V FOR VENDETTA
BENEATH THIS MASK ANOTHER MASK (MR. LADY RECORDS)

V For Vendetta offers delicate and intricate math-rock with wispy vocals subsumed into their angular guitar sounds. Those vocals lying just beneath the surface belong to Michelle Marchese, singer for this artful duo. Along with Cara Hyde, this group offers a spectrum of configurations: We hear them in drums and guitar, drums and bass, guitar and bass, as well as two guitar-and-samples-modes. All cuts but the third track feature Michelle's vocals as suitable juxtaposition, adding warmth to the mechanical delivery. The female duo has strong feelings on philosophy and the politics of perception if one listens close enough; there's a world of thought on Beneath this Mask Another Mask. Comparison to The Spinanes is a good reference point for this Providence, Rhode Island, group, which began realizing their personal math-rock vision in 1998. While there is something melancholy and serious about the mood of this disc, V For Vendetta does manage a larger-than-duo sound when they intensify their playing and begin to recall classic prog-rock sounds. While they never come close to a King Crimson-type aural assault, they should maintain the interest of even zealots for the genre. (TTS)

Van Der Graaf Generator
Present (EMI)

The prospect of a prog-rock band reuniting after 28 years (shortly after its frontman's heart attack) sounds like fodder for a comic movie. But VdGG weren't just any prog act. In their original 70s context, they were a unique, often bewildering musical presence and vocalist Peter Hammill even counted Johnny Rotten among his fans, despite Rotten's declaration of war on prog. Comprising one disc of song-based material and another of improvisations, Present is neither undignified nor embarrassing and its strongest numbers sit well alongside earlier work. That doesn't mean that it sounds outdated, though. The same idiosyncrasies that originally distinguished VdGG's music also prevent this new set from sounding anachronistic. Crucial in that regard, as ever, is Hammill, whose range-defying, sometimes harrowing vocals often suggest he's in the grip of his own apocalypse. No less critical are David Jackson's trademark sax squalls, Guy Evans' powerhouse, time-signature-shifting drums and Hugh Banton's off-kilter keyboards and room-juddering bass pedals. These elements conspire to produce Present's standouts: the vitriolic waltz "Every Bloody Emperor" and the no-less vitriolic "Nutter Alert," which increases the manic energy and finds Hammill at his possessed, ranting best. Alongside the new generation of British rock bands young enough to be their grandchildren, VdGG are as fashionable and relevant today as Victorian bathing suits; nevertheless, it's hard to imagine many of that current generation recording something in 30 years' time that's half as good as Present. --Wilson Neate

CHAD VANGAALEN
Skelliconnection
Sub Pop 
The insert for this record says, “Skelliconnection was culled from hundreds of songs Chad has recorded over the last year or so, while holed up in his barebones basement home studio.” Unfortunately, this music doesn’t try to defy its own description. I don’t want to sound like an insensitive jerk (which is odd because, well, I am) but these songs are all over the map musically and make for hard listening. Vangaalen’s voice is the one constant holding it together. His warble is unbearable and multi-tracking it only prolongs the pain. My listening threshold for the country shuffle of “Wind Driving Dogs” was short-lived. And the next time i have to piss off a neighbor, I’m going to play “Rolling Thunder” over and over. On an artistic level, this song feels similar to the recent "Gone Ain’t Gone" by Tim Fite; both have songs ideas that wander and experiment with anything that makes noise. However, Fite’s work centered on the hip-hop mantra of sampling and stealing while Vangaalen’s seems inwardly and artistically directed. Well, I say that because the odd drum machine beats and overloaded keyboards of “Viking Rainbows” had better be artistic … otherwise it stinks.  I’m guessing this will either resonate with you or not. Vangaalen’s falsetto, passionate delivery and basement ethos will win you over. Or make you wish you were deaf.    --Boon Sheridan

VARIOUS ARTISTS
ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES 2.0 (ATP)

In the grand scheme of things, Steve Albini's Shellac may not be as culturally significant as Big Black, but they sure know how to throw a hell of a party! This disc theoretically documents the event, the annual All Tomorrow's Parties Version 2.0, and is a good taste of the vast and diverse assemblage. Starting with Shellac, the album presents a mixture of old and new, well-known and unknown bands, juxtaposing the Fall and a reformed Mission of Burma against Nina Nastasia and Threnody Ensemble. Sadly, though, this is only a sampler made to showcase the performers, a collection of songs already recorded, and isn't a live recording from the event itself (ATP is slightly deceptive here; a revelation I made only after marveling how M of B's "Trem Two" sounded just like the original!). The contributions from the Rachel's and Shipping News are essential and beautiful, and are at least rare live recordings from their native Louisville. This is a nice collection, but in reading the dream-lineup of bands that played the show (Wire, Low, Melt Banana, Danielson Familie, Cheap Trick, the Breeders, Godspeed You Black Emperor, et al.), a double disc would've been an even better idea. Even better? Why not wait next time and issue a recording from the actual show? (d.n.l)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
BEAUTIFUL NOISE (THE APOCALYPSE) (NOISE FACTORY RECORDS)

