Jaunty (and I mean that) pop music. The beats are midtempo, but with a bouncy attitude. The hooks are sweet, but not cloying. The sound is something akin to glorious.

Goofy, too, with a somewhat silly sense of humor. Musical humor, I mean, with chord changes that manage to bring a smile. Manipulative that way, I suppose, but loads of fun nonetheless.

Applesaucer never quite kicks into overdrive, but that doesn't seem to be an aim. The sound is full without being overpowering, and the songs retain their elemental wacky natures quite easily.

Basically, it's all in the arrangement. Applesaucer keeps the ideas simple, so that even when layered, they don't clutter the mind. Simply a pleasurable album, no more, no less.

The first of two single from this band reviewed here. The stuff is electronic, with breakbeat notions, but the construction is very much standard rock instrumental.

In fact, the title track sounds a lot like an percussion-heavy college rock piece. Well, with added keyboards. "Ush.com," the second track, does utilize a few vocals, but the focus is still the music. I like that.

Upbeat and fun. Not particularly experimental, but with a lot of nice touches which can't help but amuse. These are songs which burn themselves into the brain in short order.

This disc contains the single (with spoken work vocals) and an instrumental take). In both cases, the music takes precedence over the lyrical content, which only serves to further drive home the somewhat dreary message of the piece.

Again, not particularly inventive or exceptional, but simply enjoyable. Atomic Soul Experiences has an apparent knack for creating tasty little bites of musical abandon.

Oh, the message of the lyrics is also instructive, but not terribly deep. Nah, this is just good-time fare. And I'm happy to be along for the ride.

The accompanying press makes a big deal of the fact that David Lowery (of Cracker, etc.) produced the disc. Now, Lowery does sing and play on the album as well, which probably means he does like the band somewhat.

I'm guessing he likes the Blue Dogs a lot. This album is right up the latter-day Cracker alley, bluesy roots tunes that paint life's downs in wistful tones. Easy on the ears, to be sure, and not at all cloying.

No bite, either, but hell, nobody's perfect. Lowery's hand is sure here, simply allowing Blue Dogs to ooze nicely out of the speakers. Every moment is genuine, even if some of the color sometimes seems to be missing.

I don't have any real complaints. This is commercial roots rock, with all the nice country touches on the side. There aren't any grand statements, true, but Blue Dogs also doesn't make any missteps. Highly enjoyable.

Not unlike the Atomic Soul Experiences singles in the somwhat workmanlike electronic beats, c.t.z.n. also manages to craft a catchy little tune, overlaid with somewhat more overtly aggressive lyric content.

The song speculates on the possibilities of Japan becoming a part of the U.S. This is as much a satire on the attraction for America shared by younger Japanese as a comment on the Japanese political state.

The point made is that Japan is the 51st state, in reality, if not in title. This is presented in integrated, instrumental and vocal-only tracks. An odd way to kick out the ideas, but it works. You can dance, contemplate, or both. Why not?

Highly disjointed fare. Distorted beats overlaid with rants and screams. The DHR usual? Well, kinda, but usually the stuff comes together a bit better. Cobra Killer is crafting chaos for chaos' sake, and that only goes so far.

For example, there just isn't a coherent thought anywhere. Even from song to song, the pieces jump about without any concern for anything else on the disc. I'm not a strict constructionist (concerning the constitution, music or anything else), but this just does not compute.

It's not so much a failure of ideas as a problem with the intent. There isn't any, or at least, any common intent throughout the disc. Yeah, it's kinda interesting to hear, mostly to find out what comes next, but repeat listens do no yield increased meaning. In fact, the opposite is true.

Anarchy can be a beautiful thing. But Cobra Killer needs to infuse its work with just a bit more continuity. Enough to explain just what the hell is going on.

Where has this shit been? Spacey ambient stuff, with lots of little side trips. A few years back, I was up to my eyelashes in the stuff, and now when I hear something like this it utterly takes me by surprise. Maybe I'm hanging out with the wrong people.

The wanderings are alternately trancey or more introspective, but they certainly make a point. It is a snap to get lost within the grooves, to ride the sounds to a completely unexpected part of the mind.

I'm not big into chemical trips, That's why music like this is so welcome for me. I can let my mind take off into any number of directions, flitting and splitting off as the songs dictate. There is plenty here to discover, too. Critters Buggin doesn't skimp on the inspiration.

And so, I'm left riding the sonic waves. There's a lot worse places to be. I'm just happy wandering about. There's plenty of that here.

