a
      ;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      s
      tired
      as
      the
      attitude
      is,
     
     
      grunge
      remains
      a
      vital
     
     
      musical
      force,
      frequent-
     
     
      ing
      the
      tops
      of
      the
      chart
     
     
      for
      the
      second
      straight
     
     
      summer.
      The
      season's
     
     
      smashest
      hit
      came
      from
      the
      Stone
     
     
      Temple
      Pilots,
      a
      band
      frequently
     
     
      slagged
      by
      grunge
      purists
      (what's
     
     
      next?)
      as
      wagon-jumpers.
      Person-
     
     
      ally,
      when
      !
      saw
      the
      video
      for
     
     
      “Plush”
      (a
      grunge
      classic)
      |
      thought
     
     
      Eddie
      Vedder
      had
      become
      a
      big
     
     
      Johnny
      Rotten
      fan.
      Regardless,
      Core
     
     
      (3.5)
      rocks
      real
      hard,
      though
      the
     
     
      enormous
      heavy
      metal
      production
     
     
      blurs
      the
      detail
      of
      their
      attack.
     
     
      Former
      Replacement
      Paul
     
     
      Westerberg’s
      |
      4
      Songs
      (4)
      received
     
     
      an
      undeservedly
      cool
      critical
      re-
     
     
      sponse,
      but
      apparently
      the
      boys
     
     
      and
      girls
      understand
      as
      it
      sits
      at
      the
     
     
      top
      of
      the
      U.S.
      college
      charts
      as
      |
     
     
      write
      this.
      Without
      the
      Replace-
     
     
      ments,
      Westerberg
      is
      a
      little
      like
     
     
      Graham
      Parker
      without
      the
      Ru-
     
     
      mour
      or
      Elvis
      Costello
      without
      the
     
     
      Attractions:
      stilla
      super
      songwriter
     
     
      but
      lacking
      the
      personality
      of
      his
     
     
      former
      group.
      The
      Replacements
     
     
      had
      a
      sloppy
      rock’n’roll
      sound
      as
     
     
      inspiring
      as
      that
      of
      the
      Rolling
     
     
      Stones,
      Crazy
      Horse
      or
      Husker
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Du;
      this
      is
      a
      facsimile
      of
      that
      sound
     
     
      and
      it
      sounds
      it.
      |
      4
      Songs
      is
      a
      bit
      of
     
     
      a
      patchwork
      and
      his
      words
      aren’t
     
     
      as
      sharp
      as
      usual,
      but
      in
      the
      end
     
     
      Westerberg’s
      way
      with
      a
      tune
      saves
     
     
      the
      day.
      The
      sound
      of
      a
      genius
     
     
      wingin’
      it.
      Unfortunately,
     
     
      Westerberg’s
      two
      fine
      songs
      from
     
     
      the
      Singles
      soundtrackarenothere
     
    

    
     
      The
      summer's
      sleeper
      was
      Sou
     
     
      Asylum’s
      Grave
      Dancers
      Union
      [sic]
     
     
      (3.5),
      a
      platinum
      smash
      after
      about
     
     
      a
      decade
      of
      obscurity.
      Like
      Pau
     
     
      Westerberg,
      Dave
      Pirner
      was
      raised
     
     
      on
      junk;
      unlike
      Westerberg,
      he
     
     
      doesn’t
      always
      transform
      it
      into
     
     
      something
      wonderful.
      Thus,
      there’s
     
     
      moments
      here
      that
      wouldn’t
      sound
     
     
      out
      of
      place
      on
      a
      Bon
      Jovi
      album
     
     
      and
      Pirner’s
      lyrics
      are
      cloyingly,
     
     
      sincere.
      But
      he’s
      a
      superior
      melody,
     
     
      maker
      and
      his
      rockers
      exude
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      kind
      of
      spirit
      Westerberg
      hasn’t
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      been
      able
      to
      muster
      since
      Pleased
     
     
      to
      Meet
      Me.
      The
      discovery
      of
      Sou
     
     
      Asylum
      was
      almost
      enough
      to
      giv
     
     
      you
      faith
      in
      human
      nature.
     
     
      Former
      Jane’s
      Addiction
      hea
     
     
      cheese
      and
      inventor
      o
     
     
      Lollapalooza,
      Perry
      Farrell's
      lates
     
     
      project,
      Porno
      For
      Pyros
      (3.5),
      wa
     
     
      an
      unexpected
      success.
      But
      de
     
     
      spite
      the
      name
      change,
      this
      is
      reall
     
     
      just
      the
      most
      concise
      Jane’s
      Addic
     
     
      tion
      album
      yet.
      Farrell
      is
      monu
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      summer
      in
      music
     
     
      by
      kirby
      ferguson
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mentally
      silly,
      almost
      Jim
      Morrison-
     
     
      ish,
      but
      to
      ignore
      the
      wallop
      of
      his
     
     
      music
      would
      be
      perverse.
     
    

    
     
      Urge
      Overkill
      have
      acquired
     
     
      quite
      a
      cult
      following
      over
      their
     
     
      first
      four
      indie
      releases
      --
      and
      it
     
     
      ain't
      just
      because
      they
      wear
      big,
     
     
      goofy
      medallions
      either,
      it’s
      be-
     
     
      cause
      they’re
      kinda
      wonderful.
     
     
      Coming
      off
      like
      Hendrix
      meeting
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      Stooges
      meeting
      Cheap
      Trick
     
     
      meeting
      Sonic
      Youth,
      Saturation
     
     
      (4)
      is
      campy
      fun
      and
      one
      of
      grunge’s
     
     
      most
      distinct
      releases
      in
      ages.
      De-
     
     
      spite
      the
      campiness,
      it’s
      easy
      to
     
     
      take
      Urge
      Overkill’s
      music
      seri-
     
     
      ously,
      a
      hooky
      amalgamation
      of
     
     
      70’s
      shit
      filtered
      through
      an
      imagi-
     
     
      native
      songwriting
      style
      that
      pro-
     
     
      vides
      surprisingly
      long-lasting
      lis-
     
     
      tening
      pleasure.
      And
      unlike
      most
     
     
      grunge,
      they
      swing.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
           
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Matthew
      Sweet’s
      Altered
      Beast
     
     
      (4)
      is
      a
      rock
      solid
      set
      of
      pop
     
     
      melodies
      and
      shit-load
      of
      guitar.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      or
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Think
      of
      amore
      precise
      version
      of
     
     
      Crazy
      Horseled
      by
      Paul
      McCartney
     
     
      and
      you've
      got
      the
      idea.
      One
      of
      the
     
     
      primary
      draws
      of
      Sweet’s
      albums
      is
     
     
      their
      warm,
      beefy
      production,
      the
     
     
      kind
      you
      just
      don’t
      hear
      any
      more.
     
     
      “Time
      Capsule”
      would’ve
      been
      a
     
     
      smash
      in
      a
      just
      world.
     
    

    
     
      New
      Order
      came
      up
      with
      an
     
     
      unexpected
      hit
      in
      Republic
      (3.5),
     
     
      led
      by
      the
      memorable
      single,
      “Re-
     
     
      gret.”
      The
      rest
      of
      the
      album
      is
      a
     
     
      little
      less
      inspired,
      basically
      just
     
     
      traditional
      New
      Order
      disco:
      sing-
     
     
      song
      melodies,
      intricate
      texturing
     
     
      and
      melancholy
      bass
      lines.
      And
      if
      it
     
     
      sounds
      a
      little
      inhuman,
      that’s
      just