Fossils
Artist: Dinosaur Jr.
Community Score: 8.50

A brief, eight-song compilation of the group's SST singles, Fossils effectively sums up the power and vision of Dinosaur Jr.'s early work. Not only does it contain the two masterpieces from You're Living All Over Me and Bug -- "Little Fury Things" and "Freak Scene," respectively -- but it also gathers several excellent B-sides, including... Read More

Seamonsters
Artist: The Wedding Present

Steve Albini's production gives Seamonsters a noisy, discordant feel in some spots, but David Gedge's suberb songwriting lies just under the surface. He manipulates his limited vocal range into a rich, wistful voice just about to crack. The Wedding Present work best on this album when Gedge's plaintive love songs explode into a distorted fury,... Read More

Sonia Dada
Artist: Sonia Dada
Community Score: 10.00
A History (1982-1985)
Artist: The Golden Palominos

This repackaging of the band's first two albums documents its shift from an avant-funk supergroup of downtown New York improvisers (including John Zorn and Arto Lindsay) to a more mainstream supergroup of traditional and underground rock icons (including Jack Bruce, Michael Stipe, and Richard Thompson). Because the albums are so very different,... Read More

Seven
Artist: James
Community Score: 7.10

Following the breakthrough success of their previous outing, James released Seven, a record that married the ambitious scope of the lyrics with a grand, anthemic feel. Horns give songs like the lead-off "Born of Frustration" and the surging "Sound" a certain majestic grandeur, sweeping without being overblown. Lead singer Tim Booth is in fine... Read More

Ferment
Artist: Catherine Wheel
Community Score: 7.38

Centered around re-recorded versions of four songs from the band's two Wilde Club singles and the seven minute lovelorn "Black Metallic" - which was referred to as the "Like a Hurricane" of the ‘90s - the deeply rich Ferment firmly established Catherine Wheel amongst the shoegaze contingent of the early ‘90s. The band would proceed to denounce... Read More

Drunk With Passion
Artist: The Golden Palominos

The 1991 album Drunk With Passion is the fifth installment of drummer Anton Fier's ongoing, ever-changing project known as Golden Palominos. As always, there's no shortage of musical heavyweights plying their trade on this edition. Guitarist Richard Thompson and bassist Bill Laswell are Palomino veterans. The vocal chores are handled by... Read More

Push
Artist: Gruntruck
Community Score: 10.00

On Push, Gruntruck's second album, the band discards some of its excessive Soundgarden influences and finds its own musical identity. Because of their vicious, sometimes atonal guitar riffage and sparing use of melody, the album only starts sinking in after numerous plays, but as is often the case in such situations, the listeners are ultimately... Read More