The title does have some bearing on the sound of the album. The guitars are acoustic, and they're not always immaculately tuned. In fact, they're often used to a jangly ukelele effect.

It works. I mean, I can't really believe it, but this sometimes utterly bizarro strumming thing really works. Vocals or no, the songs manage to convey some truly intense messages. In fact, the non-lyric-bearing songs are rather more intense.

Alright, this isn't Jim O'Rourke picking, but actually, the disorienting effect is in the same ballpark. The sometimes less-than-tuned guitars can get spooky, and certainly, the sound can get violent. Really, I mean that. There's some heavy stuff here.

It just keeps burbling out. Davis says he only releases this stuff to satisfy his need for attention. Well, the songs deserve it. This is wacked stuff, sure, but vital in its rage. Betcha never heard acoustic guitars sound so menacing.

You know the Bernard Sumner track on the latest Chemical Brothers album? dB Function sure does. The title track is nothing if not a similar updating of the New Order sound. Highly infectious and terribly sterile. In a good way.

Which makes the second song almost inexplicable. It's a basic pop song without much of a chorus or hooks in general. Just psychedelic emo guitar licks and something which sound very much like... real drums. Is this the same band?

I guess. It IS the same single. The voice does sound right both times, but everything else is different. Except, of course, that both songs are pretty fucking cool. Maybe it is the same band.

You know, it's Halloween, and what should appear in the mailbox but another Deadbolt album. Uneven sometimes, but there's always something good to be found. The stuff is simply too funny to resist.

Last album was bit heavier on the music. Good stuff. Here, the focus is back on the seriously silly lyrics. Well, if you consider death, dismemberment and demonic possession silly.

I do. And this disc is perhaps the band's most clever. The real world has been left far behind, and out here on the spooky edge, there isn't anyone who does this better. Deadbolt is Deadbolt, period. And as usual, Deadbolt does Deadbolt very well.

There comes a point when I can't say anything else about a band. I love these guys, and I listen to their albums more than I should. If you can't imagine possibilities of a spooky rockabilly band kicking out horror stories, well, too bad. I'm hitting repeat, myself.

Finding the band at something of a crossroads (the liners promise a heavier, more guitar-driven sound on the next album), this double set brings out some five covers and a new song on the first disc and the previously-released (on a limited-edition 12" and an even more limited-edition promo CD5) "Halloween Medley".

Well, the covers are silly ("Killing an Arab" and "Devil Inside" as Halloween tracks?), but the new songs are heavier, though still processed through the EHC familiar goth-industrial sheen. Actually, I like this stuff much better than just about anything I've heard from the band before. It holds together better, or perhaps more precisely, it has more of a point than the other stuff.

The rest, well, is pretty good Halloween fare, even if the "satanic" content is a bit lacking. I used the "Medley" to great effect a few years back on some little kids in Florida (they ran screaming from the door). I might use it again this year.

I've slagged these folks plenty in the past, but hell, I'll give credit where credit is due. This is a perfectly goofy enterprise, but it gives me a big-ass smile. And that's definitely a good thing.

Fono likes its pop well done with the whupass stick. These punchy tunes fairly explode, blasting hooks from here to forever. Power is the only game the Fono boys seem to like to play.

And it's a game that is in fine form. Yeah, I'd like a little more diversity in the sound and song construction, but maybe if the band strayed the songs wouldn't work so well. For a one-note band (musically, anyway), Fono manages some fine shots.

Perhaps the most solid element is the production, which has left these songs throbbing and bursting with energy. The tempo never strays much from the middle ranges, and the sound is pretty much uniformly strong, but even so I want to hear more.

Probably because this stuff is simply so well done. There's nothing tricky here, no musical sleight of hand. Just pop done the power way. Pop done extremely well.

The sound is extremely thin, even for a low-budget punk recording, but Funny Looking Kids sure has the songwriting chops. And the strangely sparse sound has a way of really focusing on that strength.

The potent mix of hardcore and ska translates into wonderfully aggressive tuneage, played out through the unusual filter. Even when the band is going absolutely nuts, everything sounds restrained.

No distortion in the sound, and the guitars and bass are mixed way low. So the vocals and the intricacies of the guitars sound out. The angry (and sometimes drop dead hilarious) lyrics come across quite well.

Sometimes it's the weird things which help to point out the good parts of an album. I like the sound, mostly because it is different, but also because it really highlights the finest qualities of the band. Well done.

