A
A Day in Erie 7"
(Squishee)
reviewed in issue #126, 1/13/97

The focus here is on the strange interplay between the lyrics and the music. The sound is sparse and simplistic, with very little focus anywhere.

The a-side is "Brecks Shoes", though after listening through the thing twice I'm still not sure what shoes have to do with the song.

Now, "The Star Wars Trilogy", a set of three pieces that inhabit the b-side, makes a little more sense. Consisting mostly of the most obvious Star Wars quotes and the same rambling music, I can't say it gets me off in any expansive way.

Still, A has a cool style, one that even my craving for something (well, anything, really) couldn't pierce. Plenty of dry humor abound as well, which is fine if you're in the mood. This is oddly compelling. I like it for no good reason at all.

A Is Jump
My Ice-Fingered Ghost
(Future Appletree)
reviewed in issue #257, September 2004

At least the album title makes some sense. "A Is Jump?" I have no idea. Whatever. Aerosmith is a pretty weird name, and those boys seem to have prospered reasonably.

Of course, A Is Jump sounds nothing like Aerosmith. This is mannered, eccentric (in a decidedly linear fashion) pop music. Kinda like a nice fusion between the romper room infectiousness of emo and the icy, conceptual world of math. What's important is that these folks pick the best of both worlds.

That's good, because combining sterile, stilted melodies with insipid lyrics would be a recipe for disaster. It's also good that this album has a slightly warm feel. Nothing overdone, but inviting enough. Takes a bit of the edge off the band's more adventurous turns of phrase.

Fun and involving music. Always a good combination. I still have no idea what the band's name means, but now I know that it stands for good music.

Aalacho
Sugar
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #237, January 2003

When it comes to electronic music, everyone's got a theory. Some folks like to use the precision of digital music to more completely reflect real life. Others prefer to use the freedom of a blank canvas to create a entirely new reality.

Aalacho simply prefers to make cool pop music. Yeah, there are a few atmospherics here and there, but mostly this is about how to execute fine (if unconventional) melodies and bouncy beats.

Reminds me a bit of Die Warzau, circa "Funkopolis." Very playful--but also plenty adventurous. A nice balance between the two extremes, if you will. There is a bit of that German chilliness and some industrial-style fuzz, but don't let that throw you. This stuff is fun.

Walking this line is a seriously difficult feat. Aalacho (I'm hoping the name means something and just isn't a ploy to get shelved at the very beginning) trips through a wide variety of ideas, but it never forgets to bring a smile. Monster fun.

Aalacho is Nathan Scott. He's recruited a number of friends to stop by and contribute vocals or guitar or whathaveyou, but he's the one to blame for this fine collection of electronic noodling.

Scott can't really decide if he's a fan of New Order, Die Warzau, faceless 70s German techno or any number of industrial acts. Industrial in an early Einsturzende Neubauten way, of course. Most of the time he borrows freely from all sorts of influences and then assembles the sounds into a vaguely sterile setting.

That cool feel is what really sells this set for me. There's just no excess. Plenty of experimentation ("Ticket to Ride"--yes, the Beatles song--is utterly unrecognizable) but everything sounds so damned swell.

A fun run-through of electronic trends of the last 30 years or so. Scott has a real handle on his sound, and he knows how to put songs together. Not exactly an album with ample commercial prospects, of course, but that simply makes it more pleasing to my ears.

Donn Aaron
Like a Feather in a Hurricane
(Black Cottage)
reviewed in issue #238, February 2003

So the first four songs remind me of Happy Mondays (I just watched 24 Hour Party People, so that's on my mind), Greg Garing, no one that comes to mind and the Replacements, respectively. In other words, Aaron has written some solid songs and then used technology to highlight what he's really good at doing.

Like crafting soulful, rootsy hooks. Even when the drum machine is pulsing, an earthy feel permeates everything. Another way to put it is that no matter how slick and refined these songs may sound, the center remains grounded in the real.

Some folks might think that he stole from Beck. Well, inspiration certainly flowed from that direction, but Aaron is really very much a rock and roller, even though he's been wandering the wasteland for a while. These songs easily fit into conventional slots, but they're still really damned appealing.

It's a tough trick to make good music that is simple and processed enough to gain wide acceptance. Donn Aaron has the writing skills, and he's hit upon a production style that just screams major label--in a good way. Really. I mean it. This is one of those "oughta be huge" albums that you'll want to hear many times over.

A.C.-see Anal Cunt

a.c. acoustics
Able Treasury
(Elemental-Trance Syndicate)
reviewed in issue #68, 1/15/95

The first chords are heavier than anything on the EP (recorded later, but released in the U.S. earlier). This band is unplugged in name only.

And, well, "acoustics" is a reference to sound, not unamplified guitars, anyway. a.c. acoustics wraps its simple pop ideas up in a pastry of feedback and wailing guitar lines. Like countrymen TFC, only not derivative as all hell like the Fanclub.

As an insight on how Big Star-influenced pop is being interpreted across the Atlantic (I don't think anyone bought the last-excellent-Posies album over here), these folk show there is still room to expand and create in an area many critics called spent in 1975.

While each song is quite impressive in its own right, Able Treasury is really best enjoyed as one piece. Any skeptic should be converted by the time "Sweatlodge" rolls around.

Just to be clear: this is the EP. It was recorded after the LP also reviewed in this issue, but it got its U.S. release before the LP. Sure, this is a little confusing, but you should know these things.

a.c. acoustics plays an odd mixture of ethereal pop, with some psychedelic reverb wandering around. Not unlike Bedhead, who is also a Trance band. But where Bedhead goes to the noise extreme occasionally, a.c. acoustics moves to the soft extreme.

This is not necessarily mellow. The music is softly intense. While the LP gives you a fuller taste, this EP shows the band in good experimental pop form.

a.m. vibe
a.m. vibe
(Silver Girl)
reviewed in issue #241, May 2003

There's something about the way dusky female vocals color light alt. pop that simply sounds right.

I'm not talking about a venture into Lisa Loeb territory, but if you recall a band by the name of the Moon Seven Times, well, a.m. vibe fits right into that territory.

The reason this works is that the music and lyrics have a hidden depth. At first listen this stuff sounds almost ephemeral. It's just that there's a certain something underneath that lends itself to repeat listens. There's a there there, after all.

Jesus, did I just write that? Well, it does make sense. And I think it conveys the unusual charm of a.m. vibe quite well. This stuff shouldn't work, but it does. Hard to argue with that.

Abdallah
Sudden Enchantment
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #155, 3/23/98

New age music had been maligned by many folks who are much more schooled than me. For good reasons, most of the time. The stuff is too simplistic, way too dramatic in a cheesy way, too this, too that. Just like what they say about Danny Elfman's film scores.

Agreed. Abdullah writes some nice, simple piano work. Stuff that would work just fine on its own. But he also feels the need to wash over the good stuff with loads of synthesized strings and other keyboard effects. Way over the top.

And he cribs, which is annoying. That he rips off Andrew Lloyd Webber (listen to "Searching" and tell me that's not a song from Phantom) is worse. I mean, if you're gonna steal, show some taste, right?

On the other hand, that just might be what new age fans want to hear. I can't say. I'm not in that ballpark.

Abdullah
Abdullah
(demo)
reviewed in issue #180, 4/12/99

It's been a while since I've heard such straight-ahead Sab. There is something of a grunge feel to this, but I'm guessing that has as much to do with the demo-quality recording as much as anything.

Back when this style was the rage, I probably would have railed against such a sound on general principle. But, like I said, it's been a while, and I'm happy to slip back into the groove. Some extreme touches (occasional death-metal screeches), but mostly, this is straight outta Birmingham, circa 1969.

Yes, I could ask for some more creativity. Less slavish devotion to the sound. Okay, sure. But still, Abdullah does this really well. I wish the sound wasn't so muffled, but even so, this hits me in my comfortable cheese spot.

Travis Abercrombie
Tied
(Moon Shot)
reviewed in issue #271, December 2005

Well-crafted, tightly-produced nuggets. A bit moody for power pop, I suppose--and probably a bit too shiny for indie rock, for that matter--Abercrombie has a knack for nailing a hook that should make him the envy of just about anyone.

These songs are deceptively simple. The music is uncluttered and generally straightforward, which is one reason I like it so much. Even when he occasionally trails into major label cliches (the echo-y back beat in a song intro, for example), he manages to turn them around by the time he hits the honey.

And yeah, these anthems have the hooks necessary to land listeners. This is the sort of thing that just might make it in the mainstream, but I'd guess Abercrombie is still a bit too serious and introspective for the amphitheaters. I've been wrong about that before, though, and I'd like to be now.

This is a stab at major stardom, make no mistake. Abercrombie knows how to write songs and make them just ordinary enough to attract a wide audience. Whether he gets it or not is a matter of public whim. Gotta love the music biz.

Abscess
Urine Junkies
(Relapse Underground)
reviewed in issue #89, 10/9/95

Featuring members of Autopsy. Well, that certainly gets my panties in a bunch.

From the load I dropped in them, that is. Much less produced than Autopsy albums (and that's saying something), Urine Junkies keeps up the musical and lyrical retardation Autopsy favors. There is a kind of fun streak running through this, but not enough to get me hard or anything.

Some people really like out-of-control (and stupid to boot) grindcore. I do, sometimes, but not now. Abscess is simply not even up to those standards.

I listened to the first few songs while taking a dump. Perhaps the perfect way to appraise the new Abscess. And you know, I found a whole new appreciation for the band.

The production is still dreadful, but here the mushiness almost helps. For once, the guys are trying to play semi-coherent songs. And for once, I almost like the album.

Yeah, when song titles include "The Scent of Shit", "Burn, Die and Fucking Fry" and "Freak Fuck Fest", you know you're not in for an evening of subtleties. And this descendent of Autopsy keeps treading the same road it always has. Trying to be the Gwar of the death metal set. Without all the silly costumes, of course.

Which leaves the music, which is certainly a joke. Enjoyable enough, and much better than I expected. That still doesn't pull Abscess much above sea level. Still, as music to shit by goes, this ain't bad.

See also Autopsy.

Absinthe Blind
When Our Flashes Sway
(Hammerhead)
reviewed in issue #147, 11/10/97

If you were to make an equilateral triangle comprising U2, the Chills and Pavement and trisect it, Absinthe Blind might be sitting there at the union point. Unless I've completely forgotten my geometry terminology and I just created some sort of vector black hole thingy.

Anyway, this is alt-pop stuff with a minimalist approach to melody and an affection for sweeping, atmospheric settings. Fans of Seam would probably dismiss this as a primitive attempt at ultimate flattery, but I'm quite a bit more charitable. Absinthe Blind is able to undercut its epic excess with some nice sleight-of-hand in the booth, and the lyrics certainly aren't afraid of expressing emotions.

