American Alternative music reviews

Buy If'n for the first 2 songs.... Enjoy If'n... Then ask yourself... Self? Do I need to spend my lunch money on one song? If you're a hardcore Watt fan you will... Otherwise///

Well as usual.... Can't go wrong w/ the Firehose name. But... ya better buy If'n for the bang for your buck and get this if ya have to have that 3rd song...

A nifty 3-CD box set of three of The Cramp's early albums.You get 'Songs The Lord Taught Us'('80),'Psychedelic Jungle'('81)and 'Off The Bone'('83).Total of 49 tracks.All have been previously released,some many times over.So,I assume this box set is primarily for completists OR patrons that USED to own this music at one time,but doesn't any longer.So good to hear once again those Cramps tunes that any true fan never grows tired of,like "Goo Goo Muck","Human Fly","The Way I Walk","Surfin' Bird","Garbageman","Uranium Rock","Mystery Plane" and the boot stomping "I'm Cramped".Great classic psychobilly to fully soak in.

In my humble opinion, The Cramps have never released a bad album, although some vary in degrees of twisted, subversive genius. This box, which not only contains the previously released albums listed, but also the raw "Gravest Hits," showcases the band during its nascent years, when a lot of people wondered what rock they crawled out from under. Although production values on subsequent releases would get relatively more polished, and Poison Ivy's swampy, rockabilly colored guitar work would improve to the point that a second guitarist was no longer deemed necessary, The Cramps psychotic, sub B-movie influenced take on the sounds that originated at Sun Studios remains intact. "Can't Find My Mind," "Garbageman," and their cover of rockabilly chestnut "Tear It Up" make this an essential purchase for fans of punk and rockabilly alike. My life would be a lot less fun without The Cramps... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

All of the material here is previously released on said three albums. They could of at least put it in chronological order and maybe added some new pictures or liner notes. There is no reason to buy this album if you already have those albums.

It'd be nice if the Cramps had some kind of control over Miles Copland's (IRS) renegade treatment of their catalog.

Two discs,with a total of forty-five bands.Due to space limitations,I'll just list the bands and not the tunes of the tracks that I enjoyed the most.Disc one introduces bands on the Bomp and Voxx labels.I dug the tunes by The Zeros,Dead Boys,Brian Jonestown Massacre,Psychotic Youth,Iggy&The Stooges,The Germs,The Heartbreakers(no,not Tom Petty's band),DMZ(doing a 13th Floor Elevator cover)and the Martians.Disc two features bands from the Total Energy and Alive labels.It's equally as good and includes some killer cuts by Swell Maps,Street Walkin' Cheetahs,U.S.Bombs,Pink Fairies,Deviants,MC5,John Sinclair and Sun Ra And His Solar Myth Arkestra.Comes with a 16-page booklet that lists the line-up and details of each song.Fantastic cover!

Incredible collection of must-have tracks from Bomp, Alive and Total Energy. From Iggy and the Stooges, the Dead Boys, Zeros, Germs, Dils, Swell Maps, Deviants, etc etc etc -- this is the best compilation I've ever heard. Having the musical pedigree Bomp has, this shouldn't be surprising, but most comps aren't worth picking up. This one is -- especially if your copy comes with a great Bomp sticker in it! (Did I mention Sun Ra? and the Pink Fairies? and Tav Falco? . . . .)

Buy it. Play it. Be grateful you are alive to hear this.

This is a great cd! You should definetly get it. There are 2 great live tracks on it. A must for any Wallflowers fanatic like myself!

i love the song 3 marlenas! i think is is s great single and i totally recommend getting it, even if you aren't a wallflowers fan!!!!

This CD is packed with punky goodness. The CD samples heavily from the LA + SoCal (USA) scenes of the 1980s--Agent Orange, Germs, etc. The song selections are wonderful across the board, featuring even good tracks from otherwise not-so-great bands. Only the song by Fear lapses into the violent misogyny which often marred the early punk scene. And--the ablum does overlook some great female talents during these times. Otherwise, the album is furious and fun; well-worth your money and ears.

This is an amazing compilation. This CD is what gets me up in the morning. Every song is pumped full of raw energy, and has the very best of hardcore/punk.

adam and eve in the garden of eden, under the influence of hard apple cider, this is psych-O-delic afterglow music. if there were any justice at all, The Drum and Too Much Sleep woulda been Top Ten AM radio hits. if you love Galaxie 500, then ask ol' Santa to stuff this bad boy in yer stocking.

yes, it is. Ann and Kramer are two very brilliant people who got together before they blew up to make wonderful records to listen to while trying to figure out if life is worth living. It's all crab grass and clover. Or something. Aw, the heck with it...don't forget were nothing yet but bongwater.

