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A-Frames "Neutron Bomb B/W Radiation Generation, Test Tube Baby"
The A-Frames give it to you old school. Sloppy, dirty, grating punk rock the way it was meant to be. As for the tunes, Neutron Bomb is a WAY too short plodding, sneering monster with more attitude than you can handle. On the B side, Radiation Generation shines as one of the most aggressive, catchy punk songs I've heard in some time. Test Tube Baby is another low-fi masterpiece that falls in line with Neutron Bomb. Reminds me of such greats as The Dils, Flipper, Wierdos and some of the other late greats of the early hardcore punk days. Make sure you check these guys out live,and ask them if they have a copy of this gem to sell you!

Listen while you play: Star Castle
(Dragnet Records -- No address)

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead "Source Tags & Codes"
Trail of Dead turned in a stunner here. "Source Tags & Codes" is packed with grandiose, epic noise. It hits all the right buttons with intricate, spine-tingling melodies and raging sore-throat rock -- often in the same song. You can tell they probably spent a lot of time on this album. Fans of Unwound, The Great Unraveling, Slint, Shellac and similar artists alrady own this, or have heard of it. If you're new to Trail of Dead you can't go wrong either. They trump everything they did in the past with this masterwork, and it seems to be priced cheaply as an "emerging artist" at most stores.

Listen while you play: Contra
(Interscope Records)

Black Cat Music "Hands In the Estuary, Torso in the Lake"
More dark, brooding ghost-punk from Black Cat Music. Atonal, wailing vocals similar to ride on top of powerful death blues riffs. Does that sound like Murder City Devils? Yes it does. However, when they break away into their snotty punk-rock roots they really start sounding great. The title song reminds me of GG Allin in the days when he was doing 70's bubblescum punk. Black Cat Music are more comparable to Murder City Devils overall, but are slightly lacking in the power and punch of their Seattle counterparts. A dirtier, louder production could probably fix this, and it wouldn't hurt if they ditched the artier sounding stuff for straight-up punk rock. It's still a good record, but it could be better.

Listen while you play: Silent Hill
(Lookout)

The Deadly Snakes "I'm not your soldier anymore"
The Deadly Snakes turn in some hand-clapping, southwest rattlesnake punk that drips with sweat, sex and saxophones. This album calls for lots of shaker instruments; maracas, tamborines, rattles and anything else that makes noise while you shake your fist in the air. That and a lot of booze. Songs like "West Texas Sound," "Pirate Cowboy," "Early Bird" are percussive, danceable greaser punk that's perfect for a crawdad feed or a barbecue. Greg Oblivion's presence on this disc adds to the backwoods, swampy gospel quality that pervades the Deadly Snakes' sound. This is one of the best party albums ever.

Listen while you play: Bayou Billy
(In The Red Records)

The Dialtones "Playing the beat on the radio" EP
This EP contains three fun, bluesy racer rock tunes that swing on the same vine as the Valentine Killers. A swedish band that won't blow you away with anything new, but they're definitely a good time.

Listen while you play: Test Drive
(Dead Beat Records)

The Dickies "All This and Puppet Stew"
Holy shit! The Dickies still have it! These guys were playing pop-punk before the term was invented, and they haven't succumbed to rustiness over the last quarter-decade. This is a slick, catchy album that proves to be way more interesting than anything you've heard on the Warped tour. You can tell that the Dickies range of influence goes far beyond punk-rock with songs with amazing writing, goofy lyrics catchy hooks and flashy musicianship. They tend to do a lot of indulgent studio tricks and dumb singing routines that won't appeal to the typical Fat Wreck Chords fan. However, the rest of the Fat roster should probably be paying royalties for the incredible influence that this band obviously had on the label. Also, the Dickies continue their long tradition of hilarious covers with an incredible version of the Isley Brothers' "Nobody But Me."

Listen while you play: Food Fight
(Fat Wreck Chords)

Federation X/Fleshies Split 7"
Two really good bands with disparate styles team up to release some really good songs. Federation X creates fear and awe with "Federation Fight Song," a shakey, unhinged noise blues rocker. The Fleshies turn in some balls-out, smash it up and bleed punk rock in the form of "I just took the most punk rock shit of my life," and "...now I can only hear sirens." The turntable might be too hot to touch after this one!