Indeed, for all the musical mess, the sparsely-worded lyrics slash through any grandiose visions of pompous arrogance. This disc represents a band tackling basic philosophical problems (both intellectual and musical), with varying success. A worthy ride, nonetheless.

I get a little tired of the relentless use of the ironic morose backbeat (think about it, and maybe listen to any R.E.M. album), but there are enough fresh ideas here to keep me coming back around time and again.

The Absolute Zeros
Dreams Gone Sour
(Big Deal)
reviewed in issue #155, 3/23/98

Chunky riffs and tight hooks, pop music that lurches pleasantly from tune to tune. Approaching the ideal of white guys with guitars, with all the baggage that implies.

Sweet stuff, undoubtedly, though not quite as achingly gorgeous as, say, the Cardinal Woolsey album of a couple years back. The Absolute Zeros get bogged down occasionally in craft problems (the transition between song sections can be agonizing), but the basics are good.

Good sound, bouncy and appealing. Just the right amount of kick in the guitars, and a slightly ragged quality to the vocals. Dead on.

In all, pleasing. Not perfect, but a decent disc for a lazy afternoon. Enough punch to convince you to actually get off yer ass, but with a tasty filling that justifies the lackadaisical impulse.

The Abstractions
Sonic Conspiracy
(Edgetone)
reviewed in issue #232, August 2002

The Abstractions are Ernesto Diaz-Infante, Scott R. Looney, Bob Marsh, Jesse Quattro and Rent Romus. If those names mean anything to you, then you've probably got a pretty good idea what's going on here.

Improvisations of the manic kind. With a few more introspective ideas tossed in for good measure. These folks have worked together previously in other combinations, so they know how to play off each other. How to make a true improvisation sing.

Which is not to say that much of this sounds anything like traditional music. Hell, a couple pieces here make regular "free jazz" sound like a minuet. Still, within the chaos there is reason. A plan. Design.

Maybe that's why this sort of sonic exploration appeals to me. Jazz purists abhor the idea of improvisation as brainstorming, but these are talented people spinning ideas. Not every concept works; not every path is followed as long as it should be. That's cool. Kinda like life that way.

The Abstractions are Ernesto Diaz-Infante, Rent Romus, Bob Marsh and a host of friends. If you know anything about the folks listed above, then you know what you're getting into here.

Or maybe not. These songs do have a highly improvisational feel, but there's a strange sort of avant-groove riffing through many of them. Sort of a lurching, menacing feeling that the noise is, indeed, coalescing into something deeper and infinitely more terrifying.

The folks also utterly deconstruct "But Not for Me," a delightful Gershwin tune that is rendered into burnt offal. It's not supposed to be funny; I'm really not sure of the intent, period. Which goes for the whole album. I don't have a firm grasp on what these folks are doing most of the time, and that's probably what makes this album so attractive to my ears.

Ominous rumblings from an alternate dimension. This is music for those inhabiting the outer realms of reality. If you think you're normal, be afraid. Be very afraid. And run away. Now.

The latest musings from Rent Romus and Ernesto Diaz-Infante (and a revolving cast of pals). Are these improvisations? Performance art? A whacked-out attempt at art songs? Probably all of the above. The only thing I know is that each songs pushes a different part of the envelope.

And so you can flit from a silly political discussion to something that sounds like Leonard Cohen deconstructed to some really nice abstract noise--with a cool vocal track, to boot. A fine mix of fare.

A sonic bouillabaisse, if you will. Romus and Diaz-Infante throw just about everything into the pot, and somehow it comes out as a nice, cohesive stew. Not for the faint of heart (or mind), but just the sort of musical adventure I like to take.

But then, I had a feeling I'd like this as soon as I opened the package. So maybe you can't take my word for it. For fans, though, this album just keeps on keepin' on. And that's a very good thing.

Abuse Ment Park
Electric Spanking Session
(Surf)
reviewed in issue #177, 2/22/99

What might have been metal a few years back is now given the generic term "industrial" these days. Abuse Ment Park kicks out thick grooves made of swirling riffage, with lots of rants against God and other authority figures.

Pretty cool, as far as all that goes. The songs themselves don't progress much from one to the other, so there is a sensation of having heard it all before by the end of the disc. A mild case, though, nothing too serious.

The thing that really catches my ear here is the sound, particularly guitars. This has that Skid Row/Winger guitar feel (and as much as you may not like those bands, the guitars were done well), and the gravelly vocals (somewhere between James Hetfield and hardcore) fit on top quite nicely.

Entertaining, as long as you don't go too far with it. A fun disc worth a few spins.

The Abyss
The Other Side
(Nuclear Blast)
reviewed in issue #73, 3/31/95

"No keyboards was (sic) used on this recording." A pretty impressive statement for a black metal disc.

Speed and hollering are the two trademarks here; also, the production is about the best I've heard on a black metal album. Well, when you get a little money behind you...

The Abyss also has taken a little time to craft the songs, which makes them listenable (somewhat). This is the most commercial (and to my ear, best) black metal disc I've heard. That doesn't say much, but you should check this out. I don't know where black metal is heading, but some evolution is a good thing.

Also known as the black metal side of Hypocrisy. The guys switch instrument and singing assignments and plow ahead as if nothing unusual is happening.

But, of course, The Abyss is that unusual black metal band that actually sounds great. The guys can play, and the songs sound like they've actually been written and not merely tossed off a wanky Casio.

Sure, other bands like Emperor can make the same claim, but my main problem with a lot of black metal is that there is little musical creativity. Not to mention the weak production that tends to turn a lot of bands' albums to mush. The Abyss had the money and the know-how to create a lush black metal atmosphere, one that is worthy of the title.

As this and the last Abyss release prove, no musical movement is completely bereft of talent and innovation. The Abyss is certainly at the head of the class in black metal, even if the band is merely the more extreme version of one of the more venerable death metal acts around. Set your weapons to "kill"!

Accept
Predator
(Mayhem-Futurist)
reviewed in issue #132, 4/14/97

Accept, and more specifically once and current lead singer Udo Dirkschneider, is one of the reasons why I prefer not to use the term "hair rock" when referring to the passel of metal bands that made the 80s a fun time to grow up. I mean, you really think Nelson and Iron Maiden belong anywhere near each other?

As 80s metal bands went, Accept never quite broke into the mainstream. No album hit the Top 40, and they played places like Greyhound Arena in Portales, NM (along with Krokus; I missed the show because my friends were too drunk to remember when I lived). I'd like to say that I was a devoted fan, but I wasn't. When I heard Accept I liked it (and I do know most of Metal Heart pretty well, and how can you not like a song like "London Leatherboys"), I'm not what you'd call a devoted fan.

This puppy is produced by Michael Wagener (who else?), and original members Udo, Wolf Hoffman and Peter Baltes are still cranking out much the same stuff they did 15 years ago. Good riffage, nice hooks and the trademark Dirkschneider growl.

Even with the Kiss comeback and whatever it is that Motley Crue is doing, this is not 1982, and Accept has very little chance of really breaking out this late in the band's career. A good album, though, is always appreciated in these quarters.

Acceptance
Black Lines to Battlefields EP
(The Militia Group)
reviewed in issue #243, July 2003

Coming in on the power pop side of emo, Acceptance creates wonderfully tight hooks that don't overdo the sugar. I kinda like that, myself.

This is highly-crafted stuff, the sort of work that doesn't bear much resemblance to the band's punk roots. Nonetheless, it's easy to hear that energy in the performance, where the manic energy is channeled into an almost pristine intensity.

The sort of EP that makes me wish for a full-length. Acceptance fits into the current scene, but it has carved out a fine niche for itself. That's rather tough to do in this area of the music universe, but these boys do seem to have a knack for getting things right.

Accidental Suicide
Deceased
(Deaf-Grind Core)
reviewed in issue #27, 1/31/93

Obvious fans of the Cannibal Corpse "Splatter" school of death metal, Accidental Suicide brings a sharper musical ability to this circle.

Yes, the vocals are rather unintelligible, and at times everything seems to just be falling apart (just as it should be, many folks say). But the tempos shift, real chord progressions can be recognized and even a true song construction or two.

As I work into the album, the more I am liking it. It's not so much splashy as completely crazy. Almost a doom effect wandering through occasionally. Rather nice work for five Midwestern (I assume, as this was recorded in Milwaukee) boys.

Aceyalone
Love & Hate
(Project Blowed)
reviewed in issue #241, May 2003

All right. Aceyalone drops some seriously funky electronic beats and then lays some truly smooth rhymes on top. Just the sorta thing I like to hang with now and again.

And when you've got pals like Sayyid and Priest of Anti-Pop Consortium and El-P who are more than willing to stop by and lend a little help, well, maybe you've got something.

Indeed. Aceyalone isn't afraid of trying out any number of innovative beat ideas and then introduce some polyrhythms with his rhymes. All while kicking some interesting ideas.

Quite impressive. If this is just the beginning, then Aceyalone may well have a great future.

The Actual Tigers
Gravelled and Green
(Nettwerk America)
reviewed in issue #218, 6/25/01

It's not often I hear stuff from folks who want to sound like Paul Simon. Maybe that's passe. Maybe twenty or thirty years ago lots of folks worked the witty jange folk pop angle. I was kinda young back then and didn't notice.

Though, thinking about it, I can't think of many folks who really went back long the same path quite like this. Maybe they just didn't have the chops. Because while the Actual Tigers really remind me of Simon, these folks sure do know how to make a pop song sing.

And, well, there's meat in them thar hills. The lyrics are cleverly crafted, and they fit in nicely with the tightly-played tunes. The sound, too, has that slightly less polished feel of the early 70s. There are a few modern hints here and there, but they simply add to the charm.

That's really what this disc has: An immutable, unmistakable charm. The quality of the songs kinda snuck up on me, mostly because I've been enjoying myself too much. Yeah, the Actual Tigers might want to distance themselves a bit further from Paul Simon, but only if they don't lose what's good here. A big ol' wad of fun.

Accused
Straight Razor EP
(Nastymix)
reviewed in issue #2, 11/15/91

Although this is not a terribly new release, I have no problem telling you folk about the Accused. They call their sound splatter rock. I say it sounds like a healthy mix of hard-core and death metal, with enunciation intact.

The new tracks are great, especially "No Hope for Relief/Close Insight." Their rendition of "Saturday Night Special" went over very well with my listeners also. Aw, hell, play the whole damn thing, even the two tracks from their last album, Grinning Like an Undertaker.

The Accused are perhaps the heaviest band in the Seattle scene, and that's saying something. In this case, that's saying something very good.

For better or for worse, the Accused have a definite sound. They are unique. Hailing from a town known for really only one sound (at the moment), they have persevered with their own vision through the years.