When I first heard about a Greek Mark Eitzel album, I was quick to dismiss the idea as another mediocre side-project, much like the covers album "Music for Courage and Confidence", Eitzel's last effort. While "MFCAC" was hit and miss, these Greek interpretations of Eitzel/American Music Club songs are superb. The arrangements, filled with mandolins, violins, et cetera really lend themselves to Eitzel's compositions. The only instrument that strikes me as out of place is the flute/recorder, which doesn't surface too often, thankfully. The best aspect of "The Ugly American" is Eitzel's voice. He has never sung better. His pitch is precise, his phrasing wonderful, and his overall emotion at a greater level than ever. I know it's difficult for Eitzel fans to imagine, but I actually think these versions of "Western Sky", "Last Harbor", and maybe "Will You Find Me?" are better than the originals. Eitzel has changed the lyrics to many of the songs. Sometimes these are nice simple changes, such as changing "astronaut" to "moon man" in the beautiful "Will You Find Me?". However, other songs suffer from too much change. "Here They Roll Down" suffers from such dramatic lyrical change, as well as the worst musical rearrangement on the CD. I actually find it unlistenable. The music consists of the most annoying drone immaginable and the only unchanged lyric is the repeated line "Here they roll down, til the miracle was over". "Nightwatchman" also features quite a few lyrical changes, but is still an interesting listen. Overall, this CD brings yet another dimension of longing, beautiful sadness to Mark Eitzel's songs. Old American Music Club fans will love the AMC era songs. Fans of Eitzel's solo music will love the interpretation of "Anything" and the previously unavailable (except on the limited-to-500-copies "Lover's Leap USA") "What Good is Love?". This is an exceptional track, and I can't believe it hasn't been officially released. "Love's Humming", written by the album's producer, isn't bad, but I would have much preferred an additional Eitzel/AMC track. All picky complaints aside, if you're an Eitzel fan, a fan of Greek music, or if you just love beautiful, melancholy lovesongs, "The Ugly American" is a must-have.

I've been a fan of Brooklyn-based power-popper Frank Bango for many years now, and was mystified by my own muted reaction to this fine album (his third, I believe...) I think it just took a long time to settle into my subconscious; I listened to it several times when it first came out, but couldn't quite formulate an articulate response to the songs. Now, revisiting it a few months later, I find myself as delighted with it as I was with his earlier albums. Bango has a playful sense of wordplay and strong ear for simple melodic hooks, which invite favorable comparisons to Dave Edmunds, Elvis Costello and Graham Parker... He's still "got it," and is crafting some of the nicest, most mature independent pop music out there today. Worth checking out!

This record has slowly seeped into my consciousness. It struck me as an interesting record right away but then it got under my skin. the songs are addictive and upon more listens it became apparent to me that the record has an amazing perspective. What seem to be love songs turn out to be incredibly positive world views. The production is very sparse but still manages to sound lush. Bango's voice is truly unique. Some people might not like the nasal quality to his voice but I find it charming and extremely sincere. This record will find a special place in pop history. I can't wait to discover more.

I suppose we all have our lost causes, and one of mine is Thin White Rope. If they ever made a bad album, I haven't found it, and they left in their wake an astonishingly large number of truly great songs. Why didn't they make it hugely? I have no idea. I can only say that many far less talented bands have achieved far more success.

The heart of the band is Guy Kyser, who provided both the vocals and most of the song writing. Some find his voice unnerving, but I find it unique and perfectly suited to the strange lyrics he wrote. But if you don't like Kyser's voice, you won't like Thin White Rope.

The songs on this album are taken from the band's several studio albums. Not all of my favorites are on this disc; in particular, I miss "Disney Girl," but that is a personal preference only. All in all, it does a really find job of hitting all their best work. This album will either hit you right away, or not at all. If you aren't sold by the end of "Down in the Desert," TWR might be a lost cause for you.

I would strongly recommend anyone interested in Thin White Rope who doesn't are can't collect all the albums to at least pick up this anthology and the absolutely stunning live album they released, THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY. They may be gone, but hopefully thanks to these two great albums, they won't be forgotten.

I bought this because I'd heard the opening track "Down in the Desert" and thought it excellent. I was stunned to find the whole CD is supreme...this is surely one of the best kept secrets in all of rock. Thin White Rope are a combination of Television and Sonic Youth and Nick Cave and Pavement and better than all of them. "When Worlds Collide" is one of my most treasured CDs and one of the greatest compilations in the history of rock music.

This was the first album by the long-defunct, long-out-of-print Feelies I ever heard, and at first I didn't see what all the fuss was about. Quite frankly there isn't really anything "amazing" about this album. Unlike other influential indie groups like My Bloody Valentine or Galaxie 500 - who drenched themselves in the glory of the Velvet Underground, invoked swooning, hungry guitar leads/solos and created something fresh-sounding as a result - the Feelies seem content to play fairly straight-on indie rock, with little pretension or poetry. One wouldn't think this to be much of a strength, but the band manages to create solid rhythms and riffs, with compelling guitar noodling over the top. In a word, the Feelies are irresistable. If college rock was your bag in the 80s and early 90s, check out one of the progenitors of the genre.

That is what The Feelies mean to me. Their music is straight forward, uncomplicated and yet completely enjoyable given its simple construct. I have seen The Feelies live and partied with them afterwards at a freind's house. They are as unpretentious in person as their music. They write songs and perform them from their soul and I am constantly amazed they never achieved greater acclaim.

Buy this CD and I guarantee you will go back to the record store looking for their earlier releases. The Feelies are one of those bands who will make you think to yourself "why haven't I heard of these guys before?". A treasure and a pleasure you will not be disappointed.

I love the Feelies. Four albums (and an EP and some singles) just don't seem like enough. This was their last album (as far as I know) and it contains the same simply produced magic as their earlier efforts, but this time with a little harder edge. This is cool garage music for smart people. Found throughout Time For A Witness are simple yet wonderful guitar-based rythms with haunting, whining, wonderful leads, over smooth drums, percussion and bass that is always, for me, with every single listen, achingly emotional. Glen Mercer's vocals are reminiscent of early Lou Reed -- even in the lyrics, a lot of things are 'alright' -- but that's not to say that the Feelies are K-Mart Velvets; this band has its own unique quirkiness. Here is rock and roll at its deceptively simple best. I love this album. I love this band.