The Illuminati EP
Who are the Illuminati, you ask? Well, I was asking the same thing upon hearing this. Formed out of the ashes of the band Tchort, this is some heavy rock n' roll that doesn't really fit into any category. Produced by Ian Blurton, he works his magic again, and the whole thing has a very 70's-ish vibe to it. The instrumentation, and musicianship is spot on, and the vocals are way cool, as these guys can actually sing. I can hear bits and pieces of a whole shitload of cool bands, from Sabbath, to Mountain, to Thin Lizzy. The thing that makes this so good, is the fact that it's progressive without being prog. Did that make any sense? Well, to explain it, they go on a few experimental passages (like the sorta jazzy interlude in "Salon Kitty"), but they always bring it back to the context of a three minute song, not some nine minute epic. It's heavy without being dumb, progressive without being prog, and it sounds original in this day and age when everyone thinks that everything has been done before. Let's put it this way......if Frankie Kozik signed a band like the Illuminati to Man's Ruin in 1997 or '98, the label might not have went down the shitter with a bunch of heavy sludge clone bands.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Taboo

(October 32nd Records)

Iron & Wine "Our Endless Numbered Days" CD
Iron & Wine sounds more like a movie soundtrack than the popular musical project led by Sam Beam. For some reason, the songs summon scenery out of an IFC movie -- it takes place in rural Kentucky and would possibly be something about a family besieged by daily hardship yet they remain strongly bonded and devoted to coping together because goshdarnit, family is all you got in this god-forsaken world and then the ending would make you cry in a sad, but kind of uplifting way. It's not bad for background music, I suppose, but it doesn't draw me in and I find myself listening to it pretty passively. There are some very good, folky songs on the disc, with sort of a sort of Cat Stevens' "The Wind" quality. I suppose that it will be good for cleaning the house to. I bet my wife would like it too since she loves Cat Stevens. I thought that the last Iron & Wine release, "The Sea and the Rhythm" had a little more going for it than this one.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Duck Hunt

(Sub Pop)

The Leg Hounds "Ready To Go" LP
More thick-ass vinyl from Alien Snatch and everyone's new favorite rock and roll band -- the Leg Hounds. This is the splendid vinyl release of their Bulge records CD of the same name, and these fellas will set your ass in motion with top-speed, whiskey-swilling, scumbag boogie punk that borrows freely from all the favorite records in your collection and gives it a tenfold boost of energy. The more you listen to it the better it gets. The thing just never lets up. Great blasts of manic guitar, good-time hollerin' vocals, and check out them rapid-fire drums. That's power. This is Friday night music so make sure you spill a drink or two to this one.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Hogan's Alley

(Alien Snatch)

The Locomotions "S/T" CD
The tongue-wagging photo on the cover may have you thinking that this is another glossy Swedish cock rock band, but that's Martin Savage (ex Blacks, Tokyo Knives), and this is grubby, off-the-cuff, spazzed-out punk rock with some awesome drunken, screamed vocals. This album pairs their LP on Alien Snatch with the songs from their "Tell Her" 7" as a US release. It's full of great, clattering originals with big singalong choruses and tons of crazed energy. Additionally, they add some fun covers of the Stones' "Under My Thumb," "Saturday Night Again" by the Dogmatics and "Headlights On" by the Dirtbombs. They finish it off with a great version of the Little Eva favorite "The Locomotion." I bet you didn't see that one coming. I missed out on the original foreign releases of this stuff, and I'm glad I finally got with the program. This is the best band I've heard out of Sweden in a long, long time.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Time Pilot

(Dead Beat Records)

The Minds "Rip Out Your Eyes" 7"
Another quality slice of wax. The first thing you'll probably notice on The Minds is the loud-hollering vocals and that garagey-keyboard sound. It's pretty good, but things really get cookin' on the B-side, with "Dead," a super-fast, straight-up blast that is an A-side quality tune if I've ever heard one. The closer, "Blockout," gets a little poppier with its big, melodic chorus. It's pretty wicked stuff considering how cuddly and goofy the cover is. I'm gonna have to pick up the "Plastic Girls" full-length now and continue to figure these kids out.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Gradius

