Editorial Review

As the third track on Read more

Reviews (27)

How I Spent The Best 5 Dollars Of My Life
Ventura, circa 2004. My first experience with the Souls was an unexpected one after hearing a set of theirs at Warped. The songs they sang sounded breathtaking and uplifting... the kind of songs that make your heart beat faster and get you excited. The first thing I did after witnessing this spectacle was to rush over to their booth and buy a cd. I chose this. Now, a couple years later and having heard everything they have released... this remains the best. It is more polished then anything prior and just plain better than their latest two (which are also great).
guaranteed to keep you bouncing from start to finish
I believe that this is by far the band's best work. The album is full of catchy and upbeat anthems. Yes, anthems. These are songs that you will sing out in your room or chant along with in your car. From beginning to end, this album delivers a surge of positive energy that never lets you down. This cd will lift your spirits as well as your heart rate. Greg's voice carries beautifully, while still staying true to their punk rock sound. The Pete's guitarwork is fairly simple, but holds the songs up, nonetheless. Bryan's bassage is innovative and catchy, and rolls on flawlessly through every track. And Michael's drumming is spot-on and aggressive, and it totally keeps you movin'. One of my favorite things about the Bouncing Souls is their lyrics, which are real and easy to relate to. They sing of good and bad times, old friends and new ones, love lost and love found, and about reconnecting with the things that make you happy. "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" will get you through the day floating on a cloud of pure liveliness and bliss. Who wouldn't love that? It's hard to narrow down my favorites on this album, but they'd have to be "Private Radio", "Lifetime", "Broken Record", "Late Bloomer", and "The Something Special". It's great stuff so go buy it!! And also, if you get the chance to see these guys live, go for it! Their live show is just as promising if not more than this album.

Always raises my spirits.
Alot of my Cd collection Is dark(Darkthrone,Burzum)Depressing(Skinny puppy,wumpscut)Angry(black flag,Slayer) and Heavy and fast(Agoraphobic nosebleed, exhumed) But This album and other BS albums Are always a breath of fresh air. With light lyrics about love,freindship(Manthem is the ultimate drinking song when your with the guys) and BMX bikes Its hard to be in a frumpy mood listening to them. Its fun,Its up beat and If you don't want to get up and jump around or dance. You might be dead. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Underground    2. Hardcore Punk    3. Pop    4. Punk    5. Punk Revival    6. Punk-Pop    7. Rock   

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (54)

a boring album through and through
i really tried my hardest to get into this album, but as much as i tried, it always left a stale and un-remarkable taste in my mouth...dont get the alternative tentacles version, just don't get it period! yeah, frankenchrist and bedtime for democracy are a bit better, but they still arent spectacular at that....to me, DK was really a one album wonder band with their amazing album "fresh fruit.." that one is all you really need from this band...maybe frankenchrist if you cannot get enough of fresh fruit.

Another classic
This is another Dk release,The bass work really stands out on this and all the other instruments are done with perfection ,Pick this up now!

I used to blast this out of my sterio and sing along respectively...
Dead Kennedy's was one of the first american punk band's I got into. Before that I was into all the british oi and more poppy groups like Buzzcocks, Sex Pistols, Clash, etc. I picked up my copy of Plastic Surgury Distaster's/In God We Trust Inc. at Sam Goody when I was 14. Honestly, I bought it because of the picture on the cover. That is one of the best images of famine ever captured. When I put it in my cd player & let the music pour into my ears, I got so hyped up. When I showed it to my friends, we all started fighting each other in my room. Pure agression. The music was that powerful for me. Jello, even though he has become a bloated sack of ego (by the way does anyone else agree that Jello destroyed The Melvins?), added unmatched humor to this release, only equaled by Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. One of my favorite DK songs is on this being Moon Over Marin. It's not really the topic of the song, pollution, which makes it my choice. No, it's the guitar's ambience and beauty that almost brings me to tears at times. East Bay Ray was on top of his game for this record. In fact they were all at their artistic peak during this record and inbetweeen making Frankenchrist. This release reminds me of when I was young, definately. If you want a memorable, amusing punk album this is it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Punk    2. American Underground    3. Anarchist Punk    4. Hardcore Punk    5. L.A. Punk    6. Pop    7. Punk    8. Rock   

