“Peach-heads” and “Spread-heads” alike are experiencing a new vitality as their iconic road warriors continue to refine and re-calibrate their signature Southern sound. As I detailed in my two reviews of The Allman Brothers Band, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks and a sober Gregg Allman are reliving the glory days of Fillmore East in ‘69. Widespread Panic (WP), on the other hand, is exploring life for the first time on planet funk. And to accentuate their new soulful flavor, Night of Joy pairs WP with The Big Easy’s very-own Dirty Dozen Brass Band (DDBB). (Side note for all you indie-rock junkies, DDBB contributed to Modest Mouse’s Good News for People Who like Bad News). Night of Joy was recorded at the House of Blues in South Carolina. Perhaps as a courtesy to the DDBB, only one song on this live recording is over ten and a half minutes long. The other eight tracks average seven and a half minutes, which is just enough time for a concise guitar solo, horn solo and the occasional keyboard noodling. “Rebirtha” which clocks in at 17 minutes and 12 seconds is a bit messy. The seven piece DDBB sounds lost as WP indulges themselves in an extended acid jam session their live shows are known for. Night of Joy opens with a great one-two punch. “Thought Sausage” is a gritty Southern rock anthem that showcases the ferocious guitar work of WP’s new lead guitarist, George McConnell. “Thin Air” is a rambunctious blend of passionate vocals, vintage rock n’ roll guitar, driving percussion and body-shaking Hammond organ riffs. It isn’t until a cover of Bill Withers’ classic “Use Me” that DDBB emerges from the shadows to provide visible song structure. On “Bayou Lena,” and “Old Neighborhood” and “Arleen” the jazz/funk/R&B grooves of DDBB are the most deeply felt. A cover of Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” is thrown into the set list for punctuation. While Night of Joy spruces up what we have come to expect from a WP show, it still gets monotonous by the middle of the album. Perhaps WP is an acquired taste, but I did the whole frat thing at a southern school where “Widespread” was the band of choice. WP is a taste I have digested over and over again. I like them and I like this album, don’t get me wrong, but as an objective critic who spent many summers following the jam band scene, I wonder how much more this band can grow together? Phish realized that they will grow more as individuals than they will as a band. They don’t want to become what The Dead has already become, a “nostalgia” act. For that reason, disbandment is respectable. WP is the next oldest jam band on the scene. Perhaps the demise of Phish will catapult their popularity? Perhaps it will trigger a ripple effect? Perhaps I’m full of shit and just getting old. You make the call… [www.widespreadpanic.com]

Sometimes a band's name tells you a lot; be it a weird allusion to an inside joke, a simple combination of the band members name, or something the label dreamed up, the band name is the first thing you hear and the label that sticks with them through it all. Perhaps nowhere is this better illustrated than with The Concretes, a solid and sturdy band that can do a lot of things but sometimes just isn’t all that pretty to look at. The Concretes is the self-titled album from the dreamy keyboard and string driven band from Sweden. Led by some of the most soothing female vocals around, the album is one that makes coffee drinking in a café while it rains outside seem like heaven. Layered with members and ideas, the band has a multitude of things going on from track to track. The one consistency is the sound and the appeal, but consistency isn’t always what an album should provide, particularly if it stifles the potential. “Say Something New” and “You Can’t Hurry Love” open the album with Doors influenced keyboards and jazzy, old school vibes blending well into the dreamier “Chico”. “New Friend” stays in the same mold before “Diana Ross” pops into your ears with a snare intro and stakes claim as the first song that grabs you from the beginning. Another couple songs fly by before you take notice again. “Seems Fine” is a catchy track and one of the better songs on the album, but its successor, “Lovin Kind,” stands as the crowning jewel of the disc. Ethereal and relaxing, it showcases the best the band has to offer from what it seeks to do on this disc. “This One’s For You” finishes up the disc; a little stronger than some of the other tracks but still not jumping out at you to groove along or admire. Though the second half of the album is stronger than the first, both suffer from a bit of tameness. You don’t get a sense of urgency or energy in much of the music. Some of the songs remind me of a scene in a movie where a kid doesn’t want to perform for the school choir, but his parents make him. He gets up on stage and belts out something beautiful as he stares at the floor visibly bored. The sound is there, and the idea is alright, but you just get a little bored and at times get the feeling it was mailed in. This is a band that would fit well on a solid bill. Someone you would be pleasantly surprised to see in concert and enjoy, but with gas prices the way they are, you wouldn’t drive across town to see them headline. [www.lickingfingers.com]

