Various Artists - Rock Stars Kill LP + 7"

Kill Rock Stars (1994)

Recently, my buddy Alan and I were talking about the albums that were most influential to us. In fact we did a whole YouTube live stream about it if it's something you'd be interested in (YouTube: Perfectly Excellent).  The topic wasn't necessarily our favorite records of all time, but those really important ones that were life changing and sent us down different paths.  One of the five records I selected was this compilation album that I heard for the first time in 1994 early on during my senior year of high school.  It then dawned on me that I still only had the CD that I bought back then and never picked up a copy on vinyl.  Due to its importance, I felt that I really needed to correct this.

In 1994 I started to go through something of a musical crisis.  The hip hop landscape was drastically and rapidly changing into something that I didn't really like the sound of anymore.  I knew absolutely nothing about anything that was going on outside of the hop hop world until a friend of mine, Scott, played me the Beck album Mellow Gold because there were a few songs on there that he thought sounded enough like the Beastie Boys for me to be interested in them.  Not only was he right about those songs, I ended up loving that album.  Especially the weirder stuff and that sent me digging around to find more things like that.  

That's where my other friend Dave came into the picture.  He wasn't even a particularly close friend at the time.  Just a guy I had a few classes with, but he was more knowledgable about punk and indie rock than I was.  He let me borrow his CD copy of this album.  When I played it for the first time, it was kind of that second awakening where I just couldn't comprehend what I was hearing.  This stuff didn't sound like anything I had ever hear before.  I had no idea that music like this was being made and even less of an idea of where to get more of it.  That led to my friend Pat taking me to Flipside records for the first time and I was finally able to really start exploring rabbit holes.

I'm pretty sure it was the diversity of sounds that really intrigued me when I first started listening to this album.  There's loud songs, quiet songs, fast songs, slow songs, weird songs, serious songs and everything in between.  There were a handful that jumped out at me immediately.  I can't tell you how much I loved (and still love) the Peechees song "Patty Coahuila."  At least the actual song after the intro thing (which is way too long).  I bought three different Smog albums trying to find a song anywhere near as good as "37 Pushups."  I was not successful.  

This compilation is where I discovered The Spinanes (who I ended up being a huge fan of, especially their first album Manos), Rancid (this is pretty much the only Rancid song I ended up liking, though enjoying this song let to Pat recommending I try out Operation Ivy) and Team Dresch (whose record I bought on an early trip to Flipside, but I didn't end up enjoying the record as much as the song on here).

This album also marked the beginning of my Compilation Era.  I bought so, so many comps during this time period as it was pretty much the most economical way to discover a whole pile of new bands all at once.  I did discover a ton of bands this way.  But all of that sort of stems from listening to this album at a very important, transitional time in my life.  I'm grateful that I heard it when I did (especially as a good amount of it doesn't really hold up to me 30+ years later) and I'm really appreciative that Dave let me borrow this.  I haven't spoken to him in over 25 years, but him lending me this album had a far more profound impact on me that I'm sure he realizes.

Various Artists - Rock Stars Kill:

https://killrockstars.bandcamp.com/album/rock-stars-kill

Melvic Centre - Trawler LP - Orange Vinyl (/254)

Brassneck (2025)

Leave it to Scott at Brassneck to find a way to break through the barrier to new music that has been forming around me over the last few years.  It's not that I don't want to hear new things, it's just that so little tends to interest me and in turn, I become one of those cranky old guys that doesn't think there are any good new bands anymore.  I'm wrong (not just about this, but in general life I'm also usually wron0 because here comes Melvic Centre with an album that knocks me off my chair.

Melvic Centre is from Australia and Trawler is their second full length album.  I am very much looking to get a copy of their first self titled LP, so if you're holding, please get in touch.  Trawler was initially released in Australia on Evil Tone records earlier this year, but Brassneck threw their hat in and this lovely orange vinyl version is on that fine label.  Bloated Kat had some copies in America, if you want to give Instagram a shot to see if they have any left.

Back to the record at hand, this is exactly what I want to listen to.  Big, chunky guitars the fuel catchy songs and vocal melodies for days.  There are so many bands that I hear when I've got Trawler on.  You can pick out the parts that sound a bit like Sugar, there's some nice Big Drill Car style vocals on certain songs, some hooks that remind me of Doughboys and the general 90s sounding nature of the recording makes me feel like I am absolutely the target demographic for something like this.  

There's one song in the middle with a bit more yelling than I prefer ("Snake Oil"), but aside from that, Trawler is pretty perfect from start to finish.  Every time I listen to it I just find myself loving it more and more.  It's one of those albums that's so completely my cup of tea that I struggle to find away to accurately convey that.  So I'll just say this.  If you read this dumb website, you probably have a pretty decent idea of the sort of rock and roll music I tend to like.  Trawler is all of those things.  You really need to listen to it if you ever bother to come here and read my ramblings.

Melvic Centre - Trawler:
https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/trawler

The Future Sound - The Whole Shabang Volume 1 3xLP

90s Tapes (2025, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

I could (and sometimes do) go on and on about what an amazing lebel 90s Tapes is.  They are the kings of the reissue game and release classic after classic, all of the absolute highest quality.  Even if the album isn't one I'm super into, the care they put into each album is the gold standard that all other labels should be held to.  Now, when you have that perfect storm of 90s Tapes tackling an album I genuinely love, that's been desperate for a real reissue, that's when the magic really starts to happen.

The Whole Shabang Volume 1 was the first and only album released by The Future Sound.  It originally came out in 1992, which I have said many times could be the absolute best year in hip hop history if you look at the overall quality of everything that was released.  Well, The Future Sound got lost in the that shuffle.  I have no memories of them from 1992 and it wasn't until decades later that I stumbled across the album on one of those internet lists touting under-appreciated albums. 

In the few years that I've been listening to The Whole Shabang, I've become completely enamored with it.  The incredible, upbeat production mixed with lyrics from Flashback and Relay create the sort of album that begs to be listened to repeatedly.  When I wrote about the original pressing of this album (a barebones, no artwork, single disc, promo only  endeavor) I compared them to UMCs and Lords of The Underground among others.   I still feel like that's the camp The Future Sound fits best in, feel good hip hop with killer production.  I wish they had the chance to follow this up with another album.

The 90s Tapes reissue is pretty much flawless.  We've finally got full artwork and the triple disc pressing not only sounds great, but includes pretty much every sound they could find that this group recorded.  Maybe noone really needs to listen to six remixes of "Lady / What's a Bro to Do?" in a row, but as a completist I sure do love having all of them at my disposal when I do want to listen to one of them.  I'm so thrilled that 90s Tapes was the label to finally reissue this semi-forgotten classic and it's on my shortlist for the best reissue I've picked up this year.

The Future Sound - The Whole Shabang Volume 1:
https://90stapes.bandcamp.com/album/the-whole-shabang-volume-1

The Blues Brothers - The Lost Recordings LP - Blue Vinyl (/2500)

Z2 (2025)

If you know me even casually, you likely know that The Blues Brothers are one of the most important things in my life.  The movie is the only favorite movie I've ever had and the music is the foundational bedrock that all of my tastes are built on.  Earlier this year there was an announcement that a comic book style graphic novel was coming out that continues the story of Jake and Elwood.  Honestly, I can't say that I was all that interested as comic books really aren't my medium of choice most of the time.  Then it was announced that there would be an obnoxious bundle with the comic, a bunch of unnecessary tchotchkes and a vinyl record of some unreleased Blues Brothers recordings.  

I begrudgingly preordered said $150 bundle as the Z2 folks indicated that it was the only way you could get the record.  Then, of course, a few months later the record became available to preorder on its own.  I was quite cranky about this, but luckily Z2 was kind enough to let me cancel the order for the bundle and I was able to pick up the album on its own.  And I am really glad this album didn't cost me $150.

