American Alternative music reviews

This album was good and all but it just seems like they grabbed a handful of songs and threw them on a CD. The songs featured are not the best by the bands.

Come on people.

I can't understand you don't get bored with compilations like these. It's fun to discover new bands but you can't base your judgement on one song only so you need to find another source still to find out if you really found a new band.
Ok, this is not the worse out there. There are worse compilations, but well. Some are better. Punk-O-Rama 2 and 3 are better than this one, so I'd say buy them IF you want to buy a compilation. I prefer EP's and albums though.

Also, why is Tom Waits on this compilation? Yes, I know why; because's he on Epitaph...but isn't this called PUNK o rama?

I know most reviews say that this is not the best Punk O Rama volume. But I'll have to disagree. It's the best.
You can always rely on good songs by NOFX and Pennywise.
But the highlights of this CD are 1998 by Rancid (very catchy song in the typical Rancid way), Faster than the World by Pulley (a good fast song), Hopeless Romantic by Bouncing Souls, Think the World by All, and Getaway by Ten Foot Pole (all three really good pop punk songs).
The only song I ever skip on this CD is Big in Japan by Tom Waits. That song's annoying!
Get this CD. You won't regret it as you listen to it over and over again.

Whore." Cheap Trick fans should check it out!

Being introduced to the Big Black at college in the 1980's, where they fast became my favorite band, was an incredible experience.

I adored their music, it was everything great about alternative/indie music pre Nirvana and Teen Spirit...that is the vast majority of people hated it! Or didn't understand it! Or were confused by it! Or were just of the opinion that because it wasn't in the top 20 or wasn't played on mainstream radio or it wasn't some safe old band such as Led Zepp or Floyd, that it had to be crap!

It really felt like my own special music and they were great day's! Sadly I have outgrown this album now...19 has turned 35!! It seems so harsh and silly now! And unlistenable!

For those still interested in skinny, creepy Steve Albini, then be aware that the studio tracks ie Atomizer, Songs About F**king are far superior to this live album which doesn't really do the work of the Big Black great justice.

"Now it's on to Chicago and let's win there!"

Blair

Big Black founder/recording studio owner/all-around curmudgeon Steve Albini has hated the CD format since the beginning. He considers it inferior in sound quality and overpriced to boot. Thus, "The Rich Man's Eight-Track Tape," originally released in the late 80's, is both a compromise to the market and a deliberate provocation. Albini's own words on the subject:

"This compact disc, compiled to exploit those of you gullible enough to own the bastardly first generation digital home music system, contains all analog masters. Compact discs are quite durable, this being their only advantage over real music media. You should take every opportunity to scratch them, fingerprint them and eat egg and bacon sandwiches off them. Don't worry about their longevity, as Philips will pronounce them obsolete when the next phase of the market-squeezing technology bonanza begins."

Of course, it's now been a couple of generations, in tech terms, since the CD was introduced, and the format is still with us, though many (like the business executives who make money off them) believe they're in sharp decline. Rival formats (SACD, DVDA, etc.) have tried to muscle in, and then there's the swift encroachment of the lowly mp3. Since none of Albini's bands are available for legal download, it's pretty easy to imagine his opinion of the format. Big Black were and are a brilliant band, and anyone who thinks they know something about "extreme" rock music has to have their music. My advice: buy two copies of each of their releases on CD, and convert them to mp3's. That'll be sure to annoy the hell out of him, and an annoyed Albini is a creative Albini. Then again, take a listen to the CD versions of the music and the LP versions. Guess which one will sound better? This is, of course, on purpose. Even though today's CD's are much better to the original model, Big Black's releases have never been remastered and if Albini has anything to say about it, they never will be.