I started listening to Vehicles & Animals with a certain amount of anticipation, hoping for the "next fab British band" to emerge from the speakers. But really, by the end of it, I was astonishingly bored. Athlete does what they do well enough, but they do it over, and over, and over...well, you get the point. I think the best way for me to describe the music Athlete makes is sort of "slacker British dude" music. It sort of rolls on with a thick accent and plodding stride - the kind of music that invokes the phrase, "If he were any more laid back, he'd be asleep." Does this make sense? I'll give them that the arrangement is quirky. Some of the sounds and rhythms that are in there are pretty unexpected and pretty cool, but they almost seem to be too contrived, not organic but part of a plot to pull one over on you. "El Salvador" is a decent, plucky opening song. Good melodies, good harmonies and interesting keyboard effects make it one of the best tracks on the album. And "Westside" is a great song, very compilation disc worthy. It has an early to mid-nineties sound. "One Million" suddenly turns from a virtual continuation of "Westside" into a bit of a techno tune, which is kind of different. "Out of Nowhere" is actually a really cool song with nice even vocals. It's got a good hook too that doesn't try to confuse to the point where you have to give up like many of the other tracks. By the final songs on the record, though, I've just lost interest, and they start to blend together. Joel Pott's mostly a-tonal, metronomic vocals begin to wear on me around the sixth track, "New Project." Maybe it's just a sound that I don't get. And sometimes I am not as frustrated by it as others, but generally, I just...can't...tolerate...the same...plodding...drone for too long. And despite the interesting music, that's when I usually turn the disc off. [www.athlete.mu]

With the passing of Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead discontinued their touring schedule under that name. Later, the remaining band members reemerged as The Dead. The Allman Brothers Band, however, continues to tour under their original name despite the loss of two forefathers, Duane Allman to a motorcycle accident and Dickey Betts to internal band politics. With three original band mates (Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe), the revised Allman Brothers Band have started a tradition of playing a long string of consecutive shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York called “Peakin’ at the Beacon.” When The Allman Brothers Band was “Peakin’” in the late 60’s, Duane Allman handled slide guitar responsibilities, while Dickey Betts played standard lead guitar. It was a nice one-two punch. Now those duties are shared by Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes respectively. One Way Out vibrantly pronounces that the spirit of Duane and his founding principles have not yet withered. The precise, forceful and inspired guitar leads by Warren and Derek hallmark this live album. Yes, Gregg Allman still possesses a soulful bluesy voice that is rare for a white singer. And yes, Butch Trucks, Jaimoe and Marc Quinones weave together a percussion unit that is both driving and patient. But, it is Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, two-unoriginal members of the band, who are responsible for keeping the Allman Brothers’ legacy alive. Most notably, “Desdemona”, “Instrumental Illness”, “Dreams” and “Whipping Post” accentuate the ferocious chop exchange between the two axe-slingers. While a few standards such as “Statesboro Blues”, “Midnight Rider” and “Wasted Words” contribute nostalgia to the two-disc set, there are a dozen tracks not found on any other live CD, and for that reason alone One Way Out is not just another live CD from a band that makes more money on the road than in the studio. One Way Out is a wake-up call for all old-hippies, blues aficionados and jam band critics who think the Allman Brothers Band has run its course. Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks have resurrected the Dickey Betts and Duane Allman live electricity of the late 60’s. I’m sure Duane Allman and Berry Oakley are smiling from up above. [www.allmanbrothersband.com]