Editorial Review

This is the album where most fans agree that Curt, Cris, and Derrick came into their own as a totally original artistic force, where the intricate wordplay of Curt's heat-driven visions is finally matched by the tricky rhythmic exchanges and turbulent, trippy melodicism emanating from the instruments. When listening to songs such as the whistle-led "Maiden's Milk," the outrageously Talking Heads-funky "Away," or the giddy, rollicking "Seal Whales," it becomes almost impossible to believe that only three instruments could create such a delicate, textured record. It truly seemed that this Phoenix trio had managed to capture the sound of the desert on vinyl--the sense of echoing loneliness, the cactus prickliness, the vast open spaces. This reissue (originally released in 1985) includes five bonus eight-track demos. Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (27)

gentle blissful cowpunk for driving across the desert
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.
Beyond categorization.....and brilliant!!!
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.
Stinky's review of Up on the Sun
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. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Punk    3. American Underground    4. College Rock    5. Cowpunk    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. United States of America   

Editorial Review

While Brendan Benson may be best known for receiving the fervent patronage of fellow Detroit natives the White Stripes, the songs on his second album display little of Jack and Meg's garage roar. Rather, Read more

Reviews (32)

A marvelously affecting power pop album
I have a rule that I never review an album that I haven't heard at least ten times all the way through.If you scroll through my various reviews and notice just the music, I invariably give albums either four or five stars.This is mainly because albums I really dislike never fulfill the ten-times rule.I bring this up because on the first two or three hearings of this album I wasn't terribly impressed.I didn't think it a bad album, merely one that I wasn't going to be able to listen to ten times.I stuck with it, however, and somewhere around the sixth listen everything clicked.Now, I am a huge fan of power pop and have been since discovering Big Star, the Raspberries, and the Shoes ages ago.Now the thing is, those bands all blew me away on a first listen.This one took longer, but I'm simply delighted that I stuck with it.
Catchy intelligent power pop

Prepare to sing along!
Let's be frank here: anyone who likes popsongs with lots and lots of hooks, catchy melodies, beatle-like chord canges, and(often silly) lyrics about girls, should buy this album right away and never stop enjoying it immensely. At least that's what I did. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Indie Rock    2. Pop    3. Pop Underground    4. Popular Music    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Original recording reissued

Reviews (25)

yes again but please quit overstating the significance of these releases
i purchased this lp in early 80 after enjoying two previous singles; fa ce la/boy with..
Indie Rock Ground Zero
Crazy Rhythms, while not one of the biggest-selling records of all time, is one of the more obvious places to discover the origins of what would come to be called "indie" or "alternative" rock in the 1980s. Granted, The Feelies had their influences, but they were inspired by these bands to innovate rather than imitate. Granted, the vocals may at times sound about as close to Lou Reed as is humanly possible, and the influence of this record can be heard in everything from early R.E.M. to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, but still, The Feelies created an inimitable and completely unique sound with their 1980 debut.
Truly Incredible
It is criminal that this album is no longer in print.I own hunderds upon hundreds of albums, and this one is in the top 5.If it were a recording of "Moscow Nights" alone, it would probably rank in the top 20.If you are a fan of Television and Talking Heads (which I hope you are), you should do everything you can to acquire this album ASAP. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Underground    3. College Rock    4. Jangle Pop    5. Pop    6. Popular Music    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop    9. United States of America   

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (4)

Sonic Youth in the beginning
Sonic Youth (1982.) The first studio release from Sonic Youth.
bemoaning lost youth
I don't actually have a copy of this CD yet...The cassette version of the EP was my first introduction to Sonic Youth. Side one was the five songs and side two was side one in reverse - even the text on the cassette was backwards. I miss that tape. I wish they had included the songs in reverse, also. I used to listen to side two as much as side one. Sigh.

Rescued from obscurity: a Sonic history lesson
This would be the very first EP by the band that soon became the Greatest American Rock Band of the last 25 years.It's kind of the band's misbegotten son, the ne'er-do-well.When they recorded it, they were young, still developing their sound, and relatively unfamiliar with the studio environment.As a result, the band (and many of their fans) felt it came out rather tepid: a watered down, somewhat sterile version of what they actually wanted to do.When Geffen started reissuing SY's indie albums in the mid-90's, this was conspicuously left out.One the "best of" collection "Screaming Fields of Sonic Love," Only "I Dreamed I Dream" was included, event though I for one always preferred "She Is Not Alone" (side note: if you hunger for SY-related rarities, try to track down a rather decent cover version of that tune by an industrial outfit named Borghesia).Well, they've finally gotten around to a reissue, only a few month's before the brand new album "Rather Ripped," drops.I'll be sure to review that, and I can tell you're waiting with baited breath.
Read more

