Schema S/T 5 Rue Christine By: Eric G. All three members of Seattle's Hovercraft team up with Stereolab's Mary Hansen to form Schema, a fluid musical experiment in noise and beauty under the pretext of rock and roll. Unstructured rock music can be quite a chore to listen to but not when you have Hansen's […]

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Cadillac Blindside Read The Book Seen The Movie Soda Jerk By: Eric G. The name of this band perfectly describes the sound of its music, which charges with a noisy double-dose of punk rock guitars, catchy, pogo-inducing riffs, and a pummeling rhythm section. Cadillac Blindside races through its hyper-energetic punk like the Treepeople without the […]

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The Olive Group Blue Post-Parlo By: Eric G. A friend of mine walked in while I was listening to Blue by The Olive Group. "What is this?" she said indignantly. "The Olive Group", I replied with no further explanation. "This is horrible", she added, "they sound so local band…are you going to be mean when […]

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Scientific From The Nest Of Idea Burnt Toast Vinyl By: Eric G. Two questions I have before digging into this review: why is an album released on a label called Burnt Toast Vinyl even pressed on compact disc, and why do the members of this band dress like Joan Jett's Blackhearts circa 1981? If anyone […]

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The California Oranges S/T Darla By: Eric G. Two-thirds of the overly cutesy Holiday Flyer comprise this new indie pop trio, whom you may remember from last year's March Records' Moshi Moshi compilation with the quirky “I Know You Feel The Same Way Too.” John Conley and Verna Brock share songwriting as well as vocal […]

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Tiffany Anders Funny Cry Happy Gift Up By: Eric G. Children of famous people are typically doomed from the start, so I guess Tiffany Anders is lucky that her mother, director Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging, Sugartown), is still only modestly recognizable on the Hollywood fringe. She does, however, have the added luxury of a […]

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Traffic Directed By Steven Soderbergh USA By: Eric G. Steven Soderbergh's engrossing ensemble thriller realistically delineates both the diffusion of drug trafficking in America as well as the futile war on drugs. Shot through filters and effects, Soderbergh's second film this year unfolds like a documentary without Hollywood's plastic hand getting in the way. Ensemble […]

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