The Miss Alans – Ledger – Review September 1, 1996 Velvet Underground meets Spacemen 3, give both of them some Prozac, and tell them to play pop.
The Last – Gin And Innuendos – Review September 1, 1996 A solid potion of powerpop, raw chords, and pure attitude, complete with the eloquence to sing their point, and with enough hooks to make you listen.
The Joykiller – Static – Review September 1, 1996 Joykiller (fronted by Jack Grisham, formerly of T.S.O.L) plays infectious, melodic punk rock, and it’s pretty darn good stuff. With keyboards.
The Jimmies – It’s A Split! The Bittersweet Series Vol. 1 – Review September 1, 1996 Slower tempo Screeching Weasel-type sound (sorry, inevitable comparison), though the singer sure, uh… enunciates better than Ben Weasel ever could.
The Heads – Relaxing With… – Review September 1, 1996 Slick inside, chicken ride, all aside, I’m not sure what to think, save that it’s like being at a Hovercraft show without the movie.
The Goons – Bad Excuse – Review September 1, 1996 I believe The Who claimed that the kids were alright. If that means rip-roarin’ basement punk, the kids in The Goons are alright, and then some.
The Gamma Men – 440 – Review September 1, 1996 True grit rock that borders on rockabilly, these guys go straight for the throat with their balls-out riffs and melodic snarl.
The Gain – The Gain / Scared of Chaka split – Review September 1, 1996 The Gain are a real Los Angeles punk band, with more in common with Dangerhouse bands circa ’79-’81 (Weirdos, Deadbeats, etc.) than most current L.A. bands.
The Fondled – Hey Hey We’re – Review September 1, 1996 They sing and play their instruments with the carefree attitude of little children who know they can’t play with precision and couldn’t care less.
The Fags – No Fleas Lunch Money and Gold Teeth – Review September 1, 1996 They can’t play, they don’t know how to tune, the singer can’t sing, and the production is rather erratic and sloppy – I love it!