Show Reviews The American Night, Freedom, and Main Street Rock H. Barry Zimmerman JULY 4, 2003 - I woke up late, with a throbbing skull and The Doors ringing in my ears. My psycho-therapist buddy and I had celebrated Jim Day the night before. On July 3, 1971 the deity of Jim Morrison had passed on while taking a good warm bath in Paris, France. The tub is no place to indulge in drugs. So, we had broke on through to the other side, hailing Jim with indulgences of massive proportions. Now, the tide of pay back rolled in, but I refused to whine, that long stretch of American excess has served me well. Besides, there is no time to move slow and ache - it's the Fourth of July. Me and my people headed back over to my psycho-therapist buddy's house for hot dogs and fireworks and more Jim-like behavior. How long can the madness go on? When I arrived at The American Legion Hall that night to see the evening's rock show I smelt of artillery fall-out and scotch (in the immortal words of Tupac "I'm no role model.") The night was dripping with sweat as we waded through the humid wall of summer. Press on, I hear music playing. First up was the one-man industrial vomit machine Fornakai. The wizard behind the curtain was our old friend, Captain Eyeball himself, Ted Drake. Ted is a class "A" number one weirdo. There is a place in the bigger world for Ted's art. He is a guy that is always producing provocative, disturbing, and just plain good music. A great deal of the music sounded like NIN (for lack of a better example). The third song of his 20 minute set was a wacky as hell jazz / industrial song that was so cool that the room chilled down to a sweet 103 degrees. On the visual side of things, Ted looked like a refugee from a new wave cult and the smoke and lights on stage took on the persona of mood and accompaniment. Fornakai were highly entertaining. Next up, was the Rasputan of Norman rock, Klipspringer. Out front for the group is Ty Kamm on lead vocals and guitar and Matt Babbich on bass. This power team duo are the nucleus of Klipspringer. The original spark that has been surrounded by at least 9 other and former members. Presently on drums is former Tall Tales and Dog Face Boy skin master, Alan Heiserodt. Klipspringer is a pop rock dynamo. Some of the highlights of their set was Ty Kamm's kick ass spacey solo on the disturbingly hip "Train Set Man." Not to mention the finale tune "Pot Bellied Pig" in which Mr. Kamm played guitar hero and performed an exploding eight and one half minute Black Cat and M-80-stytle solo that left the kids screaming for more. Klipspringer is a song based outfit definitely worth checking out. They rock. Afterwards, the crowd spilt out into 2 AM L'America for a final smoke and good-byes. I was finally beginning to feel tired, or so I thought. When I got home, we turned on LA Woman and talked until the sun peered in. The night was rocking and Jim would have been proud. This is the strangest life I've ever known. Cheers. My Two-Step Weekend H. Barry Zimmerman 3 p.m. Saturday 8/19/03 - Main Street, Norman - I had two happenings that required my attention. Both events began at the same time. Maybe I could be twins – Twin Powers ACTIVATE!! and so they did. I met Chad Sweeney back in the Liquid Lounge days - back in the Chainsaw Kitten days. Chad was friends with Bobby Rooney, who was one of Norman's all time great bass players (he was in Soma Holiday during those days). Chad bugged me - Big Time. And, then he disappeared. I met Chad again in San Francisco, when I was getting married. During this encounter, I found Chad to be a sweet, smart, cool, and extremely gifted poetically minded cat. We bonded - Big Time. So much for first impressions. Chad returned to Norman to give a poetry reading (along with his wife Jennifer) at The Spotted Dog Café (105 W. Main St.) - this was stop #1. NAIL BY NAIL THE SUNLIGHT (Urban Iris Press, Brooklyn, NY) is Chad's third book of poetry. And, like all of Chad's work, this collection is full of great imagery and positive thinking. Chad has a casual showbiz approach to his performance. He gave each poem a brief set-up before letting us have it. He sang a blues poem. He made the audience feel like we could have been in our own living rooms. He made us laugh. He killed. After Chad's set, Jennifer K. Sweeney, a highly educated and praised poet in her own right, read. Her poems were less abstract than Chad's. Jennifer is a narrative poet - she tells stories. She was cool at