Listen while you play: Enduro
(Molasses Manifesto, 505 32nd St. #107, P.M.B. 190, Bellingham, WA 98225)

Fleshies "Kill The Dreamer's Dream"
Fleshies are by far the best active band on the Alternative Tentacles roster. Their mean, pissed-off, bass-driven punk rock with insane, screaming vocals gives Rick Sims a vision of who will carry the torch for daredevil punk when he decides to retire. It's a speedy, sloppy, wonderful bleeding mess of an album and they're even better live.

Listen while you play: Incredible Crisis
(Alternative Tentacles)

The Forty-Fives/The Everyday Sinners split 7"
This 45 is worth it for what might be the best song ever from the Forty-Fives. "My Kind Of Girl" is the sleazy, snotty retro rager that they were capable of all along, but their overproduction always sucked the life out of them. This is a great, catchy, lively ditty that will bear repeated listenings. If that's not enough, you get an incredible garage blazer from Everyday Sinners, who by the sound of it are getting better and better with time. They'll have your head spinning by the time you get to the call and response climax. PLUS, it's pressed on beautiful red vinyl and has the large hole that works in the jukebox! This is some hot shit.

Listen while you play: Wild Gunman
(Corn Daddy Records, 624 S. Higgins, Missoula, MT 59801)

The Fucking Champs "V"
Behold he unbelievable third proper release from these fucking champs of metal. No vocals AT ALL on this album, just head-spinning, cold technical riffs. I tend to associate the Fucking Champs with old Metallica and that sort of dirtball metal. However, that's a very flawed comparison. It's sort of a combination of Venom and Joe Satriani. It takes me back to the era when I spent time at the local bowling alley playing everything from Kee games titles to Arkanoid to Gladiator -- all while blasting the jukebox. The song titles are nearly as entertaining as the songs themselves: "Children Perceive the Hoax Cluster," "I am the Album Cover," "Crummy Lovers Die In the Grave" and "Policenauts 2000" are all packed with more crushing guitar masterwork than you can possibly imagine.

Listen while you play: Gladiator, Rastan, Wizards & Warriors, Rygar
(Drag City)

Guided By Voices "Universal Truths and Cycles"
Make sure you listen to this album a couple of times before you judge this one, because as soon as its charms become apparent, you'll recognize it as one of Robert Pollard's best efforts. While it's been called a return to Guided By Voices low-fi days, only an armchair producer will notice much difference in the sound from Isolation Drills. The songs are the main difference from previous work by GBV. These songs are more difficult, probably more destined for obscurity than a lot of GBV's work, but the beauty of songs like "Back to the Lake" will be long remembered by those loyalists who check this album out. The closest GBV album to compare it to would probably be Mag Earwig, but that doesn't seem right either. It kind of starts its own era, I think.

Listen while you play: Sega Bass Fishing
(Matador)

The Hot Pockets "Kiss 'N Run"
As far as I'm concerned, this album from one of the sporadic garage rock bands ever belongs in the collection of anyone who worships at the altar of the great garage rock explosion of the early 90s. Formed by Robert Gold (formerly of De Stipjes) and Adam "Tongues" Gold of The Spaceshits, the Hot Pockets mastered 77 style snotty punk rock and gave it back to the people. It's absolutely, utterly amazing. Teengenerate fans will greet this album like manna from heaven. Seriously, it ranks with some of the best garage punk I've ever heard. DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS ONE.

Listen while you play: Centipede
(Alien Snatch)

The Kamikazes "Time For Rock N' Roll 7" EP
Great, garage punk from these Canadian(?) devils. Potent, balls-out Devil Dolls/Humpers style rock on all sides with a very good ballad on side B. Can't go wrong with this one. It's pressed on what has to be the thickest, heaviest vinyl I've ever seen -- which is another plus for these cats.

Listen while you play: Super Bug
(Alien Snatch)

King Brothers S/T LP
Incredibly fucked-up Japanese blues punk. Loud, brash and sexy in ways that Jon Spencer has long forgotten. This is would be great music for strippers.

Listen while you play: Bangai-O
(In The Red Records)

Lost Goat "Beware of Chupacabras 7""
Some ultra-heavy demonic mayhem from these San Francisco thugs with thunderous female vocals and heavy riffs. You'll feel flames licking at your toes as you go down, down, down. Unholy and exciting.

Listen while you play: Tecmo's Deception
(Lost Goat, 2875 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94122)

Lost Goat/Towel Lost Goat and Towel Get Married 7"
Towel is not fun. They simply play spaced out instrumental noise. There are lots of effects and sound effects, but it's not much fun to listen to. Lost Goat's blasted thunder-metal attack comes in on the other side to save you from the artsy fartsy noise of towel. It's not the best release I've heard from Lost Goat, but it's still some great shit.