Subjects:  1. American Underground    2. Experimental Rock    3. Pop    4. Post-Punk    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. United States of America   

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (18)

Lovely...luh luh luh luh luh luh luh luh lovely..........
Suicidal Tendencies is one of those metal bands that I knew of when they were popular but I didn't really start listening to them until many years later.I was only familiar with some of their earlier hardcore-punk-type stuff, like 'Institutionalized'.A friend of mine started listening to them and slowly but surely, I really started to dig them too.This was the first album I bought, after listening to a few of them with my friend.I would say this is my favorite album by them.
I Feel Lovely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Suicidal Tendencies are on of my all time favorite bands and their album Lights...Camera...Revolution is their greatest. This album is recomended to anyone who wants kick-ass "cheerful metal." Highlights on this album are "Lovely" "Discos Out Murders In" and "Give It Revolution".

When your emotion gets the best of you
Everyone wants to control your life. Everyone tells you what to do and how to live. This is the album that breaks all the rules and fights hard to destroy the opposition. When life's problems are too much to aborb there's always one band to tune to: Suicidal Tendencies. Powerful up front lyrics, powerful guitars and sections of interludes that makes you free. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Underground    2. Hardcore Punk    3. Heavy Metal    4. Pop    5. Popular Music    6. Punk    7. Punk Metal    8. Rock    9. Skatepunk    10. Thrash   

Editorial Review

Many people's favorite Yo La Tengo album, Read more

Reviews (25)

Nothing "Fake" About This Songbook
The genuine affection for the tunes on display here make for a fine low-key listening experience.Covers and originals meld together in what seems to be a love letter to musical sensibilities of an earlier time.There's a country & western, soft rockabilly, or folk vibe throughout with understated vocals and nary a hint of the experimental "noise", contrapuntal dissonance, and detached attitude for which the band is usually known.
Amazin, Reminds me of the Byds
An excellent album. I am a fan of "I Can Hear The Heart Beating" and "Then NOthing Turned Into Somethin". This cd is entirely different. Yo La Tengo pulls a complete 180, and sticks mainly to covers mixed with some original stuff. It has a misty, thematic feel to it, a certain aura of perfectly arranged acoustic guitar and slippery vocals. "What Comes Next" evokes the Byrds, especially their "Notorious Byrd Bros." phase. An excellent buy, sit back n enjoy.

Too country/americana for me
This doesn't sound like YLT at all. If you like a bunch of slow, acoustic, sad songs this is an album for you.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Pop    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

When punk rock met the formless rebellion that permeated L.A.'s working-class suburbs in the early '80s, a weird hybrid was born, drawing equally from heavy-metal thunder and Ritalin-generation aggression. Suicidal Tendencies' frontman Mike Muir was one of them, and they knew it immediately, latching onto the half-spoken, half-screeched brain bomb "Institutionalized" as an instant classic. That song is certainly the best-known track on this, the group's debut, but it's hardly the only essential one: "Fascist Pig," "I Shot the Devil," and "Possessed" all rage on mightily, the arcs of guitar from Rocky George and Mike Clark serving to push Muir to new heights of blind frenzy. In less powerful hands, this album would be little more than an extended temper tantrum, but in the mitts of Suicidal, it's something far, far more dangerous. Read more

Features

• Original recording reissued

Reviews (42)

Give credit where credit is due
Reguarding your Editoriol Reviews, per amazone.com's David Sprague on Suicidal Tendencies first album release, erroneously credits Rocky George and Mike Clark's guitar playing for being instrumental in part for the albums success. However, the original and actual guitar players on that album where bassist Louiche Mayorga and guitarist Grant Estes.

