Alternative Rock music reviews

I picked this album up used about 8 years ago, and after listening to it I asked one question. "Who the hell would sell this CD?" selling this album is the equivalent of selling a human soul! For the next 8 years this album along with "Hello Bastards" have had a helping hand in molding me as a person and individual. People have forgotten the days when Saves the Day were nicknamed "Jersey's Second Best Dancers" because of there unapolgetic Lifetime impersonation in the early days of that band.

Starting with the thundering "Turnpike Gates" and ending with the simple and honest "Verona Kings" this album will change anybody who takes the time to listen to it. Yemin's amazing musical sense and Ari's heartfelt words are the perfect complimant to eachother.

Despite being arround for many years before there demise the lineup that would become the best band of the 1990's was only together for a short period of time and only got to put out two albums. Both of which would change music forever. Last month the band did 3 reunion shows for charity, I got the privlage of seeing the last one, and it was easilly the greatest show I've ever been too, and I've seen a million shows! If you don't own this record, buy it now!

This CD, this band itself is definitely one of the most influential and monumental bands in recent time. Showing lyrical and moral comparison to bands like Braid, Rites of Spring, and Sunny Day Real Estate, Lifetime plays simple, straigh-forward, honest music. Honesty is the one thing most bands seem to be missing lately, and it's also the element that seems to separate the good bands from the great bands. I'm in a band myself, and I'd have to say Lifetime is one of if not the greatest influence we've had. Buy this cd or anything from Lifetime! It will surely last that long.

rarely you come across a cd that will stay with you your entire life. this is one of those cd's. this record is a classic, pure and simple. back when it came out I thought they had broken up. I didn't even know this album was coming out. when I opened the packaging and saw the "exit" sign printed on the disc, I knew it was over. but what a way to go out!

luckily I got a chance to see lifetime open for the bouncing souls at the trocadero in philly. they should have headlined. they opened with "turnpike gates" then launched right into "young, loud and scotty." absolutely unbelievable.

this isn't a live review, so as far as records go, this is all you need to know... since 1997 I've been looking for something, anything that could match the sincerity and intensity of "jersey's best dancers." I'm not sure it exists anywhere else.

those who know lifetime's music will forever be hoping for a chance to see them play live again. at least we have the music and it's among the best to ever come out.

Good Satire and enjoyable beats but don't think the whole album is like the two super hits SUPERMODLE and I KISSE A GIRL.

Jill Sobule is the singer/songwriter best(only) known for the semi-novelty song "I Kissed a Girl". This album contains that song plus 11 or 12 other songs she wrote or co-wrote. (The song "Supermodel" is a bonus track that was not on the original version of this album. It was from the "Clueless" soundtrack.) Jill is a quirky songwriter, with a very original style. Most of the songs here are humorous, although more "crack a smile" funny than "laugh out loud" funny. This is a very good album, which should appeal to fans of offbeat girl singer/songwriters.

Jill Sobule has been on my radar since the early 90s. She is a wonderful story-song composer, wtih wit and grace filling every facet of her lyrics and music. She should be much better known.

Good Satire and enjoyable beats but don't think the whole album is like the two super hits SUPERMODLE and I KISSE A GIRL.

Jill Sobule is the singer/songwriter best(only) known for the semi-novelty song "I Kissed a Girl". This album contains that song plus 11 or 12 other songs she wrote or co-wrote. (The song "Supermodel" is a bonus track that was not on the original version of this album. It was from the "Clueless" soundtrack.) Jill is a quirky songwriter, with a very original style. Most of the songs here are humorous, although more "crack a smile" funny than "laugh out loud" funny. This is a very good album, which should appeal to fans of offbeat girl singer/songwriters.

Jill Sobule has been on my radar since the early 90s. She is a wonderful story-song composer, wtih wit and grace filling every facet of her lyrics and music. She should be much better known.

I missed these guys so!! I have this album and bought it shortly after it debuted and still listen to it to this day. Cherry Lips is my absolute favorite on this album, but everything is so wonderful to listen to! I wished that I still lived over in the western part of Washington to catch their latest shows. Check out their website, www.thesouvenirs.com. Their latest single "I'm Still Missing You" is absolute heaven! You will not be disappointed!! Check them out!

My agreement with reebs (see) review...but praying that nothing may happen to prevent their next album. This band is Great. The material only got better with each listen. BUT...the other excellant feature of this album is the recording itself. If you've ever wanted to put some music on, for someone, just to blow their socks off...THIS IS THE ONE THAT'LL DO IT.

