Buzz Kuts: Blue Mountain, Crazy Town, Gomez, Peter Green Splinter Group (1999)

Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™, November 1999

BLUE MOUNTAIN
Tales of A Traveler
One of Mississippi’s better-known secrets, Blue Mountain mine a musical vein that combines a lyric-driven folk tradition with a sound that’s part roots rock and part country. Too eclectic for the hardcore alt-country audience, Blue Mountain’s work is hidden away on died-in-the-wool metal label Roadrunner, where the gentle Southern quartet share a roster with bands like Coal Chamber and Soulfly. Sadly ignored by the mainstream music press and seemingly lacking in the “hipness” factor that would ensure them constant street-level zine exposure, Blue Mountain have built an audience entirely on word of mouth. Tales of A Traveler, the band’s third Roadrunner album and their most mature work to date, should go a long way towards stimulating such discussions.
    A refreshingly honest and entertaining work, the members of Blue Mountain seem to rejoice in the sheer act of making music, and it shows. Songs such as “Comic Book Kid,” a poignant, universal tale of childhood, or the hard rocking “Room 829” are rife with imagery, skillfully written by founders Cary Hudson and Laurie Stirratt. The pop-country track “I Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight” trumps anything produced by Nashville’s Music Row this year while the swamp-rock of “My Wicked Ways” features some deliciously wicked six-string work. Produced by the band with help from ex-Georgia Satellite Dan Baird, Tales of A Traveler is one of the year’s best releases, an album of incredible intelligence and depth which utilizes a diverse musical vocabulary to drive its songs home. Blue Mountain would certainly appeal to fans of bands like Wilco or Son Volt, so what are ya’ll waiting for? Pick up on Tales of A Traveler or forever suffer in musical ignorance. Just don’t say that I didn’t tell ya so… (Roadrunner Records)

CRAZY TOWN
The Gift of Game
Unlike most rap/metal hybrids, Crazy Town features not one but two authentic rap “DJs” in Shifty Shellshock and Epic Mazur, two quite different rap stylists who nonetheless play off each other’s strengths with great effectiveness. In a genre in which everybody from Kid Rock to Limp Bizkit is trying to bring down the motherfuckin’ roof, Crazy Town actually accomplishes it with The Gift of Game. “Toxic,” the disc’s first single, is a crunchy little slice o’ white light/white heat with deceptively smooth vocals lulling the listener into a false calm before assaulting the ears with a megavolt assault of blasting guitars. Much of the rest of The Gift of Game follows the same blueprint, with impressive vocal gymnastics matched by sheer sonic overkill.
    “Darkside” offers a really wicked circular riff, electronically-altered vocals and a powerful beat to split your skull while “Hollywood Babylon,” with guest vocalist toastmaster Mad Lion, is the meanest vision of the concrete jungle since Guns ’N’ Roses’ “Welcome To The Jungle.” The Crazy Town posse teams up with KRS-One for “B-Boy 2000,” a chaotic romp through a fantasy of futuristic hip-hop. The Gift Of Game is an altogether crazed collection of rapid-fire rhymes, molten riffs and muscular rhythms, the aural equivalent of slamming your car into a brick wall at 100 mph. Note: this review of The Gift Of Game was done with an advance copy of the CD. The regular edition includes a cut titled “www.crazytown.com” that was included after the band clashed with Sony over the ownership of the Crazy Town web address. Evidently Sony refused to print the address on the CD materials, so the band added a song with the web address as the title. We haven’t heard the song but we like the stand it takes. (Columbia Records)    

GOMEZ
Liquid Skin
Unlike a lot of the current crop of Britpop wonders, who tend to look towards the ancient mod vs. rocker cultural clash for their musical inspiration, Gomez draws upon myriad of influences, both British and American. If Gomez were from, say, Albuquerque NM, they’d be lumped in with jam bands like Phish or Blues Traveler. Since they hail from across the pond, however, critics have been falling all over themselves to say how “American” the songs on Liquid Skin sound. These ears don’t recognize this material as sounding American as much as not sounding British. For their second album, Gomez has continued to create, thread by thread, the enormous tapestry of sound that they began weaving with their debut. Liquid Skin is a very textured album, a multi-layered delight that’s hard to pin down to any one style or category.
    There are immense ambient passages of great delicacy, such as the instrumental break within “Revolutionary Kind,” as well as dreamy, mesmerizing tracks like “Blue Moon Rising” or “Rosalita,” with muted instrumentation and almost whispered vocals. “Rhythm & Blues Alibi” offers passionate vocals accompanied by tasteful acoustic guitar, sounding as close to Britpop as Gomez gets; “Devil Will Ride” mixes electronically-altered vocals with a folkish instrumentation to create, perhaps, a new genre: “folktronica”! Exceeding expectations and defying classifications, Gomez have delivered a timeless work in Liquid Skin, a cohesive collection that stitches the influences of musical history and style into a seamless garment that is as comfortable as it is familiar. (Virgin Records)
      

PETER GREEN SPLINTER GROUP
Destiny Road
During his stint as one of the founding fathers of British blues, guitarist Peter Green fronted a late ‘60s Fleetwood Mac line-up that was as powerful an electric blues band as any outfit you’d find stateside. A guitarist of some skill and accuracy, Green – “Greenie” to his friends – was still blazing new musical trails and setting audiences on their ears when Fleetwood Mac’s growing fame took its toll. Damaged by the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, Green fled the band around 1970, trading in his six-string first for a religious cult and later for personal solitude. After too long a time out of the spotlight, Green has begun taking a few tentative steps back into music during the late ‘90s. Destiny Road, his recent work with the Splinter Group, is a fine indication that Green is getting his music back on solid ground.
    A wonderful collection of classic and original blues, Destiny Road showcases the talents of a more mature Peter Green. Along with fellow guitarist Nigel Watson, Green has put together in Splinter Group a dynamic blues band that performs with great subtlety and grace. Whether kicking out covers like Elmore James’ classic “Madison Blues” or new material like Green’s “Tribal Dance” (eerily reminiscent of Mac’s “Oh Well”) the band delivers the real goods. The difference between Splinter Group and early Fleetwood Mac is similar to that between a fine wine and a shot of whiskey – they’ll both knock you on your ass, the wine just takes longer. Whereas a younger Greenie would blow you away with speed and power, the older Green does so with style and assurance. It’s an impressive transformation that is illustrated by Destiny Road, the album a rock-solid indication that Peter Green has returned. (Snapper Music)

Buzz Kuts: The Bottle Rockets, Drop Zone, Filibuster, Gov't Mule, Jughead's Revenge (1999)

Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™, October 1999

THE BOTTLE ROCKETS
Brand New Year
Forever doomed, it seems, to working the cult-following fringes of the alt-country music scene, the Bottle Rockets return to the indie ranks with Brand New Year, a solid, if not spectacular set of songs. The band’s overwhelming appeal has always been in the songwriting skills of Brian Henneman and the shit-kicking country/rock hybrid that underlined the lyrics. With Brand New Year, though, Henneman hides behind a co-writer on seven cuts out of the fourteen, kicking in only three solo songs. Contrast that with the eight solo cuts he wrote for 24 Hours A Day, arguably the Bottle Rockets’ best effort, and you’ll see where Brand New Year falls off. When Henneman is collaborating with folks like ex-Georgia Satellite Dan Baird or producer Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, the results are lively, with the writers working well off each other. Other collaborative efforts sound more strained and lifeless.
    That’s not to say that there isn’t some good music to be found on Brand New Year – several cuts here will produce smoke and flames from that 5-CD changer of yours. The Baird collaboration, “Nancy Sinatra,” is as funny as it is naughty, “I’ve Been Dying” shows more attitude than any dozen punk songs you’d care to name while the anti-technology cut “Helpless” paints Henneman as a joyful luddite. The powerful “Gotta Get Up” is a minimalist anthem for every blue-collar joe whose life revolves around the forty-hour week. With cranked up amps, tortured guitars and brilliantly simple lyrics, “Gotta Get Up” effectively portrays the working-class grind. However, the flat spots on Brand New Year, especially the inane “The Bar’s On Fire,” detract from the album’s musical high points. The result is something I never thought I’d hear from the Bottle Rockets – an uneven album. Even a mediocre Bottle Rockets’ album is better than almost any other band you’ll hear, though, and Brand New Year’s best cuts still stand head-and-shoulders above 90% of the dreck you’ll find out there. (Doolittle Records)