It’s not even officially summertime, and these damn sweltering hot days in Maryland are driving me mad. Of course, summer days evoke summer memories. Barbeques, beach trips and outdoor concerts... just to name a few. What is summer anyway without a Jimmy Buffet, Dave Matthews Band and/or Allman Brothers concert? For dedicated Allman Brothers’ fans, what is late March without a string of consecutive shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York? Live At The Beacon Theatre is a two disc DVD set that provides an up close and personal look at two of the 13 concerts performed in 2003. Just like a string of 13 straight shows in the same venue, this DVD is for dedicated Peach-heads (or whatever they’re called). The first disc contains 21 tracks of strong Southern blues-rock. But like any concert video, the real beneficiaries are the guitar students. Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes do a nice job of swapping guitar solos, and the camera follows all of their sharp finger work closely. These camera shots are particularly interesting because Derek Trucks uses a slide on the fret board while he fingerpicks the strings below. And Warren Haynes uses all of his fingers on the fret board while he hammers the strings below with a standard guitar pick. Both techniques are equally emphasized. “Rockin Horse” and “Soulshine” are good examples of this axe grinding yin and yang. While the music on this DVD set is crisp and cohesive, the charisma exuded by the band members is sub-par, which makes me ask, “Why am I watching this?” The Allman Brothers Band creates ideal summer music perfect for backyard barbeques and long road trips with all the windows down, not for watching a video on the couch. Who can deny they have not jammed out to “Jessica” while driving on the highway with the wind in your hair? If you prefer listening to the Allman Brothers Band, then One Way Out is an excellent buy. It's a two disc CD set of the same material on this DVD. I have reviewed that album as well. However, if you prefer to see the band wail on their instruments, this DVD contains all songs the songs on the CD set plus, “Black Hearted Woman”, “A Change is Gonna Come”, “Maydell”, “Soulshine”, "Leave My Blues At Home”, “The Same Thing”, “Melissa” and ironically enough, “One Way Out.” One final note, the DVD set also includes interviews with the band where each band member basically says the same thing. “We’re sober. Our sound is revitalized. We haven’t felt this good since ’69.” Please see my One Way Out review. [www.allmanbrothersband.com]

With the recent influx of female led acts in indie rock, Lilith Fair would have a pretty decent crop to pick its lineup from, if it were still around. Bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Metric, as well as solo artists like Cat Power, have proved that the girls can bring it year in and year out. Adding to this ever-increasingly long list is Carina Round; a singer songwriter who favors the rock n roll over whining about life, and whose sophomore effort is something to behold. Imagine if Fiona Apple threw away her piano and picked up a guitar and then decided she was a little pissed and wanted to join the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and then you would have an idea of the sound Carina brings to the plate. Disconnection is part strum along crooner, part scream along rocker, but all engrossing. Opening with the pleasant “Shoot,” you instantly fall in love with Carina’s voice, setting your interested level high just in time for the albums early highlight, “Into My Blood.” The strongest and most glorious track on the album, as well as the first single, the perfectly produced track could easily stand alongside “Maps” as an indie crossover sensation. “Monument” showcases well the prototype of her soft and innocent voice setting the foundation for a guitar driven howl of a finish. “Sit Tight” is a lengthy soulful number that brings you down to a slow glide before being smacked upside the head with the album ending “Elegy,” a beautiful track building steadily to its crescendo. With any justice, people will catch on to this girl quickly. Her only downfall might be being seen as too similar to some rock act females out there, but those who underestimate her work would be unwise to do so. Like a beautiful siren, Carina draws you in with her sweet melody and then leaves you flattened with a guitar powered onslaught. A great album from a powerful and soothing voice; everyone should give this one a listen or two. [www.carinaround.com]

When the rumors began to surface that the palatable pop-punk of Blink-182 was said to have “matured” and that the band were “experimenting” with their multi-platinum selling sound, I was a bit skeptical to say the least. I never thought I would be reaching for this CD after having to turn in this very review, but yet again my ears have surprised my expectations. Blink-182 begins with the hook-saturated feel good pop of “Feeling This,” which is also the album’s lead single – and for good reason. The song is exuberant and sing-along friendly and definitely succeeds with its upbeat and anthem-invoking nature, even if it is entirely predictable and does not take the sonic risked promised with this album. However, many of the tracks capture Blink-182 effectively maturing and uprooting their sound only to implant it in innumerable other styles and genres. “I Miss You” – with its catchy piano melody, strutting acoustic guitar, and chiming bells – and “The Fallen Interlude”’s multicultural percussion and cascading guitar note,s which sounds eerily close to something off of Dredg’s Leitmotif, more than showcases Blink’s successful transition into the realm of experimentation and maturation. What is perhaps more interesting is where Blink-182 will go now: After proclaiming with this album that they can tackle so many divergent genres and completely abolish their painfully unoriginal sound for something entirely worthwhile, where will they go from here? I can’t wait to find out. Next thing you know they’re going to have Robert Smith singing on their records or something. Oh wait…. [www.blink182.com]