This compilation is an excellent introduction to various underground DJs (not all of them necessarily on Noise Factory Records, incidentally), through their instrumental electronic compositions. Most tracks are from before the artists' first or second releases. (All DJs are from Toronto unless otherwise noted.) Track one is DJ Serpent One with "(Terrain Last Movement)." DJ Serpent One is Taras Petryk, a DJ that offers an impressionistic, ambient excursion that suggests a slow, dreamlike passage over a changing landscape. Do Make Say Think gives us "I Love You (La, La, La)." The group's use of a childish, singsong trebly bass line suggests the cutesy love songs this piece mocks. Fwark's "Ailo RMX" is another very dreamy, ethereal track that slowly builds like an oncoming storm. This is the more ambient side of primarily jungle artist Victor Szabo. Tetrezene offers "Springtime" off their debut full-length album titled n.door.fin. This atmospheric piece also features warm bass and the first instance of vocals on the album through a breathy female refrain. Wave Motion Gun's "Throwing Star" is a gently rolling piece with a 70s soul feel through funk breakbeats and a reverb-treated guitar. Paik is a trio from Toledo, Ohio, and their contribution is "Sunlit." Hardly as electronic as the rest, this short piece is a delicate interweaving of bass and guitar with some bright drumbeats. The mysterious Grand Rapids, Michigan, artist Sparrow Orange, a.k.a. Aaron Boot (with a Noise Factory release), presents an eerie assembly of spooky sound, ticking and distant rumbling that suggests a midnight view out onto the ocean. "Lookstrafe," recorded in the summer of 1995, represents Beef Terminal, the personal project of Mike Matheson. Also a dark and creepy ambient piece, this follows Sparrow Orange seamlessly. Much like the Paik contribution is Fantastic Lovers' "Aleutian Low," with its slight horizontal movement from the same instrumentation. Backwards beats and synth-voices mark "The Ether Pilot" from Tom Spacey, which appeared as a hidden track on their debut album Mars Is Eden. The disc closes with K.C. Accidental's "Tired Hands." This group, a Do Make Say Think side project, contributes a march-like piece that progressively builds with an unhurried, determined and forward-thinking mood. (TTS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
CAN'T STOP IT! (CHAPTER)

Perhaps it's the wide-open geography of the Australian continent, but something must explain the expansive, reverberating consistency of underground Australian rock. This compilation of Aussie post-punk sounds documents a swatch cut through the music of the period. This selection of bands circa 1978-82 includes many previously unreleased tracks and exhibits an eclectic array of experimentalism. Nestled alongside minimalist electronic tunesters like Makers of the Dead Travel Fast are gloomy New Wave artists like Ron Rude. Features the Moodists, Voigt/465, Essendon Airport, the Apartments, Xero, Ash Wednesday, Primitive Calculators, the Particles, the Limp, Tch Tch Tch, Wild West, the Take, Tame Omearas, the Pits, Equal Local, People With Chairs Up Their Noses, the Slugfuckers, and the Fabulous Marquises. Extensive liner notes cover each band. (TTS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Graciously
Funzalo
Terrific comp recorded at Tucson's Wavelab Studio (site of Steve Wynn's last few dazzling sessions), with a portion of proceeds going to  Habitat for Humanity's Musicians Village Program Project in New Orleans. Among the participants: the aforementioned Wynn & the Miracle 3 (get well soon, Steve!) with "Riverside," Robyn Hitchcock's "I Wish I Was Doing This," and a modest little electric folk ballad about the late-lamented Gits performed by Richmond Fontaine. Oh, and a sorrowful country blues duet of the Beatles' "Baby's in Black" by John Doe and Virgil Shaw.   --Luke Torn

VARIOUS ARTISTS
LIVE FROM THE MASQUE (BACCHUS ARCHIVES)

