Web Link: http://www.robinbrock.com/
Dipsomaniacs - The Life You're Faking
New Jersey garage rockers Dipsomaniacs return with a much more polished sound on their third CD. It's got great harmonies, tasty guitar riffs, and 12 very catchy songs. The group's sound has been compared to the Replacements, Plimsouls, and Cheap Trick. They've managed to combine that 80s alt-rock garage sound and attitude with today's production values to create their own unique musical niche. They even pay homage to the Pogues lead singer in the song "Shane McGowan". The Life You're Faking is a power-pop gem.
Web Link: http://www.dipsomaniacs.net/
Green Day - International Superhits
Three chords and a hook. Simple, yet very effective, and it's what has kept Green Day at the top of the charts for the past several years. They've stood the test of time and produced a very strong body of work. Not bad for a bunch of punk rockers from Northern California. International Superhits is chock full of music, comprising 21 songs, including singles, soundtrack songs like "J.A.R.", and 2 brand new songs. Billie Joe Armstrong is a very talented songwriter, and when you listen to this outstanding collection, there is no denying Green Day is the premiere punk rock group of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Web Link: http://www.greenday.com/
Kittie - Oracle
Canadian heavy metal babes Kittie are back with a vengeance on their sophomore CD. Oracle is speaker-shattering, intense, grinding metal. Lead singer/guitarist Morgan Lander is a vocal changeling, going from a melodic, pure sound to a growling, shrieking, demonic howl. She is also an extremely fierce guitar player. Kittie shows a lot more diversity on this CD, from the progressive rock feel of "Safe" to the psychedelic metal of "Pink Lemonade", and even a cover of the Pink Floyd song "Run Like Hell". The group has made a quantum lead forward musically, with better lyrics, more complicated arrangements and proof they are more than a novelty act.
Web Link: http://www.kittie.net
Natalie Merchant - Motherland
The terms "raw" and "Natalie Merchant" don't seem to go together, but it is an apt description of her third solo CD. Merchant enlisted the help of producer T. Bone Burnett, and their collaboration makes Motherland her strongest solo effort. It doesn't have the instant radio hits of her previous 2 solo CDs, but the songs are more substantive, ranging from world music to folk to gospel to blues. Her vocal style is rawer, too, sounding more bluesy and soulful than she ever has. Merchant's lyrics are still pretty serious in tone, but she has lightened up a bit and sounds like she's having a little more fun.
