Carl Nard Ouverture (Effendi/SRI) An excellent debut from this guitarist from Alma. 8 (LD)

Slumber Party self-titled (Kill Rock Stars) A solid debut by this Velvet-Underground-obsessed, four-girl act from Detroit, and nothing like the lame sleepovers I remember. 7.5 (LC)

Another Fine Day Salvage (Six Degrees/Outside) And another fine release from Six Degrees. Tuneful, 'tronic world-jazz. 7 (RB)

Various Heavy Metal 2000 Soundtrack (Restless) Angry metal and techno from new bands and old. This stuff is sick (too bad the movie's dying of malnutrition). 7 (LM)

Lynryd Skynyrd Then and Now (CMC International/EMI) Look, I like "Freebird" as much as the next schlub but how many times do we need to hear it? 6 (JC)

Patric Catani Attitude PC8 (Digital Hardcore/Fusion III) Solo sonic anarchism from the ATR posse. Hey, you kids! Knock it off with that racket! 6 (RB)

Vicious Delite self-titled (Triple X/Song) Ex-singer of Ratt Stephen Pearcy proudly announces, "Look at me, I'm the Joan Rivers of rock!" 4 (JC)

Full length reviews...