the Kane Hodder "psychotic" song title typo and hilariously awkward publicity still. Purposeful or not, the pictures and the "oohing" of "I Think Patrick Swayze Is Sexy" kept me smiling throughout the painful screeching and growling. Amusing song titles are always fun, but epileptic music shifts from instrumental track "The Child of Prophecy" to the rock-tinged breakdowns of "Crushing Everything in Sight" is usually just bothersome. The musical shifts and high-pitched "oohs" are not distinctive, but the comedic value is golden.
-Erika Owens

KASH
OPEN
SICKROOM RECORDS
The world loves a gimmick. If this holds true, the world will love OPEN by Italian quartet Kash. Unfortunately, after giving this album a spin, I would have to strongly recommend that the masses stay away from this release. Kash's sound is an attempt to recreate the sounds of the post-rock days of Bowie but falls way short. The vocal stylings of Stefano Abba aren't anything to be excited about, as his shrieking and mumbling lyrics feel dead and meaningless. The guitars strum sporadic chords that seem to be out of place with the beat. I did, however, find a diamond in this music madness from their drummer, Flavio Cravero, whose display of percussion skills were the only positive aspect. In the end, OPEN sounds like nothing more than musical mush, and Kash's attempt to be "different" comes off sounding a bit too rehearsed.
-Matt Edmund

KEVIN GOES 2 COLLEGE
ALWAYS NEVER THE SAME
SKARNAVAL MUSIC
Beyond the boundaries of the ska circuit, Kevin Goes 2 College could be considered something special—especially compared to the prevailing emo/screamo scene. Inversely, an insider, one who would checker his or her Chucks, could easily classify these cats as another opening act, nothing notable. As this seven-song EP spins, the same shaky, punk-paced tempos and pop-song progressions reappear regularly, creating an uncomfortable consistency to each track. Despite this demo-esque debut, singer Jen Cavazos's confident, creative voice and the tight, bright horns provide Kevin Goes 2 College with plenty of potential. Cavazos's enormous, emotional alto and the solid drumbeat that drives the thicker, concluding cut, "Reflections", is evidence enough. An acoustic guitar plucks the initial notes of this track's outro, and as it builds, a slow saxophone and trumpet twist around robust trombones, before it finally blossoms. Something special does, indeed, sleep inside these kids, and musical maturity will easily elicit it.
-Dane!

KILL THE THRILL
TELLURIQUE
SEASON OF MIST
Kill the Thrill is a French trio whose synthetic metal offerings make for an intriguing listen. The outfit's fifth album, TELLURIQUE is a collection of ambient metal with a somber feel, allowing tracks like "Us and Them" to resonate in your head longer than expected. Combining the wares of Godflesh, Isis, Cult of Luna, and Killing Joke into a smorgasbord of dashed hopes, bleak outlooks, and melancholy, songs like "Permanent Imbalance" and "Non Existence" benefit from the callous programmed beats and industrial-tinged rhythms. TELLURIQUE is an album full of masterfully manipulated yet cold and calculated songs, convincingly embodying sad feelings filtered by technological advance. www.season-of-mist.com
-Mike SOS

KILLWHITNEYDEAD
SO PRETTY, SO PLASTIC
TRIBUNAL
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is what this band was thinking. Blending their death-metal menacings with a slather of samples from movies and television shows is what sets Arizona's Killwhitneydead apart from the plethora of extreme metal groups out today. On SO PRETTY, SO PLASTIC, the quintet (who recorded this endeavor as a trio) whip up some staggeringly heavy death-metal riffs, some Carcass-esque vocals, and whirlwind drums, and implement movie clips from such notorious flicks as FULL METAL JACKET, APOCALYPSE NOW, and PLANET OF THE APES inside such pulverizing cuts as "One Match and a Gallon of Gasoline" and the deliciously depraved "If I Told You I Love You, Will I Get It Any Faster?". Armed with a barrage of crushing riffs and a demented sense of humor, these warped metal warriors push the envelope of both musical limitations and good taste and come up with another intriguing release. www.tribunalrecords.com
-Mike SOS

KILOWATTS
PROBLEM/SOLVING
ARTIFICIAL MUSIC MACHINE
It's strange sometimes to think that electronic noises are now concretely embedded in the idea of music. If you were to flip through your record collection, you're bound to find that most of the records you own employ some use of artificial noise. But does the fact that it can move you and make you feel something relieve it of its being artificial? Can something that causes emotion really be false at all? KiloWatts says "No!" On PROBLEM/SOLVING, an array of intricately planned electronic atmospheres surrounds the listener and ironically provides substantial comfort as an escape from an unnatural world. As far as electronica goes, it does get better than this—but not by too much.
-Zac

LA PLEBE
ENIRE CERVEZA, RITMO, Y EMOCION...
DESEME SF
San Francisco's La Plebe has produced a great, fun punk disc that rocks like The Mexican Revolution. La Plebe consist of guitar/bass/drums, which is joined by Antonio and Tron on trumpet and trombone. The music is fast, and the Spanish horns are so cool. For the gringos among us, there is a bulletproof, rampaging version of The Pogues' "Dirty Old Town". ENIRE CERVEZA, RITMO, Y EMOCION... (translated: AMONG BEER, RHYTHM, AND EMOTION...) is a very cool disc that will get your next party hooping and hopping. La Plebe rock.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

LAST TUESDAY
RESOLVE
MONO VS. STEREO
Drawing influences from Taking Back Sunday, Over It, and Autopilot Off, Last Tuesday is another band combining the elements of emo and pop-punk. Even though RESOLVE lacks the originality of many bands leading this genre, the album is undeniably catchy and fun. The upbeat tempo throughout will surely appeal to the masses, particularly to high-school kids on summer vacation. Screaming is also incorporated in a few songs, although it doesn't fit very well with the music. Last Tuesday is better off sticking to the sing-along choruses and harmonized vocals that separated acts like Blink-182 and Fenix TX from countless similar bands.
-Anthony

LUCERO
NOBODY'S DARLINGS
EAST WEST
Wow! This album is bad news. Struggling to listen all the way through NOBODY'S DARLINGS is difficult when there are so many other things that are better to listen to out there—like TALK RADIO, for example. There is a hint of hope in track 3, "Bikeriders", as the tempo picks up and acoustic punk blends together; but disappointment quickly follows with "Sixteen". And for whatever reason, the album is titled after the worst song, "Nobody's Darlings". Vocalist and guitarist Ben Nichols fronts the group, with second guitarist Brian Venable attempting "to play quiet country-influenced songs at punk rock shows." Touring with great bands like Against Me! and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, perhaps Lucero has earned some fans over the years, but just looking at their tourmates gives them no ability to play.
-Luke Skywalker

MAD FABRICATORS SOCIETY
SOUNDTRACK VOL. 1
SELF-RELEASED
28 tracks of surf, garage, and rockabilly comprise this CD, the soundtrack to a film documenting the exploits of hot-rod enthusiasts and the fruits of their mechanical labors. The quality of the production and the music itself varies from track to track. Some songs, such as "Ready to Fly" or "Done Somebody Wrong" (by the unfortunately named band Bleed), sound as though they were recorded with a 25-year-old boombox and a Radio Shack microphone; while others sound more polished but still betray an amateur's ear for recording. The best songs on the album are those that are the least irritating, such as those from The Dynotones (who contribute five songs), which are thankfully bereft of lyrics and agonizingly poor production.
-Matt Wallace

MADEXONXMALICE
PHEMOMENAL
SELF-RELEASED
Pretty tight socio-political hardcore punk from this Riverside, CA, outfit. The best tracks on PHEMOMENAL are the more mid-tempo "Driving Dreams", quick-paced rocker "Terminator Song", and the stellar, less formulaic "Mental Masturbation" (undoubtedly the most different-sounding track on the six-song EP). The chorus of the last has two of the guys singing seemingly separate lines at the same time, and there's just something about it that sounds kinda sloppy and "off." I don't know exactly what it is, but this inscrutable quality makes it even better, in this reviewer's mind. Plus, adding to MadeXonXMalice's appeal are their socio-political lyrics covering topics such as how "the governor's the terminator, the president's snortin' coke" ("Terminator Song"); that these messed-up "standards" for how women are "supposed" to look are "the downfall of the female race" ("Mental Masturbation"); and their thoughts on war, the Right Wing, and Christianity on the appropriately-titled "War for God" ("I wish we'd use our brains like we use bombshells." Touché).
-Janelle Jones

MARRIAGE COMPILATION
IS ORGANGE BIRDS
MARRIAGE RECORDS
This is an 18-track compilation from Portland, OR, indie Marriage Records. There are folk-driven maestros like A John Henry Memorial and Adam Bayer, some electronic-driven material by Yacht, Adam Green-like acoustic crooning of Spencer Kingman, and trip-hop humor of Rob Walmart. Although wide-ranging, the entire collection is made cohesive through the calming, quiet, charming mood of all 18 bands. Very personal vocals, simple instruments (mostly driven by acoustic guitar and programmed drums), and short, catchy songs make up the majority. For more info on such a wide array of bands, visit marriagerecs.com.
-Norberto Gomez, Jr.

