American Alternative music reviews

It's a shame Mark Edwards doesn't think he can continue making music anymore because this is his highest quality recording yet. It's still as raw and personal as any other MDID album, but then that shouldn't come as a surprise. In any case, I recommend this album, it's simply great rock.

What statrted out as a one man band over ten years ago has grown to include other members. Mark Edwards may be the most unheard song writing genius. My Dad Is Dead still hold on to thier sound that made them the band they are. Recomended tracks include:The King is Dead, Two Pills in the Water and Two Clean Slates.

it's a horrible pigeon-hole, "breakthrough artist," but what else shall we call Magdalene? Her voice is lovely and graceful one moment and scathing and powerful the next. Her lyrics force you not only to re-evaluate opinions and stereotypes but also one's own identity and the place of wo/men in the world and universe. She is remarkable and wonderful! You will be rewarded every time you listen to her CD!

Magdalen's "Evolution" rocks stereotypes and inspires all listeners! Not only is her music original, but her lyrics teem with unabashed honesty and flavor. She is a powerful voice for multicultural America.

In which our hero Mark learns how to sing (sort of) and produces what may be his best album yet - a couple of steps above THE TALLER YOU ARE... and several giant leaps beyond the cacophony of FOR RICHER, FOR POORER. "Evolution" and "I Had A Dream" rank among the most tuneful and affecting music he's ever made - dare we dream of actual radio airplay in his future? Probably not, but you've gotta have a dream...

Okay, I agree. "MDID" is a terrible name for an artist. Unless commercial success is unimportant, which, I suspect, is the case with Mr. Edwards. Nuthin' wrong with artistic integrity! I own all the MDID albums, but the continuity, lyrics, music and overall song stylings make this my favorite. If you like music that's thoughtful and original--especially guitar-oriented tunes--this makes my top 50 of all time list. MDID ain't for everyone, but it's a real tonic for fans (and converts, like me). Well done, Mr. Edwards and crew. Continued success!

I really can't say enough good things about this band! These guys, in addition to being the best damn live band in Texas (yes, better than the Scabs; they don't HAVE to play the crude factor to entertain), have created a new sound that sounds a little like this: If you crossed AC/DC riffs with Beastie Boys lyrics with Red Hot Chili Pepper funk with Allman Brothers guitar harmonies, you'd be about there. There is not a band around with better dueling guitar harmonies. These guys can just flat out play. The reason I gave it 4 stars and not five was that, even though the CD is great ("He Gets It" is one of the best rock songs around), it pales in comparison to a live show. They do a live-only version of "The Jeffersons" theme song that starts out as slow soul and ends up somewhere between Motown and punk that never fails to blow the roof off. Go see Steamroller, dammit! You won't be sorry

I've seen Steamroller several times in Austin (most memorably at Antones). I still can't believe the amount of energy these guys expend on stage. The album captures their sound and spirit nicely. I often play "He Gets It" for friends without telling them who the band is, and heads inevitably start bobbing. This is probably the best live band in Austin, which is really saying something, since Austin is full of great live bands.

I bought it a few days ago and have listened to it a few times. The first two songs I like the best. Its nice to sing along with it. The lyrics are good.

Sheryl crow is amazing, a brilliant singer and songwriter, her latest cd is filled with songs with great lyrics, that actually have a message, but they still sound great, you can sing along to them and appreciate them. A must for everyone.

This was originally released under the name of The Salvation Army. With the charity group threatening a lawsuit, the band changed their name to The Three O'Clock (and added a member). This reissue features a number of bonus tracks.

As the Salvation Army, the band had a harder garage sound, more oriented to the punk sounds of The Seeds than the Three O'Clock's poppier psychedelia. More acid than pot. More Thirteenth Floor Elevator than Byrds or early Bee Gees.

Fans of the Three O'Clock's first few releases ("Baroque Hoedown" "Sixteen Tambourines") may find the Salvation Army a bit raw, but much of the same sensibility is present, if perhaps not rendered so finely.

I remember when the Salvation Army releaed their first '45. For me, it was pure magic. Along with the Salvation Army were bands like the Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade, and the Bangs (known as the Bangles after being threatened with a law suit...just like the 'Three O'clock') and several more of the so-called "Paisley underground" scene in Los Angeles. These bands melded punk rock sensibilities with thick psychadelia and refreshing, 60's style garage rock vibes. In my view, the Three O'clock were among the best.
What is really great about this re-release is that they include the earliest recordings, when the band sounded their best. I liked their first full album (also included here), but MUCH prefered the guitars and mix on the singles. It is amazing how much great music passed under the radar back then...because radio should have been playing this stuff all the time.
I have had a HARD time trying to locate a good copy of their first '45. Believe it or not, they run upwards of $50 if you can find one.
They were a great band, and a great foil for the harder stuff (Black Flag, Circle Jerks, et al.), and were a gas live.

Highly recommended if you like a fresh, raw take on psychedelia.

One of the best albums to come from the early 80's. Psychodelic sound that was before its time. Much better then later work when the group became The Three O'clock.

