SOUND CHECK.

DMX: ``Year of the Dog ... Again'' (Sony) - One and one half stars

Back on the streets after his latest prison stay, New York rapper DMX retains his money-minting bark and bite on this sixth set of familiar boasts and bloody revenge fantasies. Nothing inspirational or new here, but fans of beat-driven brutality will find much to gnaw on as rap's answer to ``Grand Theft Auto'' allows the testosterone to flow. Summing up this bad boy's approach is probably ``We in Here,'' a loud, stupid, expletive-filled rant in which our hero vows bodily harm to his fellow rap millionaires and other challengers. ``Give 'Em What They Want,'' a standard-issue ``party anthem'' strewn with n- and f-words and the usual threats and insults, continues DMX's tiresome one-note theme. Later, in a failed attempt to reveal a sensitive side, ``Baby Motha'' delivers one of the year's nastiest slices of misogyny. And in case gospel radio might be interested in DMX's latest dropping, the final track of this ordeal is ``Lord Give Me a Sign,'' in which the grunting rapper demands some sort of acknowledgment from above. The one involving the middle finger might be appropriate.

-- Fred Shuster

BUCK OWENS: ``21 #1 Hits: The Ultimate Collection'' (Rhino) - Four stars

This single-disc compilation of the Buckaroo born Alvis Edgar Owens Jr. is a fine introduction to a great talent. Beginning with 1963's chart-topping ``Act Naturally'' (later covered by the Beatles), the set includes all of Owens' honky-tonk hits from the 1960s through to a 1988 duet with Dwight Yoakam on ``Streets of Bakersfield'' (oddly sequenced here as the third cut). Owens, who died in March, recorded a great many other twangy classics -- all of which can be found on the three-disc set ``The Buck Owens Collection'' -- but for an instant overview, the Buck stops here.

-- Glenn Whipp

PINK SPIDERS: ``Teenage Graffiti'' (Sure Tone/Geffen) - Two and one half stars

Five years ago, this Nashville threesome had the audacity to release ``The Pink Spiders are Taking Over,'' which didn't take over much of anything. This effort is more convincing. For starters, they've got Ric Ocasek of the Cars producing, and the results are fast, furious and often catchy -- just not very original. There's no mistaking The Cars' influence in songs like ``Saturday Nite Riot'' and ``Little Razorblade,'' with their synthesizers, rhythm guitar and singer Matt Friction's impersonation of Ocasek impersonating Buddy Holly.

-- Sandra Barrera

THE MEAT PURVEYORS ``Someday Soon Things Will Be Much Worse!'' (Bloodshot) - Three stars

This Austin quartet has long been exploring the territory where bluegrass, honky-tonk and failed feminism come together in an alcoholic haze. On their latest album, the Purveyors throw in some jagged guitar rock, too, just to make their special kind of murder ballads sound extra creepy. Most of the originals are good kiss-off songs, harmonized with deadpan disdain by Jo Walston and stand-up bassist Cherilyn Dimond. Countrified covers of ``Hotblooded'' and ``Don't You Want Me Baby'' are just kinda weird, but Loretta Lynn's ``Fist City'' never sounded more at home.

-- Bob Strauss

ALI FARKA TOURE: ``Savane'' (Nonesuch) - Four stars

The late Malian singer-guitarist is shown on this CD cover reclining in a chair, hat tipped back, sunglasses, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips. If you didn't know better, you'd swear he was a Delta bluesman. But while the rhythms of his music differ, the spirit doesn't. Known as ``the African John Lee Hooker,'' the Grammy-winning Toure's final album is simply exquisite. With Pee Wee Ellis (sax) and Little George Sueref (harmonica) on a number of cuts, each tune is a rootsy excursion -- sometimes dark and percussive, other times light as feather. The final tune, ``N'Jarou,'' is a beautiful, peaceful groove, a seemingly fitting farewell. There are liner notes about the derivation of each song, but it's best to just let the music wash over you -- and enjoy.

-- Rob Lowman

CAPTION(S):

6 photos

Photo:

(1) no caption (DMX)

(2 -- 5) no caption (CD covers)