Zig Zags “Scavenger” b/w “Monster Wizard”

(Who Can You Trust) I like aggressive stoner rock, and not aggressive because it’s a slow moving behemoth and you can’t get out of its way, but aggressive because there is some actual musical menace (despite the dulled senses). The A-side here is actually an attack, and the b-side is a huge smoke screen, which I guess is defensive…but it’s a h-u-g-e- smoke screen! With a monster in the middle!

Alley Connoisseur

 (www.alleyconnoisseur.com) Amazing zine/website about the magical, secret, strange, what-happens-in-the-alley-stays–in-the-alley world of alleys. First issue eatures an interview with the Rat Patrol rat bikers, an international tour of alleys, alley reviews from aroud Chicago, and lotsa seedy, drunken alley confessions. I love this so much I will name my daughter Allie. If I have one. And if she’s conceived in an alley. Which seems pretty likely after reading this. The second issue is notable because they review the alley behind The Alley! (Which, btw, is where I met the Misfits, once!).

Brown Bottle Flu “Felt Up”

(thebrownbottleflu.bandcamp.com) Too wicked and weird to be a bar band, too untethered to the past and convention to be a garage band, too dedicated to I Love Lucy to be indie, and too lucky to get Ben Lyon to do his best cover art ever to be ignored, these Bottles hit the brown note and the spread the flu bug and should be getting everybody soiled and sick soon if there’s any rock n roll justice in the world!

Jackpot Donnie "Mayday!"

 (jackpotdonnie.com) I know why Donnie (not a real person) is called Jackpot!On first listen this sounded like a kind of diverse-influence adult contemporary alt-rock excursion, with some guitar edged, all tempered with a kind of island vibe. So we were a little too close to Margaritaville, despite some hard rock riffs and occasional vocal howls.But then I listend after some Jack and pot and it sounded awesome!

Spock’s Beard “Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep”

(Century/InsideOut) There are many, many people who love contemporary, florid prog rock. Good for them!

Steel Cranes “Ourboros”

(S/R) Theatrical story songs, just short of cabaret, performed by a spare, nasty guitar/drums duo. Which are elements that don’t make sense together --  nasty noise and narrative nuance shouldn’t work , yet some of these songs recall Rocky Horror (my highwater mark for rock musicals) and some of the weird rock these grungey gals get at recalls some of the most potent twosomes this side of Flat Duo Jets. Well named…as they are all up in my Crane-ium.

The Kimballs

(thekimballsrock.net) Lightly popping, heavily charming Power Pop that endears by presenting songs with almost childlike earnestness. They even have a song about romancing a superpowered lady, so though it’s not exactly music for kids, these cool cuts are definitely for the inner child. And like my sandbox dweeling inner Dennis the Menace, I dig this!

Michael & the Lonesome Playboys “Bottle Cap Sky”

 (Blackwater) Puts the ‘honky’ in ‘honky tonk’ and a tank into that “tonk.”

Royal Trux "3-Song EP"

(Drag City) Reissue of Royal Trux' post major label return to the fringes. And they celebrated by becoming a righteous blues jam band, and touring Phish parking lots. Or maybe something else, I can't really remember the 90s.

Fiver “Lost the Plot”

(Triple Crown Audio) Simone Schmidt may be Fiver but she’s worth a million bucks, as this buffet of singer-songwriter/psyche/phreak pholk/regular folk/atmospherica/blues/spooky soundtrack music makes up  a lot of its own rules, while showcasing haunting vocals and some of the best storytelling songwriting in the Great White North. If she lost the plot then we’ll never know where she buried those bodies!