Course, Mike Watt is basically the finest, most intense bass player in punk. When you see him live it's just a whole experience. I went nuts when he played 'I Got A TV Eye'. These DOS records, what are there, 2 or 3? they're cool. Plenty 'o bass. Vocals are almost superfulous. I gotta admit, I don't sit around and listen to DOS records that much. Something, I dunno, somethings missing? Still it's a delight to have. Glad they did it. chrisbct@hotmail.com

kira returns with her first album in quite a while with her now ex husband mike watt creating a bass opera.so with there 3rd album together picking up where they left of on there last new alliance realise uno con dos .she is quite a good singer i dont see why she dont get a full band together.i will have to say they are still great together playing kind of a bass ping pong game of conversation but never really running out of any thing to say. there are also a couple of tracks that mike used on his firehose album that makes me remember that she was a co song writer on some of there songs as well.so with mike watts longest running band since the minutemen and kiras only band since black flag this is definatly some old school stuff.just to basses and a lot of things to say not pretenious but lots of fun. so if you like this and want to hear a great interview with the dos of them go to mike watts hootpage and cheak out his pedro show.its a good conversation also....

For those of you who have tracked Mike Watt since the days of the Minutemen, this album is a pleasant reminder yet it holds a completely different sound. Mike Watt is a bass prodigy, as was evident with the Minutemen. On this album he teamed up with his wife (now ex, I believe) and brings soulful bass melodies together with a beautifull voice. This album has a very unpolished feel to it, but that is what makes it so special. It gives me the feeling of kicking back in the living room after a long day, and listening to your buddies sing some tunes. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for an unusual branch of jazz/blues/punk.

First there was Liar, one of the finest albums of the nineties. Then there was Lash. This kicks off with two studio tracks that have the same ferocity as the material on Liar, both of which are well worth having for Lizard fans. The CD-single is back-ended with four live tracks that are better-recorded and better-presented than the inferior (and unauthorized, according to Yow) Show disc. A must for fans, and a good starting point for those who ghave never heard the band.

This CD rocks! It is fast, hard, and loud! Absolute garage rock genius. I saw a documentary about the Chicago underground scene and Touch & Go records. It was called "Out of the Loop" and featured interviews and performances by the Jesus Lizard, Ween, Veruca Salt and the Wesley Willis Incident. If you can find it, it is a good introduction into the Chicago underground rock scene. With that digression aside, this CD packs in a high capacity wonderfully powerful garage rock sound. The Jesus Lizard sounds like Iggy Pop or the Cramps. Good stuff! A great stocking stuffer for the greaser in your family.

I've been a fan of Ginn's guitar playing since his Black Flag days. With this, his third solo album in a little over a year's time (plus two Gone albums), Ginn has proved that he hasn't lost his touch as a guitar god! The sound mix could be a little better but this is the best of his three solo albums.

Unlike their 2 first soloist albums,this one goes somewhat
in the direction of the remixes eps for the second album,
only in a much less percussive or funkier way.The sound here is 99% INDUSTRIAL,this is Ministry on acid.We?re talking about a highly aggressive,nervous wrecking,mind
grinding sound here.The uniqueness of this completely experimental album is the fact Gregg drop the style after
this one to form the more hardcore,more convential GONE.
I love this stuff.Even when at first it might sound cacophonic,
well it is very extreme music.CAUTION:Only for the really
insane !!!!!

This is one of two Halloween cds I keep in my car year round. Sometimes when you're coming home after a hard day or just driving around on a beautiful day, there's nothing better than rolling down the windows and blasting this disc.

It's not as thematically relevant as Halloween Hootenany (my favorite Halloween cd!) but it's definately a great runner-up.
I wouldn't say all the tunes are "New Wave". I prefer to think the title referes more to it being a new wave of Halloween music instead of the type of music on it. If you're looking for something with more to offer than the standard Ghostbusters/Thriller/Bad Moon Rising/Etc compilations, this is your ticket.

New Wave Halloween has the best halloween music i've heard. I like this cd a lot it has good music and i love Halloween. It has The Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, wich is the best song on this cd and the best song from a Musical Movie. This Cd Rocks Like Halloween.


If you liked this cd check out all of the other Halloween cd's there are.

Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Halloween is probably their best entry in that it will have the broadest appeal. A lively party of Halloween-themed music, it swings from the danceable to the dangerous, sometimes with little or no warning.
The tracks include:
The Time Warp--not precisely 80's material, but certainly RHPS's cult following in that decade helped make the song a modern classic.
'Everday is Halloween' by Ministry is the first song of theirs I have heard. It reminds me more than a little of the Art of Noise.
'Devil In My Car' by the B-52s brings their funky-dance floor techno sensibility to Halloween.
Dead Man's Party, a long time Oingo Boingo standard, is my favorite track on the CD.
'Pet Semetary' by the Ramones, is a relatively deep tune, considering their normal repertoire. Good, though.
For those fond of the Meco concept of music, but perhaps thought it was a little tame, MX-80's energetic version of the 'Theme from Halloween' is pleasant filler.
The 'Munster's Theme' is a quick dive into pure silliness, redeeming itself primarily due to its brevity.
'The Creature from the Black Lagoon' is my favorite new discovery (and my second favorite track on the CD), a sophisticated punk tune capturing the flare of 50's music and movies.
'Halloween' by the Dream Syndicate reminds me of another band called Flour, one of my favorite artist. However, I do believe Dream Syndicate is the more well known band. Good tune.
Sonic Youth's 'Halloween' takes the CD out of the realm of kid friendly with the use of the 'f'word, but an appealing track nonetheless.
The Dead Kennedys and the Misfits both provide tracks titled 'Halloween', and both are solid tunes.
Mudhoney's cover of Sonic Youth's Halloween is different enough to justify it being on the same CD.
Roky Erikson, a gothic-punk horror artist and a modernization of Screaming Lord Sutch, lends his talents to wrap up the CD.
A 5 on a 5 point scale, and a 9 on a 10 point scale.