Bite Me! FAST Reviews

(In no particular order at all...)

Artist: Nicollette Knight

Album: Self-Titled

Label: Sunset Records

What: A 18 year old in a bra mostly covering songs like “I Love Rock n’Roll”, “Kids of America”.  Put Disney on speed dial!

Sounds like: Britney Fox with an American Idol/High School Musical dream

Artist: Holly & Plastic

Album: Life After the Lie

Label: Doubleplusgood

What: Um.  OK, according to the one-sheet, it’s uh…um…wow.  They don’t know either.  I’ll call it somnambulant folk music recorded on a 4 track that features mostly acoustic guitar, pretty vocals, and slide guitar in spots. 

Sounds like: Needs more cowbell.

Artist: Andy Mullen

Album: I Wish My Name Were Jack

Label: Andy Mullen Music

Who: NY based singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist with a smart ass sense of humor.

Sounds like: Off-beat folk music mixed with a tinge of blues and rock.  The songs are clever and the lyrics are amusing, but the delivery leaves little to be desired. 

Artist: Lullaby Baxter

Album: Garden Cities of To-morrow

Label: Boompa

Who: Sassy chanteuse from Vancouver, B.C.

Sounds like: A hybrid of jazz, pop, and folk melded with hearty helping of cabaret.

Artist: Jim Noir

Album: Tower of Love

Label: Barsuk Records

Who: UK artist with a penchant for mixing modern technology with vintage nostalgia.

Sounds Like: This brilliantly crafter sunny pop album is all over the map.  It’s quirky, experimental, and is an unexpectedly enjoyable listen. 

Artist: Evaline

Album: Postpartum Modesty: A Portrait of Skin

Label: Maverick

Who: Little known band from a little known city (Turlock, CA.)

Sounds Like: This dynamic six song EP showcases Evaline’s strength as musicians and passion as a rock band. Put these guys on your watch list.

Artist: Spiritu / Village of Dead Roads

Album: Human Failures

Label: MeteorCity

What: Split release featuring New Mexico’s Spiritu and Pennsylvania’s Village of Dead Roads. 

Sounds Like: This aggressive yet atmospheric disc pairs Spiritu’s upbeat & groovy jams with VODR’s doom based offerings. Don’t get the wrong idea, as there are plenty of crushing riffs and pummeling rhythms to be found. If you’re a fan of Kyuss, Cluth, Crowbar, and Eyehategod you’ll want to check this out.

Artist: Pretty Flowers

Album: Self-Titled

Label: Bananaseat Records

Who: Old-skool punkers from Brooklyn.

Sounds Like: Snarling vocals, heavy three-chord fuzz, crunchy riffs, hand-claps, and

sweet harmonies give this amusing self-titled effort its charm.

Artist: Tori Tyson

Album: Self-Titled

Label: Demo

Who: According to myspace: Singer/actress from Hollywood. 

Sounds Like: Popped this baby into two stereos and one computer and all it did was spin. 

Artist: Charley Horse

Album: Unholy Roller

Label: Acetate Records

Who: Former members of Throwrag, The Cramps. Blood Junkies, Nashville Pussy, & Berlin hook up for a hoe-down.

Sounds Like: Rock-a-billy with a B horror flick twist.  Up there on the fun meter.

Artist: Sour Jazz

Album: Rock & Roll Ligger

Label: Acetate Records

Who: Sleazy punk outfit from the gutters of NYC.

Sounds Like: Psychedelic punk floats over jazz embellishments and warm baritone vocals.  It’s different.

Artist: The Fully Down

Album: Don’t Get Lost In A Movement

Label: Fearless

Who: Punk by way of Ottawa, Ontario.

Sounds Like: Punk version of Dream Theatre with shorter songs.

Artist: The Transit War

Album: Ah Discordia

Label: Orange Peel

Who: Melodic indie rockers from San Diego with a penchant for intensity.

Sounds Like: Not bad if you are into the whole “wear your heart on your sleeve” thing.

Artist: The Rakes

Album: Retreat

Label: Dim Mak Records

Who: Pub darlings from the U.K.

Sounds Like: No fuss, no muss, just good clean rock ‘n’ roll with a retro edge.

Artist: Near Miss

Album: Testing The Ends Of What They’ll Put Up With

Label: Take Over Records

Who: Melodic hardcore punkers from Austin, TX.

Sounds Like: Ah, finally some grit.  Aggressive and heavy with the right amount of melody.

Artist: Infinite Number of Sounds

Album: Radio Whales

Label: INS Records

Who: Instrumental electro-rock performance group who rely on sounds not words.

Sounds Like: Something R-Lo would be into.  Infinite Number of Sounds keeps things interesting by adding lots of depth and dynamics to the mix.  Live these guys blend music with projected digital video imagery.  One of the better ones out there.

Artist: Days Like These

Album: Inventure

Label: Lobster Records

Who: New Jersey rockers who were weaned on Bon Jovi but will never admit it.

Sounds Like: 80’s metal revisited.  When your songs are described as dreamy it’s not good – at least in my book.

Artist: XYZ

Album: Forbidden Demos 1985/1991

Label: XYZ Music

Who: 80’s hair metal and damn proud of it.

Sounds Like: I think there is a section in Marilyn Manson’s book about receiving an XYZ album (in the mail) personally autographed to you (without your request). Damn! there goes my street cred.  Next time inscribe to: Repojay.

Artist:  Park

Album:  It Won’t Snow Where You’re Going

Label: Lobster Records

Who: I really don’t care…but they do waaaaay too much.

Sounds Like: More shoegazing emo unleashed on an unsuspecting audience.

Artist:  Exene Cervenka and the Original Sinners

Album:  Sev7en

Label: Nitro

Who: Um…why are you reading this zine again?  X? 

Sounds Like: What’s to say?  Exene is an icon.  If you like her, then pick this up.  If you need schooling, look at the X catalog and call me in the morning. 

Who: The Cinematics

Label: TVT

Album: Two song sampler

What: Four-piece beat combo from Glasgow Scotland.

Sounds Like: Sounds like a cross between Echo & The Bunnymen and Franz Ferdinand. The Cinematics are NME’s current favorite band to rave about and rightly so.  With their sparkling guitar pop stylings and Modern 80’s sound their up-coming full-length is definitely worth waiting for.

Who: Down To This

Label: Versatile Records

Album: 3 song sampler

What: Passionate alt-rock unit from Washington D.C.

Sounds Like: This group has a knack for writing radio friendly tunes that are heavy, melodic, and dynamic.  Their sound is reminiscent of bands like Yellowcard, Seven Mary Three, and Chevelle.

Who: The Spider Translator

Label: Spinning In My Grave (My Sodden Bedsheets)

Album: Octopoid Production

What: Brainchild of L. Erickson who brings his paranoid fantasies to life in this artsy impromptu disc.

Sounds Like: Blend of experimental rock, neo-psychedelia, goth, old school industrial, and space age concepts.  Need I say more?

Who: Sterile

Label: Art of Fact Records

Album: 400 Years of Electronic Music

What: German based rock industrial trio

Sounds Like: This release features 13 of the band’s best work from their four out of print albums and since it’s their best it has to be good – right?

Who: Headscan

Label: Pattern Recognition

Album: (Art of Fact Records)

What: Montreal based duo amp up their riveting electronic music with hypnotizing vocals and vivid soundscapes.

Sounds Like: Pattern Recognition offers up futuristic dance floor pounding music wrapped in dark vivid soundscapes and powerful hypnotic sequences.  This band combines the best elements from the worlds of electro, techno, and industrial. It’s a mind blowing sonic assault.