Bisi has produced bands that pretty much cover the sonic spectrum, and he tries valiantly to bring every last one of those influences into every one of his recordings.

This leads to a real jambalaya of sounds, from down 'n' dirty sloppy punk to funk to Mexican folk to whatever else popped into his head at the time.

While crowd sounds permeate the four songs on this disc, I'm not terribly sure this is a live EP. Bisi is a damned good craftsman in the studio, and there is no mention anywhere of where this might have been recorded live.

Minor complaint. Bisi and regular collaborator Sandra Seymour rip through a nasty rendition of "Suzie Q", and then he and Las Cochinas (look that one up) pound through three tunes that alternate English and Spanish lyrics (not to mention sound styles) seamlessly. A typical effort, excellent as usual.

Bisi's music has never been for the faint of heart, and this disc continues that tradition. If you want something coherent, buy the new live Pink Floyd. Get out of my face.

It's not just that Tony Martin is a pretty dull singer. This is a really dull song. Iommi has been mining the Black Sabbath moniker for over a quarter of a century now, and I think he's about out of cool riffs.

Not an auspicious lead track for the album, though I liked parts of the last disc well enough (songs that were not singles). I'd like to be hopeful, but I'm not.

A stylish package, astonishing production and sound. I assume the only reason no label has picked up on this is that the vocal constructions within (what instrumentation exists is way in the background) seem too "out there" for mass consumption.

But fans of folks like Dead Can Dance and that sort of vocal ambience will dig into Eyelight with a vengeance. Yeah, I suppose this is "out there", but Eyelight's ethereal spookiness has captivated me. A wild ride, indeed.

Their first album had the unfortunate condition of being released on C/Z at about the same time as new albums from Dick Dale and Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. Even had the album been an equal of those discs (and it fell just short, in my estimation), the market had a ton of instrumental pop lying around.

With "Miserlu" being played on about every station in the country (thanks to Pulp Fiction), there is a much bigger market for this sort of thing. And Huevos Rancheros have come back with a much better release.

Wondrously aggressive while retaining a cool surf pop feel, Huevos Rancheros (you haven't had that dish if you haven't been to the Frontier in Albuquerque) sounds much more confident and in synch. I wish the boys would crank up the sound and speed a little more than they do (and lose some of the Ventures references), but this is a fine upgrade from Endsville. Mint scores again.

This sounds like Green Day of Lookout days (less metallic and not so inclined to write anthems). Let me rephrase that. I thought this was old Green Day the first time I heard it. Even the wavering harmonies and love-weenie lyrics are dead on.

Just too much of a trendy sound for me to ride hard. The flip, "Dumbfounded", is a little more original sounding, but Danny (the singer) is going to have to alter his vocal style a lot to lose the comparisons.

Two nice pop tunes that would have been nice additions to early Green Day albums. But I think Jill should try and find its own arena.

The most distinctive sound on this tape is the smarmy keyboard sound that's right out of 60's lounge music. A nice jazzy feel from the rhythm section keeps the music jerking and jumping, and then the band really gets weird.

Alternately smoothly mellow and harshly strident, Leather Hyman prefers not to stake out a mood as much as an attitude. I guess this lies somewhere in the pop universe, but certainly one of the more creative corners. It takes some work to comprehend, but Leather Hyman is a fine elixir.

While not quite as good as the self-released album Bastards!, Motörhead cranks out eleven more bass-in-your-face rock tracks here.

Lemmy has had about 20 years to hone the process, and I think he's learned a few things. First, he can't sing, so keep the tracks short and fast. Keep the guitar licks lean and vicious, and always lead with your bass. As usual, this formula works.

Nothing new from Motörhead, as could be expected. The songs are catchy enough, some more forgettable than others, but all in all a solid effort. Perhaps the ultimate "Turn it to 11" band, Motörhead slogs through with another good effort.

As in D.H. from DK, though eschewing the drums for guitar now. Mostly extremely fast hardcore, with an oddly pop rendition of "King of the Road" thrown in for no apparent reason.

The tracks average about two minutes per, and I really couldn't handle much more. Even when Peligro comes up with an interesting musical idea (like on the metallic "Hellations from Hell"), the lyrics so retarded I try to laugh. But can't.

I wasn't expecting much, but this is definitely worse than that. Perhaps I can dig this as a joke, but I really don't think it is one.

The first Kiwi grunge band to cross my desk. And they sound like a lot of U.S. bands trying to cash in on the whole trend.

