Another glistening foray into the emo realms. Camber is one of the more adventurous emo bands around, and this disc shows off many moods and feels. Bone-jarringly raucous, soft and tender, light and poppy, strident and terse. It's all here.

And Camber does it even while maintaining a definite band sound. Sure, the songs range all over the map, but they still stay true to some notion of a true Camber. A rough, and impressive, trick.

Even the production manages to change feels to suit the songs, though once again, there is a vaguely ragged quality that runs throughout. Sorta lo-fi, but it sharpens right up in the power pop moments. There folks know what they're doing.

Simply knocked dead solid stiff once again. It just takes a taste of Camber to get completely knocked out. I'm already there, my friends, and this disc is only further proof.

Dr Frank is, of course, the stalwart leader of the Mr T Experience. But instead of translating all these songs into the punk milieu, Frank decided to simply leave them in their original forms. All fairly basic rawk and roll, but not at all terribly punk. Particularly the songs which feature simply Frank singing over his acoustic guitar.

The lyrics some of Frank's most witty and clever. A good number of MTX songs are also well-constructed jokes, but the edge is sharper here, and significantly meaner in spots. I'm quite glad he went with his darker instincts.

The press notes intimated something of a real change in Frank's songwriting style. I don't hear that. This is the same basic pop, just not quite wrapped in an MTX package. And the one-liners are vintage Dr Frank. I mean, no one can toss off sarcastic bits of fire like he can.

A change of pace, but not a change in attitude. I kinda like this better than the last couple of MTX discs (which I loved), just for the variance in sounds. It's good to take a break sometimes. As long as you don't forget what you do best. And all that's right here.

Some of my favorite sound merchants send me a full-length disc! After an EP and a 7", I get to hear some seriously long-winded musings from these folks. For those unfamiliar, Dream Into Dust creates some stunning soundscapes, and even there's singing, the sound is very much into the dark wave. You know, the real goth stuff.

Whatever it's called these days (and that seems to be changing daily since the mess at Littleton), Dream Into Dust does it as well as anyone. The band can set a mood with either a more traditional song or full-on orchestral soundscape. A most impressive feat.

What these folks do oh-so-well is assimilate a large amount of material into tightly packaged pieces. Plenty of samples and instrumentations blended into a dark whole. With all that's going on, it's amazing that nothing sounds out of place. And nothing does.

I'm most impressed. Again. I know, I know, some of the best bands around get no attention. Dream Into Dust certainly deserves to be heard. By as many people as possible.

Imagine tight harmonies blended into tight pop, with a dusting of distortion in the guitars. A little looser than that description implies, I think. There is an inherent off-hand feel to these songs, and it is precisely that almost-indescribably feel which makes this disc so cool.

Fairmount Girls don't stick to pure pop sounds, either. "Nash" has more than a few Breeders and grunge influences (though it is still, technically, pop) and "Underwater" has a guitar line which would be right at home in a Johnny Cash song (though the rest of the song is a bit more straightforward).

See, it's not the style that makes this sound so good. Yes, these "girls" (they are female, and it is the name of the band, but I'm still a bit uncomfortable using that term; sorry) play pop as well as I've heard in a while (with some ace production), but it is the undercurrent that marks this disc as a winner.

They make this sound easy. That's the trick. And maybe it is for the Fairmount Girls, but I doubt it. This is highly-crafted, well-performed pop. Almost impossible to set down. Just gorgeous.

Kinda like if Alice Donut calmed down a bit and decided to play vaguely country music. Peter Head doesn't quite have the nasal wail down, but his voice can get rather grating nonetheless. In all, highly enjoyable.

I mean, who wouldn't enjoy a songs with choruses like "Pennsylvania fuckin' blows!" and "I'm a trucker, motherfucker!". I think you get the idea. This isn't complicated, and it's not supposed to be.

The band is able to shift gears from time to time, and that keeps the proceedings from getting truly puerile. Y'know, considering how silly all of this is, there's an unexpected level of sophistication here.

Well, kinda. To be honest, this isn't exactly subtle fare. And there's no need for that, anyway. Slice me another big slab of beef, man!

I reviewed the last Leatherface record to surface over here way back in issue #29 (early 1993). The sound here is a bit more ragged, but still the notion of catchy punk anthems prevails. Like the band never went away.

Hot Water Music is from Richmond, and you can hear it. Avail, (Young) Pioneers, it's all there. Well, not in rip-off style, but just a sort of feel. Somewhat herky-jerky in the execution, but still tuneful enough to sing along with.