the mic. I have never heard any of her poetry before. I really dug her style. Jennifer, killed as well. A special thanks to Quentin Bomgardner for his help with the sound system. You the man. High on my Ice Chai and the sect of syllables, I headed over two blocks to get in on the grand opening of Guestroom Records (119 N. Crawford Ave.) - stop #2. Guestroom Records were having an all day blow out, which I enjoyed on lots of levels. Firstly, bands, cool and rocking, one after the other - BOOM!! you got me. Secondly, Norman finally has an independent vinyl and CD store again - HURRAH!!. And, man oh freakin' man, Guestroom Records is drowning in the coolest collection of sweet selections that I have ever seen in a Norman music shop. I mean fantastic stuff. You should go down there just to check out our culture on parade. The place is a museum of popular images and historic sounds. Later that evening, Guestroom Records' next door neighbor The Opolis (113 N. Crawford Ave.) was getting weird with the Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (a freakish group). I swear to Lou, two venues where bands were playing, in Norman town - it almost seemed like a scene. I was wild with the energy. And, then there was a Flaming Lips sighting - Wayne Coyne cruising about. Not to mention all the local legends. It was a real who's-it of Norman rock. When all was said and done I had scored a cool book of poetry and a double-disc THE WHO - LIVE AT THE ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL 1970. Pretty sweet haul. I had also spent some great quality time with old friends and that's what it's all about. I was a sweaty mess and I needed many hours of sleep. Thanks to the Sweeney kids and the Guestroom Records kids, for all the good times. I appreciate those who are acting with cool intentions to make the world a more fun and interesting place. Long live the independent mind. Good luck to all. Cheers. SIXER TURBO A.C.'S HIGH SCHOOL HELLCATS July 24, 2003 @ The Green Door (Oklahoma City, OK) H. Barry Zimmerman Me and my people (a bunch of middle aged punks) hooked up at the usual pre-gig pad. We drank beers for peace and tequila shots for war. The smoke was for neutrality. We loaded up and got on the road. It's 25 miles from Norman (where we live) to OKC and The Green Door. We listened to CCR and All, as we sliced through the ultra familiar. And, then we were there. We parked in back. I could hear the High School Hellcats from the alley that ran between The Green Door and Size Records. We motored on down the sidewalk and we were in. By the time we weaved through the crowd, got a round, and made our way to the band, the High School Hellcats were breaking into their final number of the night. It was a really "right on" version of the o'mighty Motley Crue's "Kickstart My Heart." The audience howled. This is Motley Crue country. Boom...and they were done. The Green Door had cleared all of the speakers from the floor. This bit of house cleaning opened up the floor's checkered board design to mingle with the vertical stripes along the skirt of the stage in a highly trippy pattern shift. A very effective cheap 15 seconds worth of entertainment. Wow. This also made the stage seem longer, coast to coast. Very constructive use of space. Bravo. And, it's time for more drinks. It's all the free flowing space...makes me extra thirsty. The lights go down, desert music came over the speakers, a voice repeated over and over, "Can you dig it?" And then, New York City's Turbo A.C.'s turned it on. The big scraping metallic sound of guitar picks sliding up the neck of revved up axes and high pulse pounding drum brutality swallowed the room. And, then the Turbo A.C.'s launched into the first song of a gung ho, peddle to the floor, set from hell. A real power trio, punkin' out with classic rock sensibilities. Rocking way too hard for it to be a one night fluke, Turbo AC's have got it. My entire crew was floored. This was why we came. The band did mostly songs from their latest album AUTOMATIC (on Gearhead Records and recorded by the legendary asshole Blag Dahlia of The Dwarves) including "Nightmare" and "Way of the Devil." The last couple of songs of their set seemed a little less intense. I think that the Turbo A.C.'s just ran out of gas. Sometimes you have got to know when to quit. Outside of that, God damn it! They tore the shit up. Seriously, I was completely blown away. "Coming up next is Sixer...the greatest band in the world," the