A Frames "2" LP
The A Frames are one of those few bands that quite simply own their sound. They sound like a cracked mathematician standing in a full bathtub of cold water, reading the contents of a science textbook while a damaged transistor radio loudly amplifies his heartbeat -- and there is plugged-in a toaster teetering, threatening instant death. It's unique to say the absolute least. Each song, however, is incredibly well-crafted and melodic. Stunning in fact. With its greatest moments much like peering into the dark, inner landscape of some unfamiliar computerized gizmo, with blinking lights, tangled wires and a barely audible, but exhilarating, electronic hum. "2" is an absolute must-have. And while you're at it, pick up a copy of their first album, which now available on CD.

Listen while you play: Tetris
(S-S Records)

Comets On Fire "S/T" CD
It’s great to know that there are still bands that can push psychedelic music to new extremes. Comets On Fire play dirt-under-the-nails, Evel Kneivel boogie-rock with screeching vocals and soaring solos that will peel the paint from walls. It's scummy production value is virtue unto itself, but this band has an additional card up its sleeve -- an Echoplex. The result is wonderfully nasty, sun-baked, arena rock that sounds as if it was being played by remote-controlled alien ghosts. Industrial Light & Magic can't conjure up the visuals that this stuff invokes. This is a must-have release for anyone who loves Superconductor, Blue Cheer, Butthole Surfers (when they were still worth a damn), Quadrajets, Ted Nugent, Mountain, Led Zeppelin… Fuck it. If you love rock and roll you need to hear this.

Listen while you play: Grid Runner++
(Alternative Tentacles)

The Delmonas "Do the Uncle Willy" CD
The Delmonas start things out with a brutal-sounding, Link(Wray)-ified cover of The Stooges' "Feel Alright." Any band that can make the Stooges material their own, and still keep the insane, ugly, juvenile-delinquent edge deserves a big round of applause. The Delmonas consist of the then wives (girlfriends?) of Milkshakes members, with backing and spirtual guidance from their men and Thee man himself, Billy Childish. Naturally, when the name Billy Childish is thrown about, you know what to expect: glorious low-fi garage. Delmonas throw in an occasional nod to the Yardbirds, Zombies, Link Wray, The Kinks, and 50s and 60s beat -- with some Nancy Sinatra thrown in for good measure. Mr. Childish has always done some of his best collaboration with his female friends, and "Do the Uncle Willy is no exception." This album was originally released in the mid-80s and it's every bit as mind-blowing today. It's tough, it's sexy, and it's absolute fun from beginning to end.

Listen while you play: Gas Hog
(Get Hip)

The Diplomats of Solid Sound “Let’s cool one” CD
Here is something drastically different for all those times you need something drastically different. You’d think that the Diplomats were a bunch of battered old Stax session players, rather than ex-Bent Scepters members. These guys play smooth, rhythmic instrumentals inspired by southern soul and funk from bands like the Meters and Booker T. and the MGs. It feels like it should be played at some late-night soiree, after last call, that’s crashed by some stylish old dude who instantly becomes the life of the party (think Andre Williams). It’s smooth, jazzy, danceable noise swept up in some intoxicating organ and keyboards. I was looking at the writing credits to find any sort of covers – since these songs are so intricate and well-developed – but they’re all originals. They don’t get too in love with a particular song either, as most compositions are under three minutes. If you dig the Euroboys, or if you’ve ever heard the completely amazing, 10-volume “Complete Stax Singles,” you will immediately love the Diplomats.

Listen while you play: Fast Eddie
(Estrus)

The Dt's "live 5-song demo"
The Dt’s play what they call “hard soul.” It’s a pretty self-explanatory term, I think. But I had to try and get all *obtuse* about it when I interviewed them on the telephone (see the Dt’s interview… To be posted soon). All you need to do, to understand what they’re getting at, is to listen! The Dt’s got some studio time and invited a bunch of their friends to hang out and watch the show. Very cool – and it says something about how important the audience is to the performance. What you end up with is a groove-fest that flows free and easy, with rhythmic riffs that burst into scorching noise, chirps and hums from the almighty organ, muscular, loud drums and the most powerful vocals this side of Lisa Kekaula of the Bellrays. To put it as bluntly as possible, singer Diana Young-Blanchard can belt this shit out! Unbelievable. You can call it hard soul, but i’ve got another term for this stuff – “A-1 grade rock and roll!” I’m looking forward to the upcoming Estrus full-length that will be recorded by Tim Kerr, but if I could tell Mr. Kerr just one thing, I’d say “turn that organ up fella!”