To be fair, Shihad finds a really gripping guitar sound that fills the head, but the really dull anthemic grunge song construction (these boys have listened to way too much Alice in Chains) starts to grate immediately.

Perhaps the best pure grunge disc I've heard this year, but I've only heard a couple others, and they really sucked. I'm glad most folks around here are over the stuff. Noise usually has been a trend-setting label, and it bums me out to see them sign and release something so far behind the times.

The performances are adequate, but I'm tired of the sound. Nothing moves forward here, it's just plowed into the ground. Sorry about the rhyme.

Hardcore rap beats from the late 80s, distortion from the industrial revolution, lyrics pure punk. SMP is in your face and louder than hell. The guys even throw in a deconstructed Ice-T cover.

In other words, angry white boy heaven. And since that description fits me, I'm quite happy to go along with the program. I know I haven't ever heard anything quite like this (the beat molestation alone would rate this album top notch), and I'm not sure many other would want to sound like SMP. But I'm glad I have this disc.

It may take a couple moments to really tap into what SMP is doing, but the sonic explosion in your mind will be well worth the effort.

Formerly known as Puke Weasel (a band that released three quite nice demos from 1992-1994), this outfit hailing from the middle of Kansas sounds much more like a big time hard rock outfit.

Combining classic heavy metal conventions with the more grating industrial style popular with bands such as Helmet and Pantera, Spine has crafted a cool sound for itself. But is this ahead of or behind the curve?

I don't know. The playing is superb and Spine seems expert at trying new things out while sticking to the basic formula. In other words, this band is ripe for plucking. If I had the cash (and a label, perhaps)...

But I've said that before. This stuff is right down my alley, and the guys crank out the tunes with a cheerful fury that would make about anyone blanch. Someone with serious bucks should take notice.

Swirly pop music with alto female vocals. This is not an uncommon sound these days, in case you hadn't noticed.

But Urchins tries like Hell to break from the pack. The songs are alternately sweet and punchy, with some odd lyrical bents. Certainly worth an afternoon of listening.

Urchins needs a little more work and time to really define its own sound, but the foundation has been laid with songs like "The Man With the Golden Tongue", "Tru Luv" and a wondrously mutant cover of "I Woke Up In Love". I think this band sounds more convincing in its darker and heavier moments, and there are plenty of those here.

A compendium of mostly dark pop, with some quite strange stuff mixed in. The sound quality is mixed (as can be expected), but there are some fine moments. The two New Waver tracks are awesome (they play "instrumentals with people talking"; the first is a radio transcript of a St. Kilda-Essendon AFL match, and the second is an odd psychological paper on how people die).

Those in the mood for something aggressive should check out the Scroungers. Other cool bands include Undecisive God and Wank Engine. A lot of cool experimental stuff going on here.

The coolest thing about this band is the newsletter, which has weird stories about the comings and goings of various band members and reminisces of gigs long past. I recommend it highly.

Musically, Visible Shivers is one of those bands that wants to play original music, but has succumbed the economic realities of most bars, which want cover bands. So these songs have not had the live reworkings necessary to really hone in the hooks.

The sound is college pop, with all that encompasses. A little lighter than, say, Superchunk, but a little heavier (but just as accessible as) R.E.M. Definitely a southeastern sound, with the occasional folky influence. Enjoyable, but undistinguished.

I think these guys should really spend some time developing these and other original songs, and try and get by just that way. It's hard and it sucks, but to really move to the next level (and make truly satisfying music) it's probably necessary.

Chicago's own Daniel Johnston. Willis has recorded something like 400 songs and released (on his own) 20 albums over the past three songs. His regular job is street artist, and he's been diagnosed as a chronic schizophrenic. So, of course, he's a remarkable artist.

His odd, Biz Markie-like vocals are backed by a cheap keyboard most of the time. The lyrics are often based on personal observations or news stories, often without much embellishment from name, date and place.

Much like Johnston, the music seems completely stupid at first (and even after a while). But a few listens help provide a portrait of a schizophrenic. Songs like "Outburst" really bring the point home.

A odd collection of songs that require some explaining, but who said music should be easy?

Blinker the Star
Blinker the Star advance cassette
(Treat and Release)

North-of-the-border pop-punk, with a little more distortion and swirly guitar than usual, almos to a Mercury Rev sound at times. Gives BTS a nice bit of individuality. Smashing songs, smashing sound. Dig this up at all costs.