The connection for me is the excessively hoarse singing style exhibited by both singers. Oh, and the bands are touring together as well. I think the idea here is to hearken back to a time when this sort of release was more common. Bring bands and people together. Something like that.

And it might even work. At least on this one, since both bands cranked out great songs. A quality set, all the way around.

This showed up in my box without any explanation at all. And trust me, some sort of guidance here is necessary. There's a guy playing cello (generally the lead instrument), another who plays bass, guitar and trombone (sometimes at the same time--overdubs, of course) and a drummer. The music is a sort of loopy take on that whole "Theme from S.W.A.T." musical groove. KnowhutImean?

I'm not sure I do. I'll try again. The stuff is sort of a weird fusion experiment, somewhere between jazz and prog (the cello gives me Kansas grooves, for unknown reasons) and the general weirdness of bands like Dirty Three and Don Caballero.

Certainly, In Zenith doesn't bother with trying to do anything other than play its own music. Period. Entrancing music, to be sure. Stuff which cannot be erased from the brain. Utterly compelling. You know the sort.

All wrapped up in a nicely lo-fi recording. Jim O'Rourke mastered, so that should give you an idea as to the sound (and the creativity within). Just more cool noodlings from Chicago (at least, that's where it was recorded), a city which just might have the most fertile scene around right now.

Not exactly what I expected. Asian Man is (in general) a punk outfit, with ska leanings. This is straightforward guitar pop, in a lackadaisical mode. What I do expect from the label (and what I got) is something pretty cool. That stands true.

The female singer (there is a guy and a gal) sounds a lot like Kim Deal, and the music lolls about, never quite kicking into gear. Just moves along nicely, unhurried, not feeling any pressure whatsoever. There is a calming effect, even as the lyrics grow more and more intense.

Occasionally, the songs do blend together. It's only natural, considering the structure of the songs. Korea Girl does one thing really well, but it's still just one thing. I would like to hear just a bit more experimentation from the band. Just a little.

But, like I said, Korea Girl does this sound really, really well. A perfect afternoon tonic for escaping from the perils of everyday life.

I think I got this from the friendly folks at Big Fish. By the time it got put in the review pile, etc., I lost all the accompanying info. Anyways, this is Japanese pop, somewhere between Dutch hardcore techno and Abba. Light as air, but just about as tasty as spun sugar.

I think this is just a promo sampler (there's six tracks, and it's not packaged like an album), but what's here is pretty cool. Now, perhaps a person in Japan who didn't know much about American pop might say the same thing about Hanson or Britney Spears, but hell.

Yes, there is excess production. This is almost syrupy. But once something gets so cheesy, it gains its own authenticity. Kinda like Abba, see?

Oh, hell, whatever. I like it, despite the rather calculated way that it is cranked out. Just some anonymous Japanese woman singing Western melodic lines over 70s-style pop. There is room for that in my life. I don't know about you.

I opened the package from Deep Elm quickly (that in itself gets my heart racing) and then I saw the Muckafurgason. Well, I simply couldn't wait to tear into this puppy.

As ever, genres and everything else get blended into a truly tasty stew. Even the title isn't quite accurate. The songs generally cover love and loss, from all sides of the sexual spectrum. With as much wit as about anyone could stand.

Muckafurgason specializes in writing wacky songs about reasonably serious subjects. That wackiness turns out to have more depth and feeling than the most heartfelt songs written head-on. You gotta be able to tweak the stuff to really get some perspective, I guess. In any case, this works.

As ever, utterly unclassifiable. Muckafurgason continues its string of wildly varied performances, and I hope that never ends. The band's strength is its diversity and wit, and straightening that out (dig the pun!) could only fuck things up.

Dark and gloomy stuff, but with acoustic guitars. So instead of getting wildly orchestrated and cranking up the intensity with volume, Mumble and Peg does it by intensifying the lyrics and music itself. And, yeah, the folks do it real well.

For the most part, this is guitar, drums, bass. Oh, and singing, of course. The stripped-down band style simply makes these songs glow. Pain, anger, loss and all the roads in-between. It is simply impossible to fully convey the sensory envelopment produced by these three guys. The emotional impact is huge.

And there is no way out. Like I noted before, other folks who do this (Nick Cave comes to mind) often ratchet up the ante with excess. Mumble and Peg operates on a whole different level, using imagery and ideas to entrance listeners. There is no let-up from song to song.

