This new addition to the Palace Music stable is a solo project by sometime Palace Brother Ned Oldham. The first side is a haunting lament with the Palace country/folk/blues set-up, called "Hello My". The deranged state of mind showcased by lyrics such as, "I feel like smashing something and it might as well be you", and "I wish you had feelings so I could hurt them" is echoed by mournful cries of an electric guitar. The B side, entitled "The Free Web" brings to mind the sound of "Work Hard/Play Hard" from Palace's "Viva Last Blues". I highly recommend this one to anyone who likes the down-home Kentucky front porch avant-garde thing these boys in Palace have kicked up. (jason)

Another band from Philly that rocks. Bardo Pond has been described as an art band many times past. They rock between the lines of your joint and the smoke gliding through your nostrils. With no emphasis on any one instrument, including haunting, mumbled vocals, it's easy to say these are not the greatest group of musicians, but they make great music. They make their own hybrid of sounds over what seems like a continual hum of ambient, white, fuzzy noise which doesn't stop when the songs do. The first track, "Walking Stick Man" stands out here for its ferocious guitars and inspiring, sweaty, tuff-girl vocals. (hot carl)

Pee Wee Crayton honed his chops taking lessons from T-Bone Walker and it's obvious that such a simple action changed the rest of this man's life. A native Texan (nuff said right there eh?) Crayton moved to San Francisco in the 1930s, where he hooked up with T-Bone and began to shape his git playing style. Eventually, he would relocate to Los Angeles and help define the blues scene there. Crayton's slow, emotive instrumentals preceded cats like Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown and B.B, King, allowing the man to showcase his knowledge of the guitar's neck. 'Smokin'' is what Rod Henry of the Glenmont Popes would say if he was here listening to this with me. If your punk rock ass is going to buy one blues record this year make it this one. And skip all that faux, white-boy, yuppie blues that the Miller Lite commercials are throwing at you. Pee Wee Crayton may be dead and gone, but he's never going to be forgotten. (greg e. boy)

Boston pub-style punk rock. The equivalent of House of Pain Irish Pride mixed with Peter & The Test Tube Babies. I love this shit. It's been at the top of my "most listened to" pile of cd s. It makes me want to sling pints o' stout and pogo up and down. Considering that two thirds of my genetic makeup is Irish, it's downright impossible for me to dis any band like this. Head nods go out to the Stiff Little Fingers("get Up"), black and tans("Memories Remain"), and brawling("3rd Man In").

Post punk emo-core in the Midwestern style of Doghouse Records. Think Split Lip or Majority of One. Now, this is something that I haven't outgrown yet. Angst-filled emo with plenty of Marshall stacks, and lyrics that go a little deeper than "don't eat meat" or "drugs are bad." Eventide could possibly take over the vacant throne Quicksand left in their wake. greg e boy

Rolling Stone wrote this band off as one-hit wonders, which is precisely the reason why you should pick up this album. Rolling Stone will never appreciate this band because they are creative, meaning that they will constantly elude those stodgy powers-that-be armed with their "Who's hot and who's not" lists. Rolling Stone will never understand The Flaming Lips because they are about music and like all of their other albums, The Soft Bulletin takes you on a musical journey. If you enjoy listening to your music as background, you're going to miss a lot of the twists and turns The Flaming Lips have to offer, especially the lyrics of Wayne Coyne. On The Soft Bulletin, his lyrics are off-hand and cute as usual, but his childish imagery and his offerings of empowerment makes this particular album sound more like a children's story book - a pleasant refreshment from the all too prevalent angst-ridden, anger-driven rock of today. Musically, The Flaming Lips remind me of Stereolab in that instead of falling to the major-label syndrome of overproduction, both seem to indulge in it - like giving an over-curious seven-year-old a chemistry set. (surfin' charlie)

Thank god it's finally here, the true rawk from our Western partners of the Pacific Realm. This Japanesse trio blew my socks off at SXSW and this record has been on my radar for at least three months. When I first put in the cd, I though the computer had rejected it like a babboon heart. I actually accidentially in fear of the rawk restarted the machine. . While the G3 rebooted I went and got a Lone Star and prepared. Thank god I did. This is the best album I have heard all year, bar none. Jesus fucking christ, this is back to basic good-time fucking rock and roll. The title track, also track uno, blares off like Gabriel's Horn to let you know your world is about to collapse. With songs like Kung Fu Ramone and Teenage U.F.O, how can one go wrong? Simply put, one can't. They also do a fxing great cover of Summertime Blues. I listened to this record eight times and only stopped because I went to go see Pong play downtown. If you are in need of a good-times, beer-drinking, all-out-party, what's-right-about-rawk, kicking-ass-taking-names-album, I highly suggest this gem. The only sad thing is their live show is ten times better than this record, and I'm reminded of this everytime I pound my fist in the air and stomp my feet to every single track. Praise to the rock gods for this offering. (ranscot)

