ALTERNATIVE, INDIE & PUNK MUSIC
NEW CUTOUTS
"Lamprey"
Bettie Serveert
This Amsterdam quartet plays passionate indie anthems, highlighted by lead
singer Carol van Dijk's impish vocals and Peter Visser's guitar squall. It may
be the best album you've never heard, with such cuts as the gray-day ode "Ray
Ray Rain" and the sad-happy noise of "Something So Wild."
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"Show World"
Redd Kross
Redd Kross never met a bubble-gum pop song they didn't love. Despite their punk
rock genesis and their thunderous remakes of Kiss and Rolling Stones classics,
the McDonald brothers now play as if the '70s, '80s, and '90s never took place.
It's still 1969 and the Archies rule the airwaves.
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"Where'd You Go?"
Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones turn their ska-attack to a set of inspired covers
(often featured in their explosive, riot-inducing live shows). From Aerosmith's
"Sweet Emotion" to Metallica's "Enter the Sandman," no band is safe from the
Bosstones rankin' rewrites.
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"Without a Sound"
Dinosaur Jr.
What a misnomer. "Without a Sound" has tons of sound. With ear-splitting guitar
fuzz and thunderous, apocalyptic drumming, Dinosaur Jr. hit the upper echelons
of the sonic meter.
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CAN'T-MISS CLASSICS UNDER $10
"Oswald Defense Lawyer"
The Fall
The Fall have always had a reputation for their ability to cut it live, and this
particular compilation is a testament to the group's sheer raw live energy,
which, when coupled with Mark E. Smith's brilliant lyrical play and his
evocative delivery (easily the most original and distinctive in rock) proves to
be an electric experience.
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"Singles Going Steady"
The Buzzcocks
An absolutely essential document, "Singles Going Steady" captures the seminal
tracks from one of punk rock's most influential bands. The Buzzcocks played
supertight, adrenaline-heavy, fast-paced, and sketchy three-minute songs,
featuring such classics as "Orgasm Addict," "Oh Shit?" and "Why Can't I Touch
It?"
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"The Specials"
The Specials
With the riddim of ska and the speed and fury of punk, the Specials' debut album
(and still their best) showcases such essential tracks as "Message to You Rudy,"
"Nite Klub," and "Too Much Too Young," which got the original Two Tone gangsters
rankin' nonstop.
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"Loaded"
Velvet Underground
While John Cale certainly gave the first couple of Velvet Underground albums a
signature sound, his departure enabled Lou Reed to do exactly what he does best:
write kick-ass, stripped-down rock songs. On "Loaded," his talent comes to full
fruition. Who can imagine a world without "Sweet Jane" and "Rock & Roll,"
arguably two of the greatest rock tunes ever penned?
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OVERLOOKED GEMS FOR UNDER $10
"Bad Moon Rising"
Sonic Youth
Caught between their early experiments in dissonance, their passion for the
lovely juxtaposition between silence and feedback, and a hearty love of
stripped-down rock & roll, "Bad Moon Rising" captures Sonic Youth at their most
exciting juncture, an album full of musical contradictions, odd angles, and
startlingly dangerous beauty.
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"No Come Down"
The Verve
Before the Verve hit pop pay dirt with "Bittersweet Symphony," they specialized
in oceanic, wall-of-sound guitar rock that frequently took off on long, trippy
adventures. "No Come Down" captures the Verve in their early psychedelic, shoe-gazing glory.
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"Move"
Original Sins
Criminally overlooked, the Original Sins sounded like Creedence Clearwater
Revival pumped up on steroids and addicted to Darvon. With muscular guitar
riffs, great slabs of meaty hooks, and knock-the-walls-down drumming, the
Original Sins made grunge sound damn wimpy.
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"Force Field"
Barnyard Slut
With both a love for Gram Parsons's country-rock eclecticism and bubble-gum
radio, Barnyard Slut flip the dial back and forth, alternating between laid-back
croons and pedal-to-the-metal rave-ups.
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BOX SETS: THE RAMONES
"Hey Ho, Let's Go: The Anthology"
The Ramones
Gabba Gabba Hey! Nothing beats the pinhead exuberance of the Ramones' three-minute, three-chord land-speed records. This box set does a boffo job collecting
the best of the Ramones' 25-year oeuvre.
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Looking for more box sets? Check out
Amazon.com's Box
Sets Store
and our
list of the best alt/indie/punk box set collections.
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And you'll find more great music, articles, and interviews
in Amazon.com's Alternative Music section.
