Featuring Thalia Zedek and Chris Brokaw from Come, former Dream Syndicate/Gutterball guy Steve Wynn rips through some of the coolest 'billy-rooted crunch-rock since Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs influenced Robyn Hitchcock to emulate John Lennon on acid way back when.
The unbridled joy with which Wynn cranks out what are, without doubt the best tunes of his career, captures and holds your attention throughout what is unarguably one of the best discs released this year.
REVIEW: Plastic Mikey, Cook Up Something New!
- Al Muzer
Featuring an amazingly sharp sense of pop song craft and wistful, Tony (Edison Lighthouse) Burrows-caliber vocals bounced off cool, Samba-fied jazzed beats, a Violent Femmes sense of musical and lyrical playfulness, and minor lounge, funk, soul, new age and Charlie Brown piano flourishes - these guys sound sort'a like a hip version of Gerry Rafferty done up as Ben Folds Five for the '90s. For more information, contact Brian Hutzell, 2512 W. Leland, Ste. #1, Chicago. IL 60625 or via e-mail at aladdin@suba.com
REVIEW: Brian McMahon, 17 Volts (Crab Pot)
- Al Muzer
Former Electric Eels founding member Brian McMahon has mellowed considerably over the ensuing years since that obscure, in-yer-face, pre-punk musical barrage's 1972 debut.
Now a song-driven minimalist with a innocent sense of whimsy and a wide-eyed, endearing quality about him, McMahon putters his way casually through 17 extremely lo-fi, thoroughly winning, garage rock influenced, keyboard-fueled, Lou Reed-circa-Velvet Underground tunes as done by a supremely buzzed Wreckless Eric/Alex Chilton disciple. For more information, contact Crab Pot Records, 1535 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60622
