Music Reviews from issue 31

Music and Stuff To Listen To

Wilderness Survival Stereotypes and Types of Stereos Wilderness Survival is the pet project of Nick Grosvenor, who produced “Stereotypes…” as well as wrote all the songs (except, as the liner notes read, “the ones you don’t like, I didn’t write those”). Wilderness Survival consists of: Lionel Lionel who sings; Lucius Dickens playing bass; Rip Whammy on guitar and Yves Picardo on drums. I’ll tell you this: “Stereotypes and Types of Stereos” is one of my top five CDs of 2005, which has been a year full of golden sounds, making it hard to pick out any favorites. It is a silken, suave CD of twelve eclectic, acoustic-based cuts of ultra-cool, witty, sonic opium that comes across as a cross between Tortoise and Pavement. Daring, diverse; a timeless indie delight. My favorite tunes, at the moment anyway, on this disc are “Atheist Guys Finish Last” and “Tell Her I’m Over It”, both are possessed by this haunting, acoustic beauty that you don’t mind hearing in your head all day. Call me selfish, but I actually hope that Wilderness Survival stay underground where they belong and avoid the commercial kiss of death. (www.catchcamera.com) KM.

Khoiba Nice Traps Czech pop phenoms Khoiba have ventured forth with their debut album, “Nice Traps”, their first full-length CD, for Street Beat Records. After acquiring a following in their home, the Czech Republic, Khoiba are trying to make a splash here in the Western World. “Nice Traps” is a sleek, icy sheet of pop that is different, due to their not being from the same old places that most pop music comes from these days. Singer Ema Brabcova has a fresh, breezy voice with an ethereality to it; her singing spreads nicely over a steely rush of guitars and tight drums. The first cut, “Pure Hands” is as crisp as a sunny day in January; number 5, “Facilities” is a sexy pout and track 8, “Sonic Parts” is atmospheric minimalism. Radiohead comes to mind when listening to Khoiba – the same kind of detached coolness crooning melancholia. It is a sensual leisure – trip waiting for a host. Smooth sailing. (www.streetbeatrecords.com) (www.mole.de) (daredo-music.com) KM

Dexter Danger Hellafornia The Bay Area’s Dexter Danger pump out a high-energy power-pop with a loud, brash and youthful exuberance that makes one want to jump around. With two EP’s and one full-length CD under their belts, this SF quartet has just come out with a new LP, “Hellafornia”, a panoply of loud, guitar-driven punk-pop (or pop-punk), with a tight, slick studio finish. Already a favorite on the Bay Area’s LIVE 105 (the KROQ of the North), Dexter Danger, no doubt, hope to broaden that airplay to your neck of the woods, and why not? The well-crafted pop-songs on “Hellafornia” show a potential for wide acceptance by teenagers everywhere through a combination of heavy-rotation, touring and word-of-mouth. Check ‘em out when they come to your town and you’ll be jumping up and down too! (www.dexterdanger.com) (www.orangepeal.com) KM.

Sloppy Meateaters Conditioned By the Laughtrack A brand-new CD can either strike one right away as something one likes (or loves) or not. In other cases a CD may take a while to grow on you, eliciting indifference at first and through repetition, becomes pleasing to the senses. In the case of the Sloppy Meateaters and their new CD, “Conditioned By the Laughtrack”, it was the former scenario. From the first listen I enjoyed this CD. Its cool, articulation, nonchalant tunesmithing is the perfect thing for college radio stations like KXLU at Loyola Marymount or KUSF at the University of San Francisco. “Conditioned…” is a great disc to listen to alone or with your boyfriend/girlfriend. It’s your typical rock combo: guitar, bass, drums and singer. Simple but brilliant rock music made by smart guys; whatever it is, though, it doesn’t deserve to be called ‘pop’. (www.sloppymeateaters.com) (www.orangepeal.com) KM.