"Eight Track" is basically the CD release of Big Black's debut full-length LP, the incredible "Atomizer," with the omission of the mediocre "Strange Things." Oddly taking advantage of the longer running times of CD's, this release also tacks on the just swell "Headache" EP, as well as the "Heartbeat" 7" single. Needless to say, it's a classic of aggressive, noisy post-punk, with a relentless, deliberately primitive drum machine (nicknamed "Roland") instead of a live skin basher. Despite the lean, muscular sound the band acheived, this is not the immature, knuckle-dragging sludge that so much heavy metal (at least of that era) cranked out. Wheareas metal was marketed to immature knuckle-draggers, Big Black wrote ABOUT them. That's a distinction lost on a lot of critics back in the day, but the steely intelligence of pummelling songs like "Fists Of Love" or "Passing Complexion" should be obvious now. Album opener "Jordan, Minnesota" is based on a real news story about an entire town of alleged pedophiles. This story was eventually proven to be a hoax, part of the wave of child-abuse hysteria that struck the country during the 80's, but the song still has the metaphorical impact of a brutal horror movie. Likewise, the pyromaniacal pain-freaks of one of Big Black's greatest songs, "Kerosene" don't need to correspond with any actual real-world events to be effective. Throughout the album, Abini's corrosive guitar and Dave Riley's lurching bass, not to mention the relentless pounding of the drum machine, create an uncompromising roar stripped of any melodic frills. There is, however, a sense of humor. It's sardonic and ironic, but it's there.

So if you don't mind having to crank the volume way up and fidgeting with the EQ just to get a passable sound, this is the place to start. The band's second (and final) album, the cheekily-titled "Songs About F***ing" is in my opinion even better, and is just as recommended. Still, let's permit Abini to have the last words:

"The future belongs to analog loyalists. F*** digital."

As were the first two albums I bought by Blues Traveler, this is their true sound as it should be. A bit rough and unpolished, and yet just perfect!

I stopped listening to the Blues Traveler in around 1997. I decided to listen to those loser punk-rock bands. I had the "Four" album, and I liked that alot, but I stashed that somewhere. In 2004 I finally bought their album on the way back home. Since then, I've never stashed this cd anywhere. This cd is pure gold baby!

When Bob Sheehan passed away, Blues Traveler reinvented itself with a new bassist and the addition of Ben Wilson on keys. I can't imagine them now without this line-up. As good as they were before, this new lineup suits them very well and seems to have allowed them to really diversify their range of expression. Bridge, their first album with this new lineup, was AMAZING, one of their strongest records, and Truth Be Told is a solid follow up. The songs aren't as catchy as on Bridge, but they really grow on you. They are complex, yet very lyrical. And there is still space for jamming. The new Blues Traveler is distinct from the old one, and this new CD proves that they are evolving well in this new configuration. Blues Traveler is one of my favorite bands and I love what they're doing now.

my friend visiting from colo turned me on to them in 93. we were roofing and would end the day with cold beers and the wallflowers playing out the box up on the roof. they played the rosebud in pittsburgh that summer and there were 6 people in the audience. i saw them years later again at the rosebud in pittsuburgh, but it was crowded as hell this time. spent $150 on J?ger. Jakob hung out with the crowd after the show. long story short; it's a good album.

This CD is full of good alternative folk rock in the style of Jakob and Bob Dylan. A little less produced and a little less perfect than anything after it. But there's a good reason for this. Its not the same band. Now dont get all huffy puffy and say this guy doesnt know what he's talking about... Let me explain. In the late eighties, Jakob and his buddies put together a band and called it the Wallflowers. They played a lot of shows and released ONE album... This one. Because of tentions within the band, they broke up. It happens a lot these days. The Walflowers that put out this really good album are no longer in exsistance. Jakob and Keyboard man Rami J decided to start another band and called it.... The Wallfowers. Jakob was going to use a different name, but decided he liked the name he used in his previous band. And although the line-up has gone through some changes since the new band started, the nucleus remains Jakob on guitar Rami on keys and Greg Richling on Bass. With a new drummer and with Jakob doing all the guitar parts (mostly)... The band keeps going as The (NEW) Wallflowers. The old incarnation was a good one... but its just not the same band. Nevertheless... Check out the CD and see what Jakob and Rami sounded like before the popular version of the Wallflowers was ever even thought of.

This album was never surpassed by all other Wallflowers' albums. The live feel, immediacy and indulgence in storytelling and an extended jam payed off here. Too bad the band followed this up with increasingly more boring albums. The second was pretty good, but they pretty much lost be after that.

