"Compilation Reviews"

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JOE QUEER PRESENTS MORE BOUNCE TO THE OUNCE

Lookout Records
Two compact discs of total punk mayhem as compiled by Joe King Queer of the legendary band The Queers. If you want to know what is happening in today's punk world, obtain this release as a starter. Contains bands such as The Mr. T Experience, The Pink Lincolns, The Parasites, Sinkhole, The Hi-Fives, and more. Some of the more interesting material on this release includes The Queers covering The Who's "The Kids Are Alright" and a track by The Muffs called "No Action." Hey! Whoa! Let's Go! Awesome!

- Al Slavicsky


MAKE NOISE AND ONLY NOISE TAPE #2

Your Not Normal Records, 2835 Delaware Ave. #1, Kenmore, NY 14217
If you want some deranged, distorted noise, industrial, or grindcore, this is a good place to start. From the lo-fi industrial noise sounds of Society For Cutting Up Meat, Comme, Shiticide, and Stupid Noise Experiment to the highly techno influenced Row Boat Brain to the grindcorish The Person Inside of Regan and Captain 3 Leg to the trancelike splatter of Ehi and Aphasia... all this and more. 90 full minutes of ear bleeding audio torture.

- Al Slavicsky


BACK PORCH BLUES

King Snake Records
For fans of traditional folk and acoustic blues, this fifteen song compilation is a must-have. King Snake Records has put together a treasure of contemporary unplugged blues featuring some of the hottest blues musicians using stripped-down and stark instrumentation and a very intimate focus. Chicago Bob Nelson starts off this collection with "Sugar Mama," a bare bones blues chestnut with guitar help supplied by Tinsley Ellis, and it just keeps getting better from there. Southern harp master Mark Hodgson makes several appearances, offering "Big Foot Woman" and "Flyright," as well as helping out on cuts from Floyd Miles, "Cocky Rooster" and "Arthritis." Oklahoma Ace Moreland serves up some tasty smooth vocals and harp work on "Head in the Bottle" and "Gates of Hell." Remaining cuts from Smokehouse, Bill Wharton, Eric Culberson, and Jeff Howell all are drenched in mojo soul and complete this collection to the blues-lover’s complete satisfaction. King Snake should be commended for supplying us this rare and intimate look at some of today’s hottest blues masters returning to the roots of the blues with this thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining collection of acoustic blues.

- Mike Somers


LOUNGING AT THE NICK AT NITECLUB; DANCING AT THE NICK AT NITECLUB; BEACH BLANKET BASH; and PATIO POOL PARTY

Nick at Nite Records
Nick at Nite Records often releases CD collections in pairs, and they've done it again... twice. LOUNGING and DANCING are paired; BEACH BLANKET BASH and PATIO POOL PARTY are also a couple.

LOUNGING is a great disc of lounge music, from Vic Damone's "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" to Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" to Tom Jones' "I (Who Have Nothing)." DANCING, meanwhile, contains 14 of those dance craze songs, including "The Watusi," "The Jerk," and "The Shag (Is Totally Cool)."

BEACH BLANKET BASH covers decades, ranging from Martha & the Vandellas' "Heat Wave (Love Is Like A)" to Katrina and the Waves' "Walking On Sunshine." PATIO POOL PARTY ranges less, though it still includes Billy Stewart's "Summertime" and Kim Mitchell's "Patio Lanterns."

- Geoff Wilbur


1997 FALL SAMPLER

Skunk Records
An introduction into the Skunk Records world through this release which includes previously unreleased material from bands such as the wrapped dementia surf rock of the Ziggens, reggae dub punk from Slightly Stoopid, vintage beer-infested punk of the Juice Bros., drag strip guitar rock of Del Noah and the Mt. Arafat Finks, classic unreleased 1980s punk from the legendary Fallen Idols, 1990s style from Corn Doggie Dog and the 1/2 Lb., a rare remix from The Lordz of Brooklyn, and an unlisted track from The Long Beach Dub All-Stars. Definitely worth buying.

- Al Slavicsky


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