Listen while you play: Kagero: Deception II
(Poverty Records, 915 Cole Street, Box #115, San Francisico, CA 94117)

Midnight Thunder Express S/T
New mayhem from ex-members of Valentine Killers and some new blood get the party started with some garage-boogie excitement. There is plenty to love here, like the chugging choo choo train of Chuck Berry guitars and hammering rock and roll piano that would make ol' Jerry Lee proud -- all mixed up in a New York Dolls brand blender and poured on top of some Rolling Stones. The booming firecracker melodies and snarling Johannsenesque vocals are 100% fun from beginning to end. They proudly wear their influences on their sleeve, and they're clearly having a blast. Any time you can hear that on a record you've got a winner.

Listen while you play: RBI Baseball
(Empty Records)

Multiball #21 Zine & 7"
I'd be lying if I said the pinball-themed zine, Multiball, didn't have some small influence on the creation of this project. I haven't had the chance to read this zine very often, but it's always entertaining. Rock and Roll and pinball are two classics that belong together. More so, admittedly, than rock and video games. The zine itself is a good read, and it's packed with vinyl reviews. It contains a nice memorial of Jerry Wick (from Gaunt), and interviews with The Lost Sounds, The Briefs, and Last of the Juanitas. As for the single, it's a winner. Side A gets off to a slow start with a quirky electro geek disco song from Enon called "Tilt you up," but it gets back on track nicely with the fucked up, raw rager from The Goddamn Gentlemen. I'm not usually so wild about Goddamn Gentlemen, but "No Quarters" is crazed! On side B, American Death Ray throw a curveball with "High-score Queenie," a greasy, downtown-jazz number that would be right at home in Andre William's repertoire, while Everyday Sinners rock out G N' F'N R style with "Appetite For Pinball" a primitive garage rager that's probably my favorite song ever by these dudes. There is some great rock and roll on the single, and more variety than you'd expect.

Listen while you play: Pinball motherfucker!
(Extra Ball Records, PO Box 40005, Portland, OR 97240 or visit www.multiballrock.com)

The Numbers "Music Design" 10" EP (Dead Beat)
Punk rock by The Numbers consists of six dirty and wild garage-tinged hardcore ditties, or hardcore-tinged garage dittes, depending on which way you're swinging. It's tight and snappy with lots of guitar mastery -- and the razorblades & glass vocals are amazing. They'd be great tour mates for the Midnight Evils. The recording is clean and loud, and it documents this energetic band nicely.

Listen while you play: Street Figher Alpha 3
(Dead Beat Records)

One Man Show Live "Wrong Wrong Wrong 7"
Once I gave up trying to figure out the name "One Man Show Live" -- whether it was a band called "One Man Show," playing live, or if the complete, proper name was "One Man Show Live" -- I was really loving this single. They play wild, drink-spilling party noise with spastic, jerky guitar and and gutteral, howling vocals. It's what rock and roll should be! Tim Kerr produced this, and you know that he's down with some amazing shit. You owe it to yourself to search this one out. One Man Show Live supposedly has a website at www.onemanshowlive.com, but I found no information, and I want to know if I can buy more.

Listen while you play: Bump N' Jump
(Goodbye Boozy Records -- Via Villa Pompetti, 147 - 64020 S. Nicolo (TE) Italy - goodbyeboozy@tin.it)

Pleasure Forever S/T
This is one of the best albums I've heard all year. I described it to a friend by calling it "what Fitgerald would have listened to if he was a punk rocker." It still sounds like a pretty accurate description. Pleasure Forever is the new name of the well-known indie trio Slaves, and the first title under the new moniker is an ambitious, sprawling study on the fine edge that exists between hedonism and danger, ecstacy and madness. It's simultaneously beautiful, sad and scary, with ghostly piano lines as the foundation of nearly every song. Influences range from sea shanty dirges, vaudeville tunes, horror movie music and punk rock. It's complicated but finely crafted. Their earnest approach might not appeal to those who just appreciate the simpler pleasures of rocking out. Pleasure Forever is interested in making art, and this is as fine of an example I've seen as any.