In 1973, musicians in Los Angeles with more enthusiasm than technique were drawn away from the easy rut of garage rock into something more direct and edgy by an interest in European experimentalism. At the core of this little group of art guerillas was would-be percussionist Brendan Mullen. As a baseboard for his own formless jams, he put together an ad hoc rehearsal and concert venue that grew to be The Masque, one of the cradles in the incubation of West Coast punk. This collection of tracks was actually recorded at an Elks building in 1978 at a benefit show designed to try to save the club itself (it had been closed down by the authorities for illegal assembly). Sampled from the several 20-minutes sets of that evening of raucous punk are many from the first wave of west coast punk: the Weirdos, the Bags, the Germs, the Skulls, the Eyes, the Dickies, F-Word, the Alleycats, the Zeros, the Randoms, and Black Randy. (TTS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
LYNNE MY YOUR EARS: A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF JEFF LYNNE (NOT LAME)

Jeff Lynne's not exactly a household name, but his music is. As the leader/singer/guitarist/sole songwriter of ELO (The Electric Light Orchestra), he scored more major hit singles than I can begin to count. Lynne began his career of note with the underrated Birmingham-UK group the Idle Race, before joining the Move as co-leader for the end of their career. And the Move, of course, eventually evolved (or devolved, depending on your point of view–ed.) into ELO. Lynne's also known as one of the Traveling Wilburys, and as a producer of note for Petty and the Threetles. This generous two-disc compilation features some of the very finest pop artists in the Nashville area, with some ringers from around America added in, all under the helm of Nashville's talented popster Doug Powell. On paper, I love it. Twenty of my favorite artists (everyone from Michael Carpenter, Bobby Sutliff, Mitch Easter, Todd Rundgren, Swag, Walter Clevenger, Bill Lloyd, Jason Falkner--all the current pop greats are there) doing songs from throughout Lynne's career. The problem is that, excepting a half dozen songs or so, mostly from their first two albums, I think ELO is one of the most overrated pop/schlock bands of all time. And I'm not alone in thinking Lynne completely ruined a couple of potentially good Petty records. Slick does not equate with "good" in my book, Jeff. That said, there are still moments of transcendence < the Shazam hit a home run with a flawless rendition of "Twilight." Peter Holsapple does a brilliant re-creation of one of the Move's finest latter day LP tracks, "No Time," Earl Slick turns in a credible "Ma Ma Ma Belle," and Powell proves rather effectively that when the veneers of overproduction are tamed, you can make a good track out of an overplayed ELO standard like "Can't Get It Out of My Head." Still, many of the artists choose to re-create the original as best they can, and you simply can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Many of ELO's biggest radio hits have all the artistic merit of N'Sync, and getting a hip indie pop artist to cover 'em doesn't put a bit of shine on 'em. The worst contributors are original Move singer Carl Wayne, who went from the Move to oldies and cabaret, turning in a wretched cabaret version of a mediocre Lynne song, and the jaw-droppingly bad Tony Visconti cover of "Mr. Blue Sky." Give this compilation top marks for execution, though. And to be sure, if unlike me (and the droves of ELO fans out there aren't like me), you really dug ELO's hit singles, you're gonna just love these new versions for the most part. And even if you hated ELO, there's still almost half a dozen tracks out of the 32 on this album that rank with the very best songs I've heard all year, period. But, you know, if you played some of these songs like "Strange Magic," "Evil Woman," "Turn To Stone," or "Don't Bring Me Down" on a jukebox in a bar, I'd probably have to be restrained from winging a well-aimed bottle your way. (Kent H. Benjamin)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
MOTHMAN PROPHECIES OSTK (LAKESHORE)

The soundtrack for one of the better movies I've seen in the past year. A two-disc set, the first volume is the more memorable. Featuring Alan and Mimi from Low on "Half Light," and King Black Acid on other tracks, the music has an eerie edge to it that quite fits the feel of the movie. King Black Acid are an odd ensemble, moving forward musically while Daniel John Riddle's vocals have a very retro-80s feel to them. It might be better to have no vocals at all, especially when Riddle tries to tell the story in a voice not unlike Cy Curnin from the Fixx. Indeed, the tracks with little or no vocals work best. The reprise of "Half Light" closes the first disc. The second disc contains music by Tomandandy, and features "elements" of guitar from Glenn Branca. While very fitting for the movie, on disc they sound somewhat empty, much like listening to the X-Files music without accompanying visuals. Still, at a time when movie soundtracks are thrown together by record companies hoping to get all of their acts onto a soundtrack, it's great to hear music actually made for film, even if it's sometimes feeble. Too bad they couldn't get Low to do the entire soundtrack, though. Maybe next time. (d.n.l)

