dimension.
      Frankly,
      the
      structure
      of
     
     
      the
      music
      itself
      only
      accomplishes
      so
     
     
      much;
      rather,
      it
      is
      the
      profound
      sincer-
     
     
      ity,
      passion,
      anger
      and
      intensity
      with
     
     
      which
      it
      is
      played
      and
      the
      lyrics
      that
     
     
      are
      belted
      out
      that
      has
      hooked
      me
      so
     
     
      thoroughly.
      I
      was
      right
      about.
      Bread
     
     
      and
      Circuits
      factoring
      heavily
      in
      the
     
     
      Heartattack
      race
      issue,
      for
      they
      are
      a
     
     
      band
      composed
      entirely
      of
      so-called
     
     
      “racial
      minorities,”
      which
      lamentably
     
     
      is
      still
      somewhat
      of
      an
      anomaly
      in
      the
     
     
      punk/hardcore
      scene
      (lamentable
      that
     
     
      there
      are
      not
      more
      people
      of
      colour
     
     
      actively
      involved,
      or
      even
      who
      feel
     
     
      comfortable,
      in
      the
      scene).
      Through
     
     
      both
      the
      lyrics
      of
      the
      band
      and
      the
     
     
      writings
      of
      its
      members,
      Bread
      and
     
     
      Circuits
      represents
      itself
      a
      thoroughly
     
     
      politically
      conscious
      (and
      active)
      enti-
     
     
      ty
      which
      gives
      rise
      to
      the
      voice
      of
      the
     
     
      oppressed,
      marginalised,
      and
      disen-
     
     
      chanted
      in
      a
      way
      that,
      obviously,
      no
     
     
      band
      comprised
      of
      white
      males
      could
     
     
      ever
      hope
      for.
      Further,
      they
      address
     
     
      issues
      with
      a
      critical
      eye
      and
      genuine-
     
     
      ly
      progressive
      attitude,
      coupled
      with
      a
     
     
      passion
      and
      fire
      the
      equal
      of
      which
     
     
      one
      would
      be
      hard
      pressed
      to
      find
     
     
      these
      days.
      Damn.
      I’m
      tempted
      to
     
     
      compare
      this
      to
      Los
      Crudos,
      but
      when
     
     
      it
      comes
      down
      to
      it,
      the
      lyrics
      here
      are
     
     
      better
      and
      the
      music
      quite
      dissimilar,
     
     
      and
      it
      is
      really
      only
      the
      incredible
     
     
      energy
      which
      both
      bands
      exude
      which
     
     
      spurs
      me
      to
      draw
      such
      a
      comparison.
     
     
      Get
      this:
     
    

    
     
      -Jonah
      CAMPBELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Show:
      Nathan
      Wiley
     
     
      Loctation:
      Baba’s
      Lounge
     
     
      Date:
      January
      12,
      2001
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      were
      on
      the
      topic
      of
      groups
      that
     
     
      share
      songwriting
      duties.
      Matt
      Mayes’
     
     
      departure
      from
      The
      Guthries
      is
      what
     
     
      started
      us
      on
      this
      subject.
      On
      the
      one
     
     
      hand,
      the
      absence
      of
      his
      songs
      from
     
     
      the
      country
      group
      would
      be
      noticeable
     
     
      when
      they
      play
      at
      Brennan’s
      on
     
     
      January
      25
      and
      26th.
      But
      on
      the
      other,
     
     
      it
      was
      agreed
      that
      a
      project
      that
      focus-
     
     
      es
      more
      on
      his
      talents
      would
      have
      a
     
     
      consistency
      lacking
      in
      his
      previous
     
     
      band.
      And
      who
      knows,
      maybe
      The
     
     
      Guthries
      will
      find
      a
      more
      comfortable
     
     
      atmosphere
      to
      develop
      their
      own
     
     
      songs
      in.
      On
      the
      walk
      from
      the
      bank
     
     
      machine
      to
      Baba’s,
      Buzzy
      mentioned
     
     
      a
      quote
      he
      heard
      by
      Jeff
      Tweedy
      from
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Wilco.
      When
      making
      the
      Woody
     
     
      Guthrie
      album
      Mermaid
      Avenue
      with
     
     
      folk
      singer
      Billy
      Bragg,
      Tweedy
      and
     
     
      Bragg
      had
      conflicting
      views
      of
      which
     
     
      songs
      should
      be
      included
      on
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      album.
      Bragg
      was
      concerned
      with
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      using
      specific
      songs
      to
      appropriately
     
     
      represent
      the
      politics
      of
      Guthrie,
      but
     
     
      Tweedy’s
      philosophy
      was
      simple:
     
     
      “Just
      use
      the
      songs
      that
      don’t
      suck.”
     