MAXIMO PARK
A CERTAIN TRIGGER
WARP RECORDS LIMITED
The debut full-length album from this Newcastle, England, quintet is fabulous. With hook-laden guitar riffs, catchy choruses, and a background keyboard that gives many of these tunes the feel of the late-'60s British Invasion bands, Maximo Park has crafted a sound that will keep it at the top of the British charts. The CD cover, a photo of a guy dancing frantically against a white background, is the type of understated symbol that carried bands like The Clash and The Who to legendary status. The songs on this album are subtle, seductive pop/rock tunes with lyrics like "I'll paint graffiti if you sing to me in French"—by itself enough to keep you humming these songs over and over again. This is a brilliant debut from a band with enough energy, smarts, and talent to prove that England still turns out super groups.
-Dug

MERCURY SWITCH
TIME TO SHINE
INDIANOLA
The sophomore release by eclectic New Hampshire quintet Mercury Switch finds the band transcending the usual metalcore moniker for a much broader yet still soberingly heavy label. This seven-track affair (with the last track being broken into five parts) is yet another triumph for the band, tastefully mixing violence and experimentation for a stellar listen. If you like Poison the Well, Deftones, and Unearth, you'll fall hard for TIME TO SHINE. www.indianolarecords.com
-Mike SOS

MEREDITH BRAGG AND THE TERMINALS
VOL. 1
THE KORA RECORDS
VOL. 1 is a pleasant surprise from an artist whose name in print may sway you to believe they were headlining a women-empowerment music festival. Far from that cover judgment, it is a treat to listen to a band whose cello and keyboard make for light melodies that deserve to be called pretty. The songs are diverse enough to keep the listener engaged but definitely not eclectic to the point where "What the fuck is this shit?" would come out of their mouth. A bit folksy, a tad airy and sensitive, this isn't an album for anyone who wants wicked guitar licks and heavy bass lines. Think about sitting under a tree on a summer day blowing on a dandelion. Sweet.
-Aimee Curran

METALIUM
DEMONS OF INSANITY
CRASH
Metalium's latest offering is the fifth installment of the German band's storyline-driven albums, as DEMONS OF INSANITY contains 14-tracks of standard power-metal flare. Armed with the kind of righteous guitar playing that you'd expect from songs titled "Atrocity" and "Endless Believer", this disc isn't a must-have offering as much as it follows the formula well enough to appease fans of the genre while perpetuating the epic storytelling. If you dig the power-metal sound and can cut through some of the excess cheese, DEMONS OF INSANITY is a worthy purchase. www.crashmusicinc.com
-Mike SOS

MOGWAI
GOVERNMENT COMMISSIONS
MATADOR RECORDS
This greatest-hits compilation from Glasgow's art-rock masters is taken from studio recordings for BBC programs. Don't ever look for American taxpayer's money to be spent on something this daring or beautiful. Mogwai's music is mind-blowing. The band's instrumental masterpieces layer intricate guitar melodies together in a way that hypnotizes the listener. The songs are thematic, intense, monumental pieces that should be soundtracks for a movie about a flock of birds or an ascent of Everest. Instead, we have a band that plays these pieces live with a light show so overwhelming that most of the fans merely close their eyes and nod. This is a band not afraid of controversy as some of the band's more celebrated concert T-shirts proclaim, "Blur are shite" and "Bush is a cunt." Mogwai is fucking brilliant...but if you need a pop song, this is the wrong band to look to.
-Dug

MONARCH
MONARCH
POP FACTION
Virginia's Monarch's twist-and-turn approach to metal is a refreshing listen to ears that yearn for the unexpected, as the band's 10-track release steps inside the metalcore pit long enough to get a few shots in before heading back into a doomy stoner-rock caverns and gut-wrenching thrash-metal expositions that evoke bands like Lamb of God. Tracks like "Bars & Graveyards" and "Lay with Me" stand out as pushing the metal envelope every which way without sacrificing overall heaviness, while the entire disc serves as an awakening to ears that have lain dormant for some time. www.popfaction.com
-Mike SOS

MUNKEY JUICE
MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE: "MOSCOW"
CHOOSE TO LOSE RECORDS
Munkey Juice is an independent outfit (they are Choose to Lose Records) that has been doing it on their own now for 10 years. MOSCOW is the band's seventh album. Lead by the Heise brothers, Munkey Juice reminds me of The Flaming Lips without all the production and strained voices, cool songs played well with neat instruments placed where needed and great pop ideas. The music is rock, raw, and ultra hip. MOSCOW is a double-disc, 24 songs and not one bad one in the bunch. All the Munkey Juice music, including MOSCOW, is available at www.munkeyjuice.net. Munkey Juice are American rock 'n' roll heroes. The lesson is that it can be done from your bedroom. Munkey Juice, I love you, and I love MOSCOW. I can not stop listening. Munkey Juice rule.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

NEAERA
THE RISING TIDE OF OBLIVION
METAL BLADE
German metalcore clan Neaera make a solid run for the gauntlet on the group's 13-track debut. Sounding somewhat like how At the Gates would if merged with Unearth, songs like the staccato savagery of "Broken Spine" seem all too familiar to the ardent headbanger; yet these guys do exhibit a knack for churning out some extreme metal chops with ferocious fluidity and a touch of darkness brought on by orchestration on tracks like "From Grief…". Add on some voracious drumming, textbook Swedish death-metal fretwork, and tight breakdowns (as in the one in "Where Submission Reigns"), and you've got a sturdy release on your hands. The only problem is that the style Neaera plays is overwrought with many of the same bands employing similar tactics; but if you hadn't had enough of the sounds of Scandinavian metal, THE RISING TIDE OF OBLIVION is disc worth checking out. www.metalblade.com
-Mike SOS

NEED NEW BODY
WHERE'S BLACK BEN?
5 RUE CHRISTINE
This is an album filled with energetic musical experimentation. Like Beck in his MELLOW GOLD period, WHERE'S BLACK BEN? contains hip-hop sensibilities, eerie child-like vocals, strange keyboard grooves, and pseudo-rapping—but with the intent of being listener-friendly. The eclecticism is bordering on eccentric with tracks like "Outerspace" and its trombone, piano, sax, and annoying high-pitched vocals backed by a terrible choir; and "Badoosh + Seagull War = Die", with its feedback-heavy sonic freak-out. Not lost in all the noise is the humor. This is a band having fun making music and putting a smile on listeners' faces. "All the girlies get horny when I pick up the mic / Don't make me, girl."
-Norberto Gomez, Jr.

NEHEMIAH
LENORE
UPRISING
Minnesota-based metalcore monsters Nehemiah's latest, five-track explosion yields a cavalcade of guttural vocals, churning guitars, powerhouse drumming, and frenetic rhythms, whipping up quite the ruckus. But these guys can bring it down 300 notches before bashing in your skull (as shown on "Return to Grandeur"). Technically diverse and hammeringly heavy, LENORE fills that spot on your CD shelf between Unearth and As I Lay Dying as yet another band that combines all of the nuances of the heavy music genre into a brutal stew best served with a boot to the head. www.uprisingrecords.com
-Mike SOS

NEW TOMORROW
HELLOHIHELLOHI
LAST LEAF RECORDS
The good news for the San Luis Obispo post-hardcore band New Tomorrow is that it has put together a decent album. It has all the correct ingredients: melodic yet intense vocals, well-timed screaming, above-average musicianship, and (most importantly) lyrics that aren't the cookie-cutter, "I miss my ex" variety. This should be enough to receive major-label attention, especially with the way those leaches are gulping up every hardcore band in sight like marbles on a Hungry Hungry Hippos board. And now, the bad news: New Tomorrow is just a good band, nothing spectacular. They're lacking that "it" factor that bands such as Finch, Thursday, and Vendetta Red possess. Until New Tomorrow stop drawing so heavily from their influences and creates a sound of its own, they will continue to be another faceless screamo band.
-Jeff Srack

NEXT BEST THING
DEAR DIARY…
SELF-RELEASED
Singing songs of stars and spite, blood and bleeding, body parts like eyes and hearts, crying, lying, lost love, and loneliness, the boys in Next Best Thing are the essence of emo. It's unfortunate that they follow this style so stringently, seeing as it turns DEAR DIARY… into a trite and tiresome attempt. Sentimental lines like "The stars bleed black tonight" or "I hope you're crying out your bright blue eyes" prove that these pop-punk princes have pigeonholed themselves successfully. Though the gutsy guitars complement one another wonderfully with finesse and fourths and fifths, the predictable power-chord progressions that they play become banal and bland. Add singer Drew Thomas's whiney voice—which sometimes wavers in and out of tune and screams superfluously—and these boys become not only another team of teary, trendy, pop-punk pouters, but one musically worse than the emotional majority.
-Dane!

NILE
ANNIHILATION OF THE WICKED
RELAPSE
Middle Eastern ideology-obsessed death-metal troupe Nile return with yet another installment of technically untouchable, painstakingly meticulous brutality. Tracks like "The Burning Pits of the Duat" and "Lashed to the Slave Stick" may not sound as groundbreaking as their previous works, but they still maintain that crushing quality that Nile is renowned for. www.relapse.com
-Mike SOS

NINETEEN
TEARING ME APART
DARK FRONT
Wow, 42 tracks on a punk album. That has to be a first. But it seems as if all the songs are a little over a minute long—and a 42-minute punk album isn't amazing time-wise. Nineteen aren't really anything special; neither is this album. If you like loud, fast punk, then here it is; but if you prefer something a little more original (as I do), don't bother.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

NOCTURNE
GUIDE TO EXTINCTION
TRIPLE X
Nocturne is a duo out of Texas whose industrial-strength female-fronted metal may sound run of the mill at first, but after becoming entranced with singer Lacey Conner's sultry, seductive delivery and the heavy-handed riffs dropped by Chris Telkes, the appeal of songs like "Shallow" and "Passion" increases a great deal. And to think that at one time these two were an item. Not even Sonny and Cher were able to come as clean as Nocturne does, pulling an industrial-metal version of Fleetwood Mac on us all while keeping the synthetic venom flowing freely. www.nocturne.cc
-Mike SOS

NOVILERRO
AIM RIGHT FOR THE HOLES IN THEIR LIVES
MINT RECORDS INC.
Don't expect any Bright Eyes-style wordplay here—this is Canadian pop/rock we're talking about. Much like most American pop/rock bands, the lyrics here really aren't too creative. However, what this band lack in lyrical imagination, they make up for with their instrumental inventiveness. Now, I'm not really into happy-sounding rock, but I could actually stand to listen to this band. Coming from me, that's saying A LOT.
-Tijana Martinovic

NQ ARBUCKLE
THE LAST SUPPER IN A CHEAP TOWN
SIX SHOOTER RECORDS
The songs on NQ Arbuckle's sophomore effort are of the sort that lost, lonesome souls sing softly to themselves beneath their breath as they sit on some dusty barstool, drown themselves with watered-down beer, and suck down dismal cigarettes. Sung with unsettling and weathered weariness, Neville Quinlan's grave, gravelly voice describes such depressing states of affairs. Syrupy slide guitars and steady, gentle strumming create the country aura around LAST SUPPER, though this album is most powerful—and perhaps more passionate—when the band dirty their distortion and accent their rougher, rock 'n' roll side. "The Autumn Leaves", with its ghostly guitar solos and the hard-stepping, heavy-hearted "Walls Are So Thin", are this album's best because the band curb their country tendencies temporarily. NQ Arbuckle's combination of country, folk, and restrained rock may be more meaningful for fans of the aforementioned musical styles…or for lost, lonesome souls.
-Dane!