SLAB Society as a Friendly Pusher This is cool. SLAB! A meaty slice of punk rock: gritty, raw, raucous and rockin’. The cover art of this CD is really cool. It fits perfectly – sleazy, urban depravity. “Society…” takes off with “Life In Decay”, with its chorus; happily, defiantly chanting “life in dee-kay/life in dee-kay…” and it rushes through, jammin’ heavy on eleven more cuts, all delivered with a steel-toed punk-rock cunning that makes one nostalgic for the early 80s when punk rock ruled. (www.slabarmy.com) (www.onsetrecords.com) KM.

El Poeta Musically Speaking Musically Speaking, this is a great album! A sensual, ambient work of beauty, “Musically speaking” is the debut EP by El Poeta. About 35-40 minutes of soft, lush, instrumental jazz with a Latin flavor to it. Also known as Angelo Emile Gastelum, El Poeta is a one-man-dynamo, a classically trained pianist who picked up the guitar in his teens and later drifted under the influence of master sacred drummers who developed his rhythm and gave him discipline. Since then, El Poeta has evolved into the renaissance jazzbo that he is today, a multi-instrumentalist who has perfected his craft in a home studio, a mad scientist experimenting with sounds as colors on a palette. “Musically Speaking” is, then, the upshot of all this: cool, neo-hipster, lounge music; perfect ambience. Currently residing in Tijuana, El Poeta is at work on his next effort, tentatively titled “Save Changes?” (www.elpoeta.org) (www.imputor.com) KM.

Temple Bhajan Band Temple of The Heart India is a fascinating land, a vast land of many millions. A creative nation that is still evolving. Two hallmarks of Indian creativity are: one, their film industry, known as “Bollywood”, the most productive film industry in the world and two, is the music that emanates from different regions of this subcontinent. The Temple Bhajan Band have created an album, for your pleasure, of some Indian music that is a bit on the heavy side, but performed with much talent by some devoted Hindu souls. “Temple of the Heart” is, unfortunately, not the trance-inspiring dervishness of Ravi Shankar & Co. – don’t expect any trippy sitar freak-outs - you do get a passionate disc, filled with Hindi chants set to a colorful, serene backdrop of flutes, violin, harmonium, mridunga, tanpura, et al. This is a great ambience for meditation or even just to relax and unwind. While there isn’t any record label affiliation here – neither indie nor commercial – they seem to put out their CDs on their own, with the backing of something called the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, a Hindu affiliation with the website www.krishna.com. But to get more information about The Temple Bhajan Band, you would go to (www.templebhajanband.com). KM.

The Transit War Ah Discordia Ahhh…Discordia! What a bittersweet state to be in. The Transit War are a new alt-pop band that rock. Even Anya from FM 94.9 has given them a nice mention. On their debut, Ah Discordia! The Transit War take the basic pop song and whittle away, twist it, warp it, shape it to their own end, which turns out to be quite cool. Not a long record at all – eight songs that clock in at a total of 23.4 minutes. The highlights for me were the opener, “We’re Sleeping Better Now” – a good way to start of a record; full of an intensity that is contained in a moody, angst-filled romp. Also, “Beakers & Bunsen Burners” was a tautological yet frenetic piece. Overall the album (is it an EP or just a very short LP?) is a strong debut, making a good first impression, as it were. (www.thetransitwar.com) (www.orangepeal.com) KM

Coretta Scott Scream and Shout Ok, I can dig it. Four white boys spout irreverent with a name like Coretta Scott. HAHAHA. But, if one can get past the name, one finds a fairly cool set of tunes. CS play fiery emotional rock that has a well-polished feel to it. Good songwriting: the songs all have this intense charge to them, made all the more compelling due to cool time changes and controlled dissonance. I found it to be a well-put together album. It starts off strong with “Fashionably Depressed”, a tight, sinewy cut that is so catchy it pulls you in and hooks you for the rest of the CD, all the way to the last track, the bittersweet “Poison Apple”. It is a good listen, all the way through. These guys have a future…Stay tuned. (www.corettascott.com) (www.RiseRecords.com) KM.

