Sounds
Enon
Hocus-Pocus
Touch And Go Records
This record has the sort of girl-guy split personality that The Pixies had with Kim Deal and Frank Black (or Black Francis)—it really works because it mixes things up. The songs with Toko Yasuda vocals glow like bright-red neon in a dark night of drum machines and electric noise. It’s the same sort of seedy brilliance the music of Blonde Redhead (Yasuda’s former band) basks in. On the other hand, when John Schmersal sings, it’s the gray light of morning swelling through the windows with warm guitars, surrounding everything with a soupy, sort of downcast comfort. In one way or another, both Enon’s personalities suck you in—and shit, you don’t need a five-disc changer to get some variety in your day.—Jennifer Sherowski
The Punk Group
International Rock Stars
This CD is gold. Armed with a drum machine, synthesizer, guitar, and bass, the artists known as “The Model” and “The Sex Object” put to plastic one of the funniest things to come across our desks in a long time. But don’t get me wrong, this shouldn’t be classified under comedy or novelty—it’s more like if Devo had a kid and Ween was the baby momma.
Who knows what it takes to write a song like “Fat Girls On Bicycles,” but I wish I had it. Although the lyrical content is a little repetitive, the subject matter makes up for it tenfold. No matter how many times you hear “Tight End Wide Receiver,” the chorus “I’m a Cowboy, I’m a Ram, I’m a Packer—goddamn!” is going to make ya chuckle. A live show is a must to properly enjoy the song “Magic Carpet Ride.” To find out where the band is playing or to buy the CD, check out thepunkgroup.com. Shower time!
—Chris CoyleYes New York
Wofgang Morden Records
Not since a few decades ago has The Big Apple sustained such a worthy music scene as right now—at least that’s what the people behind this compilation of the city’s most happenin’ bands are claiming. And yeah, I’m buying it. What we have here is new life breathed into crackly old garage-rock sounds, a bit of new wave and glam—even disco beats with a punk twist. Including songs from such bands as The Strokes, Interpol, Le Tigre, and The Rapture, this album definitely has something weird on it that you’re not ready to like yet, but it also has something you’ll love right away. In fact, you just might find your next favorite band on Yes New York.—J.S.
The Buzzcocks—Live!
San Diego, California
Three bands made up the 1977 power triangle of punk rock—The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and The Buzzcocks. Each went its own direction after a while: The Clash got political. The Pistols got destructive. The Buzzcocks charted a course of hooky love song meets modern disaffection that may’ve given them a lower profile compared to the other two bands. But now in 2003, we see them shiny and pure—the only link in the triad that’s still standing.
Let me start by saying that this wasn’t a reunion tour. Most people don’t realize that The Buzzcocks have been releasing albums on and off for the last two decades. And these men were not sad and droopy on the stage like dinosaurs trying to relive a dead era. They were happy and serene, radiating a child-like rock-and-roll energy that turned out to be completely contagious. At first people were just dancing. Then the mosh pit kicked in, but it wasn’t mean and angry (skinheads running around with fists out leaving behind a wake of black eyes). No, it was a choppy swirl of friendship, kind of like the music itself. At the end of the night, the band went nuts in an explosion of old songs and flinging equipment, and it was one of those moments when you realize, “Shit! This is a real show—not just a bunch of dudes playing instruments together.”
—J.S.Photo: Sherowski
The True Love Collection
Top five albums of all time:
1.
Bob Marley And The Wailers, Burnin’2. Sizzla, Da Real Thing
3. Burning Spear, Hail H.I.M.
4. Humble Soul, Humble Soul
5. Hugh Mundell, Africa Must Be Free By 1983
In His Stereo Now:
1. Sizzla, Light Of My World
2. Early B, Sunday Dish
3. Selectah Prime, TechNine/Gen Pop Mix
4. Warrior King, Virtuous Woman
5. Sean Paul, Stage One