A great album that everyone should try listening to
I, like a lot of people, hate all of the whiney little posers that call themselves punk. Before you ever say you like punk music, I think you should base that off of an actual punk band (not Green Day or Good Charlotte). So here is one album that I find very easy to listen to and enjoy. It pretty much represents what hard-core punk should be.
for the record.......
This record was their first and as far as i'm concerned. . . . their best. The amazon review is incorrect regarding who played guitar on it though. Nothing agains rocky or mike but Grant Estes played ALL guitars on that record. Those other guys did the remake and it's not even close. Don't waste your money. the original kicks azz and was the total precursor to sooooo many bands today it's not even funny. Mike's insane lyrics spoke to a generation trying to find itself and Grant's guitar work was groundbreaking for that genre of music. NOBODY had solos in punk at that time. This record was ahead of it's time and still holds up today. check it out, you'll play the siht out of it like i do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Underground    2. Hardcore Punk    3. Heavy Metal    4. Pop    5. Punk    6. Punk Metal    7. Rock    8. Skatepunk    9. Thrash   

Reviews (29)

Hail the King (Buzzo), baby.
Pacific Northwest rock shamans the Melvins are among the innovators of '80s and '90s "grunge," though they easily defied this simple categorization with every release. For every churning bucket 'o' sludge like Bullhead they released some off-the-wall album of ambient noodling like Ambient Noise Takeover or Honky. Stoner Witch, one part of the trio released during the Atlantic era (the other two are Houdini and Stag), combines both sides of the Melvins' sound into a surprisingly coherent whole while adding a small dose of commercial hard rock sensibility for good measure.
livinliveinitlovinit
lets get one thing straight:Melvins are one of the greatest hard rock bands in metal/punk/alt. history, hands down.they're not only one of the heaviest, they're also one of the loudest and most expressive, and most experimental, never becoming predictable or boring.with each album the band takes one step beyond what you'd expect, but is always--ALWAYS y'hear?--remarkably similar to themselves.in every track on this glorious CD, one of their least hard 'n' heavy, the band takes early 90s Grunge to fantastic new levels of Sludge and dire weirdness, the standouts (to me) being BULLHEAD and MAGIC PIG DETECTIVE.If you want the sameole MTV, corporate radio, emo andor Nu Metal filth thats acting as a plague to modern music, then go away.you won't like this because, quite frankly, your brain has bee shrinked to a level so small as you can never understand what is so special about this music.Melvins use both ambience and talent to pump out one of the strangest and most entertaining bunch of songs ever recorded, and this is, in my ohsohumble opinion a PERFECT companion piece to HOUDINI.if you like these two, move forward and get THE CRYBABY and HOSTILE AMBIENT TAKEOVER before checking out their earlier works.If you don't like it, besides being a musical retarded, you won't like much of this band's legend.'nuff said...
Music For the Most Committed
After a driving four song opening sequence, concluding with the monster jam "Revolve", the Melvins decide to delve into ambient noise, destroying the momentum and stopping the cd dead.I'm all for experimenting, but for God sakes know what works and what should stay in the can!The Melvins idea of experimenting is starting a song (if you can call it that) in one style, then ending it in a radically different tone, failing to fuse the two together.If you think it's great to crank up your speaker to hear this electronic noodling, then get blown away when they suddenly decide to play a metal riff...then buy this cd.To me this is old and sounds like the Melvins got into really bad King Crimson.This is not the Melvin's accessible, it's their most difficult.If you like heavy stuff, get Bullhead.Houdini is also very good, though the last song falls into the Stoner Witch mode. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Grunge    4. Heavy Metal    5. Pop    6. Punk    7. Rock   

Reviews (17)

This band Rocks
This is a completely underated band that deserves a lot more recognition....this whole album ROCKS! Buy it, you won't regret it!

Tighter than spandex
Don't hesitate here, this is the definitive Chicago sound of the late 80's, early 90's, and possibly the best output of this seminal band. It lurches and pounces and David yow is the ace in the hole that sets it on fire. It is darn near impossible to listen to Nub and not turn your stereo up and up and up. In a genre that can sound dated, this album is timeless. My strongest recomendation.

Coolest Band Ever
Let's get one thing straight, I never put a review down for anyone.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. American Underground    4. Grunge    5. Indie Rock    6. Noise-Rock    7. Pop    8. Rock    9. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (20)

This album saved my life
Well...not really, but it definitely enriched my life and the lives of many of my close associates throughout the utter confusion and soul searching that was the early '90s. The is the desert island Melvins pick. There's not one crap track on it. It's pretty much all business from beginning to end. I've been listening to it for almost 15 years now and it just gets better. How many albums from that era still hold up today? Even my old Nirvana and Soundgarden records don't get as much time in my headphones as this one does...but I was always more of a metal kid anyway. There are some truly original moments on this massively influential record. Heck, there's even a band named after the opening track. Buy, beg, borrow or steal a copy. If you are into heavy music at all, you can't go wrong here. Seriously. A more solid recommendation I cannot give.