Turbo kids shouted as they cleared the stage. I thought, if that band, that just rocked it that hard is saying that - man alive. I strapped myself to my seat and I waited with massive throbbing anticipation. Soon, the lights faded and Sixer fired it up. Sixer was good. I wouldn't say that they were the greatest band in the world. I wouldn't even say that they were the greatest band on the bill. But, Sixer rocks. This West Virginia quartet sound a lot like Social Distortion. A hard edged version of porch music. Sixer's energy was good. The band maneuvered around the stage like Mexican jumping beans on low grade catapults. I didn't think that Sixer was boring. But, I did find them a little typical. I did enjoy a lot of their songs, including a country tinged romp called "Can't Seem to Find My Way Home." Also my red lights went off when I saw how much of Sixer's merchandise incorporated the dixie flag on it. When I see that flag, I don't get southern pride. I see the KKK. I'm not accusing Sixer of being Klansmen or bigots. I'm just saying, that flag has been hi-jacked and used as a symbol of evil by evil. And, no matter how badly some want to hold on to Jefferson Davis and the so called glory of the south, that flag will forever be associated with the likes of David Duke. Sorry Sixer, I couldn't buy a T-shirt. Overall it was a rocking night. The Turbo AC's have become one of my favorite bands of the moment. Wow. And, Sixer and the High School Hellcats did it up. Keep your axes in the air and the volume through the roof. Cheers. WEEN Sept. 16, 2003 @ The Diamond Ballroom (Moore, OK) H. Barry Zimmerman I got a call from a friend of mine who wanted to know if I was going to see Ween. I really didn't want to go. I was once obsessed with Ween back in the days of GOD-WEEN- SATAN (THE ONENESS) (1990) and THE POD (1991). But I hadn't sat down and got myself good and Weened up in quite some time. My buddy was very excited about the show. He told me how great the new album, QUEBEC (2003) was and he was brimming over with enthusiasm. Soon, I found myself infected with 2nd hand excitement. Suddenly, I really needed to go and see Ween. Ween (haling from New Hope, Pa.), for those of you who don't know, play an eclectic version of rock, punk, lounge, jazz, country, funk, soul, mood scape, weirdo music. There is something special about the music of these cult heroes. Go buy any of their nine discs and see what I mean. The dudes have vision and a great ear. The cynical me, was expecting a full-blown commercial for QUEBEC, a bling-bling pitch for the new product. But Ween, as always, surprised me. From the new CD, Ween played only "Zoloft" and "Tried and True." Everything else was classic old school Ween. Also, Ween did not play the bands' MTV hits, "Push Th' Little Daisy" (PURE GUAVA - 1992) or "Voodoo Lady" (CHOCOLATE AND CHEESE - 1994). This was a rock show dedicated to rocking, Ween-style. Just when you think everyone's humping the money cow - I feel optimism slipping in. Wow, that's nice. When the lights went down and Gene and Dean Ween (no relation) cruised out on stage in their regular fella gear, accompanied by what turned out to be a five piece band, The Diamond Ballroom flipped completely out. The set began with "The HIV Song," followed by the sick comedy of "Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)," both from CHOCOLATE AND CHEESE. "We do both kinds of music," Dean Ween said as he casually leaned on his right leg, tuning his red Fender Stratocaster, "country...and western." And with that the band broke into the honky tonk "Piss Up a Rope" from their country disc 12 GOLDEN COUNTRY GREATS (1996). I maneuvered down front where the fanatics were. I saw Ween tattoos and home made shirts and glowing euphoric faces (along with the usual pit dogs and poser monkeys). The Ween machine has really acquired a rabid army of diehard fans. Some of my favorite moments were the super cool Bowie tribute, "Don't Get 2 Close To My Fantasy," the hungry man's avant anthem, "Pork Roll, Egg, and Cheese," and the NASCAR opus "Stroker Ace.' When it was all said and done, Ween had torn the room to shreds for two and one half hours. I had been gang battered, drenched in beer, and rocked into submission. It was a perfect night. I met up with my buddy who had called me up and gave me the fever to get out and be Weened. We hugged in the parking lot and I thanked him for his enthusiasm. I am re- baptized in the river of Ween. Come on in the water is fine. Saved again. Cheers. 