DROP ZONE
Pint Size Punks
The idea of taking a bunch of pre-pubescent punks into the studio and cutting them loose with some noisemakers is not a new or novel concept. Hell, Old School were a third of the age of the guys in Drop Zone when they cut their pint-sized tunes a decade and a half or so ago. Unlike their artistic forbears in Old School, tho’, Drop Zone kick out their own jams, and don’t sound too bad doing so. With a refreshing lack of cynicism and the “hipper-than-thou” attitude that infects many older punk posses, Drop Zone have put together an energetic, entertaining collection of songs in Pint Size Punks.
    Whether he’s crooning about a “Punk Rock Girl,” slamming the pop charts with “The Music On the Radio Today,” or reflecting fast-food culture with “The B.K. Song,” vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Chris Murphy sounds like the prototypical punk. The band bangs and crashes their way through the fourteen fast and furious songs on Pint Size Punks, playing preciously sloppy, although no more so than a lot of more seasoned outfits. Drop Zone’s mix of hardcore punk, ska and pop roots is deceptively catchy, the songs sticking in your mind. Call it “primal punk” if you will, but Pint Size Punks an engaging album by a band old enough to rock the house but not yet jaded enough to merely mimic the bands they aspire to be. Drop Zone is an unexpected, though not entirely guilty pleasure. The Rev sez “check ‘em out!” (Skate-Key Records)

FILIBUSTER
Deadly Hi-Fi
Long Beach’s Skunk Records, aside from being the folks who first brought us the genius of Bradley Newell and Sublime, have developed a reputation as being the home of SoCal ska-punk. The release of Filibuster’s tuff Deadly Hi-Fi will only serve to reinforce Skunk’s image. A baker’s dozen of high-energy ska and reggae-tinged songs with plenty of lengthy instrumental passages, Deadly Hi-Fi only asks that you move your feet and rock to the beat. With a funky horn section that props up tunes like “Batty Rider” or “Whorse” with wailing riffs, Filibuster is ranking full-stop here with crazy cacophony and reckless rhythms. “Backstreets” is an infectious instrumental that would sound great cruising along the beach with the top down while “Rat Pack” showcases some nifty vocal gymnastics that border, at times, on the style of Jamaican rap called “toasting.” Produced with an unusually deft hand by the legendary Steve Albini, Filibuster’s Deadly Hi-Fi has soul, it has heart, and it has the chops to make you forget about the crappy nine-to-five and shake your groove thing to the island rhythms. Who could ask for anything more? (Skunk Records)
   

GOV’T MULE
LIVE...With A Little Help From Our Friends
Warren Haynes is a powerful guitarist, a strong stylist with an impressive musical vocabulary and a deep-seated love of the music he’s playing. He’s also criminally underrated, his work with both the Allman Brothers and Govt. Mule often overlooked by the mainstream music press save for a handful of guitar zines. I submit that in Haynes we’ve found a guitar hero for the new millennium, and one has no further to look than the 2-CD set LIVE…With A Little Help From Our Friends for proof. Nearly two and a half hours of music that encompasses everything from power blues to heavy metal to jazzy improvisation, this New Year’s Eve concert from last year is as good a showcase for Haynes’ talents as these ears have heard. The band’s originals, songs like “Thorazine Shuffle,” “Soulshine” or their theme song, “Mule” tend to be bluesy hard rock numbers with plenty of room for Haynes to stretch out and play.
    The bulk of this live set is made up of inspired covers, however, from the monstrous “War Pigs” to a great extended rendition of Neil Young’s “Cortez The Killer” as well as songs from Free, Dave Mason and Humble Pie. A number of talented guests showed up for the party, such as Chuck Leavell, Bernie Worrell, Derek Trucks and Randall Bramblett, whose own solo album went overlooked last year. The first disc of LIVE…With A Little Help From Our Friends presents a tight, hard-rocking band running through eight songs in a little more than an hour. The second disc hits only four tunes in its hour or so, the tunes brimming with extended jams and improvised licks. So, whether you want to rock the house or mellow out, LIVE…With A Little Help From Our Friends has something for you…and if you’re unfamiliar with the six-string skills of Warren Haynes, it will do a fine job of curing you of that ignorance as well. (Capricorn Records)

JUGHEAD’S REVENGE
Pearly Gates
Give them credit for persistence, Jughead’s Revenge having already ridden out a couple of tsunami-force waves of punk popularity with their chops intact. While dozens of bands are fleeing the punk scene, reinventing themselves as rap/metal hybrids, Jughead’s Revenge continues to crank out high-voltage, three-chord riffage. Pearly Gates, their latest, is a reasonably predictable affair, a handful of real barn-burners surrounded by some cool tho’ ultimately forgettable hardcore punk tunes. When Jughead’s Revenge hits the bull’s-eye, however, there’s no posse that can touch them. “Lolita” is a wicked look at an ex-girlfriend, “Kill Security” is a powerful populist anthem and “Rent A Cop Blues” is an insightful look at the skateboarder’s plight. Pearly Gates closes with a respectful cover of the Cars’ hit “Just What I Needed.” The guitars here are scalpel-sharp and the rhythm section plows through the material with all the subtlety of a cruise missile – in short, Pearly Gates is a pure punk album, the kind that parents hate and the moshpit kids love. Crank it up! (Nitro Records)

Buzz Kuts: The Gadjits, Guided By Voices, Iggy Pop (1999)

Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™, September 1999

THE GADJITS
Wish We Never Met
Ska punks from Kansas? Although they may hail from the great American heartland, I’d challenge any reader to a blindfold taste test. Through this speaker we have your generic SoCal ska band blastin’ out attitude-ridden tunes about teen angst and getting laid. Out of this other speaker we have, well, ska songs about teen angst and getting laid. Although the grooves they’re laying down may sound like there’s sand between the notes, the Gadjits second Hellcat album, Wish We Never Met, forges its own path through the ska punk minefield. With occasionally whip-smart lyrics punctuated by a steady ska rhythm, Wish We Never Met differentiates itself from many of its California cousins by throwing in a little musical diversity. While songs like the sex fantasy “Manuhkin” or “Angel and A Devil,” an insightful look at drug abuse, showcase an intelligent lyrical slant, the ska undertones of Wish We Never Met are colored with shades of soulful R & B and a little classic pop influence. “Cleveland, Ohio” is a great song about being on the road while the album-closing “Jenny Jones” takes the talk show hostess and her colleagues to task for fucking around with the kids. Overall, the Gadjits grow enough musically with Wish We Never Met to keep things interesting without alienating any fans. It’s a good path to take and one that many ska punk outfits have gotten lost on during the past couple of years. (Hellcat Records)

GUIDED BY VOICES
Do the Collapse
Robert Pollard and his revolving Guided By Voices line-up have long enjoyed status as critic’s darlings, but have never found the edge that would allow them to break-out beyond their significant cult following and become true rock ‘n’ roll stars. Perhaps one of the alt-rock world’s best-known and least understood talents, Pollard defies expectations exactly because nobody really knows what to expect from the man. GBV has always been a vanity project, and where Pollard differs from his contemporaries is in age, outlook, and experience. Pollard possesses an enormous musical vocabulary, one that encompasses almost forty years of rock music. That he often deconstructs his influences and recreates them as his own is one of the facets of Pollard’s peculiar and unique artistic vision.
    Although the last couple of GBV albums displayed an artistic weariness, a new label and a new album – Do the Collapse – go a long way towards providing Pollard with some commercial attention to go along with the accolades. The most-accessible GBV album yet, the songs on Do the Collapse are fully formed pieces, not mere glimpses of ideas or outlines. Do the Collapse provides the best look at Pollard’s considerable talents since the acclaimed Bee Thousand, the songs full of life and energy, filled with charming melodies and lush instrumentation. Although cuts like “Dragons Awake!,” “Hold On Hope,” or “Wrecking Now” are scattered with Pollard’s often-times oblique and highly symbolic wordplay, they also show a maturity of imagery and execution that make them among the best he’s written. The pop/rock soundtrack that underlines the words is as adventuresome as it is familiar. Produced by Ric Ocasek, another artist who knows his way around a pop song, Do the Collapse is a vital, creative work and one that’s a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. (TVT Records)    