To clear up any past misinformation, the Accused are still around and have a 38-city world tour scheduled for the summer. Tommy has left to join Gruntruck full-time, and he has been replaced by Andy Massey. Catch the show; a friend of mine saw them in New Orleans a couple of years back and still raves.

On a critical note, I preferred their last album, Grinning Like and Undertaker, by a hair, but I absolutely loved that thing, so don't take that statement as a slam. This is a fine piece of work, as many of you have already noticed. A real rage-releaser.

See also Gruntruck.

Accuser
Accuser
(Century Media)
reviewed in issue #65, 10/31/94

Obviously someone in the Century Media A&R dept. decided to make a play for a ton of death metal-core bands. And where Graveyard Rodeo works, Accuser simply wallows in cliches.

Oh, there are a few good riffs. And they keep getting repeated. Every song, over and over. And if a new riff finds its way in, its usually stolen. Compare the vocal line and riffs in "Misery" to Pantera's "Mouth Full of War". Um, this is actionable, folks.

There's a fine line between swine and sublime. Accuser, as I noted earlier, wallows, and thus (at least for this effort) falls into the swine category.

Aces Wild
Royal Flush
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #142, 9/1/97

Sounds a lot like the one type of metal that never quite made it even in the mid-80s. Excessively technical anthems, where ever little nuance is overloaded with bombast. Aces Wild does have an interesting take something akin to 38 Special meets Rising Force (minus Yngwie), but the formula is still stale.

The music is earnestly played, and extremely well-produced (major-label quality there). While these guys can sing and play as well as anyone, there isn't a great songwriter in the bunch. At best the lyrics are hackneyed, and the music follows the same lead.

I've always said that a great band can make any genre sound good. Aces Wild isn't good enough to lift its music out of this moribund morass of retread grooves. By any technical estimation, the guys are quite good, but it takes more than that to make good music.

Acid Bath
When the Kite String Pops
(Rotten)
reviewed in issue #61, 8/31/94

Traditional metal riffs and Sabbath stylings flying together with funky rhythms and slightly processed vocals.

A lot of this has a late-eighties feel. You know, when bands like Mordred and Faith No More actually released records. When it works, it cooks. "Tranquilized" starts off as a really great song.

Of course, Acid Bath has this silly tendency to drop a Sabbath reference at the worst possible time. Like when "Tranquilized" is really grooving, the band cuts off the funk and goes into a free-form Sabbath tribute for a few minutes. Um, guys?

I just don't understand why bands feel compelled to destroy a perfectly good groove. Perhaps they don't want to be sissies or something dumb like that? Come on. There is a lot of potential wandering around here. The members of Acid Bath should be forced, however, to burn all of their Sab records. Get on with your own career.

Acrimony
Hymns to the Stone
(Godhead-Flying)
reviewed in issue #75, 4/30/95

I guess I never figured that hippies were big Black Sabbath fans, but bands like Sleep, Count Raven and now Acrimony are making me change my mind.

Like the aforementioned, Acrimony's riffs have a definite Iommi/Butler-esque quality, though Dorian Walters doesn't have Ozzy's pipes and he doesn't try to sound much like Osbourne at all.

The playing is good, and the production astonishingly close to the original fuzzy Sabbath sound. That took some real work.

A mildly amusing disc, but Acrimony wallows a little close to the bone for my comfort. If I wanted to listen to something like this, I'll just whip out Master of Reality or something.

Before I really tear this apart, I must say that Acrimony has replicated Tony Iommi's late 60's guitar sound better than any band I have ever heard.

And that's the only thing going for the boys. They rip Black Sabbath off so shamelessly even Cathedral would be impressed. One track reshuffled from the last album, a live track and two new piece make up this EP. The cover is cute, but the insides are only for those who truly covet every Sabbath ripoff there has been.

Admittedly, they really sound like Paranoid-era Black Sabbath. But then, where is the art?

The Action Time
Rock and Roll 7"
(Southern)
reviewed in issue #209, 12/11/00

Kinda what the title sez. The Action Time plays rock and roll, the unprettified, skanky sort purveyed by the Ramones or Replacements. There are a few refinements (a shaky keyboard lays in some new wave progressions), but nothing that can get rid of the grit.

I'm pretty sure the Action Time has no real intention of cleaning up its act. The attitude here is almost over-the-top, like it had to be manufactured or artificially stimulated or something. But all that does is add some more crunch to the music.

There may be all sorts of philosophical reasons for the Action Time's sound (a vague, rambling manifesto printed on the back side of the sleeve serves as liner notes), but luckily what survived the recording process is, quite simply, rock and roll.

Thirty minutes of the same sort of whiplash rock that I heard on the "Rock and Roll" 7". Lots of haphazardly-played chords, a generally incoherent rhythm section and chaos everywhere.

In other words, the purest distillation of a certain breed of rock and roll. I get the sense that the Action Time actually spent more time working on this than the sound would indicate, but the spontaneous feel was worth the effort.

The songs don't always come together. Every chance the band takes isn't rewarded. Sometimes, that's how it goes. What can't be criticized is the electric sound these folks have created. It's simply impossible to quit listening.

And in the end, that's my final judgment. I couldn't stop the disc from spinning, even as the songs themselves careened off the cliff. Plug in and don't let go. There's a ride to be had here.

Acts Magdalena
Acts Magdalena
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #78, 6/15/95

Mellow, atmospheric pop that reminds me of a more rock-oriented Moon Seven Times. Obviously, parallels can be drawn to quite a few other acts as well.

Which is the main problem here. The songs flow from one to another, with little change. Many have that echo-guitar stuff intro used by RHCP, Live and countless others. I've heard it before, and I didn't really like it then.

Christian Merry growls her way through the vocals. I wish she'd sing a little. It might provide some distinctive touch for the band, something that is sorely lacking.

Another band that needs to find a sound outside of what major-label bands are currently doing.

Acumen
Territory=Universe
(Fifth Colvmn)
reviewed in issue #114, 7/15/96

Mining the same musical ground as Chemlab (metal guitars, hard techno beats and distorted industrial vocals), Acumen doesn't quite manage to live up to rep of its labelmates.

Sure, this is a perfectly enjoyable disc, particularly on tracks like "You Can Deal with This" and "Queener", which keep the beats moving and the guitars slashing. Real club potential in both of those tracks. But much of the rest sits a bit too close to mundane territory for my comfort.

After all, there are only so many Megadeth riffs you can set to dance beats. The lyrics are angst-ridden vitriol, like most other acts that populate the techno-industrial (or is that cybercore?) universe. Despite the odd catchy track, Acumen finally fails to create its own reality in this virtual musical world.

Enough talent to keep me hanging on, but just barely. I'd like to hear a little more experimentation and original thought. Stuff that really makes my head spin.

Acumen
Diversity
(Holographic)
reviewed in issue #210, 1/8/01

Not the old industrial band, but rather a collective of folks who would very much like to have been recording in the early 70s. Well, maybe.

If you can imagine a 90s jam groove driving Bowie, Led Zeppelin or even some early glam, well, that might get closer to the point. Acumen takes chances, which I never beef about.

Even when the chances rather blow up. After all, do you really want to hear a Dead-like jam in the middle of what might have been a really great glam rock song?Sorta like if Yes decided to record the works of Big Star. Interesting? Um, yeah. But probably annoying as hell.

Acumen usually avoids being annoying. And its wide range of influences keep the band from sounding like another Phish rip-off. No, Acumen is more than able to stand on its own merits, for better and worse. Mostly for better, Iąd say.

Keith John Adams
PIP
(Happy Happy Birthday to Me)
reviewed in issue #271, December 2005

Keith John Adams has a certain affection for toy piano and other "unusual" instruments (accordion, etc.), but rather than play on some sort of gimmick, he simply plays. And while the effect can be a bit unnerving, his sincere delivery is always convincing.

And anyway, when you're a one-man band playing off-kilter pop (kind of the bastard step-child of the singer-songwriter genre) it doesn't hurt to do a couple of things to help your music stand out.

Adams's writing does that, however, so the finishing touches are merely wonderful little presents. He's really got a fine feel for the slightly lurching, slightly deranged pop song. Reminds me a bit of an unrefined David Singer, which is certainly high praise from me.

Well done. One of those albums that pricks up the ears and quickly invades the soul. Disquietingly good.

Peter Adams
The Spiral Eyes
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #272, March 2006

One of those one-man recordings that sounds a whole lot more than that. Peter Adams knows how to record an album, and even if he is filling in some of the holes with synthesizers and keyboards, his brand of laconic, bright pop is the perfect match for that technique.

Laconic in terms of how busy the music is, of course. Adams has plenty to say. His restrained touch on the arrangements (full, but just) lends a slightly off-kilter feel to the songs. Kinda like early Magnetic Fields, but with more feeling.

Not overly earnest, however. Adams is jaded enough to know that life isn't about to deal him a full house, and his songs reflect that outlook. But far from being maudlin, these tunes tend to provoke a smile at the finish.

Still, I wouldn't call this stuff wry. Amazing, isn't it, how many times I can turn a review into a semantic war. Screw all that. Peter Adams has made some fine music. That's the bottom line here, and that's all that needs to be said.

The Adicts
Ultimate Adiction--the Best Of
(Cleopatra)
reviewed in issue #139, 7/21/97

The Adicts have been around for more than 20 years, and this compilation helps me understand why the band has never quite hit the big time over here. The guys simply played the punk of the times, without ever really trying to do their own thing.

All sorts of trends waft through, from Buzzcocks pop (there's a lot of that, though it doesn't measure up) to ska and even a couple oi tunes. More than a couple songs borrow from the Ramones rather heavily. I honestly can't find much original here.

On the plus side, the stuff is competently played and the lyrics are often somewhat amusing. Not terribly insightful in a life-changing way, but at least good enough to leave a goofy grin.

Fans of pop punk will jump on this, and it's not bad as far as that goes. But to make "legend" claims is going a bit far.

Adventures of Jet
Part 3: Coping with Insignificance
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #194, 1/24/00

Extremely mannered, hook-heavy pop stuff. These songs are meticulously written and played, down to the fuzzy keyboards which generally dance around the vocal melodic lines. That element lends a superficial 80s feel to the music. If there had been a new wave guitar pop movement, well, Adventures of Jet would have fit right in.

And the closest thing I can come up with is Squeeze, but AOJ is much more guitar-oriented. Those keyboards, though, they have a definite Difford-Tillbrook lilt. What this really reminds me of is the Gravel Pit, that excellent band from Boston. AOJ leans on the keys a bit more, but the quality is just as high.

What really sets this band apart is the care with which this album was made. I've already mentioned the writing and the playing, but the production puts every piece in the right place. It also allows those cool keys to spring forth at the appropriate times. The hooks pop out of the speakers in resplendent glory.

Really. I'm not getting overly excited over nothing. AOJ is so far ahead of most bands with major deals that I'm simply astonished no one has taken a flyer on the boys as yet. Yeah, there are a lot of hooky pop bands around, but this stuff is really, really fine. Certainly worth scoping out.