Andrew Shapiro Solo Piano (Etudes) Beautiful. Aaaaahhh. What a breath of fresh air. After endless trashy pop records I finally get this deep, gentle, moving piano solo. This is a work of six original etudes for piano, each titled, simply, Etude 1, Etude 2…and so on. Simple but breathtakingly beautiful, this is truly a work of classical magnitude. Classical in the traditional definition, in that it is a timeless work. And, how cool is it that this serene set of piano etudes has been self-produced and independently marketed? How DIY; how punk-rock! If you are a fan of the works of Chopin, Liszt, Andrew Gould, you’ll be grateful that Andrew Shapiro has emerged from the woodwork, as it were, and graced us philistines with such sublime work. (www.airboxmusic.com) KM.

Bonk: Western Soul I put “Western Soul” in my CD player, expecting one thing and I ended up getting something a little bit different. So they’re not a sensitive, acoustic-guitar-playing, group of navel-gazers, rather, Bonk presents with a razor-sharp, raucous, jangly, buzz-saw groove. After the first listen I was tongue-tied and could not articulate anything about this until I heard it a second time, after which I became hooked. What I heard was a Stooges-like punk-rock with a twist, meaning it has some of the typical thrills of good old punk-rock, but at the same time, Bonk has originality that comes from being away from some corporate music hub like Seattle or Los Angeles or Chicago. The work of two guys from Norway, Dez and Liif, dudes who really have this rock ‘n’ roll thing down. I can say that it is probably worth your time. Like most Scandanavians, their English is perfect. (www.acefu.com) KM.

Quebb The Unknown Show Ahh yes…summertime, sunshine, wilderness, fun; campfires, sex under the stars and someone special with whom to share it all: listening to the folksy laid-back ditties put down by Quebb, all the aforementioned is evoked. Or, think of a beach party, where a few dudes bring their guitars and a set of bongos, no, not the singer’s girlfriend, either. Maybe throw in a couple beers and a couple ‘ludes and the groove makes you swoon. Yes, that is Quebb. That and more. “The Unknown Show” is an apt name for a self-produced, self-released, DIY venture that proves, once and for all, that the evil record industry is anachronistic. To find out more and to buy the CD, go to (www.quebb.net) KM.

The Offspring Greatest Hits Uh…you gotta be kidding me. The OFFSPRING? Greatest Hits? Come on, these guys suck! The sight of them makes me want to throw up. That white guy with the dreadlocks, that’s the worst. Yuck. I wouldn’t touch this with a ten-foot long strand of bubblegum. Anyway, if you’ve heard of these guys, or if you listen to commercial rock radio then you know what to expect on this CD – all the songs they play on the radio. (www.columbia.com) KM.

Gadfly Forgot To Stand I kind of wish I did like this album, it was recorded just down the street from where I live, at Capricorn Records. How much does this represent the rest of the catalog of Capricorn? Hmmm. Oh well, I found it a sophomoric, cliquish kind of disc. The musicianship is pretty slick, it’s the, frankly, dumb songwriting that plagues this CD. Maybe, if Gadfly keep practicing they will grow into a better band. Keep trying, guys. (www.gadflymusic.com) (www.invisiblemass.com) KM.

Tim Coffman Music From Beach Boulevard I know I’ve said this before, but 2005 has been a great year for indie music and here again, I’m proved right – Tim Coffman is a bitchin’ surf-guitar slinger and he has masterfully culled together another collection of instrumental surf-ey tunes that’ll knock your socks off. A spine-tingling trip down to the beach, no matter what the temperature is outside, or whether it’s raining or shining. Check out the first cut, the quasi-title-track, “Beach Boulevard”, a twangy beach vibe that pulls you in and keeps you along for the rest of the album, winding up with “Procession Champions”, a great way to end it. Kudos to Coffman for bringing back the simple, pure pleasure of instrumental surf guitar! (www.rolltop.com) KM.