     
      Using
      the
      songs
      that
      don’t
      suck
      is
      eas-
     
     
      ier
      said
      than
      done
      when
      dealing
      with
     
     
      collaborations
      between
      different
      song-
     
     
      writers.
      When
      individual
      egos
      conflict
     
     
      with
      the
      overall
      vision
      of
      a
      band,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      there’s
      a
      lot
      of
      potential
      for
      sucking.
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      the
      same
      goes
      for
      singer/songwrit-
     
     
      ers
      that
      lack
      the
      skills
      to
      direct
      a
      band.
     
     
      Nathan
      Wiley
      has
      found
      the
      perfect
     
     
      band
      to
      collaborate
      with
      in
      Birdhouse.
     
     
      The
      band
      comfortably
      emphasises
     
     
      Wiley’s
      talents
      as
      a
      singer
      and
      provide
     
     
      an
      atmosphere
      that
      transcends
      the
     
     
      crowded,
      smoky
      bar
      environment
      and
     
     
      takes
      listeners
      wherever
      Wiley
      wants
     
     
      to
      go.
      Relatively
      new
      to
      singing
      live
     
     
      (he
      used
      to
      be
      in’an
      instrumental
      surf
     
     
      band
      called
      The
      Evil
      Agents
      and
      is
     
     
      infamous
      for
      destroying
      a
      perfectly
     
     
      good
      Gibson
      Les
      Paul),
      Nathan’s
      gen-
     
     
      tle
      vocals
      are
      the
      focus
      of
      his
      show
     
     
      and
      the
      band
      provides
      a
      bed
      of
      soft
     
     
      sounds
      for
      them
      to
      rest
      peacefully
      on.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Everyone
      works
      together
      to
      create
      a
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      performance
      that
      reinforces
      the
      prais-
     
     
      es
      of
      Wiley
      as
      a
      formidable
      song-
     
     
      writer.
      The
      show
      worked
      well
      because
     
     
      Wiley
      avoids
      playing
      songs
      that
      suck.
     
    

    
     
      -Stephan
      MACLEOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      Go
      Everywhere
     
     
      Artist:
      The
      Tipsy
      Kings
     
     
      Label:
      Independent
     
    
   
   
    
     
      To
      my
      mind,
      a
      cover
      song
      has
      to
      either
     
     
      reinterpret
      a
      song
      completely
      or
     
     
      improve
      on
      the
      original
      enough
      to
      jus-
     
     
      tify
      the
      cover.
      Most
      of
      the
      songs
      on
     
     
      Go
      Everywhere
      do
      both.
      The
      Tipsy
     
     
      Kings,
      like
      Luther
      Wright
      and
      the
     
     
      Wrongs
      did
      with
      The
      Wall,
      take
      classic
     
     
      songs
      and
      give
      them
      a
      bluesy
      spin.
     
     
      Their
      take
      on
      stuff
      like
      Alanis
     
     
      Morrisette’s
      “Hand
      In
      My
      Pocket”
      and
     
     
      Green
      Day’s
      “Basket
      Case”
      are
     
     
      refreshing
      and
      extremely
      listenable
     
     
      interpretations
      of
      their
      originals.
     
     
      Many
      of
      the
      songs
      are
      so
      altered
      that
     
     
      you
      can’t
      tell
      what
      the
      song
      is
      until
     
     
      they
      get
      to
      the
      lyrics.
      Granted,
      a
      new
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Leonard
      Cohen.
      Really.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      version
      of
      “Brown
      Eyed
      Girl”
      wasn’t
     
     
      needed,
      but
      the
      band’s
      ability
      to
      rein-
     
     
      vigorate
      songs
      that
      you
      didn’t
      even
     
     
      know
      needed
      reinvigoration
      is
     
     
      matched
      only
      by
      their
      ability
      to
      flaw-
     
     
      lessly
      interweave
      rhythms,
      like
      the
     
     
      insertion
      of
      the
      J
      Dream
      of
      Jeannie
     
     
      theme
      into
      “Basket
      Case.”
      From
      the
     
     
      liner
      notes,
      it
      sounds
      like
      this
      album
     
     
      was
      sort
      of
      an
      experiment
      (though
     
     
      there
      must
      have
      been
      much
      work
     
     
      involved
      in
      getting
      all
      the
      rights
      to
     
     
      these
      songs),
      and
      the
      band
      isn’t
      a
      seri-
     
     
      ous
      band
      with
      a
      serious
      touring
      sched-
     
     
      ule.
      Which
      is
      too
      bad,
      because
      it
     
     
      sounds
      like
      it
      would
      be
      a
      great
      band
     
     
      live.
     