OCTAVIA SPERATI
WINTER ENCLOSURE
CANDLE LIGHT RECORDS
Haling from the dark winters of Norway comes a new slant on doom-metal, Octavia Sperati. This all-girl five-piece is heavy, and metal is definitely in their blood. Lead voxstress Silje Wergeland, who sounds like a cross between a young Ann Wilson and Pat Benatar, adds a grace and beauty that makes the music seem more artful and dynamic than most metal acts. This debut disc could really go international, it's such an accessible combination of styles. Some of the standout tunes on this 11-track gem are "Lifelines of Depths", "Icebound", and "Wasted on the Living". WINTER ENCLOSURE is a dramatic trip with five beautiful girls through a foreign land's coldest, darkest season. It's a winner.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

ON BROKEN WINGS
IT'S ALL A LONG GOODBYE
EULOGY RECORDINGS
Chugga-chugga hardcore isn't dead! On Broken Wings hails from the cold town of Boston. The group plays straight-ahead metal blended with tough-guy hardcore that will please both East and West Coast fans alike. It's kind of a fusion of bands such as Throwdown, Hatebreed, Meshuggah, and 25 Ta Life. This album will not disappoint if you're looking to bash some heads in. Check it out, as it's one of Eulogy's more solid releases.
-ADF

ORION
THE SOUND AND THE FURY
HOTFOOT
Orion comes from the same breeding ground as Taking Back Sunday and Glassjaw (that's Long Island, NY, by the way), and the quintet's sounds just as you'd expect: screamo meets emo with dashes of metallic fury. Songs like "Burial at Sea" sound like a VFW hall in Hicksville at a Saturday all-ages matinee with a dosage of Thursday's gut wrench and Thrice's twin guitar bedazzlement. The outfit's five-track endeavor showcases a band fortified with a strong sense of dynamics, as well as the right sound and stunning performance skills to run with the Warped Tour pack. www.hotfootrecords.com
-Mike SOS

OVERMARS
AFLLICTION, ENDOCRINE...VERTIGO
CANDLELIGHT
French weirdoes Overmars are not your typical heavy band, even though at times their merging of lush soundscapes embellished with drizzles of hardcore, goth rock, ambient metal, and crushing doom may make them sound like one. This septet bring out the gloom and doom without shame, digging deep down to flesh out some of the most adventurous apocalyptic rock on the landscape today. Tracks like "Buccolision" finds the group shifting from a lonely piano to a ripping cacophony of sound in the matter of minutes—only one example of Overmars' staunch lack of convention. This disc keeps you on your toes and your senses on overload throughout the entire 70-minute mission. If a penchant for the wild has led you to bands like Isis and Converge, allow Overmars to continue the trend. www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
-Mike SOS

P:ANO
BRIGADOON
MINT RECORDS
Yes, you read it right: P:ano. Well, as much as your lips want to just yell "PIANO!" when you see it, there's simply no reason to. The songs—just like the band's name—all seem to be abbreviated. Most tracks remain just over two minutes, half never reach that mark at all. But this is the band's strength, not weakness. Every song—including greats like "Covered Wagons" and "Somebody Get Me Annette"—are delicious little bites of candy. Think of it as if you were taking the musical SATs. If one of the questions was "Tootsie Rolls : Hershey's Bar," then the answer would be "P:ano : The Magnetic Fields." Not quite as sweet or well-crafted, but still tasty in their own right. Based out of Vancouver—which is no surprise, given the bursting Canadian music scene—P:ano is on their way to success...but they just haven't quite made their masterpiece yet.
-Zac

PAK
MOTEL
RA SOUNDS
MOTEL is an absolutely amazing disc. The music is Mothers-era Zappa free jazz that makes you say "goddamn." Pak is a three-piece led by guitarist/vocalist/piano player Ron Anderson. He is a total bad-ass. His vocals are animal scat and hysteric rambling madness. MOTEL is serious music. All eight songs are consistent and to the rim with substance. These songs are loaded. Pak couldn't get one more time change or brilliant passage into these songs. Highly recommended for the insane, the weird, and the adventurous. Some of my favorite titles are "The Higher the Elevation the Lesser the Vegetation", "100% Human Hair", and "Jam Jet Treatment". If you think that today's bands are boring, I dare you to buy MOTEL. Pak has made a classic disc. Get MOTEL and let your freak flag fly.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

PARTYLINE
GIRLS WITH GLASSES
RETARD DISCO
When I first popped this CD, I thought I was listening to a track from The Donnas. Then again I could also swear it sounds something like Go Betty Go. Maybe I'm not the biggest fan of girl rock/punk bands, but I know good music when I hear it—and these chicks got balls (well, you know what I mean). With lyrics like "I don't want to sleep no more / I just want you on my floor"("Girls with Glasses"), I'm sure they make the men who come see their shows drop to their knees and worship them. If you're a fan of indie-esque garage/punk rock, then you'll definitely like this release.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

P.H.O.B.O.S.
TECTONICS
CANDLELIGHT
One word sums up the eight-track offering by this avant-garde French metal collective: unsettling. Cold, bleak industrial metal that shares as much in common with Godflesh as it does Neurosis, TECTONICS is a amalgamation of blunt force, machine noise, and an undercurrent of metal that fans of the left side of the spectrum will dig for its mechanically metallic appeal. www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
-Mike SOS

PLEASE MR GRAVEDIGGER
THROW A BEAT
PLUTO RECORDS
The first track on this album, "You Gotta Tame the Beast Before You Let It Out of Its Cage", reminds me of some of the more bouncy The Rolling Stones hits but with accompanying female vocals, a lot more screaming, and less complicated guitar parts. You get the point. This is a decent rock album. If you like stuff like The White Stripes, The Strokes, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, you'd like this. If you don't, then fuck you. Don't blame me for your horrible taste in music.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

POST STARDOM DEPRESSION
PRIME TIME LOOKS A LOT LIKE AMATEUR NIGHT
THE CONTROL GROUP
An artistic approach to alternative music, Post Stardom Depression has attempted to write an album that will remind you of early alternative. Alas, not all bands create such a perfect album, as songs "The Price Tag of My Soul" and "The Ambulance Chaser" quickly become an irritation to the ears. Don't get me wrong: I love rock music...but a sound that is described in their bio as having "the swagger and coolness of a party crashing teenager" resonates passionless poser music. What does that phrase even mean?! Post Stardom Depression is good for a listen, but their music lacks substance.
-Luke Skywalker

PRESTO BALLET
PEACE AMONG THE RUINS
SPV
Kurdt Vanderhoof is best known for his fretwork with Metal Church, but who knew (until his solo efforts) how deeply rooted he was in '70s arena rock? Presto Ballet is the name of this retro project, as Vanderhoof and crew (many returning from his self-named group) employ a hard-rock spin complete with dominant keyboards, high-pitched vocals, and compositions that may remind you of works by bands like Boston and King Crimson. The best part of PEACE AMONG THE RUINS It was recorded completely in analog, so the retro feel is not only in the songwriting but also in the entire project. Feel the warmth and pick this one up if you miss the crackles and richness of your album collection. www.spv.com
-Mike SOS

REMOTE
BIRD'S EYE VIEW
FONOGENIC
The brainchild of brothers Tal and Ran Pink, Remote brings a refreshing brand of melodic indie rock to the table with their Fonogenic debut, BIRD'S EYE VIEW. In the mold of The Decemberists and Belle & Sebastian, Remote show mature songwriting and smart melodies that keep the record spinning from start to finish. Avoiding the monotonous, they string together an eclectic track list, mixing pianos, drum machines, and acoustic guitars. The standout track, "Late Night Radio", slowly builds with a strong melody and familiar lyrics to a chorus that will bring you back again and again. "Great Escape" will take you into a "White Album"-era Beatles time warp, while "Doesn't Exist" has almost a KID A feel to it. Comparing them to their predecessors doesn't do them justice, so check them out yourself at www.fonogenic.com.
-Jeff Lambert

ROCKETHOUSE
WEAPONS OF MASS DISTORTION
KANINE RECORDS
Who doesn't enjoy a good electornica/hip-hop/rock 'n' roll album? Well…I'm not a big fan. I can see masses of people mindlessly swaying along to this, though. Then again, masses of people also voted Bush into office. Maybe what the masses think doesn't really matter. Just a thought. If you like whiny vocals over hip-hop beats and electric guitar, then you'll love this!
-Manda-Dex-Punk