I think it's simple, if you like COUNTRY music get this CD. The lyrics and theme of the album echo Hank Williams. If you have a soul, the songs will move you! The beat and the tempo came from Bakersfield. If your foot isn't tappin along, there is no help for you. Honestly, this is the CD I listen to when I am heart broken and not sad about it. The music these guys play is so good, even their sad songs cheer me up. I got this CD after I saw them live as a back-up band, they are that darn good. "King of Heartache" is worth every nickel.

This is one of the most deceptively simple-sounding albums you'll ever hear. On first listen, the songs sound melodic, pleasant enough; you may feel an undercurrent of urgency in the rhythms, but nothing overwhelming. That's OK. You just wait. The Toms have more in store for you. Let Me Come Over is the type of album that only gets better with each listen.
The songs on this album are all first rate, from the blistering opening track "Staples" to "Larry"'s heart-wrenching feedback fadeout to the straight-ahead ass kicking rock of "Velvet Roof" and "Saving Grace" to the lonely, wistfully beautiful, hopelessly romantic "Frozen Lake." Every song is exceptional, but what makes the album greater than the sum of its songs is the remarkable track sequencing. This is not a "concept album" nor do the songs have any thematic link that I am aware
of, but the way each track perfectly complements the last couldn't have been accidental.
Let Me Come Over is also a shining example of how to incorporate personal, introspective lyrics into songs without ever coming across as pretentious or self-pitying. Bill Janovitz uses universal imagery to help the listener relate to, rather than just hear, his lyrics. When he sings "I feel so small/ underneath it all/ but I'm closing in on it" on "Taillights Fade," you know he's not just some wimp in the dumps. This music tells you that yeah, life isn't so hot right now, but hey, you're not alone.
This album has really aged well, to the point that I now consider it more of a close friend than a rock album. I highly recommend Let Me Come Over to anyone who needs a friend, or a great rock album, or a close friend and a great rock album in one.

to see bt live around the time of this recording was to experience an event. The venues were lifted, dropped, rattled. The kids filed out, grinning, shaken and ringing. IF you were there too, then you know...
This album is about as good as fuzzbox power pop gets. If you were around listening to pop music in the early 90's, and missed them, ya better keep your mouth shut about it, cause your canon is incomplete. Yes, there were a few really good bands then. BT was one of them.
I blew out a set of headphones with this.

Let Me Come Over is Buffalo Tom's best work. The songs are variously sweet, tragic, and melodic, but also heartbreakingly relatable tales of life, love, and loss. Its blend of jangling guitars, distortion, and lyrics (laced with the morose-hope that is so uniquely Buffalo Tom) stood as a powerful counterpoint to the "grunge" sound coming from Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Buffalo Tom represent the culmination of growth and perspective that brought us to the era of post-punk and emo.

A must-have for any serious collector of influential music, or fan of indi-rock, it stands the test of time as the best album by a trio ever. Buffalo Tom is the band that gave me permission to musically grow up, and for that I thank them.

This is the first LEVELLERS cd I've ever purchased (and I'm a YANK to boot!) and I must say I sure enjoy this group. Here in the states you can usually find their music in cut-out bins, at least 75% off original rate.
They sing about topics very English, but the charm in the music is the way the lyrics extend into all peoples struggles with 'Authority' and 'modernisation'. You could say their heart yearns for a more back-to-nature worldview (in a vague way like Jethro Tull circa Heavy Horses) with a punkish grit.
The music itself varies its rock sound with heavy celtic/irish interplay...makes you wanna sing along, drink your mead, and create a "minor" ruckus. HOOZAH!!!

The Levellers are huge in Europe but unfortunately not very known in America. Levelling the Land is an awesome album with great lyrics and a very original music approach. The sound is definitely electric, enriched by folk sounds of the accoustic guitar and the fiddle with an edge on hard rock. Songs like One Way of Life, The Boatman, 15 Years, Liberty Song are proof of it, however I would say this album has no bad track. There is anger, passion, love and hope in their music. I have all albums and most of singles and EPs from The Levellers and all are just great, however if you are new to their sound this is the best CD to start with. This is simply good rock, you won't be dissapointed.

i first listened to this album about 4 years ago and i can simply say its my fave album of all time. Having recently watched them in Norwich (6th Dec 03) I am purchasing another ticket to go and watch them this year. The Levellers are great and so is this album, so GET IT BOUGHT!!

