New Radicals Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too (MCA Records) I’ve never had a lot of faith in the old adage about not judging a book by its cover. This has been especially true when it comes to music. I’ve always believed that if they look like a “hair band” and…

If you’ve caught a recent show featuring the “Maximum Pop” sound of the Zen Lunatics or their alter ego and frequent opening band the Cartwheels, you may have noticed a big similarity. It’s not the fact that both groups wear sharp ’60s-style matching suits, or even that three-fourths of the…

Checking the vital signs for guitar-based rock has long been an ongoing preoccupation for critics. Still, you knew something was a bit different this year when new releases by Hole, Marilyn Manson and even the sample-heavy Garbage were judged not merely for their musical merits but for their potential to…

Not long after the death of former Gin Blossoms founder Doug Hopkins five years ago, his family began the task of assembling his musical legacy. With the help of one of Hopkins’ closest friends, Robert Shipp, the process of tracking down and cataloguing more than a decade’s worth of material…

Candyskins Death of a Minor TV Celebrity (Velvel Records) Born of the same Oxford, England, pop scene that produced Radiohead and Supergrass, the Candyskins were formed in 1989 by the Cope brothers–frontman Nick and guitarist Mark. Along with lead guitarist Nick Burton, bassist Karl Shale and drummer John Halliday the…

Flat Duo Jets Lucky Eye (Outpost Recordings) The Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based Flat Duo Jets have been bringing their stripped-down brand of southern roots music on the road for nearly 15 years. The duo of guitarist/vocalist Dexter Romweber and drummer Crow has earned a reputation as an intense and exciting…