Lollipop Magazine

Hot Water Music – Alkaline Trio – Split EP – Review

June 28, 2002

Two originals and two ‘Trio covers later, they’re still an adrenaline machine roaring out of Leatherface’s tradition of gritty, intelligent rock.

Tub Ring – Drake Equation – Review

June 28, 2002

Tub Ring works in small doses, but tends to wear thin after a point. Intellectually interesting, technically superior, but it just doesn’t hit you in the gut.

Liars Academy – No News Is Good News – Review

June 28, 2002

While the artier half of Cross My Heart went on to create oblique sulkiness in Dead Red Sea, the poppier half push the hookier moments into a full-blown band.

The Anniversary – Your Majesty – Review

June 28, 2002

Dreamy and kinda dark, male/female voices hugging each other fondly, rolling keyboards and layered vocals and mood as thick and sweet as bong smoke.

Alkaline Trio – Hot Water Music – Split EP – Review

June 28, 2002

With two originals and a cover of HWM’s “Rooftops,” Alkaline Trio turn power chords and jaded ex-boyfriend sentiments into contagious doses of punk beauty.

Rasputina – “Cabin Fever!” – Review

June 28, 2002

The rhythmic cacophony of Cabin Fever! celebrates the beauty of venomous decay while digging up sex and power from fresh, pretty deaths.

Mary Lorson & Saint Low – Tricks for Dawn – Review

June 14, 2002

If Ben Folds were suddenly possessed by the voice of Suzanne Vega, he might become the nymph-jazz-voiced Mary Lorson.

Lost Sounds – Black Wave – Review

June 14, 2002

Synth-rock without some big freakin’ pretension of art. Kinda like, I dunno, Servatron, like mebbe if Devo had been as cool as everyone assumes them to be.

Elbow – Asleep In the Back – Review

June 14, 2002

Not as good as the hype, but here’s no denying Elbow’s balance of heroin grooves, disembodied vocals, and haunting melodies create an intriguing misery.

Janah – World That Surrounds You – Review

June 14, 2002

Comparisons to U2 are obvious because of the tone of his voice, as are references to Peter Gabriel and Enya, cuz who else can you namedrop who people’ll know?