That's not really to say anything bad about the contents of the record.  In fact, I find them absolutely fascinating.  It's a recording of the band essentially going through the set of their first album, which was recorded live at the Universal Amphitheater.  I believe that this is a recording of a rehearsal leading up to those shows.  You can see the evolution of what they were doing with a different intro section that wasn't built on top of "Can't Turn You Loose," but still had most of the same intro dialog from Elwood about how one day the blues would only be available in "the classical records department of your local public library."

The rest of the album is recordings of the songs that ended up on the Briefcase Full Of Blues album.  There's also two additional songs.   "Excusez Moi Mon Cherie" is here and it was the original B side from the "Soul Man" single that came out in the 1970s.  Also included is a version of "Green Onions" that is really neat and quite a bit different from the one that eventually ended up on the third Blues Brothers album, Made in America.

All of those good things said, the recording quality of the recording is not great.  It sounds like it was recorded by a tape player in the corner of the room.  Now, it seems like it was a really good tape player as the quality isn't unlistenable or anything.  But it's really lacking the fullness and low end of a professionally recorded session.  As a fly-on-the-wall document, it's an incredible, behind the scenes glimpse at an unbelievably important event, album and band.  But as a record you would sit down and listen to regularly, I can't really see why you wouldn't just pick up Briefcase Full Of Blues 99 times out of 100.

The Blues Brothers - The Lost Recordings:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k3D8KAVmMuKAPKrdj4jG4l6uxiGn3mM3A

Sultans - Shipwrecked LP - Black Vinyl (/350) & White w/ Splatter (/1600)

Swami (2025, Reissue)

Long one of the records at the tippy top of my 'never released on vinyl' want list has been the second Sultans long player, Shipwrecked.  When this was originally scheduled to be released in 2004, I was pretty excited, having enjoyed the stripped down, garage blasts of their first album.  In no way was I prepared for the fairly dramatic departure that Shipwrecked was.  Gone was the impenetrable wall of fuzz from Ghost Ship and in its place were jangly guitars that flirted with power pop sensibilities.  

When John Reis, errr...I mean Slasher, is playing guitar, his sound is always going to come through in some capacity, though these tones and arrangements weren't something that was as familiar in his work up to that point.  Shipwrecked wades into raucous pop with bright, shiny guitar chords that are still anchored in the sound that is recognizable to fans of Rocket From the Crypt, Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, etc.  It was something of a harbinger to the later Night Marchers records, but was also parked a little more firmly in a throwback to the 70s.

I have loved this record since the moment it first came out and I've been desperately hoping for a vinyl release for decades.  The Swami finally came through with this reissue.  The entire album sounds fantastic and it's clear there's been some sprucing up in terms of sound quality.  Everything sounds a little richer and clearer.  In addition to the album tracks we've got four bonuses.  "Permission to Bored and "Blow Up" from the Walk Of Shame 7" are included along with "Empty Hole" from the Swami Southwest Seance compilation 7".

To make things even better, there's a previously unreleased song, "Out Of Focus."  With it's jagged guitar riff and booming chorus, it fits in perfectly with the rest of the songs and makes this absolutely the definitive version of Shipwrecked.  Thank the Swami I can finally play this on my turntable, the way it was always meant to be listened to.

Radioactivity - Time Won't Bring Me Down LP - Green Vinyl

Dirtnap / Wild Honey (2025)

It's been two years since we had a Radioactivity album from one of my favorite songwriters, Jeff Burke.  I initially discovered Jeff through the second Marked Men album, On The Outside, when the company I worked for sent copies of it out to college radio stations in 2003.  Ever since then I have been continuously wowed by pretty much everything he's been involved in.

Time Won't Bring Me Down is another excellent entry in the Jeff Burke catalog.  It starts out like you'd hope, with fast paced, downstroke heavy, hook-filled, Marked Men-ish rippers.  I've always said that Burke has this insane mastery of having the chord progression go in the least expected direction and that's on full display here, but as usual he keeps the songs on track with vocals that tie everything together perfectly.

Like their last album, there is a an obvious focus on including a good amount of slower song, and in particular the back half of this album has a good amount of them.  While I think I'm always going to prefer the faster one, these showcase the range that Burke has when it comes to crafting impeccable songs that, at least for me, become instantly lodged into my subconscious, destined to play on an internal loop in my brain.  It's so great to have a new Radioactivity record and I plan on spending some serious quality time with it as who knows when we'll get the next one.  Hopefully it won't take ten more years.

Radioactivity - Time Won't Bring Me Down:
https://dirtnaprecords.bandcamp.com/album/radioactivity-time-wont-bring-me-down

Rascalz - Really Livin' LP - Orange Vinyl

Smoke On (2020, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Rascalz have an interesting story that I'm going to do my best to piece together as succinctly as I can with the extremely limited information that I can find online.  It all starts off in Canada in 1992 when the group was called Ragga Muffin Rascals.  They released an album called Really Livin' on in independent label.  Said album garnered the interest from Sony and they got signed to rerelease that album.  Feeling that the album was already dated and that their sound had evolved past that, the group opted to redo the album with new songs and redone versions of a few songs from that first album.  The result is pretty much a completely different album released in 1993.  Also called Really Livin', which is the part that I found confusing trying to figure out what was going on.

The 1993 version of Really Livin' is the one that Smoke On Records rereleased in 2020.  It took me a while to find a copy of this for a good price as I had missed the boat on the reissue when it first came out.  This is the first time either version of Really Livin' has been available on vinyl and it's great to have this album that was completely unknown to me when it originally came out.

Perhaps if I had grown up in Canada as opposed to New Jersey I would have been more aware of Rascalz in 1993.  But I never remember seeing them on Yo! MTV Raps or reading about them in The Source.  Much like fellow countryman Maestro Fresh Wes, it would be years and years later that I discovered their record only to be blown away and annoyed that I hadn't been able to listen to it from the jump.

This is a perfectly produced 1993 style record.  Lots of upright bass riffs, giving it that jazzy undertone, while having the loud cracking snare drum bits and hard hitting percussion that keeps things sounding energetic and harder than some of the sleepy production of the later 90s.  Lyrically, they remind me a little bit of the Pharcyde in places, but mostly due to the how the vocals sound and the cadence a bit.  The whole package doesn't really sound anything like The Pharcyde, but the vocals combined with the xcellent production makes this album really stand out.

It really is a great record that I feel is probably lost in time to a lot of people.  I certainly missed the boat on it completely for decades, but I'm glad that it finally hit my radar as it fits in wonderfully with the other 1993 hip hop albums that I love.

Rascalz - Really Livin'
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kMslu2PD5ISli5X-irOs4bBSqsoTBvmM8

Model Martel - A Thousand Couple Times LP - Orange Vinyl

Snappy Little Numbers (2025)

An album being on Snappy Little Numbers is usually all that it takes to stir my interest.  It's a label with a remarkable string of quality records that always has way more hits than misses, so I'm going to pay attention as it is.  Throw in a band name that references pro wrestling, and not only am I paying attention, but now I'm setting expectations.  You don't want to waste a good band name on a band that's bunk.

Luckily for all involved, Model Martel lives up to their name and their label.  This quartet has put together an album of punk-adjacent songs that are heavy on melody, choruses and hooks that get lodged in your head pretty easily.  I say punk-adjacent because the ethos is surely there.  There's that energy and scrappiness that are the hallmarks of of any good punk rock record, but this is a band that's not yelling or hollering or playing a million miles an hour for the sake of it.  They're crafting songs that draw equally from the 90s alternative rock cannon (the good stuff, not like Stone Temple Pilots) as they are from their Lookout records catalog.