Aeraby
Aeraby EP
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #220, 8/13/01

Aeraby sounds like it's playing rollicking groove stuff through a prog filter. Actually, there's a lot of late 80s and early 90s alt. rock in here, a grand slinging of chords and somewhat affected female vocals which tends toward the pretentious.

It has to, see, because there's no reason to play like this if you don't have something to say. I do get hints of early 80s Rush as well (and I like that), which certainly fits into the pattern. Really, Aeraby might be best described as a mix between Eleventh Dream Day and that Canadian trio.

But that would be simplifying things, which is never fair. Aeraby has worked real hard to craft this sound, and it's a good one. Certainly, I've never heard anyone go after anything quite like this. The songs are sharp and performed energetically. Quite the listen.

Aerial M
Aerial M
(Drag City)
reviewed in issue #145, 10/13/97

You ever been on a road that you knew was going somewhere, but with all of the pretty scenery about you weren't so concerned about the destination as the trip itself? I guess you can figure out what I'm going to say next...

Aerial M is David Pajo and a few of his very good friends (just imagine who else has released records on Drag City, and you have a good start). The songs are instrumental, all focusing on meandering, but never quite lost, guitar work. Pajo likes to give his melodies a solid workout before he consigns them to the "finished" bin.

And that leads to the somewhat lackadaisical feel to this disc. But don't be fooled: This puppy was intricately crafted. Listen to what's behind the guitar. Figure out how Pajo and company use the absence of sound to create a wonderful effect. I know, I've harped on this before, but when you're recording it's almost as important how you manage the silence as to how you manage the sound itself. Aerial M does everything right.

Aerial M may sound simple at first, but once you start to really ponder the music, the hook is set and you can't get away. Fine work.

Aesop Rock
Float
(Mush-Dirty Loop)
reviewed in issue #204, 8/28/00

So what happens when you get a combination of distinctive rhyme structure and a knack for creative beatwork? Well, something like Aesop Rock. Something that is rarely uninspiring.

Aesop Rock's approach might be best described as a highly technical dancehall style. He'll scat on a beat, but always with letter-perfect enunciation. The ideas fly past faster than the speed of sound. I'm wondering how he gets his mouth to comply.

The songs are free-form in style, probably the best way to present the complicated and intricate thoughts of the lyrics. This is an album that requires a listener to think. Both the rhymes and the music defy convention or simplistic references. There's no way to avoid the intellectual assault.

Which, of course, limits the mainstream appeal. On the other hand, anyone who is dumb enough to think that rap music is for idiots would be quickly turned around by this disc. Poetry rarely sounded so good.

A certain PR guy has been screaming wonderful thing about this disc. His only description (other than things like "the most important hip-hop album of the year," etc.) was "y'know, somewhere on the Wu-Tang tip." Indeed. I've always felt Wu-Tang was always a bit too sloppy, creating a lot of good songs but few great ones. Aesop Rock does a great job with the backing tracks, both the keyboard melodies and the herky-jerky beats. As for the rhyming, well, it comes and goes.

The sloppiness factor is high. And yet, I feel myself leaning toward the opinion of my friend the PR slinger. It's impossible to deny the power of the music. Indeed, even if some of the individual pieces don't quite measure up, the whole is still a colossus of unimaginable strength.

Aesop Rock is one of the few hip hop artists that manages to create innovative beats and top-notch rhymes. The creativity exhibited here is most impressive. Definitely going on.

One of the better tracks from Aesop Rock's new album, Labor Days, and a fresh b-side. Each comes in dirty (original), clean and instrumental versions. And that's pretty much the tale.

"Maintenance" is the track that should interest the casual fan, although the bare-bones beats and pieces in the instrumentals should excite DJs and folks who like spinning. Aesop Rock is most creative in that area.

Two great songs. If Aesop Rock gets you going, then the flip here is more than worth digging up. A nice little package.

Another short set of thought from one of the more prolific and interesting artists in hip-hop today. Aesop Rock manages to combine the latest in beat theory and sound construction with modified old school rhymin'. The result is generally mindbending.

Verbal dexterity is the name of the game. There's no slurring or stumbling around the syllables here. Razor-sharp rhymes and striking ideas populate this post-911 set. But rather than dwelling on inhuman tragedy, Aesop Rock focuses people.

Not nearly enough music here to satisfy my needs. But I feel that way when I get a full set as well. So much talent. Such fine execution. Few can claim the total package like this man.

Contact:
Definitive Jux
Phone (212) 965-1901 x5
www: http://www.defjux.net

Affected
A Fate Worse than a Fate Worse than Death
(Frontier)
reviewed in issue #52, 4/15/94

No-bones cheap-and-easy punk-lite. The folks have a way with pop melodies, and the songs aren't stupid.

This is less an album than a sort of compilation of a few recordings from the past couple of years. The production does vary noticeably at points, but that doesn't detract from the fun.

Some would say no self-respecting punk band would cover "Jenny/867-5309". They might be right. But it seems to fit right in with the general feel of the other tunes, so I'm not going to bitch.

Nothing important, really, but a buttload of fun.

Afflicted
Prodigal Sun
(Nuclear Blast)
reviewed in issue #25, 11/30/92

Reminiscent of Hexx or Sadus, Afflicted mixes thrash with quite a few other sounds and come up with some cool aural sculptures. In other words, if you want boring music, go somewhere else.

Sure, it's a challenge, but listening to this album does provide real rewards. No waste of time here.

Once again, I am faced with making my last review of the issue match up to the quality of the release and I find myself unable to perform. Trust me: this is a fine piece of work.

Afterlife
Surreality
(Grind Core)
reviewed in issue #36, 6/30/93

Muffled production really costs them here. Everything seems to be trying to escape from a fog. And it's too bad, because I think there's some interesting things going on here.

The keys on the doom pieces are pretty cool (and I'm certainly not a keyboard fan), lending a My Dying Bride tinge to those sections. But usually Afterlife forgets about that stuff and wanders into death metal retread territory.

The guys need to find themselves. Ah, well, they're still young.

Aftertax
Showtune
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #151, 1/19/98

Punk pop from the Chapel Hill area, and, sure, you can hear a Superchunk influence. But more than that, I hear a mid-80s kinda vibe, like, say, Naked Raygun. Where Superchunk has the tendency to clamp down on the proceedings when the band wants to get a little introspective, Aftertax simple tightens up the gears and roars ahead at a faster pace.

Tight riffs and wonderfully discordant harmonies. Intentional sloppiness? I dunno, but it works. The songs keep bashing their way out of my stereo, impressing more with each foray.

Way back in high school, I learned that many great poets (say, Shakespeare) liked the constraints of formal poetry because you didn't have to worry structure, just what you wanted to say. In the same way, Aftertax follows pop form perfectly, but it's what's contained within that's the real revelation. The only innovation here is the inspiration revealed. That's enough for me.

Talk about a grabber out of the gate. I've come to expect fairly good things from Chapel Hill bands (particularly the lesser-known ones), and Aftertax exceeds my anticipation. An impressive and articulate set.

The album I reviewed a few weeks back is more than a year old. This puppy is the newer one. Same eclectic, yet simple, approach to pop music. Same great results.

I loved the first disc, and this one works just as well. Special guests Chris Stamey and Mike Kenlan (who just happened to be hanging about, ahem), folks who know something about great music, chip in. Stamey even did the knob work. This album finds the band in the middle of a guitarist switch. So the current guitarist didn't really do much here.

Enough geneaology. This set is as diverse and appealing as the first, drawing from all sorts of outside influences. A few rootsy songs, some punky ravers, sweet, winsome tunes and even a couple contemplative instrumentals.

I got exactly what I expected. Highest quality. How these guys stay unsigned is beyond me. Fine, fine stuff.

Against Me!
As the Eternal Cowboy
(Fat Wreck Chords)
reviewed in issue #248, December 2003

The thing about the Clash is that the boys made it cool to play all sorts of music through a punk filter. To make a more distinct reference to this disc, Against Me! reminds me of the Clash, but only in the way the folks kinda lope their way through all sorts of punkish fare.

There are the recognized punk subgroups (a little oi here, a little ska there) and then some country and a whole mess of other stuff besides. What ties all these disparate sounds together is the loosey-goosey playing style. These guys just let it all hang out.

The stuff is quite well-produced, but it's not sharp or clean. There's a nice, dull edge to the sound (reminds me of the Wedding Present at times, particularly on the song "A Brief Yet Triumphant Intermission," which could easily be from the Weddoes lost files) that keeps this disc a low-key affair.

Nothing spectacular. Simply good music played with punk style. Good music for good times. Or does that sound too much like a beer commercial?

Agent 99
Little Pieces 1993 - 1995
(Shanachie)
reviewed in issue #165, 8/17/98

It's every broken up band's dream to get a record contract even if it's a couple years too late. I'm still hanging on the belief that Lies Magazine will someday be edited into a massive and amazing book form. Maybe that's why this CD grew on me so quickly. Or maybe I just like ska bands. Or maybe I like that the singer is a female. Or maybe it's a combination of all three.

The group switches between slow sweetly sung hazy ska ballads and angry, up tempo, up beat, frustrated ska bops. They even have a couple flute solos every now and then. All the songs are simple and basic, but since when was ska supposed to be complicated?

If you want a little underground New York ska from a few years ago, dig around for this one. Just because a band doesn't make it past the underground scene doesn't mean you should ignore them.

-- Aaron Worley

Agents of Good Roots
One by One
(RCA/BMG)
reviewed in issue #154, 3/9/98

That would be the same roots as the Spin Doctors, with similar results. When the kicker is a catchy verse teamed up with a nice hook in the chorus, like, say, the title track, all is well. When the songs degenerate into syncopated symphonies of wanky excess (the more usual occurrence), it's like getting whacked on the head by Aerosmith playing the Grateful Dead.

I mean it. This stuff is way overblown, and only outstanding songwriting can save such a thing. Unfortunately, there's not much past "One by One". Even a nice, sorta bluesy ballad like "Miss Missbelieving" comes off as hackneyed and overplayed. Way, way too much. This stuff is heavy for the hell of it, or, more likely, because some guy in a suit heard that guitars were back.

I dunno. It's been a while since I heard an album that had one great song and then 11 that didn't come close. Takes me back to high school when I put out good, hard cash for cheesy albums after watching one cool video. After a while, I learned my lesson. Sounds like the merchandisers are at it again.

Agnes Gooch
Blind
(Revolution/WB)
reviewed in issue #138, 7/7/97

Extremely calculated pop music. Every little discordant bit has been pasted into its proper place, decorating fairly catchy little songs.

Posies lite? Yeah, I can say that. Like if Alex Chilton had made that third Big Star album while on coffee instead whatever he could get his hands on. And its exactly that preconceived feel that punches Agnes Gooch the wrong way.