ROGER ALAN WADE
All LIKKERED UP
JOHNNY KNOXVILLE RECORDS
When JACKASS genius Johnny Knoxville isn't banging Jessica Simpson, he's on the lookout for country singers. Roger Alan Wade has spent 20 years in country music writing songs for Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and more. And when it comes to his own crass and comical tunes, Wade proves to be a master. This album borders on the hysterical and is good for anyone in need of twangy toilet tunes and jumpy yee-haw ditties. Tracks like "Butt Ugly Slut", "Poontang", and "Fryin' Bacon Nekkid" poke uncompromising fun at the stereotypical redneck with a humor only a jackass could love.
-Darren Ratner

ROSEMARY'S BABIES
TALKING TO THE DEAD
GHASTLY
A ton of aggressive and raucous hardcore songs make up this album. The music found on TALKING TO THE DEAD was written when I was still in need of diaper-changing. Originally recorded in 1982 and 1983, 20 of the 25 tracks are remastered songs, while the other five are live recordings. For those of you who don't know, this is Eerie Von's (Samhain, Danzig) project. Similar to the aforementioned bands, Rosemary's Babies has a preoccupation with horror movies. With that being said, I envision zombies hastily raping each other while listening to TALKING TO THE DEAD. I'm not sure if that helps describe the music or simply reveals my need for prescribed medication.
-Anthony

RPG
FULL TIME
ARCLIGHT
RPG is a hard-rockin', beer-drinkin', blood-drawin' outfit from Virginia whose 13-track, pedal to the metal, non-stop retro rock 'n' roll shindig of an album is a pleasure to listen to, as these guys take you back to a time when bruising, ballsy blues rock with a heavy bottom end ruled the world. Imagine The MC5, The Stooges, Aerosmith, Grand Funk Railroad, Monster Magnet, AC/DC, and Motorhead on one bill, and that kind of sums up the wide range given off by FULL TIME. Tracks like "Song of Evil" impose the punk-rock kick to the groin, while "Paralyzed" contains the right concoction of sleazy haze, making it the album's shining moment. Stop and think here, kids? Nope. RPG burns through some straightforward, meat and potatoes rock with bursts of hearty, high-octane hard rock. Be prepared to consume the rock 'n' roll voodoo RPG is working. www.arclightrecords.com
-Mike SOS

RUNT
THE ATTIC SESSIONS
FURY 76
Runt is clearly misnamed, as this band is far from diminutive in musical stature. Instead, they are a fierce new rock band from the U.K. that boasts two-thirds of U.K. rock luminaries The Almighty in its ranks. This blistering trio plays the kind of contagious hard rock that Helmet, Alice in Chains, and Thumb would make if joined together. Gritty, barked vocals attack your ears as a pummeling array of flailing guitars and cymbals collide with bulky bass lines anchoring the heaviness. Tracks like the serpentine staccato of "Exit" and the relentless "Oversize" are examples of unmitigated hard-rock aggression at its finest. Underground but not for long, THE ATTIC SESSIONS, with its metallic sheen and hardcore overtones, is a release that will make you stand up and take notice. www.r-u-n-t.co.uk
-Mike SOS

SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS
THE CITY SLEEPS IN FLAMES
IMMORTAL RECORDS
SKSK's label, Immortal, is the former home of alt-rock legends Incubus. Now, Incubus rode a wave of fear to great success. SKSK dispense with the pleasantries and go directly to scaring kids and haunting their dreams with flames. Spooky. Originality is obviously not a scare tactic. SKSK weave in bombastic synth sounds with metal riffs and top them off with "I've got nothing left to prove and I live with my regrets." This '80s-inspired sound disintegrates into a somber, sappy sound as the album lulls on. "The Bright Side of Suffering" typifies this descent into throwaway tunes.
-Erika Owens

SECRET LIVES OF THE FREEMASONS
THIS WAS BUILT TO MAKE YOU DANCE
ASTRO MAGNETICS
The most exciting album this month, THIS WAS BUILT TO MAKE YOU DANCE sounds a lot like past music by Emery and Taking Back Sunday, but more contemporary. With stronger metal screaming (unlike common emocore bands) and more noticeable hardcore breakdowns, this six-piece exceeds in representing the blend of punk, hardcore, and emo. Still, Secret Lives of the Freemasons conform to the recent trend of titling songs as if they were novels. "Make Like a Door and Shut Up", "This Was Built to Make You Dance (The Dance Dance Revolution)", and "If It Weren't for Pick Pockets, I'd Have No Sex Life at All" are great tunes, but when I tell my friends, I'll refer to them as track 2, 8, and 9.
-Luke Skywalker

SHADOW GALLERY
ROOM V
SPV
American prog-rockers Shadow Gallery's record releases are infrequent, yet when the band gets it together, they rival Dream Theater, Queensryche, and Symphony X for the coveted crown of prog rock. On the outfit's latest, 14-track endeavor, the band mixes in a plethora of hard rock, arena rock, and rock ballads, and the end result is a disc that most fans of bands such as Deep Purple and ELP can surely sink their teeth into. www.spv.com
-Mike SOS

SHARI ELF
I'M FORCING GOODNESS UPON YOU
GOOD AND STURDY MUSIC
If you've ever had a shitty day, you need to own this album. Shari Elf, a Kansas City transplant who now lives in Southern California, is, in her own words, "a twirling attractor of goodness." No person who has ever heard this disc could disagree. With a voice that drips with sentimentality and amazement accompanied by omnichord, piano, guitar, banjo, sewing machine, and a "$7 thrift store electric chord organ," Elf paints a picture of an ugly world that can be transformed into a bliss-filled wonderland with a simple attitude adjustment. Songs like "Tenderness vs. Watering the Lawn Backwards", "Jesus at the Hardware Store", and "Some Thoughts on If I Should Die" will make you snicker, giggle, smile, and blow beer out your nose. What could be more precious than that?
-DUG

SHATTERED FAITH
BOOTLEG
FINGER RECORDS
Started in 1978, Shattered Faith was a part of early Southern California punk rock. The sarcasm, the Cold War-era political lyrics, and the thundering surf rhythms—it's all a sweet flashback. BOOTLEG is an awesome 28-song collection of the best of Shattered Faith. Some of my favorite sides are "Short Haired Thugs", "We Love America", "Always the Same", "Reagan", "Trilogy", and "Discontent". BOOTLEG will make you readjust your top 20 all-time punk bands list. Shattered Faith is a great band that should not be forgotten—not because they were there when it all began, but because Shattered Faith rocked.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

SILVERSTEIN
WHEN BROKEN IS EASILY FIXED
VICTORY RECORDS
"Do you find it hard to sing both aggressive and soft?" is the burning question for every aspiring Victory artist, and singer Shane Told is on the accompanying DVD to answer it. Ordinarily, band DVDs seem really excessive and pointless, but the straightforward, sincere, and high-school A/V Club quality of this DVD was oddly disarming. As their name suggests, Silverstein has a poetic side. (Remember Shel Silverstein? There's even the lyric "a place where the sidewalk ends.") Judging from the DVD and run-of-the-mill CD, I have no idea how a few nice guys from Canada made it onto Victory, but they did. You can check them out on tour, but I doubt from their demeanor, sound, and crowd response that you'll be able to tell them apart from your local hardcore heroes.
-Erika Owens

SINAI BEACH
IMMERSED
VICTORY
Sinai Beach is a bruising quintet whose latest foray into the world of extreme metal finds the Southern California outfit churning out some groove-laden metalcore à la Lamb of God, Pantera, and Unearth. Add on a discernible Christian theme and sprinkle in some questionable atonal, clean vocals (that either will irritate or make the break between screams seems more palatable), and you've got IMMERSED. Displaying 12 tracks of relentlessly fierce metal with traces of programming à la Chimaira sprouting up every now and again, the band's hardcore metallic assault holds up best here. Down-tuned madness with a holy edge, Sinai Beach's most recent release may not appeal to the usual ears that enjoy the heavier type of metal, but this outfit has pieced together a unique mixture of musical presentation and personal beliefs, making IMMERSED a triumphant release. www.victoryrecords.com
-Mike SOS

SLOPPY MEATEATERS
CONDITIONED BY THE LAUGH TRACK
ORANGE PEAL RECORDS
Back from the land of pop-punk obscurity come Sloppy Meateaters. The new album attempts to shed the old "blink-182 rip-off" persona that has haunted the band these past few years. This record is much more radio-friendly and has more of a rock rhythm to it than the older, poppy punk stuff. It's not a terrible rock/punk release, but it's by no means amazing or groundbreaking. I do admit that this album is much better than any of the prior SME releases. IF you like your music omelet radio-friendly fried, then check this group out.
-ADF

SOMETHING CORPORATE
NORTH
GEFFEN
It may seem asinine to review an album released in 2003, but for those who've never listened to Something Corporate, my experience may seem valuable. And after listening to NORTH, I feel fairly pleased with 12 tracks of piano pop/rock. Most songs held my attention, but several ballads that were overly-produced had me skipping tracks. I had the fortune to see Something Corporate in an outdoor concert in April under a full moon and by the Pacific Ocean. An exhilarating show. Something Corporate can certainly rock out while performing their hit single, "If You C Jordan", but also included songs from NORTH, like "Down", "She Paints Me Blue", and "21 and Invincible". Having the opportunity to hear their album after seeing them live completes the package, and I can see why Something Corporate is so popular. If you didn't get this album a year-and-a half-ago, I would encourage you to check it out.
-Luke Skywalker

SPACE VACUUM
FROM OUTER SPACE
SELF-RELEASED
Listening to a recording such as this makes me wonder what people should really be doing with their time. FROM OUTER SPACE initially strikes your ears and makes you feel as if you are at some fucked-up spaceship beach party. I want to say that this is The Donnas meet Judy Jetson's wannabe Josie and the Pussycats cartoon band. Clearly, Space Vacuum wants to follow the whole space theme with their echoing vocals and spacey sound effects, but the end result is actually a poorly-recorded album that is so insufferable that I found it difficult to get through the first 30 seconds of the first four songs before ejecting the disc and throwing it in my discard pile.
-Aimee Curran