Various Artists
Murderball: Official Soundtrack (Commotion)

Reviewing the soundtrack to a movie is sort of like telling someone about the interior finish on a car - it's not something that ties one to another. Having a soundtrack kick off with Ministry's "Thieves" should give you an idea of the adrenaline, sweat and inherent violence in this endeavor. Things swing back and forth after that with some choice cuts from Ween and Scratch Massive that keeps the blood flowing. Some of the original music by Jamie Saft gives you the most insight into the movie and the best bridge between the other songs. "Murderball Remix" and "Dungenous Warfare" have plenty of fuzzed guitars and clashing to give you the feel of wheelchairs slamming into one another with brute force, but the softer, emotional songs fall flat. The lighter songs probably work for the movie, but the softer strains of Sam Prokop's "Something" and the White's "Song for Jerry" make the album feel off-kilter. You settle into one manic, angry mood only to be kicked off course and want to hug someone. It probably works better on-screen than on this disc. Will you like the movie? Who knows? Will you want to add this CD to your collection for any reason other than admiring the grit and determination of the movie's heroes? Nope. --Boon Sheridan

VARIOUS ARTISTS
MUSTN'T GRUMBLE: THE STEVE MARRIOTT MEMORIAL CONCERT 2001 (SANCTUARY UK)

On April 20, 2001, John Hellier of the Darlings of Wapping Wharf Launderette (the definitive Small Faces fanzine) organized a huge tribute concert to Small Faces/Humble Pie co-founder/frontman Steve Marriott at the London Astoria. Marriott still just may be the best singer to ever come out of England, and, at least in his home country, he's still a household name and icon. The gig was an enormous sellout success, and received rave reviews in all the British press. This newly released CD is the English souvenir of the concert; a DVD will follow, hopefully of the whole gig, and if sales warrant, an altered US version is a possibility (which will likely include more Humble Pie-era Marriott material, and less Small Faces, since the Pie were more successful here). The final six tracks of the CD are the reason for owning it: they feature a supergroup, formed especially for the gig, with the surviving members of the Small Faces (Ian McLagan [keyboards, lead and backing vocals] and Kenney Jones [drums], accompanied by Paul Weller [lead vocals, guitar, and piano], Noel Gallegher [guitar, lead & backing vocals], and Oasis' Gem Archer (bass) performing, for the first and only time, some of the Small Faces' very finest songs from 1966-68, several of them never before played live by the original band. Weller takes the lead on "Become Like You" and "I'm Only Dreaming," Gallegher on "Here Comes The Nice," McLagan on "Get Yourself Together," and Steve Ellis (Love Affair) joins in for "Tin Soldier" and "All or Nothing" (with everyone singing). It's a truly magical moment of pop history no one could've foreseen. This Humble Pie features a lineup of Peter Frampton, Clem Clemson, Jerry Shirley, and Greg Ridley doing first-rate versions of three of their best tunes. Midge Ure (formerly of Ultravox, Thin Lizzy, and others) leads a lovely acoustic sing-a-long on "My Mind's Eye." Marriott's kids Mollie and Toby play with the all-star band (Bobby Tench, Zak Starkey, Rabbit Bundrick, David Colwell, and Billy Nicholls, among others) on "30 Days in the Hole." Deborah Bonham is also a surprise smash with "(If You Think You're) Groovy" and "Black Coffee." Other artists on the nearly 80-minute CD, like Steve Ellis, Dennis Greaves, Simon 'Honeyboy' Hickling, Tony Rivers, and John's Children, will be of lesser interest to most Americans, but it was a terrific and successful concert by any standards. (Kent H. Benjamin)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
The New York Sound: From the East Coast to the Future
bgp records 
Ronald Reagan in the White House, AIDS is almost unknown, disco is fading, electro is making headway, and funk is starting to mutate and seek out new partners. There would always be soul in every note from New York City’s music, but the scene was about to take a series of interesting turns that few could have predicted. BGP has done their research, going back to find some great cuts you might have never heard. Each highlights some new style coming to light in one of the most vibrant club scenes in the world. “Money (Dollar Bill Y’All)” by Jimmy Spicer might be the most well-known nuber here, given Russell Simmons was behind the boards when it was produced and John “Jellybean” Benitez created the final mix. Given the subsequent waves of nostalgic pretenders, the electro hip-hop of Twilight 22’s “Electric Kingdom” sounds fresher than something you’ll find on iTunes. Top it off with the soulful croon of Fonda Rae and the oft-sampled “Over Like A Fat Rat,” and this collection is too good to pass up. The liner notes are expansive and the sound quality is top-notch. If you have any interest in the early intersections of funk, electro and hip-hop this is worth tracking down.    --Boon Sheridan 

