Valerie Smith | Lollipop Magazine

Vox Orbita – Review

April 1, 1996

Sounds like a spoiled rich kid who can blow $20,000 on a whim, books a huge block of time in a recording studio to make a CD. He invites his friends over.

Hammell On Trial – Big As Life – Review

April 1, 1996

In-your-face aggressive. He plays the guitar fast and furious. If he were electric, he’d be lethal. He makes me wonder how many strings he goes through.

Salt – with Local H, Mystery Machine at The Middle East Cafe – Review

April 1, 1996

Just about anyone can sound decent on a recording. Salt rocked the house and sounded as good live, if not even better, than they do on record.

Mystery Machine – with Local H, Salt at The Middle East Cafe – Review

April 1, 1996

The band played with a lot of energy, but their music was rather simplistic and repetitive.

Local H – with Salt, Mystery Machine at The Middle East Cafe – Review

April 1, 1996

They had a full sound and played in a variety of styles with nice dirty grooves and beautifully executed pregnant pauses. They even showcased a few ballads.

Turbo Tom – with Keith Bownice, Bentmen at Mama Kin – Review

March 1, 1996

Turbo Tom started his performance by snorting a condom and removing it from his mouth. He followed that by swallowing it and blowing it up and out of his nose.

Keith Bownice – with Bentmen, Turbo Tom at Mama Kin – Review

March 1, 1996

Pleasant for an opening band. They played some decent songs that reminded me of my older brother’s eight-track tape collection back in the ’70s.

Bentmen – with Keith Bownice, Turbo Tom at Mama Kin – Review

March 1, 1996

The music becomes a programmatic underscore to their orgy of light, color, costumes, confetti, and charisma.

The Harvest Soundtrack – Review

March 1, 1996

The Harvest soundtrack stands alone as an interesting collection of mood music. I can’t say what mood it will set, but it’s unique and interesting.

Trancemode Express 101 – Review

February 1, 1996

The music commands my body like the ballerina in the music box. I am a slave to its whims. The beat is my lifeline.