IGGY POP
Avenue B
One of the problems of being a cultural icon is that it becomes increasingly harder to fool the marks. So much has been said of the legend that is Iggy Pop – the violent stage antics with the Stooges, his self-destructive “Idiot” era, the Bowie years, movie stardom, MTV, and his rebirth as a buffed-up, iron humping metal master – it’s really difficult to separate fact from fiction, myth from missteps. Sitting, as we are, on the edge of the 21st century, nobody in their right mind could have predicted – not even ten years ago – that Iggy would be poised to begin his fifth decade in rock ‘n’ roll. Stranger still is that with the release of Avenue B, Iggy has transformed himself into some sort of beat poet. Huh?
    That’s right – Iggy fucking Pop, the godfather of punk and founding father of heavy metal, the guy that used to roll around bare-chested on a stage littered with broken glass and flagellate himself with the mike cord – has delivered an album that owes as much to Charlie Parker and Jack Kerouac as it does to “Louie Louie” and chaos theory. Surprisingly enough, though, Avenue B works. Iggy’s baritone vox have always had a smokey room quality to them, and some of his better songs over the years have been more spoken than sung. Avenue B offers up a few no-frills rock riffs, but the main course here is a beat-infused jazzy ambience aided by the instrumental skills of Medeski, Martin and Wood. The old Iggy energy and attitude is still here, as is Pop’s penchant for highly personal and introspective lyrics. Produced by Iggy’s old Motor City pal Don Was, Avenue B presents the artist in an entirely new light, a flattering and intelligent guise for a legend not quite ready to rest on his significant laurels. (Virgin Records)

Buzz Kuts: Down By Law, Jethro Tull, The Neckbones, 22 Jacks, 'Morning Becomes Eclectic' (1999)

Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™, August 1999

DOWN BY LAW
Fly The Flag
Down By Law deserves a place in the annals of rock ‘n’ roll, if only for the pointed commentary of “Nothing Good On the Radio” from Fly the Flag. The most scathing slam at pop music and corporate broadcasting since Elvis Costello’s “Radio Radio,” Down By Law hits the nail right on the head with a 50-lb. sledge. The fact that the remainder of Fly the Flag rocks harder than your granny on dexies and grape-ade helps bolster the band’s claim to infamy. Ostensibly a punk rock outfit, Down By Law, in reality, are a good old-fashioned rock band, cranking out high amperage rockola that draws as much from roots rock aesthetics and new wave melody as it does hardcore energy and punkish attitude.
    Fly the Flag is a hard rocking effort from start to finish, with barely a break to catch your breath. Lyrically, the album runs the gamut from the aforementioned “Nothing Good On the Radio,” which takes a well-aimed and well-deserved jab at the Backstreet Boys and their ilk, and the corporate media that creates them, to the Celt-flavored “Breakout!” which sounds like the Dropkick Murphys without the whiskey. “Automatic” is a great Gary Numanish look at technology and “Revolution Compromised” decries the lack of political leadership among the youth culture. A band with a conscience, Down By Law manages to deliver politically charged songs in an energetic punk rock framework without the empty rhetoric and polemics that plague many hardcore bands. Eschewing conformity in favor of originality, fighting ignorance with intelligence and compassion, Down By Law deserve their spot on the airwaves. (Go Kart Records)

JETHRO TULL
J-Tull Dot Com
The individual members of Jethro Tull may age, but the band’s sound – thanks to frontman Ian Anderson and guitarist Martin Barre – never gets a minute older. Poised on the brink of the 21st century after three decades of plugging away at this rock ‘n’ roll game, Anderson and crew continue to crank out their own brand of unique, esoteric prog-rock that sounds as contemporary today as it did in 1970. Put aside for a moment the unfortunate fact that, in the face of electronica, hip-hop, various dance beats and bare-chested metallic funk, Tull is as unfashionable as cholera. A few spins of J-Tull Dot Com however, might convince you that there’s life in this old ghost yet.
    A solid collection of tunes that showcase Anderson’s ever-melodic flute riffs and oblique lyrics and the underrated Barre’s subtle, understated six string work, J-Tull Dot Com effortlessly blends together delicate pieces of progressive rock and Celt traditionalism with strains of classical, world music and British jazz. Jumping headfirst into the cyberage, Anderson delivers in the song “Dot Com” what may well be the first intelligent commentary on the effects of technology on romance. The glib “Black Mamba” spotlights the dangers and attractions of love while Barre’s whimsical “Hot Mango Flush” offers some clever wordplay, revealing an unknown side to this talented musician. Grand in scale and deceptively enchanting, J-Tull Dot Com may not win Jethro Tull many new fans, but it does a great job of luring back some old ones. (Fuel 2000 Records)

THE NECKBONES
The Lights Are Getting Dim
It says right here on the cover of the Neckbones’ latest album, The Lights Are Getting Dim, that the boys are a “cross between the early Rolling Stones and the Dead Boys.” After giving The Lights Are Getting Dim a listen or six, however, they seem more like the mutant offspring of an unnatural mating between Bo Diddley and Johnny Thunders. A raucous, no frills collection of gonzo rock ‘n’ roll, The Lights Are Getting Dim showcase a band that cops from every classy source they can find, from Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry to the Stones and the New York Dolls and every damn thing in-between. They throw the riffs into a blender and hit the fastest speed that they can.
    The Neckbones are young, loud and snotty and, like the Dead Boys’ best moments, seem to teeter on the razor’s edge. The vocals often veer out of control and the guitars, especially on songs like “Cardiac Suture” or “Sick Twist,” fly in the wind like a dervish’s loincloth, threatening to explode into a white-hot nova of sheer religious rock ‘n’ roll frenzy. The Lights Are Getting Dim offers fourteen frantic songs in a mere 34 minutes, averaging out at a fast-paced 2.5 per – hell, these boys ain’t the Ramones, but they recognize that brevity is the soul of rock ‘n’ roll. They crank up the amps to eleven or so, shout and snarl into the mike and kick the shit out of any songs that get in their way. As such, the Reverend has to give The Lights Are Getting Dim his highest recommendation. If this disc doesn’t chase away your blues then it’s too damn late, bunkie – you’re already dead. (Fat Possum Records)

22 JACKS
Going North
Take a guitarist from the Adolescents and a vocalist from Wax – one of the more criminally underrated bands of the 1990s – and you’ll have the core of 22 Jacks, as fine a pop/rock posse as you’re liable to find on the current musical landscape. 22 Jacks deliver the real deal with Going North. You’ll get clobbered with mondo cheap thrills from an album with so many infectious tunes that it’s the musical equivalent of Ebola. Drawing upon a host of friendly influences, from pop punk and new wave to sixties-styled garage rock, Going North offers excellent rave-ups like “Somewhere In Between,” “Without You” and “Slipping Down,” which sounds like one of those upbeat, poppy songs you’d hear in a sixties-vintage movie soundtrack. “Too Much Time” sounds like Graham Parker fronting the Jam, with great rhythm and Joe Sibs’ likeable vocals, tasteful horns lending a half-dozen Stax sides worth of soul to the song. Guitarist Steve Soto keeps things rocking with some impressive six-string work while luscious harmonies and musical hooks big enough to hang your coat and hat on are the norm with Going North. With this album, 22 Jacks achieve the sort of flawless pop/rock fusion that better known pretenders like the Goo Goo Dolls or the Gin Blossoms can only aspire to. A disc that will grow on you with every spin, Going North will have you scouring your local green grocer’s shelves for the band’s earlier work. I can think of no higher praise than that. (Side1 Dummy Records)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Morning Becomes Eclectic
The acclaimed Morning Becomes Eclectic program, which airs on public radio station KCRW-FM in Santa Monica, California has earned a deserved reputation for musical diversity. Showcasing lesser known, though by no means lesser talents in the areas of pop, rock, folk, jazz and world music, the program is an adventuresome kaleidoscope of musical flavors. Evidently the station has been compiling some of the best performances from these broadcasts onto CD for some time, but this is the first collection to be released on a widespread basis. Morning Becomes Eclectic, the album, lives up to its advance billing, offering the unsuspecting listener a wide variety of musical styles – something to suit every taste, I’d dare say.
    Featuring exclusive on-air performances taken from the KCRW archives, Morning Becomes Eclectic throws the spotlight on artists like progressive folk legend John Martyn, alterno-faves Cake and P.J. Harvey, ska stylists the Freestylers, and acclaimed singer/songwriter Beth Orton, among others. The album is rife with exquisite moments, from Air’s atmospheric melodies on “All I Need” and Mercury Rev’s hauntingly beautiful “Opus 40” to the wistfully romantic “Kiss Me” from Nashville’s own Sixpence None The Richer. The album-closing version of “Que Sera Sera” from Pink Martini is simply incredible, an accurately morose treatment of the song that sound like something straight out of a David Lynch movie. Altogether Morning Becomes Eclectic offers up 17 cuts from a like number of artists and none will disappoint the true music lover. Let’s hope that there’s more where this came from. (Mammoth Records)

Buzz Kuts: All, Fastball, The Specials & The Suicide Machines (1998)

Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™, March 1998

ALL
Mass Nerder
One of the most enduring of punk icons, the All/Descendants conundrum is a lot like tag-team wrestling. For those of you having problems figuring out the players without a scorecard, look at it this way: All is the Descendants with Chad Price singing, while the Descendants are All with Milo Aukerman singing. Still confused? Okay, take the basic team of guitarist Stephen Egerton, bassist Karl Alvarez, and drummer Bill Stevenson. These guys hold the “World Heavyweight Punk Rock Tag Team Championship.” For hardcore death matches they tag in vocalist Milo and appear in the ring as the Descendants. For those nasty Colorado chainsaw cage matches they bring along singer Chad and kick ass as All. Still can’t figure it out? No matter…just run out and buy a copy of All’s Mass Nerder, a real shit-kickin’ collection of punk tunes guaranteed to blister the covering on your speakers and singe the hair on your ears. Delivering non-stop, no-frills punk rock with slightly more of an edge than the Descendants (probably due to the presence of Chad Price, a more guttural and less pop-inflected vocalist than Milo), All are punk legends and deservedly so. Mass Nerder is a dynamite album, perfect for parties or just bouncing off the walls. The Reverend sez “check it out!” (Epitaph Records)  

FASTBALL
All The Pain Money Can Buy
Slide All The Pain Money Can Buy into your box and you’ll find a whole lotta pop come flyin’ back at you. A thoroughly engaging debut from this Georgia-based trio, Fastball fills All The Pain Money Can Buy with Beatlesque harmonies, a little Elvis Costello-like wordplay, the restless soul of Alex Chilton, and the ghosts of a dozen long-forgotten pop maestros from Buddy Holly to Don Dixon. The first single, “The Way” is an interesting and enjoyable slice of pop exotica, slightly-hollow vocals matched with Spanish inflected guitar. The rest of All The Pain Money Can Buy matches up to the opening track, every song full of wistful vocals, clever lyrics, charming melodies and infectious energy. “Better Than It Was”, “G.O.D. (Good Old Days)”, and “Sweetwater, Texas” stand out as radio-ready hits, but there’s really nothing terrible or disarming to be found here…just intelligent, good-natured pop/rock with figurative mile-wide grin and enough joyful abandon to fuel half-a-dozen bands. In Fastball the notoriously feeble A & R Department of Hollywood Records has found a keeper. (Hollywood Records)

THE SPECIALS
Guilty ‘Til Proved Innocent!
As any first-year college student can tell you, history tends to repeat itself, chasing its scaly tail in an eternal cycle. If there’s any justice in the cosmos at all, then the Specials will get to reap some of the multi-Platinum™ booty they so richly deserve. Sure, the band had a few moderate hits in the early ‘80s, but it seems that their time is coming around again, and if a washed-out, second-rate echo of a band like No Doubt can grab the brass ring, why not the Specials? One of the more important of the British two-tone bands, the Specials were, and are the literal and figurative godfathers of modern ska. As shown by Guilty ‘Til Proved Innocent!, the band’s latest musical triumph, there’s a lot of life left in these guys yet. With more honesty and sincerity than any so-called “underground band,” the Specials knock out an invigorating set of songs, incorporating pop, rock, punk, and even country (check out “Tears In My Beer”!) elements into their trademark ska rave-up. Hell, these guys are having so much fun with Guilty ‘Til Proved Innocent! that they end up running a couple of songs past the fifteen listed on the cover. After almost twenty years, the Specials sound as fresh and vital today as they did when I first heard them. I can think of no greater testament than that… (Way Cool / MCA Records)

THE SUICIDE MACHINES
Battle Hymns
Detroit’s Suicide Machines (formerly Jack Kevorkian & the Suicide Machines) may not be one of the better-known ska-punk outfits slam-dancing and stage-diving across America, but they may well be the most earnest. These guys blow-out the competition with nasty, wicked, razor-sharp guitar riffs, A-bomb rhythms, and more than a little full-stop ranking. Battle Hymns, their second major/minor label effort overflows with the sort of manic frenzy that the Machines show on-stage. From the ringing opening chords of “Someone” to the final orgasmic notes of “Jah”, the Suicide Machines deliver on their promise, kicking out twenty-two fast n’ furious ska-punk tunes chock-full of metallic fervor and relentless energy. Battle Hymns is hairy-knuckle hardcore rock for guys and gals with the balls to enjoy it. (Hollywood Records)

Buzz Kuts: Big Meteor, The Pietasters, John Popper, Marky Ramone & the Intruders, The RZA (1999)

Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™, August 1999

BIG METEOR
Wild River
Canada’s Big Meteor – the duo of David Wimble and Larry Wayne Church – deliver an engaging set of country-flavored folk-rock tunes with Wild River. Featuring Wimble’s songwriting skills and understated vocals and some tasty lead guitar from Church, Wild River’s thirteen songs delve into the various facets of interpersonal relationships. Although Wimble’s lyrics can, at times, be a bit oblique, in other instances he can be as transparent as glass. With sparse accompaniment, songs like “Honest Man” or “Mission” reveal Wimble’s philosophical side while “The Waitress” uses simple lyrics to create a beautiful, complex portrait of love and desire, the song underlined by Danny Artuso’s fluid steel guitar lines. The otherwise subdued “Alive In Every Hour” nonetheless offers some mesmerizing six string playing; “Until You Take Your Leave” is one of Wimble’s better songs, a radio-friendly pop country ballad. Wild River suffers from thin production, probably due to Big Meteor’s budget, the resulting loss of dynamics underplaying the charisma of the songs. With fuller production, a bit more vocal projection on Wimble’s part and a little fatter instrumentation, Big Meteor could be a serious contender. As it is, Wild River shows a great deal of promise, Big Meteor a band with a bright future. (Big Meteor, self-produced CD)

THE PIETASTERS
Awesome Mix Tape #6
A lot of the current crop of ska bands take their cue from the previous generation of island music aficionados, who were themselves mere carbon copies of an earlier generation. I’m not saying that you have to go all the way back to mid-‘60s Jamaica to cop the proper influences, but like an original that fades with each photocopied duplicate, so too do a lot of today’s trend-following ska-mongers sound like pale imitations of the real thing. Not so with the Pietasters, who have obviously studied the old masters and sound as refreshing and energetic today as those old Maytals’ records once did. Due to this musical diligence, Awesome Mix Tape #6 comes across as a vital and enjoyable addition to the recent ska-punk explosion. Songs like “Chain Reaction” or “Crying Over You”, with their low-key dynamics, sparse use of the brass section and soulful vocals come mighty close to duplicating the original island sound. Much of Awesome Mix Tape #6 is like this, a thoroughly enjoyable blending of ska, reggae and R & B with just a touch of punk posturing. While some bands try to make up with volume and attitude what they lack in style and finesse (not that there’s anything wrong with that), the Pietasters bring an authentic feel and obvious love for the music to Awesome Mix Tape #6. Bringing just enough contemporary feel to the material to make it fly in the nineties, the Pietasters do so without sacrificing the sincerity and heart that made original ska so charming in the first place. (Hellcat Records)

JOHN POPPER
Zygote
With Blues Traveler taking a well-deserved year off, shrugging aside their responsibility as the H.O.R.D.E. Festival house band for a season, frontman John Popper nonetheless found the need to make some music. The result is Zygote, Popper’s first solo effort, and one that may come as a surprise for many longtime Blues Traveler fans. With Zygote Popper begins a process that sees him expanding upon his work with Blues Traveler, traveling, as it were, across some different musical landscapes. The album opens with “Miserable Bastard”, a lengthy, funky number that, save for Popper’s trademark mouth harp work, comes across as closer to Dave Matthews than Blues Traveler. It sets the stage for what is to follow – an hour-long work that deviates from our expectations. Popper experiments with sounds and song structure on Zygote, sometimes diving right off into the deep end – as with “Lunatic” – into a sort of jazzy free-form improvisation that blues-based jam bands can only flirt with. Other material, like the haunting “Evil In My Chair”, are based more on Popper’s vocal abilities than his harp playing – heck, he even plays a little guitar on Zygote. That’s not to say that Blues Traveler fans won’t find something of interest here. I see a handful of tunes from Zygote, notably “Growing In Dirt” and the soulfully bittersweet “Love For Free” that would work in the band setting. Zygote is an altogether brave venture, familiar enough as to not alienate existing fans but allowing Popper room to breathe, artistically. A solid musician and songwriter with deep roots and frequent flashes of brilliance, Popper’s first solo attempt garners an A grade for conception and a B for execution. (A & M Records)