STACIE ROSE
SHADOWS & SPLENDOR
ENCHANTED RECORDS
Last time we saw singer-songwriter Stacie Rose, she had just released an EP that acted as a preview to this new effort, SHADOWS & SPLENOR. Still, Rose has a good thing going with her wispy vocal chords and songwriting style, leaving behind acrid note ranges and soggy arrangements. Potent but weighty tunes like "High as the Moon" and "Getting Stronger" show Rose to have that Sheryl Crow-meets-Michelle Branch vibe. All in all, this is a promising artist.
-Darren Ratner

STOLEN MARCHES
STOLEN MARCHES
SELF-RELEASED
Who's ready for some "no coast rock and roll"? What does that mean? I'm not sure. Probably that they're from the Midwest. I just happened to find that little saying on the back of this mediocre punk-infused CD. With power chords aplenty and such original lyrics as "She is so fine / Yeah, gotta gotta make her mine" (from "Shes [sic] My Cocktail"), it has to make you wonder why they even bothered making a CD. "Hey, I know! Let's go some shit that rhymes, put some crappy basic guitar riffs over the top, and throw in a lot of double-pedaling in there! That'll get us laid!" Sorry, boys: it won't. Even their cute little acoustic intro into "Larrys [sic] Lullabye [sic]" sucks, horribly. Don't get this CD.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

STROKE 9
ALL IN
ROCK RIDGE
Stroke 9 is a Bay Area band that enjoyed success in the early '90s with songs that appeared on various television and film projects who felt it was time to break away from its major label to explore its creative side. The end result is a 10-track album that sounds more commercially appealing than songs heard on WB melodramas and beer ads combined, as this band's frat-boy grunge is well past its keg-partying prime. www.stroke9.com
-Mike SOS

STRYPER
REBORN
BIG3RECORDS
I want not to like this album for the sole reason that the band uses this creative way of spelling their name and I hate bad spelling. I get the feeling that REBORN has some religious influences—which isn't necessarily a bad thing—but the style is nothing but rehashed bad '80s metal hair-band music. The heavy drums, religious undertones, and every song sounding too close the last is a bit much to handle—especially for a band that is probably most well-known for their brown-and-yellow striped stagewear. Thanks, but no thanks. I respectfully decline to hurt my ears any longer.
-Aimee Curran

STUTTERFLY
AND WE ARE BLED OF COLOR
MAVERICK
Stutterfly suffers from an saturation of the genre in which they belong; otherwise, this 13-track disc would be burning up the charts. Sadly, we already have so many of these type of nu angry acts flooding the market (Trust Company, The Used, Story of the Year, etc.) that this Canadian quintet won't get as much credit as they deserve for their cascading melodies and moody interludes (as in "Fire Whispers"). With that being said, the high-pitched lead vocals do get irritating at times, yet a solid guitar attack and arena-rock hooks galore do keep AND WE ARE BLED OF COLOR afloat long after the last chord of "Flames Adorn the Silence". www.maverick.com
-Mike SOS

SUPERHEAVYGOATASS
60,000 YEARS
ARCLIGHT
What a name, huh? Luckily for this Texas quartet, they can back up their moniker with a bevy of bulky, bong-fueled boogie-down barrages that would find solace in a Southern swampland. Thick, rich, and real spacey, 60,000 YEARS takes the nuances of stoner rock and metal and fuses them into a cohesive cluster that fills your head with the kind of visions that they used to lock people away for having. Giving props and nods to ZZ Top, Sabbath, Monster Magnet, and Skynyrd, songs like the syrupy "Druglord" meander in the mud before the boys hit the full-throttle button and are up and running in seconds flat. Sounding like a duel to the death between Billy Gibbons and Tony Iommi, Superheavygoatass may sound funny, but their mix of Texas two-step, stoner-rock shimmy, monolithic metal, and whiskey-soaked wisdom ain't nothing to mess with. www.arclightrecords.com
-Mike SOS

T TAURI
INFINITE MOTION
STRICTLY AMATEUR
T Tauri are not ones to fool you. Forget the slick production and the studio tricks; the hardcore boys that form this band play a sound so stripped down and honest that you'd think they made the record just for you. If you have a weak stomach (or you forgot to take your Prevacid today), INFINITE MOTION is not going to be your particular slice of pie. From sludge guitar riffs to small bursts of "popcorn-style" drumming, the mood on this album is dark and brutal. It's kind of like floating in space—but with a giant solar eel chasing you. Seekers of a more sophisticated hardcore should listen in, as you may just find what you've been looking for.
-Zac

TARANTULA A.D.
ATLANTIC
KEMADO RECORDS
This is perhaps the most powerful five-track CD I have ever heard. The intensity by which Tarantula A.D. is able to present these dramatic instrumentals through the use of cello, guitar, and drums is simply mystifying! Fans of the surreal rock moods created by Radiohead at their most airy (i.e., KID A), Sigur Ros at their most string-driven, and Godspeed, You Black Emperor at their most dramatic will find Tarantula A.D. a prime candidate for one of the greatest unknown bands. Opener "Grazie Signore" starts off driven by hauntingly beautiful cello, only to break down into Black Sabbath-like gothic power. The explosive energy is enhanced by the powerful drumming, which adds the punch. However, the genius is the band's patience in the build-up of their songs, leading to pulse-pounding release and a breath of fresh air. The lack of vocals only enhances these musical narratives.
-Norberto Gomez, Jr.

TEDDY'S CHEER CLUB
SELF-TITLED
SELF-RELEASED
Ah, that moody male/female alt rock of the '90s, where have you been? What's that you say, moody alt rock? You're back in this Teddy's Cheer Club self-titled release? How wonderful for you! If you're one of THOSE people who attended [insert name here]-palooza to see The Smashing Pumpkins or Lisa Loeb or some similar band, then you'll like this band. If you were to young and just WISH you went to [insert name here]-palooza, then you'll also like this. If you're not a fan of paloozas in general, then this probably isn't going to be for you.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

THE ALTER BOYS
THE EXOTIC SOUNDS OF THE ALTER BOYS
FRACTURED TRANSMITTER
After touring together in late 2001, Jason Popson of Mushroomhead and Todd Smith of Dog Fashion Disco began work on a musical project. The result is a humorous blend of surf rock and aggressiveness. Most songs here are driven by upbeat guitar and nice vocal variation in a pop format that usually explodes into more aggressive screaming and darker guitar and drums in the choruses (à la System of a Down). At times, the music begins to get mediocre. For example, "Little White Lies" and "Where Have You Gone" are slow, swaying love songs that very nearly sound exactly the same. At times there are ridiculous attempts at certain genres, including swing, classic rock, surf rock, and ska. Every now and then there is a track like "A Little Pain Goes a Long Way" that is so aggressive and dark that it makes it seem like this is a split-EP.
-Norberto Gomez, Jr.

THE AWKWARD ROMANCE
TO BREATHE IS TO COMPROMISE EP
DAY JOB RECORDS
The self-produced sophomore release from this Georgia quartet is a pleasant, high-quality romp through the world of emo-tinged rock. After producing an earlier EP, COVINGTON, with a local producer at an Atlanta studio, the boys decided to do this one in true, indie/D.I.Y. style. The results are remarkably professional for coming from somebody's living room with a mobile setup. With a sound that is sure to bring a strong underground fan base, the band excels at catchy sing-along choruses. While most of the band's gigs are at alternative Christian shows, a world of venues is sure to open up as this band's sincerity and passion enable it to make a statement without beating people over the head. If you're into melodic emo or screamo, give this one a listen. You won't be disappointed.
-Dug

THE BASEBALL FURIES
LET IT BE
BIG NECK RECORDS
Odie, Styles, Hollywood, and Dapper—a.k.a. The Baseball Furies (who got their name from the cult gang flick THE WARRIORS)—is doing a killer balls and guts version of New York Dolls-style garage rock. Not that The Baseball Furies is a rip-off act; they are not. This Buffalo, NY, group transplanted to Chicago has produced a cool, dirty, rocking sophomore disc. Some of the highlight tunes are "So Amped Up" (a tribute to the wild side), "Operational" (which contains some smoking axe work by Styles), and "No Way to Win" (a furious rocker). LET IT BE isn't a perfect disc. There are some passages where Odie is wailing like a drunk on a 4 a.m. shit fit—but that's the attitude of The Baseball Furies: fucked up and ready to go.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

THE BRAT ATTACK
FROM THE BEAUTY COMES CHAOS AND MAYHEM
SELF-RELEASED
It is nice to see the younger generations taking interest in politics and major issues, especially in this day and age, when people are either completely ignorant or only interested in something because Puffy told them to be. The Brat Attack seem to call it like it is—at least from an educated and irritated standpoint. A listener will certainly learn a few things about reality; unfortunately, they are the kind of things that will frustrate to the point of punching holes in the walls. I like the way this band uses samples and a combination of male and female voices. I noticed that a few of the lyrics remind me of the first Reveille album. Regardless, I like this punky Canadian quintet. I'd go see them play—maybe just to see if the chick singer is as hot as she sounds.
-Thomas Murray

THE CAPES
TASTE
HARD SOUL
If I could say one word to The Capes, it would be "almost." The band manage to forget from track to track whether or not they want to be Bloc Party or The Beach Boys. While this type of diversification can sometimes prove to be an interesting coalescing of sounds, here it protrudes like a large, ugly sore that can't help but go noticed on the face of every track. Each part individually may be quite compelling or driving, but when spliced together so sporadically, they only bring each other down. Whether or not The Capes can break their way through in the same way like-minded friends Bloc Party have is yet to be determined. Regardless, they have some cleaning up to do.
-Zac

