American Alternative music reviews

Like every other cover Killdozer did, "Aquarius / Let The Sun Shine In (The Flesh Failures)" is excellent and makes this CD a must for any Killdozer fan.

This band is proof that there are still some good guys in the music industry. I have met them on numurous occasions and the one thing that struck me the most was how genuinly appreciative they are of their fans. The music speaks for itself. Just listen to it and you will be blown away. Every tune will catch you. These guys are the best thing to come out of Columbia since Hootie and the Blowfish. BUY THIS CD...you won't regret it...

Actually, the editorial review mostly says it all: the other two songs are available elsewhere, "Jet Plane" is only on this. So you have to make a decision there. As for the version of John Denver's "classic", it walks the same line of (in)sincerity as Dinosaur Jr's "Just Like Heaven" and "Show Me the Way" covers. For me it was worth it to have the regular (great) albumn along with the three extra tracks in one, but again, cost and desire have to be weighed.

One of the problems with "Eponymous," the 1988 album that is a collection of singles from the first five R.E.M. released on I.R.S., is that it stops a lot of people who jumped on the bandwagon when the Athens group switched to Warner and made it to the top of the music world with their hit "Losing My Religion" from going back and listening to those earlier albums. That would be a mistake, because that would mean missing out on "Murmur," the 1983 album that created R.E.M.'s distinctive sound and which, in retrospect, can be seen as an important album in the history of music as representing the move from post-punk to alternative music. "Murmur" only made it to #178 on the Billboard 200 chart (#36 for the Pop Album version), but this is clearly a case where the tree in the forest most definitely makes a sound, regardless of the number of people there to hear it. Remember that "Rolling Stone" named "Murmur" the best album of 1983, which was the year of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and the Police's "Synchronicity."

R.E.M. was formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980, originally playing under the name Twisted Kite and performing garage rock covers and original folk-rock songs. "Radio Free Europe," their first single, was recorded in 1981, released on the tiny Hib Tone label, and showed that all of the pieces that would becoming familiar, the jangle pop sound and cryptic lyrics, were already in place: you cannot help singing along with the chorus even if you have no clue what the rest of Michael Stipe's lyrics are saying. The single topped the "Village Voice" poll for Best Independent Single, and landed the group the I.R.S. contract. After an EP, "Chronic Town," the full-length "Murmur" constituted the group's debut album. While there is not another track as solid as "Radio Free Europe" on the album, the rest of the songs are clearly in that vein.

The songs on "Murmur" have an atmospheric quality that is quite distinctive, although you can certainly see strong folk-rock, post-punk, and garage-rock elements throughout, although what R.E.M. does with those elements is unique as well. "Talk About the Passion" is the other signature song from the album, and a prime example of how Stipe's lyrics attain great depth by refusing to be pinned down (although having some lyrics in French is adding insult to injury for those of us who always have trouble understanding what exactly he is singing). "Catapult" is a good example of what a pop song sounds like in R.E.M.'s hands (and the effective way in which bassist Mike Mills often responds to Stipe's vocals in the chorus), with "Pilgrimage" and "Perfect Circle" showing their expanding musical range. This is not to say all of these songs hold up; "Moral Kiosk" sounds rather dated as the exception to the rule. But overall this is a landmark album should end up being one of your favorite R.E.M. albums.

Murmur is the finest album I've heard from R.E.M. thus far. It's a fantastic collection of songs that fit together like a jigsaw and leave you blown away, song after song. However if you see this version for sale, I recommend picking it up... the bonus tracks are great!

One of my favourite things about this great cd is that the songs work well together, and blend in well to make it an atmospheric experience... you won't be skipping any tracks on this one! Where as on albums like Green, you play it to hear the hits, but everything else isn't as good.

Except for Radio Free Europe, the bands first single, there's not any song that stands out over the other, and that's the way I like it. All the tracks are different, but provide you with the same basic atmosphere and listening pleasure. We Walk is very different to West Of The Fields, but they work together so well!

The gem of the album has to be Perfect Circle, a truely beautiful song, and my second favourite on the album. Pilgrimage, my favourite, is fantastic and fun (and perhaps one of the most underrated songs of all time), and other songs like Moral Kiosk and Catapult will leave you smiling. You really can't go wrong with this cd, it's full of underrated R.E.M. classics.

One of the bonus tracks is the cover of There She Goes Again by the Velvet Undergrounds. While included on the Dead Letter Office compilation, this is a great recording that's actually superior to the original version :P

The live recordings of Catapult and 9-9 are great (although they're curious selections), but the live version of Chronic Town's Gardening at Night knocks me off my feet, time and time again. It's incredible.

If you don't already own Murmur, you're missing out on one of the greatest albums of all time. Shame on you! Buy Murmur right now, and if you can spare a little bit more, buy this version! :D

There is no question that Murmur is a flat-out masterpiece (see the reviews for the US release). This edition is a nice one to have because you get a small sample of early live REM. Track 13, There She Goes Again, was the original B-side to the Radio Free Europe single ('81). It varies slightly from the version found on Dead Letter Office. Track 14, 9-9(live), is an energetic version of a very often overlooked song on Murmur. Many people feel this version surpasses the album version. Track 15, Gardening At Night(live) (see Chronic Town), and 16, Catapult(live), are two others that fans of their early work ought to check out. You really can't go wrong with this album if you have a little cash on hand.

