Greg Bartalos: June 29, 2008

1. Swervedriver – 99th Dream (A&M)

   Only gets better with time. Actually the same can be said about everything this fantastic group has done.

2. Hugh Cornwell – Hoover Dam

   Very solid effort by the ex-Strangler lead singer/guitarist. Highlights include ‘Delightful Nightmare,” “Beat of My Heart” and “The Pleasure of Your Company.” (The song in the video, “Within You or Without You,” is one of the album’s weaker ones and repetitive at that.)
   Download album for free

3. The Replacements – Stink (Rhino)

   A great reissue. Sound, liner notes and pix all deliver the goods. The previously unreleased Paul Westerberg demo of “You’re Getting Married” is stripped down and oh so rough but oh so effective and passionate.

4. The Replacements – Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (Rhino)

   More high-velocity ditties from the Mats. And thankfully, all the Replacements reissues have bonus tracks.

5. The Cut*Off – Packaged Up for Beginners (Summer Break)

   Love meets Supergrass meets the Kinks meets the Pixies. Very well done melodic material that also has teeth.

6. The Zodiac – Cosmic Sounds (Elektra/Water)

   Four decades old, this groovy trip through the zodiac includes one song for each sign and an earnest voice-over that discusses the signs’ various attributes. This isn’t a case of something being so bad that it’s good. A lot of the music actually is incredibly adventurous. And although it’s easy to laugh at some (ok, a lot) of the lyrics, you have to tip your hat to this and so much music from the era because musicians then were far far more willing to actually experiment and be different and test boundaries. Sadly, today we seem to live in a homogenized “gotcha” culture that all too often calls attention to that which is different and reflexively snickers at it.

7. For Against – Shade Side, Sunny Side (Words on Music)

   Wow! What a record. Standouts include “Glamour,” easily one of the best songs I’ve heard this year, “Aftertaste” and “Game Over.”

8. Toshack Highway – Toshack Highway (Catapult)

   Not as driving as Swervedriver (Adam Franklin is half of this group) but “Just Landed” and “Theme” are must hearing. Described well in an Amazon.com review as “Psychedelic Space Theme Music.”

9. New Model Army – High (Attack Attack)

   Powerful lyrics about topical issues married to Justin Sulivan’s urgent delivery make for a winning record.

10. Matmos – Supreme Balloon (Matador)

    Made entirely from synths, this album conjures up video game sounds and the synthpop of Japan’s Yellow Magic Orchestra (circa 1978-79).