Also, I feel the need to call out how much I like the vocals.  So often these days there's a band that's playing something I like musically, but as soon as the singer steps up to the microphone, I'm out.  There's this thing that seems to be going around that requires bands making melodic punk records to scream over the top of them as opposed to sing.  Not the case here.  There's a roughness to the vocals that keep them authentic, but not in a way where the inherent melody is being sacrificed.  It's good stuff and I wish more bands could pull it off.

Just as I was lamenting the lack of good new records by new bands, here comes Model Martel to make a liar out of me.  It's probably the best debut album I've heard this year by a long shot and easily among the overall ten best albums of 2025.  Definitely worth checking out.

Model Martel -  A Thousand Couple Times:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/a-thousand-couple-times

Lutheran Heat - Hi Again LP

Pinata (2025)

Maybe you remember 2016?  Much of it is a blur to me in that way that it seems like it was yesterday and there isn't much of consequence to remember.  While at the same time it was nine years ago and well enough in the past to legitimately forget a lot of what happened because you're old now.  Once of the things I didn't forget about was the band Lutheran Heat.  Their album from that year, Louder From The Other Side, was one of my favorites.  And then they just kind of vanished.  Maybe not to the folks lucky enough to have them playing shows locally, but as far as a record releasing entity, that was the last I heard of them.

And here we are, nine years later.  Lutheran Heat is back with their new album, Hi Again.  Despite the length of time between records, this one picks up right where the other one left off.  Jangly guitar that drives the sounds forward in a way that's bouncy, catchy and the exact sort of thing that's helpful to listen to when you might need your spirits raised up a bit.  Whenever I listen to them, the band that comes to mind most often for me is Title Tracks.  Even though Lutheran Heat doesn't have a sound that's quite as frantic and the recording fidelity is significantly cleaner, there's still something about the two bands that strike me the same way and it's an energy that I wish more bands had.

Lutheran Heat is tight as all get out and the alternating female/male vocals create dynamic songs.  When those vocals combine into any of the album's memorable harmonies there's something textural that happens to the music that I'm having a difficult time describing (likely because I don't write particularly well).  But needless to say, these songs soar and I'm just loving every second of this record.

That brings me to my only complaint.  The seconds on this record.  There aren't nearly enough of them with only eight songs on the album.  Having 12 songs like their debut would have only made me love it more, but I'll take eight over none any day of the week.  

Lutheran Heat - Hi Again:
https://lutheranheat.bandcamp.com/album/hi-again

Mad Skillz - From Where??? 2xLp + 7" (/750)

90s Tapes (2023, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

This is another one of those albums that's been in my backlog to write about for ages.  90s Tapes rereleased this back in 2023.  Even though that doesn't necessarily make this the most timely time to write about From Where???, it has given me a good amount of time to sit with a record I had never heard before picking up.

The story goes is that Mad Skillz debut album, packed with top tier producers and guest appearances, was dropped in 1996 the same day as a 2 Pac record and The Fugees.  This led to it being drastically overshadowed and resulted in Mad Skillz being dropped.  Which led to him changing his name to just Skillz and taking another swing at things in the early 2000s.  By 1996, I wasn't paying attention to hip hop at all really, so I wasn't aware of this album.  I'm not sure how I would have felt about it if I had heard it at the time.  I think that if From Where??? had dropped in 1993, I would have been into it.

We've got a rogues gallery of producers on here including Large Professor, The Beatnuts, Buckwild and J Dilla.  They've put together an album that's full of cool and interesting beats that are way better than the bulk of production that was happening in 1996.  That said, it does still suffer from slow-tempo-itis for the bulk of the album.  Don't get me wrong, it's good.  It's very good, in fact, if you think about the year it came out.  But I'm always going to be more interested in an album that has some higher bpm numbers.

Lyrically, Mad Skillz can really hold it down.  He reminds me a lot of Maestro Fresh Wes in his voice, cadence and subject matter.  He spends a lot of time talking about how good he is in relation to his geography.  Just as Maestro Fresh Wes liked to spit about how good he was despite being from Canada, Mad Skillz treads similar territory, but swapping Canada for Virginia.  This isn't a dig.  I love Maestro Fresh Wes, so if you have something in common with him, I'm going to be OK with that.  Guest verses by the aforementioned Large Pro and Q-Tip don't hurt either.

This is a fun record.  I wish it was a little faster and had it come out a few years earlier it probably would have been.  Considering the desert that 1996 hip hop was, Mad Skillz and From Where??? stand out as being among the top tier of that year.

Mad Skillz - From Where???:

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n5AE8o7T2ysIpYQmlSf5PRrVRRVORV35M

Fig Dish – That’s What Love Songs Often Do 2xLp - Blue Vinyl (/500)

Forge Again (2025, Reissue)

This is one of those records that I was worried would never come out on vinyl.  Despite how much I love Fig Dish, along with a cadre of friends whose taste in music I trust very much, I was worried they were being forgotten.  Then came last year's release of the 'lost' fourth Fig Dish album, Feels Like The Very First Two Times.  That got my hopes up that we might actually see the release of the band's two major label albums from the 90s.  And Forge Again followed through with the first of those two, That's What Love Songs Often Do.

Originally released in 1995 on Atlas/Polygram, this was Fig Dish's first foray into the major league feeding frenzy on 1990s rock and roll.  I can't say that I have a lot of perspective on how it was received upon release.  I was 18 at the time, and I don't think I actually stumbled across them until sometime in 1996.  And that stumbling occurred in the used/cut out bin of my favorite record store.  Though Fig Dish's appearance in that sort of bin was not limited to that one store, as I did see them there kind of frequently.  

Assured that the record was more than worth the dollar or two price tag on the CD, I picked it up and for the next 30 years never understood why they weren't more lauded and appreciated.  I love this record and always have.  It's got that perfect, huge 90s guitar sound that cranks through song after song of earworm-ridden hooks.  This is a band that really got how to put a song together for maximum catchiness, while keeping the tempo of the album varied and interesting.

This has been one of my most wanted albums on vinyl for ages.  The fact that I'm finally holding it, along with some pretty heavy hints that we're also going to get their subsequent album, When Shove Goes Back To Push, is cause for immediate celebration.  Thank you to Forge Again for releasing this classic and to Fig Dish for creating it.

Fig Dish – That’s What Love Songs Often Do:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kdHZsWRzBRvu89c0Zdn8CXu8hJCmf1NO0

Superchunk – Songs In The Key Of Yikes - Orange & Black Swirl Vinyl

 

Merge (2025)

I will readily admit that I was very disappointed in Superchunk's last album, Wild Loneliness.  It was slow and kind of boring, in my opinion.  I've always preferred the faster, punkier Superchunk songs and that album didn't click with me.  Luckily, there's no shortage of Superchunk albums out there that will give me that fix, but I can't say I was particularly excited or expecting a whole lot when they announced this year's new record, Songs in the Key of Yikes.

As long as they keep making Superchunk records, I'll keep buying them.  So, as usual I preordered the new one without listening to anything.  Once I put it on, I was pleasantly surprised.  It's much better than Wild Loneliness.  While I can't fathom they'll ever hit the highs they hit in the 90s for me (seeing them close their set opening for Rocket From The Crypt with "Slack Motherfucker," "Precision Auto" and "Hyper Enough" pretty much confirmed my opinion of that), this is a solid record, with upbeat and catchy songs.  The mope is on the back burner and the hooks are at the forefront.

Thirteen albums (and forty-five 7" singles) into their career, I don't know exactly what I could possibly say about Superchunk that wouldn't be a rehash of anything else I've ever said.  If you are reading anything that I write, the odds of you not having your own opinion of Superchunk already seems absurd.  You know what they sound like.  You know they're great most of the time.  All I can really tell you is that this is one of their their records with upbeat songs than slower ones.  It's on the more subdued side of their upbeat catalog, but it's a good record.  I dig it and unlike a couple of their other albums, I will definitely listen to this one from time to time.

