"Focusing on the most influential--and at the same time, underrated--of independent music's last stand". (Notes from the Underground).

BAD BRAINS' ROCK FOR LIGHT IS ESSENTIAL LISTENING, no two ways about it. They were (well, maybe "are" if you think the Soul Brains count) DC rastapunks who 20-odd years ago combined some of the most explosive, speedy hardcore and then took it down several notches to play reggae every couple songs. Back then for some reason it worked, although now I just listen to the fast stuff and skip the slow. That said, "Banned in DC," "Big Takeover," and "How Low Can a Punk Get?" are three of the best songs ever and worth the price of admission. Sure, after their third album it was pretty bad, but this first LP will stand the eternal test of time, and lucky for you it's been recently reissued... Early Jon Spencer Blues Explosion shee-it rocked in a way that the later stuff just hasn't seemed to; then along comes another seven inch in the jukebox series ("Ghetto Mom") on In The Red. I hadn't seen one in a while, and figured I would take a chance, and you know what? Maybe because In The Red delivers, or maybe the band got their thing going again, but this one's a keeper. I guess in a sense you could call it second generation blues once removed, because this stuff sounds like it started deep and wound its way through the likes of Zep and the Stones to get where it is (at least on the b-side, "Do Ya Wanna Get It"). The price of a regular single minus cover art sucks though, but you do get the little jukebox tag... Awright, so it's ok to be new wave again, at least in some circles. And in some ways it's true: wavers can wear some freaky things that make the most genetic, uniform-wearing gutterpunk look absolutely formulaic. But hell, I don't give a fuck about what people wear, I wanna hear some screaming tunes. And Portland's Epoxies come through in this case, and look like new wave freaks to boot. Spasmodically engineered, culled from the like of the X-Ray Spex, Devo, with a little Go-Go's and Kim Wylde ("Kids in America") thrown in, check out their new self-titled LP on Dirtnap. A warped forest of Casio synth, femme vocals, and weird background singing and noise. Go smoke a clove... New humdingers brought to us by the good folks at Estrus Records: Tim Kerr's newest, most multisyllabic venture comes in the form of the Total Sound Group Direct Action Committee LP Party Platform: Our Schedule is Change! and Gas Huffer's LP The Rest of Us. The former is in the vein of Tim's bluesier stuff that we've heard lately with a full compliment of co-conspirators, including Mike from the legendary Poison 13, an earlier incarnation of the present collaboration, perhaps. "What are you doing?" And the other gem is the new Huff. It's been a while, and the boys have become old, dusty, and rusty. Naw, just jokes, this one is a little slower in places, but its got the same change ups and background crooning. Tom's guitar plucking is on time and outta sight, this is a worthy listen...