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they can play 80's hardcorelike they invented the shit.This has got a real glossy productionand bad lyrics. Alland all not bad for a listen toif you like that new kind ofresurgence of crossover thanthis is a record to add toyou're collection. The cover ofthis record rocks, a kid with ateapot through his cheek. Nonew ground is being brokenhere but then again it never islately However in a pot fullof shit this might float.-Sausage KingPalace MusicViva Last BluesDrag Cityme year is 1996. REM aren'tshiny and happy anymore. .Pretend all you want, in realityyou;.life is depressing.Look at yourself, look at yourhouse, look at your clothes,look at your stupid job. Youare a pathetic example of ahuman being. ~oes-your liferesemble that of those you seeon TV? As much as you try tobelieve that Trent will be themusic you hear as the worldends, (read the Weekly WorldNews today?) the actual realityis that the survivors will sitaround the campfire withacoustic instruments. Theinstruments aren't allacoustic. They aren't even ktune. The Palace Brothersused to be thought of ascountry. Palace Music is not acountry band. It isn't folk.Lo-fi? Not that either. WillOldham's voice creaks, cracksand croaks out his words.Jason Loewenstein is thedrummer of choice, LiamHayes plays piano and organ.Jed Oldham is on bass, slideand background vocals.Bryan Rich is the lead guitarist.Sure when they all plugin, as they do for "WorkHard/Play Harp," it soundslike your typical noise-rock.For the most part Viva LastBlues comes across more likethe voice of the homeless -perhaps a group of travelingminstrels? The bleak natureof Oldham's singing and thebacking music beg for label- 'ing the entire disc as one ofthe most deprebing of theentire year. "The Brute Choir"is a sad lament for sure, but Ican't believe Oldham isdepressed as he sings aboutfucking a valley girl in "TheMountain Low." The word"fuckl' becomes a one word(tone poem when it appears ina Palace Music song. Bleepingit out would destroy both' "The Mountain Low" and"Tonight's Decision (AndHereafter)." "Mew Partner" isas happy as it gets. A songabout a new songwritingpartner. "Cat's Blues" revealsthe band as capable of kickingout a boogie. Viva LastBlues is a highly impressivealbum. Steve Albini is creditedwith recording it. Th&goodness there wasn't anyproduction because as is noneis needed. For me '95 endedon a high note when the FolkImplosion tricked an entirenation into discovering LouBarlow. Here's hopingOldham and his Palace Musicbuddies can do somethingsimilar in '96.-Chia HeadSkeleton CrewPre Historic ...DigIntersoundThis record blows like yourmomma .... It's bad and it ain'tgot no teeth. This is one ofthose new fangled CD's thathas that multi media shit onthe front of it that of coursedoesn't work on the good oldget excited about doesn'teven work. But thal's O.K. themusic doesn't work either.-Sausage KingSimon & The Bar SinistersLook At Me I'm CoolUpstart RecordsOf more than passing interestis the opening song on LookAt Me I'm Cool. "Strike OutKing" bears a striking resemblanceto a tune with thesame title on the FranticFlattops debut long player.The Flattops attribute thetune to Paul Roman. SimonChardiet takes full credit onhis. The lyrics are changed,but the subject is exactly thesame. Both spngs are rockabilly.Simon thrashes thingsup more than the Flattops.(He's throwing his hands inthe air. I can see him. "I don'twant any rockabilly SHIT inSLUG".) Don't worry boss,"Surf The Wild Gowanus" isa surf instnunental. What wehave hear is a band nottrapped by genre."Speed, Weed & Whiskey" iscountry and western. Is it theBeat Farmers in disguise?Kind of, but not quite. EricAmbel produced the thingand we are deep in theunderground. "Dirty Mean"is blues-based swamp-rockand it is the only song on theentire disc longer than atouch over 3 minutes."Thinking With The WrongHead" is big beat rockabilly,"Look At Me I'm Cool!!!" isgarage punk and"Chapter Eleven" is theRolling Stones. The styles areall mixed up yet the albumholds together like Supergluebonding the index finger tothe thumb after a nosepicking session.-Smurf BoyDeadguyFixation On A Co WorkerVictory RecordsCool Title. Good Layout.Heavy sound Sick of it Allrip off band. Just kiddingActually it's not a bad littleout fit that has potential.I wish they could use a littlebit more dissonant soundingstuff. But I guess that angrysinger makes up for it.This record has an incredibleproduction on both theguitars and the bass but thedrums get lost in the mix.Which is too bad because youcan tell this is a tight bandand some good drums wouldfuckin niake this record great.Check out the cheesy metalguitar in 'pins and needles'ala Slayer. If you like to havemusic to stab babies with thisis the record for you.-Sausage Kingc;ontlnuea on rage 38