New Music, 2007-2008 - Part 3

Yes! The third of three parts. Onward:

• Burnt Fur - Unfurl (2008). I listened to their tunes on their myspace page, and was duly impressed. So I figured it was worth the plunge to get the album. Describing themselves as Electro/New Wave/Experimental (and who am I to argue?), this Boston band's release is a tale of two albums: there's the half that sounds good, and there's the half that doesn't. When they are good: great mix of guitar, keyboard, and vocals that blend together. When they are not: the music and vocals don't jibe, and/or the music nudges over the fine line between "not complicated" and "simplistic." Overall, it's a nice listen, but you're clearly slumming. It's terrible in the car; it's good on my office boombox. Tracks 1, 3, 6, and 8 are, respectively, pedestrian; not bad but not good, and therefore not good; ripping off a band who was, in turn, already ripping off Nine Inch Nails; and awful. Tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, and 9 are, respectively, reminiscent of very early Ministry and therefore decent; pretty solid both lyrically and musically; ripping off Pearl Jam’s opening to “Corduroy,” with a solid (and original) remainder; good; and why I bought the album. There's something here, just not enough of it, or enough variation.
  Verdict: It's close. Recommended for the five tracks that are good. CD Rack.

• The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever (2008). These guys are the real deal -- excellent musicians, smart lyricists, and thoughtful arrangers. Three is the magic number here. Three brothers from England, this is there third album and it boasts three great (and I mean great) tracks: the angular "Men's Needs"; the cacophonous "Ancient History" (chorus: "I drag up ancient history/Hope that they'll forgive me"); and the spoken word missive "Be Safe" (which features Lee Renaldo of Sonic Youth). And the rest of the songs are either good or very good. The production is excellent -- they get a dynamic mix of sounds out of all of their songs, despite the standard rock instrumental setups. Quite impressive. They seem to be approaching alternative rock at its logical extension, and I think they've got a serious future ahead of them.
  Verdict: Highly recommended. You're damn right this is a Car CD Changer album.

• Crooked Fingers - Forfeit/Fortune (2008). Eric Bachmann, the frontman and sole songwriter for this outfit, is pretty prolific to be flying under the radar: between Archers of Loaf, Barry Black, his solo work, and Crooked Fingers, he has now released sixteen albums and EP's since 1993. Not bad for a guy still living out of his car. Of those sixteen, I'd only call two pedestrian: his soundtrack Short Careers in 2001, and this effort. Neko Case injects some life into the last song on the album, but by then it's too late. Not bad, just not great. I'd characterize it as "pretty bland."
  Verdict: Not recommended. I'll keep it in my CD Rack out of respect to the man, but expect it to be gone by the next culling. The Archers of Loaf albums Icky Mettle and White Trash Heroes, Barry Black albums Barry Black and Tragic Animal Stories, and Crooked Fingers s/t debut are better places to start than this.

• Millencolin - Machine 15 (2008). The eighth album by everyone's favorite Scandanavian skatepunks. Usually their albums consist of one or two mind-blowing tunes and the rest not hitting the mark, but here they are a little less aggressive and a little more consistent, which makes the album a nice listen front-to-back and surprisingly solid as a whole.
  Verdict: Recommended. Portable CD Case.

• The Roots - Rising Down (2008). The veteran Philadelphia jazz-rap outfit is back, following up on 2006's brilliant Game Theory. Evan tried to get me to listen to these guys for years, and I can see why. This is very solid, although it's a little more mellow and a little less aggressive musically, and thus I prefer Game Theory.
  Verdict: Recommended. CD Rack.

• Bruce Springsteen - Magic (2007). I heard "Radio Nowhere" and loved the song -- Bruce is back! So I bought the album... and not so much, unfortunately. Great song, though.
  Verdict: Not recommended. Sell-back pile 1.

• Tapes 'N Tapes - Walk It Off (2008). Following up on their impressive 2005 debut The Loon, the boys clean up their sound with an overly produced effort. Sometimes production makes an album (like The Cribs, above); sometimes it completely takes the edge of the music and sanitizes it in a horrible, horrible way, wringing the life out of the music until the sponge is dry. You may have guessed -- this is the latter. It's just too clean; there are a few excellent songs here, but they rest have been polished to death. Did I mention I loved their debut?
  Verdict: Not recommended. Sell-back pile 1.