(Alien Snatch)

The New Wave Hookers "Ass & Frederic" LP
This is no lie. I slapped this on the turntable without looking at the track listing. I put these guys and said to myself "I'm sensing kind of a Parasites thing from these dudes." It was just a moment later when A COVER of "Fool For You" from the Parasites. Can I call 'em or what? It's really simple, melodic pop-punk in that sort of frantic, sugary-sweet and very emotional fashion that ol' Nikki P. is so well-known for. They are plenty straightforward, but they have some great little touches like vocal harmonies and some well-worn doo-wop-style melodies. There were a couple of songs that didn't totally grab me, but overall this is some quality stuff. The New Wave Hookers are comfortable playing that mushy poppy stuff, and they do a great job of it. I like that.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Ikari Warriors

(Wanker Records)

Peachfuzz "About A Bird" CD
This is about the sweetest, sugariest, bubblegummy, psychedelic-pop you can imagine, and I like it. I could take or leave the first couple of songs, but once the third one, "Put the Bean in the Egg," starts, things really start to pick up. It has less in common with primitive 60s frat rock than it does more "sophisticated" stuff like the Beach Boys or even the Zombies. The sound is ultra-glossy and I can't help but thinking if they swamped it up a bit it might sound a little less cute. With that little gripe out of the way, this is a really likeable stack of garage pop tunes.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Mechassault

(Orange Sky/Dionysus)

The Pervz "S/T" 7"
You think with a song called "Pieces of You" you'd be listening to some extra-sensitive wimpy bullshit, but The Pervz kick your door in with punchy, loud rock and roll. It's sorta garagey, but heavier on the straight-ahead, snarling guitar. It's very sleazy, very Las Vegasy. And check out that badass, die-cut cover. This one is worth your time.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Crimson Skies

(Wood Shampoo Records, PO Box 27801 Las Vegas, NV 89126 www.thepervz.com)

Phonocaptors "Call It What You Want..." CD
This is great. I thought that Pro-Vel were well on their way to becoming the next in a long line of tried-and-true punk rock/garage labels, but then I get the Phonocaptors -- who are about as far from that sound as you can get. It's nice to hear some variety. I guess this album has a little bit in common with the dirtball punk rock aesthetic, but the Phonocaptors have a heart of big, brassy guitar-pop. Big dumb riffs, buoyant melodies, some "whoo-hoos," some "hey heys" all do their part here to great effect. They try to rock it up a little from time to time, with an occasional glammed-up guitar riff or a shouted chorus of "right now" but they really do their best when they just surrender to their power pop tendencies.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Mouse Trap

(Pro-Vel Records)

The Pink Slips S/T 7"
I think that they're from Bismarck or Mandan or somewhere out west. As usual, Rog doesn't give me the low-down on the bands he puts out records for. I think he's trying to be mysterious or something. The Pink Slips will fit the bill for mid-tempo K-records-style punk. In fact, you'll hear a lot of Sleater Kinney-type singing. They're definitely a little more primitive, though. That's their best quality so far. The final song song, Band Mouse, is the best one on here -- a weird, loopy pop tune with yelping vocals. If they've got another release or two in them, I'd be interested to hear if they start to sound like their own band.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Dance Dance Revolution 4th Mix

(Coach and 6)

Robert Pollard “Fiction Man” CD
Now that Guided By Voices is being dismantled, we'll probably be seeing a lot more of these Robert Pollard solo discs. I'm one of those raving lunatics who love Guided By Voices and Bob Pollard, so "Fiction Man" is great, well-rounded disc that includes a little of everything... Some of his more straightforward rock songs, a couple of slower tunes, some acoustic pop songs, and some of the weirder material. It's another winner in my book. All of the music is played by Todd Tobias, a guy who's done some time producing GBV, while Pollard concentrates on the singing. This actually does a good job of recreating the completely scattered approach found on Alien Lanes or on Suitcase.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Turtles

(Fading Captain Series)

