A great follow-up to their fine first LP “Red Lite”, this dynamic duo of Margaret Garratt (guitar, vocals) and Tara McManus (drums, b-vox) fill it out even more than the last with their killer raw, stripped-down back-porch garage punky blues sounds with a great historical comprehension of the delta region. Actually hailing from Boston however, they have laid down twelve more choice numbers @ Ghetto Recorders and mixed in Memphis @ Easley Studios with Doug Easley himself & Greg Cartwright (Oblivians, Reigning Sound) at the helm. Included are some suitable covers of Howlin Wolf (they’re named after one of his songs), Fred McDowell and others. There is a perfect mix of roughness and sweetness in their craft making for an enjoyable and essential listen. - aardvark

Whoa! Here’s a quartet from Norway that have clearly perfected the late 70’s power pop thing and are bangin it out fresh and au courant for today. Led by Morten Henriksen, ex of the Vikings, they now with two full lengths, a ten incher and aheap of sevens over 8 plus years. This latest on Screaming Apple is as sweet as they come hands down. Although clearly influenced by a variety of legends (Real Kids, Paul Collins, Barracudas, Beach Boys even), they could host a how-to clinic on writing and playin’ the classic catchy, fun rock ‘n’ roll. We’re talking 14 deadly tunes all with good fat production value and sure-fire hits for boppin’ ‘round the house. Swap in your Ramones wax or whatever you gotta do to get in on some of this action. - aardvark

Any Northwestern US, two-guy two-girl punk rock band recorded by Jack Endino and produced by Tim Kerr has got to be monstrous. And The Gloryholes' debut full-length – "Knock You Up" – is no exception to the rule. Fronted by Mudhoney/Monkeywrench-sounding vocalist Doug White of Seattle's The Sinister Six, The Gloryholes are the Oxford English Dictionary definition of swaggering, screaming, frenzied, lo-fi, bass-driven garage-punk. This is quickly becoming my most-played LP of the year! Warning: Don't leave the stereo unattended . . . "Knock You Up" has been known to spontaneously combust! - Mat Moutard

PS. Do a web search on these guys, and get ready for some fucked-up results! "Hot, penetrated, sperm filled, hole slurping mouths", anyone?

Introduced on the Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit comp (Sympathy) amidst other perhaps better known Detroit-based acts, we here at Birdman predict big and beautiful things for The Paybacks. Their sweaty, drunken, meticulously sloppy, always ass-shakin' first release - entitled "Knock Hard", on Get Hip Records - features tough-as-nails Wendy Case (Ten High) on guitars and vocals, Marco Delicato (Rocket 455) on lead guitar, Mike Latulippe (The Hentchmen) on drums, and John Szymanski (The Detroit Cobras, The Hentchmen) on bass. Growling Chrissie Hynde-type vocals ("Just You Wait", "If I Fell"), gritty garaged-out 1970s power-chord mania ("Hot Shot"), and driving bass lines ("Vegas") fill out the ten-song audiophile LP (and CD). A good time is absolutely guaranteed, particularly for fans of Detroit rawk! Beer not included! - Mat Moutard

Listening to "Big Share Of Nothing" from 2000, I've been wondering when these German rawkers would come out with somethin' new. The wait's over in a walloping way! Sonic in yer face Punk Rock 'n' Roll American style! If you luv the twin engine guitar sounds coupled with white knuckled drums and bass propulsion this buds for you! Fans of RC5, Candy Snatchers and early Supersuckers take note, this is the real deal. Nary a dull moment. - Feck

Vancouver's Spitfires rip it on all cylinders with this third surefire winner! We put on a show with these rollers last August at the Dom which I missed bein' in Norway dontcha know! People are still talkin' the shit about how great they were. Well I get the consolation prize 'cause this album fuckin' storms away from start to finish. With equal parts (N.Y.) Dolls and 70's meet 90's punk R'N'R. The Spitfires claim king o' the hill here in Canada. Glad to see rock ain't dead in this land of Nickleback bullshit and the such! Hey Spitfires, wanna come play another show, I want this record even louder! Nuff said! - Feck

Not only a drummer, Brant Bjork struts his multi-talented self once again and produces an excellent follow up (long awaited!)to his wicked '99 solo debut "Jalamanta" (Man's Ruin). Handling everything but keyboards (Mathias Schneeburger) and the odd guitar guitar lead & b-vox here and there, Bjork furthers himself in my mind as one of the most exciting contributors to the modern rock genre of the past several decades. Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Ché, Queens Of The Stone Age and a soloist. Impressive!! - Feck

"I saw the Stooges, covered with bruises . . . Who will save Rock and Roll?" Holy fucking balls, where do I sign up? How many times in a row can you play this album before twisting your ankle during a manic air-guitar maneuver? Let ME tell you: thirty-seven! And it's gonna take you a full goddamn Saturday, so book off the time! Nu Yawk's finest punk rock and roll outfit - Handsome Dick Manitoba and company - serve up the best double cheese ¼ pounder you're gonna find in the business, after a twenty-odd year (recording) hiatus to boot! This is a big guitar production - of the Hellacopters-Sin City Six-AC/DC variation, and the bass is sure to piss the neighbors off! Fuck em! This is a 180 gram rock and roll mission! Rumour has it that the city-to-city rock and roll chaos is set to recommence, so start putting aside your change. (See The 'Tators live May 30th 2002 @ the Dominion Tavern) Mat "Dickhead The King Frequency" Moutard (Birdman Foreign Correspondent in LA)

