The (international) Noise Conspiracy Survival Sickness Burning Heart / Epitaph By: Eric G. Former Refused frontman Dennis Lyxzen gave up punk for sixties mod garage rock? What is going on? His style of music may have drastically changed, but his message remains the same as Bart Simpson’s and Public Enemy’s: fight the power. It’s impossible […]

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The Busy Signals Baby's First Beats Sugar Free By: Eric G. This is not exactly the type of record you’d expect a guy who used to be a roadie for Babes In Toyland to make. Howard Hamilton III patches together analogue electronics with a cut and paste sample style that favors melody over the abruptness […]

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Sgt. Rock Live The Dream Wiiija / Beggars Banquet By: Eric G. If Fatboy Slim hadn’t already cornered the market on stoopid beats and funky samples, Sgt. Rock might be sitting on a commercial goldmine, but, as it turns out, he’s about two years too late. This type of techno party jam funk had long […]

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Bluebird The Two Pacifico By: Eric G. At first Bluebird seems to have one leg in its obvious post-punk roots and the other stretching desperately to reach MTV’s Buzz Bin.’ The thick, thudding bass and the frequent starts and stops give way to the punk shadow that looms large over Bluebird, but the band seems […]

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Take Me Home A Tribute To John Denver Badman By: Eric G. I never thought that I would find myself extolling the virtues of John Denver songs, but here it goes… Yes, John Denver was a goofy hippie. The bowlcut…the glasses…he was a cheeseball for sure- the type of guy who would use the word […]

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Weston You Kiss Like An Angel 7 inch Mojo By: Brent R. It’s interesting to note that the last words before the “Thank you” list on Weston’s last studio album, Matinee, are “Long Live The Pixies!” because the opening of its brand new 7” sounds just like “Where Is My Mind?” off the indie-rock staples’ […]

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Flare Celebrate The Misery 7 inch Mother West By: Eric G. My only complaint about The Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs was Stephin Merritt's frequent shirking of his vocal responsibilities. I understand the reasoning behind his decision to bring outsiders into the fold; he didn't want listeners to get sick of his voice over the […]

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