10 Zines, 2 Shirts, A Bloody Lip, and Bruises By Jolie You know, I can't begin to tell you how long I had been waiting to go to the Mustard Tree. It had been a bad week, a bad day, and on top of that it was 108 degrees outside withOUT the heat index. After going to the Havoc show at Endurance Skate shop, I had heard of the Mustard Tree concert that was going to feature the Remnants and Headnoise. 10 bucks? Where was I going to find that much money in a night? I decided that I might as well go if only to write a review and interview the bands - on the flip side, any place was better than home. So I get dropped off halfway to Claremore and I started to walk, and of course with my keen sense of direction (not), I got lost along the way, only to end up 30 minutes later at the venue I hadn't visited in over a year. I took my place in the front, shielded from the heat, and sat down, waiting for the music to begin. And that's when it happens - two sets into the show, and 30 minutes later, this big ol' guy comes out and steps in front of me. If anything... he reminded me of my dad, tall and muscular with full art on his arms, and I was kind of taken aback, figuring he would be some asshole ready agitated by my freeloading. And then he spoke: "still sittin' outside?" He asked me. And I nodded "yea, I just lost my job, so 10 bucks is a little pricey right now ya know. I'm writin' a review for the bands, you know who's playing?" Now, I honestly don't think he heard a word of what I said because it was so damn loud, but the next thing he does is ask me my name, and so I tell him - and then he walks inside. So I sat there, thinking "asshole... the least he could have done was finish a conversation with me," and I sat back down trying to understand the vocals blaring through the thin walls of the Claremore venue. But then, and I'll tell ya guys, its the first time it's ever happened and probably the last, but this big ol' guy who looks like my dad comes out and says "hey, we put ya on the guest list." And he goes back in. And that was that. Enter the Remnants and Headnoise - two of the best bands I have heard come through this city in the last year. Their determination and love for the music made for a great show, and like any band with an emphasis on drums or bass - you can't help but move around. The Remnants played before Headnoise, a 3-man band with a simple lineup on guitar, bass, and drums. The show was both exhilarating and entertaining, with humor thrown in. (right in the middle of the set a punk jumped on stage to grab a photo and the singer threw him into the crowd, soon for him to be twirled around on by a Joplin punk then dropped to the ground). The songs were wonderful, anything but poppy, but still had the classic punk melody to them - 3 or 4 chord songs with a simple intro and a long ending with some great drumming techniques. For all of you getting bored of long 4 or 5 minute songs and endless interludes for no reason at all - this is the band for you! Aside from the music, I should point out that the Remnants are a Christian band (yes - we live in the Bible belt, get over it). I know that a lot of people get tired of Christian punk bands, but believe you me - this was like nothing you've ever heard! They were not in your face with their beliefs, and were just like any other punks. They were all extremely friendly and made you feel at home. The Remnants and Headnoise are a Chicago based band that have been around for quite some time now (about 7 or 8 years as the drummer informed me). After the concert was over at about 1 AM, I sat out trying to bum a ride and had an extensive chat with the drummer, Steve. We agreed on a ton of issues, and talked about our different scenes. The guy was fascinating to say the least, the type of punk you wish came to every show - talked to you and held a great conversation. And all the more better, when I asked him what his favorite bands were he brought up some of my favorites. How can you go wrong with a Sex Pistols/Gen X fan? He had just gotten married, and was only touring because the band's new drummer (he had quit about a year ago he informed me), had gotten a bad case of poison ivy on his hands. After our conversation was over and I had finally found a ride back to the northside, he went inside with me, mellow the whole time, and told me "We're not very good business people... we give all our stuff away." He got me a 7'', a CD, a shirt, about 10 zines, and a contact address so I could send them my Blank Generation zine and Tulsa music. For all of you who agree with me that punk is getting too expensive - you would worship this band. It turns out Steve is friends with the Havoc, who are also a Christian band I found out; and that they had never played Oklahoma before. This band was truly unique - they were all outstanding musicians and outstanding people as well. And if that wasn't enough, these guys were dedicated. Not only did they have a passion for punk music, they had a passion for God. Now I know what all of you are thinking - and I'll tell you right now to stop. If you are going to judge a band simply because of their religion or the way they go about creating music, then you are NO GOOD to your music scene. So many times before I have recommended bands to punks, but when I tell them they are Christian, they shut it down. "I don't want any of that religious shit" is usually the response. And you know what? I can probably agree with you sometimes. The last thing I want after a long pissy day of a 12-hour work shift is to go and here a punk band tell me I'm a sinner. This was not how they were. Let me ask you, why do you go to shows? You don't go to hear the lyrics now do ya? In my years going to rock concerts (and guys - I have been going to them since before I could walk) - I can say that most of the time it's for the thrill of the performance and the pace of the music. If I sat there trying to decipher every Tim Armstrong sounding vocal, I'd miss out on a great time! So why worry what they are saying? If you are that narrow-minded then I want nothing to do with ya. These guys were GREAT. Enough said When the night was over I promised them I'd send a donation once I got a job back (fuck you American Airlines!!!) - and I'm going to keep that promise. Tulsa was their second stop on the road, and on the 30th they will be playing Denver, which I am traveling to see and review. If you haven't heard the Remnants yet, hear them. If all the punks in the scene were this way, this dedicated and unified, we wouldn't have a thing to worry about. It reminded me of the article on the inside sleeve for "Die For Your Government" that reads - "it's OK not to be a dick." More often than not punks are wrapped up in being nihilistic and petty, when I think we would have a much better time if we at least cut each other some slack. Music Reviews Align -- Blue Book Value BWR Records Align sounds like Faith No More meets Soundgarden. Good solid hard rock with an artful flair. My favorite songs on BLUE BOOK VALUE are disc opener, "Lost on the 10," "Two Days too Long," and "Caught Looking." Align isn't the most original band. But, there is a lot of heart on BLUE BOOK VALUE. (H. Barry Zimmerman) G.G. Allin and Antiseen -- Murder Junkies TKO Records G.G. Allin was and still is punk's most notorious asshole. He literally would shit on the audience and was known to fuck his brother Merle on stage. That being said, G.G. Allin was a great hardcore voice. And, this pairing between G.G. and the brutal rock of Antiseen is classic punk and its greatest. MURDER JUNKIES contains the original ten tracks of the 1991 album MURDER JUNKIES plus 5 bonus tracks from the VIOLENCE NOW 7" and the CAROLINA SHITKICKERS 7". Every time that I listen to this disc, I like it more and more. This is the real deal. So, prove how hardcore you can really be and go get MURDER JUNKIES. (H. Barry Zimmerman) An Albatross -- We are the Lazer Viking Ace Fu Records An Albatross (Philly) is my new favorite band. WE ARE THE LAZER VIKING contains carnival madness with hardcore performance. This is the most original disc that I have heard in years. An Albatross is one half art house and one half ballsy hardcore punk. With song titles such as "The Manifesto of Divine Children," "Get Faster, Cry For Happy," and "The Revolutionary Politics of Dance," you can guarantee that this disc is ready to blow the boundaries of what is considered hardcore off the map. WE ARE THE LAZER VIKING must be heard to understand (and even then, good luck). An Albatross and their music can not be over exaggerated, WE ARE THE LAZER VIKING is the new standard. (H. Barry Zimmerman) The Ataris – So Long, Astoria Columbia The Ataris play pop-punk that is not bad but not great either. This is one of those bands that seem to have a lot of modern emo influence (which sounds like pop-punk to me), but this is the only CD that I have heard, so I