Drive Like Jehu - 1994 - Yank Crime

The band's second and, unfortunately, final album, Yank Crime is as worthy and awesome as its predecessor, losing not a jot in the change from independent to major label status. Including some longer, more complex tunes this time around, Drive Like Jehu is otherwise essentially unchanged, fusing brawling, crisp rhythms and high volume intensity with technical complexity, feeling like a mad science experiment gone completely out of control. Aside from the guest backing vocals on the frazzled angst explosion "Luau!" by fellow San Diego music fiend Rob Crow, it's again all down to the band's four members, with drummer Trombino providing the strong, take-no-prisoners mix. Perhaps even more than the debut, Yank Crime solidified Drive Like Jehu's reputation as kings of emo. While use of that term rapidly degenerated to apply to sappy miserableness by the decade's end, here the quartet capture its original sense, wired, frenetic, screaming passion, as first semi-created by the likes of Rites of Spring. Whether making it short and sweet, as the surprisingly gentle instrumental "New Intro" demonstrates in three minutes, or taking time, like the nearly ten-minute conclusion "Sinews," the band wastes not a note. Froberg's sense of intense, almost accusatory delivery is astonishingly dramatic throughout, whether in full cry or with a touch of restraint, as on the rhythmic chorus of "Do You Compute." His guitar partnership with Reis is still in full cry, creating honestly epic zoned and screaming feedback roars and waves -- the aforementioned "Do You Compute" is one fine example, as is "Luau!," which builds to a awe-inspiring, eternally ascending rise. While a recording of the band's incendiary live shows would be the best way to remember the quartet, Yank Crime is a thoroughly excellent if unexpected way to bow out, artistic rock that actually, honestly, and totally rocks.

1 Here Come the Rome Plows Drive Like Jehu 5:44
2 Do You Compute Drive Like Jehu 7:12
3 Golden Brown Drive Like Jehu 3:14
4 Luau Drive Like Jehu 9:27
5 Super Inison Drive Like Jehu 7:24
6 New Intro Drive Like Jehu 3:32
7 New Math Drive Like Jehu 4:06
8 Human Interest Drive Like Jehu 3:24
9 Sinews Drive Like Jehu 9:12

¡Aquí!

Los Abuelos De La Nada - 1983 - Vasos y Besos

Vasos y Besos es el segundo disco de la agrupación argentina Los Abuelos de la Nada. Con este material llega la consagración definitiva de la banda, principalmente por su segundo single Mil Horas Y Canciones como No Se Desesperen, Sintonía Americana, Así es el Calor y Chalamán que les brindan una difusión constante.
Las composiciones de Miguel Abuelo toman un lugar de privilegio en el álbum. Grandes poesías como Yo Soy Tu Bandera y Espía de Dios son muestras de ello. Además incluye una canción que formaba parte de los primeros demos de Los Abuelos, Mundos in Mundos. Con todos estos ingredientes, Los Abuelos de la Nada lograron un álbum exitoso que captó al público joven, los acercó al público masivo con las composiciones de Calamaro, sin perder la calidad que caracterizó siempre a la banda y en especial a la obra de Miguel Abuelo.
Luego de la presentación del álbum en Velez Sarfield, Daniel Melingo abandona la formación para dedicarse a su banda Los Twist, que estaba en pleno crecimiento con su primer disco La Dicha en Movimiento. Su lugar es ocupado por Alfredo Desiata.

No se desesperen
Así es el calor
Yo soy tu bandera
Sintonía americana
Espía de Dios
Cucarachón de tribunal
Vamos al ruedo
Mil horas
Hermana Teresa
Chalaman
Mundos in-mundos

¡Aquí!

Hammill, Peter - 1996 - Tides

All tracks recorded during The Lanzarote Music Festival, December 1989

1 My Room 7:16
2 Too Many Yesterdays 4:38
3 Just Good Friends 10:07
4 Mirror Images 10:32
5 Time To Burn 11:23
6 Untitled 8:54
7 Stranger 6:14
8 Where The Actors Go 5:16

¡Aquí!

Vibracathedral Orchestra - 1999 - Mothing

Private release available at concerts and mail-order. Comes in a handpainted sleeve.
First issue from the Bradley-Campbell-Flower axis. Includes the full 23 minute version of "Falling Free You & Me" from the 10-inch.


1 The Beauty Of Refined Rusticity
2 High Reach Driver
3 Souls Of Centrifuge
4 Fave Welfare
5 Transvestite Electrics
6 Falling Free You & Me

¡Aquí!

VA - Metal/Hard Rock Covers, Vol. 219

01 - Styx - Find The Cost Of Freedom (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
02 - Lorihen - Slave To The Grind (Skid Row)
03 - Fozzy - Live Wire (Motley Crue)
04 - Savatage - Day After Day (Badfinger)
05 - Ascension Of The Watchers - Sounds Of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel)
06 - Six Feet Under - Shoot To Thrill (AcDc)
07 - Plan 4 - Tv Crimes (Black Sabbath)
08 - Freedom Call - Hiroshima (Wishful Thinking)
09 - Deja Vu - United Forces (S.O.D.)
10 - Fate Keeper - Theatre Of Pain (Blind Guardian)

¡Aquí!

Anti-Flag - 1998 - Their System Doesn't Work For You

2000's Their System Doesn't Work for You resurrects the nine tracks from 1998's limited-edition EP, North America Sucks, and adds ten previously-unreleased, later-vintage tracks for good measure. The songs from the EP are prime Anti-Flag, political punk that never loses its sense of humor even when making its most important points. "Indie Sux, Hardline Sux, Emo Sux, You Suck!" decries the Balkanization of the D.I.Y. scene in the '90s to the album's catchiest chorus, while the title track and "Anti-Violent" take aim at the usual suspects. Unfortunately, with only a couple of exceptions, the later tracks sound like half-baked filler; indeed, the beyond-lo-fi sound suggests that they might be rough demos not originally intended to be heard outside the band, a supposition backed up by the lazy, sluggish performances, and meandering song structures. There are a few promising tracks among the dross, particularly "Betty Sue Is Dead," which makes incredibly effective use of an old-school punk-reggae middle section in the style of the Ruts, but overall, the second half of Their System Doesn't Work for You doesn't work for anybody.

1 I Can't Stand Being With You 2:05
2 Their System Doesn't Work for You 2:31
3 We've Got His Gun 2:25
4 Born to Die 2:05
5 The Truth 2:40
6 You'll Scream Tonight 5:15
7 Indie Sux, Hardline Sux, EmoSux, You Suck! 2:05
8 Anti-Violent 3:05
9 20 Years of Hell 2:32
10 I'm Having a Good Day 2:41
11 I Don't Want to Be Like You 3:30
12 Too Late 2:50
13 I Don't Need Anybody 3:49
14 Betty Sue Is Dead 3:14
15 If Not for You 3:16
16 Meet Your Master 3:57
17 We Won't Take No 2:34
18 Save Me 3:00
19 I'm Feeling Slightly Violent 3:29

¡Aquí!