The title track mixes some sort of Asian melody with generic electro beats. The second utilizes more of a classical sound for the melody, once again resorting to techno underpinnings.

The thing is, it doesn't suck. Actually, it's pretty cool. There is something of a kitchy Yanni feel to part of the second track ("A Night in Hands"), but that's amusing, not disturbing. At least to me.

I do wish the beats and bass were a bit more interesting. But they can't quite bring this down to a generic level. A close call, but this still resides in the quality pile.

I guess this prog hardcore thing is really beginning to take off. Himsa utilizes plenty of different sounds (and a technically precise, if blunt, attack) to fashion its base of pain and suffering.

Oh, yeah, this is heavy fare. Himsa flails away at a number of demons, rendering them quickly into dust under the sonic attack. An attack whose every step carries new surprises.

A welcome sound, to be sure. Himsa reminds me a lot of Glazed Baby, though with a bit more precision and a good bit more variety. The heaviness is a constant though. It's just about impossible to escape the oppression.

Not that I want to, mind you. I'm happy wallowing in the mire with the rest of the mere mortals Himsa routinely tramples underfoot. My ears haven't taken a pounding like this in a while. They'd like some more.

This would be a group, in case the "name" threw you. Justin Hale wanders about a mellow electronic hip-hop tip, bringing to mind a grungier version of De La Soul or Jungle Brothers. There's also more than a bit of the G Love goin' down as well.

The most interesting part of the experience is the music. Sure, the raps of these "New South Honkies" drop plenty of social consciousness, but it's the bluesy, folky, funky backing music which really lends the band its unique feel.

Now, with major label money and an overeager producer, these boys would probably sound like any other rap band. But a limited budget requires some experimentation, and that effort has lent this disc a highly attractive sound. The rhymes flow with ease, and the grooves simply spin back upon each other.

Band, by the way, is the proper term. The instrumentation, while sampled at times, is played by individuals. There is a drum machine, but also a drummer. Organic, and yet electronic. Fresh, and yet profound. Good and yet, well, good.

Okay, George Lynch was in Dokken. A better than mediocre band for most of its existence. Then he created the first Lynch Mob, which was a worse than mediocre band for most of its existence. And then perhaps the cruelest cut: Lynch got born again.

The interesting thing is that this version of the Lynch Mob, which adds progressive electronic elements and hip-hop grooves to the heavy metal moshing, is by far the best incarnation yet. The songs are generic (even with the improvements, the sound is a bit dated already), but at least the stuff is listenable.

Maybe some divine inspiration did strike Lynch and company. Or maybe Lynch is finally beginning to catch up to the trends. I dunno. This isn't a great album by any stretch of the imagination, but at least I got through it.

The guitar playing, strangely enough, isn't really the focus here. And Lynch certainly can wail. Apparently his message take precedence. I'm not gonna judge that. It is more subtle than most Christian rock, which, again, is a vast improvement over past excesses. I'm surprised in more than one way.

There are times when my meager musical education comes back to haunt me. So I'm going to rely on outside sources for this info. The Mallik family has been performing in India for a couple hundred years, and for the last 50 or so various members have been traveling to other countries.

The Mallik Family specializes in Dhrupad singing. There are two ragas on this disc, and each is split up into three sections. The first raga is about spring, and the second concerns marriage and merriness. The basic structure sounds like variations on a theme, starting simply and moving into more and more complex interplay.

To my untrained ear, this sounds like astonishingly skilled singing and playing. I don't have any reference points, though, so I can't say with certainty if this is average or astonishing relative to other Dhrupad singing. In any case, the vocal combinations are rather haunting, even more as they wind up within each section.

I think I'm gonna quite while I'm ahead. This does rate highly on the coolness quotient, even if I'm not entirely sure what I'm hearing.

If you remember the old Bosstones, from the way-back Taang! days, well, Mephiskaphles is a somewhat less cultured version. Ragged on the edges and in the grooves as well, the band slogs from hardcore to ska to a manic combination of the two, all cemented by concrete vocals.

Yeah, well, if it sounds like heaven you're almost right. I do wish the horns were used for more than effect (or more than to announce, "Yes, we are a ska band"). Horns should be an integral part of the songs, not just window dressing. But given the overall power of the music, well, this almost sounds like quibbling.

And damnit, I've got to stop that. For what sounds like a throwback (though I know the bands has been plying these fields for some time), this puppy is pretty much up to date. Ska has been moving away from the shiny pop realms for a couple of years, and so now it is safe once again to bludgeon while you skank.