Sonic Youth had just finished Confusion is Sex/Kill Yr. Idols, the proverbial lo-fi no-wave dark gloomy strange noise album. They figured it was good so they kinda did more. For the first 4 songs, you'll be thinking this is a pretty good Sonic Youth album maybe on par with EVOL or Sister, perhaps not as good as them but pretty good. Ghost Bitch will start up and things kinda start going weird. This is probably the first song that largely falls into the category of "not really music". Death Valley '69 is one of the highlights as it actually is a lot like what you'll hear on Dirty. Then things start to suck. They really should have left the Flower EP off of this. Most people probably wouldn't have cared if the EP was missing from this album, plus then this wouldn't be yet another really long Sonic Youth album that gets boring towards the end (See: Confusion is Sex/Kill Yr. Idols, Sister, Daydream Nation, Dirty). It seems like EVERY ONE OF THEIR ALBUMS IS SOOOO LONG. Ugh. Anyway, Satan is Boring is terrible. Probably worst Sonic Youth song I've ever heard. Think typical noise with Thurston muttering some stuff. Flower basically is the same except Kim is doing the vocals. Halloween is also basically the same. Echo Canyon is also just noise. I'm not talking artsy noise here, either, which is what many Sonic Youth stuff is and it turns out pretty good. It's like turning on your radio to a blank station and just getting static and you can barely hear some other stations picking up. Just BAD noise.

Please, do not BUY this album. Have a friend burn it for you. Download it. Trust me, you'll be sorry if you buy it. DEFINITELY get EVOL and Sister before this, and everybody says Daydream Nation is really great but I kinda disagree but you'll probably like it so why not get that too. Actually, get 'Bleach' by Nirvana, then get 'White Light/White Heat' by The Velvet Underground. Pick up 'Land Speed Record' by H�sker D� in there somewhere, too.

Now when we as a collective society anaylize horrendus acts such as the Manson Family murders, or those stories every town has but no one speaks about one must wonder why? This album answers that question to the highest degree. Its not about the people that commit the horrendus acts it IS the people that commit these acts that are protreyed on this album. It shows that society really is a hole, brave men do run from terror, and it does show that justice is might.
The intro is reminisant of Teen Age Riot isnt it? But if it is how do you explain the mysterious sounds that are underlying in the song. Brave Men Run, an explosion of fury as if they have just commited a mass murder of innocent people. Cool down be calm, no one will catch us right? Thurston backs this statement up with Society Is A Hole and then professes his love to her. Ghost Bitch, thats all she is nothing but a heartless sadistic woman but he dosent care thier on the road with two cohorts killing randomly. Thurston realizes he's insane and sprints through words..he wants to repent...Justice is Might he turns them in and goes deep in the valley. They escape...they exact revenge.
Now the music. Can this be called music? Droning feedback soundscapes. Utter beauty. The drone on Ghost Bitch has to be one of the best things Sonic Youth has ever done. Death Valley '69 stands as thier first real song. It has an actuall melody. Change...no wave to no limits. On Confusion it sounds like New York but Bad Moon sounds like everything west of the Mississippi. As if they're driving in a beat up chevy across the country. Kerouac meets Manson.
I highly recommend this to any casual Sonic Youth fan that wants to hear what they were like before the college radio frenzy over thier following three albums. Take the wheel and drive....

first of all, youre not going to like this, if you just pop this in your car cd player and drive to work in broad daylight. its not for people looking for a catchy tune or pop song to get stuck in your head...its just not for that, if youre just getting into it. its an album that sets moods, many different moods might i add! ive gotta say, that this is one of my favorite sonic youth albums i have. its just something that you listen to (ALONE) late at night. it gets exciting, spooky, and thought provoking. to me music is supposed to create moods, and take you back to places you wish you were. now, im going to admit, a small part of the stuff on this isnt music, but it puts you into a mood all the same, just as any old song would.... sometimes "music" isnt nessicarry. i tell you, some of the stuff on this brings out stranger feelings than any "song" ever could.

its kind of strange, when youre in the middle of it, all settled in and stuff, the strangest things happen.... i wrote a wierd horror story to this music once... ive always thought it would make great music for a movie about kids getting lost in a forest on halloween or something! ah well, all im going to say now, is definentally get this album, but dont expect to love it if you a fan of sonic youth in their "dirty" era, or something. youre not going to hear that! with the right circumstances, you could become ABSOLUTEY obsessed with this album, as i did.


oh, and the five stars is for bad moon rising... NOT thet flower EP. its just not that good, and i dont think that they should have put the two together.... death valley 69 is the perfect ending to the album! the flower ep just kills the mood.... forget about it...