VARIOUS ARTISTS
156 STRINGS (CUNEIFORM RECORDS)

Henry Kaiser is our "curator" in this 19-track museum of experimental guitar. The purpose of this CD is to exhibit the current state of acoustic guitar innovation. Participants range from the versatile Richard Thompson to avant-guitar stalwart Fred Frith. Frith is, of course, known more for his creations on the electric guitar, as are other participants like Mike Keneally. Inspired by the early Takoma samplers compiled by John Fahey, as well as Frith's Guitar Solos series, Kaiser's stated aim is to highlight the "many players today who are operating at those elevated levels of acoustic eloquence." The artists recorded each of the all-instrumental tracks exclusively for the project, a natural extension of previous productions Kaiser brought to Cuneiform (like Friends & Enemies, a 2-CD compendium of Kaiser-Frith improv). (TTS)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
SONGCATCHER II (VANGUARD)

Given the success of the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack, there has never been a better time to cash in on the decidedly noncommercial sounds of the Appalachian mountains. Songcatcher II, the companion piece to the first volume of remade traditional folk tunes used for the soundtrack of 2001's Songcatcher, dips into the same musical streams, this time using the 1960s recordings of "rediscovered" traditional Appalachian folk musicians. As such, we're treated to wonderfully solemn narratives by guitar virtuoso Doc Watson, a cappella readings by Almeda Riddle, and haunting clawhammer banjo tunes of Dock Boggs ˆ all pulled from the Vanguard Records vault. No doubt, their choice of selections is truly first rate, and they hit the mark of presenting the genuine article on every track. Still, the inclusion of versions of Boggs' "Oh Death" and Sarah Ogan Gunning's female translation of "Girl of Constant Sorrow" (back to back, no less) almost seems to be an overt, calculated attempt to cash in on the O Brother craze. Further, even though the songs hold together nicely, there really seems to be no obvious underlying aesthetic unifying all of the selections, other than their being examples of Appalachian folk song and suitable for such a collection. Still, such observations are rendered mute when listening to such powerful material and irrelevant in regard to how much enjoyment one will get from the set. (Matt Fink)

Various Artists
Version City Rockers (Antifaz)

This compilation features nine notable reggae singers doing brand new songs with the New York City-based Version City Rockers band providing the backing tracks. The goal during these sessions was to bring together the mood of anguish during the immediately post 9/11 period in New York with singers who were active during the 70's in Jamaica, a period known for both incredible reggae musicand widespread violence. Dancehall-pioneer Sugar Minott provides one of the highlights on dub-heavy "Nah Booda Wit It." Sister Nancy and Ranking Joe provides some splendid toasting on "Jah Have the Handle" and "Africa" respectively. Cedric Brooks contributes some fine sax playing to "It's Up To You." This is real roots reggae, and the sound of it is still as vital as ever. (Andy Smith)

Various Artists
Verve Remixed/Unmixed 3 (Verve Records)

The Verve remix project is either killing jazz classics or bringing them to a whole new audience. The reviews have been appropriately mixed, with purists crying foul and modern fans drooling for their favorite modern heroes to get a chance to do a track. It's a tossup which remix succeeds the most, because there are some gems here. Newcomers Brazilian Girls crank the subwoofers on Blossom Dearie's "Just One Of Those Things" and make a club anthem out of it. The sparsely accompanied original's energy is preserved without taking liberties. Newcomer to the British remix scene Max Sedgley contributes an extended rework of Sarah Vaughn doing the Peter Gunn theme with a nice bounce and touch of horns. Electronic music fans will rightly claim that the Art of Noise locked down the 'best version of Peter Gunn theme' award years ago but his entry is no slouch. More known for his MC work, Lyrics Born presents an absolutely slamming remix of Jimmy Smith's "Stay Loose" that preserves the signature keyboards while giving an extra dose of the horns and piling more drums than an army of Buddy Riches could provide. Bent concoct a cinematic background for Billie Holiday's "Speak Low" that adds a richer sense of melancholy. The original bordered on a brisk tango, but Bent, well, bend it to their approach and construct a more cinematic and aching version. Don't be fooled - there are some tracks here someone should have had the good sense to quash. I don't want to be an apologist for Carl Craig but he must have had something else on his mind when he put together his version of Hugh Masekela's "The Boy's Doin' It." The heart of the track has been ripped out for, well, I just can't tell. I'd swear there's another layer of sound here that Craig forgot to apply. The new squeaking keyboards and looped trumpet just don't add anything to the original. Pity, that. Finally, RJD2 slaps a menacing piano on Astrud Gilberto's "The Gentle Rain" to make it sound more like a garish soundtrack to a horror movie. For the purists, Verve was kind enough to release a disc of the originals. There's much to be gained by programming the original and remix back-to-back; hearing source material and remake is educational for all. --Boon Sheridan