might not be the best judge. Overall this CD is mediocre, but it has its moments (my favorite is the cover of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer"). (Dave Brown) The Atomic Men -- Bomb Shelter Boogie Self-released The Atomic Men is an Orange County surf rockabilly band with lots of cool and style. I love the graveyard angle on most of the song lyrics. So damn cool. There is a real B- movie feel on BOMB SHELTER BOOGIE. This is a fun listen that'll make you wanna dance. Some of my favorite songs are "(Do The) Atomic Stomp," "Ichupacabra," and "She's Haunting Me." Though the entire disc is aces. Surf's up baby, let's rock. (H. Barry Zimmerman) The Bouncing Souls – Anchors Aweigh Epitaph Anchors Aweigh is The Bouncing Souls sixth full length CD and displays much growth and maturity. The Souls have always perfectly blended pop-punk with oi and hardcore, but on this CD they add some elements of Fugazi style emo. Imagine if 7 Seconds, Descendents, Down By Law, Fugazi, and Sham 69 all got together in one room for a jam session, the product would sound like Anchors Aweigh. (Dave Brown) Disturbing the Peace -- Midwestern Hardcore Compilation Disc NGS Records Like most comp discs, DISTURBING THE PEACE: MIDWESTERN HARDCORE is a pleaser and a cheeser. The 5 bands featured (Insult to Injury, Johnny Vomit, Dead End Path, Disavow, and The Struggle) are thrashers and come with a wodded up fists. The songs that I loved were Johnny Vomit's "Brain Raper" which featured some cool samples from the NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD movies, Disavow's working class anthem "Stiff," and The Struggle's "Law of the Streets." Unfortunately, The Struggle also has the cheesiest moment, with just a laughable version of Skid Row's "18 and Life To Go." This disc is an 85%er. (H. Barry Zimmerman) Down to Nothing -- Save it For the Birds Thorp Records This Richmond, Va. five man army mixes Sabbath's warm tones with bone crushing, hardcore. Down To Nothing's message is a common hardcore ideal - don't let 'em get you down, think for yourself. I like SAVE IT FOR THE BIRDS, it's smart and for real. I believe them. My personal favorite tracks are "The Normal People" and "Who Are You To Say." SAVE IT FOR THE BIRDS, is worth every dime, go get it. (H. Barry Zimmerman) Dressy Bessy S/T Kindercore Records This is a great pop record from a band that has been all over the place with single releases. It has been tough to follow them, but it was worth it. Now, a full-length album has been given to us (with a bonus DVD with live stuff and some backstage antics to boot!) and it is our job to enjoy it! It's a nice sugary chunk of pop written by Tammy Ealon, who has enough pop/rock sensibility in her pinky finger to lay most other bands in this genre to waste. If you like the early Kill Rock Stars releases or Shonen Knife, then run, don't walk, to get this CD. Now, mortal! (Outstretched Will) Figure Four -- Suffering the Loss Solid State Records Figure Four is an angry machine. The lyrics are the cry of a cornered beaten down man who doesn't know what to do. I guess vocalist Andrew decided to wail and growl about it. I feel safer knowing that he has an outlet for his pain. The band is thrashing and shredding. I feel it. Figure Four is raging like a mother fucker. With song titles like "Suffocation," "Kill and Deceive," and "Poison In Me," maybe you can feel it too. (H. Barry Zimmerman) Frank Black & The Catholics Show Me Your Tears With all the hype going on about the Pixies reforming to tour and possibly record a new album, lost in the shuffle has been the new Frank Black & The Catholics album "Show Me Your Tears." Black is joined by Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago, and the results are incredible. Black's songs about love & heartache infuses country, blues and the standard Pixies riffs into standout tracks, "Nadine," "My Favorite Kiss," & "When Will Happiness Find Me Again?" Well worth going out of your way to acquire if you like older Pixies type melodies and songwriting, or are just a fan of music in general. (Joey) Guided By Voices -- Earthquake Glue Matador Records Uncle Bob is back and he has done it again! After three (count 'em, three!) attempts at a major label success, in other words, a hit, Bob Pollard has made a return the Mister Rogers closet, to retrieve his sweater and soft, squishy house shoes. "Hello, kids. Today we are going to learn to relax and stop worrying about being played on the