Dont see what the big deal is about this show. Just seemingly uninspired. The Logos Jams were more like just aimless noodling.
Oh well. Not a big fan of post 1998 anyhoo. Save for a few strong efforts.

OK, I'm a reformed Phish-head who rarely even listens to the band anymore, but I held onto this show for good reason. It is, in my opinion, the best playing Phish has to offer-- cohesive, adventurous improvisational music where the musicians involved are clearly listening to one another and working to create a unified hole. It's the type of thing you hear in Miles Davis' best bands, and (at least to my ears) not in the majority of popular "jam bands." Frankly, I find endless guitar shredding beyond boring, which is why I prefer James Brown to say, Santana, but I love rhythmic, spontaneous jams and there are plenty to be found here. There's rip-roaring rock, ambient, textural exploration, funk, and countless shades in-between.

Still, it's not for everyone-- there are as many different types of Phish fan as there are Phish songs, and while some people love hearing Trey spit endless pentatonic licks over "Antelope," I prefer his more subtle, textural playing. If you're a fan of electric-era Miles, Can or Yo La Tengo, you might be surprised to discover this side of Phish. If you're a Phish fan who still gets excited when the band trots out "Fee" or "Fluffhead," maybe you should look elsewhere.

What can I say that hasn't already been said about this show? And still I want to say something because this is the kind of event that comes along only once in a human eon. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be one of the few hundred actually there. Their poor little minds! Pure musical magic. Everyone connecting into the moment to realize that limitations are an illusion. Music taken so far, one has to wonder what could possibly come next? Who know's, all I can really say is this show is a definite benchmark. Whether you're a phish veteran or just curious--you've nothing to lose by opening this door.

The negative reviews in here are pretty funny. EVERY band is derivative of other sources, including the Donnas. Were the Stones totally original? Go ask Chuck Berry...The Donnas are a great rock'n'roll band. I think this set of tunes is their strongest...Yeah, she can't really sing, but so what? I respect them for doing something that rocks, and not just trying to fit in with current trends...The guy who hates them because they don't sound like the bands he likes was funny, too. That's right, guy. Nothing is good unless YOU like it. ahahaha

In today's MTV-crazed world it's hard to find something that one can really rock out to. The days of rockin' for a good time and doin' it well are long gone. Or are they? Meet the Donnas. If you're a fan of the Ramones, these four girls may as well be their female counterparts. (I'm crazy about both bands.) Donna R's guitar riffs, Donna F's bass and Donna C's banging on the drums back up Donna A's vocals about sex, drugs, and -- what else? -- rock 'n' roll. Also make sure to check out Get Skintight -- the follow-up to this one, and another example of rock at its finest.

I met the Donnas and saw them at a small club in my home town of palo alto cali. they are awsome in person and sound even better live...EVERYBODY SHOULD BUY THEIR CD...

I've long loved the Meat Puppets, and was ecstatic to see them live, at a dinky little club in Madison, Wisconsin in 1988; it was my only time ever in a mosh pit, though, it being a Meat Puppets show, it was a more playful than aggro group of moshers. I had much fun that night.

Anyway, this, along with Meat Puppets II, is my favorite of their many recordings. Later records would generally contain anywhere from two or three to a half-dozen great tracks. But with Up on the Sun, they deliver the goods from start to finish. Granted, it's not as punky speedy as is II, but it need not be. Instead, what it is is a record of gentle, semi-acoustic tunes, with an emphasis on tunefulness. Check out a song like Swimming Ground, or Away, and try to keep from smiling; I don't think it can be done.

Overall, I'd describe this as gentle, blissful cowpunk, appropriate for driving across the Arizona desert after having consumed a few bites of hash brownies.