Tom Vek
We Have Sound (Startime International)
Tom Vek is a one-man band playing and singing everything on We Have Sound. The sound is an interesting sort of keyboard-based rock that is reminiscent at times of such 80's synth bands as New Order and early OMD but with a healthy dose of grit and far less foppishness. But this is not to say that Vek's sound is especially retro; it just appears to use synthesizers as the starting point but without venturing into electronica or dance music. Interestingly enough, my personal favorite on the record is the understated, nylon stringed guitar-based "That Can Be Arranged," which ends the record. Vek has apparently assembled a full backing band for his coming US tour dates, and it will be interesting to see how this music translates to a live setting. (Andy Smith)

VELVET CRUSH
FREE EXPRESSION (ACTION MUSIK)

It's really a bit weird when bands reissue albums all of four years old, but that's exactly what Velvet Crush have done. Now, at least in this case, it was (and is) a terrific album, one of the group's best, and an album that hardly anyone picked up on at the time. More importantly, it's one that fans will have to get, because there's a bonus disc with demos for 12 of the album's 14 songs, plus an alternate take of the best song from the group's last album Soft Sounds. These demos aren't just guitar/vocals demos, as you might imagine, but fairly heavily overdubbed tracks that resemble the finished tracks. Velvet Crush's Ric Menck and Paul Chastain are both accomplished purveyors of the jangly Byrds/Beatles/Big Star sound, and fans are sure to be very pleased to have this, even if it means rebuying the album. And if you didn't get it first time out, "Gentle Breeze," "Melody #1," "Kill Me Now," "Between The Lines," "Roman Candle" ...well, practically the whole album, is really terrific. (Kent H. Benjamin)

VENICE IS SINKING
Sorry About The Flowers
One Percent Press
If you type the words Venice Is Sinking into Google you’ll likely end up reading all of the interesting articles on the waterborne city and its liquid dilemma. You’ll also find the website for a band called Venice Is Sinking, where you’ll learn that the bass player, Stephen Miller, is missing a finger and singer Daniel Lawson collects concrete rabbits. It takes listening to the Athens, Georgia (like any bands ever come from any other Athens...) band's debut album to learn that they are an engagingly lovely update of the Rachels, or perhaps a less shrill variation of the Arcade Fire. With Lawson’s smart lyrics and plaintive vocals paired with Karolyn Troupe’s vocals (a sort of southern version of Mimi and Alan’s) and various stringed instruments, it’s up to Miller’s bass and Lucas Jensen’s solid drums to buoy things above sea level. For a relatively new band, their sound is amazingly mature, as often complex and lush as it is simple and serene, and yet never too far away from being rock. They may not have any answers for keeping Venice from being Atlantis, but they create a lovely soundtrack for its eventual demise.     --d.n.l

THE VENUE
MMHM! (BELLA UNION)

Stockholm's the Venue got a big boost to their career with a new record deal from their appearance at SXSW in 2002, and Mmhm! is the result. Though frequently compared to 60s forebears Small Faces, the Who, and the Hollies, the Venue in fact only superficially resemble any of those bands. Instead, they're more in tune with latter day garage screamers, a poppier version of the Lyres or Swedish greats the Nomads perhaps. Their music is all high energy, an updated look back at the 60s ('64-'66 specifically) that isn't truly retro at all, falling somewhere between the slash and burn of the Hives and the oh-so-cool retro hipness of Soundtrack of Our Lives. With the Venue's three- or four-guitar attack and four-part harmonies, they sound like the Pretty Things if they'd grown up on Merseybeat instead of R&B, all sloppy, raw, and full of 'tude, with lyrics that, hilariously, just barely survive their translation into English. Miles better than the overly-derivative Strokes, and one of the most refreshing and engaging little releases of the last few months, the Venue really is a band to keep an eye on. (Kent H. Benjamin)