So get your elbows in motion and prepare to get rude. This is nowhere near true ska, but it's still a big-ass load of fun. Power, drama and some horns (I'm not going there again; nope, not me). Quite the trip.

Mortiis, the onetime leader of Emperor, has ventured further and further afield into the world of electronic (well, synthesizer, if you get the distinction) music since helping to define the sound of black metal.

This is somwhat more accessible than his 1996 album on Cold Meat Industry, but mostly because the songs are shorter. The compositions themselves are as excessive and dramatic as ever. Mortiis isn't a man to subjugate his vision for the sake of clarity of mass appeal. And for that, I've got to give him credit.

Who knows? With the resurgence of gothic fare (and an Earache deal), perhaps now is the time for this master of the ethereal to make a grand splash.

Me, well, I'm not as entranced by rather overbaked music which sounds like it was recorded for a sci fi b-movie. No, I take that back. Written for the movie, but recorded for the masses. The lush sounds are impressive. I just wish they went, well, anywhere.

I know, it doesn't count for a whole lot here on the web, but this is one gorgeously appointed package. The paper disc holder has been silkscreened with what feels like tempera paint (the screens themselves were designed on a computer and retain some of the jagged edges). It looks and feels way cool.

The music, as the band name implies somehow, is in that whole emo pop thing. The strident chords and atonal singing are the key elements, though the songs also follow emo's abrupt construction style.

What really separates Moviegoer from other bands is the way it incorporates rhythm into its pieces. The rhythm guitar works wonderfully in counterpoint to the bass and drums, providing a complexity that most emo bands never bother to find.

The consistent quality of the songs also elevates these boys from the mundane. Wound up tight as a clock, but skilled enough to discharge without exploding. The sort of tunes which make an immediate impact on the psyche.

Only a perky pop band would bother to point out that the song "February" was written in April. Nillah has two regular members and a rotating cast of drummers (or so the liners say). What is solid is the tuneage.

Greg Gentry and Elisabeth Eickhoff (GG and EE? No way!) have a good knack for crafting lush hooks, and their voices work together quite well. The songs have a vague psychedelic cast to them, just enough to spread out the sound a bit. A good thing, by my account.

Deep? Hardly. This is just past bubble gum, with enough serious intent and subtext to make repeat listening bearable. The disc spins, the toes tap, the head bobs. That's pretty much the cycle.

But they do it well. As uncomplicated as it sounds, this isn't easy. Manufacturing sweet hooks isn't simple, but Nillah has that down. Can the duo keep this up? I'm not gonna worry about that. I'm just gonna bliss out for the moment.

If you ever wanted to hear songs about construction, fishing or, um, Crisco, well, here's the Renovators to help out. By the way, this is the blues. Really.

The lyrics generally have a cool sense of humor, but the music is just a bit bland. All the rough edges have been rounded off, sort of an adult contemporary version of the blues. Yeah, Robert Cray has been playing those for years, but he has a great voice and can play a good guitar. The Renovators are passable in both areas, but not blistering.

Like I said, the songs can be funny. But the music just stays too close to the safe side of the street. Too easy-going for my style.

While the Renovators are perfectly competent, there isn't any part that shines. And the fairly restrained run-throughs don't really help to pick up the excitement level. Workmanlike blues just doesn't cut it for me.

There are those who cherish Green Thoughts. I mean, light a shrine to it every day and such. Let's just say that it's one of three or four albums which presaged the current pop revival (even if by almost 10 years). The Smithereens never quite hit those heights again, but they surely didn't suck enough to be dropped.

And so, a few years after the inevitable breakup, the original lineup is back together, plying the same old fuzzy pop music. These sort of reunions generally suck, creating a vague sense of queasy deja vu. Kinda like "I know a band that sounds like that, only they don't blow." I'm not getting those vibes here.

Now, this album doesn't have the relative abandon of Green Thoughts, but it's still pretty good. Really good in spots, particularly when the boys give up on all the studio extras and get "back in the garage." Hey, we all know the guys are great technicians, but when folks crank up the Smithereens they want to be blown away. You know, in the way that the band name intimates.

A bit too safe. Maybe it's timidity, or maybe it's just rust. I dunno. This is perfectly fine, but I'm left wanting more from the guys. I know it's in there. Yeah, it's the same thing people have been saying for more than 10 years now, but we remember. Trust me, we remember.

