Most of the original band members are dead (so sez the liners). The new lineup goes by the name Battalion of Saints A.D., and this group contributes the first two tracks (which are solid Motorhead-inspired hardcore pieces, much like the original B.O.S. sound).

The official Battalion of Saints LP and EP are included, along with some other recordings (a cover of "Ace of Spades" even). The early stuff has been nicely remastered, and it really punches out the speakers.

A nice retrospective, and notice of a new generation (though the guys should really choose another name).

Sounds a shitload like what the Bosstones did when they were on Taang! (much less produced than these days). The horns are incorporated nicely into the ska/hardcore attack, with everything flowing smoothly from the source.

Obviously not an original sound. But then, not many bands have been able to really do this well (Bim Skala Bim, Operation Ivy and the Bosstones are among the few execptions). Buck O Nine is more than passable and plenty enjoyable.

Even unnecessary covers of "Pass the Dutchie", "Wrong Em Boyo" and "Sound System" (doing OpIvy is almost like doing the Bosstones) fail to really take the shine off the disc. And anyway, it's all in fun.

Raw Brit pop-punk that combines the best of the Buzzcocks, Clash and Madness with the power production that American bands clearly adore. Yeah, the result is somewhat anthemic, but that is offset by the vaguely ska feel of many of the tunes.

Sound like a mishmash? Well, it is. I can't think of an American band that would take the musical chances Citizen Fish has, though all of the stuff is very simple. And don't go looking for a Bosstones sound; Citizen Fish uses ska much more subtly (perhaps a real command of music?).

A pop album more than anything, Millenia Madness is loopy enough to keep the frat boys nodding along while sophisticated enough to make me turn my head. Good trick, that.

Sometimes piano jazz is not an epithet (though I've used it that way, too). Steve Million may play piano, but he is wise enough to give his quintet plenty of leeway (and if you have the likes of Randy Brecker sitting in, you would too) to find just the right expression for the particular piece in question.

Million is also a member of Monk's Dream, and the Monk tune "Boo Boo's Dream" is presented on the disc. Overall, the sound is quite reminiscent of those in and around the bop scene of the 50s, with plenty of other influences as well. This is no playing-to-the-masses project.

Just plain good jazz. What a wonderfully vague statement for a truly singular album. Million and cohorts have recreated (through talent, work, production equipment and other things) the sound and feel of some of those classic recordings that I've been jamming lately (lots of Coltrane on Impulse! and Atlantic recently surfaced at the local cool record store). Anyone with an appreciation of jazz that has more going for it than an easy beat and simple melody will get off on Steve Million.

Jazz in only the loosest of terms. That doesn't mean bad, because I'm not a big fan of labeling music (though I do it every day). Rumba Club riffs through various styles of Latin music, from the popular (and cheesy) Tito Puente to more dance and folk influenced bits.

Personally, I prefer the latter. Rumba Club is smart enough to provide a real amalgam of what a live show must be like, and so the styles whoosh by almost faster than comprehension.

Plenty to pick and choose from here. While (to my ear) Latin music can get really cheesy and silly if the wrong folks get a hold of it, Rumba Club does a good job of giving a presentation of all the moods of Latin music.

One listen to that Into Another-meets-Poison Idea sound, and you know it's Sam Black Church. While this stuff is most often mentioned in metal circles, SBC is still a legitimate hardcore band. But man, that bass is heavy!

Just about what I expected from the disc. The boys crank up the speed now and again to keep things interesting, and, yes, this is a more metal outing than before. But see the note above.

Sam Black Church doesn't have the ability to really make life-changing statements about the state of the universe. But who asked 'em to? This stuff is fun and really loud. Much better enjoyed at the higher volume levels.

When the press describes a band as "Fugazi cum Husker Du", I get skeptical. But can't think of a better way to describe State of the Nation to folks who have never heard.

This is pop music with passion and a purpose. It's kinda loud, and you can hear the punk roots, but this is pure pop. And not bad at that. Perhaps a little undistinguished musically...

But the lyrics come through. SOTN is out to make plenty of points, and delivering them without preaching is pretty impressive. Dig in and get impressed.

As if the kick-ass music fairy godmother waved her wand over Chapel Hill and said, "Enough of this moody shit already," Superchunk roars back from the mellow pop of Foolish with a set of raucous anthems that is best appreciated at 11.

And there's a kinda nasty song named for the nickname of the state I reside in, too. Just a personal aside, really. The song doesn't have anything to do with Florida anyway.

Many have said it before (myself included), but it bears repeating: While Superchunk may be the greatest singles band of the past 10 years, the albums are always a little disappointing. Not because the band slogs in filler or anything mundane like that. No, Superchunk likes to try different feels and sounds from time to time, and there just isn't that bouncy beat that permeates just about every 7".

Yes, you assholes, you have to pay attention and even think instead of chanting "Slack Motherfucker" over and over again. And don't worry; there are more ravers than last time, and no song truly sucks. What more can you ask for from a Superchunk disc?

Purportedly the end of Tar, but then, that's what Killdozer said some years back. Now, I would rather have Tar around any day, so this kinda bums me out.

Over and Out continues the fine Tar tradition of awesome rhythm work and almost-tuneful vocals while sticking to the regular T&G noise universe. The songs are a little more crafted and better produced this time out (this is certainly Tar's most mature album, and the band has had a tendency to improve over time), which might lead to more mainstream acceptance even as the folks have called it quits.

Well, never say never. If this is so long, it's a hell of a send off. Easily the best Tar album of the bunch (though not quite as noisy as the early ones), Over and Out does the band proud.

The press mentions such cool bands as Tar, Steelpole Bathtub, etc. I get that feel, too, though Tub has a little more melody flying out of the vocal arena. Not to complain, of course.

The shit is not only fast, noisy and aggressive, but catchy as hell, too. A real decent trick. The lyrics are pretty much "lots of assholes are in charge of the world, and they piss me off". Um, no argument from this corner.

The cover has a shot of Newt Gingrich at a "Black journalists roundtable" from C-Span, along with other pictures of the slimy amphibian speaker, Barney, McNeil (or is it Lehrer?), a nun with a gun and others. The title speaks for itself.

Truly inspiring. Mean and vicious with choruses that just don't leave your brain. Jeez, it can't be this good (run back to turn up the volume). Um, okay, so it is.

All the way from Sicily, the Uzeda attack follows DC and Chicago hardcore noise conventions fairly closely, except that Giovanna Cacciola has a pretty weird accent for that sort of sound.

Albini produced the four tracks included (thus the name), and his guitar expertise shows. As usual, the vocals were completely ignored, but Cacciola still managed a decent job.

I'm not sure exactly how this expands the whole idea of this sound, but it is a solid effort in the genre. Love to see how this band would play in the U.S.

While now hailing from warmer climes, Taang! has long been known as THE Beantown hardcore label. Whether introducing the world to the Bosstones, Bullet LaVolta and Sam Black Church or releasing retrospectives from SSD, Battalion of Saints and others, Taang! has been the first and last word on that scene.

Eleven bands; 12 songs (Wrecking Crew has one original and covers the Battalion of Saints tune "My Mind's Diseased"). You get to hear early Only Living Witness, Sam Black Church, Eye for an Eye and much more.

Not really an essential collection, but a nice historical compilation nonetheless. And you can't argue with the tunes. If somehow you missed out on this scene when it was most fertile, this disc will give you a primer lesson.