Media Blackout

Batter up! It’s the fully juiced, human-grown-hormone, steroid-fueled, extra-innings, pitcher’s-got-a-rubber-arm, corked-bat edition of Major League MB35! • Ian Hunter – Rant (True North) :: And speaking of stepping up to the plate in the late innings and blasting one out of the park, "Still Love Rock ’n’ Roll" is Ian’s greatest song about rock ’n’ roll ever. That’s right, even better than both "All The Way From Memphis" and "The Golden Age Of Rock ’n’ Roll" combined. • Punx Unite – Leaders Of Today (Side One Dummy) :: This essential 32-track throw-down admirably posits the position that punk ain’t passé — and I remember when listening to "punk rock" meant listening to "New Rose" and "Arabs In Harrods." • Lewis & Clarke — Bare Bones And Branches (Summersteps) :: An acoustic expedition that shines an intelligent revelatory light into the heart of life and love. • Laughter’s Fifth — Love As Laughter (Sub Pop) :: The more I listen, the more I dig their sloppy guitar-driven Face- meet-Crazy Horse sound and their cunning karmic lyrics like: "Shallow graves and topless babes, who will judge how you behave?" • Kyle Riabko – Before I Speak (Aware) :: I never understood how people could think that Elvis Presley was black after they heard him on the radio. Then I listened to this white teenage guitar soul prodigy. • SIZZLING PLATTER OF THE WEEK: A Second Tribute To Jandek – Down In A Mirror (Summersteps) :: Imagine Dylan ripped out of his gourd on acid, cutting a trippy tune for the Easy Rider sound track. Well, that’s what Brother JT has done on his cover of Jandek’s "Message to the Clerk" and that’s reason enough to buy this compilation. Another reason: liner notes by Gary Pig Gold. • Be seeing you! Jeffrey Morgan is a freelance writer. Send comments to letters@metrotimes.com