Dead Kennedys Live at the Deaf Club Whoa, what year is it anyway? Didn’t these guys break up eons ago? Well, ok, I know they got back together, sans Jello, then there were all the lawsuits, ad nauseum, et cetera. They have a new singer now, Brandon whatsisname. But this disc is an old recording, circa 1979 at the old punk haven, the Deaf Club. What a show it was too. Those were the days. This is the entire live set from March 3, 1979. A bitchin’ show it was, too – guess who else was on the bill that night? The Germs! Yeah, what I want is the recording to that set. Anyway, the DK set features a cover of “Back in the USSR”, plus “Kill the Poor”, “Police Truck” and “Ill in the Head”. This set marks the final show as a five-piece, the last show with rhythm guitarist, 6025. Currently, with the aforementioned Brandon, they are out on tour again and still sounding just as good, except they don’t have Jello. But here is a way to recapture some of that old spirit. (www.manifesto.com) KM.

Doom Kounty Electric Chair Cuban Healed Killers”/”Homicide” EP A forgotten punk-rock band from yore, DCEC have just had their 2002 release “Cuban Healed Killers” re-released, packaged along with their 1999 EP, “Homicide”, from the geniuses at Independents Anonymous/Persuasion Records. To be honest, I was skeptical of the quality of this CD before I listened to it, but on pressing ‘play’ I was pleasantly surprised to hear some kick-ass, old style punk rock, I mean, like, American punk rock from the late 60s and early 70s – MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, NY Dolls, etc. Hopefully the re-release of “Cuban Healed Killers”/”Homicide” will spark some renewed, well-deserved attention for a group of heavies. No So-Cal surf-punk-pop here, rather you get an earful of boot-stompin’ punk-rock that recalls those seedy dives where the liquor flows liberally and the music is LOUD and one can sense an undercurrent of danger, which is thrilling. (www.doomkounty.com or www.persuasionrecords.com) – KM.

The Wigbillies Goin’ Up The Mountain I really like the simplicity of their music; and the easygoing, free-wheeling vibe that it evokes. What also comes to mind while listening to this disc is a little bit of Johnny Cash. The Wigbillies play a unique brand of low-fi, DIY, alt-folk-rock. This is something you will definitely not find at your local Target store or at the mall in Suburbia, USA. If you’re lucky you may find it in one of the independent record stores in your city. It is better to patronize the indie stores and boycott the corporate chains who make profits by pushing the worst sort of crap like so much crack. But if you want to skip the middleman altogether, go to: (maryfleener.com - Mary Fleener is the songwriter and one-third of The Wigbillies – she’s also an underground comic artist. KM

Bruce Gast Gimme a Dollar Bruce Gast, who is new to me, sounds like he has nonetheless been around awhile, honing his craft. “Gimme a Dollar” is a CD that is packed with a full-boat of middle-of-the-road, AOR-type music. While it won’t be blasting out of the walkman’s of youngsters, it definitely has merit and will no doubt be appreciated by a more mature set. Middle-class yuppsters who have already settled down in life and are mellowing by the day. It opens with “Money Talks” a smart, sunny pop ode to finance. “Love on the Wire” is a song about a love affair that started in “a chat room…” while the title track is a workingman’s anthem. The music is reminiscent of some of the pop music that one used to hear in Hollywood movies in the early 1980s. Buy it for your dad for Christmas. (www.hollywoodrock.com) – KM.

Switchfoot The Beautiful Letdown Sensitive white guys Switchfoot have exploded on to the scene in the last couple years in a big way. “The Beautiful Letdown” has turned out to be a big breakout hit, with their big hit single “Meant To Live” being given heavy-rotation on radio and MTV2. Just last Summer they played two sold-out homecoming shows at the Spreckels Theater in Downtown San Diego. Now they can be heard in Des Moines as easily as on 91X (in San Diego). Personally, I like Pinback better. (www.columbiarecords.com) – KM.

