Audrey/Temporary Insurance, split single by the Automaticans and Team Dresch (7", Mental Monkey Records, 333 18^th St. 3L, Brooklyn, NY, 11215/Humdrum, P.O. Box 298, Carson, WA, 98610)

It can be spooky when a single contains transmissions from the gone, but it was worth it to hear one more Team Dresch song and some material by the (I think still extant (wrong again - defunct - but Tamala and Scotty, along with Jody Bleyle and another name that is escaping me, have formed a new band called the Infinite X's that is recording!!) Automaticans (a project started by Tamala after her previous band, Longstocking, dissolved – I saw this group play in September, 1999).

It’s on clear vinyl (I am not a fetishist for that substance, so it makes no difference to me… J).

The Automaticans (Scotty on drums; Patricia on guitar and vocals; Tamala on vocals, guitar, moog and bass) serve up "Audrey", a piece of guitar-heavy, hooky pop with charging drums, a simple but effective lead guitar coupled with distorted rhythm guitar, and occasional synth bleeps a la Pere Ubu, all topped by Tamala’s slightly throaty voice. Cool stuff, and, if you were a fan of the Breeders, this would be right up your alley.

Team Dresch (Jody Bleyle on bass and vocals; Donna Dresch on guitar; Marci Martinez on drums and guitar) chime in with a typical (for them) song, "Temporary Insurance", with the usual complex time signature, distorted rhythm guitars, and a rambling, non-standard lyrical structure. While it is nothing extra-special, it is still a ‘new’ song by a band I miss severely (there is no credit for when this was recorded, so, as far as I know, it could have been a one-off reunion, but I tend to think not…), and, thus, a welcome treat.

A side project by Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star, co-written, co-produced and co-instrumented by Colm O’Ciosoig, formerly of My Bloody Valentine, this 4-song EP demonstrates that the sound of her main band has either clung to her or is as much her vision as David Roback’s.

It has the slow, melancholy groove we have come to expect from Hope, based on her group work, though with a few refinements, and her ethereal, slurred vocals have not changed (except on "Sparkly", a guitar-piano instrumental which has incomprehensible, echoed contributions from her voice as another musical element).

"Charlotte", attributed solely to Sandoval, has only vocals and guitar, the latter courtesy of folk legend Bert Jansch, and has a simple, repetitive, countryish melody. By her melancholy standards, it is a happy song (though this must be taken with extreme relativity).

"Down The Steps" has the prettiest tune of anything on the EP, driven by piano and an achingly sad cello.

Though I am looking forward to the new Mazzy Star record on Rough Trade in the fall, since I like something more rocking, this was soothing and would appeal to the average Mazzy Star aficionado.

I think it would be entertaining to try and figure out where this would be filed in the average record store, though I am certain I would not want the task myself. There’s jazz – electronics – dance – no-wave and hard rock, even. It would probably be shoved into the ‘alternative’ section, for lack of a better slot.

Brian Wolff (tuba, trumpet, trombone); Tony Nazero (drums, percussion, electronics) and Neal McKeeby (guitar) serve up an eclectic dish of off-kilter, jazzy, electronic, hip-shaking material (with production from Righteous Babe’s Ani DiFranco and Andrew Gilchrist, who also contribute organ and percussion under pseudonyms), and have done so for several albums and singles.

Mark E Smith inflicts yet another CD from and version of the band he has described as being the Fall even if "it’s me and my granny on bongos".

While that presumably venerable woman does not make an appearance, the group this time consists of: Mark, vocals and effects; Adam Helal on bass and electronics; Neville Wilding on guitar and vocals; Julia Nagle on keyboards, guitar, vocals and programming and Tom Head on drums and percussion (with guest vocals by Steve Evels and Kazuko Hohki, and extra guitar by Ben Pritchard). There is some evidence for Mark’s claim that it is very much his vision of a band, since, even though Julia is the only hold-over from the last LP, it sounds much the same.

There is a fair amount of techno and electronics involved, though, thankfully, the harsh guitars and doomy basslines the band doled out in the Eighties seem to have re-emerged to a greater extent. Mark’s vocals are as conversational, wordy and hard to pick out as ever (though, if you ever wanted an interesting experience, check out the first Fall LP, Live At The Witch Trials, on which he almost sings conventionally and comprehensibly…otherwise, this has been his style for over twenty years).