• Weezer - Red Album (2008). Now the first thing with this album is to listen to it in the correct order -- start with track 3 ("Pork and Beans"), play it straight through to the end, then play the first two tracks; "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" is a final track if I've ever heard one, but an odd choice for the second track of the album. Their track ordering choices are not good, but otherwise this is their best album since Pinkerton. "Pork and Beans" is absolutely fantastic, which always helps; the rest of the songs seem really autobiographical, which in this case works. It's really remarkably good, especially since (IMHO) they launched three bombs in a row before this one. It's an impressive return to form -- classic Weezer, which inevitably is good sounding, guilty pleasure rock. They do what they do, and they do it well.
  Verdict: Recommended. Portable CD Case.

• Wire - Object 47 (2008). Wire's story follows a bit like the Buzzcocks: Wire released three seminal albums in the late 70's, went on hiatus, then released some tired-sounding albums from the mid-80's and early 90's before re-forming at the beginning of this decade. (Granted, in the Buzzcocks case they had a longer layoff to the early 90's, and a shorter time to reforming early this decade, but you get the idea.) Here's the difference between the two: the Buzzcocks have not been able to recapture the magic, but Wire has. At a Buzzcocks show, you feel the electricity through the old songs, and the lack thereof in the new ones; at a Wire show, it's a blur of electricity, front to back, no matter what era is being played. And this album is great. Anchored by the three great tracks ("One of Us," "Perspex Icon," and "All Fours", the latter starring Page Hamilton from Helmet), this album is a good listen. They're art rock at its finest, and have proven they still have their game after all these years, despite guitarist Bruce Gilbert leaving the band. Close your eyes -- you'll think it's a lost classic.
  Verdict: Highly recommended. Car CD Changer.

- Snilch

New Music, 2007-2008 - Part 2

Part Two of our look at new music. Onward:

• The Black Watch - Icing the Snow Queen (2008). One of my all-time favorite groups -- it's just too bad that no one has ever heard of them. They have an amazing story, which will have to wait until their next album, but here's a quick synopsis: The Black Watch (essentially John Andrew Fredrick and J'Anna Jacoby) had ten releases over a 14-year period, before Jacoby left to tour with Rod Stewart (!), leaving Fredrick on his own to release four albums and one EP since 2003. It has felt like a bad breakup; of the four post-Jacoby albums, this is closest to the classic Black Watch sound. Think The Cure meets My Bloody Valentine with pop sensibilities. I may enjoy Tattermedallion a little more this one in the post-Jacoby era, but this album is really nice -- if you like your music a little folkier, this is a great place to start with your first Black Watch album. And if this were a breakup, I think Fredick has finally been able to push past it.
  Verdict: Highly recommended. This album, Amphetamines, The King of Good Intentions, Lime Green Girl, Tattermedallion... I just named five of my favorite albums. Get one of them if you can find them (although Lime Green Girl is probably the best place to start). Portable CD Case "with privileges."
  
  
• The B-52's - Funplex (2007). Hard to believe, but this is only their seventh album, and the first since 1992's Good Stuff. As usual,The B-52's bring incredible harmonies to the table to contrast with Fred Schneider's delivery (his best line: "I am a fully eroticized being!"). This does not feel like an album that they've been creating for 16 years, more like picking up where they left off with Cosmic Thing: danceable, poppy, quirky fun. No huge hits here, but enjoyable.
  Verdict: Recommended. CD Rack.
  
  
• CSS - Donkey (2008). Album #2 from everyone's favorite Brazilian dance troupe finds the band adding a little more musical oomph to their sound, with mixed results. My favorite song is "How I Became Paranoid," which properly marries indie rock sensibilities, pop harmonies, and a dance beat (I give it an 89, Dick!) into a great pop song. That's a really tough thing to create. If they continue on this trajectory, I would not be surprised if their next album was landmark in quality. Still, this album is very very good and quite a fun listen. Hop on while they're still incubating.
  Verdict: Recommended. Portable CD Case.
  