Great pop music is found, not made. I know, I promised I would quit foisting my faux-eastern philosophy on the masses, but I'm pretty sure about this idea. It's real easy to write a three-chord song. My old dog wrote three or four. The trick is making it sound natural. Agnes Gooch has no idea how to do that.

As the album wears on, the more annoyed I get. Oh, there's some potential. These guys understand more music theory than I'll even be able to even glance at. But there's no there here. No soul. Nothing holding the stuff together. In the end, it's just a few chords and the odd shout.

Jai Agnish
Automata
(Blue Bunny)
reviewed in issue #202, 7/17/00

Not the name of a band, but a person. Jai Agnish plays his one-man fare the electronic way, with lots of loops and samples and overdubs. He layers his pieces with techno and analog sounds, but more in a Palace way than Beck.

Am I making any sense? Agnish has a rather idiosyncratic way of expressing himself, and he really likes crafting these complex songs that sound astonishingly simple.

Which is, of course, the goal in the first place. Don't let 'em see you sweat. Agnish obviously has worked extremely hard on this album, but it comes off as a breeze. I really like the way his guitar work is in a constant interplay with the electronic elements. An impressive feat.

As is this whole album. Agnish has both talent and the perseverance to follow through. I really am having problems expressing how wonderful this album truly is. You'll just have to trust me.

Agnostic Front
Riot Riot Upstart
(Epitaph)
reviewed in issue #189, 10/11/99

Well, it's another Agnostic Front album. That's what this is. Lars Frederickson did the knob work, but really, this sounds like most any AF album. Rough hardcore with just enough melody to slightly sand off the corners.

Ther are a few changes, but I'm not talking about an evolution or anything. Some of the guitar solos have a bit more reverb than usual. That's all. The songs are as angry and political as ever, and the riffs flow from the classic hardcore fakebook.

Why evolve when you can spit out such great hocks of venom? Geez. It's like asking John Grisham to write a romance novel or something. Well, maybe that's a really stupid simile. Particularly since I don't like Grisham.

Anyway, I think I made my point. Fans know what they're gonna get, and AF delivers. Analysis is futile.

Gustavo Aguilar
Looking for Aztlan
(Acoustic Levitation)
reviewed in issue #220, 8/13/01

Gustavo Aguilar is credited with percussion, guitar and voice. That's exactly what can be heard on this disc. Just not exactly in the way folks might expect.

First, percussion means just about anything that can be whacked, from drums and xylophone-related instruments to, say, burbled water. Aguilar is inventive in his use of sound and in the way he puts those sounds together. He's always telling a story, but not in a linear fashion.

He's also great at creating sonic travelogues. Depending on the instruments used, Aguilar evokes thoughts of various locales throughout Latin America and Africa. This just adds more texture and more subtext.

Certainly riding the avant garde, but not in such a way as to be irrelevant. Aguilar's noises are generally coherent and well thought out. Just because he doesn't adhere to a rigid sound structure doesn't mean he can't connect. He does, in some truly surprising ways.

Agressor
Towards Beyond
(Black Mark-Cargo)
reviewed in issue #26, 1/15/93

The first French death metal I've received other than Gorguts, I think.

Wandering around the different areas Euro-death has been in the past couple of years, there is nothing new here. But I hear snippets of Morgoth, Tiamat, Edge of Sanity and others. Meaning, of course, this stuff can be technical at times, not to mention outright strange in choice of influences, but the whole is a very satisfying listen. You will not believe this one album was created by a single group. But you will like it.

Well, before I really wank on this album, I must say I really like the guitar sound. It is really great.

But, much like their last record, the boys in Agressor don't stick to one idea for more than ten seconds or so. The overdubbing is blatant and annoying. I know albums are created in the studio, but it takes real work to make a disc sound like it was done in one take. Not here.

I suppose if the guys had more original ideas, some of this could be acceptable. They can all certainly play, but there is no experimentation at all. Everything is a rehash, and in the odd moment when Agressor finds a nice little groove, it's always gone within seconds.

Ahleuchatistas
On the Culture Industry
(Angura Sound)
reviewed in issue #251, March 2004

This Asheville (N.C.) trio plays close to my heart. The label web page lists Don Caballero and Colossamite as obvious influences--damn, these boys are too good to be true!

And, yeah, they play a funky, proggy, jazzy sort of post-rock kinda thing. I understand some folks are calling this type of technical rock "math." That's cool. Beats "post-rock," I guess. Hell, I'm always five years behind genre names, anyway...

What's important is the music. And what Ahleuchatistas (I don't know what the name means, either) does is lay down some basic themes and then riff on a few variations. You know, like all those dreary compositions your piano teacher tried to get you to play. Except, of course, these pieces are hardly dreary. They're bright and exciting, brimming with all sorts of ideas.

That's the best thing about this sort of abstract music. It's whatever you happen to make of it. Let your mind wander a bit and see where the lines take you. Chances are you'll end up in most interesting environs.

Aiden
Nightmare Anatomy
(Victory)
reviewed in issue #269, October 2005

The Aiden boys have a full-on goth look. They have a full-on Maiden-meets-Alkaline Trio sound. I can only imagine the live show, but the songs on this disc are astonishing in scope and intensity.

I suppose it's only natural for pop punksters to have a Eurometal jones, but this is the most pronounced I've ever heard. Kinda interesting to hear the prog excesses blurred with crunchy harmonic excesses.

Aiden has a few other influences that burble up from song to song. There are a few extreme hardcore moments (which are surprisingly unjarring, considering the general content of the album), and every once in a while there's the fleeting goth keyboard wash and glam metal reference. I'm partial to these kinda asides, obviously.

Truly invigorating. Aiden brings a few strange mates to the table, but hell, who says one emo band has to sound like all the others. Oh, yeah, the major labels. Good thing these boys are on Victory, a label that knows a thing or two about distinctive music. Play it loud and smile lots.

Carrie Akre
Home
(Good Ink)
reviewed in issue #202, 7/17/00

Sometimes people find you after, well, almost forever. I was a really big Hammerbox fan (in fact, preferring the major label album over the C/Z release, something that rarely happens with me), and I sorta lost track of Carrie Akre after A&M ditched the band.

So I never heard Goodness (the next band), and I can't compare this to that. What I will say is that Hammerbox fans will recognize the voice. And probably not much more. These songs are much more intimate, and the sound is much more subdued.

Lots of loops and synth work, though those elements don't dominate. It's just that this is a personal project on Akre's own album, and some of these things may have been used due to budget constraints. It's also possible that she really wanted to sound like more-human version of early Eurythmics.

The songs are warm, not chilly, but Akre's voice is astonishingly strong and she sings in about the same range as Annie Lennox. The pieces are spartan in arrangement, allowing for the voice to dominate as much as possible. Basically, it all works. This is light years from Hammerbox, but Carrie Akre still has the fire.

The ex-Hammerbox chanteuse returns with her latest "mature" album, and I think she's really starting to get into the swing of things. On her earlier solo works, she sometimes sounded stilted or confused. Her singing here is confident and focused, and the songs are equally impressive.

Alabama Thunderpussy
Staring at the Divine
(Relapse)
reviewed in issue #229, May 2002

Thick stoner rock riffage combined with the groove instincts of an Agony Column. Pile-driving beats, thick guitars and driving bass work. Kinda outstanding, when you think about it.

There's nothing complicated to the formula, of course. Lots of bands attempt to play music this well, but most fail. I 'm not sure why, but I think it has something to do with attitude. As the name of the band implies, there's no shortage of that here.

What's most interesting is that there is a complex character that can only be appreciated (or even heard) at high volume. Played at a regular level, you might think the sound is a bit generic. Crank it up, and you'll hear entire worlds you missed before.

It's that sort of attention to detail that puts Alabama Thunderpussy right out at the front of the pack. Crude? Undoubtedly. Simple? Never. And that's why this puppy smokes.

Breck Alan
Kissing Rock Stars EP
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #213, 3/12/01

Breck Alan is hard into the latter-day folk-rock sound. He's got that heavily syncopated rhythm section going and a bass player that sounds like he might prefer to get a little more into the groove sound. Alan sings in a way that says he thinks these songs are important statements.

He's not too far off. Alan does have a fine way of building his songs to appropriate conclusions. So that when he arrives at his sometimes overly grandiose finales, at least it's easy to see where he's coming from.

In the final analysis, these songs aren't quite as grand as Alan seems to believe they are. His pretentious delivery is almost justified, though, and it doesn't grate on me that much. Alan is one of those artists who might benefit from a little less craft and a little more emotion. If he lets just a little more of himself into the songs, he might give them that final spark they need.

Alastor
Nothing for Anyone
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #186, 8/16/99

Elizabeth Elkins writes the songs and sings most of the time. She also plays guitar as part of this tight, fuzzy trio. The songs are moody pop (the liners read: "Apologies to Morrissey, the Mutton Birds, the Pixies and Social Distortion"), and the somewhat excessive distortion makes for a nice sound.

Elkins more sings around the melodies than hits any particular notes. She's got a great alto voice, but she just doesn't strike a given pitch much of the time. That's okay. Indeed, the rambling vocal lines make for a nice counterplay with the schooled music.

The songs explore a wide range of emotions, and the music accompanies appropriately. Indeed, while the sound is vaguely loose, I think great care was taken to achieve this fine result. This album hits all the notes that it should.

Consummately professional without sounding calculated or excessively crafted. Just what an edgy pop album should sound like. These folks are all ready to get going.

Alcian Blue
Slow Colorless Stare
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #230, June 2002

The stare part of the title is pretty accurate. Alcian Blue filters current trends in noise pop through the mechanical psychedelia that marked the end of My Bloody Valentine. Think Seam with lots and lots of distortion (and the like).

The songs are pretty. I swear. It's just that sometimes you can't quite make out the beauty for all the mud on top. That's not a problem for me; I've come around to liking this sort of messy music. In fact, I rather like stripping away the layers to hear what lies beneath.

While few bands utilize this much reverb and distortion and such, this sort of studio manipulation does seem to be making a comeback. Alcian Blue has a lead on most of its competitors, though, as its songs would sound great straight. The playing is exemplary, and all the effects merely enhance the themes evoked by the band.

The sorta disc that takes a while to warm to, I guess, but that's awfully rewarding when you finally break through. The pop apocalypse may be approaching once again (I think that's an oxymoron; whatever), and I can't think of a better band to be the standard bearer.

I'm sure the guys are tired of hearing it, but boy, does this stuff remind me of Loveless. I've noticed how the distortion-drenched sound has been coming back lately, and I'm always amazed at how few people actually got the point: If you're gonna virtually destroy your songs, they'd better be pretty damned good in the first place. Trickery will not make a bad song good.