Short and sweet, `The Longest Line' was recorded as an excuse for NOFX to show off their new guitar player El Hefe. Having played in a few other bands, and also appearing in the movie "The Bad News Bears" as a child, El Hefe came to NOFX with a big rep. NOFX meanwhile had been trying in vain to drop any Metal inferences and influences from their sound, and a trumpet playing guitarist seemed the obvious way to finish off the misleading Metal references.

The difference in sound between this and previous album `Ribbed' is not immediately apparent. On first impression, "The Death Of John Smith" could easily have been lifted from that album, but then a melodic passage, which wouldn't have fit earlier material pops up, providing a contrast to NOFX's straight forward So-Cal Punk sound.

Fat Mike's vocals were far less melodic than on later albums. His slightly nasal, slightly off key voice can grate at times. His lyrics though were beginning to take on an insightfulness not previously shown, exploring the hopelessness of a nine-to-five existence with an edge of cynicism and sarcasm.

El Hefe finally steps up on closing track "Kill All The White Man", suddenly adding a trumpet and a Reggae sound never heard before from the band. The seemingly happy, almost funky little melody led by Fat Mike's bass, ironically underscores a slave's lament as to his hopeless plight. Hefe sings too, with a more mellow voice than Fat Mike, and punctuates his verses with trumpet bursts. The band kick out the jams for a traditional Punk finale to the EP.

Recorded as an experiment, with a couple of throwaway tracks, `The Longest Line' pointed where NOFX were heading, as the band's song writing improved and diversified. It was a blueprint for a winning formula.

The Longest Line introduced NOFX's newest member El Hefe. Hefe added great talent to the band with great chops on lead guitar, lead vocals, backing harmonies, and trumpet solos.

This EP contains two songs that could easily fit in any NOFX fan's top ten list: The Death of John Smith and The Longest Line. This EP is a must for any true NOFX fan or anyone in search for a good punk recording. The cover art alone is worth the price.

Furthermore, this EP is the turning point in NOFX's career it is where they developed their characteristic sound that can be found on later full length releases.

Cheers. Enjoy

Yeah, everyone is like "oh man the longest line is the greatest song ever!" however, i personally think that The Death of John Smith is the best song on the record. It is phenominal, lyrically and musically. And the other songs are great, too. If you do not own this record, and are a punk rock fan, then you NEED to buy it.

Forget So Long Astoria. This is how The Ataris should be heard. These 6 songs pack emotion into pop-punk (but it's not emo - that's an important distinction) and come off sounding like a combination of the Descendents and the Smoking Popes. They avoid the emo trap they would later fall into by packing these songs with equal doses of emotion and humor. "My So-Called Life" is a tribute to an actress on the TV show of the same name, and the classic "San Dimas High School Football Rules" takes its name from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Even though it's only an E.P, Look Forward To Failure is a quintessential Ataris record.

It's one of the greatest punk rock EP's ever produced. Ironically titled Look Forward To Failure, in retrospect we can see clearly that The Ataris only had success to look forward to after this release, especially with their Blue Skies album that won them an eternal place in punk rock history.

This EP skites six songs, two of which are pretty good and remaining four hover around, if not on, legendary status. And since only one of these four tracks are available on other releases, it makes this EP a must have for Ataris fans and punk rock enthusiasts. The tracks that demand respect I speak of are San Dimas High School Football Rules, My So Called Life, a heavier than Blue Skies version of My Hotel Year and the best of them all, Between You And Me.

The two 'pretty good' tracks Not A Worry In The World and That Special Girl definitely are better than your average album filler. The inner notes state that San Dimas and That Special Girl are to appear in their upcoming album Blue Skies - Not that it ever ended up happening.

I should mention that Mark Hoppus steps up for the cameo vocals on That Special Girl, but really it's a minor role and nothing that a Blink 182 fan would get overly excited about.

I recommend you buy this ironically named EP so your ears can benefit from what it has to offer.

i was in a car with a friend when i heard this one, and since its only 6 songs i got to hear it all. i borrowed this cd and became attached to it and the ataris. san dimas and between you and me have to b the best songs because you can really RELATE to the songs as an average highschool kid. this ep really opened up the world of the ataris to me and i have everyone of their great cds now.

I'm afraid so - and it's great fun. However, Elfman becomes slightly overexcited to tear down politics and religion, and it comes out just a little forced when you first listen. But I love it all, so, I don't think I really condone that last statement.

Track 1 "Grey Matter" is a great stepping stone from the first Boingo album "Only a Lad" and decidedly one of the best Boingo songs. And one of the most true to life. In fact, I would say I knew the person Danny Elfman wrote this about if she (or he) hadn't been born five or so years after it was released.