With a host of musical artists usually aligned with Saddle Creek Records [members of Rilo Kiley wrote the record with Azure Ray’s Orenda Fink guesting], The Elected effectively transition to the indie music institution that is Sub Pop. With a lo-fi sound that filters bits of indie-rock into their alt-country foundation, The Elected have crafted an album that is at once laidback and modest but always sonically compelling and interesting enough to constantly keep your ears gripped to your stereo. Acoustic instruments supply much of Me First’s base with vocal harmonies, strings, keyboards, harmonicas, pianos, woodwinds, and electronics completing much of the sound structure that The Elected is built upon. The sound amounts to what I can imagine an alt-country version of Bright Eyes would sound like. But, most importantly, the record succeeds – Me First is pastoral and country-driven but easily crosses over into numerous other avenues of sound to make the album multifaceted and diverse. [www.subpop.com]

Comprised of love songs that are interesting and complex instead of trite and contrived, it comes as no surprised to find out that the two people behind Carte Blanche’s debut Summer’s End EP are a couple themselves. It is also easy to write this EP off as nothing more than another singer-songwriter take on the acoustic/folk/pop blueprint, but again, you would be wrong to do so. The sounds here are beautifully understated and airy, dreamy pop songs that are modest and reserved. Summer’s End EP is lightly swathed in sighing acoustic guitars, whispered co-ed vocals, almost inaudible drumming, and subtle details, but that just makes this release all the more compelling and worthwhile. Carte Blanche have crafted an album that is personal and intimate, as if they wrote the seven songs that are imbedded on this EP just for you. [www.shmat.com]

When the first thing I hear on an album is feedback, then someone imploring me to “hear [myself], free [myself], fuck [myself]” (“Selfmedicate”) I tend to develop the following seven immediate judgements about a band: (1) This is a metallish band, but probably an upstart who is already applying everything they’d learned from crowd chants to their songs; (2) There will be a fair amount of self-hate on this album; (3) There will be a certain element of anti-religion, specifically Christianity, on this album, if not lots of religious imagery with Christ-identity; (4) There will be screaming; (5) There will be at least one “soft” song of sensitivity; (6) There will be a recurring theme of “fuck the system” because the singer/band/microculture has been shunned by society and feels the need to join as well as rebel. If all these elements are present, I am not surprised nor upset; I’m only concerned that they are done well. “Selfmedicate” takes care of option one, and “Monday Song” (“Life is lost for me…When I feel the burn in my life God please end this”) and “Rain” (“And I’ll always sink into nothing/And I’m on my knees again”) take care of option two wholly, though self-hate is a recurring theme on The Mourning After. “A Season in Hell” (the best song on the album) and “Taxicab Confession” (“Can you feel it my brothers-It’s time to repent/ [screamed] Can I get an amen!”) more than satisfies option three, as well as a bit of option four, which is satisfied by all the songs on the albums except “Breathless,” which is a koan that takes the slot of option number five. And finally, “F.E.” and “Alienation” (“If I could give myself a new face/ Then maybe I could join the human race”) do an excellent job of filling the requirement of option six. Requirements or pre-judgements have been proven; formula has been documented; and the album’s not bad, nor is it remarkable. The musicianship is on par with the standards (I can list them too, like (1) machine-gun drumming preluding a pause, (2) dropped bass twang (most notable users of this: Korn)) and I’m not unhappy. 40 Below Summer have made a good angry, alienated, and hard-ish album. I’m just bummed that I could call it, step by step. [www.40belowsummer.com]

