The Hepburns

title:: The Last Thing I Saw Before I Said Goodbye
label:: Radio Khartoum:

The Hepburns are a post C86 band that sound darn great on this CD.

This disc, their first in four years, packs a lot of music (14 tracks) in just over 34 minutes. The lyric booklet also contains explanations of each song from frontman Matt Jones in English and Japanese.

Modey Lemon

title:: Predator EP
label:: BirdMan Records

Could it be that I'm burned out on flailingly primitive rock?

Nahhhh.... I think it's just that things have reached the point where there are too many bands using the same formula, trying to cash in on what has inadvertently become a trend.

Night Time Music

various artists
label:: Rev-Ola

Rev-Ola centers their attention on the B.T. Puppy obscurities with the second installment of the Phantom Jukebox series. The Tokens were best known for their 1962 hit The Lion Sleeps Tonight, the song based on the South African Zulu song Wimoweh, but in 1964 they were inspired to start their own production company and record label. Not the norm in 1964, the independent B.T. Puppy label was based around The Tokens' own publishing company and garnered some hit records for the likes of The Chiffons (He's So Fine and One Fine Day) and The Happenings (See You In September and I Got Rhythm).

The independent spirit can be heard on the lesser known records that had the hand of The Tokens production but didn't reach the charts. Groups like The Sundae Train, The Scene, Canterbury Music Festival, The Rock Garden, The Lollipop Tree, Randy & The Rainbows, Amanda Ambrose, The Steeple People, Beverly Warren, The Majic Ship, Bob Miranda (from The Happenings) and The Tokens themselves.

Lee Perry vs. Niney the Observer

title:: Producers
label:: One Stop Records

'Producers' samples the output of both these famous Jamaican producers. It "hopes to illustrate their contrasting, yet complimentary signature sounds."

Presented in sound clash style, 'Producers' runs one Lee Perry track next to a Niney the Observer track, and alternates a track from each for the whole disc.

The Runaways

title:: Waintin' For the Night
label:: Cherry Red Records

Waitin' For the Night was released in 1977 as the third Runaways album, and their last with Kim Fowley as producer.

I think this is a strong record even now in 2004, and is a must for any fans of the band. All of it is good.

Scissor Sisters

title:: Comfortably Numb
label:: Polydor

I never thought I would like a late-period Pink Floyd cover, but here it is, and I love it. Scissor Sisters have a big budget sound and style, but are still a band of the underground, and a great new act I have enjoyed following.

The CD single also includes a video for Comfortably Numb. I really like the video. It has Jake and Ana singing to each other underwater. Man-o-war jellyfish pulse in disco-fied lights to the music, and the sparkling shimmers of underwater all become a glittering carpet of light