THE COMAS â SPELLS (Vagrant Records)
I tried to listen to this album on three different CD players, and none of them worked. This pissed me off, and I lost all motivation to hear this album. It might be good, though. Who knows? Check âem out and send your opinion to james@tlchicken.com. I wanna know if itâs worth listening to.
RATING: ???
THE DETROIT COBRAS â TIED & TRUE (Bloodshot Records)
In case youâre unfamiliar with them, the Detroit Cobras have, in my mind, singlehandedly brought integrity to the term âcover band.â Tied & True just continues to prove my theory. The Cobras still choose great songs and put their own style into it, both musically and with Rachel Nagyâs gritty, soulful voice.
RATING: FIVE STARS
EARTHLESS â RHYTHMS FROM A COSMIC SKY (Tee Pee Records)
This release featuring only three tracks (two of which are instrumentals and collectively clock in at over 40 minutes) plays mainly like a psychedelic hard rock record. I found it amazing that my withered attention span was able to not only get through, but also enjoy this album. This is ideal listening the next time youâre staring at a lava lamp trying to figure out how high âupâ is.
RATING: THREE STARS
GOON MOON â LICKERâS LAST LEG (Ipecac Recordings)
Consisting of Chris Goss (Queens Of The Stone Age), Zach Hill (Hella), and Marilyn Mansonâs Twiggy Ramirez, Goon Moon takes all of these playersâ styles and mixes them together with a small touch of weird. I gotta give âem points for originality. Lickerâs Last Leg provides several great âWhat the fuck?â moments, but I suppose thatâs what happens when Twiggy Ramirez cites the BeeGees as an influence. Sometimes odd, but great nonetheless.
RATING: FOUR STARS
THE HORRORS â STRANGE HOUSE (Stolen Transmission)
British psycho-rock at its finest. This is definitely an album for fans of bands like the Test Icicles or The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster. The next time a psychopath is chasing you through a desolate forest, grab your fucking iPod and put this album on. Itâll make your impending brutal death seem that much cooler.
RATING: FOUR STARS
IN THIS MOMENT â BEAUTIFUL TRAGEDY (Century Media Records)
Wouldnât you love to hear Evanescence with more of a death metal influence? No. Nevermind.
RATING: ONE STAR
NEKROMANTIX â LIFE IS A GRAVE & I DIG IT!!! (Hellcat Records)
Continuing their reign as one of psychobillyâs elite, Life Is A Grave & I Dig It carries on the tradition with more horror references and greaser lingo then you can shake an upright bass at. (And Iâll bet Iâm probably the zillionth person whoâs written a sentence like that about this band.) The Nekromantix are essentially the definition of their genre. So if you hate psychobilly, donât trust this review. But hereâs what I thinkâŠ
RATING: THREE STARS
OH NO NOT STEREO â OH NO NOT STEREO (Takeover Records)
Hmmm. This oneâs confusing. Definitely too light and poppy for a Refused or even Queens Of The Stone Age comparison. Yet too good for me to throw them in with Yellowcard. Iâm honestly kinda torn on this one.
RATING: TWO STARS
PLĂK â YOU TIE A ROCK TO YOUR LEG CUZ IT FITS YOU (Kickstart Music)
This band really got off the wrong on the foot with me, mainly because I had to waste time figuring out how to type those two little dots above the âOâ in their name. My time is valuable, and need not be wasted with such things. As for the album itself, pretty damn good. This band, which could easily be compared to Primus, definitely brings something new to the indie rock dinner table. And dare I say, it might even be better than Primus.
RATING: FOUR STARS
THE TOSSERS â AGONY (Victory Records)
Câmon, who doesnât like The Tossers? Agony runs the gamete, taking you through all the emotions one might feel after a few pints. They still stick with a formula that they know works: Celtic music and punk rock go together almost as well as me and your mom.
RATING: THREE STARS
VARIOUS ARTISTS â AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE COLON MOVIE FILM FOR THEATERS SOUNDTRACK (Cartoon Network)
With a mix of hip hop, indie rock, metal, and a couple of tracks from the ATHF themselves, itâs almost impossible for this soundtrack to be bad. Even if you hear a song that you think totally blows, all you have to do is think about how it may be used in the film. And Presto! The song becomes good. But with tracks from Mastodon, The Hold Steady, MC Chris, and of course Schooly D, the process is pretty much unnecessary.
RATING: THREE STARS
DVDS:
FOLLOWING SEAN (Docudrama)
Alright, Iâm single and probably have no business telling people how to raise their kids. But if youâre living in the Haight-Ashbury area and allow your 4-year son to be the star of a short film where he talks about living among speed-freaks and smoking pot with hippies, you might want to take a parenting class or two. That being said, thatâs exactly what these parents did in 1969. Filmmaker Ralph Arlyck gained critical acclaim for his controversial short film, Sean, where he filmed the 4-year old and discovered what San Francisco in the 1960âs looked like through the eyes of a child. As over 30 years passed, Arlyck decided to track down Sean, who is now in his 30âs, and the rest of his family. Following Sean finds Arlyck discovering the lifestyles that these people have adapted to now that more than a quarter century has passed. In one specific instance, he discovers that Sean and his father are now living lives that could be considered polar opposites. Arlyck analyzes these different ways of living while reflecting on his own life. He never identifies anyone in the movie as right or wrong. Instead he just opens the door, letâs you look in, and wonder. What ifâŠ
RATING: FOUR STARS
THE WAR ON THE WAR ON DRUGS (Disinformation)
Consisting of a series of short vignettes, The War On The War On Drugs does pretty much what you would expect it do. It points out how things like the U.S. Government and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America are full of just as much bullshit propaganda as films like Reefer Madness. The filmmakers effectively found a way to this, wrapping comedy in facts. So whether itâs satirizing classic anti-drug ads or comically comparing enrollment in the D.A.R.E. program to Hitlerâs army brainwashing German children into the Nazi youth, this film will leave you laughing and walking away with the new found knowledge to realize one important thing: Drugs are cool.
RATING: FOUR STARS
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