Knife in the Water / Red River / Overcoat Song titles like "Watch Your Back" and "Young Blood in the River" hint that Red River has thematic links to southern gothic murder ballads. Mostly, however, its foundations are built upon the broad plains of Americana rock. Every song occupies wide-open spaces, inviting you to sprawl alongside the narrative, passively absorbing the music as it seeps into your pores...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Usurper / Visions From the Gods / Necropolis Finely tuned, discernible riffs have always been at the forefront of Usurper's sound. Each song prides itself on introducing an almost immediately apparent and exceptionally brutal and burning riff that guides the rest of the song. From this metal methodology, Visions From the Gods compiles rare live and unreleased material that documents the band's origins and intense live shows...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Chateau Neuf / Stolen Goods / Northside As far as Norwegian songs, folk or otherwise, are concerned, I think Chateau Neuf is my first venture into this probably rich musical culture. Happily, the lyrics to Chateau Neuf's originals and covers run through similar topics to those favored by Zimbabwe's dearly missed Bhundu Boys (with love songs about blueberry pies, and tributes to female bishops), and they show a great deal of humor and passion...more»
		Echoboy / Volume 1 / Mute Richard Warren could lead a new revolution of lo-fi home-based electronic artists, tirelessly honing their craft in basements and bedrooms rather than in clubs and pubs. Volume 1 has a distinctly lived-in feeling about it, from the whirring keyboards and blip-fest of "55" to the new wave inflected drone and slack breakbeats of "Broken Hearts". Every song greets you like a long-lost friend with whom you can’t wait to get re-acquainted...more»
		The Galactic Heroes / How About San Francisco? / Magic Marker Without the sort of blistering uniqueness that makes every Jad Fair record at least somewhat worthwhile, the Galactic Heroes will probably have a tough time creating memorable songs. That's not overly apparent here, though, as these nineteen tunes, though perhaps too similar in their fast tempos and cheery tones, occasionally smack of pure pop perfection...more»
		Golden / Golden Summer / Slowdime Golden Summer's first track, "Summer", is witty in its own special sort of way. An acoustic guitar is gently strummed over a muted sample of a running sprinkler system -- you know, the sort of sprinklers that run full steam ahead on any given golden summer day. Don't let this song fool you. The next begins like it could possibly be a Sex Pistols cover -- very hard, very rocking...more»
		Minmae / Vonsachiang / Airborne Virus Referencing influences such as Flying Saucer Attack and Throbbing Gristle as well as Sonic Youth, Brooks takes listeners on a lo-fi tour of his skull. Nearly every song, taken individually, is a jewel. For instance, "Cold Candles" begins with a Mogwai-sounding guitar, buried under layers of distortion until it nearly sounds like a keyboard, accompanied by simple, nearly martial drumming. The song is barely two minutes long...more»
		Primal Scream / Xtrmntr / Astralwerks With one truly solid single, you'd expect the rest of Xtrmntr to rest on its laurels (or, as we critics like to say, "suck"). Encouragingly, it doesn't. "Kill All Hippies" is equally club-friendly, lacking only "Swastika Eyes"' Big Beat drum track. "Exterminator" punches up its militaristic rhythm with jagged guitar noodling. "Pills" gives Gillespie a chance to rap and rant -- then uses orchestral samples, thumping beats and scratches to help him pull it off...more»
		Michael J. Sheehy / Sweet Blue Gene / Beggars Banquet Although he claims that this solo debut is a retreat from rock, Sheehy is actually forging ahead into deeply personal territory. Deep and soulful, this collection alternately makes your hips writhe to a smoke-laden groove and your heart leap from your chest with sympathetic identification. With a rich baritone reminiscent of Chris Connelly, Sheehy spins feverish tales which range from the insistent pull of "Oh Sweet Jesus" to the defiant apology of "Cross"...more»
		Smog / Dongs of Sevotion / Drag City What ultimately attracts me to Smog, and to Dongs of Sevotion, is Bill Callahan's similarity to Leonard Cohen. It's not that they sound alike; admittedly, Callahan's voice occasionally sounds like Cohen's, all deep and solemn, but his music is filtered through the spartan indie-folk-rock aesthetic that has powered Palace, Songs: Ohia and others, while Cohen eschews folk for pop more often than not...more»