The Ponys "Laced With Romance" LP
Now if I'd really been on the ball and reviewed this album right after I first bought it, I really would have looked impressive! I'd be one of those guys kicking off the Ponys ballyhoo with gushing praise of The Ponys cerebral, swirling rock and cavernous Blank Generation-era punk noise. Instead you're getting one of those "me too" reviews. Everybody loves this record. If you haven't given this a chance yet, you're missing out on one of the better records of the year. You owe it to yourself to give it a spin! Lord knows it's seen some mileage on my stereo.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Gallop Racer 2003

(In The Red Records)

Ramblin' Ambassadors, "Avanti" CD
Featuring Brent Cooper, the old guitarist of surf/instro heroes Huevos Rancheros, The Ramblin' Ambassadors share a spirited kinship with Huevos, obviously. However, there is a little less emphasis on all out rock here than in Huevos, and this is, at times, a little more relaxed and experimental than Brent's previous band. The Ennio Morricone cover, "Sixty Seconds To What?" illustrates this aspect, as does the horn section in "Dead Man's Flats", and the acoustic samba rave-up, "The Hairless Cat" (which very well might boast the only tremoloed acoustic guitar that I can remember hearing). Fans of the rockier side of Huevos, fear not--there's songs like "Lungbucket" and "Hup Two Three Four, that fit the bill."
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Iridion 3-D

(Mint Records)

Red Tyger Church, "Free Energy"
I'd never heard of this band before, but this record really made me pay attention to them, and this is definitely my pick for the best new album that I've heard in the last two months. The sound of this record is a combination of 60's garage/ psych/ pop, sort of like a mix of 30 percent Velvet Underground, 30 percent MC5, 20 percent Beatles, 10 percent of late 80's psych rock bands (Jesus and Mary Chain, Spacemen 3, etc.), and 10 percent Blue Cheer. Another comparison that I have is that it sounds a lot like what the MC5's "High Time" would have sounded like in about '66-'67, with less solos from more of the '5's earlier garage sound from the mid 60's era, but with the soulful background singers, handclaps, and outta control tambourine playing of the '70-71 version of the '5 (got that??). On tracks like "Spells Against Squares" and the title track, it's the most bitching hard edged ass-shaking soul, but then you have the epics, "Wolves of Sunshine," and "Welcome", which ends off in a chaotic din of vocals, noises, and garage riffs. Another strength of the album, is how it succeeds at combining a few different sounds, which make each song a little bit different from what you've already heard on the previous track. I've listened to this 15 times, and I'm still hearing different things in the sound. Air tambourine not included.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Ratchet and Clank

(Alive records)

Rodriguez "S/T" CD
On the cover of their debut disc, Rodriguez looks like they're in pain. What is coming through those headphones? Did they get a blast of feedback? Are they listening to Today Is The Day? Did they just hear the latest Jet single? If it's some sort of attempt at self-depreciation (i.e. they are supposed to be listening to their own tunes), you can rest assured that this stuff is not going to cause migraine. It might, however, inspire fits of partying, and that can deliver pain of its own. This speedy, obnoxious, bashing, garage punk from Austria with some throat-slicing, but tuneful vocals is a real treat. There are some rock and roll flourishes like an occasional cowbell and some wild, swerving solos, but this disc stays mostly with the full-throttle punk rock. It's a loud, unruly beast for sure. "I think this is a real Dogfight" is one of my favorites. In the Stooges cover department, you get a very decent version of No Fun. It's sort of unnecessary, considering the number of Stooges covers lately (and the high quality of the originals). Yeah we get it, you love the Stooges, I love the Stooges, we all love the Stooges. I'll let this one slide because it's still pretty fucking good as far as Stooges covers go. Can't wait to hear more by these guys.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: R-Type

(Swindlebra Records)