It is the sound which ultimately makes this disc unforgettable. Oh, the songs are immaculately written, and the lyrics astonishing. But the fact that Mumble and Peg refused to go over the top makes all the difference. One listen is more than enough to snare.

Ah, yes, a nice hardcore band with ska inflections. More in the Voodoo Glow Skulls school than Bosstones. Much more. MU330 deals out unrestrained, muscular riffage, colored by a couple trombones. Completely joyous, my man.

The songs scream out one after another, full amperage and high speed tilt. The disc simply blisters a path. Not as eclectically anarchic as the Blue Meanies, but they would make one hell of a double bill. I'd pay good money for that.

A very thick sound. Like I said, this in the same line as VGS. But these boys are from St. Louis, and there is the odd midwestern lick (I went to school in Missouri; I know these things) mixed in with the punk riffola. Only a couple of times, but I enjoyed the reference.

Alright, forgive the aside. Personally, I prefer my rock and roll horns to swing with feeling. They can be slow, fast, soft or loud, but they have to be expressive. MU330 does that. A wonderful touch with a nice and crunchy sound. Quite fine.

Albini at the helm, and the guitars sound great. Actually, this sounds like more of a complete job by the guru. He left Pezz with a classic buzz-punk sound, and just enough melodic content to the vocals. Chock fulla thick and juicy guitar hooks.

Coming in somewhere between, say, Pulley and Rocket from the Crypt (the Cargo days). That's not a bad thing at all. The most immediately arresting feature is the muscular riffage married to concrete vocals, but subtleties do emerge.

First, the drumming is first-rate, more frenzied and technical than yer average punk album. The bass lines don't always do what is expected, but they do satisfy. There's a lot going on behind the wall of buzz, and Albini lets it all shine through.

The more I hear, the more I like. Tight, but loose enough to sound real. A powerful punch, but properly set up. Pezz has cranked out the goods here. One of the best albums I've heard in a long time.

Always one beat ahead of itself (or something), Pinhead Circus plays the descant-laden punk style quite well (you know, when the chords go down the steps of the musical scale), but sometimes new ideas kinda make a mess of the proceedings.

The band changes gears constantly, and almost never at the same time, leading to a strange sort of transmission burp until everyone catches up to the new idea. This is fresh and exciting stuff, and apart from the transitions, Pinhead Circus does a real nice job of managing the chaos.

Certainly the blood gets going. Wow. The songs don't let up, and the whipsaw songwriting style does grow on me. Just wish the guys hit the shift lever a bit more smoothly.

Quite honestly, I'm bitching about something which isn't that big a deal. I mean, this is punk music. It's supposed to be a bit ragged, right? Well, Pinhead Circus's appeal lies in just that ragged glory, and there's no need to whine about trivial matters. Lotsa fun. Satisfied?

One small note on the liners: Onyx is a bitchin' font, but don't shrink it down to four points and expect anyone to be able to read it. Thank you. Now, this easy to characterize. Yet another attempt to cash in on the rap/metalcore bonanza. And while I don't like most of the folks who practice this sound, I like intent.

And Rhythm Trip is decent. The production is great, mixing all sorts of samples and scratches in with the doomsayer riffage. This disc sounds pretty damned good. I particular like the King's X-influenced "Goddess". These boys took care of the tuneage.

Unfortunately, the lyric content is fairly empty. Lots of boasting and ragging, but past that, well, not a whole lot going on. Hey, guys, you got a forum. Say something!

Still, it does sound pretty damned cool. And I can think of worse reasons to dig an album. Though I'm not so enamored of the sound to forgive the absence of thoughtful lyrics. That's just the way it goes.

This is electronic dance music, but certainly not rave. Trance-like vocals draped over a fairly standard set of grooves. What I do truly dig is the sax, which really colors the stuff nicely. Hey, just more musical ramblings from the fertile mind of R. Langston (Bob) Xark

The overall effect is somewhat disconcerting; at least, it is unnerving. And unlike a lot of electronic stuff, these lyrics say something. They're there for a purpose, and they're quite intriguing. Along with the sax, they lend a beat (as in the poetry) feel to the sound.

Which might begin to explain my vague discomfort. The sort of twisting of the stomach which tells me I'm listening to something truly cool. I can't explain precisely what I'm hearing or what I'm feeling, and that usually signifies something good.

