Lollipop Magazine

The Mooney Suzuki – Electric Sweat – Review

July 12, 2002

NYC art students rockin’ out – ‘scuse me while I stifle a yawn – or so I think. Their MC5 cop-offs circa, like, Back in the USA actually goes down alright.

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Plastic Fang – Review

July 5, 2002

It’s nice to see Jon Spencer Blues Explosion rockin’ unhomogenized again, cuz their last couple records’ stylized missteps sorta brought ’em down a peg or two.

The Arsons – Whole Life Crisis – Review

July 5, 2002

These Jersey punk vets properly pissed about wussy poppunk saach get revenge by slashing out damn near a dozen buzzsaw scorchers that come off real catchy.

The Reverend Horton Heat – Lucky 7 – Review

June 28, 2002

Link Wray with a realization of The Cramps’ realization of ’60s punk and a modicum of pop-cultural awareness, plus a nice dollup of a freakin’ sense of humor.

The Hives – Barely Legal – Review

June 28, 2002

The Hives got this nasty pickled cod shake appeal so high-octane ya’d swear their pores ooze nitro as they run through the fourteen tracks here.

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.

Libertine – American Heartbreak – You Can’t Kill Rock N’ Roll – Review

June 14, 2002

Libertine plays slower than American Heartbreak, so mebbe they’re more sensitive, or wussy or somethin’ and sometimes they remind me of a John Hughes movie.

Jad Fair – Teenage Fanclub – Words of Wisdom and Hope – Review

June 14, 2002

Half Japanese frontman’n’seminal indie rock legend/geek meets up with Scot shoegazers who were famous for, like, five minutes back in the early 1990s.

The Maggots – This Condition Is Incurable – Review

June 14, 2002

A trio of Gyropeons punchdrunk on old timey Amerigarage unknowns formin’ foreign syllables and three chords into shakedown cold sweaters.

Teenage Fanclub & Jad Fair – Words of Wisdom and Hope – Review

June 14, 2002

Half Japanese frontman’n’seminal indie rock legend/geek meets up with Scot shoegazers who were famous for, like, five minutes back in the early 1990s.

Brick Layer Cake – Whatchamacallit – Review

June 14, 2002

Todd Trainer is the drummer for Shellac. He plays all the instruments here. He’s also responsible for the creepy voice talking throughout the disc.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble – Live at Montreaux 1982 & 1985 – Review

June 14, 2002

Ya almost gotta pity this guy’s rhythm section cuz they gotta play essentially the same thing for seemingly hours on end whilst Stevie Ray Vaughan wanks.

American Heartbreak – Libertine – You Can’t Kill Rock N’ Roll – Review

June 14, 2002

Libertine plays slower than American Heartbreak, so mebbe they’re more sensitive, or wussy or somethin’ and sometimes they remind me of a John Hughes movie.

Puffball – The Super Commando – Review

June 14, 2002

Puffball likes cars and songs about cars and since Gearhead’s a label/mag that’s about car culture and stuff, y’know, gearheads, so they’re a great match.

Johnny Cash – Ragged Old Flag – Review

May 31, 2002

A tribute to the American people: The blue-collar working people who probably shared Cash’s concern and disgust with the national mood.

Johnny Cash – America: A 200-Year Salute In Story and Song – Review

May 31, 2002

America… is the history of this country as told by Johnny Cash, set off by the occasional spoken word piece, if ya can’t follow it by the music alone.

New Bomb Turks – Spanish Fly By Night – Interview

May 31, 2002

An interview with Eric Davidson, Matt Reber, Jim Reber, and Sam Brown

Asie Payton – Just Do Me Right – Review

May 31, 2002

Some is the straight-forward blues Payton played at home, bars, and bait shops around Washington County, Mississippi. Some of it’s goosed-up with studio beats.

Mick Jagger – Goddess in the Doorway – Review

May 17, 2002

Obviously Mick’s got Alzheimer’s cuz he forgot that he’s already failed at bein’ a solo artist several times in the past.

RAFR – Vol 3 – Review

April 19, 2002

This comp is the aural equivalent of invitin’ all yer rowdy friends over for an eviction party, but with the security of not bein’ homeless the next day.

Give the People What We Want – Songs of The Kinks – Review

April 19, 2002

The Kinks were pretty good to a point there until Ray Davies got rich and ditched the greasy stuff and started writing songs about preserving village greens.

Nerves – World of Gold – Review

March 22, 2002

The vocals get on my Nerves in a way I can’t really put my finger on, but this power trio’s otherwise pretty solid.

Toys That Kill – The Citizen Abortion – Review

March 22, 2002

Toys That Kill are more, uh, “catchy” wary than loadsa their peers without bein’ “not catchy” or excessively “street punk” or whatever.

The Dragons – Rock N Roll Kamikaze – Review

March 15, 2002

The Dragons come off here as older tho’ not necessarily wiser, but it’s like they stepped back and looked around a bit since they did Rock like Fuck.

Spiritualized – Let it Come Down – Review

March 15, 2002

That Jason Spaceman didn’t lose his marbles like Phil Spector or Brian Wilson eventually did is probably no mean feat. Come on, you try that.