| ROCKIST | HOME | REVIEWS | INTERVIEWS | BANDS ON TOUR | LINKS |
| BEST OF THE NEW BEST OF 2003 BEST OF 2002 BEST OF 2001 | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S1 S2 T U V W X Y Z |
| Slowcoach
- New Strategies are Necessary, This is Not Solid Ground Solea
- Even Stranger EP |
Stuntbike - Gone I've now listened to this quite a few times and I'm really starting to love it. I love the sound of the guitars on this album; it fits in rather nicely with Seam's The Problem with Me in my head. The vocals are on the lazy, breathy side. The over-all tone of this album is melancholy side of things (Red House Painters, Bay), like they've just broken up with their lovers and don't mind it because now they have these songs. One of the brightest stars shining over the ocean. (Smalltown Supersound) Sugarsmack - s/t These are the guys that bought up the Power of Pop! sets that Rhino put out a couple of years ago. They bought the CDs and man, did they love them. They learned from them, too. They learned how to write some catchy melodies, write songs around a couple of major chords, play tasteful solos, and sing about fun in the summertime just like Rick Springfield, Tommy Tutone, Material Issue, and The Posies. One line on this albums sums it all up: "You know that you can't lose with the oohs, the aahs, and the oo-oo's." (The Bombardier Recording Co.) Sunday's Best - where you are now Part of the new generation of bands interested in making music that'll lull you to sleep. Like Christie Front Drive with a couple worn-out sparkplugs. These guys make real pretty, delicate music with simple drums, picky guitars, and wistful lyrics. (Crank!) |
| Sorry About Dresden - The Mayor Will Abdicate The worlds needs a few more bands like Sorry About Dresden. This NC quartet plays the rock with a healthy dose of the pop. But when they get poppy, it's more in the Karl Hendricks, Wedding Present, Pixies vein than the Tullycraft or Elephant 6. The singer squeezes and spits the words out like it hurts. I like that. Fans of such under-appreciated talents (and fellow Archers aficionados) like Track Star, a Muler, and Death Star should add S.A.D. to their list. (I still don't get the name.) (Route 14 Records) Spark Lights the Friction - L'Homme Robotik Sadly, these Syracuse boys broke up before the world got to hear their wiry hardcore sound. Thankfully, we have this record of their existence. If you like your hardcore with energy and smarts, track down this disc. (Trustkill) |
Super Hi-Five - Strength Control Action
A split label release...three guys from Pennsylvania playing fast punk rock with vocals you can barely understand. (Yes, lyric sheet is included) Can't go wrong with quotes from John Cusack and Marlon Brando films. Drums could sound a bit better, but there's definitely some good things going on here. I willing to bet these guys are really fun live. (Coolidge Records) Superchunk - Here's to Shutting Up Yeah, it's poppy, but it also has some of the smartest melodies you're going to hear for a while. (Merge) |
| Spiritualized - Royal Albert Hall October
10, 1997 Live Jason Spaceman and the Spritualized crew have outdone themselves. They have taken their relatively simple pop songs and (with the help of a choir, some horns, and some strings) created an album that is the best representation of their work thus far, every bit worthy of the majestic nature of the venue. The first disc is mostly the band by themselves, while the extras come into play on the second. "Come Together" with the choir is a stunner and makes this album. The interplay of Jason's voice with the choir is at once odd and ideal. A must-own for any fan of the Velvet Underground, Jesus and Mary Chain, Spacemen 3, and anyone impressed or unimpressed with Spiritualized before. (Arista/Dedicated) Squidboy - Drinking Songs These are the factors that makes this a winner in my book: venom and spunk; the hooks; the prominent place this will take on your shelf next to your Social Distortion collection, Rocket from the Crypt's Scream, Dracula, Scream, The Enkindels and the new Armchair Martian album; they're from Des Moines; the great cover and graphics; the solid production efforts by AJ Mogis (who produced two of my favorite albums of the past couple years, Cursive's two LPs.); it's one of the best recent releases Allied's done. (Allied Recordings c/o Mordam; Augogo) |
Superchunk