John Howard The Game of Life EP This writer has a rule of thumb that says a singer’s smiling face on the cover of an album is a warning sign flashing “LAME.” John Howard doesn’t disprove the theory. A sort of Richard Marx for the Aughties, Kentucky-bred Howard bounces safely through predictable melodies and mediocre vocals. His lyrics are trite, even patronizing to the women who are their subjects, such as the “surreal little cutie” of the first track. Blech. [www.cdbaby.com/cd/howardjohn] KM

Jello Biafra with the Melvins Sieg Howdy This summit of punk rock minds will sate the generation currently having a light snack of Queens of the Stone Age and Killers. In this post-punk era, the listener doesn’t know whether to pogo or headbang – or both. New tunes and reworkings of Jello Biafra and Melvins calling cards, with tracks as long as 10 minutes make a satisfying meal of choppy guitars (in most cases performed by Tool’s Adam Jones), quirky vocals and snappy drums. One’s only regret is that the tempo never slows enough for an aural breather – but then, it is punk. [www.alternativetentacles.com] KM

Nob Dylan and his Nobsoletes 12 Positively Stiff Dylans A wacky, wigged character by the name of Rev. Norb (what he is a reverend of, we won’t ask) has decided that a bunch of lesser-known Bob Dylan tunes could do with an alt-punk reworking, a concept which begs the question: Why? Actually, if you can get past the grating, spoken-word rendition of “Everybody Must Get Stoned” that kicks off the album, the rest is a descent listen. It’s fun, if monotonous garage rock with vocals reminiscent of Elvis Costello. [www.alternativetentacles.com] KM

Keg Creatures of the Night It’s possible to be too independent, as evidenced by Kris Kegley, the man behind goth-rock outfit Keg. There’s potential in his Ramones-influenced glam rock, but the unpolished quality of his LP keeps it from being fully realized. Kegley plays all of the instruments, and performs vocals thanks to a technique called “phrase sampling,” inspired by Andrew WK (where is he now, anyway?) High-points include the bouncy third track, “Good Times” and the driving, screechy “U District.” [www.kegrocks.com] KM

Turn Me On Dead Man God Bless the Electric Freak OK, all you acid heads out there, this is it! TMODM are just about the coolest thing to hit the streets since DMT; they are a far-out space-traveling set of incredible tunesmiths that have finally landed on Earth and have already blown my mind. “God Bless the Electric Freak” is pure musical euphoria; something that will definitely turn on the living as well as the dead. TMODM have a kind of glam sensibility to them, reminiscent of the best of T. Rex, Bowie and Mott the Hoople. But don’t think that means they sound like a retro band; no it’s glitter in a whole new light. “Mystery Ride” is a cool rush of energy, a great way to end the disc. “Beatle George” is their tribute to guess who. Getting a disc like this has revitalized my sagging spirit of late so I’m grateful for that. (www.mandeadonmeturn.com) (www.alternativetentacles.com) KM.

Baxter House Please Baxter Don’t Hurt ‘Em DIY punk rockers “Baxter House” have a present for you; it’s called “Please Baxter Don’t Hurt ‘Em”. It is an earnest piece of self-expression that I found to be wholesome, like milk & cookies. Baxter House is a trio of rockers that include on Rachel Mintz, the Grrrl singer who gives BH an intensity that is tempered by her cohorts, Malik Williams on guitar and Sky Minor on drums. BH aren’t an angry gang of nihilists, but rather a trio of slightly jaded, quasi-intellectuals who use punk-rock as catharsis. This is extremely DIY, but keep an eye out for them at clubs around LA, and perhaps San Diego soon. (www.myspace.com/baxterhouse )KM

Collabs 3000 Metalism This is like a Gotterdammerung of techno. Something for those dark, strobe-lighted, hot, sweaty nights at danceteria or at home as a soundtrack to erotic pleasures. A project of Chris Liebing and one who calls himself Speedy J, Collabs 3000 has an icy, steely sound quality to them that brings the music alive, even though it is completely mechanistic. It’s an enthralling, sprinting rush of throbbing, undulating ‘hypnotica”. While some may think that techno is soulless and dehumanizing, I think that this music gives off an aura of sexual pleasure; an orgy of erotic, pulsating beats that make me quiver (www.novamute.com) (www.speedyj.com) (www.ci-rec.com) KM

Frame of Mind Good Medicine Something about this CD gave me the funny feeling I was coming upon some private joke that I did not share in. I gave it a couple listens just to make sure. They should have called it “The Suburban NA Meeting’s Easy Listening Combo”. Well, the sax sounds cool and overall there is a bit of a groove, otherwise it’s corny as a bag of Frito’s. (www.headhighentertainment.com) KM.