radio." It doesn't matter if anyone ever takes notice, Bob will be writing great rock songs featuring what he calls "the four P's. Psyche, Prog, Pop, and Punk" until the day he dies and if those tunes are half as good as the tracks on Earthquake Glue, I will be there. And so should you. (Outstretched Will) Misfits – Project 1950 Misfits / Rykodisc When I first heard about the Misfits doing a CD of 1950s covers, I was intrigued. For those that don't know, the Misfits are now a punk rock super group consisting of Jerry Only (the only original member of the band), Dez (of Black Flag fame), and Marky Ramone (of the world famous Ramones). This is one of those CDs that is better in theory than in practice. It is not bad, don't get me wrong, but it is not great either. Musically, the band plays well together but Jerry's vocals are not that great. If you are a huge Misfits fan, get this CD to complete your collection. (Dave Brown) Mandragora -- Full Bloom Self-released Mandragora is a very good hard rock band. This EP, produced at The Mousetrap by Carl Alburn, is a great example of what makes this band exciting. There are patient arrangements, which allow the band's old school hard rock sound to crawl into your layerings and deposit traces of cool evil and bliss. Richie Tarver's vocals are so deeply full of heart and good melodic ideas, he is truly a force to be dealt with. And, best of all, Mandragora doesn't sound like one of the stamped out, zombie-like followers of what is supposedly "happening." This music is Mandragora's. They own it. My favorite song on this 5 tune sampling is track 1, "Fixed Up High." I have been waking up with the main melody in my head for weeks now. This is a classic, killer rock song. FULL BLOOM is a sweet-as-hell disc which should most definitely be checked out. But, Mandragora can regularly be seen as a major player in the local scene. Find 'em, and see 'em - you will not be sorry. (H. Barry Zimmerman) Mockingbird Lane – 2003 Demo http://mockingbirdlane.bravepages.com/ Mockingbird Lane is an Oklahoma based goth punk / horror rock band and this is a five song demo CD. Unfortunately I am at work and do not have the CD in front of me, otherwise I would be a bit more specific about the songs. There is a cover of the Misfits' "She" and of the originals the song that I liked the best is "I … Vampire." The best way I can describe Mockingbird Lane's sound is to imagine if Peter Murphy had become the lead singer for the Misfits when the band reunited in 1997. This is a good demo from a band that has a lot of potential. (Dave Brown) My Morning Jacket -- It Still Moves RCA The third long player from these Louisville, Kentucky good ol' boys is nothing short of stellar. Intense eight minute country and southern rock jams give way to achingly beautiful melodies and lyrics courtesy of front man Jim James, whose reverb soaked vocals sound as if they were recorded inside an empty grain silo; and they were! This record plays like a sequel to their last release, At Dawn, and unlike most sequels, this one is good. It Still Moves helps the band to move closer toward having their recorded material sound more like their live material, so I guess, It Still Moves, is the perfect title for this collection of gems. All in all, a very good donut. (Outstretched Will) The New Breed -- Port City Rebels Thorp Records This Canadian 5 piece pub rock band is a rocking good time for all. PORT CITY REBELS is head to toe packed with great energy and sweet sing-a-long choruses. The New Breed is drinking and fighting and having a jolly old time. The highlight songs are "Sons of Halifax," "Born Against," and a great male bonding anthem, "Me and the Boys." Order a pint and sing to your mates and turn up The New Breed. (H. Barry Zimmerman) Punishment -- Broken, But Not Dead Thorp Records Philadelphia's Punishment come with rage and featuring barking demon vocals from the banks of the river Styx. The band is metalic hardcore and at the heart of it is pretty typical. I'm not offended or disappointed, I'm just not moved. BROKEN, BUT NOT DEAD is solid up the center aisle hardcore metal based rock. And, that's it. (H. Barry Zimmerman) The Brian Setzer Orchestra -- Jump, Jive an' Wail - The Very Best of the Brian Setzer Orchestra Interscope Let me start by saying that I am not a big fan of modern swing. In fact, the only modern swing band that I really like is The Brian Setzer Orchestra, and I like them because they are essentially a rockabilly