Track 3 "Private Life" is definitely one of the best of Boingo. Musically quite solid, and the style and sound feels very unique. Not to mention the fairly simple universality of the lyrics.

And Track 4 "Wild Sex (in the Working Class)" is possibly my favorite Boingo song. If you really pay attention to Elfman's lyrical style, you will realize that sex is not really the point, although in many of his other songs it is only as basic as that. It resonates with the familiarity of "Private Life" and yet maintains a distance for those who are too shallow to look deeper than the beat and the chorus.

And Track 7 "Nothing to Fear (but Fear Itself)" should be just pure entertainment anyone who likes Boingo. But it is one of Danny Elfman's proselyting songs, so humor him for being opinionated, please. Unless you agree... Then just enjoy it, I guess.

I bought this for the unbelievably low price of $6.98...only to now find it for $5.99. Six measly bucks for one great album. If you don't jump on this, consider yourself brain-dead.

Now, that out of the way, it's not all wonderful. Reptiles and Samurai gets on my nerves. Same with Insects. But, the rest of the CD is quite enjoyable.

One of my fondest memories is relaxing to Whole Day Off when I was a wee-lad of 16. And who could resist the adrenaline rush of the title track? Same with Wild Sex, Private Life, and the rest of the album.

So, spend the six bucks, you cheap-skate. You won't be disappointed (and if you are, it's only six bucks).

For a short time in the early '80s, Oingo Boingo was right up there with the premier bands of the time. Their infectious grooves, incredible soundscapes and Danny Elfman's wacky vocal stylings dripped with their unique blend of genres infused with a bit of something nobody will ever be able to put their finger on much less duplicate. There just aren't that many bands that can inject so many different sounds into their music without it becoming bloated. With Oingo Boingo, though, every sound has its place and none detract from the overall feel of the music.

If you think you've heard Oingo Boingo but you've never heard this album (or Good For Your Soul), you really haven't heard Oingo Boingo. If you know nothing about Oingo Boingo, start here. This is by and far the best album to start with to get the Oingo Boingo firehose pointed in your face. Good For Your Soul (their next release) is also extremely good, though.

Nothing To Fear is quite possibly one of the best releases of any bands in the 1980s. There just isn't a weak song here. Give it a critical listen. Give it several listens, because it'll be a long time before you get to the point where you listen to it and *don't* hear something you never heard before. It's the gift that keeps on giving; an all-time classic!

I remember the minimum amount of fuss this band got when this album was first released; something of a novelty that got bandied about--that this was a techno band that actually played live.

Well, so did Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Empirion, etc. Even so, I had a soft spot in my heart for any techno-pop group with ambient aspirations. I couldn't give this album any less, although it's a bit of a mystery why they couldn't follow up all the good publicity with an even stronger album.

That aside, "Pressure Me", "Broken English", and particularly "Love U More" all got reasonable airplay, and even wider distribution on dance mix compilations, and upon listening to this ten years after the fact, you realize that it was either them or The Shamen who were gonna make it.

That it was neither didn't mean squat; still a solid electronic album.

I have never thought about it until now but "03" by Sunscreem was my first introduction to the world of dance music. I didn't know it at the time nor did I know what techno music was. I was perusing through my dusty ol' collection of cassettes when I came across an old favorite...Sunscreem's "03". It has been ten years since I have owned "03". I almost forgot how much I enjoyed listening to it until now. I think the music was way ahead of its time. Techno music was strictly underground as far as I know. Had they released "03" in the past 5 years, the group probably would have stood a better chance at making a name for themselves in mainstream music, or at least in the current dance scene. "03" consists of catchy, infectious and danceable music. Lucia Holms provides lead vocals on songs like "Pressure" and my personal favorite "Love U More". Looking back, "03" was a sure indication of my future musical tastes ten years ago.

I actually saw this band in concert in Seattle (must have been '93-ish). I didn't expect anything: Some no-name band playing techno-house (live? Yes, Live) in a dingey, grungy back-alley type bar... I only went 'cuz I was dragged by a friend to go... :-p

Man - they were amazing! I bought the CD, Album & took one of the posters from the concert - - it hung on my wall for the next few years (man - wish I still had that).

One thing about this CD that I LOVE is all the songs blend together. In my younger dayz (did I say that?) I would beat-match and mix music, and I must say, this album got some plenty fine playtime... I recently came across the CD (all I have left) when I bought my iPod. Sure is great to listen to this again!

If you like Rave/Techno/Electronica/Dance/Trance music, BUY THIS! you won't be disappointed!