Up On The Sun is the Meat Puppets' third album and the followup to their now legendary Meat Puppets II which introduced the world to cowpunk, a mixture of country and punk music. While that album as well as several of their releases are easy to define (ex...Meat Puppets I is their punk album, Huevos, the power-trio album, Monsters, the heavy album), Up On The Sun is beyond categorization. It is also their most cohesive listen and ranks with Meat Puppets II and Too High To Die as their best work.

While their first two albums were furious and very ragged, the songs here are much tighter. Their brand of cowpunk is replaced by songs that are equally based on mood and melody and the results are stunning. Curt Kirkwood's vocals are very somber and this along with his moody guitar work truly carry the album. The excellent tracks "Away", "Buckethead", and "Swimming Ground" are both upbeat and catchy while "Animal Kingdom" has a strong new-wave vibe with Curt's unique guitar work providing the appropriate background. Songs like "Hot Pink" and the title track are very laid back and feature creative interplay between Curt and his bass-playing brother Cris. The tracks "Enchanted Pork Fist" and "Creator" offer glimpses of their punk sound but are much more structured than tunes like "New Gods" and "Split Myself In Two" from their previous release. The band continue to write great instrumentals as both "Maiden's Milk" and "Seal Whales" add to the album's low-key vibe. Other strong tracks include the haunting "Two Rivers" and "Too Real." As with all of their remastered releases, Rykodisc has added several bonus tracks. There are two additional versions of "Hot Pink", a looser version that's pretty decent, and a longer and weirder instrumental version that drags on for over 8 minutes. There's also a killer instrumental called "Embodiment of Evil" and "Mother American Marshmallow" which is essentially a strung out version of "Maiden's Milk." All told, this is a great and very original album which is at its best when listened to in its entirety. If you know the band for Too High To Die or Meat Puppets II, this album may catch you off guard. However, as their longtime fans know, the Meat Puppets change gears with each album, and Up On The Sun is one of their best. Highly recommended.

This album is fantastic, alot more polished than Meat Puppets II, but just as creative and mind blowing. I have to admit, it took time for it to grow on me, but only mainstream crap is catchy the first time you hear it.

As my title says, this was the first Suicidal Tendencies album I got. I expected it to sound punky, as everyone says they're so good a punk band. I was surprised, and NOT the bad kind! This album is straight forward metal. The first two albums had a punk influence, but HCILTWICEST and everything afterwards was a metal album. This is one of the best albums of the 90's. Mike Muir's vocals are top-notch here. Rob Trujillo's bass is great, the guitars from Mike Clark and the other guitarist (forgot his name...sorry!) are great, as are the drums. The album starts out with "Cant' Stop". NO, not the Red Hot Chilli Peppers song! It's one of the longer songs, but it's a great start to this great album. The next songs, "Accept My Sacrifice" and "Nobody Hears", are my favorite songs on this album. I like all the songs on this album, but the above three are my favorites. Recommended if you like metal, speed metal, and Suicidal Tendencies.
Ratings:
1. Can't Stop 5/5
2. Accept My Sacrifice 5/5
3. Nobody Hears 5/5 (My favorite song!)
4. Tap into the Power 5/5
5. Monopoly on Sorrow 5/5
6. We Call This Mutha Revenge 5/5
7. I Wasn't Meant to Feel This/Asleep at the Wheel 5/5
8. Gotta Kill Captain Stupid 5/5
9. I'll Hate You Better 4/5
10. Which Way to Free 5/5
11. It's Going Down 4/5
12. Where's the Truth 5/5

PS, new Suicidal Tendencies album later this year!

I am 36 and have been listening to hard rock/metal since I was only nine. I own more than 1,500 hard rock/metal CDs. I am not bragging here, but rather trying to put things into perspective when talking about this album.

This whole album is incredible. It's easily ST's best, but you got to let it grow on you for a while. This CD contains ST's best song ever, and one of my top ten songs of all time: "Asleep at the Wheel". I probably have listened to that song more than 1,000,000 times since this CD came out, and I still close my eyes and sing it out loud EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! It's a very original song, impossible to describe with words. It's magical, it's mesmerizing (By the way, you may skip the first two minutes of the song since they are very forgettable and have actually a different name - "I Wasn't Meant to Feel This").

