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	.....YOU FOUND THE INVISIBLE TEXT YOU SCAMP bone chilling muzak: THE END OF '08 BATCH - TERRY LYNN - ROXANNE POTVIN - GLEN CAMPBELL - RAPHAEL SAADIQ - STARFLYER 59 - GUNS N' ROSES - IAN TYSON - DANIELSON - BEAST - THE NERVES - THE WHIP - THE BOXMASTERS - RY COODER - RACHID TAHA - JAKOB DYLAN - THE SMITHEREENS - AMER DIAB AND THE LOAN SHARKS - PRIMAL SCREAM - EVIL FARM CHILDREN II - ONE DAY AS A LION - THE TING TINGS - AMY MACDONALD - CHAD VANGAALEN - THE PACK A.D. - GIANT SAND - RAE SPOON - MODERNBOYS MODERNGIRLS - MARIE-JOSEE HOULE - THE AWKWARD STAGE - ANDRE WILLIAMS - THE DIPLOMATS OF SOLID SOUND - THE M’S - NEIL HAMURGER - THE WOLFMEN TERRY LYNN KINGSTONLOGIC 2.0 (Last Gang) Finally something new coming out of Jamaica. Sure everyone loves reggae, but enough already. Here comes Terry Lynn to blow the roof off. Techno beeps and zaps, killer rock guitar riffs and steamy street raps fuel this incendiary album. Lynn smartly slips in some old school dance hall bits, providing a nice shout back to the isle's main export, and a reference point she really can't, and wouldn't want to shake. This is the new sound of Jamaica: a bit uneven and scrambled but not surprisingly, very, very hot. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP ROXANNE POTVIN NO LOVE FOR THE PRISONERS (Alert) Watch out, here comes Roxanne. She's got that Amy Whinehouse deep throated swagger, without all the trappings. Why the sultry female lounge singer went out of style is anyone's guess, but she's back baby, she's back! Potvin has the vocal chops to cut through any material, and here she proves to be an adept writer of punchy melodies as well. Vampy soul to stir the inner flame is the perfect tonic for the unforgiving winter chill ahead. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP GLEN CAMPBELL MEET GLEN CAMPBELL (Capitol) This stinks of Rick Rubin - and not in an unkind way. Rubin, who has a knack of rekindling dormant careers of extinct dinosaurs that roamed the chart planet in the last century like Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond, is actually not associated with the return of the Rhinestone Cowpoke, but his formula sure is there. Here's the recipe for success I'm rambling about: carefully pick contemporary tunes from hipsters like Paul Westerberg, U2 and Billy Joe Armstrong, sift in classic scribbles from the likes of John Lennon, Tom Petty and Jackson Browne, play contents in a subdued yet melody rich context, highlighting the performer's strengths (distinct resonant voice and stellar guitar mastery), serve when the time is right. That time is now. Glen Campbell may have been a bit of a country pop caricature, with his chiselled hair, gleaming pearly whites and aw-shucks demeanour, but before his televised seventies persona squeaked the slate clean, Campbell was a kick-ass guitarist and an in demand session gun for hire. "Meet Glenn Campbell" tries to turn back the clock, and give him the proper vehicle for a more interesting road than the glitzy Grand Ole Opry avenue he took back in the day. And, it succeeds. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP RAPHAEL SAADIQ THE WAY I SEE IT (Columbia) The way Raphael Saadiq sees is with rose coloured Motown glasses. This has to be the best Smoky Robinson album since Berry Gordy was manning the helm at Detroit's fabled hit making production line. After a stint with Tony! Toni! Tone!, Saadiq went old school with a series of true blue soul records and steering the likes of D'Angelo in the same direction with some stellar production work. On his latest, Saadiq impeccably channels the sixties Motown sound in a stellar tour de force that not only plays with that period vibe, but gives up some fabulous original songs which may of us thought they just don't make any more: velvety smooth soul with pop hooks. Just when I'm marching right over to his corner, Saadiq ruins the party by inviting Jay-Z for an anachronistic, contemporary, album ending rap. Ouch. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP STARFLYER 59 DIAL M (Tooth & Nail) As Starflyer 59, Jason Martin has been flying under the radar for quite a spell, creating an impressive pop resume worth envying. A double digit recording history with nary a dud in that run, and a sound that is constantly evolving. With "Dial M" (no murder here), Martin explores mid eighties Britpop, focusing on plush subtle sounds and mopey lyrics, to excellent effect. His laconic Morrissey drawl is brilliant as he croons about Johnny Marr on the deliciously distant, and aptly titled "Minor Key". Its a pop gem that'll have the shoe-gazers spinning. Martin may not be the bible thumping popster the born again legions expect from the Tooth & Nail camp, but he creates some snazzy tunes any denomination will no doubt succumb to. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP GUNS N' ROSES CHINESE DEMOCRACY (Geffen) Imagine carefully sculpting an overblown glam metal album at the excruciating snails pace of one song a year. Imagine going through band members at a rate not even fathomed by the Spinal Tap set. Imagine working so long that the genre has become seriously unfashionable, if not totally obsolete. Imagine the clown like tears from the legions of little tykes weaned on Guitar Hero, who are expecting something rather special. Imagine that Tommy Stinson was once in the Replacements! Imagine if this shamble of a record marks the final nail in the coffin of a beast that has been clinically dead for a decade. Imagine Axl appearing nightly in Las Vegas with Carrot Top opening - it's easy if you try. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP IAN TYSON YELLOWHEAD TO YELLOWSTONE AND OTHER STORIES (Stony Plain) Normally a singer songwriter losing his voice would spell disaster, but sometimes it may be a blessing. After a lengthy career as Canada's cowpoke embassador, Ian Tyson really doesn't have much left to prove, so when his vocal chords failed you'd think he'd ride off into the sunset, but you'd be wrong. The cowboy songs still flow from his pen, and when croaked with a scratchy delivery that misses as many notes as it reaches for, contain a genuine charm that's perfect for this genre. A scraggly horse whisperer breathing a lifetime of campfire stories is the new and improved Ian Tyson. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP DANIELSON TRYING HARTZ (Secretly Canadian) The screeching falsetto of our Brother Danielson is an acquired taste to be sure, but repeated samplings will be richly rewarded. Many a bible thumping rockers have made their mark in the music industry but few with such original flare. Danielson may sing dressed up as a tree, or he may be fronting his expanded, robe clad family in true churchy fashion, as presentation is just as important as the message. And who could resist such parables when the delivery is of the very unique variety. As part of a detailed retrospective, "Trying Hartz" traces the first ten years in a swank two disc collection, showcasing Danielson's mesmerizing, ridiculously catchy pop craftsmanship, revealing one of music's true visionaries. An offering you really can't refuse. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP BEAST BEAST (Pheromone) Most famously heard crooning on the Triplets of Belleveille soundtrack, Betty Bonifassi offers her golden throat to drumming wizard Jean-Phi Gonclaves' sultry soundscapes for your new addiction. Don't be swayed by the opening rap frenzy, as the rage morphs into plush cinematic oeuvres. Bonifassi's voice may be the centrepiece here, but it is cleverly layered, and sometimes muted (like a trumpet) to augment the sultry melodies, not overpower them. With a push and pull action, Beast create a sonic taffy to die for. Chalk another on up for the dizzying Montreal scene. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP THE NERVES ONE WAY TICKET (Alive) Why does mid-seventies power pop get dismissed in the grand scheme of things? Cuz it shouldn't. Here's a great example. The Nerves popped up on the scene, waxed one proper EP, crisscrossed the country to enthusiastic response, then broke apart just as quickly. Here's what happened when the dust cleared. Bassist Peter Case, went on to front the similarly pop oriented Plimsouls, and some nice minor hits and now wears a fedora and strums serious folk to the hep coffee house set. Drummer Paul Collins formed the similarly pop oriented The Beat and also had some nice minor hits. Guitarist and singer Jack Lee ... Well that's another story. After Blondie took his "Hanging On The Telephone" up the charts, Lee cobbled together an uneven, totally ignored album, and has remained very quiet since. One of music's great mysteries really. You can hear the magic of the trio, and especially Lee up front, in full glory here as Alive gives up the fab EP, some unused follow up material, and seven killer live cuts which shows an energy spike the band never managed to capture on record. Cool. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP THE WHIP X MARKS DESTINATION (Southern Fried) "Frustration" is the perfect mix of Joy Division's electro bass and The Psychedelic Furs' spacy guitar and Modern English's driving pulse - in short the perfect New Wave single. How this plays out some thirty years after that kind of pop stance mattered is anyone's guess. Hey just look at Elastica! The Whip may be obvious pilferers of Brit pop days gone by, but they play like they're inventing this stuff. There's no denying the spunk of these young whipper snappers, who will no doubt grace British music tabloid covers, then fade to gray, perhaps joining one of those revival tours. Enjoy your fifteen minutes mates! whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP THE BOXMASTERS THE BOXMASTERS (Vanguard) Before Scarlett Johanson there was Billy Bob Thornton, and if chronology has any weight than we must take this record seriously. Movie stars playing at pop music has never, and I mean never, been a good idea, but Billy Bob is one stubborn mule. After sneaking in through country's back door, popping up in brief shadowy snippets, Thornton rolls out the red carpet on this one. It's a double CD, one of twangy country originals, and one of twangy country covers. Of note, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and "The Kids Are Alright" are quite fun, but to get there you have to invest some time. If wink wink country tunes is your cup of hooch, then pour some of The Boxmasters. The playing is first rate, the boys wear fancy duds, and Billy's voice has enough character to pass mustard. A surprise to say the least. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP RY COODER I, FLATHEAD (Nonesuch) As Kash Buk (perhaps an amalgamation of Johnny Cash and Buck Owens), Ry Cooder finishes off his Southern California three act CD play in fine style. It's a cinematic sprawl across the desert where drivers aim for speed records, and the bars are called honky tonks. Kash does both: drive and sing that is. Even without the enticing storyline, "I, Flathead" works remarkably well as a scruffy, knock off album. A collection of twangy tunes and barfly recollections that would sound right at home wafting from one of those drinkin' hole jukeboxes. It's another intriguinig turn from man of all musics. The question isn't "what the hell is Ry Cooder doing now?, it's: "what isn't Ry Cooder doing?" whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP RACHID TAHA THE BEST OF (Wrasse) Rachid Taha is one of those obnoxious Euro rock stars, who lives life on the edge, looks like he just came off a bender, is fawned over by the Parisian press, and remains a relative unknown in North America. His blend of Middle Eastern rhythms, Arabic lyrics and thumpy techno pop beats is certainly damn catchy, though it grows tiresome rather quickly. Good for a quick dose of something exotic, like The Clash remake "Rock El Casbah", to throw on when the party is getting dull. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP JAKOB DYLAN SEEING THINGS (Columbia) In an effort to shake his big daddy's shadow Jakob Dylan employs the magic touch of svengali Rick Rubin (responsible for the resurrections of Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond) to respectable effect. A producer who uses the less-is-more philosophy, and a harsh boot camp approach to writing solid material, Rubin coaxes a solid unplugged performance from the former Wallflower. Dylan (let's call him J-Dyl to avoid confusion) will no doubt receive due respect for his inaugural singer-songwriter album, which if nothing else, is a solid folk record, quite listenable all the way through, and may contain a couple of radio friendly hits. And though this should quiet the lineage talk, Jakob now sounds an awful lot like Cat Stevens. Oh well. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP THE SMITHEREENS LIVE IN CONCERT! GREATEST HITS AND MORE (Koch) The Smithereens are the perfect middle band. They don't really knock the house down, but they don't suck either. They come from New Jersey, not New York. They've had some mild success, but never a smash single. They've never had any drug issues, but have probably drank their fair share of beer (cumulative, not binge). They've been around for a couple of decades, cranking out albums and playing to mid-sized concert venues in a fairly consistent manner. This live document (well titled to avoid any confusion) is very much like their greatest hits collection from a couple of years back, except there's some polite crowd cheering in between the, uh, hits. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP JASON LOAN SHARK EMERGENCY ROOM (AD) Anyone willing to fuck with a Frank Sinatra standard is alright in my books. Will ol' Blue Eyes roll over in his grave at the ghostly, alt-country take on "Angel Eyes"? You betcha. Amer Diab may own an exotic sounding name, but his sound is damn traditional. Traditional in the twang rock sense. The Loan Sharks bite best when they giddy up and go, guitars a blazin' and drum kit poundin'. This has that fetching, careening out of control, hold on to your hats quality the Dream Syndicate once mastered. It becomes a little sketchy on the slow numbers, but hopefully Amer will iron that out with time. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP PRIMAL SCREAM BEAUTIFUL FUTURE (B-Unique) Oh it was a grand and frivolous time: Love and Rockets were prancing about in bumblebee outfits, and fresh faced college kids were spinning wax like was going out of style. Well it did. So why would Bobby Gillespie hearken back to glory days best kept buried? Who knows. But what Bobby has accomplished, besides confusing the lot of us, may well go down as the perfect pop record. It has hook after hook, hand clapping all over the place, honey smooth harmonies, and plenty of frivolous yet oh so yummy synthesizer bites. If this were a little colder and more distant, it could pass for The Human League. Gulp. Oh lordy this is good. Perhaps too good. Don't let the simpleton lyrics get in the way of a feel good power pop platter folks. Bobby's struck chart gold with ten classic nuggets (one repeated to make sure yer paying attention). Dig in. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP EVIL FARM CHILDREN II THE EVILLING (dad's favourite records) How often can you listen to Max Webster before getting sick of the tunes? Rhetoric question dude - you can never get sick of Max Webster. That's why baby boomers recall their drunken high school gym concerts with such fondness and continue to pack the Ex for Kim Mitchell's annual (toupee optional) soiree. It's a wonder so few dare cover the legends, and a nice surprise when they do. Evil Farm Children may be a contemporary rough and tumble outfit relatively fresh on the local scene, but they show their vintage rum and coke roots with a crankin' version of "Hangover". Yeah! Power trio muscle with some surfy twang, Evil Farm Children unleash their sequel monster and it's a goodun. Part Gretsch whammy instro wailin', part ragged vocal locomotive mayhem, "The Evilling" is the perfect fuel for your Saturday bar brawl. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP ONE DAY AS A LION ONE DAY AS A LION (Anti) Strap on your Depends angst music lovers, Zack de la Rocha has found something new to rage against. Yes it's all very hush hush, but that is Zack up front and personal as the whiny rap voice of One Day As A Lion. Did I say whiny? Sorry. Apparently there are legions who worship Zack and were oh so sorry to loose their musical vent. Well cheer up you haters cuz it appears not much has changed in the glorious state of America in the last decade (lets see: war is bad - got it), and here comes Zack to continue the rage. He better hurry up cuz whipping boy Bush's days are numbered and then what? Well, there could be some musical life in the metal/punk/rap hybrid still, as this brief five song sampler hints at. Anyone pining for Rage Against The Machine to strut their collective stuff on record must be at least partially delirious. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP THE TING TINGS WE STARTED NOTHING (EMI) The Ting Tings have everybody in a knot, but really this kind of peppy, sassy cheerleader pop is nothing but a third hand recycle. Check out Toni Basil's "Hey Mickey", then Gillette's saucy take on the genre, and now we have Katie White. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Every generation needs a bouncy pick-me-up album full of teenage anthems, and The Ting Tings are especially adept at their craft, drafting an irresistible ten pack of yummy. It's easy to bash this sort of thing, but it's also easy to bop around to it. It's spunky new wave Debbie Harry wishes she were still making. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP AMY MACDONALD THIS IS THE LIFE (Vertigo / UMusic) The Brits love their pop stars. And while often there's plenty of putrid drek atop the UK charts, sometimes a worthy newcomer makes the climb. Unlike the rigorously controlled North American charts, anyone can sneak on in England. Amy MacDonald is the latest someone. All of nineteen at the time of recording, MacDonald has soared to number one with an interesting old school sound, and traits rarely found on teenager records: punchy folk, a surprisingly deep vocal and an elegant penchant for turning a phrase. Like Joan Baez, but not nearly as irritating. It's a damn mature debut, though we'll see how time will treat MacDonald. For here and now she is definitely a voice worth a listen. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP CHAD VANGAALEN SOFT AIRPLANE (Flemish Eye / Sub Pop) Where the last record was a wonderful scattered mess, "Soft Airplane" is a brilliant soft focus mess. Chad VanGaalen is still tinkering away in his basement studio, but his heavy handed rock moments are put on hiatus for this one. Full of fanciful, dreamy sequences and trippy hippie noodling, the new album at first sounds like a work in progress, but repeated listens shows a hidden beauty in it's simple layers. Chad borrows Neil Young's lovely (shaky) falsetto here and there, but it doesn't seem much like a theft rather than a natural progression, and gives the charming album an innocence angle. "Soft Airplane" is a striking opus of nuanced pop orchestration, and could very well be the one that puts Chad on the map. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP THE PACK A.D. FUNERAL MIXTAPE (Mint) You know that something just ain't right about Becky and Maya. They look like The Indigo Girls gone bad - like they just stepped out of greasy spoon brawl. All messy, gritty, rough and coffee stained, this pack of raw blues nomads capture the guttural spirit of the Delta much like The Black Keys and White Stripes do. It's a gorgeous, concentrated mess of rattling drums and tortured guitar strings that only a duo can bring to the table. So how do they follow a flawless debut platter that should have been Canadian album of the year hands down? By cranking out the raw blues straight off the killing floor like it was meant to be. Trust me, you need this. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP GIANT SAND proVISIONS (Yep Roc) With his best group effort since the cinematic masterpiece that was "Chore of Enchantment", Howe Gelb revives the status of Giant Sand as one of America's finest purveyors of dusty roots music. Never mind that he's employing a bunch of Europeans, this record, like all the rest, is a faithful Arizona soundscape. Gelb croons, crackles and whispers over weepy guitars, sticky piano keys, and brushed snares. From ghostly crawlers to hop-along country swingers, Gelb's gift to music is mixing lo-fi approaches with literary wordplay which yields surprisingly rich aural delights. No one walks away unaffected. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP RAE SPOON SUPERIORYOUAREINFERIOR (Washboard) There's no denying the power of the single, and Rae Spoon has crafted a perfect gem. A real mouthful, along with the album title, "Come On Forest Fire Burn the Disco Down" is a refrain the masses will be giddily singing in the long winter months to come. Just a few basic guitar chords, an easy beat and an innocuous vocal, but as with all great pop moments, the song has an indescribable magic quality that instantly sets it apart from the pack. As with all Spoon compositions, "Come On..." begs repeated plays, with volume tweaked higher up for each listen. It is the knock out punch in the opening 1-2-3 salvo of an album that sways back and forth between sneaky, fragile ballads and snappy campfire sing-alongs. Spoon has an endearing, innocent quality not unlike Cat Power, a definite Canadian flare, and the envious ability to craft irresistible hooks. The album of the year so far. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP MODERNBOYS MODERNGIRLS I MIGHT AS WELL BREAK IT (Ind) Face it, the return of the ten song, half hour pop album is here. Forget all those extra tracks, dvd bonus discs, ringtones, and exclusive web downloads, rock and roll has come full circle to what really matters: a quick and dirty physical music fix. Actual physical slabs of recorded material you can play, caress or break. Slabs with songs that pump out of the speakers. Songs about boys and girls. Songs that make you wanna jump around. Modernboys Moderngirls play this game of which I speak, and they play it well. Meaty beats, slashing guitars, simple choruses (anthems they used to call them); you'll know the songs before they finish, and you'll like them. You'll like them a lot. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP MARIE-JOSEE HOULE MONSTERS (Ind.) Accordion to fans of Astor Piazzola, the squeeze box is actually an instrument of amoré, not of torture. Who knew? Sure there's the foreplay advances of tango stepping players from Latin circles, but anyone who has suffered through beginner's first forays with the beast will offer earplugs licketty split. Still in the right hands, this wind blown keyboard contraption can elicit some genuine moments of aural pleasure. Those hands belong to Marie-Josée Houle - a local gal who knows enough to mix up the sultry with the salty, gypsy style. A little bit of Klezmer frivolity mixing with some saucy sass. After cooing sweet nothings in your ear she's demanding "who's that blonde on your arm?" The lady has gusto, and a confident vocal strut to match her squeezing prowess. There's moments of silliness, sweetness and sweatiness. Good fun, and bilingual to boot. Astor would have approved. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP THE AWKWARD STAGE SLIMMING MIRRORS, FLATTERING LIGHTS (Mint) Damn Shane Nelken, damn him all to hell. Create a splendid piece of catchy pop music - fine, but to pepper the album with lyrics that require attention, well that's just not right. The last thing anyone needs is distraction from a melody groove by some smart-allecky words of the poignant variety, but here they are. The Awkward Stage is just that: a painful stumble down memory lane when jocks used the school toilet as your grooming device, cheerleaders mistook your snappy dental brace for a sign of romantic ineptitude, and Saturday night good times consisted of connect the pimples marathons in Arnie's basement. But I digress. Nelken unearths his smelly, shag carpeted past with such a