The Rowdymen, "Rubberneckin'"
These guys aren't my favorite band of the current rockabilly genre, as I usually like my twang to be a bit more aggressive. But they're definitely good, and if anything, these guys re-create the authentic 50's Sun rockabilly sound, replete with Scotty Moore styled chicken pickin' and hoedown throwdowns. The results are perhaps a little more straight up and less punk (therefore a little less youthful than many of the other bands in this genre). There's some cool yodeling in "Rolly Oat Mama", and "The Old Hereafter" and "Forest For the Trees" twangs with some cool melodies to 'em. The cover of Roy Orbison's "Rock House" is cool, and the rest of the album follows suit, too.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Test Drive

(Transistor 66 Records)

Simply Saucer, "Cyborgs Revisited"
Although this record has been available in a very small capacity throughout the years, this is a long lost, yet highly regarded nugget of Canadian gold from the mid to late 70's. Simply Saucer finally receives their first real proper release, at least in terms of distribution and availability, via the fine folks at Sonic Unyon records. Simply Saucer's sound resides somewhere between the sonic ambition of the Stooges' "Funhouse", Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, and The Velvet Underground (the liner notes state that the engineers, Bob and Daniel Lanois....and yes, THAT Daniel Lanois--had been "given LP copies of the Stooges' Funhouse and the Velvet Underground's White Light/ White Heat by the band as 'reference' points for their sound"). The nine songs that comprise "Cyborgs Revisited" from 1974 were much more musically prescient than the later incarnations and sound of the band from 1977-78 on songs like "She's A Dog" and "Little Sally", which opt for a less futuristic and a more straightforward, almost Teenage Head-ish punk sound. Still, the album holds up very well together, even with the demos and live versions, and I can only imagine that these guys must have drove away audience members by the dozens, with their aggressive guitar and electronic cacophonies. Fans of Rocket From the Tombs would probably find much to love here, as RFTT shares a similar '74 minded philosophy of a proto-art-punk deconstruction of psychedelia. Everyone needs to hear this.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Lemmings

(Sonic Unyon)

Sinisters, "Live"
Toronto's Sinisters have been doing the trashy Dead Boys/ Motorhead thing since around 1994. This recording captures them in their element -- the live setting, where you can feel that sweat, that blood, that dirtiness of the Sinisters. The "Memories of a Happy Hell" songs definitely sound better and rougher here, and the Black Flag, Dead Boys, and Stooges covers are a blast. Unfortunately, there are no credits listed as to where it was recorded or when, but I'm judging that this was in somewhere from 1998-2000, and there is also an unidentified second recording session in the last few tracks. All that's missing is singer Saint's blood, and a few broken beer bottles.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Sim City

(October 32nd Records)

Soft Canyon, "Broken Spirit, I Will Mend Your Wings"
Residing somewhere in between the hard rock bombast of Zeppelin, and the power pop mastery of bands like Badfinger and Big Star, Soft Canyon's self dubbed "sweetrock" sound works on so many levels. For one, the album is fairly short at 33 minutes, which gives the band very little room for error. Second of all, the band branches their sound out a bit on epics like "We Threw Our Love Into the Universe", and it sounds great. There's cool instrumentation here and there, like the keyboards on "With My Back To The Sun", the almost Hawkwind-style electronics on "Rare Bird Indeed", the almost Spiritualized "Send Me Your Love", and there's some beautiful acoustic guitar picking on "The Illumination of You". I just can't find fault with this album, other than maybe the slightly low key production, but even that works, too. One of the best and most understated albums of this year.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Mercs

(Alien8 Recordings)

Eddie Spaghetti, "The Sauce"
Monsieur Spaghetti, he of the better known Supersuckers, has created a shining gem of a hurtin' n' boozin' insurgent country album here. To me, the highlights are "Misery And Gin", "Killer Weed", and the acoustic cover of the Supersuckers' "Sleepy Vampire". Of course, his old buddy Rontrose Heathman plays on a couple of songs, and the 'Suckers' new drummer, Mike Murderburger, plays drums on the record. This is mostly a covers album, from Willie to Kristofferson tunes, and as Spaghetti says in the liner notes, "I did this out of my love for these songs and my desire to put my own, bare-bones spin on them". His 3 year old son, Quattro, sings on a cute little Randy Newman song at the end, and Eddie's foxy wife appears on the cover. Them Daly's...erm, Spaghetti's sure do seem like a cool family.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Red Dead Revolver