Listen while you play: Soul Calibur
(Hard Soul)

FM Knives "Useless & Modern" LP
I had the priveledge of seeing (and drinking with) the FM Knives this summer. They're great guys. They are also one fantastic band. Useless and Modern shakes your turntable with infectious, clattery, punk-pop with a slight nod to the classic sounds of the Buzzcocks, Agent Orange, "You're Not Blank"-era Dils, and the many bands from their home towns that made Moo-La-La, Secret Center the Sacramento scene great. Stunningly stretched across 24 inches of clear vinyl, I can say quite confidently that you won't be disappointed by the FM Knives. Check them out live too.

Listen while you play: Crackpots
(Broken Rekids)

Frantic Flattops "Hi-Fi Honey Revisited"
Rockabilly is one of the musical styles that are nearly fully-cooked. You don’t need to fuck with it. Sure, there are bands that take it to different places, like the Cramps, but then you’ve got something called psychobilly or whatever the kids call it nowadays. I don't think many would call “Garbage Truck” a tried-and-true rockabilly tune. I feel like if you play rockabilly, you don’t have to innovate so much as you just have to play it like you mean it. The Flattops know this. This reissue of The Frantic Flattops debut is extremely well-done, loose and confident rockabilly like all the early greats. Think Carl Perkins, think Sun Records, think burgers, shakes, big dangerous cars. It’s a lot more traditional sounding than, say, Reverend Horton Heat – and that’s the style of rockabilly that appeals the most to these ears. What is especially noteworthy on this release is the appearance of rockabilly legend Ronnie Dawson. He sits in with the Flattops for three tunes that were added specifically for this re-release. I don’t know about you, but any band that’s okay with Ronnie Dawson is more than okay with me.

Listen while you play: Renegade
(Get Hip)

Freddy & The Four-Gone Conclusions "Wigged OUT Sounds" CD
I'll bet the prevailing purveyors of musical taste, the ones who spend more time writing about the clothes that a musician is wearing than the sounds that come out of the speakers, can name at least a dozen "Detroit Garage" bands, and none of the bands mentioned would be Freddy & The Four-Gone Conclusions. Amazing. Freddy Fortune has been at it since the 80s, and you can hear it in the tunes. These guys have successfully recreated the sound of 60s psychedelic R&B with brain buzzing guitar riffs and mad, howling harmonica. A highlight of the record is the recording of an unissued Del Shannon track called Stand Up -- with Max Crook (the keyboard player for Del Shannon) on his original, custom built Musitron keyboard. It has a sound reminiscent those greatest 45s in your record collection, where the flecks of dust in the grooves are older than the skin on your bones.

Listen while you play: Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode
(Get Hip)

The Go "Capricorn" EP 7"
Almost 4 years ago, The Go unleashed an all-time classic, "Whatcha Doin'." It distilled every great rock and roll song of 1968-73 into around 30 minutes of bellowing, squealing, dragon-flamed guitars, rotten muscle-car fumes and the dank, searing flavor of some wonderful illegal substance. Now they have a new record label, and a (sorta) new 7" single with two great examples of classic biker rock (yeah, the cover definitely fits the music). This isn't Motorhead or Zeke style biker rock. Oh no. This single sounds like something from something earlier. Even more real and pure. Something akin to a coming together of Hells Angels, Iggy and Davie Allan at Altamont with a truck full of whiskey and a garbage bag full of dope. My only disappointment is that I didn't find it on CD (which is something you'll rarely hear me say) -- since it has two extra songs. If you haven't already, check out the interview with The Go right here.

Listen while you play: Final Fight
(Lizard King)

The Horrors "Vent" LP
The Horrors are even more blues and gospel-based than many of the bands aided and abetted by In The Red. They often sound a lot like a (slightly) less grimy version of the Oblivians back when they released that legendary album with Mr. Quintron. It's distinguishing factors are the dark and sinister delivery, cavernous production and the occasional slow, seething death-wail. I don't know about you, but those are my favorites. The closer, "My Heart Can't Hold Water," is enough to make you want to sit down, get drunk, polish a firearm and give creepy looks out the window to passers by. Incidentally, Greg Cartwright (a.k.a. Greg Oblivian) produced this bundle of bad intentions.