  
• Nerf Herder - IV (2008). Most famous for writing the title theme for the TV show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the nerd indie rock boys are back. They've always struck me as being on the cusp of something really great, but that promise has never translated into a great album. That's the case here once again -- bits and bobs are decent, but the songs themselves are just lacking. I think they want to be this generation's Devo; they need to be smarter both musically and lyrically to get there.
  Verdict: Not recommended. Pile of death.
  
  
• R.E.M. - Accelerate (2008). Let me start by stating that I am not an R.E.M. fan. I associate old R.E.M. (i.e.,1983-87, the I.R.S. records) with visiting my brother at Kenyon College in the early 90's -- that was the vibe of the campus and it seemed like we heard them everywhere we went. I associate Green (e.g., "Orange Crush," "Stand," "Pop Song '89") with my freshman year in college; when I hear anything from Out of Time (e.g., "Losing My Religion," "Shiny Happy People"), I think of my senior year in college. And when I hear anything else (1992-2007), I think of a band that lost its way (i.e., crap). This album makes me think of Kenyon. It's not quite as jangly as that era but it has that vibe. No real "hits" here, but I like this better than anything since Out of Time. Minus the regrettable last song, I think they've done what U2 has failed to do: recapture their magic from the 80's. (IMHO, of course!)
  Verdict: Recommended. Portable CD Case.
  
  
• Sloan - Parallel Play (2008). Sloan was on a bit of a run: the career compilation A-Sides Win was fantastic, the follow-up Never Hear the End of It (reviewed here) was absolutely great -- the best, most consistent album they've ever done -- and the show that followed it was a great mix of their new and old material. Their show on this tour (reviewed here) was a step back; Parallel Play (reviewed... well, I guess right here) is a further drop-off. I would not be surprised if these were castoffs from the aforementioned NHTEOI sessions... two excellent songs, the rest completely pedestrian and sadly disappointing.
  Verdict: Not recommended. Sell-back pile 1.
  
  
• TV on the Radio - Dear Science (2008). When Scott and I saw these guys at the Boston Music Awards a few years ago, we were blown away by the first couple of songs, then not so much by the rest. And their Return to Cookie Mountain album (although it was universally praised) just didn't move me. But I heard something in their music that I liked, so when Chris Dahlen's review for Pitchfork said this was catchier than their previous albums, I felt I needed to take the plunge. And this is very good. It's like Bad Brains decided to mellow out and try to mimic Prince; at other times that have moments that recall Morphine, Hybrasil, or The Michael Stanley Band. (Okay, the latter is quite a stretch, but I couldn't resist the reference.) This may not be exactly up my alley, but it is really good. Headphones or big stereo listen for this one for sure.
  Verdict: Recommended. CD Rack.

- Snilch

New Music, 2007-2008 - Part 1

I'm sure most people want to know what new music I'm listening to -- that's usually what they ask me about as a starter. To be honest, I've done a pretty piss-poor job of spelling that out lately; so I'm going to make up for it and play catch-up with a bunch of albums from 2007 and 2008.

I'd like to make one general comment before beginning: the radio is terrible, and the current state of music is extremely pedestrian. There is a little voice in my head that keeps saying, "Guitar music is done, something else is next," but I can't see what or who that might be. This has been an incredibly stagnant decade for pretty much all forms of music, and thus nothing I'm going to review over the next few posts is revolutionary by any means. There is a lot of good music out there, just not the next Nirvana or My Bloody Valentine.

That being said... I've heard a lot of very good music this year, so I really shouldn't complain. Yet I still do. Ah, poor Mrs. Snilch Report...

In alphabetical order:

• The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (2007). Now when I asked for any thoughts on this album last year, what I got back was resounding silence. So when I saw the album cheap, I figured I would give it a shot. This album is very good; it's just that their first (Funeral) was epic. And this is not. If you've never heard Funeral, it's similar to listening to U2's October without hearing Boy: on its own, it's a very good album; when compared with Boy, its warts begin to show. A couple of classic songs, but I'll pick up Funeral again nine times out of ten over this one.
  Verdict: Recommended. Portable CD Case.
  
