My Nation Underground
Artist: Julian Cope
Community Score: 6.50

Recruiting another key sideman, percussionist Rooster Cosby, Cope approached an album that, by the end of recording, he was on the verge of disowning. Inspired moments aside, one can understand why: My Nation Underground has just about everything going for it (good sound, neat cover, some sharp songs) except for Cope's own vision. That he... Read More

Head On
Artist: Julian Cope
No Rest for the Wicked
Artist: New Model Army
Community Score: 4.00

After NMA's debut album, the band's next move was to sign on with EMI, and with some experience under their belts and major-label backing, the group deveolped their sound and filled it out. No Rest for the Wicked is the result. More overdubs on guitar are evident, as are reverb effects on the voice and drums. Comparisons can be made with Killing... Read More

I Love Mekons
Artist: The Mekons

A series of rancorous disagreements with the high and mighty at Warner Bros. subsidiary Loud forced the Mekons into an unanticipated two years of silence that nearly scuttled this record and ended the band's career. Eventually, Warner relented (they had maintained the record was not good enough to release), and the increasingly restless Mekons... Read More

Phaseshifter
Artist: Redd Kross

On Phaseshifter, Redd Kross has stripped away many of the '60s and '70s pop-culture trappings that figured prominently on earlier recordings (covers of Brady Bunch and Charles Manson songs, for instance). As a result, the band (basically brothers Jeffrey and Steven McDonald) have brought their strong melodic sense, psychedelic punk/metal mix,... Read More

1985-1990: The A List
Artist: Wire

1985-1990: The A List is a fine 16-track compilation of the highlights from Wire's surprising and successful comeback. This material isn't quite as essential as their early output -- Wire doesn't sound as revolutionary on these sides, although the music is still high-quality. It bears some similarities to the sort of '80s college-radio... Read More

Ekstasis
Artist: Nicky Skopelitis

Guitarist Skopelitis' dustpan approach to world music sweeps various ethnic instrumental grit and grime into the whirling blades of co-producer Bill Laswell's shop-vac. Contributing to the unholy mess are Foday Musa Suso on kora, oudist/violinist Simon Shaheen, gospel organist Amina Claudine Myers, percussionists Zakir Hussain, Aiyb Dieng and... Read More

Floored Genius: The Best of Julian Cope and the Teardrop Explodes 1979-1991
Artist: Julian Cope
Community Score: 5.00

A convenient enough stopgap release that turned up in between Peggy Suicide and Jehovahkill, the pun-titled Floored Genius provides a fine one-stop spot for those new to Cope's work, starting with Teardrop Explodes hits and going all the way up to Peggy Suicide's "Safesurfer." Total die-hards won't need it, as no unreleased tracks surface, but... Read More

Happy?
Artist: Public Image Ltd.
Community Score: 6.00

Happy? benefits from some relative stability in PiL's lineup, not to mention the undeniable fact that the band members' allegiance makes sense (in contrast to that of Album's crew). Keyboardist Lu Edmonds (the Damned and 3 Mustaphas 3), guitarist John McGeoch (Magazine and Siouxsie & the Banshees), drummer Bruce Smith (the Pop Group and... Read More

The Mekons Honky Tonkin'
Artist: The Mekons

The third album from what could be called the Mekons' "soused socialist hillbilly-punks from Leeds" period, 1987's Honky Tonkin' built on the country-influenced musical and lyrical themes of Fear and Whiskey and The Edge of the World, where the boozy ambience of classic Nashville sounds found a sympathetic ear among this pack of political and... Read More

Floored Genius 2: The Best of the BBC Sessions 1983-1991
Artist: Julian Cope

Released some months after the first Floored Genius and sharing its basic artwork and design concept -- even though it was released on a completely different label -- Floored Genius 2 is a wonderful collection of recordings Cope did for the BBC in between his earliest solo days in 1983 and Peggy Suicide's release in 1991. Mick Houghton, who did... Read More