Lollipop Magazine

Mystery Train – Images of America in Rock ‘n’ Roll Music – Review

September 1, 2009

Originally published in 1975, Mystery Train is seemingly the last Marcus volume that is neither awash in academic incomprehensibility nor about Bob Dylan.

Roadsaw – See You In Hell – Review

January 1, 2009

The recording sounds great, guitarist Darryl Shepard brings his unique, burly guitar tone, and Riggs sings like a rock star from a bygone era.

Johnny Winter – Live Through the ’70s – Review

January 1, 2009

Widely considered one of the finest rock guitarists of his time, the opportunity to see him play makes this an ideal gift for the guitar nerd in your life.

RPG – Worth the Weight – Review

September 1, 2008

The punk-rock energy of the first Saints album and the monstrous brawn of the MC5 with the rock-steady R&B timekeeping of classic AC/DC.

The Way-High Men – Let’s Get Arrested! – Review

May 1, 2008

The cover is gonna make you think Supersuckers. Still a bit tentative, so the level of attack isn’t quite what it should be, but the raw materials are present.

The Irish Brothers – Freedom Is a Lonely Thing – Review

May 1, 2008

Nice guitar sound and playing, the songs themselves are simple and likable, and I’m always a sucker for a raspy voice.

The Rock & Roll Film Encyclopedia – Review

February 1, 2008

A film guide whose focus is rock & roll-based movies. A reference guide for folks in search of music-based feature films, bio-pics, documentaries, and the like.

Roller Derby – The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels – Review

February 1, 2008

A brief, breezy history of the sport’s beginnings, its descent as a result of TV, and its rebirth as the sport for the PBR-swilling rockers and Goth girls.

If You Liked School, You’ll Love Work – Review

February 1, 2008

A collection of five short stories. Find it in hip record stores that have a small fiction section with Bukowski, Kerouac, Burroughs, Palahniuk, and Rollins.

Everything I’m Cracked Up to Be – Review

September 10, 2007

Small-change artist, signed to major label in post-alternate rock feeding frenzy, suffers growing pains as she realizes just how major record labels work.

Patton Oswalt – Werewolves and Lollipops – Review

July 27, 2007

Reference points I might use: He compares Bush and Cheney to the Dukes of Hazzard in their ability to escape impossible predicaments with improbable ease.

Sucking the ’70s – Back in the Saddle Again – Review

May 11, 2007

It was a good idea the first time, and it’s a good idea now, although four discs worth of ’70s covers does seem to be pushing things to the saturation point.

Lesbian – Power Hor – Review

May 11, 2007

The four tracks veer from black metal screeching to dreamy Isis/Pelican-style post-rockery to downtuned stoner thudding, sometimes in just a few minutes.

Hubert Selby Jr. – It/ll Be Better Tomorrow – Review

May 11, 2007

A lot of its 79 minutes discuss Last Exit to Brooklyn. His fourth novel, Requiem for a Dream, is almost as well-known, thanks to Darren Aronofsky’s 2000 film.

Clouds – Legendary Demo – Review

May 4, 2007

A spin-off of Cave In. Sick in the same way as the early, super-distorted Hellacopters records and Life of Crime/You Can’t Pray a Lie-era Laughing Hyenas.

Sasquatch – II – Review

April 20, 2007

Heavy classic-rock power-trio thump, stoner rock by way of Walsh-era James Gang, Red Album-era Grand Funk, and Ted Nugent’s debut.

Middian – Age Eternal – Review

April 20, 2007

Mike Scheidt of YOB. The songs are long and ever-changing, Mike sings through the chorus pedal, and crushing guitar riffs abound at nearly every moment.

Earth – Hibernaculum – Review

April 20, 2007

Hibernaculum, which could also be regarded as a companion piece to Hex, reimagines three earlier Earth pieces in the Hex style, and the results are compelling.

American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986 – Review

April 20, 2007

The soundtrack to the documentary (itself is based on Steven Blush’s book), American Hardcore provides a pretty spiffy overview of the hardcore genre.

The Hidden Hand – The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote – Review

April 20, 2007

Scott “Wino” Weinrich has been around as leader of The Obsessed, singer for St. Vitus, and main engine for Spirit Caravan, and now The Hidden Hand.

American Hair Metal – Review

March 3, 2007

Much has been written and filmed about the ’80s and ’90s hair metal flash, most of which falls somewhere between tongue-in-cheek and downright mocking in tone.

Nina – A Novel by Blag Dahlia – Review

January 5, 2007

Nina is exactly the novel you’d expect the singer of the Dwarves to write. The comic flair we’ve come to expect is not as dominant as I would’ve liked.

Scissorfight – Jaggernaut – Review

December 18, 2006

There are multiple tracks overdubbed, some tentative attempts at harmonies, and Ironlung seems to be making a valiant attempt at actual singing.

The Macho Man’s Drinkbook – Review

December 15, 2006

Something to keep in a high traffic area so you can pull it out at a party or when you’re drunk with friends for some gut laughs and quality boob ogling.

New York Dolls – One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This – Review

December 8, 2006

3/5ths of the band that made a pair of albums 30-some years ago is dead, leaving lead singer David Johansen, guitarist Syl Sylvian, and, uh, some other people.