The Vera Violets
Sunshine Dust (Daydream Delay)
Florida's Vera Violets ably blend a number of influences on Sunshine Dust. In many ways, they sound like they're from the UK instead of the Sunshine State's flat swamplands, but amidst the layered guitars and hypnotic textures, there is a dreariness that could be caused by heat and humidity instead of cold, slate gray skies. In its best moments, this record delivers a strong mix of the spacier side of the Church and the dark droning of Brian Jonestown Massacre. In its weak spots, it sounds a bit too derivative of shoegazer bands, My Bloody Valentine in particular, although that isn't necessarily a bad thing if the band can find its own voice within that sound. With 19 tracks and 75 minutes, it also would have benefited from a more ruthless song selection process to keep the whole package less flabby. On the whole, Sunshine Dust has a number of very satisfying moments (especially the opener "Euphoria"), and the rest is nothing that more studio experience and development as a band can't improve. (Andy Smith)

VERBENA
LA MUSICA NEGRA (CAPITOL)

On the surface, it seems that Verbena is yet another player on the hard emo rock roulette wheel. A few close listens to the Birmingham, Alabama band's second full length album, La Musica Negra, though, reveal considerably more layers and influences than the standard practitioners of volume and posture. "I, Pistol" reverberates with the spirit and sonic ring of '70s glam-tinged pop with the intensity of the original era as well as more contemporary transcribers like Urge Overkill and the Dandy Warhols. "Way Out West" and "It's Alright, It's Okay (Jesus Told Me So)" shiver with a Stonesy pulse, heightened by a Gen X punk/pop adrenaline drip, while "All the Saints" offers similar insights with a twangy subtext that could be second generation Paul Westerberg peeking through. On "Rememberer," Verbena (and particularly lead throat Scott Bondy) sounds like the band Nirvana could have matured into had Kurt Cobain emerged from his long dark night only slightly scathed. With La Musica Negra, Verbena has mastered the art of neatly incorporating intimacy into their biggest moments and a visceral expanse into their smallest. (Brian Baker)

VETIVER
To Find Me Gone
Dicristina Stair
Vetiver is Andy Cabic. Cabic is very closely associated with Devendra Banhart and together with Joanna Newsom and Espers has been a significant force in the folk flashback happening these days. Last year's Cripple Crow by Banhart and this year's To Find Me Gone by Vetiver are hands down the best releases of the movement. Contrary to Banhart's more chaotic (what some label "freak folk") affairs; Cabic reveals a tranquil, laid back, West Coast approach to the genre. The songs gently meander across the greenest fields with the most colorful flowers under the bluest skies you have ever seen. Find Me Gone is about lying in said field and forgetting about the world around you (this will also work quite well on a beach or a secluded hike in the forest). Leave any deadlines and stresses behind, lean back, close your eyes and drift away. You will soon be found gone, and maybe that's not such a bad thing.     --Don Simpson

THE VIBRATION
Amarilla
Sink and Stove
The Vibration plays a straightforward, honest brand of indie-rock with singer Ann Fitzgerald displaying an emotive style that shows a strong Sleater-Kinney influence. Guitarist Randy Williams' layered style is the band's best asset. The downside is that there are too many grey skied, middle tempoed songs, and that leads to too much of a single emotional shading for the entire record. Coming up with some better hooks would also serve this band well.--Andy Smith

GENE VINCENT AND HIS BLUE CAPS
BLUEJEAN BOP! (CAPITOL RECORDS)
GENE VINCENT AND HIS BLUE CAPS (CAPITOL RECORDS)