  
• Battles - Mirrored (2007). At times this sounds like a demented version of Jesus Christ Superstar; other times it sounds like Mars Volta. In either case it's a highly pleasing cacophony of sound.
  Verdict: Recommended. CD Rack.
  
  
• The Big Sleep - Sleep Forever (2008). At that start, it appears this is album plodding and full of itself; the first three songs are instrumental. By the time the album hits track 5, the brilliant "Pinkies," it's apparent that this is more of a single thought stretched over the glorious map of an album. There's a wistfulness and an epic quality to their ambitions as a group that come through -- a little shoegazer, a little prog rock, and even a little stoner rock. (Okay, light stoner rock.) A little slow at times, and it feels longer than it really is, but still... Winner. Winner. Winner.
  Verdict: Recommended. Car CD Changer.
  
  
• British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music? (2008). Album #3 from this English band, still trying to measure up to their impressive debut album from 2003, The Decline of British Sea Power. I like this album but it overstays its welcome a tad. It sounds very familiar, very safe, very 80's -- it's very "pleasant" music. Probably would be perfect to impress your new potential girlfriend or boyfriend that you're hip, while safe (i.e., not living in your mother's basement planning horrible revenge on people who wronged you in the fifth grade). Great for doing dishes or playing in the background while you're doing something else. I know it sounds like I'm damning this album with faint praise -- I like it more than that. Sort of. How about this: I'm glad I bought it.
  Verdict: Recommended. CD Rack.
  
  
• M83 - Saturdays = Youth (2008). After the bomb that was Digital Shades Volume 1, I honestly wasn't sure whether M83 would ever touch the heights of Before the Dawn Healed Us. This one is not quite there, but it's a step in the right direction. This has a depth and a vibe to it that DSV1 did not; I don't like primarily keyboard music unless it can capture a spacey/dreamy aspect while having at least a slight edge. This does. I will still be enjoying this in ten years.
  Verdict: Recommended. Portable CD Case.
  
  
• Jay Reatard - Matador Singles '08 (2008). This is a CD compilation of a series of limited edition 7"s released by Matador this year. If you don't know his work... well, let's just say Jay Reatard amuses me -- he writes bent pop songs. Great disc but definitely not for everyone. Generally pretty simple musically and lyrically; think Andrew W.K. with more wit and musical chops. He's mid-tempo indie/pop/punk rock... tough to absolutely classify, which is reason #212 I like him.
  Verdict: Recommended. Portable CD Case.
  
  
• Teddy Thompson - A Piece of What You Need (2008). This is Teddy's third album (fourth if you count his album of country covers), and his best one yet. The only son of Richard and Linda Thompson, this album sees Teddy sounding absolutely confident, and surprisingly establishing his identity as a crooner. Think Eric Matthews meets Jens Lekman. Not my kind of music but my kind of album. I find myself shocked that he's progressed this far in such a short period of time. It's nice to hear him find his voice and his own identity outside of his famous folks.
  Verdict: Recommended. Almost CD Changer worthy, but ends up in the Portable CD Case.
  
  
• The Thalia Zedek Band - Liars and Prayers (2008). Thalia Zedek has been fronting bands in Boston since the late '70's, including Uzi and Come, and I've always felt I should like her stuff on principle... but it's never happened. This album is where I can happily meet her halfway. Sounding like Courtney Love in about another ten years of serious smoking, minus the haughtiness, Zedek has a lot more life in her. Musically, it's a standard three piece plus a viola and a piano, which sound great. Vocally, she goes for it as well -- she's got the voice of wisdom combined with the earnestness of youth. The small complaint I'd lodge would be that there is not much variation from song to song musically; but, in the end, I still feel this is an under the radar, great sounding album.
  Verdict: Recommended. Portable CD Case.

Wow... uniformly positive. How did that happen?

- Snilch

Wax Ecstatic

I'm not sure if you've heard... vinyl is back.

CD shoved past vinyl in the late 80's, relegating the survival of the format to audiophiles and DJ's; now, in what might be a "Rocky"-type comeback, vinyl may now be spelling the end of CD's.

Yes, that's right. Those same large black coasters that have existed in your domicile primarily as nostalgic references to a time gone by... are now potentially pushing their commercial successors out of business. For the first time in the last 20 years, sales of vinyl are going up significantly.

