Superchunk -- Foolish

  Foolish is the dark side of the usually cutesy Indie Punk masters Superchunk, the sound of a band coming of age, like turning 25 and realizing you don't know sh*t and are re-evaluating.  I kept thinking that if you took the Neil Young out of Eric's Trip it would be this album. 

Gary Wilson -- You Think You Really Know Me

  Gary Wilson's You Think You Really Know Me is an experimental mix of Lounge lizard funk and Musique Conrete, kinda like Suicide meets Prince.  It may be goofy and strange but it definitely has it's place, like the natural progression to Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica, passing the torch of weird ...

Gang Green -- Another Wasted Night

  Kind of typical, slight hint of Thrash, late 80's Hardcore album.  What I don't understand is how these guys managed to survive Boston straight edge jock Punk scene all those years, Gang Green were too cool and too fun, but maybe that was it, they just laughed in all their faces and partied on!!

Les Rita Mitsouko -- The No Comprendo

  Punk Synth Wave frenchy weirdos Les Rita Mitsouko.  Although I really like this album primarily because of two great numbers, C'est Comme Ca and Someone To Love, the rest of it sounds so unsteady even thought they had producer extraordinaire Tony Visconti at the helm ... and there's something about mega hit Andy that sounds like an avant-garde goofy stripper song.  

Sugarhill Gang

  Soul Funk drenched Hip Hop innovators The Sugarhill Gang.  I admittedly didn't hate this LP but for god sakes was it ever cheesy, case and point and I quote, "on and a on and a on and a on on on, I'm gonna rock you like a filet mignon ..."

Rodriguez -- Searching For Sugar Man

  A heavily underrated, mega talented and almost completely lost singer/ songwriter, who has finally gotten the kudos he's deserved 40 years later thanks to the academy award winning documentary Searching For Sugar Man.  Was Rodriguez like Nick Drake, missing the folk boat by a couple years, his blend of Bob Dylan meets Leonard Cohen who hangs out with Donovan was a year or two too late, but brilliant nonetheless, one of the tunes even forced out a couple crocodile tears out of my eye ducts, which in itself says it all ... not every great song writer can make you cry!

Timbre Timbre

  So there I am having an after work beer at my friend's place, I suggest that she play something I could review, so she puts on this watered down Sesame Street version of Nick Cave ... don't get me wrong there were some exceptional tracks, but all in all I'm not about to go out and bust a nut to get this on vinyl.

Punk & Disorderly

  A run of the mill Punk UK compilation, and why are the Kennedys always the only American band to make it on these things??  Admittedly these songs are good but very forgettable,  except for Demob's No Room For You, which is inscribed Dmob on the album, anyway, the track is a bass driven anthemic chanter, and probably one of the best one's I have ever heard, unfortunately the band only released two singles before splitting up, fortunately their best tune made it on this record!

Wire -- Pink Flag

  Killer debut album by pioneering Punk band Wire.  They may have taken their cue from The Ramones, but Wire amp it up a notch, while inadvertently making the template for American Hardcore and this was just their start!  

The Breeders -- Pod

  Man I really like their sound, but the song structure is so uneven, it's like they took a sonic step forward but took a form step back.  It's still a great debut album, but it needed some more work at the time, anyway it's too late for that! NEXT!

Animal House

  Ok yes it's a great hilarious movie and the soundtrack is pretty good, but the real thing to write home about is Otis Day And The Knights.  They are the phoney joke Soul-ish Doo Wop group within the film.  Even-though they are hilarious to watch and hear, they pull off their schtick beautifully, their version of Shout is a real romper, but my personal favorite is the nonsensical ballad Shama Lama Ding Dong which pokes fun at kooky Doo Wop phrasing but at the same time homages it with their authentic sound ... "and that is why, shoo doo doo do do do!" 

Frank Sinatra -- In The Wee Small Hours

  A blue themed slew of cover tunes with a score that is reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann and Sinatra's soft breath pangs of loneliness ... I liked this album, although it might not make it on the turntable too often, but it definitively has it's place, you can clearly see that this record had a deep impact on Tom Waits.

Devo -- Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

  Imagine getting discovered by David Bowie and Brian Eno, how f*cking cool would that be, then to have Eno produce your debut album which became your greatest contribution to Rock 'n' Roll, man my head would be more swollen than a shitty bar band who think they're awesome!  Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! sounds like Television on speed, unfortunately the rest of their career wasn't as strong ...  

Jackson 5 -- Greatest Hits

  I don't really mind the Jackson 5, but are they the same caliber as other Motown artists ... hardly.  They are just too cute and packaged to sell to the masses, but you can't say that breaking down barriers with adorable little faces wasn't one hell of a brilliant plan!  

She And Him -- Volume One

  Don't get me wrong M. Ward is great, but I f*ckin' hated this album, mostly because of Zooey hipster princess Des-crap-nel's singing, yeah I get it she's cute and probably cool, but some people are only meant for back-up vocals... my guess is Wardy really really really wanted to get in, "Mary-Jane rotten crotche's, purtty pink panties," and this is how he did it!

Groovie Ghoulies -- Travels With My Amp

  Fun, cute and quirky Weasel style Punk.  Even-though these guys are a one trick pony I can't help but have a major soft spot for this kinda music, it just reminds me of being young, flirting with girls, acting silly and smoking lots of pot!

Charlie Pride -- Someone Loves You Honey

  Ok trust me I would never listen to this crapola, but being a record collector in a sh*tnik dirty old town I have to sift through so much garbage to find the goodies ... and there is no artist more popular in this city than Charlie Pride.  The weird part is I have found so many killer gems stuffed in-between Chucky's albums which I find it kinda disturbing, what kind of whahoo digs the Pridemeister and lets say The Seeds or the Velvets or better yet The Smiths, nevertheless who cares, I got some great lps at cheap prices while going through some of the worst albums of all-time.  

The Best Of Chess Rock 'N' Roll

  Man oh man what a killer double album set of heavily essential Rock 'n' Roll music, no scene could have ever happened without all these major players featured on these records.  The best part of this compilation is that it shows that Chess Records wasn't just a one trick Blues pony, they dabbled in R & B, Rockabilly, Rock 'n' Roll and Doo Wop, making them a multifunctional hit machine!