Superchunk – Songs In The Key Of Yikes:
https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/album/songs-in-the-key-of-yikes

Casual - Meanwhile... 2xLP (/200)

Trumindz (2025, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Casual's debut, Fear Itself, is one of my favorite records in the history of hip hop.  Easy top five, probably top three.  Jive dropped him before he had a chance to release a follow up and it wasn't until 1997 that Casual released Meanwhile.  It was independantly released via Hieroglyphics own label, Hiero Imperium, and only came out on cassette.  I picked that up off the Hiero website in 97 while I was in college.  I liked it well enough, but I remember being a little disappointed with it considering how much I loved his first album.

Truth be told, I wasn't really in a space to appreciate a good hip hop album in 1997.  I wouldn't go so far to say I was against hip hop or anything like that, but I was really sour about how much the sound had changed and the type of music that I had identified with in formative high school years had kind of left me behind to seek fame and riches.  When Dope Folks released a barebones vinyl version of Meanwhile a few years ago, I reevaluated it and found that it had aged so much better than I had remembered it.  Are the beats on par with Fear Itself? Not exactly, but they're still really good.  Especially in comparison to what was being shoveled out by most rappers in 1997.

Up to that point we had a self released tape and a single LP with a generic sleeve for Meanwhile's official releases.  But finally, nearly 30 years later, Trumindz stepped up to the plate of put out a double LP version with full artwork, remastered and with a bonus track.  This is absolutely the definitive version of this album.  It looks great and sounds great, finally elevating this release to something that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the other incredible Hieroglyphics releases of this era.  

I'm so thrilled we finally have this version and can only hope that Trumindz decides to give the same sort of love and attention to The Shamen record that got a barebones CD release on Hiero Imperium in the early 2000s.  To me, that's the last crown jewel of the Hiero catalog that needs the deluxe reissue (though I certainly wouldn't turn down more Hiero Oldies and Hiero B Sides reissues).

Casual - Meanwhile...

https://casual1.bandcamp.com/album/meanwhile

Diaz Brothers - The World Is Yours LP - White Vinyl

Dead Broke / Serial Bowl / Waterslide / Break The Silence (2025)

I have a very hard time coming to grips with the fact that the first Diaz Broithers record came out five years ago already.  I also acknowledge that the old man time-goes-by-so-fast-now trope is also a bit tiring and overused.  But I'm one for a good trope and I feel like it's an easy way to explain that the first album still sounds so fresh, exciting and vibrant I haven't really filed it into 'old friend' status yet.  It's a record I'll put on when I want to hear something new instead of an old standard.  But again, I've been doing that for five years now and that doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

What will definitely move the Diaz Brothers' debut to that 'old friend' status is their new album The World Is Yours.  The fact that anyone is making music like this in 2025 is miraculous and anyone longing for those sounds of the mid 90s melodic punk scene in the UK, your ship has come in.  Sharing members with HDQ and The Jones, you're going to find that electric guitar work that fits so elegantly in the Hammond/Stubbs school of riffage and that's something I find to be in tragically short supply these days.

What sets Diaz Brothers apart from the few bands that do dip their toe into this sort of sound is how the vocals are just head and shoulders above what you tend to hear.  Rather than someone shouting like a malfunctioning Decepticon, Dave "Golly" Golledge has complete control of his vocal apparatus, weaving together melody with a passionate, intense delivery that so excellently complements the guitar maelstrom being thrown around by Mike Jones and Neal Cox.  It all comes together so perfectly and would fit right in with your favorite record of the 90s, while still having the sort of electricity that makes it feel like a new record that's currently relevant, not some nostalgic throwback.

I couldn't possibly say enough good things about The World Is Yours.  It's giving me exactly what I want to listen to when it comes to melodic punk rock.  I only wish there were more bands that could capture this sort of lightning in a bottle in 2025.  It would sure make putting together a top records of the year list a lot easier as Diaz Brothers will certainly be in the upper echelon of this year's list.

Diaz Brothers - The World Is Yours:
https://deadbrokerekerds.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-yours

Godzilla Minus One Soundtrack 2xLP

Rambling Records (2023)

While this isn't the last kaiju soundtrack I have on deck, this is the last Godzilla one.  Shin Godzilla hasn't had a vinyl release, but since that's a standalone movie and not part of a series of soundtracks, I don't feel the need to call out any record labels for not releasing it.  It would be nice to have at some point, and I assume that a label will get to it eventually.

But to the matter at hand, we have the soundtrack to Godzilla Minus One, with the bulk of the score composed by Naoki Sato, with a little bit of Akira Ifukube as all good Godzilla soundtracks should have.  The movie was spectacular and I cannot possibly recommend it highly enough.  Stop whatever you are doing right now and go watch it.  Even my wife loved it and she doesn't really care for Godzilla movies.  It's everything you want in a Godzilla film and I'm so excited to see where they go with these characters next.

The soundtrack doesn't get me quite as excited as the movie does.  And that isn't because it's bad or anything.  The score is just very somber and low key for the non-Godzilla scenes.  They work perfectly in the context of the movie, but as standalone music, it becomes a bit atmospheric and lost into the background for me.  But when the music hits for Godzilla appearances, it's as loud, chaotic and frantic as you want it to be.

I ended up getting the Japanese version on Rambling as opposed to the US version that Waxwork put out.  I didn't specifically avoid the US version or go after the Japanese version, this one just ended up being the one I could get first.  The Waxwork one looks great though and were it not for the fact that I'm very consciously trying to cut down on variant collecting, I'd want that in the collection as well.  

Godzilla Minus One Soundtrack:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mhw_lbL2k89bu3WU1uT_J47dBTvWUMOTQ

Godzilla: Final Wars Soundtrack - This Does Not Exist on Vinyl

 

Before I move on to another Godzilla Soundtrack write up tomorrow, I just want to remind the world that chronologically, Godzilla: Final Wars should be next.  But much like their omission of Godzilla vs Biollante, Death Waltz and Mondo never released a vinyl version of Godzilla Final Wars.  I don't know why because they never said.  They just stopped releasing Godzilla soundtracks.

Here's to hoping they start that back up again someday, or someone else comes to the rescue.

Ase Man - Step Into The A.M. 3xLP

90s Tapes (2025, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

I can't say that I was familiar with Ase Man when I got his record along with the two Southpaw releases that 90s Tapes put out a few months ago.  Step Into The A.M. originally came out in 1997, which puts it deeper into the 90s than I typically prefer, though indie releases tend to age better for me than what was happening on the majors during that time.  

It's typically the production that lets me down in the late 90s, but Ase Man avoids this pitfall and has an album with robust production with those loud drums that I think is so important to hip hop.  As a whole the album is slower tempo than a lot of my favorites, and that's another part of the latter half of the 1990s that bugs me - slower songs, but Ase Man doesnt sacrifice enthusiasm and energy on these lower bpm tracks.

Lyrically, Ase Man carries this record just fine.  He's not top tier or the sort of MC that will reveal himself to be a forgotten revelation or anything like that.  But he's very good, has a strong voice and can keep track of rhymes that serve the stories he's telling.  His cadence reminds me a bit of Akinyele, but without that strange guttural noise that Akinyele randomly throws into his verses, which is a massive improvement.  All in all, a very good record by a new-to-me rapper that I'm happy to add into the collection.  90s Tapes strikes again.

