Doubt
Artist: Jesus Jones
Community Score: 8.50

Jesus Jones' best album, Doubt, benefits greatly from Mike Edwards' improved songwriting, as well as a better idea of how to effectively fuse guitar-rock with samples and dance-club beats that hint at techno. There are slips in both areas -- a few songs float past without ever making an impression, and some of the fusions sound rather forced and... Read More

Perverse
Artist: Jesus Jones

Perverse attempts to expand on the success Jesus Jones enjoyed with Doubt, not only commercially but artistically as well. The group made some history; this is the first album to be recorded entirely through a computer. Musically, Perverse is a synthesis of techno/rave dance music with traditional pop/rock songs and structures; it's an ambitious... Read More

Exile in Guyville
Artist: Liz Phair
Community Score: 8.29

If Exile in Guyville is shockingly assured and fully formed for a debut album, there are a number of reasons why. Most prominent of these is that many of the songs were initially essayed on Liz Phair's homemade cassette Girlysound, which means that the songs are essentially the cream of the crop from an exceptionally talented songwriter. Second,... Read More

Heavy Load
Artist: New Kingdom
Community Score: 5.00

One of the dozens of hip-hop groups signed in the early-'90s alt-rap feeding frenzy, this little-known duo is probably most notable for its seminal work with producer Scott Harding (aka Scotty Hard), who went on to work with artists like the Gravediggaz and Prince Paul. The first two tracks start their debut album off rather clumsily, with an... Read More

Kerosene Hat
Artist: Cracker
Community Score: 6.75

With their second album Cracker have lost the smarmy self-righteousness that plagued their otherwise fine debut, replacing it with a surprisingly solid, rocking core. Kerosene Hat is David Lowery's least affected album yet -- its humor is no stranger than "Dead Flowers" by the Stones or "Fat Man in a Bathtub" by Little Feat, two groups that... Read More

Post Historic Monsters
Artist: Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine

For the band's fourth album in as many years, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine takes a darker and more fed-up tone than before. Where albums like 1992: The Love Album or 101 Damnations had been more overtly tongue in cheek, there's a new kind of directness and even a little bitterness on display on Post Historic Monsters. The acoustic folk of... Read More

Add It Up (1981-1993)
Artist: Violent Femmes
Community Score: 6.71

Add It Up is not quite the definitive Violent Femmes compilation one might hope for, even if it does feature 23 tracks and adds essential later items missing from their first comp, Debacle: The First Decade. There are several charming rarities to hook dedicated fans, who will likely find several favorites missing (perhaps another song or two... Read More

File Under: Easy Listening
Artist: Sugar
Community Score: 3.50

Given Bob Mould's reputation for searing electric rock & roll, it may be easy to think that the title of File Under: Easy Listening is ironic, and it is to a certain extent. But beneath the loud guitars lie the friendliest, most relaxed pop songs Mould had ever written. "Your Favorite Thing" and "Can't Help You Anymore" are two of Mould's most... Read More

Staying Loose (A Compilation)
Artist: H.P. Zinker

Vienna songwriter, guitarist, and singer Hans Platzgumer fronted the H.P. Zinker outfit for several years, establishing a connection with several key American artists and actually creating something of a following for himself in the process. This is more than one can say for quite a few other European rock artists, especially ones from Vienna. A... Read More