(MidFi Recordings)

Squareheads, "Rock n' Roll Animal"
Even though it's obvious that the CD was run through a computer, and the sound is fairly lo-fi, this messed up vibe to the production only adds to the demeanor of the whole thing. The first song, "Make Me Feel Alright", starts off with a slightly Stooges riff, "U-Boat Attack" kills, which has one of the coolest riffs ever, and the great "I Wanna Be A Squarehead" will convert tons of new fans, with it's chorus guitar line that was brilliantly (if unknowingly) lifted from the MC5's "Gotta Keep Movin' ". The drunk talk in between songs is cool, where an unaccredited pair of people talk about everything from not wearing bras, to trashing Vanilla Ice, and the thorough intentional butchering of Mr. Big's "Just To Be With You", on the bonus "hidden" track, is hilarious. In the immortal words of the band, "I wanna be a Squarehead!"
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Serious Sam

(http://www.angelfire.com/rock3/squareheads/index.html)

Stoned Soul Picnic "Hardtop 22 b/w Studio '69" 7"
It's time for more laid back, bourbon-soaked soul from Hammond Beat. This little single boasts a couple of longer, Meters-style organ ditties. The second tune "Studio '69" has horns that make it interesting. It might sort of sound like a late-night show band, but I'm not totally sure.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

(Hammond Beat)

The Sunday Drunks "On The Prowl" CD
Wow! The Sunday Drunks sort of hit me out of nowhere a year or more back when I first heard their self-titled debut. They're a fantastic no-bullshit rock band that's heavy on the Chuck Berry style riffs, a tiny bit of a honky-tonk twang and songs caught up in lots of booze and good times. This latest album is still packed with sun-baked, bluesy rock that made the first one so much fun, but the lineup changes have given them a slightly different sound. You might even believe it's a different band due to the vocal changes. The raspy, laid-back, Stiv-style vocals of Dustin Brickman are long gone and they're replaced by guitar player Lee Lazarine and his southern-style howling. I really can't give it much comparison, but there is a time or two that recalls the voice of a young GG Allin (back when the guy actually played good music). I mean that in the best possible way. The recording on this round is a lot rougher around the edges. It's louder and much rawer with a sort of live-on-stage crackle. The Sunday Drunks haven't failed yet! Everything's fine-tuned and firing on all cylinders. This is exactly what you want on a second record. One of the most endearing things about these guys is their apparent lack of shit-giving. You get the feeling that The Sunday Drunks will be playing and listening to this sort of stuff long after they cease to be a band. Make sure you pick up this one up.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Pole Position

(Dead Beat Records)

Supersuckers, "My Beady Eyes/ The Trick and the Tactic" 7" & Supersuckers/ Hangmen split CD
Out of both of these two track CDs, I'd pick up the "My Beady Eyes/ The Trick and the Tactic" one first. "My Beady Eyes" is a pretty good song, and "The Trick and the Tactic" has a nice melody to it, both of which, I assume were recorded during the same sessions as "Motherfuckers Be Trippin". On the Supersuckers/ Hangmen split, the 'Suckers turn in "Flying Into the Midday Sun" which isn't the best tune that they've done, but it rocks. The Hangmen I'm not really convinced on, though. Maybe this is a weaker song of theirs, but I'm not really digging the vocals, for some reason.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Crash Bandicoot

(MidFi Recordings)

Thee Corsairs S/T EP
Knocking out 7 songs of garagey/ surfy riffs, Thee Corsairs bash out some dirty 60's influenced punk rock, in the vein of the Sonics and early 'Stones. There's a worthy cover of the aforementioned Sonics' "Strychnine", and they've created their own spy theme in "Trucker Brown". While the riff in "Red Zone" is something that you've probably heard before, that's the great thing here--that familiarity. Tracks 4 and 5 are mislabeled to what actually plays on the disc, and this might be something that the band would like to correct, but this is otherwise a perfect EP of simple music that doesn't pretend to be anything but what it is--fun and rowdy.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Pirates