The Vision of a Dying World Feelin’ Alive If this is indeed the Vision of a Dying World, then bring on the Apocalypse! Feelin’ Alive is a quiet, acoustic, folksy CD that is so beautiful it feels like a sunny morning with no clouds and a bright sun rising in the east. Not your standard DIY fare. No power chords and thumping bass here; one is treated to a panoply of strings, including electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, dobro, mandolin, viola, bass violin and bass guitar as well as an accordion. It’s got a laid-back sensibility, a not-unhappy ethos that seems to say to listeners: “don’t take life too seriously, enjoy yourself and dance your troubles away…” David Grisman comes to mind, with the eclectic strings, but without the folksiness. It’s definitely nothing onto which one can pin a label. Here’s a little secret: on the final track, #13, if you let it run out (the actual song is only a minute long) all the way to the full 19 minutes of dead air that it plays, you’ll finally come to the end (www.thevisionofadyingworld.com) (www.zombiesandpirates.com) KM.

Punk Rock is Your Friend: Kung Fu Records Sampler No. 6 Lonely? Need a new friend? Well, Kung Fu Records has come out with their sixth compilation of samples from their catalog of indie punk-rock. Twenty-three cuts in all, featuring some loud and heavy stuff from biggies like The Vandals, Bouncing Souls and even Circle Jerks doing “World Up My Ass”, live. Also showing up are Vs. the World, Righteous Jams, Useless ID and The God Awfuls, to name just a few. This is a great CD to put on at a wild, drunken party, something the guests can dance to and it’s got variety as well (www.kungfurecords.com) KM.

ZIGGURAT This is interesting…A CD recorded as a soundtrack to a comic book – a short story told in ‘graphic novel’ form. “Ziggurat” is a telling of the Tower of Babel story with a Sci-Fi twist – the “Ziggurat” is a space shuttle. I’m not going to tell the whole story here, but, in a nutshell, a condemned prisoner is sneaked into a top-secret space experiment that is not what it seems. There’s more to it, of course, but you’ll have to buy the book. The whole project is the work of three brothers: Tom, Joel and Jacob Sewell, who conceived and wrote all the songs and developed the comic. Completing the band is drummer Aynsley Dunbar, who’s played with Frank Zappa, Santana, Jefferson Starship and an early incarnation of Journey, when Gregg Rollie was still in the band. I thought the comic book was kind of cool, it had cool artwork and the story was interesting. But I wasn’t as impressed with the CD. The music had a prog-rock feel to it, okay, but the lyrics were a bit heavy-handed; otherwise, I thought the premise was intriguing. (www.stillfumin.com) – KM.

The Vandals Shingo Japanese Remix Album Goofball hipsters, The Vandals have come out with an album of REMIXES! Can you believe it? Well, yes, I can. Always up for doing wacky, crazy stunts, once again The Vandals have gone stark raving mad and had their buddy Shingo, a lunatic himself, remix a bunch of Vandals tunes. The result is the “Shingo Japanese Remix Album”; Shingo Asari is the genius behind this album, a celebrated producer, mix-master and half of the duo Panda, No Panda. Shingo has added a cartoonish ambience, a cacophony of nuttiness bouncing off of every object, to some of The Vandals’ songs from the past. The Vandals merely had to exist at this point. Well, ok, Warren Fitzgerald did have some input as well. No new songs, just new interpretations; one is treated to Vandals’ music in a new light. Includes remixes of “Little Weirdo”, “How They Getcha” and “When I Say You I Mean Me” (www.vandals.com) (www.kungfurecords.com) KM.

