The Tex Kerschen Satisfax, Swing This, Baby, Silent Radio, Boy Hits Car
Pathos, Mark Lanegan, Jock Jams Vol. 4, Talking to Animals

	The Tex Kerschen Satisfax / The Tex Kerschen Satisfax / TKS (CASS) Sample 30 seconds of "We Get It So It Hurts" I'd have been delighted by these two retro tech-pop songs under any circumstances, but the enclosed photo put The Tex Kerschen Satisfax over the wall, charm-wise. "We Get It So It Hurts" pairs male and female vocals with solid-state eighties electronics, while "laissez-faire" goes the instrumental route. Someone should sign them and get them to make an album this good. -- gz
	Various Artists / Swing This, Baby / Slimstyle/Beyond (CD) Sample 30 seconds of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's "Jumpin' Jack" If you listen closely to these latter-era swing songs, you can hear cash registers going "ch-ching" in the background. But really, if any sort of music had to become unexpectedly popular again, why not one where musical proficiency is actually important? On this sampler, you'll hear the best (and best known) of the neo-swing genre -- big bold arrangements with lots of horns. The urge to dance is hard to fight, though a look at the rather disturbing CD cover might help. -- qv
	Silent Radio / Swimmingly / Instant Credibility (CD) Sample 30 seconds of "There's a Place" "Catchy midwestern power pop" pretty much sums this one up. Infrequent injections of organ invite comparisons to the Chills, but the overall sound sits on a post-and-rail fence between the Husker Du yard and the Cheap Trick yard. Well, maybe Husker Du is a bit strong -- think early-eighties Cali post-punk with a frisson of Bar Band. There are also hidden tracks, including one of those "extended name check" songs the music-buying public loves. -- gz
	Boy Hits Car / My Animal / NMG (CD) Sample 30 seconds of "I'm a Cloud" Spawned in the outskirts of Los Angeles, Boy Hits Car crunch-riffs through groove-metal with roots in skate-punk backing up the attitude. You can try all you like to avoid the tunes on My Animal but you'll succumb to their hook-laden intensity regardless of where you try to hide. Kudos go to "I'm a Cloud" for it's Fu Manchuesque full throttle raaaawwwkk! -- am
	Pathos / Still Life / Youth, Inc. (CD) Sample 30 seconds of "Temptation" I want to say prog-rock or rock opera here -- from the opening strains of "Temptation", there's an air of "bigness", a distinct narrative structure and a palpable theatricality to Still Life. If you enjoyed Styx and Queen during their heyday you're probably going to love this, while listeners with a predilection for punk-rock simplicity may find Still Life somewhat overstuffed. -- gz
	Mark Lanegan / Scraps at Midnight / Sub Pop (CD) Sample 30 seconds of "Hospital Roll Call" On Scraps at Midnight, Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan offers a collection of atmospheric, "Mazzy-Star-esque" country noir songs. Folks who dig Star's "Fade Into You" or Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" will most certainly also dig Scraps . . . Keep in mind that this is Lanegan's third solo outing for Sub Pop and it clearly reinforces the fact that he is a master of his idiom -- slightly brooding "dustbowl-core". Think of Scraps... as music to mope in a truck-stop bar, drink, and mourn a lost lover by (ideally at midnight!). -- nw
	Various Artists / Jock Jams Vol. 4 / Tommy Boy (CD) Sample 30 seconds from the beginning of the disc A funny thing happened...I got wrapped up in some work for a client and wound up listening to Jock Jams Volume 4 five times in a row. And I rwound up really enjoying it. No, I haven't been brainwashed -- the usual JJ combination of high-energy hip-hop, techno and pop stuff seems particularly well chosen and well-mixed, while the annoying ESPN-isms are significantly downplayed. But I still wish Dick Vitale would get hit by a meteor, and soon. -- gz
	Talking to Animals / Manhole / Velvel (CD) Sample 30 seconds of "Breathe" The debut record from this Boston quartet was originally scheduled to come out on Columbia, but "major-label difficulties" arose (who would guess, eh?) and Velvel took the reins instead. Fronted by Juliana Nash, whose vocals are reminiscent of Johnette Napolitano's deeper utterances, Talking to Animals play a well executed alterna-rock sound that centers around engrossing lyrics and well developed instrumentations. Several tunes have obvious soul emanating from them, as Nash pours her heart out into the microphone. A little too polished for my tastes, but more than likely to be on your local radio station in no time flat, heralded by music directors all around. -- am

nw - noah wane | gz - george zahora | am - andrew magilow