I’m sorry Paul, but since I quit imbibing and going to raves, trance pretty much puts me to sleep, as it all sounds so soothing and so similar. The galloping synth, the four-four beats, the wispy voices echoing in and out of each other - Paul, it’s just not floating my boat anymore. But al plus to Great Wall is that Mr. Oakenfold only has one “original” track, and everything else is just a remix. Sadly, the majority of the songs sound the same… Great Wall reads a bit like a tribute to China, and maybe there’s some hidden meaning behind the idea of a wall. Or perhaps the wall divides something, and Paul’s trying to make a statement. But I have to say, I don’t know what it is. The constant throb of Great Wall is continuous and seemingly unending like China’s Great Wall, and that’s the only parallel I could conclude. There are a few tracks you should rip off the album for your mix CD or MP3 player: Oakenfold’s remix of Skip Raders’ (featuring Jada) “Another Day” is atmospheric and dreamy and would have fit well into Spirited Away. Take the mix of Madonna’s “Hollywood” to your local transvestite/gay club, and you are guaranteed an excellent dance because the song sounds a lot more bittersweet and special this way. The Unkle Remix of Ian Brown’s “Fear” is the best summation of what decent echoing vocals can do for a long car trip, and, while it is often difficult to improve on Bjork, Oakenfold’s remix of “Pagan Poetry” magnifies Bjork’s iridescent vocals in an interesting way; though this remix can get annoying after repeated listens. Great Wall is a good addition to your remix collection, though you probably won’t listen to it with great reverence because, if you remember, this is the same perpetrator who gave Shifty Shellshock (Remember that goofy Crazytown band? That “singer”) another hit. [www.pauloakenfold.com]

Leaving their Massachusetts hometown proved not so fruitful for Piebald. Shortly after relocating to the promised land of California, the band retreated back to familiar Boston to work on the best album of their career. All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time is a perfect follow up to 2002's We Are the Only Friends We Have, and should bring a lot of recognition to their new home on Side One Dummy Records. Once called "the bastard child of the Pixies and Weezer," Piebald has come into their own a little more with each album, and though the guitar work is still a bit Pixies-ish on occasion, and there are the Beatles-esqe moments as well, Piebald should only be thought of as being themselves. Comparing this album to any previous work makes their maturation obvious; songs are catchier, sunnier, and in the past, as much as I adore them, the band had some songs that were flat out fucking annoying. Thankfully there's none of that this time around. Despite surgery on his vocal cords since the last album, Travis Shettel still can't sing for shit, but he makes up for that with improvements on all other angles--he's writing better lyrics, stronger songs and his guitar work has grown too. "Present Tense", "The Six Eighter" and "The Jealous Guy Blues" are my favorites, but even the worst songs are still enjoyable. While they're not cute enough to "break big," Piebald's charm and wit haven't let them down yet and probably never will. [www.piebald.com]

Along with Charlotte Martin’s In Parentheses, I received the obligatory bio, along with interviews with the self-described “partial goth” that highlighted Martin’s love of The Cure’s Disentigration, her stint as a former opera major at Eastern Illinois University and her crowning as Miss Illinois Teen USA in 1994. In a way, it’s too much information because Martin’s music told me all of this (in terms of mood) by the time I got to “Pretty Thing,” the third track on Martin’s 4 track EP. A pretty girl with a pretty voice wrote pretty songs. Surprised? There’s a certain depth to Martin’s music, such as the final track “Monster” reveals with talks of “putting ghosts to bed” and “am I woman because I’m scared to be a man?” But she soars Paula Cole with the fade-outs, the “oooh, what would I do” singy chorus and imploring that the “monster in her mouth has to scream.” No doubt, but when? Because there’s not much of a femme-growl from Martin, even when she decides to get “medieval on boy bands” (“In Parentheses”), and it’s disheartening, because she’s a hella-better lyricist than Avril, the current token youth edgy girl with an attitude. In Parentheses is a solid release with great musicality, great production, but there’s little truly earth-shattering, little truly jolting. To put it another way, when similarly talented piano women, Martin’s contemporaries in a sense, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos and Kate Bush get angry, you can feel their volcanic wrath; while Charlotte Martin’s anger feels more like an earnest match flare. [www.charlottemartin.com]