MARKY RAMONE & THE INTRUDERS
The Answer To Your Problems
As a member of proto-metal hard rockers Dust, Marky Ramone (née Bell) had a musical career prior to his becoming the skinman for the legendary punk foursome. From the sound of The Answer To Your Problems, he’s trying to forge an identity outside his former life as a Ramone as well (although he’s not too proud to capitalize on the name, eh Marky?). Produced by Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen, The Answer To Your Problems offers a take-no-prisoners punk outlook similar to that band’s, with a bit of straight-forward hard rock bombast thrown in for flavor. Brimming with attitude and energy, the songs here – mostly written by Ramone and Intruders’ guitarist/vocalist Ben Trokan – are surprisingly good, showcasing a slightly skewed sense of humor like the Ramones’ best material, but without the sometimes grating pinhead intelligence level. “Peekhole” is a pretty damn funny sidelong look at paranoia, “Life Sucks” could easily become a punk anthem, and Trokan’s duet with punk goddess Joan Jett, “Don’t Blame Me,” is a precious throwaway. Ramone and the Intruders stomp out an unlikely cover of the Beatles’ “Nowhere Man” that will have you humming the tune for days while cuts like “Lottery” and “Middle Finger” are as mentally infectious as flesh-eating bacteria. Overall, The Answer To Your Problems is a hell of a lot of fun, a rocking album with tongue placed firmly in cheek and amps turned up way past ten. The Rev sez “check it out!” (Zoe Records/Rounder Records)

THE RZA
Hits
Much like Public Enemy did a decade ago; the Wu-Tang Clan redefined hip-hop culture during the 1990s, propelling rap towards a headfirst collision with the twenty-first century. Made up of nine distinct personalities, backed by an innovative, world-class producer in the RZA, Wu-Tang changed rap music forever. Bringing the music to an ever-growing crossover audience, Wu-Tang’s debut album hit hard with a unique blend of mad rhymes, crazy beats, sonic experimentation and an unparalleled mix of style (especially Hong Kong kung-fu flicks), street imagery and imaginative use of graphic and musical icons. (What fan isn’t familiar with the Wu-Tang logo?) Not to take anything away from the rappers who front this hip-hop posse, but props should be afforded production wizard RZA. Showcasing the best of his work with both Wu-Tang and the Clan’s individual solo efforts, Hits brings the RZA’s talents into sharper focus. Including milestones like Wu-Tang’s “Protect Ya Neck” and “C.R.E.A.M.” along with solo tracks like Method Man’s “Bring The Pain”, Ghostface Killah’s “Winter Warz”, and others from Raekwon, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and the GZA (“Genius”), Hits draws heavily from the producer’s early milieu, ignoring more recent (and less acclaimed) works. Although dedicated Wu fans will already have all or most of this material – there’s nothing new here, although Hits does include “Wu Wear, The Garment Renaissance” from the High School High soundtrack. For those who remain in the dark, though, Hits serves as an excellent introduction to the wild world of the Wu-Tang. (Razor Sharp Records/Epic)

Buzz Kuts: Black Label Society, The Katies, Portable, Sons of Hercules & "Punk-O-Rama 4" (1999)

Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™, August 1999

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
Sonic Brew
Wunderkind guitarist Zakk Wylde may have earned his rep while apprenticing with Ozzy in the shadow of Randy Rhodes, but his chops are entirely his own. Sonic Brew, Wylde’s Black Label Society debut, opens with a trembling riff that sounds like the mighty fist of one pissed off thunder god, Wylde’s throaty vocals roaring above the din of “Bored To Tears” while he tears off bloody chunks of highly-amped hard rock riffage. Most of the rest of Sonic Brew follows the same pattern – solid heavy metal instrumentation backing Wylde’s awesome six-string pyrotechnics, the guitarist hitting both monstrous bottom-heavy rhythms and surgical-sharp, lightning quick fretboard runs. Wylde’s lyrics, preoccupied with death, drugs, and debauchery, are mostly lightweight and somewhat cliched, but nobody listens to a musician of Wylde’s caliber to pore over the lyric sheet. This is no-frills molten slag for listeners who like to hear the sound of guitars crashing about inside their skulls, two-fisted rock ‘n’ roll for those who like it loud and rough. If that sounds like your kind of musical libation, I’d highly recommend a shot or two of Black Label Society’s Sonic Brew. (Spitfire Records)

THE KATIES
The Katies
Hailing from the unlikely rock capital of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the Katies manage to deliver big city thrills with their self-titled debut. Expertly blending heavy metal riffs, pop harmonies, and wonderfully choreographed hard rock hooks, the Katies have created an uniquely enjoyable set of songs. They manage to keep the voltage cranked up, providing their material with boundless amounts of energy while never overpowering the underlying melodies of songs like “She’s My Marijuana” or “Tappin’ Out”. There’s a lot of good work going on in these grooves. I hear British invasion type harmonies here, some 1970s-styled six string work, a fair amount of “wall of sound” dynamics, lots of well-placed feedback and a whole lot of rock ‘n’ roll attitude. Most importantly, the Katies are never predictable – they fill their songs with careening chords and time changes, screaming leads, syncopated rhythms and vocal gymnastics that a lesser band wouldn’t even attempt, much less pull off the way this talented threesome have. If “Modern Rock” radio had any balls, they’d be programming half a dozen cuts from The Katies, but I’d heartily recommend the infectious “Drowner”, the guitar-driven “Miss Melodrama”, and the disc’s first single, “Noggin’ Poundin’”, with its powerful rhythms and clever lyrical twists. The Katies draw from a musical tradition that includes the Beatles, the Who, the Kinks, Led Zeppelin, punk rock, heavy metal, grunge, and a thousand and one unknown and unforgotten bands. They are nonetheless an entirely original outfit, their debut disc a strange but tasty fruit plucked from the abundant tree of rock ‘n’ roll. (Spongebath / Elektra Records)

PORTABLE
Secret Life
Portable’s first full-length disc features much of the same traits as the self-titled EP released earlier this year, reprising five of the seven songs from that disc and adding seven more to make an even dozen for Secret Life. Crashing guitars and bludgeoning rhythms are the secret to Portable’s sound, frontman Chance providing the songs with a unique vocal presence. Chance’s vocals range from bouncy Brit-pop inflections to the best Seattle-inspired grunge-like howls, sometimes within the same tune. Guitarist Gus Ciceri keeps things lively, his six string contributions as unpredictable and wide-ranging as Chance’s vocals. The rest of the band does its best to help create an atmospheric sound that’s akin to swimming through a pool of sludge, songs like “Silence Please”, “Restraint”, or “Boy-Girl” the barbed wire and broken glass that lie beneath the surface. Portable’s musical milieu is at once both familiar and foreign, Secret Life presenting contemporary hard rock with heart. (TVT Records)

SONS OF HERCULES
Get Lost
With their early recordings genuflecting towards the graven musical image of punk godfather Iggy Pop, the Sons of Hercules sonic attack was definitely influenced by the Stooges’ groundbreaking sound. With Get Lost, the Sons have honed their two-fisted rock ‘n’ roll to a sharp cutting edge, treading the same stylistic ground that the New York Dolls planted their freak flag on some twenty-five years ago. Also like the Dolls, the Sons of Hercules have a great vocalist in Frank Pugliese, a snarling, spitting frontman who can bend and slur and screech lyrics with the best of them. Combined with the pummeling guitars of Dan Hoekstra and Dale Hollon and a solid rhythm section of drummer Kory Cook and bassist Phillip Plyler, the Sons of Hercules kick out fast and furious garage punk that begs to be turned up loud! Get Lost runs through a baker’s dozen tunes in a respectable thirty-two minutes, twisting your skull and delighting your ears. The Sons are no mere revisionists, however. They know and love the music they draw their influences from, building upon the past to update the sound for a new generation. Get Lost is simply brimming over with great tunes, rave-ups like “Don’t Wanna Be Like You”, “Some Kind of Freak”, and a completely reckless cover of the Byrds’ “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” that evokes the original while improving upon it. Check out the Sons of Hercules – if you don’t Get Lost, you’re going to miss the party… (Get Hip Recordings)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Punk-O-Rama 4: Straight Outta The Pit
For those of you among our reading audience who think that punk rock began and ended with Green Day or Blink 182, there’s some folks in Southern California who would disagree with you. For the better part of two decades now, the gang at Epitaph has cranked out ‘Grade A’ certified punk rock in every flavor that you can imagine. Founded by former Bad Religion member Brett Gurewitz to release that band’s albums, Epitaph has grown into the closest thing that the punk world could call a major label. As for the label’s accomplishments, look no further than the recently released Punk-O-Rama 4: Straight Outta The Pit, a twenty-five-song compilation of talent from Epitaph and its related label Hellcat. The fourth in a series of low-priced samplers (I copped mine for $4.99!), Punk-O-Rama 4 does a great job of introducing listeners to the label’s bands. No matter what style of punk you prefer, this disc has got it all. Looking for hardcore, bunkie? Check out the cuts by H2O, Agnostic Front, or the Dwarves. Want some socially conscious lyrics? Look no further than Pennywise, Rancid, or the vintage Bad Religion cut included here. Pop punk – how ‘bout NoFX, Pulley, or All? Epitaph has even branched out into more artistic areas lately, as evidenced by their recent release of the first Tom Waits album in years, represented on Punk-O-Rama 4 by the excellent “Big In Japan”. Union 13, the New Bomb Turks, Voodoo Glow Skulls…the list goes on and on. Twenty-five bands, a like number of cuts including a previously unreleased Pennywise tune, all for a crazy cheap price, offered in the hope that you’ll find something new here that you like and put out for the full-length CD. Whether you’re a hardcore punk or a weekend mosher, you owe it to yourself to grab a copy of Punk-O-Rama 4: Straight Outta The Pit. (Epitaph Records)