So I feel quite comfortable pronouncing this cool. Highly unusual fare, and well-executed. The sort of trip I like to take as often as possible.

I have recently come into a great community of unsigned British bands, some really creative folks. This is the latest in that line. And, possibly, the best I've heard so far.

I'm a sucker for textured, edgy pop. The title of the album is brilliant, and it sets the tone. This is dark stuff, with musical and lyrical ideas piled on top of each other. They settle down nicely into well-orchestrated, angst-ridden pieces. High impact, indeed.

Okay, so this is Britpop in the extreme. But it's quite good, and not obsessively eccentric (like, say, Prolapse). There are hooks here, and they set with a vengeance. Once in, you're going nowhere. Not that you'd want to, in any case.

One of those discs best experienced in a prone position. Allow the music to wash over slowly, like an incoming time. It's utterly unavoidable, and you don't notice that you've drowned until it's way too late. Not that you'd mind, anyways.

A bit different feel than the taste I had four years ago. More of a rockabilly-surf feel injected into the punk-glam stuff I heard back then. The lead guitar, particularly, has that thick Dick Dale sound. And it simply kicks all of this stuff further ahead into the night.

The is music that doesn't look back. It's not complicated, and there's no rocket science to be found here. Simply adrenaline-pumping rawk and enough distortion to put hair on yer girlfriend's chest.

Oh, yeah, this is great stuff. Guilty pleasure, perhaps, but why apologize for liking simple music. It's pretty hard to make music like this sound great, and the Turbo A.C.'s (I'd like to speak to them about the grammatical problems with the name, but that's another story) have managed to do it once again.

Wow. No kidding. Play loud and play often. Goes down crunchy, and yer not gonna mind one bit.

The subtitle here is "An explicit odyssey into Swedish agricultural sounds". Well, I don't know either. But this Cold Meat Industry, which means extreme music, dark in all senses of the word.

And the darkness here sounds a lot like Japanese noise. You know, Merzbow, that sort of thing. Heavily distorted electronic stuff, with some strange spoken-word bits that pop in and out.

Twenty-two tracks from 22 bands on two discs. Enough pain and suffering to kill all the cats in the neighborhood. And as ever, the gorgeously-appointed liner notes.

Plenty to go around. Oh, I know, this is an acquired taste, but it makes me happy. Just the sort of thing to send my brain reeling. And we all need that from time to time.

Not unlike the Sociedad/Suciedad set, this disc explicitly tries to expose kids to the vagaries of music with Spanish lyrics. The liners are bilingual, and some of the songs are as well. The bands are from the U.S., Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

As with that earlier compilation, the strength of this set is the diversity of sounds collected. Most bands have assimilated a conglomeration of influences. Hip-hop, hardcore, salsa, reggae and plenty more. Okay, there are a couple of Brujeria tracks (Billy Gould is one of the guys behind Kool Arow), and you know what to expect there.

But see, that's the point. There's a wide a spectrum of music in Spanish-speaking circles, certainly more than yer gonna hear on Univision or Telemundo. Dig into the underground, hear what's going on. Latch on to some vital stuff. 'Cause that's what's here.

Done with a suitable sense of humor, this set more than accomplishes its goals. A wonderfully diverse set which shows off a part of our musical heritage which really ought to be in the spotlight a bit more.

Another care package from the Big Fish folks over in Japan. This sample celebrates Benten Records's second birthday. And if all this stuff is on one label...

This disc has plenty from various members of the Lunachicks (birthday wishes and other drunken ramblings) and a good amount of truly eclectic fare. Some of the names are in Japanese characters (which doesn't help me much, but I'm not complaining!), and the music ranges all over the place.

Giddy pop, odd spacey ramblings, punk and some truly unclassifiable stuff. Generally unrestrained fare, that's probably the best way to describe all of it. Goofy, raucous and wild. A weird, but happy trip.

The more recent anniversary sampler. This one has live tracks from a tour (Wild Wacky Party 97) and a live record previously released by the label. And, still, the predominant feature is a wide variety of sounds

The sound quality of the live recordings varies greatly, and the performances are similarly up-and-down. But what I liked about the first sampler, the utterly unrestrained joy of the music, is still here. These people like what they do.

And that emotion tranfers oh-so-easily. An interesting journey into the by-roads of Japanese music. Not so different from many corners of the scene of this side of the Pacific, really. It's always cool to hear how stuff translates.