Listen while you play: Blood Brothers
(In The Red)

Immortal Lee County Killers "Love Is A Charm of Powerful Trouble" CD
Pass that bottle on down! The Killers are back! Cheetah dusts his broom, and J.R.R. Token pulls his muddy snare from the back of a run-down truck (I'd imagine), and they set to rockin! They burn through 11 stinging jabs of blues and rock. Some originals, and some covers -- or reinterpretations, rather. For example, they get down with a sizzling Willie Dixon song before breaking into my favorite song, "Shitcanned Again." Their version of "Rollin' and Tumblin'" is such a beautiful, blessed racket, you'll need something (very) strong to wash it down. And it doesn't stop there. If you want primal, ass-busting, noise from the backwoods of Alabama, get to it right now.

Listen while you play: Rampage
(Estrus)

The Knockout Pills LP
I don't know if you've ever been fortunate enough to hear an album that accurately represents much of what you love most about rock and roll, but this is one of them for me. I was absolutely, completely floored by this record. That's something that only happens once in a great while. There aren't enough curse words to describe how fucking thrilling this album is from beginning to end. At first spin, you're hearing what could simply be classified as energetic, low-fidelity, punk rock in the Rip-Off records vein. But that's not enough. It's like all of the greatest Rip-Off moments rolled-up into one band. That's not to say that these guys are a clone. They're familiar, but on multiple levels. The Knockout Pills touch on so many amazing things. The Stooges, Back from The Grave, British invasion (ala The Who, Creation, etc.), Crime, Ventures, etc. In short, the Knockout Pills bridge classic snarling punk of the 70s and bellowing 60s garage, surf and psych records that came before. That is something many bands have tried to do. The only difference here is that the Knockout Pills have done it better than any band I've yet heard. I can’t stop listening. This debut is classic, high-octane shit. I'll be surprised if I hear another album this year that I enjoy as much as this one.

The band suggests you listen to while you play: Satan's Hollow, Crazy Climber, Custer's Revenge
(Dead Beat)

Rocket From The Crypt "On the Prowl B/W Come On" 7"
Sympathy made it to release #666! Congratulations to Long Gone John for the truckload of great tunes he’s brought to the masses. To celebrate this monumentous occasion, he enlisted one of the best bands he’s worked with, Rocket From The Crypt, who turned in two fantastic, blink-and-you'll-miss-them, sing-along party rockers. The artwork is first-rate too, I must say. RFTC have always shined on the single, and they are white-hot on this one. Although I'd say this thing is mis-labeled. I swear that "On The Prowl" is the B side and "Come On" is on the A, given the phrasing in the chorus. Maybe Sympathy and RFTC are fucking with us. After all, this is the beast's release.

Listen while you play: Devil World
(Sympathy For The Record Industry)

Shutdown 66 "Welcome To Dumpsville" CD
These Austrailians already have a reputation for outta control rock and roll. They have lots of stuff available on on Corduroy. Now Get Hip is bringing the noise stateside on on this reissue of their debut album. What you have here is an approximate rendition of ? and the Mysterians gone stark-raving-mad. Hard to believe huh? Masterful organ playing, crazed spazz-punk vocals, 60s beat and psych makes this one a winner if you're looking for something wild -- and they're downright brilliant when they catch their breath on slower tunes like "Pleasantville" and "Mr. Johnson."

Listen while you play: Double Dragon
(Get Hip)

Smut Peddlers "Ten Inch" 10"
Ten Inches of vinyl and eight verbose, abusive, scorching punk rock songs that combine hardcore with devil-horned guitar virtuosity. It makes one want to dig out the skateboard like the Faction, but it has the downright terrible attitude of the Dwarves, and sleazy, California underground storytelling that would make Bruce Craven sit down and cry with Greg Ginn. It's the type of stuff you'd need to hear after waking up on the floor in a sweltering room, still drunk, with the acrid taste of some unidentified drug on your tongue, and warm, flat beer is dripping on your forehead.