THE CATCH
GET COOL
MADE IN MEXICO RECORDS
The full-length debut from this sassy Seattle quartet is a hook-filled romp that makes it seem as if these four tough femmes fatale stepped out of a time machine from the '80s. While it's tempting to label these girls the resurrection of The Go-Go's, there is a darker, guitar-driven, Sleater-Kinney undertone to the band's music that makes one think The Catch would be more comfortable with switchblades than hair curlers. Amy Rockwell's ubiquitous keyboard does give much of this music the feel of late-'80s new wave, but Carly Nicklaus's lead vocals take this music to a new level. While supportive of their female colleagues' riot grrrl and feminist musings, The Catch aren't out "to change the world or be political." What the band does do is sing a lot of clever, fun tunes about relationships with boys. With sing-along choruses and very danceable melodies, I think we'll be hearing about these relationships for quite a while.
-Dug

THE CHARMING SNAKES
AMMUNITION
DIRTNAP RECORDS
The debut full-length for this now-Seattle-based (formerly of Austin) quartet is a poppy explosion of eclectic rock 'n' roll at its best. With a sound that has been likened as a cross between The Fall and Sonic Youth, this band has all the hooks it needs to conquer the great Northwest and begin to spread its message to the world. The band's message is to bust loose with saxophones, tambourines, guitars, and drums while screaming your head off. The Texas edge these musicians grew up with brings the party vibe, while the band's current Washington scene brings the esoteric jam sessions on this amazing album. With a dazzling, unique sound and a record label that actually prints colored vinyl copies of every group's release, The Charming Snakes will appeal to the bohemian in all of us.
-Dug

THE CREST
VAIN CITY CHRONICLES
SEASON OF MIST
The Crest is a female-fronted outfit from Norway whose melancholic, mid-tempo, 11-track collection fits alongside your Evanescence and Lacuna Coil discs yet goes a lot further in scope, throwing in some My Dying Bride and Theatre of Tragedy (lead singer Nell's other outfit) for some gloom factor. Guitar-wise, this seems a bit heavier than most bands in the genre, and Nell's superlative vocals truly stand out. Despite these nuances, VAIN CITY CHRONICLES isn't doing anything groundbreaking in the goth-rock realm, although they do manage to lay down some intriguingly somber moments that should appeal to the black-nail-polish-wearing teen in your neighborhood. www.season-of-mist.com
-Mike SOS

THE FAME
GET ON THE BEAT
SELF-RELEASED
GET ON THE BEAT is how '70s rock 'n' roll records should've sounded: drumbeats too danceable to dismiss, smoothly sung lines laced with lead guitar licks and brightened by back-up harmonies, battering bass riffs that rattle the room. In fact, The Fame's seemingly late-70's aesthetic is evident in almost everything that this act exudes—something that balances the band bravely on the brim of gimmicky. This six-song debut deals one catchy chorus after another. During this disc's inaugural spin, some songs will likely have their listeners singing along before the bridges begin. "Close to Me", a solemn, slower-paced selection driven by muted gobs of guitar, is one such song. The title track is similarly singable—and its livelier velocity and vibe gives it guts that the other tracks lack. Fortunately, The Fame's superior songwriting separates them from the piles of pretentious retro-rockers in their wake.
-Dane!

THE GENERATORS
EXCESS BETRAYAL...AND OUR DEARLY DEPARTED
FIEND MUSIC
So many times you read reviews that say "Wow, this is a great disc." Well, that's just not enough for The Generators' EXCESS BETRAYAL...AND OUR DEARLY DEPARTED. This disc was originally released in Germany in 2003. It has been remastered with five bonus tracks and a video. But the main thing is the music. Los Angeles's The Generators is a well-rehearsed, outstanding band, and these songs are blueprints for American punk songwriting. "Seasoned" is the word that describes the entire project. I recommend this disc to everyone. EXCESS BETRAYAL...AND OUR DEARLY DEPARTED is a modern masterpiece that is based in punk rock but is more just a reflection of emotion and real life than a genre. That being said, wow, this is a great disc.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

THE HOLOGRAMS
NIGHT OF 1,000 EX-BOYFRIENDS
TEENACIDE RECORDS
If only The Go-Go's had a bit more piss and vinegar in their veins, they would sound exactly like The Holograms. NIGHT OF 1,000 EX-BOYFRIENDS is a catty album of punked-out, psycho-teen delight that induces the occasional chuckle and a couple of headbangs. With songs like "Your Ex Is Turning Tricks Again" and "Drunk Dial", the CD covers all levels of anger-infused girlishness from jealousy to drunken phone calls to loneliness. Needless to say, these three girls aren't exactly marriage material.
-Darren Ratner

THE HOLY FIRE
THE HOLY FIRE
DOWN PENINSULA AUDIO
The next big thing to come out of Detroit will leave you singing and dancing for years to come. This six-song EP is a lot like foreplay: when it's over, it leaves you wanting more…a lot more. A mere 20 minutes of deliciously intoxicating guitars and vocals can get you through any and every heartbreak you've ever experienced. Throw in '80s dance-style drum beats and bass, and you won't just be getting through your heartbreaks, you'll be grooving through them. Just one listen to this band and you'll be counting down the days until the full-length comes out.
-Tijana Martinovic

THE HURT PROCESS
A HEARTBEAT BEHIND
VICTORY RECORDS
According to The Hurt Process Website, the band's summer tour throughout the U.S. will be without their drummer. In a Dave Grohl reversal, the band's guitarist will be taking over drumming duties; but unlike Grohl, the lack of a skilled personal touch should render this switch negligible. The Hurt Process work according to formula. They have the big-name label support that keeps them touring and a sound drawn from "a love of Jimmy Eat World, Thursday, and Killswitch Engage." Three recent and popular influences, apparently interchangeable band members, and an album set around a heart motif are a recipe for success. The Hurt Process do indeed run the gamut from acoustic strummer "The Night Before the Morning After" to "My Scandinavian Ride", a more typically Victory quick thrash. As the major-label pedigree of their influences suggests, The Hurt Process are just another watered-down wannabe.
-Erika Owens

THE JE NE SAIS QUOI
WE MAKE BEGINNINGS
COALITION RECORDS
Those rocking Swedes have done it again. From the land that brought us The Hives, Sahara Hot Nights, and International Noise Conspiracy comes the mesmerizing full-length debut from The Je Ne Sais Quoi, WE MAKE BEGINNINGS. This garage-rock outfit swaggers through 10 fabulous songs filled with minimal yet effective guitars, bouncing bass lines, and an attitude of a band that knows its good and doesn't believe in boundaries. Switching effortlessly from female to male vocals, the band's sound mixes the backbeat and approach of Gang of Four with the guitar dynamics of classic Sonic Youth, creating a sound that is begging to be heard. While other neo-new-wave acts might sell more records, few can match The Je Ne Sais Quoi's debut for sheer brilliance. Do yourself a favor and hunt this one down. You can thank me later.
-Jeff Srack

THE KING CHEETAH
THE KING CHEETAH L.P.
SPITSHINE RECORDS
THE KING CHEETAH L.P. is the debut full-length disc from London's best new band in decades. The King Cheetah is aggressive and passionate, and the music reflects it all. Track 1, "Squaddie Meat", begins with drummer Simon Hancock torturing his drums with brutal, pounding statements. Then Robin Holden's thick, air-eating bass and the surfish guitar of Robert Paul Maune weigh in together. These three are an amazing band. Robert's voice is sharp, smart, and creatively issues cool-as-hell melodies, and his lyrics are as masterful as his guitar work. People will be talking about the first time they heard THE KING CHEETAH L.P. 20 years from now. No matter what song you hear last, that song plays in your head all day. Go buy THE KING CHEETAH L.P. immediately.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

THE KOFFIN KATS
INHUMANE
HAIRBALL RECORDS
INHUMANE is a graveyard-stompin' psychobilly disc from Hell. Haling from Detroit, The Koffin Kats are a rocking three-piece machine. Lead singer Vic Victor is aping the King while slapping some old-school stand-up bass; Tommy Koffin is a wild unorthodox axeman who is getting great squeals and evil tones out of his guitar; and Damian Detroit is driving The Koffin Kats with drumsticks on fire. INHUMANE is a screaming good time and solid with rockabilly hits (if that were possible, anyway). Some of the top-shelf tunes are "Vampire Curse", "She's Deadly", and "Chainsaw Massacre". INHUMANE is a horror-movie, drug-crazed trip worth taking. Beware of the hidden psychedelic freak-out at the end.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

THE MICHAEL DAVID PROJECT
THE MICHAEL DAVID PROJECT
ROUGE RECORDS
The Michael David Project is a Detroit outfit that is making adult-contemporary music that rings of singer/songwriter/acoustic guitar and organ groups of the '70s. The music is thoughtful and full of sweet textures and musicianship. There is no big bang, but that's not the point. Michael David has a nice voice, and he is an excellent songwriter. This debut disc is a reflective, gentle effort that wants to partner up with you on a slow moving day. There is not a weak tune on board. My pick for single is the 10CC-meets-early Grateful Dead opener "Apology". The more you listen, the more you sway along to the inspired songs on The Michael David Project's infectious disc.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

THE NORTHERN HUES
SELF-TITLED
TAILWHIP RECORDS
It had been a while since I sat down and really listened to a good ol' crap-rock album. Yes, folks: crap-rock. Crap-rock is a phenomenon that occurs when too many musicians (six) get together and overuse one instrument (keyboard) to crutch their weak songwriting and holes in their compositions. The Northern Hues do their best to apply the so fresh, so clean guitar tone of new-wave heavyweights New Order with the kind of American songwriting made popular by Seacrest and crew over at STAR 98.7. The harmonies are dull that the songs are like dogs chasing their own tails around and around and never actually getting anywhere. I hesitate to say that the bargain bin might be a step up for this EP. Maybe next time, kids.
-Zac