Buzz Kuts: ADZ, Nick Gravenites, Bif Naked, Napalm Death, Pennywise & Verbena (1999)

Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™, July 1999

ADZ
His Master’s Choice
They may not be as well known as pop punk outfits like Green Day or Offspring, and you’ll probably never see them on MTV, but ADZ certainly do get around. Hewing closer to the true spirit of punk rock than any other half a dozen bands you could name, ADZ mix hardcore roots with a healthy respect for good old-fashioned, no frills rock ‘n’ roll. His Master’s Choice is a musical mixed bag of tracks culled from various international compilation discs, ADZ singles and demos and the odd live recording. Due to the variety of sources, the sound quality fluctuates a bit, but not enough to make a difference in the enjoyment level of the collection – just turn the sucker up! Musically, ADZ simply rock, from the album-opening band theme song to a rumbling version of the Jonathan Richman favorite “Roadrunner” to original cuts like the wickedly delightful “Get Bent” or the manic, electric “Tetsuo”. Johnny Cash’s country classic “Jackson” receives a raucous rendering while Little Richard and the Kinks also experience similar treatments. It’s this familiarity and obvious love for music other than hardcore punk that sets ADZ above other bands in their genre – when ADZ thrashes a song, at least they know what the hell they’re doing. The Rev sez “check it out!” (Amsterdamned Records)

NICK GRAVENITES & ANIMAL MIND
Kill My Brain
By any accounts, Nick Gravenites owns one of the most impressive resumes in rock and blues music. A founding member of the legendary Butterfield Blues Band, he wrote several of their more notable songs, including “Born In Chicago.” Gravenites has enjoyed a thirty-year career as a songwriter, guitarist and producer, appearing on some 45 albums as a musician. He’s had songs recorded by folks like Janis Joplin, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Howlin’ Wolf and produced artists like James Cotton and Mike Bloomfield. So you’re asking yourself, “how come I haven’t heard of this guy if he’s such a genius, eh?” You can cure your ignorance by digging up a copy of Kill My Brain, the first CD in a proverbial month o’ Sundays by Gravenites and his long-time band Animal Mind.
    Released by the small San Francisco indie 2 Burn 1 Records, which usually specializes in some pretty esoteric reggae titles, Kill My Brain is the perfect introduction to this talented and underrated artist. Featuring Gravenites’ trademark electric blues and guitar-driven rock, Kill My Brain is a wonderful collection of songs with enough heart to appeal to your intellect and enough muscle to blow your ears out. Although the title song is a bit of a clinker, with pretty garish backing vocals, the remainder of the disc holds up magnificently. “Didn’t You Used To be Somebody” opens with a somber organ riff and choral accompaniment, leading into a poignant tale of Gravenites’ career and the death of Janis Joplin. “Get Together” presents the classic rock chestnut in a different, bluesier light while “Your Heart’s In the Wrong Place” is a lively, uptempo blues number complete with horns and Gravenites’ soulful vocals. Closing the album with a bang, “I’m Gone” is the sort of high-energy Chicago rave-up that Gravenites used to perform with Paul Butterfield and gang back in the day.
    Assisted by his backing band, Animal Mind, which includes Pete Sears of Hot Tuna and the Blues Project’s Roy Blumenfeld, Kill My Brain also offers guest shots from Sammy Hagar and Huey Lewis. A fine example of what can be done with rock music in a blues context, I’d much rather listen to somebody like Nick Gravenites, who continues to bring new perspective to an old art form, than an Eric Clapton, who coasts on past accomplishments. If you’d like to find out what all of the fuss is about, check out Kill My Brain and discover why Nick Gravenites is one of rock music’s “most valuable players.” (2 Burn 1 Records)

BIF NAKED
I Bificus
Beneath the body mod, gen-x sex appeal and punkish attitude, Bif Naked is, in her heart, a classic rock vocalist in the manner of a Pat Benatar or Ann Wilson. I Bificus, Naked’s debut disc, is full of soaring vocals, rugged musical hooks, and big beat dynamics that are at once both quaintly charming and breathtakingly exhilarating. Naked is a hell of a vocalist, capable of running in a few seconds from a kittenish growl to a full-blown shout within the same song. I Bificus shows some of the signs of the “debut jitters,” small missteps and minor flaws that slightly tarnish an otherwise very solid work, but the album also showcases some pretty nifty flourishes, as well. “Twitch” starts with a riff straight out of the Dave Davies songbook before tilting into a slightly skewed tale of a very strange relationship while “Spaceman” is a passionate plea for extraterrestrial intervention. The album-opener “I Died” offers some clever wordplay among its vivid imagery while “Moment of Weakness,” with its engaging chorus, has “hit single” written all over it.  In the end, however, it is Naked’s wonderful voice and the overwhelming personality that she brings to the material that propels these songs to great heights. Everything else is just icing on the cake… (Atlantic Records)

NAPALM DEATH
Bootlegged In Japan
Grindcore noise merchants Napalm Death simply refuse to go quietly into that good night. The typical critic’s worst nightmare, Napalm Death is virtually ignored in the various encyclopedias and guidebooks to rock music, snubbed by all but the hardcore metal press. Nonetheless, they’ve carried the torch for extreme metal for going on two decades now, their influence easily found in bands ranging from Pantera and Metallica to Korn and Limp Bizkit. Bootlegged In Japan came about when the band received an anonymously taped performance from their 1996 tour of Japan. Feeling that it pretty well represented what the band was about, they decided to officially release the show on CD. I can see why such a decision was made – in a live setting the band is able to fan the flames of their sonic overkill from the studio smolder to a raging inferno. This is exactly the case with Bootlegged In Japan, a four-alarm fire of a performance, capturing Napalm Death in all of their sheer molten metal glory. With enough tortured, guttural vocals, jackhammer guitars and skull-splitting rhythm to satisfy even the most hardcore metalhead, Napalm Death’s Bootlegged In Japan is musically akin to washing your face with steel wool and bathing with barbed wire and broken glass. This is two-fisted music for rockers who like it hard and fast – if you ain’t got the balls, pal, don’t go near the stereo… (Earache Records)

PENNYWISE
Straight Ahead
One of the more popular bands on the Epitaph roster, Pennywise mix old-school punk with a bit of raw hardcore speed and more than a few taut, metallic riffs. Straight Ahead is fairly formulaic, the band slapping together some heavy rockin’ rhythms and tough guitar licks with which to punctuate their socially conscious lyrics. Straight Ahead offers its share of lyrical cliches, but beneath the bluster lies some important content, Pennywise having more in common with former bandmates Bad Religion than with, say, popular punk outfits like NoFX or the Offspring. For Pennywise, the message and the music are one in the same, songs like the anarchistic “My Own Country”, the social commentary of “American Dream”, or the insightful title cut preaching a philosophy of self-empowerment, freedom of choice and individualism. In these times, when every aspect of being young is under assault, the cultural Cassandra’s dismiss the aggressiveness and language of punks like Pennywise as part of the problem. They’re dead wrong, however – Straight Ahead, with its themes of alienation and anxiety, hope and frustration, is part of the solution, a thought-provoking touchstone for youth in search of identity, adrift in a sea of mass-produced, homogenized corporate waste matter. They may not be blazing any new trails, but Pennywise, with Straight Ahead, makes the best use of the familiar paths. (Epitaph Records)