Ase Man - Step Into The A.M.:
https://90stapes.bandcamp.com/album/step-into-the-a-m

Gentleman Jesse – I Wonder If You Would Even Notice - Singles And Rarities LP - Translucent White ("Natural") Vinyl (/200)

Beach Impediment (2025)

There was a time when I was beyond obsessed with everything that Gentleman Jesse put out.  That sweet period of time between the release of their first single and their second LP, Leaving Atlanta, saw the release of classic song after classic song.  Many were included on those first two LPs.  Many more were scattered across various other releases.  There was then a long period of inactivity before Jesse came back with the last LP, Lose Everything in 2021.  A few years later we have this newly released singles comp.

This collection starts off with my favorite Gentleman Jesse song and the one that was the first thing I heard after seeing that Jesse was also in the Carbonas, who were another band that was reasonably new to me at the time.  "I Don't Wanna Know (Where You Been Tonight)" is one of those perfect power pop songs that is as catchy as it is fun.  I was floored by it and immediately tried to find what else was out there.  At the time, not much but the first LP on Douchemaster came out pretty soon after my initial discovery.

This song is just one of many, many amazing compositions on this LP.  16 songs in total, though the accompanying Bandcamp download has another seven extra songs.  Why? I don't know.  But more Gentleman Jesse is typically better than less. All of the tracks from the first few years of singles and compilations are present along with some unreleased outtakes and demos.  If you don't already have these singles (for shame), this is an absolutely essential record to pick up.  Even if you do already have everything, there's still new tracks on here to enjoy and I've always loved singles comps and how they let you listen to a cross section of the band's catalog while only  having to flip a record once.

They also have this really great T shirt that's a spoof on the Sound Sleeves record sleeve logo that I've been trying to get my hands on.  So if anyone has access to one of those, please get in touch! timpopkid [at] gmail [dot] com

Gentleman Jesse – I Wonder If You Would Even Notice - Singles And Rarities:
https://beachimpedimentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/i-wonder-if-you-would-even-notice-singles-and-rarities

Godzilla: Tokyo SOS Soundtrack LP - White w/ Red Splatter Vinyl & Red Vinyl (/2000)

 

Death Waltz / Mondo

Tokyo SOS is a direct follow-up to 2002's Godzilla x Mechagodzilla, making these two movies the only ones in the millennium series that aren't standalones.  Both benefit from that and I wish there had been more continuity from movie to movie in the 2000s.  Like its predecessor, this film is a high water mark for the millennium series with a great story, excellent monster fighting action and pretty much everything I'm looking for in a Godzilla movie.

The soundtrack is once again turned in by Michiru Oshima and she does her usual serviceable job.  Of the shoundtracks she's done, none of them really soar to the heights of anything Ifukube composed, but when you compare them to some other soundtracks, particularly the dreck that is Giant Monsters All Out Attack, her stuff is looking pretty good.

At this point the critiques and compliments for the vinyl release of this soundtrack are pretty much the same as they are for all of the other Death Waltz / Mondo versions.  Nice artwork that I wish had more in common with the other releases in the series, an obi, an interesting D side screen print and nothing major you can really complain about.  It's always quality work, but when you line everything up next to each other it's all so weirdly disparate that you'd never know they were all part of the same series.  Also, when you compare them to the Showa box set that Waxworks did, they tend to not seem quite as great in comparison.

This is also the last Godzilla movie soundtrack that Mondo released as they have neglected Godzilla: Final Wars the same way they neglected Godzilla vs Biollante.  It's extraordinarily frustrating to have those massive holes in the collection, especially since Mondo thought it was more important to make sure that they got soundtracks out for the three 90s Mothra movies.  That's a choice I'll never understand.  And I bought those ones too, so more on those in future weeks.

Godzilla: Tokyo SOS Soundtrack ("Mothra Suite"):
https://youtu.be/0lg5dHNWUgA?si=YRkYUZKVG5ubB74L

Souls Of Mischief - No Man's Land 2xLP - Clear w/ Blue & Orange Splatter

Get On Down / Jive (2024, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

This long overdue reissue of the second Souls Of Mischief album came out as part of last year's Record Store Day Black Friday.  It has taken me a moment to write about it.  This is in large part because I've already written about this album when I picked up the original pressing of it a few years ago. I'm not as motivated to tackle an album just because it's a slightly fancier reissue.

That said, it's a slightly fancier reissue worth picking up.  It's a nice gatefold sleeve with thick card stock that is miles better than the original pressing.  My original has a pretty gnarly seam split as well, so that just makes this one even better.  The colored vinyl is sharp looking, though that means less and less to me as the years go buy.  You can usually trust Get On Down reissues to sound good, and I've heard no issues with this release.

The album itself is so much better than I gave it credit for in 1995.  I was really down on it when it was originally released, primarily because I thought the production was a step down from 93 Til Infinity.  I still think that it's a step down, but over the years I have heard so much boring, abysmal hip hop production that in comparison, No Man's Land is much better.  

As far as post-1994 hip hop goes, it's pretty elite production if we're being honest.  It's just that in 1995 I was coming right out of the golden era and was watching so much hip hop turn into something I wasn't interested in, so I had turned my attention to punk and indie rock.  But today, 30 years later in 2025. I can see this album for what it is, an unappreciated album from one of hip hop's best groups.

Souls Of Mischief - No Man's Land:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=CdRNZZPU5mI

Leatherface - The Peel Sessions LP - White Vinyl (/250)

Little Rocket (2025)

There are few bands in this world that mean more to me than Leatherface does.  I've been a fan and have been collecting their records for nearly 30 years, since the moment I bought the Do The Right Thing CD single.  The fact that there is a new release available to write about is cause for celebration as Little Rocket records has compiled the band's three BBC Peel Sessions onto a vinyl release for the first time.

I chose the white vinyl version for my collection as I've just always been a sucker for white vinyl.   But there are six different versions in total that are out there.  Four colors at 250 copies each (white, red, clear and yellow), 1000 copies on marble colored vinyl and 1000 copies on black vinyl.  I have gotten tot he point in my life where I'm trying not to collect every single variant for every single record in my collection anymore.  Though I'd love to have all six, and even though the collector inside me is chastising me for not having them all, it was just more prudent to get one copy from a US based distro.  But there's more out there if you need more.  Believe me, I get it.

On to the music.  Leatherface did three Peel Sessions in total.  One recorded in 1991, one in 1992 and their final in 1993.  The 12 tracks recorded in total is a nice cross section of their flawless discography with representation from each of their first five full lengths and a few songs from singles as well.  They're performed with the sort of energy and passion you'd expect from the band, and while everything sounds great, there's enough difference from the album versions that make the listen worthwhile.

The tracks that are the most interesting to me are the four that were recorded in 1993.  These were performed as a three piece instead of their usual four piece line-up.  Hearing these songs without Dickie Hammond's guitar complimenting Frankie Stubbs' is as jarring as it is compelling.  The songs take on a very different feel that's a little sparser, but somehow a bit more urgent sounding.  

The one that really hits for me is my favorite Leatherface song, "Do The Right Thing."  Hearing it without the phenomenal lead guitar work makes the song feel a little more approachable and less intimidating.  I'm not saying it's better, but it's definitely not worse either.  It feels like new song, but still retains the characteristics that made me fall in love with it from the moment I first heard it.

It's a little insane how long ago these songs were all recorded, but it's equally as insane how fresh, dynamic and important they still sound all of these years later.  This LP is a document of one of the greatest punk bands to have existed, and is a welcome, welcome addition to my shelves.

Leatherface - The Peel Sessions:
https://leatherface.bandcamp.com/album/the-peel-sessions

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla Soundtrack - 2xLP - Silver w/ Splatter Vinyl (/2000)

Death Waltz / Mondo (2023)

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and its sequel are definitely the high point in the Millennium Godzilla series for me.  With Godzilla's return in this 2002 movie, we've got a Godzilla design that I like (eyes that have pupils!), a compelling human story and a new version of my all-time favorite Godzilla Opponent, Mechagodzilla, or as it is known in this film, Kiryu.