THE ORANGES BAND
THE WORLD & EVERYTHING IN IT
LOOKOUT!
Playing endearing, charming, and at times quirky indie rock (not unlike Seattle's Love as Laughter), Baltimore's The Oranges Band impress with their second full-length, THE WORLD & EVERYTHING IN IT. Roman Kuebler's vocals are subdued, sweet, and calming, complementing the music (which is predominantly rather understated and pretty with a touch of sadness) quite well, as on songs like the opener "Believe", "Ride the Wave", and "Drug City". Yet, they manage to rock out on tunes such as the more energetic, sunny, and happy "White Ride"; the equally upbeat (and clever) "Ride the Nuclear Wave"; the driving "The Mountain"; and the catchy, somewhat aggressive standout "Atmosphere". And they get pretty freakin' cool with the odd rhythms of the title track.
-Janelle Jones

THE PALE PACIFIC
RULES ARE PREDICTABLE
SIDECHO RECORDS
The Pale Pacific is another in a long line of bands that have been forced to change their name. Moving on from the name drama, The Pale Pacific released this delectable EP in anticipation of the late-summer release of their next full-length, URGENCY. These four short songs breezed by a few times before I even realized the CD player had digested them. This ability to fly under the radar is actually a credit to The Pale Pacific, because with each subsequent listen I was pulled in deeper to investigate just what I missed those first few times. "Identity Theft" stands out because of its jerky beat and snarky lyrics, insisting "and now let's move." Well, I'm now moving—and eager to check them out this summer on tour and LP.
-Erika Owens

THE PB ARMY
SPINE FOR THE SNAPBACK
SIN KLUB
The PB Army is an eclectic outfit whose love of all things rock is obvious on the outfit's latest, 13-track barn-burner. Juggling caustic hard rock, meandering stoner grooves, and fist-pumping arena shuffles, this trio (whose drummer doubles as lead vocalist) bring the rawk spirit front and center and let it all hang out, providing the perfect soundtrack for a Saturday night kegger in the process. www.sinklub.com
-Mike SOS

THE PUG UGLIES
MINIMUM WAGE
RAUCOUS RECORDS
Palm-muted verses, four-chord choruses, growled vocals, and a Boston pedigree largely define this band, who's having even played with (and sounding derivatively similar to) fellow Bostonians The Dropkick Murphys. There is nothing particularly redeeming on this album to separate it from the myriad other street-punk bands. After all, there are only so many permutations of power-chord progressions. Similarly, the lyrics vaguely communicate the kind of trite, unfocused rage of similarly sophomoric acts. Fans of street punk may enjoy the record but will likely also find themselves unable to maintain attention, as there is little to distinguish one song from another, given that nearly all the album's tracks adhere to the same structure and the same 4/4 beat (occasionally sped up or slowed down). Ultimately, this is an album with the overdrive cranked way up and creativity turned way down.
-Matt Wallace

THE REAL TUESDAY WELD
THE RETURN OF THE CLERKENWELL KID
SIX DEGREES
Originality brings a smile to my face. It's refreshing when an artist can produce something that you simply have never heard before. To begin to explain, TROTCK is like The Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four" laid upon a bed of electronica. It's like a rousing trip through Tin Pan Alley with a modern touch. The album is soft, and it's sure to relax your ears as it awakens your senses. "On the Lavender Hill" proves to be the most interesting song, with its mesh of breathy vocals, beautiful back-up harmonies, and streaming synthesizers. With just a hint of Kings of Convenience mixed among the 1940s-inspired pop, this 17-track disc proves to be one of the most interesting of the year.
-Zac

THE SILENT TYPE
OF WRITING/OF VIOLENCE
LIMEKILN RECORDS
Quoting literary philosophers like Martin Heidegger and Jacques Derrida in the liner notes, it seems the band wishes to express the gravity of its primary motif—the inadequacy of language—and convey a sense of erudition. Despite the nearly clichéd ubiquity of this theme familiar to anyone who has studied English literature in any depth, the band mostly succeeds in clawing their way above similar acts whose vapid, cryptic lyrics about failed romance invites scorn rather than sympathy. Musically, THE SILENT TYPE hearkens back to other emo and indie shoegazer acts like Sunny Day Real Estate (the song "Oh John" was written by Jeremy Enigk) and tourmates Bella Lea (whose lead singer, Maura Davis, contributes guest vocals).
-Matt Wallace

THE SOUND OF URCHIN
THE DIAMOND
HYBRID RECORDINGS
I look at the back of this album and see a bunch of aging rock stars who look like they belong in the metal/punk scene, yet when I play the first track of THE DIAMOND, "Police Helicopters Over Brooklyn", I hear a child-like tune being played on a xylophone (at least I believe it's a xylophone). Well, whatever. Listening through the whole album, I have to say the tunes are rather simple, and so are the lyrics. Then again, what modern hard-rock album isn't both of those things? Let me think…yeah, not a one. So if you're into modern hard rock (or as I like to call it "SMALL DICK" rock. You know, the kind the guys in the oversized trucks blast), you'll dig this band.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

THE SOVIETTES
LP III
FAT WRECK CHORDS
Every time that I come across Minneapolis's three chicks/one dude band The Soviettes, I'm always amazed that this group isn't ruling the world. LP III is a terrific combination of attitude, fun, and smart power pop 'n' punk. And don't get your American flag in a wad: The Soviettes is a party band, not a commie plot. My pick for hit single is "Roller Girl", which includes a rumble in the break. LP III is full of songs that will make you sing along while feeling compelled to break things. Annie, Sturgeon (who just married Billy from Dillenger Four), Suzy, and Danny will be your next favorite band if you let them. The Soviettes rule the world—even if the world doesn't know it yet.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

THE TRANSMISSIONS
OVER WIRES
SELF-RELEASED
Hailing from Los Angeles, The Transmissions bring us OVER WIRES. This album is a collection of 11 cuts that are filled with a mix of up-tempo rock, catchy lyrics, and funky guitar riffs from Christian Bienne. The first track, "Traffic", hits you hard with a strong percussion foundation backed by driving yet subtle guitar lines. At times, what seems to be a loosely-structured song turns into a jam session in which each band member can shine at what they do best. I liked that a lot. The guitars are always in harmony with the drumming of Dennis Duncan and are the driving force behind this album. In all, OVER WIRES showcases what The Transmissions bring to the musical table, music with a hard-hitting edge that is different and refreshing. Find out more by checking out their Website, www.thetransmission.net.
-Matt Edmund

THE WILLOWZ
TALK IN CIRCLES
SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY
Don't be fooled by their name: The Willowz aren't here to sing you a lullaby. With their newest release, TALK IN CIRCLES, I'm sure they will have you wide awake, bobbing your head, and begging for more. What you will find on this album is 60+ minutes of raw, unadulterated, rockin' garage music with some mellow, low-key tracks (like "Equation #2" and "Blind Story"). The vocals from Richie Follin and Jessica Reynoza make for a good balance between the strong backbeat and blaring guitars that create their unique sound. This is what garage music is intended to sound and feel like. "Horn Song", "What's Wrong Is Right", and "Linear Communication" are some of my personal favorites. WALK IN CIRCLES is a must-have for anyone who flat out loves good rock 'n' roll.
-Matt Edmund

THE YOUTH CLASS
THIS IS WHAT I REMEMBER
THE ONLY RECORD LABEL
Depressingly sub-par, The Youth Class' album here is like a band that is purposely making you hate them. Introductions drag and attempt to push themselves through into the middle of a song, before vocalist Chris Voss begins his annihilation of his vocal cords. The songs are so dismantled that one might even mistake them for studio improvisation (not to mention the lyrics). It's truly painful to listen to, and even fans of Small Brown Bike, Youth Brigade, and The Casket Lottery are sure to have a tough time with this one. Perhaps the songs were written decades ago and the album's title explains the missing sections and unorganized layout. Anyone with me on this?
-Zac

TODAY'S TOMORROW
TODAY'S TOMORROW
SELF-RELEASED
Recorded with producer Barrett Jones (Foo Fighters, Bush, Nirvana, etc.), TODAY'S TOMORROW sounds like throwaway Collective Soul with some emo yuck spilt on it. Today's Tomorrow (I hate that name) has elements that really rock. Sometimes the guitar work makes my big toe shoot up in my boot, but for the most part this disc is a big "so what," nice songs that could be a million other bands. Today's Tomorrow needs to try to find their own voice.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

TRIESTEARCANA
IV
OSIRIS
There are a million different ways to separate one band from another. One way is: some bands want to make music that would be a cool disc in a cool disc collection, and some want to sound like the cool records in a cool collection. Triestearcana is all about their collection. In other words, there are lots of cool ideas on IV, but this group didn't have any of them. This Ohio two-man (plus friends) tribute-ist outfit is a combination of 1970s classic rock and 1990s Seattle rock. Lead singer Shervin Mashashfi is full of emotion and attitude, but it all sounds local in that it's just so unoriginal. And Triestearcana is my vote for worst name for a band in the history of bad rock names. IV is a waste of plastic. Common and amateurish.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

VARIOUS ARTISTS
BROKEN BONEZ II
BROKEN BONEZ RECORDS
I always thought that a label put the best songs by their bands on a sampler to grab the listener's attention. If this is true for BROKEN BONEZ II, then this tiny record label out of El Paso is in a world of trouble. From hardcore to ska-punk to rockabilly, it all sounds the same: horrible. But even in the darkest tunnel, a light will shine—and Broken Bonez' glimmer of hope is ska act Fixed Idea. They are such standouts that I had to check my CD player to make sure that I was still listening to the same awful sampler. Give Fixed Idea a try and stay far, far away from the rest of the Broken Bonez crew.
-Jeff Srack

VARIOUS ARTISTS
DEAD BAND'S PARTY: A TRIBUTE TO OINGO BOINGO
INDIANOLA RECORDS
Oingo Boingo was one of the more successful acts of the '80s, with their sometimes awkward, playful, and synth-driven pop ditties like "Weird Science" and "Dead Man's Party". With all their humor and '80s references, they have become one of the more influential bands from the era. This tribute CD highlights the more popular work of the band, with tracks like "We Close Our Eyes" covered by Reel Big Fish and "The Controller" done by The Aquabats. Unfortunately, the caliber of bands enlisted to do this tribute are lacking in the creativity that made Oingo Boingo great. No attempt is made to be ballsy; instead, there is only really cheesy pop-punk versions of these well-known tracks. Hello Goodbye's version of "Weird Science" with its use of wacky electronics and Finch's version of "When the Lights Go Out" driven by soulful vocals are the best moments in this tribute CD.
-Norberto Gomez, Jr.