"Sons of Temperance" rocks ferociously, while "Cyber Insekt" buzzes with busy electronics. Somewhere between those two, most of the time, you will find the sound of this demanding LP. A nice return to form, and a continuing exploration of new noises at the same time…

For a home-recorded project, the sound is excellent and very busy but disciplined for a four-track (once again, a Joe Meek comparison, given that gentleman’s ability to produce Spector epics in cramped space on tiny budgets), and covers everything from elegant girl-group sound to hyperactive synth-pop, sometimes within one selection (I could see "The Most Common 3&4 Letter Words" play at a rave, though I’ve never been to one (I rarely go to dances), so what do I know? Besides, it has an abrupt shift to feedback, mellowness and twangy guitar that might leave the ravers confused…).

"Even Little Stunts", "Man Throughout the Ages" and "Won’t You Sing With Now I Know My’ benefit from the vocals of Ms. Jones (and super-catchy melodies), and the latter two touch on the theme of communication.

Noah, in a way, reminds me of some of the recordings I made ages ago (though I have not one-billionth of his talent). I used to bang the sliding doors on my headboard’s cupboards to get a drum sound, hit pan lids as cymbals, and so many other things. It is the mark of an artist that he can spot a household item or some toy and think: ‘That could make a good percussion sound.’ (Judging from matters I should perhaps keep to myself, the ability to find alternate uses for innocuous hardware store items is a sign of a perverted imagination as well…J ). Noah uses a little bit of everything here (I don’t hear the sampled sound of drips in a kitchen sink, but perhaps it’s buried deep in the mix… J ).

It’s hard to do this justice with mere words (now isn’t THAT ironic?!). You would have to hear it. If you let its 14 songs sink into you, you will be greatly rewarded.

This review was brought to you by the letters beyond the alphabet and the number googolplex.

Some of the difference explains why this has yet to emerge on these shores. Most of it is in Japanese, which is ironic, given their obvious love of American/British power-pop/punk music and their recent concentration on the English market, and a few of the songs are set in Japan or make reference to that country. It is a sad statement that some of their appeal over here was their ‘foreign’ take on North American pop culture (though chocolate bars and mayonnaise pop up to continue their familiar themes), and, now that that has diminished, some of the ‘kitsch’ which attracted an audience (a largely geeky male one, which probably reflects on ‘yellow fever’ as well – god knows a lot of the websites out there seem to focus on them as cute Asian girls (somewhat ironic, since they must be old enough to be the mothers of some of these pathetic lads)) is no longer in evidence.

Also, it is not as catchy as their past output. Michie Nakatani (the former bassist/vocalist), even though she rarely wrote or sang, must have had a large part to play in the sound. While the performances are good and well-recorded, the indelible choruses and sing-along joy of their previous records are reduced, except on the sloppily infectious "Punk Rock Star" and the pseudo-funk of "Chinese Disco", and the bass parts need work (competent but uninspired). Let us hope this is a temporary letdown in a band that has been growing by leaps and bounds and entertaining us for twenty years – but it is, in the end, disappointing.

I must confess I find it odd that a label with this name, that has put out a CD full of crusty and hardcore veterans, has selected as the beneficiary of its gay-rights fundraising an organization as reformist and polite as the Human Rights Campaign. However, I suppose its heart is in the right place…and at least it is not a collection of songs ABOUT mainstream gay issues, since that is boring and would limit sales (let us be honest here – if you want to get people to buy a CD to raise money, you make it broad-based, within your chosen spectrum (my gay associates will probably NOT buy this, since they think, against evidence, that punk is and always has been homophobic – but some of my straight, queer-friendly ones might…)).

This is definitely NOT a pop-punk project, other than Elliott, whose track ‘Superstitions in Travel’ is laid-back and delicately tuneful, until a mid-song explosion. From Refused to Snapcase to Boy Sets Fire to By The Grace of God, we are hit with growling and screaming vocals and hammering tunes, for the most part. It is not always my style, since I think there is something bizarre about such a display of machismo on a pro-gay product (as to machismA, I think there are only two bands here WITH female members, those being (International) Noise Conspiracy and Indecision, though, since many of the groups do not list their personnel or provide photographs in the booklet, it is hard to say in some instances), and I’m also one of those evil sellouts who LIKES a catchy melody – but, as I said, it means well, and it seems like a fairly representative sampling of the screaming, long-shorts-wearing, baseball-capped contingent of punk.