I love the design of this Mechagodzilla.  It takes the sharp edges and menacing vibe of the 1974 design (still my favorite robot of all time) and modernizes it.  But they don't go as far with the rounded aerodynamics of the 1993 design.  This 2002 model sides in the middle, pulling in the right choices of both approaches for an excellent looking robot who has some great fight scenes with Godzilla.

For the soundtrack, we've thankfully moved away from the dreary synth of the GMK score and have a triumphant orchestral soundtrack courtesy of Michiru Oshima.  It's exactly what I want and might be the best non-Ifukube score in the Godzilla canon.  Soaring highs, menacing lows and an energetic pace that matches up with the action on the screen.  

Death Walt and Mondo do their typically nice work on this soundtrack.  I like the art, the colored vinyl is the right choice and the fourth side screen printing looks good.  As usual, I wish there was more uniformity from record to record in this series, but as a standalone, this one definitely looks the business.

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla:
https://youtu.be/gk-aZCm-PKI?si=iYw_9_C6MNehvKlI

Madvillain – Madvillainy Demos LP

Stones Throw (2024)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Many people have told the story of the Madvillainy demos over the years, they leaked, folks got mad, folks got excited, the album was changed before being released, people loved the new version too.  I don't have anything to add as I wasn't paying any attention to that when it was happening and final released version Madvillainy is not a record that clicked with me as much as others.  

You could say that about MF Doom in general for me.  Though I have come around on him in recent years and have added most of his records to my collection, at the end of the day, I'm still more of a Zev Love X fan.  But again, I've come around and have started to enjoy several of his records.  With that newfound respect in mind, I decided to check out the Madvillainy demos to see if I liked them more than the other version of the album.  And as it turned out, I do.

There's an energy here that I don't hear on the final version.  The beats seem to hit a little harder and the vocals are delivered in a more spirited way.  At least I think so.  Again, I'm not super familiar with the other version, but whether it's the sequencing or the versions of the songs used, this version connects more with me, to the point where I actually bought the record.  There's some meandering instrumentals that don't always land, but as 36 minute long listen, the demos version is tighter and again, just connects with me more than the other.

Madvillainy has always been one of those records that I feel like I should like more than I do based on the opinions of people whose taste I trust.  But this shorter, rougher version?  This is more my bag.

Madvillain – Madvillainy Demos:
https://madvillain.bandcamp.com/album/madvillainy-demos

The Minibosses - The Minibosses CD

Kraid (2000)

The Minibosses are (were?) a band that was primarily active in the early 2000s, but still were releasing records as recently as 2015 (if you count a split 10" with Mega Ran that had a previously released song on it).  I've been a fan of these guys for a while with their big guitar take on classic Nintendo video game music.  They've put out a few records over the years, covering some of my favorite background melodies from my early days playing video games.  This is their very first self released album from 2000 and it's one that has been eluding me for many years. 

What really surprised me when I got it is that half of the songs aren't covers of video game songs.  They're originals.  With vocals.  Was not expecting that and after listening to them I can understand why they decided to pretty much switch to an all instrumental, all covers version of the band after this.  As far as video game covers, we have six in total.

Of those six, four of them ("Ghosts 'N' Gobilns," "Contra," "Castlevania" and "Metroid") have ended up on other records of theirs.  These versions sound a little rougher, I suppose, but they still sound great with the guitar virtuosity shining through as always.  Two of the video game covers have only been put out on this album, "Wizards and Warriors" and "Castlevania 2."  I think at some point I had MP3s of both of these from maybe Napster or something like that, but I'm happy to have official versions of them finally.

I'm not really sure what happened to this band lately.  They were fundraising to do another album a few years ago, but it never came out and honestly, I'm not really sure what ended up happening with that.  I do hope they come back eventually though, I always enjoy those nostalgic listens to music that I didn't know was clawing its way into my head back in the late 80s.

The Minibosses - "Wizards & Warriors":
https://youtu.be/-r2SwzRpZgk?si=mJjDhZmIQo709wbx

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack Soundtrack 2xLP - Red, Purple & Orange Vinyl (/2000)

Death Waltz / Mondo (2023)

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack is an excellent Godzilla movie.  There is a lot to like about the storyline, the overall presentation of the main monsters, tha kaiju battling and general satisfaction I have watching this film.  There are, however, two big things I do not like about this movie.

The first is that I hate that Godzilla's eyes do not have pupils.  I get it that it's part of the overall storyline with Godzilla having the spirits of fallen Japanese soldiers lashing out against Japan.  It's meant to be a more ghostly, menacing vibe.  For me, it looks like forgot to finish that part of the suit and it really irks me.  Shin Godzilla is probably the only Godzilla design I dislike more.

The other part of this movie that I don't like is this soundtrack.  Gone are the lush orchestral passages and intense marching motifs.  Nope, this soundtrack is a synth-heavy, ambient snooze fest.  You can barely hear it most of the time and the times that you do hear it I tend to wish I wasn't hearing it.  Luckily it's not ultra intrusive and you can kind of tune it out while watching the actual movie, but listening to it as a standalone soundtrack really drives home how insufferable I think it is.  It just doesn't feel like Godzilla to me.

The vinyl presentation is nice as always.  I did the art, the colored vinyl and the side D screen print.  But this is very much just a shelf filler for me.  I need it for completist purposes, but I assure you I will never listen to it unless in 20 years I just forgot how much I don't like it and need a refresher.

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack:
https://youtu.be/_2-oMGeVXO4?si=XeaEbkAdqc10lQ8q

Juggaknots - Re:Release 2xLP (/500)

90s Tapes (2022, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

This is another one of those albums that I've had in my to-write-about pile for a few years now.  Why have I not written about it yet?  I couldn't really tell you.  I've listened to it and I like it, but it's one of those albums that I have a hard time articulating my thoughts about.  It's not exactly in the pocket of my favorite sounds of hip hop, yet I still find it very engaging.

The first, first version of this album was an eight song version that came out on Fondle 'Em records back in 1996.  Over the years, it's be reissued several times, with more tracks being added over the years until we get to this 23 track behemoth on 90s Tapes.  The Juggaknots are heralded as being one of those early indie rap acts that separated themselves from the direction that hip hop was moving in the mid 90s.  While I find that admirable, I wish that had happened a few years prior so that the production sound that I like had an offshoot I could have followed.

While I do like the beats on this record, they are a lot slower than what I typically enjoy.  There's interesting sounds here and the deliberate, borderline sludgy vibe of songs like "Jivetalk" really work with the lyrical delivery, but I tend to still find myself wishing things were just a little faster.  That aforementioned lyrical delivery is the highlight of this entire album.  

The MCs involved spin convoluted tales with no shortage of adjectives and rhyme structures.  There's an early Kool Keith vibe as far as how the lyrics are constructed, before he went off into outer space.  Though the delivery isn't that nasal, choppy flow that Keith was known for.  This is a slower, smoother and more deliberate flow, but sacrificing none of the complexity and wittiness.  Again, it's an album that sits a little outside of my usual wheelhouse, but the quality is so staggeringly high that it overcomes the style choices that would typically make me look elsewhere for my hip hop.

Juggaknots - Re:Release:
https://juggaknots.bandcamp.com/album/re-release

Godzilla vs. Megaguirus Soundtrack LP - Clear w/ Orange & Yellow Splatter Vinyl (/2000)

Death Waltz / Mondo (2023)

The second movie in the Godzilla Millennium series was Godzilla vs Megaguirus.  While it uses essentially the same suit as Godzilla 2000, it's not a direct sequel or related to that movie in any way.  It's another complete reboot of Godzilla that acknowledges the events in the 1954 movie (sort of) and that's about it.  I don't know why they did it that way.  I can understand the need to reboot Godzilla every so often so you can reuse some of his more famous adversaries, but I would prefer the reboots be starting up a new series with new continuity from movie to movie.  Having the Millennium series be several standalone reboots has always made it more difficult for me to get invested in them.  Though to be fair, the up and down quality of each film doesn't really help in that regard.