How is this possible?

This is how we got here: in the past ten years, people who wanted the flexibility of music in an electronic format have turned to mp3's, which has (for quite some time) been driving CD sales downward. As the convenience that CD's has offered has been supplanted by mp3's, the audiophile vinyl-only purists (living amongst us like recessive genes) have kept the format on life support, evangelizing that a CD could never match the richer sound quality of an album.

So now we've come to the tipping point, where audio purists are becoming a larger segment of the record/CD-buying public. Don't believe me? The next time you go into Newbury Comics, look at the vinyl section. It's growing.

But the proof is in the pudding. Having owned it for six months, it seemed like the right time to finally open the wrapper on the LP version of Bob Mould's Body of Song. I was shocked at how much fuller the sound was than on CD (the song "Paralyzed" in particular). So, a few weekends back, Scott, Bubba, and I got together to take a larger listen for ourselves. Cranking the stereo (with Mrs. Snilch Report wisely taking cover at the Jersey shore), we ended up finding that the music did sound at least as good, and often better, on LP than on CD. A few notables:

• Hüsker Dü - Warehouse: Songs and Stories. (1987) I always wondered how this band went from a small label to a major, yet saw the quality of its mastering plummet. Well, here is the answer: the CD mixes were crap, the vinyl mixes were great. I've been listening to "Could You Be the One?" for 20 years now, and swear it never sounded as good as when I heard it on record. The drums sound much less tinny, the guitar much more rounded and full -- it's almost as if the album was originally "digitally sanitized" for CD. The other Hüsker albums we sampled (Metal Circus, New Day Rising) were also better than their CD counterparts, but not as strikingly better as Warehouse was.
• The Dandy Warhols - The Dandy Warhols Come Down.(1997) This was a complete shock. I've always preferred their self-titled 1995 debut as an album front-to-back, and (confession time) I even made this CD a Sell-back Pile 1 victim. On vinyl, I was finally hearing the album as it should have been presented. It has a much fuller sound and a much better bass response than its CD counterpart, which is key to the their sound. My impression now? It's a totally dynamic album, probably CD (LP?) Car Changer worthy. I'm still in shock. I'm glad Scott brought this along, as it may have been the highlight of the day for me.
• Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out. (1997) This is, IMHO, S-K's tour de force in a great catalog of albums, and yet I felt like I was listening to it again for the first time on vinyl. There was great sound separation and a clear bass sound (despite the fact that they don't use a bass, but a guitar with bass pickups). You could really hear the Rubber Soul guitar sound come through very clearly on "Turn It On." A very enjoyable listen.

And I could go on and on.... In the end, our small sample size revealed the ultimate advantages of vinyl to the ear: a richer, more rounded guitar sound; better bass separation and response; and a more "forgiving" and warmer overall sound. I think it's like watching film versus video: there is something inherent in the medium that adds to the viewing/listening experience and the overall enjoyment. I've always maintained that film "emotes" to some extent; I think vinyl does the same from a sound perspective.

So I'm sold. Dig out your turntable, hook it up to your stereo, and listen for yourself. Of course, there is one drawback: great turntables haven't been in production for a number of years... I actually only have mine as a result of Sean's leaving for Portland back in the day. And even that is having some issues; I am hoping it's simply a result of not properly grounding it and thus causing my left channel to freak out. (As opposed to being an issue with my receiver, but I'm not sure how to test that precisely.) But when I get that fixed -- it's back to the vinyl. Again.

- Snilch

Dirt Mall - Got the Goat by the Horns (2007)

This album is the first unsolicited request for review I've received from a band I don't know (total number: still standing at one); while I can't guarantee I'll give a favorable (or timely) review, I do promise to review any such albums I receive. So to those of you who've been considering sending me your latest offering (I'm looking squarely at you, Springsteen), feel free to ask.

Being from Waltham, of course, means that we do give Johnny Anguish and the rest of Dirt Mall a little extra grease for the review wheels. Fortunately, they really don't need it. I checked out other reviews on-line and they all name-checked the exact bands mentioned in Dirt Mall's own press release. Conclusion: these people are lazy. (Me? I'm cranking out these blogs every few months with blinding regularity.) But I still think that the best description of their sound is a cross between The Cult and Buckcherry, combining classic rock with garage rock and some Billy Duffy-ish guitar sound.

