BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE: good luck (asian man/fork in hand)
15 trax, 42:05
Horn-heavy ska punk from Boston MA. At least half of the songs are awesome and it's only 8 bucks, so get it.

BLUE MEANIES: the post wave (mca)
13 trax, 39:58
This is the Blue Meanies' major label debut, so go out and support 'em! In the past, the Meanies were usually described as carnival punk, but they're not as manic this time around. Production quality is much higher, of course. On most of the tracks they work in horns, keyboards, and effects. Two of my favorite tracks are "Chemicals" and "TV girl." Overall, this a fairly solid listen.

CATCH 22: washed up 7" (victory)
4 trax, under 10:00
"Leaving' is the best song. "Hard to impress" is good as well, but it's also on "Alone in a Crowd." On "American pie" they sing the chorus 4 or 5 times, switching from bouncy ska to driving punk and back. I was kind of disappointed that they didn't fit any of the verses in. That makes it even shorter than Madonna's version. "The death of my blood is your indulgence" is a death metal joke track. Cool artwork/layout. For rabid fans and collectors only. To everyone else: you're not missing much. Pressed on clear blue vinyl.

CATCH 22: alone in a crowd (victory)
14 trax, 36:55
Decent, tight skacore record from this NJ band. Insanely catchy, but a bit short.

CRIMPSHRINE: sleep, what's that? 7" (lookout)
4 trax, 10:25
The sound quality is so-so. That said, these songs are energetic and the lyrics are good. The bass line of "Bricks" reminds me of "Take on me". I like what Jeff says about caring about the homeless and making a difference. A Lookout classic, but only get it if you care about that.

THE DWARVES: come clean (epitaph)
12 trax, 21:25
This is too good to be too short! The best moments come with their integration of driving punk into surf, industrial, etc riffs. Fast, funny, furious. One of the top records of 2000! You laugh?

GREEN DAY: warning (reprise)
12 trax, 41:16
You know who they are. This is their 6th record. You've also heard the chord progressions before. "Hold on" uses harmonica, which is why it reminds me of "I should have known better" from the Beatles' "A Hard Days' Night." It's kinda catchy and very predictable. On the same level with Nimrod(yecch!). In fact, Insomniac was their last good release. I got it to complete my Green Day collection,and that's the only reason I can see for buying this.

MXPX: the ever passing moment (tooth & nail/a & m)
15 trax, 39:53
All I can say is, Whhhhyyyyy? This record sucks, in comparison with every other MxPx record ever recorded. First 5 tracks are the best. "Responsibility" is the first let-down. con: every time I stick this in my cd-rom drive, a little video starts up. It's worth watching, once. Get "Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo" or "Life in General" first.

NOFX: pump up the valuum (epitaph)
14 trax, 31:33
After 15 years, NOFX are starting to lose their edge. Consistantly punk from start to end, at least until "Theme from a NOFX album." Some of the songs emphasize how much the guys like their drugs. Gee, you're all 30 years old. Grow up! My favorite song is "Stranger than fishin," and they did that one on "F*** the kids." I can't help but feel a little disappointed after listening to this record.

SLEATER-KINNEY: the hot rock (kill rock stars)
13 trax, 41:32
S-K are an all-girl indie rock trio. Their music has a transparent feel, due to the lack of bass and intertwined guitars. The singer can't sing. She just wails. The songs sound very similar, and I didn't even notice that the cd was done when it ended! Weak.