(www.theecorsairs.com)

Thrills "N.A.F.I.T.C. Original Boston Punk, 1977-1981" CD
There is some band called "The Thrills" on MTV right now, right? Fuck those guys. I don't even know if they're any good, but it's a damn shame that when people think of a rock and roll band called Thrills, they'll think of those losers, rather than these original Boston punks. Thrills are probably best known for their great song, "Hey! (Not Another Face In the Crowd)," but really, it gets better from there. The band plays upbeat, almost New Wave style punk while Barb "Wire" Kitson's powerful vocals manage to bring in a 50s & 60s Spector girl-group sound. It's not all sweetness though. There are savage, off-the-rails punk rock riffs to spare, and keep in mind that Merle Allin played bass in this band (and his little bro G.G. even sat in on drums for about 5-minutes). This is an A+ collection of classic punk rock.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Canyon Bomber

(Bacchus Archives c/o Dionysus)

Throw Rag, "Desert Shores"
This is maybe a little less rockabilly influenced than their album "Tee Tot", but it's definetely more aggressive, and sounds great, no doubt due in part to Tim Kerr's production. Sounding maybe a bit like the Murder City Devils on the opening track "Space Hump Me", they bump n' grind through 12 tracks of garage-fueled drinking madness. Is it just me, or does Captain Sean Doe sound like Johnny Rotten? Nothin' rotten here, though. My favorite tracks are probably "Reno", "Bag of Glue" and "Hang Up", but everything here's as solid as that floor that you hit when you pass out, dude. Break out the washboard and strum along.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Secret Quest

(BYO Records)

Tomahawk, "Mit Gas"
I'm less hating than many, but I'm also less forgiving than many "Patton-ites" out there. So where does this album stand with me? For one, it's a super group comprised of Duane Denison (of the Jesus Lizard) on guitar, John Stanier (of Helmet) on drums, Kevin Rutmanis (of the Melvins) on bass, and of course, Patton. This album is a pretty good compromise, although not as good as I think that some of the band members could have made it be on name or reputation alone (ie: I think that Denison has opted to play a lot of more straightforward riffs, rather than the strange "riffs that aren't riffs" style that he perfected in the Lizard). But this is pretty good. "Birdsong" is pure evil, there's the weirdest funk in "You Can't Win", and even the most ardent of Patton haters could never identify Mike on the Latin-flavoured "Desastre Natural."
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: S.T.U.N. Runner

(Ipecac Recordings)

Twilight Singers, "Play Blackberry Belle"
This is Greg Dulli's new band, and you might remember Greg from a little 'ol band called the Afghan Whigs. As you could probably imagine, this is a record full of sexy, smoky, soul songs. Dulli also plays piano stuff on much of this record, as evidenced by the intro of "Teenage Wristband", as well as various parts of the album. Recorded with a revolving cast of musicians, members and roles change from song to song, but it adds to the diversity of the album. This has a magical quality to it, as I had to listen to the album many times in order to get the full grasp of it, and that's a sign of greatness, for sure--that underlying thing that you can't quite pin down. There are some tasteful electronic beats here and there, and some gorgeous sounding string parts, as well as a bunch of other instruments like horns and pedal steel guitar. Mark Lanegan of the Screaming Trees/ Queens of the Stone Age also sings the last track, "Number Nine", and although he's sang on what seems to be every second album these days, that's fine by me, 'cause he has a great voice that I'll never tire of.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Shinobi

(One Little Indian/ Birdman)

Twisted Roots "S/T" CD
So in 1981, Paul Roessler (Screamers), Kira (Black Flag, duh) and Pat Smear (The Germs duh) got together and proceeded to freak the kids in LA out with some weird, circus keyboard punk This is If you're expecting some traditional LA hardcore, you've got another thing coming. If you'd like some craziness, keep reading. There are some really cool songs on here. Vocalist Maggie Ehrig has a great voice and things really start to take of by the time you hear the coasting new wave of "The Yellow One." There are a few moments where you get something a little that's ends up being a little more like standard punk, but it's still got a weird, almost cutesy quality. There are some songs on here that may drive you nuts, but there are also some (like "Fill Your Heart") that will be stuck in your head for days. If you're looking for some history, you could do a hell of a lot worse.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Space Harrier

