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Joey Beltram The Sound of 2 AM (Moonshine/Koch) Pounding techno with attitude, mixed by the DJ with an attitude to match. 8.5 (KE) Bob Marley and the Wailers Destiny: Rare Ska Sides From Studio One (Heartbeat) Bob, Pete and Bunny, back when they were still nice boys, not rude boys. Coxsone Dodds presides. Classic. 8.5 (RB) Mike James Kirkland Doin' It Right (Ubiquity/Fusion III) This is smooth and funky alright, but it sure as hell won't get you laid. 7.5 (SC) Los Zafiros Bossa Cubana (Nonesuch/Warner) Five teens fuse rum-bossa-lypso with rock twang and doo-wop glow in early-'60s Havana. Total Kennedy-era cool. 7.5 (RB) Gigolo Aunts Minor Chords and Major Themes (E Pluribus Unum/Universal) Admire anyone who thinks they can make money playing power pop. 7 (CY) Kepler Self-titled 7" (Spectra Sonic Sound) Slow and oozing. Think Codeine. 7 (JC) Velocette Fourfold Remedy (Wiija/Beggars Banquet) You know, someone just could have said, "St. Etienne as a guitar band." They didn't have to do it. 6 (CY) Stanley Turrentine Do You Have Any Sugar? (Concord/St. Clair) Mr. T can still play. The question is: is Muzak listening? 6 (SC) Dogbowl The Zeppelin Record (Lithium/Virgin France) Former Shimmy-Disc guy now the only anglo act on a French indie. Hey, Alan Vega still survives on francs. 6 (CY) Various Electro Lounge (Right Stuff/EMI) Q-burns, Vibert, T. Bass et al. take liberties with kitsch klassics by Denny, Barry, Prima, etc. Fun, sadly, was not a factor here. 5 (RB) 88 Fingers Louie/Kid Dynamite split CD (Hopeless/Outside) Both of these punk-lite units suck, of course. But it's a benefit for crippled kids or something. So, uh... uh, yeah. 4 (RB)
Various Y2K: Beat the Clock (Columbia/Sony) Played-out party tracks, of the underchemical fatbjörkheads variety, for the Phantom Menace of New Year's Eve. 2 (RB)
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