Like most people, I mainly knew Gene Vincent through "Be-Bop-A-Lula," knew he was important historically, knew the name of his band, knew they were influential and supposed to be good, but had never actually heard his first two albums -- the works upon which his legend is based. I'd read stories written by Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page about how much the Blue Caps and their lead guitarist Cliff "Galloping" Gallup had influenced them. Then I heard a few amazing tracks on Rhino's '50s rock 'n' roll box a few years back, and was primed to hear more. These two new reissues of the first two albums by Gene Vincent and the Bluecaps are simply revelatory. Fact is, after a few plays each, it's becoming clear that what I'd read might just be true--Gene Vincent was the best early rock'n'roll singer, beating out Elvis, Buddy, Jerry Lee, and Eddie [Cochran]. Cliff Gallup may well be the most incendiary lead guitarist in 50s rock, ahead of folks like Scotty Moore, Buddy Holly, Paul Burlison, and Billy Lee Riley (although I'm conveniently ignoring Link Wray). The first album, Bluejean Bop! must've sounded positively alien on its release in 1956. Elvis, Buddy, and Eddie were all boy-next-door types, the kind who played sports, dressed nice if flashy, and would be polite to their date's moms; Gene Vincent was the greasy auto mechanic who dropped out of high school, showed up drunk, and got the girl pregnant on the first date. "Blue Jean Bop" sets the stage, all frisky stuttering rockabilly. "Ain't She Sweet" was covered by Lennon and the Beatles on their first pre-fame recording. "Wedding Bells (Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine)" is archetypal 50s rock. Even a cover of "(Up A) Lazy River" is startlingly fresh and original -- like Elvis, Vincent simply owned ever song he recorded. The bonus tracks, all the non-LP singles, are just amazing: "Woman Love," "Race With The Devil," and "Be-Bop-A-Lula" even today sound like some of the wildest, most viscerally exciting music you've ever heard, or could ever hope to hear. The self-titled follow-up album from 1958 is even better. This time out, Vincent followed in the footsteps of Holly and Cochran and wrote most of his own songs, and it's a whopping album full of wild and dangerous rockabilly. "Red Blue Jeans And A Ponytail," "Hold Me, Hug Me, Rock Me," "Cat Man," "Cruisin'," "Pink Thunderbird," and non-LP bonus tracks like "B-I-Bickey-Bi, Bo-Bo-Go" and "Five Feet of Love" are each and every one of them as good as his best-known hit. Start with the second one, but pick up both of these reissues. You never know, if you're young enough, they may have as profound an impression on your youth as they did on John Lennon's, Jeff Beck's, and Jimmy Page's. I'm embarrassed to have lived decades without hearing them. (Kent H. Benjamin)

THE VIRTUES
Where Were You?
Zip Records
The Virtues continue the Swedish tradition of keeping the musical traditions of the 60's burning into the 21st century. Where Were You? is a total knockout of a record with a complete set of brilliantly tuneful guitar-pop led off by the excellent title-track and topped by the brilliant second song, "A Good Day To Be Out." The record positively soars from start to finish with a near-perfect blend of the Byrds and the Shake Some Action-era Flamin' Groovies. There is also a nice blend of edgier, garagey songs ("Idiot Box") and some very gentle subdued ballads ("Won't Wait" and "1994"). And in the other great Swedish tradition of having to have just the right vintage sound, this record exudes analog warmth and authentic instrumental tones. --Andy Smith

THE VISIBLE MEN
Love: 30 (LEISURE KING PRODUCTIONS)
Two-thirds of The Visible Men paid their dues (if that’s the right word) with The Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Y’know the swing band that sold truckloads of albums when it was faddish. With the advent of the “new” new wave, it’s not surprising perhaps that Dustin Lanker (vocals, keyboards) and Dan Schmid (bass) have, with drummer Jordan Glenn, re-invented themselves as a trio trading off Elvis Costello and XTC riffs. If that sounds a tad mean, it’s meant to be. Maybe The Visible Men are not the bandwagon jumpers that I have painted them out to be. Let the music speak for itself, then. The sound of Love: 30 is unmistakably targeted for the late 70s, with the trio replicating very much the instrumental nuances of the Attractions. Not a bad thing in itself. And like Costello, the songwriting tends to cover a whole lot of musical bases – from pub rock to music hall, also a good sign. But somehow, the music lacks a spark to ignite this well-prepared fuel. It’s as if one is waiting for the pay-off that never comes. No hooks to write home about and often quirky for its own sake. You just sense that there is a talented bunch of musicians behind all this posturing and I do hope the Visible Men let themselves be seen the next time round. --Kevin Mathews

VR
QUIET CONTEST (POPFACTION)

The semi-acoustic slowcore band formerly known as Vehemence Realized have, after three albums, 92 gigs, and several lineups (all based around Michael Otley), fractured apart into a new group called We Are Childhood Equals (they might wanna' shorten that name to WACE!). Like the album title implies, this Richmond, Virginia trio seem to be in a race for the quietest. With the emphasis on acoustic (guitars, vocals, piano), it's up to the vocals to provide variance. It generally works (especially the songs that feature guest female vocals, drums, and viola), and "Supervision" almost comes off as a quieter Sonic Youth tune, thanks to Alicia Wade's talk/sung vocals. I can see now how the core trio went three different ways, though. Sometimes three guys that think and play too much alike have a hard time playing together, especially if one of them is "the leader." It's nothing worth crying over, but it does seem a bit of a drag that VR put out this decent album and then broke up. (d.n.l)

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