Listen while you play: Boon-ga Boon-ga
(Dead Beat)

The Spectors "Beat Is Murder" Cockfights & Cakefights 1992-1996" CD
In the early 90s, Amphetamine Reptile was king in Minneapolis. Helmet went gold (or platinum, or whatever). Boss Hog signed to DGC, and like-minded skuzz miners like Hammerhead, Guzzard and Gnomes of Zurich were pummeling the eardrums of every young punk within earshot of the 7th Street Entry. It's all good stuff, but I was painfully unaware of bands like the Spectors at this time in history. Thanks to Get Hip, the sounds are still here for me to savor after their demise. Like I said, I didn't even know that there was a band in Minneapolis/St. Paul playing 60s beat music in the 90s, and I probably wasn't even ready for this type of thing at the time. The Spectors were peddling electrifying beat brutality to those with a taste for the more tuneful (and retro). They were championing the Monks before the rest of the world (and Gatorade) started to catch on. The Spectors can play aggressive, boot-stomping rock and roll with the ferocity of the best Nuggets tracks, and subsequently turn in a gorgeous, catchy pop tune. This a great compilation of tunes from an overlooked band, and it's a must have for Minnesota music fans with an ear for local brilliance.

Listen while you play: Ghouls & Ghosts
(Get Hip)

Bob Hocko and the Swamp Rats "Disco Still Sucks" CD
The Swamp Rats are a screaming, jagged jewel of late 60s teenage garage punk, and they are living proof that you could become minor rock stars by playing primitive Sonics covers. At one point, the Swamp Rats were delivered to their gigs in limousines, had several body guards in their employ, and their bass player had to cinch his jeans up extra tight, or the crazy female fans would rip off his clothes. You'd have to read the liner notest to get the full story, but this is surprising given the brutish, beatle-amp driven power of some of the songs. They do play a few pop songs and ballads, but even those have something sinister lurking beneath. Most of this album is cover material, but they're played with such sloppy abandon and love for the originals that they become something else altogether. It opens with “Louie Louie,” which is basically a redo of the Sonics version made even more menacing, and my favorite cover, a version of The Kinks’ “Till The End of the Day.” It continues with more covers of the Stones, The Kinks (again), The Blues Magoos, Sonics (Psycho) and so on. There are only two originals on this disc, but they are excellent – especially the astonishing “Hey Freak,” a fuzz-covered monster that sounds like Mudhoney on bad acid. The bonus material for this disc includes some bizarre but excellent low-fidelity folk-rock. Including a version of Peter Paul & Mary’s “The House Song” that could make Bob Pollard sit down and weep.

Listen while you play: Guitar Freaks
(Get Hip)

Taxi "Like A Dog" CD
This album sounds like it was recorded in 1979. Looks like it too. Just look at that classic cover! It's as if they took all of the great higher-fidelity records from punk's first few years and said: "this is what we will do." Like the Dead Boys, Dictators or Fear, they do it well. You don't listen to this stuff. You stand tall and take a musical beating, as Taxi unleashes a dozen razor-sharp, stylish and aggressive punk rock pounders. When I say stylish, I don't mean that these guys aren't the real deal. It's amazing. You've gotta hear it. Degenerate sounds that would make Lee Ving would be proud

Listen while you play: Thundercade
(Dead Beat)

The Von Zippers "The Crime Is Now"
Ever notice that Canadian bands seem to be better at being activists? Look at the Weakerthans or Propaghandi. It just seems that they care a little more about what is going around them than we Americans, and they say what they have to say with such style. Add the Von Zippers to this list of great bands that have a bit to say about the state of world affairs. In fact, we should retitle this album, "Why Canadians are smarter than Americans." Right when you open this booklet, you know you're getting something a little different for an Estrus release. For one thing, this release has all of the lyrics printed out. That's something that doesn't happen too often these days. For many bands, the lyrics aren't a real important ingredient anyway. It's just something to propel the voice "instrument" along. But the Von Zippers have some really smart stuff going on in here, and the lyrics deserve to be read: "We'll foster our own genetic clones and boost a false economy. Well everything's bigger (and that makes it better) like TVs and tits, if they're small forget it." As for the tunes, they're a great punk/blues/garage hybrid, with a sort of Eddie Spaghetti meets Joey Shithead vocal quality. Just when you thought you couldn't take another band regurgitating the sound and dogma from a band twenty years their senior, you get the Von Zippers. These guys realize that you can say something enlightening with rock and roll, and it can still be a hell of a lot of fun.

Listen while you play: Two Crude
(Estrus)