Most deceptive album cover art ever...
Who would've expected an album with a bright blue cover showcasing a fruit basket and a little glass of wine would be one of the heaviest ever written? I certainly did not. And for all the talk about the Melvins being some kinda punk band, or grunge band, or whatever they get lumped into, this is pure originality and pure DOOM power. Dale's drums are as precise and thunderous and any drummer I've ever heard and Buzzo's riffs twist, turn and slam into those spot-on rhythms. Any fan of heavy music at all and doom fans in particular must pick this up immediately. I don't listen to nearly as much metal as I used to but I find myself coming back to this again and again. Brilliant.

4.5 stars, actually. Although - THIS IS THE HEAVIEST ALBUM I HAVE EVER HEARD
Oh my. This album is the heaviest album I have ever heard. The whole album sounds like this - imagine having your feet glued to the ground and a giant 8 ton rock is slowly crushing your body. Pretty damn heavy, right? This album makes Black Sabbath sound like The Beatles. And I LOVE Black Sabbath!
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Grunge    4. Heavy Metal    5. Pop    6. Punk    7. Rock   

Editorial Review

Arriving a decade before the Clash but every bit as politicized, musically revved, and rife with contradiction, the MC5 scorched the earth in ways that few late-'60s bands ever even imagined. Read more

Reviews (17)

The Big Bang: Best of MC5
I had heard so much about this band, and came close to buying "Kick Out The Jams" (their debut) many times.I was always averted though, at the last minute, by the feeling that they were just a bunch of hype.Their manager, after all, was the leader of the White Panthers (a bunch of white kids who were trying to express solidarity with the Black Power movement), so it seemed reasonable to think that The MC5 broke ground mainly in terms of image, rather than music.Wow, was I wrong.
A great compilation of a great band
From aband that exerted an enormous influence on the
There is no studio version of "Kick Out The Jams"
To the reviewer who mentioned "Kick Out The Jams" being live it's because the MC5's debut album (KICK OUT THE JAMS, 1968)was a live album and no official studio version exsists (except on possible bootlegs of demos).Don't write reviews if you don't know your material. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Detroit Rock    2. Hard Rock    3. Pop    4. Proto-Punk    5. Rock    6. Rock & Roll    7. Rock/Pop    8. United States of America   

Features

• Import

Reviews (6)

REM: The best of from 1988-1993
This is a 16 track CD release of the best of early on REM. It includes hits like 'Perfect Circle', 'Talk About The Passion', 'Fall On Me', and 'The one I Love'. This is specifically for the lovers of the early REM. There are some great songs and material here however the songs from the late 90's were the best for REM.
An observation from an ancient one...
living in Athens during the early 80'z was an ordinary time with the exception of the nights spent downtown.the familiar territory of the first two or three discs (chronic town, murmur, reckoning...)are those whichfeel the most like a "best of" and most mimic the feel of those days...the swirling voice of... catapult, pretty persuasion, gardening at night.listening to radio free europe on purloined headphones while enduring a state-sponsoredvacation courtesy of Bibb County, GA. explanations to my girl that the words are not important and are you getting this....seeing stipe&co. with jason and the scorchers (fox, atlanta)...ten thousand maniacs (with Natalie in the fox again)...pylon (macon ga)...and many other times, with significantly less trappings (40 watt club did not have to explain its moniker...).what are 'best of'z' but one viewpoint allowed free rein...i beg to differ on the order of presentation-all of it is killer stuff and deserves a listen.

5 STARS.... I think?
Since this CD is very difficult to get, I will have to wait nearly 9 months to receive it. I really wanted a collection of R.E.M.'s and thought this was it. If you don't mind the wait, it'll probably be worth it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Underground    3. College Rock    4. Jangle Pop    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Reviews (25)

Holy Cow! This CD Blew Me Away
Since the mid 80's, Camper Van Beethoven has breaking all the rules in rock music. Who else would use a violin as a centerpiece to a rock band? This CD features all the classic CVB sound and brings a few new surprises.
what I mean is... 4 and 1/2 stars
Aside from the cover (a minor detail but hard to ignore compared to previous covers' glory) this is to me the best record of their career.It's got all the classic elements of their sound but takes into account what's happened sonically with the rest of the music world since Key Lime Pie and acts accordingly.In fact they push the envelope further than most and set the standard higher than it's ever been in rock music.So it's musically serious, and even a little serious lyrically, but overall it's funny and enjoyable, even if it's a little dark at times.