Pack up your diggin' tools my pale faced revelers, it's time for another romp thru the boneyard with Copenhagen's finest psychobilly trio the Nekromantix. These guys have been around since 1989 and are working on a half dozen albums which now includes 13 more scorchers for their debut with Tim Armstrong's Hellcat record label. Their tunes are deft and edgy, chuggin' along with good kick ass pace, great guitar presence and well hammered, "coffin style" upright bass. These guys are sure to fare well on these shores as well. Get unearthed now. aardvark

Apparently members of The Young Lions Conspiracy, the enigmatic and precisely vague rock/gospel revolutionary "collective" (What Are You Doing To Participate?), Cleveland's The Chargers Street Gang rips up a solid Detroit groove with a healthy dose of horns thrown in the mix (along with a drunken sermon or two). Recorded by rock genius Tim Kerr (Lord High Fixers, Monkeywrench) and released as a 150 gram slab of wax on Pittsburgh's Get Hip label, this qualifies as pure and unadulterated rock and roll tyranny! Fans of The Deadly Snakes and the various Oblivians side-projects should definitely check these fellows out. The Chargers are starting out on a Spring 2002 tour in April, so call 'em up and invite the conspiracy to your neck of the woods! Dickhead "The King" Frequency (Birdman Foreign Correspondent in LA)

Here they COME, with their highly anticipated second album for Sympathy, another smoldering slab of fine Detroit groove with even more danceable funkiness than the previous. Stripped down to a three piece this time 'round, vocalist/bassist/organist Iovan, guitarist Johnson and drummer Pantano (Dirtbombs), remain employing Jim Diamond and the Ghetto Recorders facility once again with a smattering of guests on vocals, keys and even some brass with purely winning results. Try this on, it is a "Mesmerizer". (aardvark)

Fourteen tracks of rip roarin' Psychobilly soaked Rock 'n' Roll from these four liquored up Danish madmen covered in tattoos. Their lyrics are quite thoroughly and decidedly dumb-ass, (self proclaimed "creeps" of the "godless" sort, you know) but their tunes pack a lot of twangy and rumblin' wallop that will set your "pomp" on fire. Akin to California brethren Tiger Army but with seemingly more crunch. Apply the "wicked" to the music and start your engines. (aardvark)

Here's a foursome (from Norway no less) with a penchant for Tex-Mexicana who do actually look like crazed Tijuana hoodlums and they they nail down a bunch of great reference points and master some choice covers. Try out some wicked, twangy surf versions of tunes such as "Shape Of Things To Come" (Yardbirds), "I Need You" (Kinks), "Goldfinger", "Ring Of Fire", "Hang 'Em High" and a bunch of like-minded originals all with a good dose of punk rock edge. That's not all, they do up "Let's Lynch The Landlord" in fine fashion as well. Guess they aren't Norway's "Kings of Spaghetti Surf Punk-A-Billy" for nothin'. Get your maracas off.(aardvark)

Monsterous mutations of supreme order found here mofos. Let's see if we can decipher some vague info: Something of a supergroup from the San Diego area featuring members of Red Aunts (Kerry Davis), RFTC (?) and Tanner with scores of adventurous guests and additional help including the "insects" although unclear if they are figment or not. In any case, these recordings come from a variety of different sessions which beautifully fuse various styles such as Punk, No Wave, Avant Jazz, Soul and Garage with great artistic vision that is beyond description really, as are all musics found truly unique. Not a follower here, these guys attempt to lead, bless their brave souls so few. No comparisons here, but just for fun; smile if you like Contortions, Club Foot Orchestra, Make-Up, Arkansaw Man, Fatal Flying Guilloteens, Beefheart…(aardvark)

A Birdman top-seller! The Deadly Snakes' follow up to their Love Undone (SFTRI 1999) is yet another reason why rock and roll is alive and well - albeit underground, where it belongs! - in the age of absolute 'limp' bizkit shittiness. Now part of In The Red's incredible millennial assault on music fans everywhere (along with The King Brothers, The Screws, and The Dirtbombs), Toronto's Snakes serve up a raunchy stew of organ, harmonica, trumpet, sax and general rocrock and roll fervor, with Memphis hot sauce to boot! Indeed, the band, whose members are from T.O.'s Kensington Market region, has been joined by Memphis-based former Oblivians frontman Greg Cartwright (a.k.a Greg Oblivian), who produced their 1st LP with Sympathy. I recently saw these guys in Montreal, and goddamn what a killer show! It was like being live at a whiskey-fueled post-trainwreck church sermon! Look out for them in your neck of the woods! Mat Moutard (Birdman Foreign Correspondent in LA)

Born in 1997 and hailing from the heart of San Francisco's Richmond District, this pedigreed glammed-up trash punk quartet dishes out twelve kick-ass tracks suggestive of the Dolls, the Stooges, the Real Kids, and the Heartbreakers, among others. The well-coifed Sluts are: Brad Artly (drums; formerly of The Brian Jonestown Massacre), Shea Roberts (guitar/vocals; formerly of The Forgotten), Chris Beltran (bass/vocals; formerly of The Working Stiffs), and Justin Lynn (keyboards). In clear orange (and thick!) vinyl format on Duane Peters' hard working Disaster label, this is a definite top-ten for 2001! So, get your fucking ass up off the sofa, give your eyes a rest from CNN's latest non-news news coverage of the World Trade Center bombing, and get down to your local shop before it's out of print!!! Mat Dickhead Frequency (Birdman Foreign Correspondent in LA)