This is a very good album. I love the opening track, "Hello Los Angeles", as well as "Rows" and "I'm Not Saying What You Did Was Wrong But Your Timing Could Have Been Better" (also a classic title); in fact, seven of the eight tracks are good to great IMHO. If I was going to make a criticism (and apparently that's what I'm about to do), it's that I sense some restraint in the recording; I feel like when I see them live, there's going to be a lot more energy flowing from these songs. It just sounds a little too shaped, a little too formed; it should be a little looser and messier.

But in the end, this one is a keeper. I look forward to catching them live, as soon as a date at The Skellig is scheduled.

Merch Rating: I will definitely attend a show and would buy a t-shirt, especially one featuring a goat with crazy horns. I would buy the next album without listening to it. I would not buy the unreleased b-sides or singles just yet, unless they feature some cover like "The Brady Bunch" by Weird Al Yankovic. (I'm just saying.) I would buy a Johnny Anguish solo album, assuming it was titled as something like Alone with My Anguish, Solo Anguish, or Me and My Anguish: My Life After The Snilch Report.

CD Placement Rating: This goes into the CD Rack, only because I have played it about 100 times in the last two weeks (not even exaggerating). Not a great car album, surprisingly, but I am telling you -- you will enjoy this, people. Pick it up from CD Baby.

- Snilch

Compilation Roundup

I have been listening to a ton of music lately, but all towards the end of my newest editions of the $15 Song CD's, which I will explain further someday. If you weren't convinced of my total insanity before that... well, suffice it to say that this will be the tiebreaker.

Instead, today we'll discuss compilations. As mentioned here, I've come up with a rating system just for compilations/greatest hits fare, which I have intended as transparent and merciless. As a reminder, the idea is that you want to be high on the casual fan rating scale and low on the hardcore fan ripoff factor. In lazy, non-alphabetical order:

• Asia - The Very Best of Asia: Heat of the Moment (1982-1990) (2000 - 1 CD). Yes, this is how I've decided to start this mess. Asia sounds better in retrospective than it did back in the day, which will not save it from Sell-Back Pile 1. I am struck at how much Steve Howe's guitar sound from early Asia (1982) mimics the sound he was using for the Yes album Drama (1980), or how much their later songs tonally echo Trevor Rabin's sound (his replacement in Yes). Can't argue with "Heat of the Moment" or "The Heat Goes On"; the rest is best left to the radio.
  Verdict: Sell-back Pile 1.
  Compilation rating: Moderate. For the casual fan, this is great. For the hardcore fan, allmusic.com says "For diehards, it's essential for the three rare B-sides 'Daylight,' 'Lying to Yourself,' and 'Ride Easy' and the detailed liner notes," but that seems like a stretch. And those songs are not that good. I'd say this is a moderate ripoff for those fans.
  
  
• Superchunk - Tossing Seeds: Singles 1989-91 (1991 - 1 CD). This is absolutely great. For the casual fan or the hardcore collector, this collection is not only full of great material, but collects all of their early 7" singles into one package. If you're not into Superchunk (like I wasn't), this is the perfect place to start.
  Verdict: Portable CD Case.
  Compilation rating: Very high. High marks for the casual fan, low marks as a ripoff since it's a great album on its own. Everyone wins.
  
• Failure - Essentials (2006 - 2 CDs). This is great because you do get most of the highlights from Failure's brief but significant three album career; for the hardcore fan, you get a lot of unreleased demos and outtakes. This is not so great because they released a whole bunch of other demos and outtakes in 2004 in the DVD/CD compilation Golden. Methinks this is the end of the line for any material they have in the closet... or maybe we'll see yet another compilation in the next two years. Please stop now.
  Verdict: CD Rack.
  Compilation rating: Moderate to high. Great for the casual fan, and nice for the completist. But a lot to buy for the latter.
  
