reviews from a gun

pavement - wowee zowee, Sordid Sentinels edition: It's always annoying when things are re-issued with all the hard to find tracks that you actually took the time and money to track down back when they were still fresh and hard to find. So, as was the case with the first two pavement re-issues, I already have a chunk of the rarities, and of course the actual album. I would have much preferred if the pavement lads had done what the pixies did, and release separate cd's full of jsut 'b-sides' or just radio sessions. However, wowee zowee is their last great album, and if you don't already have it, you should pick it up.

yusuf - An Other Cup: First adult oriented release by the muslim alter-ego of the once brilliant Cat Stevens. This encourages the same bout of apathy that was ushered in with the latest release by the Who. As much as I love both the Cat and the Who of yesteryear, both of these releases are 20 years too late for me to really take seriously. Too little too late.

andrea parker - Nobody's Perfect II: I used to play an old andrea parker mix cd in one of the rooms of my first compound dwelling with the sole intent of making it uncomfortable for visitors to linger for too long. This mix is no where near as disjointed and aggravating as that one was, but it shares that same non-welcoming feeling, taking you on a journey full of sinister down tempo electro breaks.

annuals - Be He Me: This sounds markedly similar to the layered faux-psychedelia of the Animal Collective, who make my hair stand on end. One for the rubbish bin.