Another great song is "Monopoly of Sorrow", especially after the 3:37 mark. This has to be one of the best song endings that I have ever herad. That combination of fast pace acoustic and electric guitars is simply top notch.

Anyway, get this CD and let it grow on you. You will not regret it.

When I bought this album I didnt get what I thought I was getting into. For awhile I was highly dissappointed listening to it, and to be honest I didnt like it to much. I gave 'The Art of Rebellion' some time though, and it grew on me. The lyrics can be a bit corny and annoying some of the time though, and that brings it down a half point - from a perfect five to a 4.5. Thats still really great, and perfect albums that truly warrent five stars are really far in between for me though. For anyone who wants an album they can listen to years for now (unlike those whiny emo bands who will be gone after the fad wears off), then pick up this album. You cant stop the run away emotions in me, you know... Never mind. Buy the album and you will know what I'm talking about.

A bit of a departure from their traditional sound and a over-produced, but still kicks butt in my book. Loosen up the radio-friendly sound and it's easily five stars, but nonetheless an inspired and thouroughly enjoyable effort from the one and only 'Mouth.'

"Easy" is an excellent CD by Cowboy Mouth. Aside from the group's two live CDs ("Mouthin Off" and "All you need is live"), "Easy" comes closest to capturing the manic enegery that makes a Cowboy Mouth show a unique experience. If you haven't heard them before, this cd is a great introduction. The title track along with "I Know it shows" gives an idea about just how powerful CM can be. Other tunes, such as "Run to me" and "marianne" show the group's versatility. This is an excellent buy for someone looking to discover a great group.

In 2000 Cowboy Mouth released 'Easy', a collection of mostly new songs recorded with the best studio production values yet for a Cowboy Mouth album. If you are unfamiliar with Cowboy Mouth, the band can best be described as "hard folk-rock" with touches of Cajun and Irish influences. Sound unique? This band is. I've been going to their concerts for 10 years (they constantly tour throughout the US and Canada) and still can't describe their sound. Their biggest radio-play song so far is "Jenny Says" from the 1996 album `Are You With Me?'.

Every song on `Easy' is "good" at minimum with most of the tracks falling somewhere between "very good" to "great". "Easy", "Everything You Do", "Marianne" and "Run to Me" are great, radio-friendly tracks from Fred LeBlanc (lead singer, drummer) that should appeal to those unfamiliar with the band. The most expansive track is "Always Leaving", a somewhat uncharacteristic style for the band but one of the top tracks on the album nonetheless. "Always Leaving" is a cover of the first track of singer/songwriter Brian Seymour's album, "When I Was Blonde" (the CM version is better). The most historically-notable track is "China", a remake of the 1983 hit from the "Red Rockers". The former lead singer of "Red Rockers" is John Thomas Griffith, now one of the four core members of Cowboy Mouth. The newest "catchy" tune from CM is "Everybody Loves Jill", a song where the crowd throws red plastic spoons at the band when the band sings the words (what else?) "red spoon". Finally, we get yet another remake of "How Do You Tell Someone" - arguably the band's most "catchy" song but a song that never seems to quite make its big breakthrough to radio playlists.

Cowboy Mouth's previous best album was 1994's "It Means Escape" (re-released on CD in 2000). 'Escape' is still the better album to convey the "live" sound of the band but 'Easy' is the first album with a radio-friendly sound from start-to-finish that reaches out to those not fortunate enough to see the band live. Post-`Escape' albums include `Are You With Me' and `Word of Mouth' which are both good and sound, predictably enough, like a mixture of `Easy' and `Escape'.

I have a long-standing opinion that Cowboy Mouth can not be fully appreciated until the band has been experienced in a live setting - Fred LeBlanc's energy is infectious (indeed - Fred simply does not allow the crowd to be passive and makes a point of getting everyone into the spirit of the performance). If you can't see the band live, I believe "Easy" is the -best- introduction a new listener can have and the album is possibly the best effort yet from this experienced, hard-working group.