When I graduated college this May, it was kind of anti-climatic, because I have to return in June to take 6 hours worth of credit to fulfill the hour requirement of my major, even through my total transfer hours are 172, and the graduation hour requirement is 125. Things just don’t work well academically when you jump around a lot. What, you may ask, does this have to do with The Waiting Room? Academically, it’s not a good idea to jump around, go all over the place. But for music it’s okay, even cool. It’s okay to experiment with your sound, to jump genres... even on one album. It’s really great when your songs don’t sound the same or when you don’t spout the same lyrical themes in every song on your album. Godsmack does this well. But I own only one Godsmack album, and it wasn’t exactly a willing purchase. So I have to say that I would also not willingly purchase ArmsBendBack’s The Waiting Room for similar reasons. Sure, there are some redeeming qualities, such as singer/lyricist Mike Coasey’s pleasant and plaintive yowl and choruses (done best on tracks like “Countdown to the End of the World” and “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes”) and the awesome metal-speed drumming of Andrew Kegerise. But these redemption pieces do little to make the album a spectacular event. It’s self-indulgent in a nu-Incubus, emo way that’s unattractive to the quality of the music, and the “Alls you do is walk away I’m drowning/I can’t think about anything but you/Shut up I hate you” lyrics are very, very tired. Very. Armsbendback are probably an excellent live band, and they are earnest and have a good thrash around in angst, rock sound, but since every song on this album has some scream of dissidence accompanied by the now-hackneyed loud/soft dynamic, I am nonplussed. [www.armsbendback.com]

A B-sides collection is the type of release marketed towards a focused, rabid fan-base, quelling both the desire for the artist to release subsequent material and the desire for fans to snatch up every possible song. Typically, B-sides are B-sides for a very good reason: They aren’t developed enough to impact every potential listener but have a sufficient amount of ideas to interest the most passionate of fans. Recent examples that come to mind are System of a Down’s extremely forgettable Steal This Album and Radiohead’s less than fantastic Japanese release Com Lag. Moby’s 18 B-sides has a few highlights that are clearly good enough to have been considered for the initial album tracklist but a lot that fall into the underdeveloped category. Yet, to an album that seemed entirely themeless, its B-side counterpart is surprisingly more organized and feels a little more sumptuous. “Landing” and “String Electro” may not be the most ornate Moby songs, but they feel much more pragmatic than most of 18. [www.moby.com]

Radford’s Sleepwalker embellishes the mainstream rock song structure with some programming and keyboard elements that instill a somewhat refreshing quality to an otherwise average guitar album; the lyrics at times have a similar feel. For example, in “Dead Heart” the lyrics begin: “From the back seat of a stolen car, to the back door of a sleazy bar” and later on continue, “From the front room of a penthouse, to the bedroom of a whore house.” This is a great angle to take for the post-highschool Rock audience; the drunken triviality of such lyrics isn’t intended to be reflexive, intelligent, or clever. It’s completely situational and contradictory to current Rock-radio trends. However, most other songs take the standard and much less interesting route; the album suffers from predictability and ultimately bland prose. Had the sarcastic approach been further explored (as opposed to the “I am in pain, and this is why” angle) it could have been much more interesting. It is a slight tangent to music you’ve already heard, and as a tangent it is quite enjoyable, but it’s still just music that you’ve heard already. [www.radfordmusic.net]

The Cost of Living is another example of a CD that I have had for months and really enjoy yet am having a hard time writing about. Other journalists have cited Sharks and Minnows’ move from a pop-punk or emo sound to a more developed and mature sound, but this album marks my first encounter with the band. So who am I to judge? To be honest, while I definitely think this album is solid as a whole and is full of great songs, it has just failed to really get me excited. Hence my predicament To be fair, of the 16 tracks on this album, there isn’t a single track that isn’t at least good. The songs show a wide range of styles and highlight different talents of the band ranging from slow guitar or piano driven songs to peppy pop tunes and surprisingly catchy melodies. The music draws comparisons to every indie band of the last decade including Sunny Day Real Estate, Archers of Loaf, Guided by Voices, Superchunk and others, which basically means their sound is hard to pin down. It should also be noted that the production on the album is exceptionally good; it comes across as a very clean and distinct mix but doesn’t take it too far and seem over-produced. The Cost of Living may best be described as a ‘sleeper hit’. It is one of those albums that doesn’t blow you away immediately but slowly starts to creep into your frequently played list until you can’t get enough of it. In a world of here today, gone tomorrow and ‘band of the moment’ success stories, Sharks and Minnows may have the right approach after all. [www.sharksandminnowsmusic.com]