(Bacchus Archives/Dionysus)

Vagiants, "Short and Hard" and "Turn It Around" 7"
This remastering job for the Sin Klub release is better than their original local release last year (which sounded a little more slammed with compression), and while it's not vastly improved, it's still raunchy. Singer Joanne Rodriguez has one of the best voices in music today (defying her 5 foot nothing stature), and the band kicks out the punk rock n' roll jams with some down n' dirty riffs. While this is fairly standard issue stuff from the rock realm, the band is still fine tuning their sound, but this is impressive for a debut record. This should appeal to fans of bands like the Bellrays and maybe the Didjits school of Detroit punk n' roll metal. Honestly though, where does that voice come from, Joanne?

Showing slightly cleaner production and better structured songs than the ones on their "Short And Hard" cd, the 'Giants knock out a classic 7" with "Turn It Around" (which would put a smile on Rob Tyner's disintegrating face), and they follow it up with the rocking' "Detroit", then finish it off with a live version of "Alright". These are from their upcoming LP, "Waiting For the Night To Come", and although it's difficult to tell how a full album will turn out, the album purports to be a pretty good one based on these tunes.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Wetrix

(Sin Klub Entertainment)

Various Artists "Maybe Chicago" CD
This is a stunning showcase of the triumphant shit coming out of Chicago. After some drunken banter from Uncle Ted, Functional Blackouts tear into it with a fierce little number called "Rat's Cage." Right after that, my new favorite band in the world, Vee Dee, bashes out some mouthbreathing thug-punk on "Midwest Tet." That tune makes the the whole comp for me, but then you get to jump into some Hot Machines, White+Outs, probably the most vicious Baseball Furies tunes I've ever heard, The Ponys, Tyrades, Twat Vibe and a bunch more. It's not all golden, but everything is pretty much up-to-snuff, and everything I took the time to mention here is what I'd call brilliant. The disc says it all: if you're looking for something new, come on down to Wrigley Field.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Civilization

(Criminal IQ Records)

Various Artists "Swami Sound System" CD
A compilation from the bands on Rocket From the Crypt's singer/guitarist John Reis' very own label Swami Records, like any compilation, there's some hits and misses here. The winners: Mannekin Piss' trashy, metallic rock, The Husbands' primitive garage, the Sultans' zippy melodic punk (taken from their new release), Rocket From the Crypt's unreleased song, The Testors' 70's punk, and Sonny Vincent's song. The losers: Beehive and the Barracudas, who have something endearing to them that hasn't endeared them to me, and the White Apes, who have a samba punk sound to them and come across as a bit of a novelty. The surprises: Dan Sartain is ok, I should really get into Hot Snakes, as they always seem to surprise me (even though I've never really been into 'em), and Loincloth, who have a cool sort of heavy instrumental technical brand of metal, which sound like the least likely band to be on Swami. A showcase of a fine label, for sure.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Seaman

(Swami Records)

Various Artists "Take the Bird from the Birdman" CD
This handy little sampler gives you the lowdown as to what's going on at Birdman -- which is a lot. Things get started with a taste of this spring's Carnivorous Rampage Tour. There are a couple of Modey Lemon songs to start things off fast and loud, followed by the crazed organ-psych of the Apes. Greg Ashley's The Gris Gris also turns in two intense, spooky garage numbers with "Every Time" & "Mary." From there, things get decidedly more eclectic. Whether it's the yelping guitar pop of The Cuts, the spaced-out riffs of The Warlocks, the big, sappy, Afghan-Whigs-sequel by way of the Twilight Singers, the freaked-out instro-skronk of Midnite Snake or the big-city Jazz (yes) of Young Jazz Giants, variety is the key at Birdman. This label is all over the place stylistically. This covers way more ground than the typical compilation, but it still feels like these bands all have a common thread of some sort (beside the obvious one of the label affiliation). If you're sick-to-death of hearing the same thing over & over, then this will surely do.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Excitebike