VERBENA
Into the Pink
The pundits – this one included – have declared grunge and the much-vaunted “Seattle scene” to be a dead fish. Obviously, somebody forgot to tell Verbena, whose debut Into the Pink rocks with a sonic abandon unheard of since the first shouts out of Pearl Jam or Nirvana almost a decade ago. To cop something another band told me a decade or so ago, Verbena “make a lot of noise for three people.” Into the Pink is filled with small triumphs, musical mischief like “Baby Got Shot” with a hypnotic, recurring riff, “Pretty Please” with its pretty vocals and rhythmic cadence, “Monkey, I’m Your Man” with its menace and its glare or the chainsaw hardcore attitude of “Depression Is Fashion.” Produced by Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, who certainly knows a thing or two about dirty ambience, Into the Pink may well be the last gasp of grunge. But rather than a dying whimper, Verbena deliver a full-blown, defiant and powerful rage against the light. They may go down with the ship, but they’re going down swinging. (Capitol Records)

Buzz Kuts: Blink 182, Alejandro Escovedo, Gordon, Mike Ness & "No Boundaries" (1999)

Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™, June 1999

BLINK 182
Enema of the State
There are those who say that punk is dead, crushed beneath the contradictions of the genre’s underground status and its commercial aspirations. Then there are others who say that punk’s still alive, bubbling beneath the mainstream while it gets back to its “roots.” Although I don’t know which side of this discussion to come down in favor of, I suspect that punk’s more alive than dead. The thousands of kids who lined up to shell out their hard-earned coin for a copy of Blink 182’s Enema of the State during its first week of release, placing the disc in the Billboard “Top Ten,” might agree with me. Blink 182 are unabashed punks, Enema of the State delivering its thrills in the form of punky power pop cranked out in a vein similar to Green Day or Offspring. The by-product of hundreds of shows in front of crowds of various thrashers, skate punks and hardcore wannabes, Blink 182 has honed their sound to a surgical edge. Songs like “Aliens Exist,” “What’s My Age Again?” or “Anthem” cut to the bone, showcasing more teen angst and sexual frustration than you can shake a stick at. Enema Of The State doesn’t break any new ground, nor will it be mistaken for any great work of art. It rocks, though, and sometimes that’s enough… (MCA Records)

ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
Bourbonitis Blues
Through his 1980s work with Rank & File and the True Believers, Alejandro Escovedo has become a sort of “spiritual godfather” to the whole alternative, “no depression” insurgent country movement. To be honest, though, his solo work has always seemed to me to be closer to the sort of left-handed, wrong-side-of-the-tracks, introspective rock ‘n’ roll as practiced by Tom Waits. Passionate, troubled, insightful, and highly personal, Escovedo’s best material will always leave you ducking for emotional cover. Bourbonitis Blues does nothing to shake this illusion. A fine collection of songs, Escovedo’s musical and lyrical milieu as showcased by Bourbonitis Blues is nevertheless a somber, sobering artwork. That’s not to say that Escovedo is incapable of creating great beauty – “Irene Wilde” is a wonderfully moving and bittersweet tune, while “California Blues” is a spry tale of life on the road. Escovedo blends elements of roots rock and country with folkish lyrics and a little blues around the edges to create a heady musical elixer that is as authentic as it is sincere. A singular, visionary work, Bourbonitis Blues probably isn’t for everybody. But if you like a musical challenge that is full of life, intelligence and nuance, then you owe it to yourself to discover Alejandro Escovedo. (Bloodshot Records)

GORDON
Gordon
Britpop never really grabbed the imagination of American listeners on the same level as it did in the homeland. Of all the genre’s practitioners, only Oasis managed to crack the tough nut that is the U.S. market while also-rans like Blur, Pulp, Dodgy, and others have to be content with cult followings and a modicum of stateside critical acclaim. Although the music – itself inspired by 1960s “mod” acts like the Kinks or the Who – never caught on in the same way as, say, the Backstreet Boys, that isn’t to say that it wasn’t influential. Witness Gordon, who hail from Southern California and sound like as earnest a bunch of anglophiles as you’re likely to hear, with self-titled debut sounds more British than many of the Queen’s subjects. Gordon, the album, is a charming and lively collection of pop/rock tunes that offer witty lyrics, catchy hooks and, well, just a refreshing lack of either pop pretensions or rock ‘n’ roll gloom. There are several radio-ready cuts here that would make great listening on a summer’s day, songs like the hilariously-optimistic “Could Be Worse” or the thoroughly engaging “Fortified Grapes”. Producer Brendan O’Brien adds his usual deft touch to the material, creating an open atmosphere for the band’s lush arrangements and delicious harmonies. Perhaps the best British band to ever come out of the United States, Gordon is worth checking out. (FiftySeven Records/Sony 550 Music)

MIKE NESS
Cheating At Solitaire
As frontman for Social Distortion, one of the more revered punk outfits to ever crash a stage, Mike Ness garnered a reputation as a fierce six-string player and no-nonsense performer. With an image that was equal parts snarling punk and surly tattooed greaser, Ness brought a fair degree of attitude and charisma to the role. Even a band as respected as Social D has its limitations, however, which is why Ness has stepped out into a new role as solo performer with Cheating At Solitaire. Bringing to the forefront some of the artistic influences that had crept into Social D’s latter day material, Ness has expanded his musical vocabulary to include influences as diverse as Hank Williams and Bob Dylan.

Ness gives up none of the energy or passion that he’s known for, however, Cheating At Solitaire nonetheless making a good effort of stepping away from Social Distortion’s legacy with songs like the western-flavored “Rest of Our Lives” or the bluesy “No Man’s Friend”. Ness is a brilliantly visual songwriter – that is, he paints his lyrics with vivid imagery and phrasing in telling his tales of crime and debauchery, hope and betrayal, love and loss. Although showing a degree of uncertainty, covers like Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice” or the classic “Long Black Veil” are still played with no small amount of respect and empathy for the material. There are even a number of guest appearances here, including nods by Bruce Springsteen, Brian Setzer and Billy Zoom. As a first solo effort, Cheating At Solitaire does not disappoint, calling on Mike Ness’ punk roots even as it strikes out into uncharted musical territory. It’s a strong first step that will leave the listener waiting eagerly for the next Ness album. (Time Bomb Recordings)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
No Boundaries
A recent poll showed that only about 25% of the American people followed the war in Kosovo on a regular basis. Although I won’t get into the ramifications of this tragic indifference towards what is a travesty of American foreign policy, I will say that I’m glad that there’s some folks among that small percentage who actually care about the toll being paid by the average person in the former Yugoslavia. No Boundaries is a benefit compilation created by some of those people who do care, musicians who have donated their time and artistic efforts to try and make a difference. Proceeds from the disc go to organizations like CARE, Oxfam America, and Doctors Without Borders that are providing humanitarian relief in Kosovo. It doesn’t hurt that the cause that there’s a lot of powerful music here, either. Pearl Jam open and close the disc, Eddie Vedder lending his unique vocals and rock star presence to an unlikely pair of covers: the sixties chestnut “Last Kiss” and Nashvillian Buzz Cason’s vintage “Soldier of Love.” Vedder and PJ pull off the effort, bringing a resonance and passion to the popish material that seemed beyond the band’s ability. There’s other good stuff here, too, including cuts from Rage Against The Machine, Tori Amos, Indigo Girls, KORN, and Black Sabbath, among others. For the collector in all of us there’s a number of previously unreleased tracks and obscurities on No Boundaries, including inspired live performances from Neil Young, Alanis Morissette and Sarah McLachlan. No Boundaries is a solid musical compilation and an important fund-raising effort, showing the power of rock ‘n’ roll to change lives. (Epic Records)

Buzz Kuts: AFI, Tommy Bolin & The Polkaholics (1999)

Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™, May 1999

AFI
Black Sails In The Sunset
“Thinking man’s punk” is the only way, perhaps, to describe AFI. The band’s latest CD release, Black Sails In the Sunset, takes the listener on an intellectual journey that is not only unique among punk bands but downright odd, as well. Treading lyrical ground that is closer to Goth or death-metal bands – death obsessions, violent imagery, tribal ritualism – the foursome pound out songs like “Malleus Maleficarum” or “No Poetic Device” with a fury and power that many hard rock bands would find difficult to match. Lead vocalist Davey Havok can shout it out above the din and thunder with the best of them, writing lyrics every bit as oblique and multi-layered as any artist who’s studied at the feet of the master Dylan. Deciphering the poetic undercurrent is part of the fun, however, and one song – the brilliant “Narrative of Soul Against Soul” – speaks directly to the problem of teen suicide with a message that is as honest as it is positive. While some may blame rock music for the problems of society, I prefer to think that, for many, rock ‘n’ roll provides some of the answers they’re searching for. AFI’s Black Sails In the Sunset is a good example of this principle. (Nitro Records)