Well, folks, I'm a Hootie & the Blowfish fan ever since they released "Cracked Rear View" back in 94. I think this album "Musical Chairs" is a fantastic buy. Once again we are able to enjoy the sound of Darious, Dean, Mark and Soni as they put together some really fun tunes, one of them being "Bluesy Revolution". The CD starts with "I Will Wait" which kind of reminds me of the Fairweather Johnson album. The 4th track is "Only Lonely" which is a kind of continuation of "When I'm Lonely" from their previous album. It has the same feel to it. "Michelle Post" is one of my favorites from this CD. It's a short and simple song with a guitar and a banjo and some cool vocals. "Home Again" is track number eight on this album and is the perfect sing-along song. You'll get hooked, I promise. Last but not least, track ten is titled "Desert Mountain Showdown". I don't know where they came up with that title, but it's another great sounding song with excellent lyrics. Anyhow, you'll be tapping your feet and trying to match that amazing baritone that only Darious can do as you listen and enjoy this, yet another Hootie & the Blowfish classic!

this c.d. is da bom

i love this cd i was very happy to find it on cd, because it was only on album before and i only knew one person who had it and we all had to record it from him. the first track the veil thins is my favorite off the album but there is a lot more to love about this album as well jack is heavy and gruesome to listen to the lyrics to jack are very complex and gory at the same time. bud is also heavy and mind altering. as a whole this cd is great for people who can handle a different prospective on music and lyrics, its heavy and hard but not fast. you have to hear it to appreciate it. i love it

I hate to say that they actually have a BEST disc because they are all UNREAL...but if I had to choose...this would be the one I would want the world to hear. Toe-tapping, head-bopping, booty-shakin' rock and roll. Simple and to the point. This is the real northwest rock. Garage rock at it's BEST!!!

I bought this CD when it first came out in 1993 and have played it probably a hundred times, but I'm still not sick of it yet. I've seen probably 30 or so of this band's live shows and this CD captures the fun that is Girl Trouble onstage! They sound like maybe a cross between the Sonics, The Cramps, The Ramones, and a little bit of 60's Elvis thrown in. The cover they do of a little know Elvis song, "Put the Blame On Me" is one of the highlights of the CD. Some of their best all-time songs are on here, such as "House of Stone" and "Storm Warning." When they play these songs live, I dance so hard I practically get whiplash, and they are just as kick-*ss on the CD. Do yourself a big favor and pick this one up, especially if you've seen this band live-- you won't regret it.

Shenandoah's Once in Red Moon is a showcase of her writing and performing styles drawing upon the history of native peoples to paint a vivid portrait of contemporary Native culture and provide a Native view of American history. The selections range from a poignant lullaby-like "This Baby of Mine" in which she subtlely criticizes wars by telling us that her child will not go to war--a reflection of the traditional power of women among her tribe to influence tribal decisions to a harsher history lesson about the practice by early White settlers and military of sending fever infected blankets to Native villages to decimate their populations and clear the way for White expansion into new lands. The death of her uncle, Lee Shenanadoah, at the hands of Philadlephia police when he was accidentally killed by police gunfire as officers engaged in a shoot out wiht feeling robbers. Rather that admit their error, the police claimed the Native workers killed by stray bullets were somehow connected to the gang.

Although the lyrics contain serious commentary, the singing remains melodious and attractive pulling the listener into the song, thus educating them about an alternative view of events in our history.

I have been a recent fan of Joanne Shenandoah. Her work is targeted towards a wide audience while remaining true to her culture. Once in a red moon is my current favorite with Ms. Shenandoah's magnificent voice together with the talents of Peter Cator has yielded an uncomperable historical musical event. If you enjoy Native music I strongly recommend this work. You owe it to yourself to treat yourself to Joanne and Peter.

"Daddy Has A Tail!" is the most retarded album of all time. It reminds me of when I was a little retard way back when, and a song title like "I Miss Her Beer" would set me off on an hour of hysterical convulsions followed by a round of vomiting and drunken skateboarding. If you dare call yourself a "punk" in our current era of industry goons wholesaling safe rebellion, stick yer toe in the warm goo the Cows left behind and see if yer really man enough...

The Cows were one of a kind in the wild world of noise rock. Never playing a certain style, they've flirted with blues, punk, metal, even salsa! OLD GOLD presents the Cows' second, third, and fourth albums plus a single. The DADDY HAS A TAIL! material is clearly the oldest. It has a truly noisy sound, and the parts are hard to tell apart. Still, "Part My Konk", with its slide-bass (you have to hear it to understand it) is a classic. The EFFETE AND IMPUDENT SNOBS material is a bit more refined, but still psychotic. "Whitey In The Woodpile" is the classic here; you MUST hear the crazy chorus! Finally, the album PEACETIKA is shorn of two songs, but the six that remain are class-A Cows! "I'm Missing" prooves how much you can do with feedback; "Peacetika" incorporates an eco-message sample, a crazy beat, some bugle toots, and an incredibly mangled word (the lyrics are this: "Peacetika!" x 4 or 5). The single track is a funny blues-punk thing. If you want first-class noise rock, you need OLD GOLD!