Apeyga In life, just about anything worth finding or discovering is usually found or discovered by accident or pure chance; the axioms about a watched pot never boiling or a phone that is stared at never ringing are true. In music as well, some of my best finds have been CDs I never would’ve thought of buying, but have come across my transom and found their way into my CD player. Apeyga is a perfect example. I didn’t think there was anything like this anymore. The brainchild of Justin and John Peloian (with Colin Popadiuk rounding out this trio), Apeyga is an instrumental, free-associating freak-out. Listening to it brought on thoughts of Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, Steve Vai, Robert Fripp. Apeyga presents with a complex fusion of jazz and rock that defies convention, confounds expectations and finally, ends up sounding like heaven. Listening to this CD just makes time stand still and suddenly one is inside the music, floating. It is a great means of escape. Guitarist, producer and songwriter Justin Peloian has been hiding out somewhere, but now the intense, super-cool ‘aggro-jazz’ (to coin a phrase) that he lays down has exposed him and I feel all the luckier for it (www.apeyga.com) (www.kauzzmedia.com) KM.

Report Suspicious Activity At last, a punk-rock record that takes shots at the stupid ‘war’ on terror! RSA’s milieu is attacking the rotten, corrupt and repressive national security state that is slowly erasing the constitution day by day; kudos to Alternative Tentacles for putting this out. The cover art is a statement in itself. As for the music, it’s head-banging, hard-core punk-rock that is performed with talent; Vic Bondi, late of Articles of Faith, who can sing decently, can also play the guitar well; J Robbins thumps that bass with elan and verve and D Zentek can keep time as well as beat the hell out of those skins. As I said, the cover art is quite provocative itself and was done by one John Yates, who’s other work one can check out at www.stealworks.com. The first cut is quite good; “Hardball” starts off the album on a taut and catchy note. “Kurtz” is a thrilling romp and they take on the concentration-camps that the US runs in Cuba, with “Guantanamo”. “Report Suspicious Activity” should be the soundtrack to the protesting of the US government’s war policy (www.alternativetentacles.com) KM.

F-Minus Won’t Bleed Me/Failed Society That’s what we need now: no-frills hard core punk-rock; no pop hooks or melodies, just fast thumps of bass, rippin’ power chords, machine gun drumming and lots of SCREAMING! Think: Naked Raygun, The Exploited, Crass or Agnostic Front, who is covered on this disc; short, loud and to the point. This CD is actually two EPs combined, “Won’t Bleed Me” and “Failed Society”, put together, the whole thing clocks in at a very terse 20 minutes. (www.f-minus.com) (www.alternativetentacles.com) KM.

Red Lightning L.A. Crash Landing Happy-go-lucky, carefree, pure escapist pop music; this trio keeps it simple: guitar, bass, drums. Their debut “L.A. Crash Landing” is a laid-back, beachcombing romp of a record. To tell you the truth, at first it seemed just a tad too happy sounding, but as the CD wore on the songs got better and acquired more depth. I really dig the title track, it has a couple cool hooks, a bitchin’ guitar solo and it’s damn catchy! Also, “Sign Up”, the fourth cut, stands out (www.redlightning.com) – KM.

The 88 Over and Over What can I say about this CD? I like it. It has a splashy, lush crooning about it, it took me a couple listens to get into it. But it grows on you, the more you expose yourself to the mellow, saucy tunes the more you appreciate “Over and Over” for the music. Many times one gets to the end of a CD and feels like it’s been too long and that a few of the cuts were just filler. This is a disc that is diverse enough to stay interesting throughout its twelve tracks. It starts out on a quirky note, “Hide Another Mistake” is a brassy opener; as the disc wears on, though, its flower blooms and it gets better and better (www.the88.net) KM.