    

    
     
      -Joel
      MEGGS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      07010101
     
     
      Artist:
      Portraits
      of
      Past
     
     
      Label:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      You
      know
      what?
      This
      is
      a
      great
      album,
     
     
      a
      really
      great
      album.
      Portraits
      of
      Past
     
     
      play
      some
      sort
      of
      hardcore
      that
      should
     
     
      definitely
      be
      called
      emo,
      on
      account
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _of
      the
      sense
      of
      emotional
      poignancy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      which
      emanates
      from
      every
      aspect
      of
     
     
      this
      record,
      but
      most
      likely
      no
      -one
     
     
      these
      days
      would
      call
      it
      emo,
      basically
     
     
      because
      it
      sounds
      nothing
      at
      all
      like
     
     
      Jimmy
      Eats
      World
      (who
      are
      a
      pile
      of
     
     
      shit,
      just
      for
      the
      record).
      The
      music
     
     
      moves
      in
      and
      out
      of
      quiet
      melody
      and
     
     
      more
      intense,
      over-driven
      guitar
      har-
     
     
      monics,
      all
      backed
      up
      by
      screamed,
     
     
      yelled,
      and
      occasionally
      sung
      vocals
     
     
      which
      convey
      a
      very
      satisfying
      and
     
     
      atmospheric
      sense
      of
      despair.
      All
      in
      all
     
     
      their
      sound
      is
      very
      tragic,
      maybe
      even
     
     
      epic
      (well,
      epic
      in
      an
      “aw,
      my
      life
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      over
      AND
      it’s
      snowing
      sort
      of
      way”
     
     
      you
      know?).
      Unlike
      pretty
      much
      every
     
     
      band
      who’s
      doing
      the
      quiet
     
     
      melodic/screamy
      thrashy
      thing
      lately,
     
     
      it
      really
      works
      for
      them,
      and
      the
      parts
     
     
      flow
      together
      nicely
      without
      sounding
     
     
      forced
      at
      all.
      Despite
      the
      fact
      that
      I
     
     
      have
      serious
      difficulty
      discerning
      one
     
     
      song
      from
      another,
      this
      really
      isn’t
     
     
      such
      a
      problem,
      and
      in
      fact
      adds
      to
      the
     
     
      atmosphere
      of
      the
      album
      and
      develops
     
     
      a
      sort
      of
      fluid
      continuity
      throughout
     
     
      the
      whole
      thing.
      I
      have
      no
      idea
      what
     
     
      the
      lyrics
      are
      about,
      but
      the
      song
      titles
     
     
      are
      suitably
      obscure
      (“KQED=Volvo,”
     
     
      “Snicker
      -Snicker”)
      and
      often
      are
     
     
      almost
      melodramatic
      in
      their
      negativi-
     
     
      ty
      (‘Something
      less
      than
      what
      was
     
     
      intended,”
      “Implications
      of
      a
      sinkhole
     
     
      personality,”
      “The
      outlook
      is
      bleak”).
     
     
      Good
      times
      feeling
      bad,
      in
      any
      case.
     
     
      -Jonah
      CAMPBELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      Volume
      II:
      Thirteen
      Songs
     
     
      From
      the
      House
      of
      Miracles
     
    

    
     
      Artist:
      The
      Two-Minute
      Miracles
     
     
      Label:
      Teenage
      U.S.A.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lo-fi
      done
      well
      is
      almost
      always
      more
     
     
      creative
      than
      studio
      albums.
      The
      Two-
     
     
      Minute
      Miracles
      exploit
      their
      home-
     
     
      made
      sound
      to
      its
      fullest
      on
      Volume
      II.
     
     
      Combining
      a
      raw
      indie
      pop
      sound
      with
     
     
      rootsy
      kitchen
      folk,
      the
      TMMs
      are
     
     
      fucking
      wicked
      awesome.
      You
      best
     
     
      believe.
      They
      keep
      the
      songs
      short
      and
     
     
      throw
      in
      cool
      horn
      accompaniments
     
     
      for
      good
      measure.
      It
      kind
      of
      reminds
     
     
      me
      of
      a
      Mercury
      Rev
      album
      on
      a
      very
     
     
      limited
      budget...like
      say
      $40.
      But
      it
     
     
      works
      really
      well.
     
    

    
     
      -Jonah
      CAMPBELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      POT}