Alcian Blue writes good songs. And then it takes the pieces, runs them through a barrage of blenders and emerges with squalls of noise punctuated by the occasional moment of clarity. Precisely on point, of course.

I do wish the folks would work a little harder to define their own sound--the final product could be called derivative, though I wouldn't say that--but the four tunes here are exhilarating rides through the turbulent ether. Quite fine.

Alcohol Funnycar
All About It 7"
(New Rage)
reviewed in issue #31, 3/31/93

Barbara at C/Z has been raving about these guys ever since that label scored the band for its upcoming full-length. Phrases like "incredible live" and "I can't explain them" and "you'll just have to hear them" kept wandering over Sprint, and so I was rather excited to ply this slab on the table.

Well, side one is an original, and remember how excited I got about the Arcwelder tune "Raleigh"? Well, this doesn't quite approach that, but it's the best single I've heard this year. Straight-ahead punk with rough, melodic vocals. A little more punch and they could stand along side early-eighties punk greats.

Side two is a Killing Joke cover, and a creditable one at that. It's an almost trendy thing to do these days, but it seems to flow along with the band's sound.

A full-length from C/Z in a month? I don't think I can hold the saliva in my mouth that long.

Their New Rage 7" of a month ago was but the tip of the iceberg here. Thunderous punk that smashes you in the face and then picks you up for more. And the thick production leaves a great fog through which the songs present themselves.

This is the type of release that makes a band legendary. Five songs, all great. Intensity overload. You simply submit when you're listening. If this isn't about the best thing I've heard all year (and I've only said that one other time in 1993), I can't think of it. The Fear Factory remixes are incredible, but they are remixes, so they don't quite count.

If anyone you know is questioning what rock and roll is all about, just slide them this disc. Tell them to turn it to eleven.

Don't forget to scrape that bloody slime off the wall when they're finished. If you let it set, you'll never get it out.

Seattle's latest contribution to the burgeoning post-punk scene is dead on.

I loved the ep earlier, and this ten-track slab-o-joy almost causes my blood to boil with happines. Oh, I'm so tired of writing these pompous rock critic "say something cool so you'll be put in the press" load of shit. So back to the real.

This is a great album. It's technically not metal, but it's real loud, especially if you turn up your stereo. I can sense this will be in the discer for some time.

Important note: this is more mature than the EP. Things slow up a little at points, and there is some acknowledgment of traditional song forms. I think it helps. They've moved from the prodigy stage to real heroes.

A friend of mine says the C/Z web page is using one of my reviews to promote Alcohol Funnycar. I can't check it out, because of my current situation, but I said cool and wondered if I'd be seeing anything from C/Z anytime soon.

It's been two long years since any contact, and then this disc shows up in the mail. And it's Alcohol Funnycar, one of my favorite C/Z bands. With a great album.

More mature, more mellow and more anthemic than Time to Make the Donuts, the Funnycar has deemed it proper to record a real fucking punk rawk social statement, as it were. The sound is somewhat pretentious, but the quality of the songwriting, playing and production makes those aspirations acceptable.

A disc I simply cannot press "stop" on. Blown away was light years ago. This fulfills my high expectations and raises them a notch for the next album.

Eric Alexandrakis
I.V. Catatonia
(Y&T Music)
reviewed in issue #201, 6/26/00

I don't know whether or not the label has anything to do with the band Y&T, but judging by Alexandrakis' music, I'd say probably not.

The pieces themselves are meditations on the year that Alexandrakis spent battling Hodgkins disease. It was a successful battle, as the last few songs tend to indicate. The music is hardly straightforward. And it's not whiny or full of "woe is me" moments.

Rather, the pieces are composed in a collage style and threaded together. This reminds me a lot of Chevy Heston's later work, the stuff that really got out there (or, more specifically, in there). Exceedingly well put together.

Adventurous in all the good ways. Alexandrakis has an ear for dissonance; he manages to splice discordant moments into transcendent glory. Like I said, there isn't a straight line running through this album. Instead, there is a life. A soul, even. An achingly fragile and beautiful album.

This short, untitled EP was intended as a kind of thank you. I don't think I was necessarily supposed to review it. But if you can get a hold of this, then do. Eric Alexandrakis has turned his aim toward Christmas, and not much survives the assault.

From the almost top-40 sound of "All I Want for Christmas Is You" to the shyly pretty "Christmas on the Moon" to the warped "Santa Claus Is Dead" to the experimental collage "Christmas Shopping Can Be Stressful," Alexandrakis exhibits a stunning range of sounds and thoughts.

Joy and sorrow, exultation and frustration, love and hate, life and death. They're all here on four songs. Pretty damned amazing, if you ask me.

One new song (the title track), one song from I.V. Catatonia and covers of songs by Pascal Obispo, the Hollowbodies and Hefner, all packaged up in a red hart box. A 3 oz. heart-shaped box of chocolates is also enclosed. A Valentine's gift for someone you love (provided they have an appropriately expansive notion of romance and donąt mind cheap chocolate).

The packaging was so cool I hated to break in. Then I heard the tunes. The title track alone is worth the cost, even if you hate chocolate. The covers are solid and all of the songs fit together sonically (somewhat unusual for the often frenetically eccentric Alexandrakis). He made the disc fit his theme without sacrificing anything artistically.

I'm always impressed by artists who are able to create the total package, from music to graphic design. Alexandrakis' musical sense is impeccable and eclectic. He knows how to write a song, and then when he performs, he knows how to sell it. If the one you love can't get into this, maybe you picked the wrong one in the first place.

Part 7 of a 12-CD (we're talking 3-inch CDs at that) set, this tiny disc contains three tunes. The title track and a couple of instrumentals. To be quite honest, the sheer absurdity of the overall enterprise appeals greatly to me.

Of course, I have one of those CD jukeboxes (which makes playing CD3s very difficult), so I had to play this on my computer. Which didn't do the music justice. I can tell you that Alexandrakis's talent for creating nervy pop is intact.

And if you don't feel like shelling out the bucks for the pre-printed set, Alexandrakis is making most of the songs available for download (though legal difficulties have tied up "Have a William Shatner Christmas"). Some people are just too nice.

Luis Alfaro
Down Town
(New Alliance)
reviewed in issue #48, 2/14/94

Alfaro paints pictures of L.A. life, sometimes happy, sometimes sad. But even when his words get angry, his voice seems to quiver. Not on the verge of yelling, but on the edge of falling away completely.

Sort of an antithesis to the Eric Bogosian style of beating his audience to death, you have to pay attention to what Alfaro says. It takes a little work to really absorb this stuff, and it makes the appreciation that much more intense.

Nothing otherworldly, just a view on life. Sometimes that's a good thing to observe.

Travis John Alford Band
Lucky Pierre
(World Domination)
reviewed in issue #119, 9/23/96

Cool, understated pop with sly and vicious lyrics. Not unlike what Morrissey would sound like if he wouldn't whine so much and could play guitar like Johnny Marr.

And Alford does seem to take himself rather seriously, even while whipping out caustic gems like "Devil Kings of Sodom". Yeah, he's obviously a bit obsessed with his homosexuality, but without resorting to that annoying hand-wringing nonsense or the overtly aggressive machinations of a Pansy Division.

Which does leave Alford clinging perilously close to the "dull" mark at times, but always his smart music and smarter lyrics come to rescue. The production sound is perfect for the songs, doesn't get in the way in the slightest. All very pleasing.

Sure, I wish he would take more chances from time to time. The music is missing a few things to reach the transcendent stage, but what the hell. Lucky Pierre is quite fun as it stands. And as a postscript, I should note that Alford died from AIDS last year. The music is beyond that mere fact, but you should know.

Ali Baba's Tahini
Limbo Boots
(self-released)
reviewed in issue #202, 7/17/00

The enclosed note said this was the future of music. It actually sounds a bit more like the past, but the spirit of adventure is alive and well.

Ali Baba's Tahini plays a sort of prog-jazz-etc. fusion, focusing on tight groove structures and extended solos and other explorations. Most of the songs themselves aren't too terribly long, but the ideas are fully fleshed out.

And you shouldn't get the idea that the band sticks to one particular sound. Rather, each song creates its own little universe, existing only within that space. Yeah, the pieces do have similar characteristics, but the band doesn't repeat itself.

Indeed, it's not unusual for a loungey piece to seg into a song dominated by a Satriani-esque guitar riff. Some of the songs have vocals; some don't. All just part of the plan. If there is one. In any case, the safari is boarding now.

Alice Donut
Magdalene 7"
(Alternative Tentacles)
reviewed in issue #18, 8/15/92

I'm still kicking myself for missing AD at the Empire Roller Rink (could it be?) four years ago. What makes it worse is the outstanding quality of what they have released since then. "Magdalene" kicks your ass from the start with a bass line that refuses to die. It evolves into one of the best pop songs I've heard all year.

The B-side is a typically spooky Donut take on a Billy Joel song. No Garth Brooks-ish thoughts here. If you even recognize the original, you're way past me. But I love it just the same.

Look in the dictionary under "alternative loud music." You'll find the definition to be Alice Donut. And you are still wondering why? Then take a listen to this album.

While most of you haven't spent a lot of time around me, I can be rather talkative, to the point of excruciating annoyance. So you should understand the rare occurrence of speechlessness. I can't imagine what I can say about this album that will make you play it, except to tell you to listen and then somehow not crank it for weeks on end.

I like most of the albums I review for A & A. A few I listen to pretty often. Then come the classics: My Dying Bride. Young Fresh Fellows. Dead World. Jesus Lizard. Bad Religion. And this one. There really isn't a better expression of why independent labels exist but to release albums like this. I'm sorry I couldn't give the album the review it deserved, but I just don't know how.

One of the more hypnotic tracks from last fall's Suicides…, "Medication" is but the beginning here. The other two songs do nothing to hurt A.D.'s rep as musical pioneers, either.

A lot of critics have tried to pigeonhole these folk as "transcendental psychedelic college metal" (really, though it wasn't printed; the guy was trying to impress me with his vocabulary) or even dumber catch phrases.

Just good music. And if it is currently mellow, you can be sure the action will pick up soon. Plus, what's the volume on your stereo for? (If you want a great song for a metal show, just plug into "The Yellow Brick." It'll peel the latex off your listeners body parts.)

As usual: great songs, presented impeccably. Strangeness can be so rewarding sometimes.

Well, they'd already used Donut Comes Alive!, so why not use a line from a song they just wrote (or so they say)?

I've been preaching the Donut gospel pretty much since I've been in business here, and I've had a convert here and there. Most people don't seem to get it.

For example, those Ed Sullivan-esque screams of ecstasy between the songs. Did no one show up for the show, or did it simply seem funnier? I don't know, but it sure is amusing. And whenever you can take advantage of the amazingly cheap CBGB live recording rates (last I saw, a ready-to-CD-master DAT ran $125), you should go for it.

