Splitsville – Ultrasound – Review July 1, 1997 Ultrasound, retaining some of its playground playfulness, is, in my opinion, the only time I ever remember an album I love following up a debut I hated.
Spider Babies – Adventures in Sex and Violence – Review July 1, 1997 Spider Babies do this garage punk thing. They’ve got sorta Crampsy subject matter, and occasionally a Mummiesque go-for-broke moment will crop up.
Spahn Ranch – Architecture – Review July 1, 1997 Athan’s vocals are great. He doesn’t use any effects and carries a tune like a champ. I think it’s the music. It’s not bad, it’s just lacking.
Souls – Bird Fish or In Between – Review July 1, 1997 Sweden’s Cecilia Nordlund understands the concept of dynamics, as she goes from soothing the listener with melodic verses to rage-fueled wailing.
Silver Jet – Pull Me Up… Drag Me Down – Review July 1, 1997 Inspired by both Elvis Costello and Tom Petty, Silver Jet saunters comfortably between peppy power pop and minimalist, infectious rock.
Sick and Wrong – Hot Beef Injection – Review July 1, 1997 Two women – one gruff-voiced and one kinda sweet – singing less-is-more rock about un-PC good stuff. With cover art by Hate comic’s Peter Bagge.
Shades Apart – Seeing Things – Review July 1, 1997 If cinema ever reverts to rehashing the ’80s style Mad Max format, look for Shades Apart to be pounding out the soundtrack.
Red Krayola – Hazel – Review July 1, 1997 O’Rourke’s got a chop shop in the back, cut ya a tape loop like it’s a hunk of gabardine and lace it with electronics like they were sequins.
Radio Flyer – In Their Strange White Armor – Review July 1, 1997 Fugazi goes Northwest and takes a coffee break in Emo-Town (Pop. 13/23 of the Disenfranchised Youth Generation).
Polara – C’est La Vie – Review July 1, 1997 No matter how much undefinable noise you layer on a bland pop song, it’s still… well, you know…