As to the OTHER sense of punk (young fellas who would be popular in prison J ), you can look to Elliott, at least, for your identity-politics/self-interest fix. It is a shame xLimpwristx, a gay-identified hardcore band, are not on here, since I wanted to hear them. Perhaps Martin had reservations about the beneficiary too, given his fierce politics with the legendary Los Crudos…or they have not finished anything…who knows? Still, as I said twice before, sincerely intended and, to its target audience, probably marvelous. I can listen, and like some of it (such as "Matthew Shepard" by Against The Wall), but I think I’m getting to the age where it’s too loud and intense for my tastes (someone shoot me…).

If I Were A Richman by Various Artists (CD, Wampus Multimedia, 5746 Union Mill Road, Suite 315, Clifton, VA, 20124, USA, $16 US, cheques/money orders payable to Mark Doyon)

A wide-ranging collection of material by everyone's favourite Boston-born boy, Jonathan Richman, covering a wide swath of his career (though six of the fourteen songs are from the first Modern Lovers album, and a seventh is a cover of Jonathan's re-think of yet another song off said platter, so there IS a slight bias - but, since that's the period I prefer, I'm not complaining...).

These are mostly bands or projects by people on a Jonathan Richman electronic mailing list, or friends of same, so you know they are fans. That does not mean these are necessarily reverent, Xeroxed takes, however.

While Fee Foe 5, Arms of Kismet, Early Lines and The Young Adults, for example, play it fairly close with 'Someone I Care About', 'Pablo Picasso', 'Modern World' and 'She Cracked' respectively, Geoff P. Russell's Inhibition Exhibition and Frumious Snacktime do interesting, electronic things to 'Hey There Little Insect' and 'Buzz Buzz Buzz' (cheating! Of course, the Iggy Pop tribute, WE WILL FALL, featured Joan Jett covering Iggy's cover of 'Real Wild Child', so I suppose there is some precedent for covering covers...), and 'Government Center' by The Underhills has much richer vocal harmonies that make the song twice as cool.

I will not pretend to objectivity. Though I DO prefer the earlier, noisier, more cynical stuff, Jonathan in general is so loveable it is hard to imagine anyone truly despising him. Get this - fall in love - NOW!!

VU Tribute by Various Artists (2-CD, Victor Entertainment Japan)

Yet another Japanese release, most of whose liner notes are in that language, thus making it difficult for me to comment on many of the bands who do Velvet Underground covers here (of the 18 groups on this 22-track compilation (4 of the tracks are reminiscences from Factory personality Gerard Malanga ( www.gerardmalanga.com ), 12 are Japanese).

It was nice to see some obscure choices on here, such as Ahh! Folly Jet’s bizarre, reed-and-woodwind-driven, twee take on ‘Ferryboat Bill’; Tagomago’s unrecognizable version of presumably just one small section of ‘The Murder Mystery’; Honey Skoolmates’ even chirpier rendition of the giddy ‘Who Loves The Sun’; and Smile Kick’s more droning and yet melodious and adventurous attempt at ‘Black Angel’s Death Song’. It was even more enjoyable that The Ladybug Transistor covered the countryish arrangement of ‘I Found A Reason’ that is on the 2-CD Loaded re-issue, although it does mean that two groups have recently covered a song I hoped to be the first to attempt, the other being Cat Power. GRRRR…

There are some old standbys here, too, such as ‘I’m Waiting For The Man’ by Zoobombs, done in an overloaded, complaining-amp fashion; ‘She’s My Best Friend’ by Of Montreal, essentially a Xerox© of the original; ‘Heroin’ by Chicago Bass, though at least it is sung by a girl, for variety (perhaps in imitation of Moe Tucker’s one-woman recording); ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’, done in a peculiar, multiple-instrument-but-only-a-couple-at-a-time fashion by The Music Tapes; and ‘European Son’ by Olivia Tremor Control, done in a jittery arrangement, without the sliding chair and crashing glass.

Intriguing and weird, and Gerard’s recollections make it a historical document too. Try and find it, if you can…

We Thank You: Kindercore Fifty by Various Artists (3-CD, Kindercore Records, www.kindercore.com , info@kindercore.com )

An ultra-cheap 3-CD sampler (very minimal packaging, no liner notes at all, so it is no larger than a one-CD box) of material on this Athens-Georgia-based label, or close friends of those who run the business, in some cases. Though they claim NOT to be a twee label, it is, nevertheless, true that a lot of the owners’ signings ARE on the precious, cutesy guitar-pop-psychedelic tip.

