Sister by Sonic Youth

If somebody is trying to be different and not claim Daydream Nation as their favorite Sonic Youth album, they'll probably claim Sister. It immediately preceded DN, but whereas the later album is more interested in long experimental noodling, this album is a lot of radio length songs with surprising listenability for the average dude/tte who hates Sonic Youth. Actually, it's a great album, with the best opening track of all time, so I guess you should listen to it and remember the glory of the roaring 80s.

RATING: 91%

The Three EP's by The Beta Band

This is easily the best Beta Band album, which isn't completely fair since it's technically a compilation of their (you might have guessed) three EP's; Champions Versions, The Patty Patty Sound and Los Amigos del Beta Banditos. But whatever, it's still their best and probably one of my top 25 albums. I don't really feel like writing a psycho-analytical/Freudian review, but my favorite tracks are "Dry the Rain", "Dogs Got A Bone" and "She's The One". Check them out, and do it for the kids or whatever.

RATING: 82%

Real Emotional Trash by SM & The Jicks

Yeah, I guess it goes without saying by now that I'd probably be a fan of Pavement's former lead singer. I respect what he's done in the past 3 albums because they all (for the most part) show a lot of growth, or at least some bravery/stupidity. If you love SM and his long guitar solos best, then you'll think Real Emotional Trash is the tits. He rips through trippy guitar parts and his usual mix of lyrical nonsense throughout the entire album. The only problem is that SM isn't at his usual lyrical brilliance. He trades out greatly written lyrics (within the context of the song) like "Watch out for the gypsy children in electric dresses they're insane/I hear they live in crematoriums and smoke your remains" for track titles like "Elmo Delmo". It's a bad/lazy habit SM has started since Face The Truth. It takes work to make nonsense "sound good", and SM fails a bit too much this time. Although he falters some lyrically his technical ability on guitar continues to grow. Extra points, also, for Janet Weiss' first appearance as a Jick. Just a shout out to da' indie kids.

RATING: 70%

The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts by Refused

When I first heard this album, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, and I'm still not. It's like punk rock from the year 2045: it's got great production, and it incorporates diverse influences like electronica, jazz, and metal, making it unlike 99% of punk albums out there, including anything else by Refused. I hesitate to call it "important," or "seminal," because, as far as I can tell, no one has been able to touch this sound since, and its "revolutionary" posturing seems a little hokey in a world where Rage Against the Machine became fucking Audioslave. Whatever it is--abrasive, melodic, innovative, weird, and/or charmingly Scandinavian--it's definitely way ahead of its time. Here's a link to New Noise, which was the big single.

RATING: 90%

(Image from www.edtudiants.phy.ulaval.ca, which is pretty much the most Quebecois web address I've ever seen. French people love these guys, God bless 'em.)