Several weeks ago I received Jawbreaker’s Dear You in the mail and I thought, ‘Isn’t this album really old?’ You see, despite being into grunge and indie music in my youth, I never really got into Jawbreaker the first time around. I knew of them; I knew they were good, but they just never made it into my buying radar while in the store. Who would have thought that 10 years later I would come across the band again, and this time I paid attention! Let’s face it, unless you’re like me and never gave the band a chance, you probably aren’t going to buy a Jawbreaker record just because they added a couple songs and re-released it ten years later. Undoubtedly, this re-release is aiming at the new wave of pop-punk and emo kids who want to take a break from Saves the Day and go back and listen to the roots of indie music. Like it or not, Jawbreaker played a huge part in breaking indie or emo music to the masses, and Dear You marked the band’s first and only release on a major label. See, back then indie bands didn’t sign to major labels, and when Jawbreaker did and supposedly got a million dollar deal, some of their fans called them sellouts and split. The resulting record is clearly not the band’s best, but as a new Jawbreaker fan, it was sufficiently good to draw me in and get me to dive into their back catalogue. There isn’t much that is new to be said about releases such as this. If you are a die hard Jawbreaker fan, then you probably already bought this. If you are looking to discover what the band is all about, then pick up Dear You and give it a try. I can guarantee you that if you like it, you are going to love the rest of the band’s releases. [www.blackballrecords.com]

I've sat on this review for a long time. I've watched the DVD of 19 shorts and tried to figure out what it is about this collection that would appeal to people. First off, it should be noted that the entire disc consists of humor that appeals to those interested in the offensive, the vulgar, the bizarre, and/or the nonsensical. If this disc was playing at a party with the sound off, anyone who happened to watch it for a moment would probably laugh purely based on the concepts (Ninjew, any of the Maakies). However, once the sound was turned up people would surely lose interest. The writing and voice acting seems amatuer at best - and maybe that's the allure. Spike & Mike have obviously gotten together a collection of shorts from writers or animators that show some promise in being able to develop truly obscure ideas. The final goal is not to create the most professional looking short, most of them are fairly crude in comparison to the sort of thing you'd see on Cartoon Network, but to allow people to have an outlet for their cartoon'ed creativity. It's unfortunate that the majortity of works here are "Incredibly Immature Adult Material," but it certainly has its audience. Those who love the crudeness of Ren & Stimpy, the stupidity of Beavis & Butthead and distribute high-fives whenever someone rips a good one after a meal...this is perfect for you. If you're looking for something a bit less crude in subject matter - Bill Plympton, Don Hertzfeldt - you'll probably want pass. Recommended viewing based purely on visuals: Maakies, Lupo the Butcher, Gack Gack and Hangnail. Recommended viewing based obscurity: Ninjews, Peepshow, Swing Sluts. [www.spikeandmike.com]

Ever heard of this movie? Me neither. Just to bring you up to speed, lead actress and co-producer Gina Gershon’s previous works include Showgirls and Bound. That may be why this academy award worthy flick missed your cinematic radar screen. Right… But we’re here to talk music. Gina Gershon is a true renaissance artist. Not only does she act, but she sings lead vocals on this soundtrack as well. However, doing and succeeding are two very different things. As a result, this soundtrack is more of a fun side project than a musical gem. Shaquille O’Neal’s rap catalog and Russell Crowe’s aussie rock band are comparable enterprises. Courtney Love’s career is going that way as well… If Joan Jett and the Blackhearts decided to reunite for a soundtrack, this might be it. The verdict? This is a worthwhile purchase if you either have a bizarre Gina Gershon fetish or you have a mullet and anxiously anticipate the next 80’s hair-band reunion tour. [www.preyforrockandroll.com]