The Corn Sisters / The Other Women / Mint They're not really blood relatives, these Corn Sisters. One of 'em is Carolyn Mark, best known for her work with the Room-mates. The other is Neko Case, who has been enjoying more and more attention since her second solo album, Furnace Room Lullabye, came out a year ago. And they don't really sound all that much like the Indigo Girls. While Case and Mark still perform their singin' gal act when their busy schedules converge, The Other Women is vintage stuff...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Fiel Garvie / !Vuka Vuka! / Noise Box Spooky, atmospheric, slightly grungy, slightly unhinged pop music with a no-bullshit girl singer from the UK. And what more could you ask for in a band, really? Catchy songs? Check. Sexy voice? Check. Bad attitude? Check. Cover art featuring a woman's hand holding a lit candle with wax dripping down her arm and a skeevy looking guy with no shirt, spiky hair, shiny pants and a tongue ring, licking the candle flame? Check...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Stephen Malkmus / Self-Titled / Matador This first post-Pavement full-length sees the Indie God growing "older" with grace and crafting enjoyable, interesting songs while he's at it. It's no secret that Pavement was getting to a point where they were pulling the wool over everyone's eyes, including their own. Instead of releasing consistently compelling albums like Slanted and Enchanted and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, they were padding later albums with grating jams, trying too hard to sound cool...more» FEATURED ON THE BOOMBOX!
		Barcelona / ZeRo-oNe-INFINITY / March We've all known -- or been -- these kids: they're more comfortable around computers and electronics than people (see "Electronic Company"), and as "Robot Trouble" suggests, prefer companions who interact in a non-challenging way. They're prone to the same romantic and social problems as the rest of us, but you'll identify more with Barcelona's approach if you've ever lost a boyfriend/girlfriend over a difference in operating system preferences...more»
		Diabolique / The Green Goddess / Necropolis This Swedish quartet started out as a death metal group, but these tracks owe far more to the melancholy throb of Depeche Mode than the macabre thrash of Celtic Frost. Guitars are now subsumed by a lush electronic sonic canvas, and the melodies seem designed to appeal rather than appall. On tracks like "Remedy", the quartet displays a dapper sense of structure by laying their accessible melodies over interesting movements...more»
		Half Japanese / Hello / Alternative Tentacles Even with such unabashed appreciation for their past efforts, the strength and vitality behind Hello is a little surprising. For one thing, as Jad has mentioned in interviews, all bands tend to get worse with time. Coupled with David's departure in 1998, and the afflictions which all "legendary" DIY groups must face (like overextended studio time, and guest appearances from gifted musicians whose charms sometimes work against the band's own), it's fair to expect a less substantial thrill...more»
		Le Tigre / From the Desk of Mr. Lady / Mr. Lady If you've ignored previous Le Tigre releases, the most important note to heed is that this is not Bikini Kill. Le Tigre is an amalgamation of feminism, punk and the general evolution of music into the new millennium. Before you decide that Le Tigre must be some post-rock electro-spastic dance band, I’ll give you a few clues. Thankfully, there's still plenty of grating screaming and yelling on From the Desk of Mr. Lady, underscored by a strong punk ethos...more»
		Mil Mulliganos / Flavor Country Firefight / Corn Chopper They must be putting distortion in the water up there in Chicago. How else do you explain the epidemic of crunch punk bands like Mil Mulliganos? This four piece churns out a hearty collection of punkish cuts filled with fat guitar chords and effortless harmonies. While a bit light on variety, the band's strong hooks make for enjoyable listening. Balancing tension and release, Mil Mulliganos keep the excitement high by alternating full, all-out rock 'n' roll with slender bass and drum sections...more»
		Momus / Folktronic / Le Grand Magistery The concept behind Folktronic is folk music in the year 2049, or as Momus so aptly states, "What would Alan Lomax have said if the Newport Folk Festival been invaded by boffins and geeks playing modular Moogs?" Ostensibly an homage to folk music, but whirled through Momus' post-modern tornado, Folktronic's twenty songs either come off sounding like a synthpop version of Weird Al Yankovic or fall completely short of any folk semblance...more»
		The Mother Hips / Green Hills of Earth / Future Farmer There's more than a whiff of alt-country in these songs as well, and the album stands as a close relation to Wilco, who are in fact given a musical and lyrical nod in "Smoke". But highlighting the debt The Mother Hips owe to other, older bands grows pointless once the songs themselves begin to sink into your subconscious. You'll soon find yourself humming along to the pure pop of "Channel Island Girl", and might even pull out your air guitar for the (relative) stomper "Rich Little Girl"...more»
		The New Pornographers / Mass Romantic / Mint Though it might seem strange considering the group’s lineage, a handful of Mass Romantic's tunes have a distinctly British flair. Take for instance "Jackie"'s quasi-nasal vocal delivery and carnival organ stabs, which simply scream late '60s Swinging London. Or consider the jagged, Stones-like riffs, buoyant back beat and gleeful "La La Las" of "Letter from an Occupant" which will undoubtedly pepper your dreams with visions of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace...more»
		Otto von Schirach / 8000 B.C. / Schematic Like Matmos, Autechre and µ-Ziq , Otto von Schirach makes experimental techno/neo-techno music for musical intellectuals. Avant-garde in its push, 8000 B.C. is a phenomenon that will leave more listeners awestruck than happy. Von Schirach also cites Biohazard as an influence, strangely enough, which means that you may hear hints of thrash and hardcore, and heavy, hip-hop-influenced beats. These highly varied and sharp flavours combine to make 8000 B.C. an unusual and somewhat unhinged album...more»