Yer basic power pop trio, with a healthy dose of punk aggro added in. As much Jawbox (not a trio, I know) as Husker Du. Plenty of both, to be honest, all swirled up in fresh packaging.

Someday I does, of course, also owe a severe debt to ALL, particularly in the way the band percolates its songs. The notes and chords used are different, but the perky, punchy style is very similar.

It's a good way to play, I have to say. Someday I has taken pieces from some great bands and added its own twist, something of a grand vision. The tunes are somewhat anthemic at times, hinting at something truly amazing in the works.

Does it arrive? Well, it sure does on "Little Destroyer" and a number of other tracks. By the end of the journey, it becomes obvious that Someday I really knows its way around a good song. There is ample evidence on this disc.

Imagine a cross of Mountain and AC/DC. Not that hard to do, really. Steamroller combines a linear, slinging guitar style with pile-driving riffs and apocalyptic drumming. Perfect posing music.

And I mean that in the best way possible. This stuff just reeks of testosterone, and just when I think the well might be running dry, they come up with a fresh supply. Yes, it's simple and a bit cheesy. That's the point, see?

If you don't, well, that's okay. This is "guy music," no doubt about it. Steamroller isn't the most proficient practitioner, but hell, it'll do. Oh, yeah, this'll do. Don't ask for too much, and Steamroller does the trick nicely.

Kinetic pop music, kind of a somewhat relaxed version of Heavy Vegetable. The writing is just as idiosyncratic, but not quite as manic. The effect is almost as invigorating, however.

As loopy as the individual parts can get, they all feed together into this highly-oiled whole. Each song comes together like clockwork, inviting the listener into its own strange little mechanical world. And repeat scrutiny reveals some brilliance in the design.

Really, that's the key here. These songs are tightly penned and even more precisely played. That does limit the emotional feel to an extent, but 20 Minute Loop still manages to create a human sound even within the narrow constraints. Somehow, the penned-up tunes sound even more fragile due to their shackles.

Gorgeous, really. The songs bloom into brilliant flowers, spewing their pollen to the winds. I'm just a bee spreading the love here.

Thirty songs from 30 bands. Some of the bands are on Melted and many are unsigned. Oh, there are a few "names" (Squirtgun, Gotohells, Darlington, Jon Cougar Concentration Camp, etc.), but there's a good number of folks here I've never heard before.

And I'm so excited. This is the sorta stuff Melted is known for: Sugary hooks and punk riffage. Simple and to the point, not letting things like guitar solos get in the way of a good time.

I'm bouncing off the walls here. Way, way too fun to sit on my ass. I suppose there may be a track or two that's a bit weak, but the vast majority of tunes here are good, and most of those are great. This is the kind of disc that just might permanently plant a smile on your face.ood time to be had by all, that's the key. And it most certainly is.

The sort of thing I've taken to calling "jangle noise." Or, to be even more obtuse, jangly noise pop. And it's not that the Wobblies really even use that much distortion. It's just that the chords don't really match up particuarly well, and construction flaws cause the songs to break down at least once or twice.

But, see, that's not a problem here. The songs hold together well enough with their attitude and spirit. I mean, the Wobblies weren't trying to create an homage to the art of the three-minute pop song. Nope, this is music with a point and a purpose.

And that point is... I knew you were gonna ask that. Angst, I suppose, is the right answer. Not a moping, whining sort of sound, but an angry, pissed off one. Most of these songs sound like searches to find place and meaning. It's just not a meek journey by any sense of the imagination.

Pretty damned cool all the way, really. The Wobblies know how to set a mood, even if they can't completely sustain it (those darned construction problems). No matter. I think I got the message.

A blurb from John Sinclair, production from Rodney Crowell; Mike Younger certainly has some famous friends. From the first bit of the first song, I could hear why. Younger has updated the classic rural blues sound, adding in a bass, drums, organ and fiddle at times. But it's his acoustic guitar work, and more importantly his vocals, which drive this album.

He wrote all these songs, too. Much like the Wobblies album reviewed above, this is set of songs about searching. Not for a destination, but just a moment or two. A small spot of peace, that's all he's trying to find.

The most incredible element of all is the sound. Younger (and Crowell, certainly) have melded the blues, folk, country and rock into a seamless pastiche. Younger sounds like he's be at home singing in a coffeeshop or an arena. The self-possession is astonishing.

I don't buy into hype, and I try not to propagate it, but man, this is one great album. I don't know if Younger can match this effort again, but I sure hope so. In any case, this disc certainly makes him a marked man. All the attention is duly deserved.