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

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

Our Bodies, Our Selves
Artist: Mr. T Experience

Our Bodies, Our Selves strikes a nice balance between instrumental complexity and three chord bubblegum punk. Yes, there are more songs about bad relationships or not having one, but that is part of the MTX aesthetic. "Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend" is a hilarious acoustic guitar power-pop ballad about...you guessed it, not having a girlfriend.... Read More

Dixie
Artist: Avail

The assault begins with "Virus" and continues through the hardcore, speed metal, head-slamming raves "Model" and "Clone" before the boys smash their way through John Mellencamp's "Pink Houses." More great pumped-up power punk-pop from Larry Livermore's Lookout Records. ~ Will Grega, All Music Guide Read More

Oyster
Artist: Heather Nova
Community Score: 8.90

In some ways, Heather Nova is more talented than many of her female singer/songwriter contemporaries. She has an appealing voice, strong lyrics, and memorable melodies -- that is, when she delivers. Unfortunately, many of her albums are uneven, with Nova delivering the goods as often as she misses the mark. The best moments on her second album,... Read More

University
Artist: Throwing Muses
Community Score: 6.80

Possibly their finest album, Throwing Muses' fifth album, University, blends the rock power of Red Heaven, their first effort as a trio, with the shiny, surreal pop of The Real Ramona. The result is a collection of songs, like the album opener, "Bright Yellow Gun," that are as ferociously kinetic as they are insinuatingly melodic. At first,... Read More

Pure
Artist: The Golden Palominos

If you live in New York, then chances are good that either you or someone you know has once been the Golden Palominos' singer. With Pure it was Lori Carson's turn, and she was just what this occasionally brilliant but frequently unfocused band needed. This is probably the Palominos' first great album (unless you count the group's brilliantly... Read More

Viva Zapata!
Artist: 7 Year Bitch
Community Score: 10.00

Despite the tragic loss of guitarist Stefanie Sargent, Viva Zapata! represents a musical leap forward for 7 Year Bitch, finding the group's attack cleaner, with a stronger sense of groove. Just as importantly, more of the songs here employ actual hooks, including "Hip Like Junk," and a cover of Jim Carroll's "It's Too Late," and the near-ballad... Read More

The Rest of the Best
Artist: The Pogues

The Rest of the Best is a solid sampling of the Pogues' output up to 1994, even when one considers that the collection in a way amounts to the second best-of, since The Best of the Pogues was released less than a year before this collection. Though the album suffers from a sequencing problem, with three of its strongest songs out of the way... Read More

Amplified Heart
Artist: Everything But the Girl
Community Score: 8.25

Despite its title, Amplified Heart is one of Everything but the Girl's more acoustic works. A simple instrumentation of guitars and keyboards, augmented here and there by British folk-rock veterans like Richard Thompson, Danny Thompson, and Dave Mattacks, serves to set up a series of songs of romantic disillusionment. Declaring "my life is just... Read More

Fluorescent
Artist: Steve Wynn

No longer does Wynn allow his various bands to crash and burn or his producers to drown out his fire. With some subtle shifts in instrumentation, Wynn takes on Dylan's Nashville Skyline voice (a tone that suits him) and turns out pop and folk ("That's Why I Wear Black") and even Victoria Williams on "Layer by Layer." ~ Denise Sullivan, All Music... Read More

Smash
Artist: The Offspring
Community Score: 8.18

The Offspring's second album for Epitaph did the impossible: it landed in the Top Five, unheard of for independent records. The Offspring crossed over due to the raucous, Eastern-tinged single "Come Out and Play," which stopped and started just like Nirvana, only without the Seattle trio's recklessness. The record stayed in the charts because... Read More

How to Clean Everything
Artist: Propagandhi
Community Score: 8.12

A bunch of hardcore anarchists on Fat Wreck Chords? You mean they've expanded beyond the realm of signing bands that sing primarily about girls, beer, and partying? Propagandhi have "smash the state" written all over them and they want to be taken seriously rather than branded as another generic NOFX-wannabe band. How to Clean Everything... Read More