band with a horn section. This CD is a collection of BSO's best stuff, including my personal favorite, the bands tremendous version of Setzer's Stray Cats' classic "Rock This Town." (Dave Brown) The Spiders -- Glitzkrieg Acetate Records GLITZKRIEG, is a perfect rock album - artistic ideals rolling on enormous balls. I love this disc. The Spiders, a 4 piece, Austin, Texas band, is a fantastic mixture of glam era Bowie, Sabbath, and Queen. A dozen text book rocking songs designed to rock you into sweet rock heaven. There is no highlight tune, no single, the entire disc is the absolute shit. Run, don't walk - get GLITZKRIEG, now. (H. Barry Zimmerman) The Suicide Machines – A Match and Some Gasoline Side One Dummy Ska-punk champions The Suicide Machines return with A Match and Some Gasoline. This is pretty much what you would expect from The Suicide Machines…hooky, catchy ska-punk. Good CD. (Dave Brown) The Staggers – One Heartbeat Away From Hell Haunted Town This is The Staggers' fourth CD (their first two were released as Riot Squad) and quite possibly their best. One Heartbeat Away From Hell is nothing short of brilliant!!! Probably best described as Horrorbilly, The Staggers play a mix of Oi, rockabilly, punk, and roots rock 'n' roll, with lyrics about horror films ("Darkest Before Dawn" is about the film Night of the Blood Beast and "Book of the Dead" is about Evil Dead), vampires ("Kill By Kill"), and the sad state of our Hollywood driven society ("Abducted By Nazis In Hollywood" which is probably the CD's best song). Having been a fan of the band since their days as Riot Squad, I have loved watching them grow and develop into the most underrated band in America today (just listen to the amazing guitar work of Billy Blitz). If you are a fan of oi, rockabilly, psychobilly, or just great rock 'n' roll, do yourself a favor and buy this CD!!! (Dave Brown) Those Unknown – Those Unknown TKO Originally released in 1995 on GMM Records, the self titled debut CD by New Jerseys' Those Unknown is one of the best oi/street punk albums ever released. Mixing gritty vocals, New Jersey work class attitude, and oi driven rock 'n' roll, Those Unknown is an outstanding CD. (Dave Brown) Trapdoor Fucking Exit -- Devil's Egg EP No Idea Records You have got to love a band that has got the word "Fucking" in the band's name and the "Devil" mentioned in the disc title. And, it's yet another cool, rocking band from Sweden. My only beef with this four song EP is that the vocal is mixed about a body and 1/2 too deep in the super sonic sound of the band. Trapdoor Fucking Exit's sound is dark and chaotic with good multi-textured breaks and overall well thought out arrangements. I can't wait for the full length disc (coming soon). Rocking. (H. Barry Zimmerman) v/a – The Modern Edge: A Modern Rock Collection Time Life This is obviously a shameless sampler put together to the music department of AOL Time Warner to cash in on the renewed interest in 1980's "modern rock." That having been said, this CD is great! How can you go wrong with a CD that has "Pretty in Pink" by The Psychedelic Furs, "I'll Be You" by The Replacements, "One Way Or Another" by Blondie, and "I Wanna Be Sedated" by Ramones (just to name a few). Sure all of these songs are readily available in other places and most can be heard in fairly regular rotation on The Spy, but who cares. This is a fun CD. (Dave Brown) We Invented Tornadoes -- We Invented Tornadoes Learning Curve Records Known formerly as Snail, We Invented Tornadoes should have renamed themselves We Love Nirvana. I was sick of this brand of non invention 5 years ago. That being said, this is some good grunge - so what. (H. Barry Zimmerman) Yeah Yeah Yeahs ------ Fever To Tell Interscope The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' first E.P. is what prompted me to make this purchase. Unfortunately, this album lacks the intensity brought about by the initial release. It is a decent record, but it is relatively calm compared to the rusty razor action that I had become familiar with when thinking of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. A smooth ride is provided for a pleasurable listening experience. Sometimes threatening to burst forth with explosive energy but never quite getting you, the listener, to a climax. I ended up a little disappointed here but it is a worthwhile adventure. Odds are you haven't heard anything much like this band, so check 'em out, hucklebuck. (Outstretched Will)