Godzilla vs Megaguirus is an alright movie.  I just rewatched it so it would be more fresh in my mind and it's another one that I'm not sure I had seen since originally picking up the DVD 20+ years ago.  The human storyline isn't as good as the one from Godzilla 2000, though the monster fight scenes are maybe a little better.  I'm not sure Megaguirus really works as a compelling adversary as it's another one of those morphing-through-various-stages type of monsters that I think slow things a little.  Plus when one of its main features is that it flies really fast, you get a lot of Godzilla standing around shooting off his atomic heat ray and not as much rock 'em  sock 'em as I'd like.  It's fine, but not amongst the great Godzilla films.

Michiru Ohshima handles the soundtrack and it's serviceable enough.  Like all Godzilla scores, it feels like it comes alive the most when an Akira Ifukube passage sneaks in.  But Michiru Ohshima does a good enough job having the music be plaintive when necessary and rousing when the action kicks in.  Like the movie it scores, this soundtrack is fine, but not great.

Death Waltz and Mondo do a good enough job with the presentation of this soundtrack, but we have yet another annoying slipcover that adds nothing and diminishes the otherwise excellent artwork of Attack Peter.  I don't know why they are so obsessed with these extra slipcovers.  All they do is increase costs and there hasn't been a single one that is any better for having it.  I do really like the D side screen prints they've been putting on the vinyl though, that's always a nice touch.

If I wan't trying to collect all of the Godzilla soundtracks, is this one that I'd buy on its own?  Doubtful.  I can't imagine playing it all that often, but it's nice to know it's on the shelf if the mood strikes me.

Godzilla vs. Megaguirus:
https://youtu.be/oFjT1F8lkBo?si=VrHoCHn-sIog-gUR

Tha Alkaholiks - Likwidation 2xLP + 7"

90s Tapes (2023, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for thirty plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

I didn't listen to Tha Alkaholiks back in the 90s.  I discovered them much later, after hearing their 1993 debut 21 & Over.  That record really impressed me and sort of annoyed me that I hadn't heard it back when it came out.  I think I would have liked it even more back then, but don't get me wrong, I really dig it now as well.  From there I hunted down a copy of their 1995 album Coast II Coast.  I didn't really like this one as much.  Lyrically, it was quite good, perhaps even an improvement over their debut.  But the production was that post 1994 style that I'm not always loving as much as earlier hip hop releases.  Plus the fact that I overpaid collector prices for a copy stung my wallet a little harder than usual.

You'd think going to a bands 1997 release after not loving their 1995 release would be a fool's errand.  But sometimes I'm a glutton for punishment and when 90s Tapes did a double drop of reissues of Coast II Coast (I should have waited for this instead of buying the copy I did a year earlier!) and 1997's Likwidation, I decided to grab the one I was missing anyway.  

I think I like it better than Coast II Coast as the production is better in places.  But in other places it's kind of the same.  We don't have golden era 1993 style beats here and that's what I miss the most about hip hop.  Again, on the mic, the Liks are great.  I really dig most of the vocal performances, but the production isn't quite my cup of tea in spots.  Though I think the biggest issue I have with the album is that it's just way too long.  It's an hour and 13 minutes and that's just too much for me at the best of times.  There are enough songs on here with beats I really like that I think you could trim this up a bit and have a really solid record.

Inconsistent feelings about the album itself aside, you really can't go wrong with this 90s Tapes pressing.  If you want the record, this is the version to get.  No one does reissues better than 90s Tapes and once again they've outdone themselves with this version.  I really wish they did a version of 21 & Over.  My favorite Alkaholiks record reissued by my favorite hip hop label?  You know I'm double dipping on that one.

Tha Alkaholiks - Likwidation:

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mi0gOaOcBS7hBNFzLw3ik-kahNx0r0CvU

Charlie Continental - Singles & Jingles 2016-2021 Cassette

Snappy Little Numbers (2025)

Charlie Continental has a new release with a tape compiling a bunch of songs from other releases from 2016 to 2021.  Some of these I've heard before, others, not so much but it's always a nice thing for me to have tracks collected onto a single release.  Even if it's on a cassette.

I'm not going to go into the what tracks are from where game.  There's a little blue piece of paper with the tape that lays that out for you, but they are from tapes, flexis and comps that perhaps fell under the radar for some people.  Listening to them all in a row as an album vs here and there on other releases helps everything out a lot, particularly the short songs which somehow feel more substantial in the context of an album.

You've got some mid tempo rockers like "Monotony of Care" and "We're Getting Fixed."  There's quick hit jingles like "Quit Wastin' My Time" and "Nothing But Time."  There's even a ska song when "Be Much Better" comes on.  My favorite of the bunch is "Come Howl With Us" which hits me in a Sedatives sort of way with it's darker vibe, though maybe the spooky backing vocals could be taken down just a notch.

You might know Charlie's work with Spells, but there's something very charming about the cobbled together feel of this tape that hits in a very different, but equally excellent way.  It's definitely worth checking out.

Charlie Continental - Singles & Jingles 2016-2021:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/singles-jingles-2016-2021

Big Daddy Kane - Looks Like A Job For... LP

Cold Chillin' / Reprise (1993)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Big Daddy Kane.  When I started listening to hip hop in 1990, Big Daddy Kane seemed really lame to me.  The albums he had out during this time were Taste of Chocolate and Prince of Darkness and when I was 13 years old I couldn't tell the difference between any of his videos and when something like Father MC came on Yo! MTV Raps.  I thought there was too much R&B influence and it seemed like everything was a love song.  In the parlance of the era, it was pretty wack.

I didn't really know anything about his earlier records where he was considered one of the elite lyricists in the early stages of the Golden Era.  There was no internet to check anything out and I wasn't about to spend my hard earned lawn mowing money on a 3 year old record that maybe was better than the stuff I was hearing.  Not to mention the pages of The Source were littered with articles taking shots at his smooth lover persona.  When Looks Like A Job For... came out in 1993, I was pretty unaware of it being any different than what I had heard previously.

I have been rereading old issues of The Source lately and came across an interview with Kane in a 93 issue talking about this record.  He pushed back hard enough on his reputation at the time that I figured I'd give it a chance.  I'm glad I did, this record is really good.  It's not as cutting edge or innovative as other records that were hitting in 1993, but it's a mighty fine, straight up hip hop record.  The production is strong, if not remarkable, all the way through and Kane can more than hold his own on the mic.  The bulk of the album is about Kane reminding folks that he's an MC that shouldn't be messed with and he does that well.

The only bad thing I can say about the album is there is one song, "Very Special," that is exactly everything I ever hated about Big Daddy Kane and the entire sub-genre of romantic rap music.  It's just the dirt worst R&B production, complete with the crooning backing oohs and ahhs.  The raps are silly and delivered at a snails pace.  It's the only song like this on an otherwise great record, but it grinds everything to a screeching halt.  Aside from that, wonderful stuff and I'm glad I was able to hunt down a copy of this in really nice condition.  It's probably a record overdue for a reissue.

Big Daddy Kane - Looks Like A Job For..:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kE1j_NqoraDG5yxhGL6xdy85owsjoFCRA

Godzilla 2000: Millennium Soundtrack LP - Black w/ Orange and Black w/ Yellow Vinyl (/2000)

Death Waltz / Mondo (2023)

Even though they left Godzilla vs Biollante out of their Heisei series soundtracks (I'm not going to let that one go), that didn't stop Mondo and Death Walt from digging int the Millennium series of films at the same time.  Once again, these weren't released in chronological order and they also never released on of the soundtracks from this series either, but I'll try to add some order to the chaos by starting with the soundtrack for the first film in the series Godzilla 2000: Millennium.