- The Majestic 7" "Did you think I wore rejection well?" 18 days of intensive surgery fixed my jaw after I saw them this past January. Playing a mix of hyper versions of "Nu Bruises," "Watery Hands," "Hyper Enough" and new songs (previews from their next album, due in early fall.) They were all out of singles at the show, but I found this the next weekend and I'm stumped- this just sounds so restrained after seeing them live. Not quite fitting with the songs on Indoor Living or Here's Where the Strings Come In, this pair of songs probably fit best with the first few songs on The Laughter Guns EP. Essential. (Merge) Superchunk - 1,000 pounds EP A little bit more sugar to tide us Superchunk fans over? In addition to the single, they've included a great mid-tempo tune called "White Noise", a fun cover of Bowie's "Scary Monsters" (which I got to see them play on Halloween...very fun), and an acoustic version of the single. (Merge) |
| Strike
Anywhere - Change is a Sound "Inside us there's a nation hidebound and unaware...a people's insurrection of the soul to kill despair...RELEASE US NOW!" Maintaining a non-stop presence on the frequent listening stack here at Rockist H.Q. is the first full-length release from this Richmond, VA band. The first thing one notices about the record is just HOW HUGE the guitars sound. The second thing you notice is the inspired and uplifting vocals that make this an incredibly fun and empowering sing-a-long album. Punk rock that drives musical inspiration from New York H/C of the late 80s and early 90s, the melodic H/C of bands like Lifetime, and their contemporaries Avail and Hot Water Music and lyrical inspiration from the need to live better lives than what we're handed. (Jade Tree) |
Superchunk
- Cup of Sand Superchunk is a band that has prided itself on giving fans a constant stream of singles and EPs both in conjunction with and in between full-lengths. That these odds and ends rank among their best work is somewhat unfortunate as it tends to weed out all but the most devoted of fans. But now the band has delivered up a rather tasty appetizer of singles and b-sides in a sequence so strong it sounds better than most band's full-lengths. Not just for previous fans, this release offers up some of Superchunk's best songs, including "The Majestic," "Her Royal Fisticuffs," "Never Too Young to Smoke." Particular favorites include the poignant "Does Your Hometown Care?" , the eloquent "Bassement Life," and the epic "The Mine Has Been Returned to Its Original Owner." If the first half of the first disc on this double CD doesn't convince you that this is one of the best bands ever, then it's time to head back to school. (Merge) |
| Joe Strummer
and the Mescaleros - Streetcore When Joe Strummer passed away of heart failure in December 2002, he left behind a legacy as one of rock and roll's true heroes, a man whose life and music embodied Heart, Freedom, Introspection, and a true love for humanity, coupled with a willing ness to expose its flaws. He also left behind an album that was in the finishing stages. The second most remarkable thing about this album was that it was able to be completed in spite of the main songwriters' death. But with the blessing of Sturmmer's wife, the Mescaleros holed themselves up in the studio and crafted the unfinished songs into a remarkably cohesive album. The most remakable aspect about this album is just how good the songs are. Undoubtedly his best solo album (and best album since his work on The Clash's Sandinista). Streetcore is filled with song after song that demonstrates that Strummer was a true master of his craft. This album succeeds an impressive musical biography that takes us from Strummer's days of busking, the straight-up punk of the first Clash album, to his discovery of reggae, dub, and rocksteady, his experimentation with dance beats world rythms, his love of country and early 1950s rock and roll. It has flow and is cohesive (unlike the previous solo efforts) and most importantly, the songs have really staying power. This is a wonderful final gift a truly great man...a man who will be missed. (Hellcat/Epitaph) |
Sweep the Leg Johnny - 4 9 21 30 These guys gained a 'math rock' tag by the time I'd heard this album. While I think there's definitely a method here, I can't help thinking that the wailing saxophone gives this album an amount of playfulness, even in the angrier parts. Not a playfulness like Weezer or the Cardigans, but the playfulness that may accompany that jazz band filling the bar on a Friday night. Yes, this has a jazz-y feel (blame that on the sax too) that reminds me of watching Karate live as well. The saxophone weaves along and against and within the guitar and when heard together, somehow it all makes sense. The interaction between the sounds is incredible. In particular, I love the hyperactive bounce of "shower scene" and the slower, wistful "face perpendicular to the shoreline." Much like the new Fugazi and Red Medecine to some extent, the strength of this disc lies in its completeness.(Divot PO Box 14061 Chicago, IL 60614-0061) Sweep the Leg Johnny - Going Down Swingin' review on AllMusic.com |
| MORE REVIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |