Volume
Rocket From The Crypt
Circa: Now! +4 (Reissue)
Swami Records
I'll never forget where I was the first time I listened to RFTC's Circa: Now! It
was 1993 and I was alone in a blizzard atop Wyoming's desolate Grand Teton Pass …
flipped upside down behind the wheel of a friend's suddenly demolished 1974
International Scout. With the roof flattened against my head, I sat listening to the last
track at high volume as snowflakes fell through the broken windshield. "Glazed" ended
with the whole band chanting, "Smoke pot, smoke pot, everybody smoke pot … " for
nearly eight minutes. The CD player then cued the album again from the top.
I remember thinking it would be wise to put more clothes on lest I freeze to death
with the coming dusk. In shock, I heaved myself out the window, managing to escape
with only a jammed thumb and a slight cut to my forehead. The Scout, however, was not
so lucky. Standing in the road for twenty minutes, I detected a sickly, high-pitched whine
harmonizing with Circa: Now!'s hot jams. Broken from its mounts, the engine had shoved
through the grill; yet somehow, the thing was still on, wheels spinning, belts screaming—a
minor miracle the car didn't explode.
Call it superstition or cellular memory … whatever … but as much as I've been a
devoted follower of guitarist Speedo's (a.k.a. John Reis) work through the years
(Pitchfork, Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes), after the accident I never allowed myself to
revisit Circa: Now! That is, until today. Reis' Swami Records has reissued the album with
expanded liner notes and four stellar bonus tracks. The bullish guitars, blasting horns, and
blitzkrieg beats are all there—only better. Armed with this album (and better luck), Circa:
Now! should keep you alert and entertained for the long drive ahead.—Arlie Carstens
Sonic Youth
Sonic Nurse
Geffen Records
Through its seminal 23-year career, Sonic Youth continues to bring us
experimental rock 'n' roll. The nineteenth album from the ever-inventive Sonic Youth
entitled Sonic Nurse is some of the band's best work since Daydream Nation in 1988.
Although the last few album's (Murray Street, A Thousand Leaves) were somewhat of a
departure from their earlier work, Sonic Nurse brings back all that was great about their
older albums Goo, Dirty, and Daydream Nation. Even though it's a little more refined
than past efforts, Sonic Youth has once again done a great job at mixing noise and melody
into perfect harmony—something few bands can do. Kim Gordon still lets her seductive
smoke-drenched vocal chords loose on "Dude Ranch Nurse" and "I Love You Golden
Blue"—which is one of the best songs on the album.
On this album Gordon sounds very much like Nico—she always has, but it's a lot
more noticeable here. The always-avant-garde middle-aged band members have focused on
a broad range of moody tones mixed in with great hooks. Outlasting so many other bands
from the same alt-rock late 80s early 90s era proves that Sonic Youth's constant
evolution is its key ingredient to not being forgotten. After all, when Sonic Youth
continues to make albums like these, it's hard to forget about them.—Greg Harris
Beastie Boys
To The 5 Boroughs
Capitol Records
Bring that beat back. The Beasties are here with another story to tell—it's about
three bad brothers you know so well. It's been six long years since Hello Nasty came out
and you heard the words "Inter-galactic planetary" all over the radio. Now it's "Ch-
Check It Out," and it's like the Beasties never left the airwaves. They're seriously like
The Beatles for our generation, but these dudes are still "rockin' the M-I-C is the place to
be" almost twenty years later. Damn, MCA, Mike D., and Ad Rock have all got to be
almost 40 years old by now. But that isn't stoppin' them from having fun and making
some of the most original hip-hop thee world has ever heard. And yes, it's called "hip-
hop," because it's definitely not some busted-ass bling-bling rap music all about gettin'
iced out. This is true inner-city urban music for people who want to marinate on the
positive instead of the negative. Run (or take the A train) on down to your nearest music
grotto and pick up To The 5 Boroughs for a lesson in realness.—Aaron Schmidt
Snow Patrol
Final Straw
A & M Records
Have nothing to do tonight? Well, go out and get yourself a bottle of red wine,
slap on the most expensive pair of headphones you can find, sit in a dimly lit room, and
listen to Final Straw. If the wine hasn't hit your head by the time the album is done
playing, then the music of Snow Patrol surely will give you a nice perspective on things.
There's something about UK pop bands—they have a unique substance that sets
them in a category of their own, and SP is definitely not lacking in this area. A cozy blend
of rock instrumentation and bouncy synthesizer sounds are what make this group so
enjoyable to listen to. If you like the music of Mogwai or The Reindeer Section, then you
will melt listening to this group.— Justin Ruttkay
Various Artists
Zentertainment 2004
Ninja Tunes
I love compilations from good labels because it gives you a chance to hear new
musicians that you may not be able to listen to otherwise. For example, Skalpel, a new
Ninja Tunes member from Poland, gives a nice jazzy number called "1958." The Jaga
Jazzist provides some clean two-step with a driving bass. Wagon Christ, a veteran, gives
us a groovy dance number called "Saddic Gladdic" that will have you moving.
cLOUDDEAD appears on Zentertainment 2004 and has its usual haunting flowing raps.
This collection has a lot of variety and could have you finding a new artist you've never
heard of. There're so many good musicians on this label—these compilations are good
ways to figure out what styles and artists you like before committing to a full album.
Isn't it about time to try something new?—Eric Klier
Matt Costa
Matt Costa EP
Venerable Media
Stuck on the cellophane wrapping of Matt Costa's EP was a fat sticker with a
short biography about Mr. Costa and how he was kicked out of his first music class at
five years old for not playing what the teacher wanted him to and that he was a
sponsored skater whose career was cut short by some gnarly broken leg or something.
But once the outer layer of the album was stripped away, it was just
singer/songwriter Matt Costa playing an acoustic guitar coupled with his impressive
voice. The first song on the album, "Astair," is a perfect melody with a harpsichord
accompanying Matt's guitar. "Acting Like A Fool" is a folksy/bluesy jam that would
certainly make you start swaying if you were watching this song live. On "TV Gods" he
plays an acoustic slide guitar for this foot-stomping blues song. Matt's songwriting
ability is characterized by his diversity and ingenuity, and his music is impressive to
listen to. Catch a live version of Matt Costa if you have the chance.—Eric Sentianin
Sonic Youth
Corporate Ghost The Videos: 1990—2002
Sonic Youth is the seminal art-rock band of this generation. Their music is a
thrash-happy blend of beauty and chaos. One overlooked aspect of their illustrious career
is the videos they made to accompany their songs. This DVD starts way back in 1990
with "Dirty Boots" and goes all the way up to 2002 with a video for the song
"Disconnection Notice" from the album Murray Street. All the hits are here, including
"100%" (directed by Spike Jonze), "My Friend Goo," "Bull In The Heather," and "Kool
Thing." This disc is packed with band commentary for every video, along with an assload
of extras. Corporate Ghost is one of the best video discographies ever made—which is
fitting for one of the best bands ever.—Chris Coté