wonderful pop vigour, it's hard to dismiss his persistence. With dashes of jazzy bits, smart loungy forays and even the odd guitar rockout, The Awkward Stage deliver the record of their career. Sure it's only two albums long, but they're getting there. whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP ANDRE WILLIAMS CAN YOU DEAL WITH IT? (Bloodshot Records) In the nineteen fifties, Detroit’s “Mr. Rhythm,” Andre Williams, cut some righteous soul and r&b sides for the Fortune record label, including “Jailbait,” an unforgettable cautionary tune about little girls. Williams re-recorded the song in the ‘90’s for his comeback album, “Greasy,” and since then he has cultivated, if not mastered, the role of dirty old man, releasing a number of semi-smutty sounding albums, all with various garage-based backing bands. This time out, the New Orleans Hellhounds provide the fat horns and fuzzed out guitars around which Williams continues to spin his carnal tales of lust and longing and his love for little girls, tales that at this point—let’s face it—are becoming kind of creepy. (GB) whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP THE DIPLOMATS OF SOLID SOUND FEATURING THE DIPLOMETTES (Pravda Records) On their fourth album, the Chicago-based Diplomats of Solid Sound continue their exploration and recreation of 60’s soul, r & b, and deep funk and as you might expect the group continues to grow stronger and more sophisticated as they further ingest those sounds. Best known, perhaps, for their 2006 collaboration with “Mr. Rhythm,” Andre Williams, on the well received “Aphrodisiac,” the new release finds the group branching out and deepening their sound with the addition of three-part harmony backup group, the Diplomettes, who prove a seamless fit. Highlights include the reggae-tinged “Hurt Me So,” a feature remix by Lack of Afro, as well as a solid and stirring cover of the Irma Thomas classic, “B-A-B-Y.” Not a bad way to get your party started.(GB) whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP THE M’S REAL CLOSE ONES (Polyvinyl Records) Chicago’s The M’s deserve to be a better known band than they are. Consummate songwriters of the late 60’s/early ‘70’s variety, their third album, “Real Close Ones,” finds the band at the peak of their powers. Still indebted to the glam rock sounds of Marc Bolan’s T-Rex, albeit less overtly so, the sound on this release is a much richer and fuller one than on previous efforts, a more fully realized exploration of song craft. With sweet harmonies and punchy horns punctuating the proceedings, this is the kind of undiscovered gem you find and cherish only to discover the band has long since disbanded. Here’s your chance to avoid that disappoint: The M’s are very much alive and touring and while you wait for their return to town, “Real Close Ones” will go a long way toward making that wait a little less unbearable. (GB) whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP NEIL HAMURGER SINGS COUNTRY WINNERS (Drag City) Realistically, I guess, it was only a matter of time before greasy-haired, stained-tuxedo-wearing, self-proclaimed “American funny man” Neil Hamburger decided to express in song his contempt for almost everything. Best-known (to use the term loosely) for his ‘unfunny’ comedy shtick, Hamburger’s ‘songs’ are about as funny as his comedy which is to say not very which is exactly what makes them so funny. Backed up by a too-good-for-Neil Hamburger band with a distinct Bakersfield sound, the highlight of the disc is, without a doubt, “The Recycle Bin,” Hamburger’s vitriolic attack on recyclers of non-recyclable items: “Not everything goes into the recycle bin, you stupid pricks/You can’t recycle Styrofoam,” he begins, the diatribe becoming ever more venomous and hilarious as it continues. In fact, I drive through my neighborhood on garbage day each week, the music and the message blasting from my speakers. (GB) whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP THE WOLFMEN MODERNITY KILLED EVERY NIGHT (Damaged Goods) Have you ever wondered what happened to former Adam and the Ants guitarist Marco Pirroni? Me either—and I was huge Adam and the Ants fan. No matter. Whether you’re interested or not, Pirroni has continued playing music and his latest project, an outfit called The Wolfmen, is a surprisingly original and energetic group, a welcome collision of glam rock and punk rock that will surprise you as much as it will please you. Having built a small but loyal following the old fashioned way—i.e. releasing limited edition 7-inch singles—the group’s full length debut, the curiously titled “Modernity Killed Every Night,” is, appropriately enough, as modern as they come and the only way it’s going to kill your night is if someone else has already killed it.(GB) whoa mule ...BACK UP TOP reviews by John Sekerka (uncredited for obvious reasons) and Geoffrey Brown (GB)