Austinites Human serve up a refreshing blend of metal and hardcore. I've got to say, it's damn good to hear a metal band today that has some guitar solos! I was in shock when they spanked out the first solo. It's still common to hear solos in death metal (and in acts that have been around before grunge music killed musicianship, like Pantera and Sepultura, etc.), but to hear some decent solos in less extreme forms of metal, is rare at best. This alone earns them a few points. There are some aspects that threw me off. One would be the brief, Chili Pepperish, section in the track "Tengo Goma", that seems out of place, and ill-conceived. In addition, it seems as if something is missing from the band that could be the factor that could elevate them to the next level, and usher them to a brighter spotlight. This album is definitely worth getting, though. I'd give it three and a half flaming guitars, out of five. (McGraw)

Its nice every once in a while to receive something for review that sets itself apart immediately when you first hear it. At first, it was like watching a drunk stumble down a sidewalk and wondering what he’s gonna cut his head on when he goes down. I wondered where this was going. Ill-Ease is an appropriate name for this project. This full length CD of Elizabeth Sharp recordings (as Ill-Ease) is an interesting blend of a veritable potpourri of sounds that she has put together using at least nine different instruments. There is no doubt that this girl is very musically inclined and has a great voice as well. She basically has gone into a room by herself and laid down track after track of herself playing, and come out with a great record. Her creative use of melodies combined with odd-time rhythms and stinging accents makes for a mesmerizing and intriguing rock-like journey. Live at the Gate is a great CD for the car, just don’t get busted for driving under the influence of Ill-Ease. (stabler)

This re-issue from 1969 is a groove beast. The musicians are “unknown” which is a shame, because I’d like to know who the tight-ass drummer is. I’d also like to know who the bass player is, and the horn players... But, I do know that Jimmy McGriff can freak the B-3 organ. Never distracting from the groove, his organ playing just rides the basslines like a rollercoaster-tight. This is a party record. Just throw this on and watch- there will be a party at your house. The partygoers might be invisible to everyone else, but you’ll know that they are there. They’ll all tell you that this is the best party they’ve ever been to. They will also all look as hip as Jimmy McGriff does on the back of this in his mustard yellow turtleneck. Damn what a good record. (jamie)

The coolest thing about this CD is the cover, which is one of those double optical things that change when you move your noggin. I feel bad to write shitty reviews because who the hell am I? I'm just some shmoe who likes music. I've always hated reviewers because it's just an opinion. Look at the crap that gets shining reviews. It's called "greasing the palm". If a magazine gives an awful review of a band and the band's record company is paying for an ad in that magazine, how long do you think it will be before the record company pulls it's ad? See? Well, fuck them! I'm not getting paid and this disc sucks ass! It's called "Failure" for good reason. The one-hit wonder of Detachable Penis was stupid five years ago. If you're into the spoken word/music thing listen to old No Trend (Teen Love era, circa 1981). (brian)

This 13 song CD from Lustre King, produced by Mike Lust, is a hard and intense piece of work with a touch of coolness thrown in to balance things out (steel drum, synthesizers, turntables, piano). Although this disc teeters between being a mathrock masterpiece and drifting off into becoming a carbon copy of something Girls Against Boys put out five years ago, I recommend picking it up. Intense tracks such as, "get in the riv'" and "psychoanalysis in action" make Shoot the Messenger a must for anyone who enjoys odd time beats and thundering bass and synth tones. Lustre King has put out a CD meant to be played really loud in order to appreciate. This won't come as a surprise to anyone who has witnessed their rattling live performances. I give this release a B+. (Mr. Spector)

Don't hesitate to buy this CD if you want to be rocked to the core and come away feeling like you have to hear it again and again, with or without vocals. This may be my personal favorite hard rock CD to come out of Austin in the past year. The songs are intense and a full-on, wine drinking, hella party, and a pleasure for driving at top speed down the freeway without a care in the world except where to buy the next sixpack. A must hear for rockers. (stabler)

From time to time, there comes along a unique type of rapper who instantly sets himself apart from the rest. However, only once has a man named the ol' dirty bastard risen up 'from the ghetto' and crossed the line from run of the mill rapper to a superstar rap phenomenon. His behavior off stage has landed him in the spotlight several times over the past couple of years, yet the music he puts out is what warrants our attention. Who can forget the priceless line, 'All girls wanna fuck me everyday!', or the classic, 'Nigga please, I'm the one who burned your home...' Now this is a guy Weird Al would think twice about trying to do a parody of. Even though Hollywood star Chris Rock opens up this CD on the opening track 'Recognize', ODB claims non-commercial, and with maybe a few exceptions, it would be virtually impossible to clean up any of this for radio and have it maintain any flavor. The crazier the better, and the Rick James cover even turned out to be a nice little treat as well. This nice little disc is a must for any music collection containing at least one rap CD. (Stabler)

Surfs and uzis up in this high speed hi-fi thriller involving guitars, international intrigue and more spy gadgets than Moneypenny could ever muster. If cocktails and gambling in Monaco with one eye on the girl and the other on the eye-patched middle eastern spy is your thing, then dive in. Not recommended for those with high blood pressure or fear of PsyOps and go-go dancers. So strap on the leg piece and let's ride into a velvet sunset. (sockboy)