The first CD is all new material, including tracks by Of Montreal and Apples In Stereo (the latter being most notable for its very stripped-down sound, which is a surprise to be sure from THAT outfit), as well as offerings from Dressy Bessy and Kincaid. These are the only bands on it I know and am aware they have put out quality material elsewhere. There are 16 others here too, of which Je Suis France’s "Coming Out Party" struck me as entertaining in a sloppy way.

The second CD is back catalogue material, of which The Catskills’ take on "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" struck me as truly astonishing – that anyone could sing that melody so far off key and yet be charming and affecting was a thing of rare intrigue to behold. Again, I didn’t know the other bands well enough to say whether these tracks were typical, though I did like Joe Christmas’ "Hesitation".

The third CD is all remixes. They didn’t SEEM like radical re-thinks, though.

For about $29 CAN for three CD’s, I’m sure you could find something you would like. It’s a pretty varied sampler, after all, and it might introduce you to your new best friend, musically speaking.

Paris 1942 (LP only, $9 US or so, Majora Records, P.O. Box 78418, Seattle, WA, 98178)

This band existed briefly in 1982, long enough to perform live four times and tape one studio track, a version of Modern Lovers’ "She Cracked", for a compilation.

They went on to become The Sun City Girls, Arizona’s notable ‘difficult listening’ group. There are no girls in that outfit, but there WAS one playing on these rehearsal tapes. To wit, ex-Velvet-Underground drummer Maureen Tucker, who lived in Arizona at the time.

Listening to these recordings of varying quality, just surfacing now, it is obvious that they had a great love of the Velvet Underground at its noisiest and most relentless (well, Maureen did, of course – I meant the boys in the band). Fortunately, of the two singers, the fellow with the more conventional voice takes most of the leads (the other singer in Sun City Girls tends to sing in a hopefully put-on, high cackling tone that could get maddening over an entire LP).

The LP kicks off with "Move Out of Wichita", a rampaging rock tune with obvious roots in the Velvets and the Stooges. The vocals are largely incomprehensible, but the rage gets through. Other highlights include: the vaguely punk-reggae feel of "Pontius Pilate"; "Lion’s Paw", with its strangely phased drums and vocals (though that could be tape damage, since the reels making up this LP were found stored away somewhere not terribly dry or dust-free); the ugly drone and thwack of "The Room"; and the remotely bluesy, 12/8 groove of "Smoke Filled Room", which has hints of Television (as do the other three long tracks on Side 2).

Based on the evidence here, this group, had it developed, might have given Dream Syndicate, Yo La Tengo and even contemporaries The Feelies a run for their money. But they didn’t, and the rest is historical documents…

Agaetis Byrjun by Sigur Ros (2-LP, Fat Cat Records, P.O. Box 18212, London, EC1V 9NQ, UK, info@fat-cat.co.uk, www.fat-cat.co.uk, band at www.sigur-ros.com)

Imagine the Cocteau Twins moved to Iceland and found a boy singer who could sing just as incomprehensibly and elastically, though beautifully too, as Elizabeth Fraser (after rooting around on the band’s website, I discovered 7 of the 9 tracks on this release have actual lyrics, but they ARE in Icelandic, so they are mysterious to me, and his delivery is such that I suspect they would be difficult to pick out for a native Icelandic speaker too).

Toss in some Slowdive, Sixties space/psychedelic rock and sample an orchestra into the nearest handy computer, and you would get Sigur Ros.

This is far and away one of the most gorgeous and strange albums I have ever had the fortune to find and read about (I read a review while in Berkeley last fall, but I could not tell if I would like it or notthen – when I saw it in Kingston, I took the chance, and I am glad I did…). Within the course of just one song, Jon Birgisson (guitar/voice), Georg Holm (bass), Kjartan Sveinsson (keyboards) and Orn Dynason (drums), cover such a wide range of notes, styles and sounds that you are left shuddering at the sheer impact of it all. While, as noted above, there DO seem to be some clear influences, the combination results in something unlike any of those bands by itself.

The tracks are all long (this album has 9 tracks, and is 73 minutes in duration), but do not drag – they draw you into their gauzy interiors and leave you looking out in wonderment. It really is THAT astonishing an LP. It is arguable that being able to speak Icelandic might help in a more intellectual grasp of the record, but the fact that the band itself has said it is about music, not being a band or conveying deep messages, suggests that it might hinder instead. Just tune in, turn on and drop IN…