VARIOUS ARTISTS
DOWN IN A MIRROR
SUMMERSTEPS RECORDS
This CD is a tribute to Jandek, a singer/songwriter. First off, Jandek, you have an odd name. That's all I have to say about that. On to the music. I have to say that I really did enjoy this CD. It must be the moody goth kid in me, because that's who I picture really digging this music. Sitting outside of a coffeeshop, writing poetry, and blasting this CD is exactly how I picture every gothic kid, now that I think about it. Kidding aside, all these songs are extremely well written. I haven't heard such poetry in music in a long time, and I find it refreshing.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

VARIOUS ARTIST
LEITWERK DER MODERNEN IDIOMATIK
SOUNDS OF SUBTERRANIA
LEITWERK DER MODERNEN IDIOMATIK is a 27-track/27-band comp disc from Kassel, Germany's garage-rock label Sounds of Subterrania. This disc is 100% rocking. I love every band here—no shit. The music is consistently raw and cool. Some of my favorite groups are The Dirtbombs (featuring Mick Collins of the immortal The Gories), Lightning Beat-Man, Two Star Hotel, Blood Sucking Freaks, The Hara-Kee-Rees, and Columbian Neckties. For anyone mildly interested in garage rock, I suggest you go to www.soundsofsubterrania.com, where you can listen to all 27 bands (go to "bands" and then to "various artists"). This is the greatest collection of garage rock since NUGGETS—I'm serious. Investigate immediately.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

VARIOUS ARTISTS
LIVE AT THE CONTINENTAL BEST OF NYC VOL. 1
CONTINENTALNYC.COM RECORDS
This disc serves only one purpose: to make me sad that I didn't see these shows live at the Continental myself. But a live disc is the next best thing. What it lacks in studio magic, it makes up for by making you feel as if you are almost in the audience. With tracks from Joey Ramone and The Ramainz (featuring Dee Dee Ramone and Marky Ramone), it's a must-have for all Ramones fans. Even if you aren't the biggest Ramones fan, it also features Agnostic Front, Bouncing Souls, Murphy's Law, The Lunachicks, and many, many more. A kick-ass CD.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

VARIOUS ARTISTS
LIVE AT THE CONTINENTAL BEST OF NYC VOL. 2
CONTINENTALNYC.COM RECORDS
This CD is just as good as the first LIVE AT THE CONTINENTAL CD and features many of the same artists playing different songs. Both discs are overflowing with raw punk rock. There's no "studio magic," just kick-ass music that is sure to please you. And if you're a big fan of "Blitzkrieg Bop", then you're going to enjoy Joey Ramone's live version of it. Of course, it's not the same as when he plays it with The Ramones, but hey, that's to be expected. This version is much faster and—dare I say it?—a bit more punk rock. Pick up this CD and judge for yourself.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

VARIOUS ARTIST
MY SHINING ONE/SON OF THE MOURNING
ENGINEER
This is a transatlantic meeting of sorts comes via Engineer Records, as New Jersey's My Shining One and England's Son of the Mourning team up. First up are the impressively pedigreed My Shining One (featuring ex-members of Nora, Ensign, For the Love of), whose hardcore-meets-indie rock blend goes down as smooth as Thursday meeting Thrice. Next comes a heavier, more frenetic Son of the Mourning, complete with dissonant chords, a discernibly murkier feel, and a liking for Isis (as heard on the collection's closer, "Memento"). A good array of what hardcore bands sound like (or should sound like) today can be found here. www.engineerrecords.com
-Mike SOS

VARIOUS ARTIST
NORTT/XASTHUR
SOUTHERN LORD
Nortt and Xasthur are two prominent underground black-metal artists who weave intricate atmospheres of darkness and despair into their blends of extreme music, as is aptly demonstrated on this seven-track split. Up first is Denmark's Nortt, whose bleak dissonance and ominous aura bleeds all over these four tracks. After you take the cap off the pill bottle, be prepared for Xasthur's texturally rich ambiance and mellow yet overpowering waves of intensity. If you're not on suicide watch by the end of this disc, congratulations to you for surviving some of the most depressing music out there today. www.southernlord.com
-Mike SOS

VARIOUS ARTISTS
OI! MADE IN HOLLAND
REBELLION RECORDS
If you have ever thought to yourself, "Jeez, I wonder what type of street punk comes out of Holland," then does Rebellion Records have the comp for you. From the land of wooden shoes and windmills come 25 tracks of rowdy, fist-pumping punk filled with heavy accents, indecipherable lyrics, and some surprisingly good songs. Though it seems that the Dutch have heard their fair share of Dropkick Murphys and The Casualties records, imitation is the finest form of flattery—and these bands can imitate with the best. So if you're planning a trip to Amsterdam and want some punk to throw on your iPod or don't know what to buy the Dutch foreign exchange student living in your basement for his birthday, pick up OI! MADE IN HOLLAND.
-Jeff Srack

VALERY GORE
SELF-TITLED
SIX SHOOTER RECORDS
What a pretty voice Valery Gore has. I can't get over it. I don't really dig chick singers—or pop/rock, for that matter—but I like this. It seems as if she also plays piano on this album, and she does a good job. It makes me rather jealous. (I wish I could play piano that well. Perhaps if I practiced more.) Not only is this album well-sung and well-played, it's well-written. Watch out, Britney Spears and other pop-queen sluts, you'll soon be knocked off your pedestal by ladies who can write, sing, and play their own music. I look forward to that day.
-Manda-Dex-Punk

VICIOUS ART
FIRE FALLS AND THE WAITING WATERS
CANDLELIGHT
Vicious Art is quite the appropriate name for this Swedish metal troupe boasting former members of Dark Funeral and Entombed, as this punishing 10-track release stomps with the fervor you'd find from Cannibal Corpse and Hypocrisy. Blast-beated madness is the most prominent weapon used here, as the mighty double-bass pedal is used ad nauseam. The guitars are crisp and fleeting, and the vocals are the perfect union of growl and scream—and when doubled on tracks like "A Whistler and His Gun", sound like Hell has risen to Earth. Vicious Art isn't the most unique band on the map, but this quintet packs an undeniable wallop that can floor you. www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
-Mike SOS

WRECKING CREW
1987-1991
BRIDGE NINE
Seminal hardcore troupe Wrecking Crew's most influential years are chronicled on this 26-track reissue disc. Known for being one of the pioneer acts that bridged the gap between metal, punk, and hardcore, this Boston outfit's snarling vocal delivery and subtle yet heavy riffs are as good today as they were back in the their heyday, as songs like "1000 Yard Stare" and "Judgment" laid the blueprint down for countless underground rockers to start their own quest for success. Containing live cuts and out-of-press tracks—as well as a good indication of East Coast hardcore in its infant stages—this disc is a worthwhile purchase for any hardcore fan who wants to know more than Hatebreed and Terror. www.bridge9.com
-Mike SOS

YACHT
MEGA
MARRIAGE RECORDS
Here is a collection of songs that sound like they were created by a horde of robotic elves in a post-apocalyptic North Pole of the year 3021. Instead, Yacht is the creation of one man, Jona Belchtot. Driven mostly by Brian Eno-like electronic twitches, hums, and airy ambience, MEGA is most definitely a breath of fresh air in the electronic genres. The sometimes jerky, paranoid, and knifing programmed drums add a punch reminiscent of Aphex Twin. The key to its success is the abstract nature of the compositions and the use of acoustic guitar within the larger wall of synthesizers and samples. For the most part, the album consists of 15 instrumental tracks; however, it only clocks in at a total of 23 minutes. This is a testament to its tightly wound package of experimental electronic goodness. For more info, visit teamyacht.com.
-Norberto Gomez, Jr.

YESTERDAY'S RING
EL RANCHO
DARE TO CARE RECORDS
Alcohol has inspired many artists to create some truly great songs. Yesterday's Ring felt so inspired by their love of alcohol and the South that they chose to record a whole CD dedicated to just that. It was a nice effort on their part, because the instrumentals and lyrics are pretty good...but the vocals are just obnoxious. Here's some advice to the band: get this singer some Nicorette, because his vocal chords must have been damaged by some hard-core chain-smoking to get them to sound this awful. It really doesn't matter how awesome the rest of this band sounds: one minute of listening to those vocals made me want to gouge my eardrums out.
-Tijana Martinovic

ZATOKREV
ZATOKREV
CODE:BREAKER RECORDS
This three-piece death-metal band from Switzerland is on the path to metal greatness. Frederyk Rotter, Marco Germentieri, and Silvio Spadino came together to form Zatokrev in April of 2002 and was hitting stages all across Western Europe by February 2003. They have played with established veterans of metal mayhem such as Chimaira, Slayer, Nile, and Spineshank. Playing gigs played with these metal greats before their first album was ever recorded goes to show that these three guys have something that is set to blow up. Hard, head-banging guitars and deep, lyrics gushing with raw emotion. If metal is your game, than Zatokrev should be your pain—for pleasure, that is.
-Courtney Strain

» BACK TO TOP

---

---