London's Red Snapper takes jazz instrumentation and make 'house music' for lack of a better word. The band's approach to making music is akin to Emirille Legassi making gumbo: Anything goes. Sometimes it's hard to believe that the music is live and not some cut & paste pastiche of samples and sound bytes. It's pretty amazing and well worth every penny you may spend. Fans of Medeski, Martin, and Wood or Massive Attack will be exhaltant over this. Others, stupefied. Myself, I'm giddy because it's a rare occurrence that I get to hear music so refreshingly original. And to that, I tip my hat to Red Snapper. (greg e. boy)

North Carolina's own Squatweiler rev's the rock engine again, this time aided by the recording genius of J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines). Mr. Robbins has managed to capture the anthemic rock wisdom of Squatweiler whilst allowing them to branch out in their songwriting. These songs are reminiscent of Robbins' own defunct outfit Jawbox as well as Squatweiler recent tourmates Bad Religion. The lyrics shout and twist their way into your angst-ridden heart as the guitars provide enough movement for an epileptic seizure. This is the tightest, most cohesive release from this trio yet and is THE summer CD to be found lying on a record store shelf near you. (Sockboy)

It's good to know that not all bands start to suck after being together for a while and becoming comfortable with their sound. With this epic new two-record set available on vinyl from Cargo, Three Mile Pilot has proven that they have only improved upon what already was an amazing emo-rock sound all their own. After the unreal record, "Chief Assassin to the Sinister"

which got them signed for a brief period to Geffen Records, Three Mile Pilot has upped the ante once again, proving that they are extremely musically able.Whoever the idiot was that dropped this band from Geffen should be kicking himself in the ass right now. 3MP's recordings, the works of art that they are, still don't compare to the excellent live performances they have been known to put on, with tons of visuals and crazy spinning wind instruments and propellers, no less.

My Favorite tracks so far on this album are: "Bolivia", "Eastern Wave", "If You Cross", and "Ruin." It just keeps getting better.

I can't wait to really get into the third and fourth sides, which I haven't had much of a chance to listen to, since I keep playing the first record over and over. This is an essential for anyone into good sounds and great lyrics.

Holy Frijoles! Former Kyuss and Slo Burn frontman John Garcia finally makes the rock record we've been waiting for him to make. No 'desert rock' here my friends... just bluesy, AC/DC, full-bore rock & roll. Track 2, 'Blackwoman' is fucking sweet; a hard-chargin' ditty backed by a wall o' fuzz and Garcia's gritty squall 'plaining life, ladies and the pursuit of happiness. On track 5 'If Only Two' the band friggin' rips yer head off with some serious raunch & roll that had me on the verge of self-implosion. Cruncha, cruncha, cruncha, crunch. Fuck this record is good. So good. Go buy it right now. (greg e. boy)

Anders Parker opens himself up a little bit, and it takes a shot and a beer to do it. To me, Col. Parker has had an arrogant shyness about him, letting us in only if we can sludge through the Robitussin mirk. I don't get that feeling on this EP. The first two tracks have Anders sidling up to the bar, lonely as hell, acoustic guitar racking his head, and ordering a shot and a beer. He shoots down the bourbon and sips his brew. The concoction takes effect and a cathartic schizophrenia greets the listener. Parker and the guitar are still asocial as hell, but he is moving his lips, and that's a start. He speaks to you, not to you, but give

Versus are three Filipinos and one Caucasian from NYC and they've spent a lot of time in the kitchen stirring their melting pot of indie rock. Their latest ep on Merge Records out of Chapel Hill comes off as a more introspective, musically daring effort. Bassist Fontaine Toups stretches her vocal chords on a few songs as well. Versus has always written some of the prettiest indie rock ever and they don't abandon that here. Long time fans won't be disappointed at this, their latest effort and will applaud how the band has strived to stretch their own limits. (Sockboy)

Fuck. These dudes are from fucking Sweden. They wear leather jackets and ammo belts, and have long hair. I thought this was going to be some Morbid Angel, church burning Norwegian shit. I wasn't far off. It's goddamn Discharge/Broken Bones gravel throated bar chord punk o' metal with a drummer that kicks ass. Reminds me that Europe is a whole 'nother world, far, far away. There's a kid in a trailer park in Florida just dying to get his hands on this. Puts Deicide to shame.greg e boy

The perennial flavor of XTC is back in town again although with a slightly more orchestral voice. Apple Venus Vol. 1 is XTC's first studio cd since 1992's Nonsuch. Although fans of the band have been treated to a compilation of B-Sides and a recently released BBC Sessions box set, this is the first time since Oranges and Lemons that XTC has nailed the rare emotion which only they can invoke. Listeners may be put off by the mostly orchestral and easy listening modes on the new CD, but that's what happens when musicians have kids - they make music as to not wake their spawn. XTC more than makes up for this lazy trade by spouting rich and creative wind, brass and string lines along with the occasional vocal ornamentation. XTC promised that Apple Venus Vol. 2 is on the way before the end of the year. They promise this to be more of a 'rock' collection. They had much to choose from in the 50 plus fully realized songs they had written for what was originally going to be a double album. It's OK to like this CD so stop denying it and start buying it. (Sockboy)