(Birdman Records)

Various Artists "The Trans-Canada Beaver Cookoff"
Comprised of some cool Canuck bands, this record proposes to be the "Five Fingers of Dr. X" comp, in terms of greatness. First up are the Ramblin' Ambassadors (the new band of Brent Cooper, the guitarist of Huevos Rancheros), and some rockin' surf. Next up are Shikasta, who put in four tracks of hard edged James Brown styled garage soul. The Nasty On are up after that, and although their sound has progressed and developed a bit since these songs (which were some of their first recordings), these songs reveal them to be one of the best and most unique heavy rock n' roll bands going these days. Bionic turn in 3 songs (which may be the first with Ian Blurton), and as these were from a few years ago, they show a transitional period in between some of their earlier Jawbox styled stuff, to their more recent Hellacopters meets QOTSA sound. Although Forbidden Dimension are not technically "together" again, they have three songs here, and what's not to love about a song called "VincentPrice Eruptum"? (a take on the old Blue Cheer album). And speaking of the 'Cheer, Leigh Stephens would be proud of the Donkeys' two insanely heavy songs.
-- Ryan Settee

Listen while you play: Space Panic

(Catch and Release Records)

Various Artists "Wäntage USA's 21st Release Hits Omnibus" CD
Wäntage celebrates their 21st with a whopping 2-CD collection of incredibly offbeat bands that span several styles, regions, continents and cultures. The Hits Omnibus includes a lot of the bands you'd expect from a Wantage collection, like Stars of the Dogon, Drunk Horse, The Fucking Champs or Federation X, but the best parts of this collection are the surprises. There are some really fantastic tunes from some lesser-known bands and a very healthy sampling of Latvian punk and metal. The songs range from noise, straight up heavy rock and roll, to pop, to metal to dance music, and beyond. A release this diverse is difficult to write about in such a small space, but some of the highlights are Japanther, Party Time, The Lights, Cajun Gems, No-Fi Soul Rebellion, Balozu Pilni Pagalmi, Spicki I Kedi, Enu Kabinets, Juanita and the Family, Le Force, Bloodhag, Dub Narcotic Sound System, The Joggers, Volumen, Depo, The Planet The, JohnnyX and the Groadies and The International Playboys. If you hadn't noticed, that's a lot of highlights.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Columns

(Wäntage)

Various Artists “Wilson Chance: The Sound Of Danger Soundtrack” CD
This is the soundtrack to the movie Wilson Chance, which is a yet-to-be-released James Bond-style spy flick about a Canadian secret agent, and this thing does a fine job of setting the atmosphere for an action spy thriller with big Montenegro & Mancini-styled instrumentals, surf tunes, goofy chase themes and organ-laced funk. Weighing in at a whopping 26 tracks (not all of them are actually songs) any fan of the old James Bond soundtracks will be sure to find a few great ones.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Heavy Barrel

(Hammond Beat)

The Veins "Hollywoodland"
Hmmm... I thought this would be some wild 60s Get-Hip type thing, but it sort of sounds like hyper-produced 90s alternative rock. It's full of flashy guitar crap that just doesn't get my blood pumping (unless you're talking flashy guitar crap like Iron Maiden). Beyond there isn't really anything that sets this apart from any other bland ex-hairband, current college-rockers playing at the sports bar. There are a lot of folks who would probably like this, but not me.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Phantom II

(Garage Pop Records)

The Weaklings "Rock and Roll Owes Me" LP
The Weaklings have been hooting and hollering out of Portland for quite some time. They're back rocking out, spraying beer and shredding their guitars for you all once again. It's basic, simple, singalong bar punk with some Dictators snarl and glammy guitar swagger. These guys sound like they'd be equally at home in your stinky basement or on the sunset strip of old.
-- Phil Hunt

Listen while you play: Cabal

(Dead Beat Records)