Fourteen great Donut tunes, and an almost appropriate rendition of "Helter Skelter" (though that did cross the bad cliche line). If you have yet to understand how the apocalypse has fallen upon us, have a couple beers and situate your brain between two massive speakers with this on. Things probably will not clear up, but at least you can say you've heard one of the coolest bands in the world.

With Martin Bisi at the knobs, I figured on a more spacey and eclectic sound from the Donut. Instead, "Nadine" rips with more intensity than I've heard from this crew in some time. An amazingly blistering track.

And while the other two tracks are closer to Donut standard fare, they too eventually degenerate into masses of caterwauling instruments and flame-out vocals. Sure, this path is familiar to AD fans. But the sheer intensity and aggressiveness on this single really surprised me.

If next year's album can come even close, I'll be more than satisfied.

There are a couple of ways to approach this. The first (more serious) one would be to call Alice Donut the finest post-apocalyptic punk pop band in existence. The second would be to exclaim ALICE DONUT, MAN!!! FUCKIN' ALICE DONUT!!!

Either would be appropriate.

I would put this disc a slight notch below AD's last studio release, The Untidy Suicides of Your Degenerate Children, mostly just for the lack of a song titled "The son of a disgruntled x-postal worker reflects on his life while getting stoned in the parking lot of a Winn-Dixie listening to Metallica". But that might seem like nitpicking, and it probably is.

Martin Bisi takes the helm (as he did on the Donut's recent single) and guides the crew (with original guitarist David Giffin re-joining the gang) through various moods and psychotic episodes. The amazing thing about the Donut is that these songs, while mordantly bizarre, are stunningly catchy. A tribute to serial killing, a Roky Erickson cover, a paean to homosexual pedophilic lust in the U.S. Senate and most of the rest of pertinent human experience is included herein.

ALICE DONUT, MAN!!!

FUCKIN' ALICE DONUT!!!

Alice Donut & Killdozer
Michael Gerald's Party Machine Presents... CD5
(Touch and Go)
reviewed in issue #104, 3/25/96

The Donut does the early Bee Gees tune "Every Christian Lionhearted Man Will Show You", Killdozer does Procul Harum's "Conquistador" and the combined unit called Kill Donut takes on the 5th Dimension's medley of the first and last tunes from Hair, "Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In (The Flesh Failures)".

Oddly, the take on the Bee Gees is pretty damned straight, which is unusual for an Alice Donut cover. The Procul Harum tune is torqued out in the usual excessive Killdozer style. Killdozer does have a way with stupid pop anthems.

The combined effort is the most satisfying. A complete breakdown in the wall between slavish devotion and parody. Is it a joke or the ultimate tribute? I don't know.

The press on this passes on the word that Alice Donut has called it quits. I've heard it spoken in other quarters, but it still bums me out. This isn't a worthy end note, but perhaps it is an appropriate one. For a band that never paid much attention to propriety or current trends, Alice Donut bows with a stab at the current wave (70s music).

Gotta say, though, that the Frank Kozik art work is brilliant. Make of all this what you will.

Alien Canopy
Pipe Dreams
(Photon)
reviewed in issue #221, 9/3/01

Some cool jangle prog. The rhythm section is solidly in the roots/groove kinda area, but the lead guitar and sound are much more technical. The more I hear of this kind of mixture, the more I like it. Certainly, it makes sense.

A kind of fusion, really, the merging of two decidedly distinct branches of rock and roll. These boys can play, and even though all the songs clock in at less than four minutes long, they often take their time getting to the point. A very cool form of construction.

Easy-going and yet rigorous at the same time. With some solid hooks. Plenty of ways to latch on to the sound without alienating a lot of folks. That's much harder to accomplish than it sounds.

Basically, Alien Canopy presents a fresh sound that challenges without annoying. I'm impressed. I think I'll burrow back into the music for a while.

Alien Crime Syndicate
Supernatural 7"
(American Pop Project)
reviewed in issue #163, 7/20/98

Ultra-sparse electronic pop. Some looping, but mostly very lean guitar and bass lines and almost skeletal beat work. A very new wavey feel, you know, like if OMD had been able to electronically goof with its vocals.

Amazing, really. Alien Crime Syndicate's "Just the facts" approach to songwriting (and production, particularly) is highly evocative of the pop of my childhood. I still have a comfortable cheese spot for stuff like this.

Just a couple of cool songs, really. Takes me back to 1982, with a new shine. After all, you have to get back to basics eventually.

This has that "real important pop" sound all over it. The hooks are insistently anthemic, and there's some serious craftsmanship in the writing. Mannered would be an understatement.

But that doesn't mean that Alien Crime Syndicate is overdone. Not quite. I kept waiting for that moment where the band crossed the line, losing its sense of passion and joy. Didn't happen.

And when you walk the line like that, some really nice things can happen. The sound is precisely tailored to the style of the songs, and it allows the clever little bits of craft to shine through.

Alien Crime Syndicate isn't bash'n'pop (though there is something of a Replacements influence bounding about). These are guys who know exactly what they're doing. They've written and performed these pieces extremely tightly. Sometimes calculation is a wonderful thing.

Alien Harvest
Voodoo Love Mint
split 7"
(Erosion Records)
reviewed in issue #135, 5/26/97

I'm a big fan of Voodoo Love Mint, and I figured any split they're on must be good.

No disappointment. Alien Harvest has a Soul Asylum (vintage 1985) feel, with hooks hidden amongst the dirt. Scratchy, error-filled and utterly fun. This is what garage bands want to sound like. A joyous romp into the summer sun.

VLM provides two songs, both showcasing the growth of the band. The songs are a little more calculated, though the loosey-goosey feel is still lying about somewhere. VLM manages to whip out the most serious lyrics with a non-chalant style, smiling through the angst. Of course, a song like "GB" is nothing but loopy fun. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

Alien Sex Fiend
Drive My Rocket
(Cleopatra)
reviewed in issue #62, 9/15/94

If your only exposure to Alien Sex Fiend has been Beavis and Butthead, then you should check out this collection. Well, it's not a bad idea even if you have a clue.

The most amazing thing about ASF has been the consistency of work. It's all middling-level new wave stuff that is just catchy enough to make you hit repeat "just one more time".

There is no conspiracy of talent or anything here. Just mindless pablum (albeit of the rather alternative type) that turns your mind to jelly and makes you start screaming "Spin this wheel, Pat!" at perfectly nice senior citizens. We should all be highly grateful.

The second installment of singles, etc. from the Fiend. And while some folk like to pigeonhole this music as one type or another, I think the real genius of Alien Sex Fiend is the diversity of sound.

Well, diverse after you accept that almost everything sounds quite odd. Even the dance mixes convey the unusual nature of Nik Fiend's vision.
This collection is even more disjointed than the last; while the songs do move from one to another, there is little flow. The change of sound from piece to piece can be jarring at times. I like that.

So whether you're looking for a nice goth pop tune, or an early interpretation of industrial madness, or just something to take to the dance floor, you'll find the Fiend has something that fits anywhere. Now if there would only be a real new album someday.

Not a movie, mind you, but a CD-ROM game.
The music takes elements of your average video game music (the martial qualities, the cheesy synthesizers, etc.) and merges that with your average Alien Sex Fiend music.

And that's not average at all. Yeah, since you need music for both the good and the bad guys, some cliches are necessary. And at times ASF relies a little too heavily on the generic video game drone.

But I'd also like to get a copy of the game (not to mention a CD-ROM) to hear just how all of this is put together. Much like what Chemical People did for the Dark Brothers, ASF has taken video game music to a new level. And the mixes show what can be done with this music outside of the CD-ROM. Tame, but interesting.

A bunch of b-sides and other odds and ends, all combined together with some new mixes. The vast majority of the stuff comes from the 80s (and most of that the early and mid-80s), which has to be expected, as that is the most fertile period in the history of Alien Sex Fiend.

Strangely, this set paints a more conventional portrait of ASF than the devoted fan might guess. Not that the material is generic or not adventurous, but as often happens with material that sounded so "out there" at some point in the past, the rest of the world has caught up. In this case, with something of a vengeance.

The whole techno-industrial complex, which seemed awfully bizarre 15 years ago, is in full swing now. This set does quite a good job of exclaiming "Hey! I was here first!" And if not first, certainly close to the beginning of this particular side note.

A good set for those who want to hear what the "weird" Brits were doing in the retro years. And, of course, as ASF has continued to evolve since then (and still wielding great influence), it's also an interesting look at how the extreme gets drawn into the (somewhat) mainstream fold. Of course, it's a big wad of fun, too. Can't forget that part.

Align
Some Breaking News
(Iguana Records)
reviewed in issue #212, 2/19/01

Kind of a throwback, at least these days. There aren't a lot of melodic hardcore bands trolling in these grungy, metalcore waters these days. Align does the sound proud, however, cranking out power anthem after power anthem.

Without sounding, you know, inane or something. There's a deft touch to the songs which keeps them from getting overwrought (and headed into Creed territory). Really, I shouldnąt have even brought that reference up, because these boys are not settled into any sort of metal camp. They just like loud guitars and the occasional soaring chorus.

Nothing wrong with that. The production here is relatively light, allowing the vocals and guitars to exist in separate planes. That's one of the big reasons why Align doesn't come off as some sort of poser band. These guys have something to say.

And they say it well. There is a commercial edge in the way these songs are written, but the sound just doesn't have that excessive ring to it. Rather, the songs themselves are the stars. As they should be.

Alison Ranger
Formula Imperative
(Creep)
reviewed in issue #257, September 2004

Stripped-down, streamlined hardcore with a chaotic soul. Reminds me a lot of the recent Clair de Lune album, though these boys aren't sonic perfectionists in the slightest. Rather, they seem to revel in "blue" notes and other missteps.

The playing (and singing) is more loose than sloppy, and that's what really does the trick for me. These songs sound like spontaneous statements of anger and remorse, a stream of consciousness diary that is being written just as I hear it.

And, of course, it's loud, fast and gleefully eccentric. Piano and other unexpected sounds rise up amidst the sonic destruction. There's actual singing (sometimes in tune, sometimes not) in between the shouts and shrieks. Alison Ranger has the ambition and range to move into Mars Volta territory. That would be fine, but I kinda like where the boys are now. This no-man's-land between hardcore, extreme, prog and jazz is ground for some of the most fertile musical minds going these days, and there are plenty more furrows to plow. This album is ready for harvest.

The Alkaline Trio
Goddamnit
(Asian Man)
reviewed in issue #170, 10/26/98

Yer basic pop punk, with plenty of outside influences coloring the songs. That's the best way to do this, of course.

Some strident emo lines flavor the guitars, and the song structures aren't repetitive. Yeah, mostly pop, but not always three chords, a verse, a chorus and a bridge. I know, bands like this don't always think in such terms, but uncreative folks just migrate to dull structures. Not the Alkaline Trio.