The movie holds a special place in my heart as it was the first real Godzilla film I got to see in a movie theater (1998 remains a fever dream).  I think the last time a Godzilla movie played in American theaters before this was Godzilla 1985, which neither of my parents took me to.  Granted, the version I got to see of Godzilla 2000 in the theaters was a dubbed version (Let's Get Ready to Crumble, as the poster said), it still made the movie special and take on a larger than life feel.

The movie itself is fine.  I actually like the human story quite a bit with the dude and his daughter running the self made Godzilla tracking business that's one step ahead of the government.  The heelish government guy also does a lot of the heavy lifting in this movie pulling over dramatic faces when the plot points hit.  The Godzilla suit design is great, but the building smashing is only OK.  He's also got a monster fight with Orga, which is pretty boring if I'm being honest.  Still, a solid if not spectacular film.

The soundtrack is by Takayuki Hattori, of Godzilla vs Space Godzilla soundtrack fame.  Like that soundtrack, this one is kind of boring.  It's mostly kind of quite for the bulk of the movie and really only gets goinf when it brings in some of the classic Ifukube music from earlier G movies.  The vinyl on this is lovely, though I'm not sure the cover artwork itself feels like it fits the vibe of the movie even though the plastic clear slipcover thing is pretty neat.  I'm just happy it exists at all, which is more than I can say about two other soundtracks that Mondo should have released.

Godzilla 2000: Millennium:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbiNOQhDiCE&ab_channel=LandWarriorII

Scientifik - Criminal LP - Clear w/ Splatter Vinyl (/50)

de Rap Winkel (2019, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

The story of Scientifik is one of those ones that is a little difficult to unravel with information on the internet.  it never ceases to amaze me how little actual information is left on out there as websites wither on the vine and fade into oblivion.  I can only imagine that will happen with this site eventually someday as well.  A far cry from the cries of 'it will be on the internet forever' that once were prevalent.

Anyway, Scientifik recorded this album in the early 90s.  It may have been released in 1994, or maybe it was just supposed to be released.  It seems that the original label that was putting it out went under, but on discogs a cassette version exists as does a white sleeve with sticker LP.  Son't know what actually happened, but for sure this was not released with much fanfare in 1994.  It took years for labels to get it together for a reissue and that's happened several times now.  This version is from 2019 on de Rap Winkel, though it was recently reissued again and should be easier to track down than my copy was when I picked it up a couple of years ago.  Yes, this is another one that has lingered in the piles for a while.

And why has it lingered?  Because it's consistently good, but never really rises to great for me.  I like it, I have nothing bad to say about it, but I also don't get particularly excited about it.  The production is strong, but the songs are on the slower side of things and have more in common with the beats of 1995 and beyond than a lot of what was happening in 93 and 94.  So maybe this one was ahead of the time with Diamond D, Buckwild and even RZA handling beats.  It's never so slow that it isn't enjoyable, I just like some higher BPMs in my production.

Scientifik is great on the mic.  He weaves together stories with showy lyrical structures that never get in the way of the narrative.  When combined with the grimy production, it's definitely a vibe and has a sinister undertone without being over the top or campy.  A really strong overall package.  Like I said, I can't really say anything on here is bad or even less than very good, but it never totally connects for me to make it elite.  Regardless, it is a record I will want to listen to from time to time and I'm glad to have it available on the shelf.

 Scientifik - Criminal:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nTijSXdF0Nlw1r8mvWePTdDtLSo0qU3EM

Shipyards - About Light LP

Waterslide / Imakinn (2024, Reissue)

Here we have the companion to last Monday's post.  About Lights is the second Shipyards full length and has also been lovingly brought to vinyl for the first time by the kind folks at Waterslide and Imakinn.  The album originally came out in 2014 and while it was their sophomore effort, it was the first album of theirs that I had heard.

And I just loved it.  It's that strain of melodic punk that firmly fits into the Snuffy Smile vein that started in the 90s.  It's everything that I love about Japanese punk rock.  They're writing catchy punk songs, but these songs are crafted so expertly and played so perfectly it's just stunning.  Everything about it is pefect.  The recording and performances are rough enough that they're authentic, but it never sounds lo fi or under recorded.  Every song rides that line and the end result is everything that I love about this style of music.

I don't feel that there are many bands making records like this anymore.  To be fair, even this one came out 11 years ago at this point.  Regardless, Shipyards should be lauded and celebrated for crafting the perfect 90s punk record that just so happened to have come out in 2014.  I can only hope that at some point we'll get another gem like this from them.  I'll be anxiously waiting.

Shipyards - About Light:
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/shipyards-about-lights

The Funk Family - Everything'll BeFyne 3xLP

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90s Tapes (2025, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

90s Tapes brings us another of their fabled 'indie' releases, this time diving into a time period I am always keen on exploring, the early 90s.  While the album didn't see the light of day until much later with the release of a CDr version in 2008, 90s Tapes sets things right by giving it their typically lavish treatment on vinyl.  The material on this Funk Family LP was originally recorded between 1991 and 1993 if the internet is to be believed.  Even if the years aren't spot on, you can tell just by listening to the production that it's of that general era.  

And it's really nice production.  The bulk of the album was produced by Tony D and he turns in an album full of beats that are predominantly uptempo and hard hitting.  The Funk Family are from New Jersey, so you're getting that authentic East Coast boom bap sound.  It provides a canvas for the MCs to let loose on.  While I admittedly have a difficult time following who is rapping when all the time, anytime someone is on they're bringing a fast paced, lyrically complex style.  Had this been released in 1992 or 1993 and gotten the right kind of exposure, I can really see this being the sort of thing that the underground scene would have gravitated towards.  The Funk Family would eventually morph into Blaque Spurm, but this early stuff is what resonates the most with me.

As usual, 90s Tapes crushes it with a triple LP crammed full of the original tracks from the CDr release, remixes and previously unreleased songs.  They continue to set the standard and The Funk Family is a welcome addition to my shelves.

The Funk Family - Everything'll BeFyne:
https://90stapes.bandcamp.com/album/everythingll-befyne

Shipyards - Night of Fire LP

Waterslide / Imakinn (2024, Reissue)

I couldn't have been more excited when I found out that Waterslide records was going to reissue the two amazing Shipyards records on vinyl.  There's a specific strain of Japanese punk rock that is peerless when it comes to bands that I love, but it is also a scene that has not had nearly as many full length vinyl releases as others that I enjoy.  There's the occasional release here and there, but for the most part, CD is still the king.  I'm hopeful that the release of the two Shipyards records, the first of which I'm writing about today, will usher in a golden age of reissues.

Night of Fire originally was released in 2012, though I didn't hear it until after I had gotten a hold of their second album.  It's a classic melodic punk album that brings together all of the elements that makes me love bands like this.  The album is full of riffs that follow unique chord changes that keep you guessing.  The impassioned vocals that are a little strained at times, but never dissolve into screaming for the sake of it. Everything just feels genuine in a way that keeps me engaged.  And the incredible hooks and choruses always get my head nodding or drumming along on my steering wheel or whatever other surface is around when I'm listening.

I realize that this album is a little old at this point as 2012 was 13 years ago, but this still feels like a new record to me.  It's the sort of thing that I can go back to over and over again and it always sounds fresh and relevant.  I'm glad they have two albums out (the second of which I'll write about next week), but it just makes me wish they had more and that other bands were following suit and making incredible music like this.

Shipyards - Night of Fire :
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/night-of-fire