Listen while you play: Fear Effect
(Sub Pop Records)

Joey Ramone "Don't Worry About Me"
Joey Ramone's final piece of work is a fitting capstone to his life and a legendary musical career. "Don't Worry About Me" continues where the Ramones' excellent but overlooked "Adios Amigos" left off. Most of the music sounds like it came from the same sessions, which is no surprise since Daniel Rey produced both albums. You can tell Joey's fight with cancer was at the front of his mind, with songs like "I got knocked down (But I'll Get up)," "Don't Worry About Me," and his opening cover of "What A Wonderful World." Joey Ramone's bizarre sense of humor comes through on tracks like "Mr. Punchy" and "Maria Bartiromo." With "Don't Worry About me," and the Ramone's last album "Adios Amigos," you can tell that Joey found his groove in life. The entire album is maddeningly catchy, proves that Joey is happiest when he's got a blissful, sugary guitar riff backing him up. Even the weak songs will have you humming along and smiling. For example, the cover of the Stooges "1969," is more of a filler song but it would have been a highlight of the supporting tour that didn't happen, unfortunately.

Listen while you play: Pac Man
(Sanctuary)

Safety Pins "Invite Us To Your Funeral" LP
Safety Pins play OLD school punk rock the way you heard it on C.H.i.P.S. or Quincy -- growling, pissed off vocals, buzzsaw guitars, leathers, pins, graffiti, destruction and drugs. It might be a little bit clichéd, but it's hard to deny its appeal. There are some good tunes on here, even if some of the sound effects and lyrics are a little corny. Titles includes "Plastic Punks," "Suburban Twat," "Kill The Hippies," and "I'm not pretty." Recommended if you like Anti Nowhere League and Quincy Punx.

Listen while you play: Crazy Taxi
(Dead Beat Records)

Raging Teens "Rock 'N' Roll Party!
The problem with Rockabilly music is that most of the modern stuff is watered-down Reverend Horton Heat worship or dull switchblades and hot rod nonsense or some combination of both. Thankfully, the Raging Teens are VERY traditional, and would sound right at home on Sun Records alongside greats like Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and the King himself. This is no joke. It's loose, wild and confident -- like some of the best of the famous artists that came before -- and it doesn't get caught up with stupid greaser clichés. In fact, it's probably the best modern rockabilly album I've ever heard.

Listen while you play: House of the Dead 2
(Rubric Records)

Red Planet "Let's Degenerate"
Red Planet are promoted as the second coming of Cheap Trick or Def Leppard, but that doesn't really stick. They're clearly influenced by some of the 80s best power rock, but they sound more like the 90s space rockers Supernova than the Van Halen of the next millenium. That's not a bad thing. These guys are pretty fun overall, but they're a little too jokey, and the album is nothing essential.

Listen while you play: Bosconian
(Gearhead)

The Screws "Shake your monkey"
The Screws "Shake Your Monkey" is a fine package of more greasy punk & soul from the legendary Mick Collins and company. This album is all covers. Everything from Chuck Berry to the Stones to Otis Rush, and they're distilled through the grimy blues and R&B funnel of the Screws. Fortunately Mick Collins handles most of the vocals, and his smooth, deep, bluesman's voice is incredible. Terri Wahl (formerly of Red Aunts) sings on a couple of songs, and the result isn't very good. While your buddies are reading about the White Stripes in Rolling Stone, you should be checking out some new and cool shit The Screws. This is an immensely cool album.

Listen while you play: Intellivision Blackjack & Poker
(In The Red Records)

The Soviettes "T.C.C.P." 7"
These three ladies and their drummer (Lane from Dillinger Four) race through four supercharged power pop/punk songs. It's simple and effective punk rock that kicks you right when you want it and where you need it. Rumbling, lo-fi production pushes the excitement up a couple of notches. It sounds like a live recording. Plus, Susy and Annie used to be from Fargo, which is extra cool. Dig this one up and give it a spin. Give it two spins, cuz it's short.

Listen while you play: Space Invaders
(Pop Riot)

T.V. Killers "Playin' Bad Music since '92"
The French masters of trash kick out a fucking masterpiece. Culled from previous releases, much of which is out of print, this the perfect starting point for anyone who's never checked out the T.V. Killers, and it's an excellent compilation for someone who just wants a greatest hits to spin while jerkin' the joystick. There are fourteen short, blasts of furious trash rock in all, and they've got all the squealing guitars, blazing beats and French accents you could possibly ask for.

Listen while you play: Gunstar Heroes
(Dead Beat Records)