Magnet School

Tonight We Drink…Tomorrow We Battle the Evil at Hand (Arclight)
By Craig Regala

Wow! Wouldn’t have expected it from this label, but they’ve side-stepped expectations before. Herein lay an album chock full of catchy alternative rock tunes that would’ve enlightened the hell outta the 120 Minutes crowd in ye olden days. Magnet School is my kinda thing, chain’m up and throw’m in the trunk! C’mon, they cover a Swervedriver tune! This frankly amazes and inspires me. They do it alright by extracting “never lose that feeling” from the original “never lose that feeling/never learn,” and they isolate it as another great tune.

Whatcha get is what goddamn psyche’n’roll is for sure: It’s head music firmly bent on swaying and throbbing into your “thing” like a Sonic Youth 7″ of The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” b/w Kim Fowleys’ “Bubblegum” (b/w = backed with = old school record speak. Sonic Youth has recorded both of these songs). Wonderfully recorded, with 40 years of ideas intersecting at a particular feeling/approach rolling up and out from The Byrds to The Velvet Underground, to The Soft Boys, to Echo and the Bunnymen, to Hüsker Dü to the Swirlies, to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, to Terra Diablo… to you. Throbbing bassy dream rock, oceanic and enveloping, whilst avoiding “ambient” or “drone” templates kicking strong tunes into classic four minute territory. Honestly, throw’m in front of the Foo Fighters audience and get’m a five page interview in Jack Rabid’s Big Takeover magazine and watch’m go.

Like my friend P-nut says: “If they had a pussy, I’d eat it for free. And then pay for breakfast.” Christ-a-mighty, what more do you want? Goes well with: Terra Diablo, “Magic Bus”-era Who, Swervedriver, Spacemen Three, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
(www.arclightrecords.com)