Parallax Project - Oblivious

This one is a bit of a mixed bag. The songs on this debut album by The Parallax Project that work the best are the Beatles-esque numbers like Just Like Yesterday and Take A Walk. The songs that don't work as well are the sensitive singer/songwriter-type songs. Then again, I like When I Die so what do I know? Well, I know that this album hits more than it misses so The Parallax Project makes it onto my "Bands to Keep an Eye On" list.

Black Monday - Six Shooter

I found Black Monday via a posting on Slashdot, of all places (Marketing 101 tip to all bands: mention your website everywhere). See if you can see which reply post is mine. Their CD, Six Shooter, is actually a "duel" with another band, Speedbuggy, with each band getting six songs each. Black Monday is loud rock, with a dash of punk, and a big splash of the wild west. Check out Wrapped in Red and Crossroads. Cowpunk? Whatever. They rock.

Auf der Maur - Auf der Maur

Hearing that Melissa auf der Maur, former bassist for Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins, was releasing a solo album, by itself, wouldn't interest me too much. However, hearing that Masters of Reality main-man Chris Goss produced it, that would interest me very much. The album has been out in Europe for several months and videos of the first singles have been on Melissa's site for a while so I have been listening to them before the album's release in the U.S. (thank you Audio Hijack!). The album, on a first listen, sounds okay. Further listening reveals a surprisingly solid batch of songs (I guess I'm surprised because I'm not a fan of Hole or The Smashing Pumpkins). I hope Goss and MadM worked well together because the end-result of their collaboration is smart, funny, sexy, rich, and always rocking; I want there to be more. The first single, Followed the Waves is the album's stand-out track. Also check out My Foggy Notion. If you're a fan of Melissa (or if this album makes you a fan) you might want to check out her, I'm completely serious, Black Sabbath tribute band, Hand of Doom.

The Pandoras - Stop Pretending

Where were you in 1986? The Pandoras were releasing their second album, Stop Pretending. Great sixties-style garage rock with "proto-riot grrrl" vocals. Both The Muffs (Kim Shattuck and original member Melanie Vammen) and The Leaving Trains (Vammen again) have roots that go back to The Pandoras, for what it's worth. Rhino Handmade, the limited edition arm of Rhino Records, has remastered Stop Pretending and added ten more tracks of rarities and demos. Check out the single, In and Out of My Life (In a Day), as well as Ain't Got No Soul It's a limited edition of 2500 so don't sit on your butt if you're interested. Where was I in 1986? I was actually in Southern California so I had no excuse for not seeing them. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight: I was stupid, stupid, stupid. I've made up for it, though, by getting the whole back catalog. Vinyl singles included.

A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step

The past several years has seen a renaissance, of sorts, in the prog rock world. Bands such as A Perfect Circle and Porcupine Tree, as well as the most recent album by Opeth, have delivered a slower, more intense and moody brand of prog rock, rather than the flashy, technically dazzling brand you might be afraid of. More In the Court of the Crimson King than The Gates of Delirium. This second album by A Perfect Circle is a journey best taken in your home with the lights dimmed. Then again, it works in my car, too. I just make sure the windows are closed. Check out the next single, Blue, and Weak and Powerless.

Elvis Presley - That's Alright

Fifty years ago this evening, a 19-year-old Elvis Presley went into the recording studio at Sun Records in Memphis, TN. The result of that session, "That's All Right", was, arguably, the birth of rock and roll (Bill Haley actually recorded Rock Around the Clock a few months earlier on April 12, and had released it and Shake, Rattle and Roll by July). Forget Las Vegas, the movies, the rhinestone outfits, the weight gain, the drugs, the cult, the sightings, the imitators and parodies. Listen to the song. The essence of rock and roll is found in that one minute and fifty five seconds. It's been my favorite Elvis song since well before I learned of its significance.

The Oscillators - Incog★Neat★O!

Clear some room on the beach, Frankie and Annette, there's a swingin' new band for the party. Okay, they're not new (this album came out in 1999) and I'm not convinced they're even still together but Incog★Neat★O! is great! A catchy neo-sixties twangy guitar band. How can you not like something as catchy as Don't Look Back or Doug Buggy (he's the dune buggy on the cover). Yeah, baby!