• Idlewild - Scottish Fiction: The Best of 1997-2007 (2007 - 1 CD). Oddity #1: They released an original album (which is still in Car CD Changer, Make Another World) as well as this compilation in 2007. Oddity #2: Some of the tracks on the compilation are from that album (which seems to be a bit recent to include, no?). Oddity #3: They are still together and touring. Oddity #4: They are currently working on a new album. I bought this so I could get familiar with their back catalog, but this really is a total ripoff for loyal fans. It's a decent album, but totally a cash cow at this point in their career.
  Verdict: Portable CD Case.
  Compilation rating: Low. Okay for casual fans but a definite gouge for hardcore fans.
  
• Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth (2007 - 3 CDs). If you have never heard this album, you are not alone, but you are missing out on the finest piece of minimalist post-punk you will likely ever hear. Much like My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, this album is something you listen to and wonder how it ever came together -- and yes, I am comfortable in comparing this album to MBV's absolute classic, which says it all. This set is basically everything they ever recorded -- their 1979 album (Colossal Youth), their 1982 EP (Testcard), the entire demos album that was released a few years ago (Salad Days), and even their John Peel Session from 1980. Plus, the remastering for this album really brings out the full sound of the albums, which I find to be exception rather than the rule. Finally, the extensive liner notes tell the whole band story. I'd put this in the "must-have" category, and you might as well get this compilation and own it all. It is worth it and a real slice of history.
  Verdict: A Car Changer CD comp that goes into the Portable CD Case only because of its style.
  Compilation rating: It's got to be high; even if you own their other stuff (like I do), it's great to have it all in one place and remastered, and the casual fan gets everything they ever recorded. High casual fan rating, low hardcore fan ripoff factor.
  
• James - The Best of (1998 - 1 CD). Long considered a poor-man's version of The Smiths, James has some great songs and features the distinctive voice of Tim Booth. Known primarily for the songs "Sit Down" and "Born of Frustration," this compilation is exactly what I want out of this group -- all the hits and some quirky surprises. It's a nice summary and all I really need.Verdict: Portable CD Case.
  Compilation rating: Probably high.
  
• Even as We Speak - A Three Minute Song Is One Minute Too Long/The Singles 1986 to 1990 (2005 - 1 CD). Category: best compilation title. Winner: Even as We Speak. This obscure Australian pop band really reflects the 60's, and what I'd consider "Australian pop," even though I'm not quite sure what that is. (And that's not INXS, which is more British or American in its sensibilities.) But like pornography, I can't define it but I know it when I see (er, hear) it; now that I think about it, I've always associated the quaint sound of The Moles/Richard Davies as "Australian pop," and this is definitely in that vein. This is a nice piece of history that shouldn't just go away.Verdict: Portable CD Case.
  Compilation rating: High. This combines a bunch of long out-of print vinyl singles onto CD for the first time. As a first-time listener, this is a great summation of the band as well.
• Snuff - Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other (2005 - 2 CD's). Thanks to the late, great, Lance Hahn, I checked these guys out. Much like the Failure compilation, it's got "greatest hits" on disc 1 and rarities, demos, etc., on disc 2. They've got a great sound from that grunge era and their original tunes are solid but not spectacular, but still definitely worth listening to. It's actually disc 2 that makes this so much fun -- I am a sucker for covers, and these guys have it in spades. "I Think We're Alone Now," "Don't Fear the Reaper," "I Can See Clearly Now," "I Will Survive," and "Hokey Cokey" (oh yes -- the Hokey Pokey meets punk!) highlight the surprisingly solid 2nd piece of the puzzle. A lot of fun, ala The Nomads.
  Verdict: Portable CD Case.
  Compilation rating: High. High on the casual fan index, low on the ripoff factor.
  
• Swervedriver - Juggernaut Rides '89-'98 (2005 - 2 CD's). This is one of those rare compilations where I really don't distinguish between the individual songs, but the blur is a really pleasant ride. The one song that really jumped out at me was "Planes Over the Skyline," which is a nice song. But when I mis-heard the lyrics as "Flames Over the Skyline" -- now that was epic. Too bad. "Never Lose That Feeling" and "Son of a Mustang Ford" highlight Disc One; Disc Two contains four unrerleased tracks, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason (and certainly no chronological order) to what went where. But someone had some sense of how to put this all together in a sensible musical order, because in the end it does work as a unified piece. Overall, I'm extremely happy with it, but would probably be pissed if I owned all of their albums and had to buy a two-disc set to get four songs. Think melodic grunge that's very cleanly produced. To be honest, I probably need more time with this one - my opinion nmght be different in two years, for better or worse. I'm guessing better.Verdict: Portable CD Case.
  Compilation rating: Low to moderate. For casual fans or the ultra-completist.

