Turn-On, Tune In, Lookout! Various Artists Lookout!, 2003 DVD $14.98 Available at Amazon.

Don't be so quick to judge a DVD by its cover. And don't forget, this is Lookout! we're talking about, a label that's never known to skimp on musical quality. Packed onto this DVD is an impressive assortment of videos from some of the imprint's finest representatives. Presumably borrowing its title from Timothy Leary's Turn on, Tune in, Drop Out essay collection, the original 1998 VHS Turn-On Tune-in Lookout release eschewed LSD trips for Bay Area punk. The DVD reissue includes several tracks from that old-school tape, along with some intriguing extras.

For long-time Lookout! followers, videos from Pretty Girls Make Graves, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and The Pattern exemplify some of the label's best new talent. Ted Leo's "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone" is filmed in menacing black and white, adding a haunting element to Leo's peppery voice. It's a wonderful blend of catchy Big Star melodies and mid-career Replacements grit. If you haven't heard Ted Leo before, this tune is sure to make you want to hear more (and his other stuff is just as good!). Pretty Girls Make Graves' arty "Speakers Push the Air" adds an appealing visual element to an already stellar tune. It's slickly done, with plenty of rushed imagery of the band in photo booths and a doctor's waiting room. It's interesting visual stimulation, and a great opener for the DVD.

Polished post-production jazzes up The Pattern's "Fragile Awareness". Bluesy guitar combines with peculiar posturing for a passionate delivery. In "Nothing of Value", the band lounges around the pool and performs a punk rock water ballet to the retro-Brit-pop beats and overdriven guitar.

It wouldn't be right if Lookout! didn't pay homage to its notable roster of bands that helped to establish the nineties' punk scene Glorious videos by The Smugglers and Servotron left me with sweet memories as I reached for my old albums and fumbled around for old SXSW photos of each band. Ignored and underappreciated by the masses, the quirky and clever Smugglers are at their finest on "Especially You". The Canadian pop punkers dance around a Las Vegas-style stage, delivering the musical goods. Lookout!'s first (and only) robot-only band, Servotron, wanders through an undisclosed human city, enticing its inhabitants with the infectious "People Mover". Servotron may be left to rust in an anonymous metal salvage yard now, but its awesome musical power remains intact.

Before they were making beer commercials and appearing on all the late night talk shows, The Donnas were Lookout!'s wonder-gals. "Do You Wanna Hit It?", "Skintight" and "40 Boys in 40 Nights" are all here, smacking of The Donnas' cynical attitude and over-the-top grrl-rock. Time-warp back to band's early teenage years on "Skintight", as the band hunts down a bratty chick's hottie boyfriend. The animated "Do You Wanna Hit It?" stays in touch with the band's goofy vibe, while "40 Boys" is the girls' answer to hard up male groupies.

Old-school Lookout! leaves its mark with videos by The Mr. T Experience, The Queers and Squirtgun. Not only do the tunes rock, but the videos are quite amusing. Squirtgun's "Mary Ann" reveals the band's obsession with a particular Gilligan's Island character, while MTX squeaks out its punk-meets-surf without a hitch.

San Fran's openly gay punkers Pansy Division will send shivers up your spine with dancing stuffed animals on "Bad Boyfriend". The one-take video is so horribly low budget that you can see the hands bouncing the plethora of stuffed bears, rabbits, turtles and green aliens on a pillow. The video may suck, but it's quite comical, and the songwriting turns it into a fun pop sing-a-long. The band fares better on "I Really Wanted You", with sexual innuendos (including the blatant shots of a mustard-covered hot dog) and bathing-suit clad guys eyeing one another.

But wait, you want more? What about the DVD's fabulous "Bonus Material" section? There's plenty of good stuff to view, including a campy homemade Lookout! promo video and the original VHS tape's introduction, narrated by Nardwuar the Human Serviette. It's an alternative revue of Berkeley, California and Lookout!'s various facilities. Nardwuar's high-pitched, whiny voice is sure to drive you nuts, too.

If you like The Smugglers, the thirty minute plus Japanese tour documentary is worth the DVD's purchase alone. Filmed on a shaky home video cam, the piece shows The Smugglers razing several Japanese towns with hyperactive stage shows and plenty of cultural coverage. The Smuggs enjoy fine Japanese cuisine (at Denny's), learn about Japanese dancing and examine toilet oddities. If you never saw a Smugglers show, here's a great way to jump into the middle of it all. Extra footage showcasing The Queers and Supersnazz is the bonus to the bonus material.

There's not much to complain about here, but if you're wondering where the videos are for such Lookout! stalwarts as Screeching Weasel, Green Day and The Groovie Ghoulies, I'm afraid you'll have to track down the original VHS. Anyone at Lookout! ready to hunker down and whip out another DVD?

-- Andrew Magilow