TOMMY BOLIN
Live From Ebbets Field
The guitar prowess of the late Tommy Bolin has been described in greater length in other forums that this, but suffice it to say that Bolin was one hell of an axeman, easily as far ahead of his time as, say, Stevie Ray Vaughan was ahead of his. Utilized as a utility player by outfits such as the James Gang and Deep Purple, it was with his mid-seventies solo work that Bolin cemented his reputation and created a following that remains loyal today. Live From Ebbets Field is a document of the best of two live Bolin performances from Denver in June 1974. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first full-length live disc for Bolin outside of bootlegs, and it lives up to his lofty reputation. A smoking set of hard rock and electric blues material, Live From Ebbets Field is a fine showcase for Bolin’s distinctive and fiery six-string work and a great introduction for the uninitiated. Mixing original material with appropriate covers like Willie Dixon’s blues classic “Born Under A Bad Sign”, which rolls into an energetic instrumental version of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine”. The band just sits back and lets Bolin shine, the guitarist ripping off red hot riffs like lightning bolts from the hand of Thor. Released by Zebra Records under the guidance of the Tommy Bolin Archive, Live From Ebbets Field is a fitting remembrance of one of rock’s great musicians. (Zebra Records/Tommy Bolin Archives)

THE POLKAHOLICS
The Polkaholics
Polka has garnered an undeserved bad rap that has only been partially redeemed by celebrity supporters like Drew Carey or Weird Al Yankovic (who’s been known to polka pretty wildly himself at times!). Now along come the Polkaholics to try and turn polka into a true media phenomena. Hailing from Chicago – deep in the heart of the Midwestern “Polka Belt” – the Polkaholics mix punk ethics and energy with good old-fashioned beer guzzling, sausage scarfin’ polka tradition. Although this schtick has been done before, I can’t remember when it’s been done so well. The Polkaholics’ self-produced debut disc provides three-quarters of an hour of wild polka fun, the trio blazing through a baker’s dozen tunes like “To All the Polka Fans” which begins with a spirited, Ramones-inspired “hey ho let’s go!” I don’t know what a “kishka” is but “Who Stole the Kishka?” is a bit of rollicking fun while the country standard “In Heaven There Is No Beer” manages to retain its twang in spite of its rave-up polka arrangement. Lest we forget, there’s also the “Beer Barrel Polka,” the “Fanny Shake Polka” and the hilarious “40 Years Of Shots And Beers.” Forget your inhibitions for a while and go wild with the Polkaholics! Tell the boys that the Rev sent ya… (The Polkaholics, self-produced)

Buzz Kuts: Angry Samoans, Choking Victim, Full, Len, Speak No Evil, Stretch Arm Strong & "THis Is Solid stATe Vol. One" (1999)

Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™, May 1999

ANGRY SAMOANS
The 90s Suck & So Do You
Metal Mike Saunders is back with another Angry Samoans album, a too-brief eight-song collection of fast ‘n’ furious punk tuneage guaranteed to rock the paint off your walls and destroy your brain cells even while making you mosh in your parent’s living room. Metal Mike’s songs have always had a certain innocence of attitude about them, even when he’s being nasty – think of your typical Adam Sandler movie and you’re in the right ballpark. The 90s Suck & So Do You offers up some unpolished gems among its songs, like the love affair described by “Suzy’s A Loser”, the romantic fantasy world of “In and Out of Love”, or the hilarious commentary of “Letter From Uncle Sam”. Although there’s nothing here that’ll change the alignment of the stars, and Saunders may never be mistaken for a literary giant, Metal Mike nevertheless has the right outlook and attitude to spare. The 90s Suck & So Do You is a pleasant enough diversion, and sometimes that’s exactly enough. (Triple X Records)

CHOKING VICTIM
No Gods / No Managers
There’s a great punk zine called Profane Existence that has as its slogan “making punk a threat again.” That’s the first thing that came to mind when listening to Choking Victim’s No Gods/No Managers. Following a lean, mean hardcore punk ethic with just a little Clash-inspired ska thrown in for good measure, Choking Victim offers up an anarchistic view of the world. Although tracks like “Fuck America” or the hilarious “Five-Finger Discount” won’t garner much airplay, they have won over this cranky old anti-authoritarian fart. If you want no-frills punk with a bloody cutting edge that is as threatening as it is entertaining, then No Gods/No Managers is for you. If you’d rather not be challenged, musically or intellectually, climb back beneath the sheets. (Hellcat Records)

FULL
Hotdogwater Cocktail
You can’t find fault with a group of unabashed punkers like Full for trying to breath new life into a crappy old song like America’s “Sister Golden Hair”. The way that they play it, fast and loud without a shred of wistful singer/songwriter melancholy, you’d never be able to tell that it was once a sickening FM radio staple. Although they attack America’s hit song with tongues placed firmly in cheek, the rest of Hotdogwater Cocktail is no joke. A fine indie effort, Full rolls their way through a rock solid set of guitar-driven punk tunes. Aside from the aforementioned cover, other highlights of Hotdogwater Cocktail include the funny, taunting “Music Critics”, the soulful “Please Forgive Me”, and “Pepsled”, with its odd syncopation. Not too serious, not too goofy, the trio Full strikes a fair punk rock balance with the imaginatively named Hotdogwater Cocktail. (Acme Entertainment)

LEN
You Can’t Stop The Bum Rush!
Proving that you don’t necessarily have to live in the hood to cop a deep groove, Canada’s Len shine bright and funky with You Can’t Stop The Bum Rush! Mixing old-school rhymes with contemporary hip-hop rhythms, pop culture influences and electronic manipulations, Len have cranked out a solid set of songs. The Len crew – The Burger Pimp, his sister Sharon, D. Rock, Planet Pea, DJ Moves, and Drunkness Monster – mix it up here, sliding from techno-grooves with digital vocals to straight-forward pop/rock numbers with ease. Guest stars include Biz Markie, Kurtis Blow, and C.C. DeVille of the Poison Clan, making You Can’t Stop The Bum Rush! a real old-school reunion. Primarily mixed by the Dust Brothers’ John King, Len’s debut is an impressive slice of sheer funkadelic mind candy. (Work/Epic Records)

SPEAK NO EVIL
Speak No Evil
In case none of you noticed, there’s a new hard rock/heavy metal revolution brewing here in the states. Although the first wave is made up of a bunch of hip-hopping hard rock wankers like Limp Bizkit or the deftones, the second wave is beginning to crest with a return to stronger, more traditional heavy metal thunder. Speak No Evil are one of the bands that will be surfing that second wave, their self-titled debut album kicking out the jams with a relish. Vocalist Curtis Skelton possesses a classic metal-slinger’s wail, capable of out-shouting highly-amped guitars even while caressing a lyric for all it’s worth. Drawing heavy on influences that include Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Metallica, Speak No Evil nonetheless forge their own distinctive identity with this monster debut. (Universal Records)

STRETCH ARM STRONG
Rituals of Life
With a sound that is heavily reminiscent of early Metallica, Stretch Arm Strong thrash and burn their way through a truly heavy set of songs on Rituals of Life. The twin guitar attack of axemen David Sease and Scott Dempsey underline singer Chris McLane’s powerful vocals. Although the band brings a certain spiritual and intellectual fervor to their lyrics, the strongest moment on Rituals of Life is “To A Friend”, a heartfelt tribute to a friend paralyzed in an auto accident. It’s here that their true talents and emotions shine through, making for some potent rock ‘n’ roll indeed. (Solid State Records)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
THis Is Solid stATe Vol. One
Much like Tooth & Nail Records has created a cottage industry out of producing Christian rock records that span a stylistic range from alt-rock to heavy metal, fellow Seattle label Solid State Records is developing their reputation as the home of the heaviest of the heavy. This sixteen-track sampler is a fair indicator of Solid State’s musical philosophy: you won’t find a wimpy band or song among the label’s artists represented here. From the muscular bass-heavy heavy metal of Living Sacrifice and the thinking-man’s rock of Stretch Arm Strong to the “take no prisoners” techno-thrash of Warlord or the sonic overkill of Training For Utopia, THis Is Solid stATe Vol. One is the sort of album that will drive your parents to distraction. Although many of the bands bring a Christian or otherwise spiritual perspective to their songs, it never gets in the way of bringing down the roof. Offering previously unreleased cuts by Living Sacrifice, Stretch Arm Strong, Embodyment, and Warlord, THis Is Solid stATe Vol. One presents hard rock with brains and balls. (Solid State Records)