Joyous and exuberant (the music, that is; the lyrics are sometimes nicely introspective and thoughtful), bounding through the disc. Not a dull song in the bunch.

A well-conceived and crafted album. Pop is pop, but this is good pop. The real thing. Stuff that stands up to listen after listen. Just hit repeat.

The thing about power pop is that the songs are usually short. The compilation Three Minute Revolution got that name for a reason. Three of the four songs here clock in at longer than four minutes. And Alkaline Trio is good enough to carry that off.

Just a bit of the emo stridency, but really no more than a hint. Nope, these are just shimmering pop pieces that take a little longer to evolve. Not moody by any stretch of the imagination, simply a bit more complex.

And as usual, complexity doesn't ruin the stew. Alkaline Trio has impressed me once more. That certainly came as no surprise.

I'm more impressed with every release I hear from these guys. The hooks get sharper, the riffs find more purchase and the songs just hang together better. This disc is no exception to the rule.

It's like I almost forget how good Alkaline Trio is until I take a listen. Then I'm utterly smoked. A lot of bands are doing the punk power pop thing, but few can match the depth and exuberance found here.

The depth is what really satisfies, too. Sure, the song construction is simplicity itself. But Alkaline Trio feeds so much emotion and thought into its songs, the tunes just about explode. A highly satisfying result, to be sure.

These guys must be heard to be believed. The fare is utterly addictive, and you'd be surprised at how well it stands up to multiple listens. There's a meal and more here.

I've been a fan for a while, listening to Alkaline Trio progress from merely a very good band with a decent ear for hooks to the pop juggernaut that is now tearing up the country. Seems a lot of folks have figured out that very few bands can come close to these guys.

To put it simply, the songs give me an incredible rush. This isn't sugary pop, though the hooks are impossibly sticky. This isn't straight-up three-chord pop punk, but the strident emo riffage simplifies the formula and tightens up the songs another notch. No one plays pop quite like Alkaline Trio. Which is a compliment all in itself.

I'm not sure anyone can play quite like these boys. There's an energy and ferment burbling through this album that is most addictive. The songs are simply gloriously brilliant. Even with its raucous punk-rock production sound (the one thing that Green Day lost when it went over to Atlantic), this album should sell millions.

It probably won't, of course, but you never know. I'm seeing more and more press on these guys, and mega-success couldn't happen to a better bunch of guys. Brilliant. Astonishing. Breathtaking. None of those words can even come close. Listen and behold the masters.

Alkaloid
(then known as Poobah)
Staplebelly 7"
(Posing Toad)
reviewed in issue #34, 5/15/93

Affecting crunchy pop. This could be derivative college alternative if not for the rather high energy level present. Not remarkable, but certainly good.

The two songs are well-written, and the production is rough and appropriate for the band's sound. While there is nothing distinctive here yet, I see potential. Give 'em a year.

Kinda a wall-o-noise, post-punk, yank-yer-crank, jam-jam-jam sorta thing.

That means I liked it a lot, and I have no idea how to describe it accurately to you without overmodifying. Oh, I suppose you could relate it to the Poster Children or Superchunk or even Jawbox, but this is no ripoff. Nope, these folk are very much their own band with their own sound.

The production is slightly sloppy, which accentuates the better parts of the band. I remember digging their single, but this completely transcends.

If you didn't get this, then give these folks a call and get your hands on it. Absolutely stunning.

I liked this band when it was known as Poobah, and I like it now. Alkaloid plays a form of noise-oriented pop-grunge that was probably first foisted by the Poster Children a few years back. Now that PC are bigger and cleaner, it is up to bands like Alkaloid to carry forth the banner.

This album is much more aggressive and noisy than the Poobah disc. There is a little more of a punk feel on some songs, but not enough to cry "trendy". No, Alkaloid's too smart for that. These folk meander around various methods of sonic assault, pausing here and there to deliver a personal message.

The most important thing a band can do is grow. I thought the Poobah disc was a big improvement over an earlier 7" I had heard, and this disc brings the band much closer to their own sound. You can still sometimes hear where the guys are coming from, but more often the sound has become Alkaloid's, and that alone. Dig in and enjoy.

ALL
Dot CD5
(Cruz)
reviewed in issue #11, 4/15/92

Well, you may have noticed the advance review of the album last issue. This here is the first single, a weird concept for Cruz. But "Dot" is one of the stronger tracks on the album, and the two b-sides, a strange run-through of Johnny Cash's "Boy Named Sue" (let's see how many issues in a row I can mention the man in black in a review) and "Can't Say."

By the way, the man in black is NOT Jerry Glanville. Get yer heds out of yer asses. Right. Well, as the full album is due in about a month, just relax and enjoy some new ALL.

Don't believe the photo. Everyone had changed appearance from the glossy that accompanied this disc (except for drummer Bill Stevenson).

But the music hasn't. Still harsh, catchy and astute, ALL manages to capture the ironies of life with a backbeat you can dance to.

While new converts to (north) central Missouri, the guys manage to find the goofiness of life in a hick town right along with the intricacies of citified dwelling.

This music has to set you to grooving. There is no choice. Succumb.

Oh yeah, and they're incredible live. DO NOT MISS.

Premature reports of their demise found their way down U.S. 63 to Columbia last fall, and many were bummed.

But as it turned out, the only change was Chad Price replacing Scott Reynolds on vocals. His voice is much rougher, lending to an almost retro-ALL sound.

Even as they returned to their roots, ALL also managed to make their most relentlessly heavy album. Some might even call at least a couple of these tunes "metal". Not a bad thing, but a little odd for one of the finest pop-punk outfits the earth has known.

Never miss an ALL show in your neighborhood.

Combining one of the best tracks from Breaking Things and a couple of non-LP tracks. You know "Guilty", so I'll go on to the others.

The guitar is not as heavy on these tracks, giving them a "She's My Ex" kinda feel. Both are not the tightest lyrically, but the music seems a little more in place than some of the songs on the album. Neither is a "Can't Say" (perhaps the best song from the Percolator sessions that ended up as a b-side), but they aren't bad, either.

The first ALL recording in quite a while, and quite possibly the last Judge Nothing release, period.

This split is certainly fitting, as Bill and Steven produced the last JN album, and the bands do share a similar approach to crunchy punk pop.

ALL does a fair rendition of Kenny Rodgers' tune "Ruby", but I sure hope the upcoming Epitaph album is a bit more interesting. As the guys haven't been together as ALL in some time (Chad has been working with Armchair Martian, and the rest have been doing their Descendents stuff), perhaps this should suffice as a warm-up.

The Judge Nothing tune, "Score Uneven" was one of the best tunes off the last album, but then again, it's pretty old. There is a bit of a secret track that starts up at the end (runs a little more than a minute, is kinda amusing), but not enough to really excite me. There's some cool artwork on the vinyl (if you like voluptous succubi, I guess), but the music is anything but a revelation.

There's only one band in the whole world that deserves to present its name in all-caps: ALL. Okay, so the band changes lead singers every five years or so. The core of the band kicks out punk power pop imitated by more than a thousand bands (many of which were produced by ALL's Stephen Edgerton and Bill Stephenson). And ALL is still the best.

Okay, we can forget all about that Interscope album (what the hell was that, anyway?). Mass Nerder, like last year's Descendents album, brings the band back to its roots. And that almost-impossible rap of greatness.

Instead of trying to outdo the past, ALL just does what comes naturally, cranking out thrashy pop gems one after another. Chad Price's voice has morphed even more into the Dave Smalley-Scott Reynolds mold, but then, I think this music simply drives singers to that sound.

Ah, what the hell, it's a new ALL album, and this one is good. The boys have recovered from their major label debacle (as if you hadn't figured that out with the Descendents album). And now there is only the future to consider.

If yer lookin' for an ALL greatest hits disc, this is as close as yer gonna git. Period. O&O is the boys little concern, run from the ALL militia enclave in Ft. Collins. Twenty-two songs, with a little piece from all of the incarnations of ALL.

Okay, so my fave song, a little thing called "Can't Say", which can only be found on the "Dot" CD5 (a couple of my friends also swear by the tune) isn't here, but here's a sampling of what is: "She's My Ex", "Just Perfect", "Nothin", "Original Me" and "Just Like Them". Saliva building up yet?

Oh, come on. Almost an hour of pure ALL fun and you can't taste it? Boolsheet, my friend. I can see the shine of spittle all the way from here. Wipe it up and git on down to the store.

Really, now, is there anything else to do? Nope, unless you own all the discs already. In that case, well, I'm sure the boys won't mind you missing this little one. Otherwise...

When a band has been playing a particular style for almost 20 years, it's forgivable if it settles into a formula. Especially when that formula works as well as it does for the ALL/Descendents machine.

Frenetic, crunchy pop music. Songs about love lost, personal politics, love lost, anything scatological, love lost and, well, love lost. For more than a decade critics have been calling this stuff caffeine-core or coffee-fueled punk or similar such things. I suppose that's reasonably accurate.

But what has always struck me about ALL is the way the guys write sad song after sad song and still manage to make each one sound like an optimistic anthem. Unlike the blues, which exaggerates the pain in the songs with the music, ALL counteracts its angry and hurt lyrics with unstoppably peppy tuneage.

It still works. I've got an entire shelf of my CD collection devoted to these guys, and I go to it often. This disc will fit in well. Is it the band's best? It's up there, though there is plenty of competition. Certainly worth a few hundred listens.

All Natural
Second Nature
(Thrill Jockey)
reviewed in issue #214, 4/2/01

You might recall the Family Tree disc I reviewed in the last issue. All Natural was the guiding force behind that album, and here the guys step up on each track.

Dave Kelly's rhyming is smooth and complex, playing off the grooves laid down by Tone b. Nimble. These aren't simply tales of the city; All Natural has a few ideas to spin as well.

In style and content, All Natural fits in well with the socially-conscious Native Tongue movement of about 10 years back. The beats are quite creative (never derivative), but the real star here is the mental acumen spun by the rhymes.

Alright, I'll admit it. When it comes to hip hop, I'm old school all the way. A little P.E., N.W.A, De La Soul, Queen Latifah, Paris or Ice T is what I like to spin. All Natural weaves its own web, but it wouldn't be out of place on that list. Top notch all the way.

All Natural is a throwback. This hip-hop collective focuses its energy on ideas, both lyrical and musical. Great care is taken to make sure that one element doesn't overpower the other.

This disc is actually All Natural's first album, with a couple of new tracks thrown in to make the re-issue a bit more attractive. There's no need for a gimmick, but more music of this caliber is always welcome.

Everything is done simply. There are no beat pyrotechnics, no silly over-the-top rhymes. Just solid storytelling with plenty of ideas at the base. A basic concept, but one that few seem to be able to ac