Pi Beat Mining Pi, the pseudonym of a self-styled ‘crazy chick’ put out “Beat Mining” on her own, with no label support. Kudos! Who needs those crooks anyway? Full of ephemeral pop, “Beat Mining” is a light, airy thing to provide ambience during a busy day of cleaning the house, gardening, self-mutilation or background for your bridge game. With a pleasant voice, Pi has the potential to do something. I’d say work on the songwriting and keep at it (www.thatcrazychick.com) KM.

Ray Cash Sex Appeal Now, I don’t know if all copies of this CD are edited or if I just got a radio edit, but anyone who allows his lyrics to be silenced out (instead of “fuck”, the sound is turned off for a millisecond) is a self-sacrificing moron who has no integrity. But in this case, the whole thing is so bad they should’ve just edited everything out. (www.columbiarecords.com) – KM.

Hatebeak & Caninus Bird Seeds of Vengeance/Wolfpig 7” vinyl Birds, dogs, hell, even Deicide even used a goat; the age of animal liberation is spawning a new revolution of the indecipherable lyricism for the metal world. A certain “Psittacus Erithacus”, African Grey Congo, commonly know as “Waldo” is a vocalist preened and feathered, not out of vanity, but out of necessity. Never before has a parrot seen the days of shred, until now, with Hatebeak, an East Coast grindcore trio, headed by an avian vocalist. The human and animal worlds collide on “Bird Seeds of Vengeance” with a B-side featuring “a man’s best friend” quartet of New York’s Caninus, playing homage to the politically pit bull food chain. Whether or not, a naysayer claims Hatebeak is parody, the inside joke metal word play on the band name and title (see Nile and Hatebreed), the fact of the matter is, the music is a non-stop lambaste arsenal of riffage topped by the horror howl of one beaked master, Waldo. Caninus, on the other side, is the perfect exchange of chaotic arrangements and intermittent doomish pauses serendipitously mixing in the snarls and growls of padfooted canines Budgie and Basil. The human components to the projects, obviously, are committed musicians, playing parts in other groups as well; Hatebeak members are in Triac and Caninus in Most Precious Blood. Don’t look for local pound endorsements; these lads are tried and true with pro-vegan messages, political undertones, and more importantly human cynicism. Death be proud, rejoice in animalism, the kingdoms of the omnivore unite in glorious harmony! Trust your instincts on this one. 5 of 5 stars. (reptilianrecords.com) KR

Black Halos Alive Without Control 7.5 stars Canada’s little secret is the Vancouver music machine chalk full of rock-n-roll enterprise from the punk rock heroes D.O.A. to the star struck Hot Hot Heat. Sliding somewhere in-between are the Black Halos, just as raw as any East Coast classic punkdom, yet grasping the Pacific NW vibe from the grunge days of yore. Ironically, Jack Endino, a name stay for heavy riff production for the last twenty years, including Nirvana’s Bleach, produced their latest release Alive Without Control, a post three-year hiatus effort. Vocalist Billy Hopeless says Alive Without Control is “more honest and darker and in-your-face than ever” as the band solidifies their lineup with new bassist Denyss McKnight and a ramble rousing temperament proving to rough up any naysayers. Where countless mentions, compare the Black Halos to the New York Dolls and the Dictators, it’s a tired resemblance and honestly, little hints of their music likens rather to working class pub punk like 999 and balls out West Coast rockers Rocket From the Crypt. Rose Tattoo professed that “nice boys don’t play rock-n-roll”, meanwhile the Black Halos reclaim dark sainthood for the church of glam and all that’s excessive. The album has the necessary elements for a great r’n’r experience – boozy protest lyrics and quick and dirty guitar riffs. Likewise, the whole album is ill-tempered and moody, like having moments of petulant resentment like in “Mirrorman”. The Black Halos aren’t looking for explicit definition and could care less about classification. While Alive Without Control doesn’t make leaps and bounds, but the sound is true to form and kicks it with the best of them. Sit down and stay while. [www.blackhalos.net] [www.liquorandpokermusic.com] KS