- Snilch

Twelve Albums, One 8-Year Old

So what do you do to entertain an 8-year old for two 8-10 hour car rides? Well, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to build up his music vocabulary with some classics and move him along the right musical path (read: no High School Musical). Learn 'em right.

Therefore, I went for what I considered to be essential, fun, and generally non-offensive material to warp his impressionable mind. Additional criteria: the albums had to be great, and work as driving CDs. Here's what I came up with (in order of how they were loaded into the CD Changer):

1. The Beatles - One. Not my first choice amongst Beatles' albums, but Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's were in Mrs. Snilch Report's car and I (through my wunderkind-like procrastination skills) ran out of time and had to settle for what I had in the house. Every kid should hear The Beatles. It's what I grew up on, and therefore (of course) so should he.

2. Various - Saturday Morning Cartoons' Greatest Hits. This is essential for long car rides, even if kids have no idea about old cartoons. Released in 1995, this comp features grunge/alternative artists covering their favorite cartoon theme songs (or making them up). How can you go wrong with a lineup that includes Liz Phair, Sponge, Helmet, The Ramones, The Reverend Horton Heat, The Violent Femmes, The Murmurs, and Sublime? Some absolutely classic songs here, and it's fun stuff. It certainly amused the adults in the car.

3. Seal - Seal. Stop scoffing. I listened to this album every day my senior year of college, and it's the best Seal album, IMHO. A good driving album and totally appropriate for an 8-year old. Also, a little bit of soul is never a bad thing.

4. Schoolhouse Rock - Grammar Rock. Oh yes. Featuring classics like "Conjunction Junction" and "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here," it's catchy-sounding education at its best. Another go-to disc for the pre-teens.

5. Yes - 90125. It took me until I was 14 to hear this album; I'm just giving my godson a head start. Classic front to back, not a bad song in the bunch. This should be a staple of every child's education. Don't make me call DSS on you, parents.

6. Blondie - Parallel Lines. I immediately conjure images of playing board games, Legos, or Dungeon and Dragons in my best friend Tom McBride's family room. Good times.

7. De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising. I'm all about expanding horizons here, and this is perfect for my nephew: clever, smart, and (mostly) inoffensive rap with a very kid-friendly sound. This may still be my brother's favorite album, and I can't argue.

8. Fleetwood Mac - Greatest Hits. 70's/80's pop at its best. Great compilation, except for the inexplicable decision to leave "The Chain" off of this compilation. Are you kidding me? Still a great variety of sounds and voices, which makes for a good car ride album.

9. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. This album has such a good sound and is so innocent in its musings, I had to put it into the mix. It's like sci-fi indie rock.

10. The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike. This album is infectious, catchy, musically smart, and a lot of fun. Great for the kid in the back seat of your car or the kid inside of you. High school cheerleading meets uplifting indie pop rock in the best possible ways.

11. Bob Mould - Workbook. If you didn't foresee some form of Bob Mould coming down the pike on this one, you are not paying attention. This is generally a little low-key and not the best driving disc, but it seemed like the list needed at least one "let's take a timeout/nap" CD, and this fit the bill.

12. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless. I totally punted here. All the U2 albums were in Mrs. Snilch Report's car, but even still, I probably should have at least gone the Pylon route here. Despite that, this is such a great album that you really can't go wrong with it; a little more complex musically than I'd generally prefer to present to a young kid, but that's not the worst thing in the world.

I had a great mix, and was ready to go. The result? My nephew just played his Nintendo DS (and to be perfectly honest, mostly with me) and watched DVDs the entire trip, basically ignoring the music. Obviously, we'll have to ban those for the next trip, depriving him of what he actually enjoys in favor of what I think he should. It's that kind of wisdom that only comes with age.

- Snilch