Mark Lanegan
Bubblegum
Beggar's Banquet
•••••••8.5••

In a checkout line at the grocery store, a man once asked me quite simply, “Beatles or Stones?” I have no idea what prompted him to ask me that, but it’s a question that I think any music fan should ask his or herself. The Beatles, for the most part, opted for feel-good tunes that allowed the listener the easy path. The Stones, however, was my answer; and when asked why, I could only boil it down to my love for the evil that permeates their music. There’s just something about the imploring nature of that kind of music that magnifies the darker side of our personas and allows one to wallow, if only in the mind, in the gutter of humanity.

With Mark Lanegan’s newest release, he’s captured the essence of the darker side of our personas. “Bubblegum” is not an album presented to the masses with shocking lyrics and painted faces; instead its true darkness lies in Lanegan’s horsewhipped raw vocals, old-as-the-hills blues riffs, drifting loner attitude, and lyrics that are written with the honesty of a proud survivor. Though the liner notes read like an all-star ensemble, the songs blend together with perfect continuity. The album starts with the slow burning introduction of “When Your Number Is Up,” setting up the sermon to follow. Next, my candidate for song of the year, “Hit The City” blasts with a fuzzed out, driving bass line and a duet with PJ Harvey that screams of excess and destruction. “Wedding Dress” is a duet with Lanegan’s now ex-wife (at recording they were still together) that gives a nod to the original man-in-black, Johnny Cash, and his marital duet by ending with the famous “We got married in a fever” lyric. By the time the album closer, “Out Of Nowhere” fades, it becomes apparent that Lanegan has made the record of his career. Though the language and music on this album follow the well-traveled roads of American despair and darkness, it’s apparent that Lanegan’s written it all from the heart. With a well publicized history of self-destruction, Mark Lanegan makes no apologies for his life, barely bothering to even look back. Instead he offers “Bubblegum” as a comforting statement to those willing to listen.—Nathan Walker

Sahara Hotnights
Kiss & Tell
RCA
••••••7•••

If their last album was a whiskey and coke in a loud smoke-filled club, “Kiss & Tell” is more akin to a rum and coke at a karaoke bar. There’s less rockin’ this time around, but more heart. The girls have eased off the fevered tempo, but still manage to rock in a more relaxed way. They seem less concerned with proving they can kick ass “just like the boys” and more focused on just having fun. Nothing wrong with that. Stand out tracks include “Stay/Stay Away,” “Keep Calling My Baby” and “The Difference Between Love and Hell.”.—Brittany D. Friesner

KMFDM
WWIII Live 2003
Sanctuary Records
••••5•••••

Whether you like this live album depends entirely on two things: whether you still like KMFDM, and whether you still like live albums. If both of these are the case, you’ll probably dig this. At first “WWIII Live 2003” feels curiously flat. Fortunately, the energy picks up substantially with the fourth track, “Ultra,” and from there on out, it’s a solid performance (albeit heavily skewed toward recent material). All in all, however, the CD itself is simply perfect driving material, whether you’re stuck in rush hour traffic or plowing down a highway at 80 miles per hour... not that I’ve ever done that.—Genevieve Williams

The Fiery Furnaces
Blueberry Boat
Rough Trade
•••••••8••

It isn’t often that a band follows up their debut in less than a year, but the Fiery Furnaces is no ordinary band. If you caught them on tour this spring, you probably thought the new album sounded much like “Gallowsbird’s Bark” (because live everything is loud, fast and catchy as hell). On record, however, the songs are longer, slower and more complex. In other words, the Furnaces have traded in some of their tunefulness for a greater range of sounds, i.e. goodbye Kinks, hello Soft Machine. Not a complete success, but a sophomore slump has been averted. —Kathleen C. Fennessey

Fu Manchu
Start the Machine
DRT Entertainment
••••5•••••

I smoke pot. I like rock. So the genre of “stoner rock” should be absolutely fitting for me, right? The problem is that most bands dubbed as stoner rock just don’t rock enough. Oh sure, they rock in a commercial by-the-numbers Soundgarden wannabe kinda way, but they usually aren’t heavy as fuck, they aren’t FUCKING METAL, and they rarely chart new territory. Such is the case with Fu Manchu. The Southern California band is back after a couple of years with another album of paint by numbers rock. It’s not heavy or mean enough to make me care, yet not pop or cheesy enough to make me hate it. I sure wish they listened to a lot more Motorhead.—Dan Halligan

Sharkey
Sharkey's Machine
Babygrande Records
•••••6••••

“Sharkey’s Machine” sizzles some and fizzles some. “Fuzz” featuring Cannibal Ox is Fresh with a capital F, but forget tracks like “Skateboarder’s Blues,” with lines like “I used to skate around the neighborhood/now I just jerk off on the Internet.” Say wha? Skip instead to the hotness of “If It Fits” and “A Typical Day In Sunny DC” featuring the GrayKid. There’s really only a handful of decent tracks here, but the good ones shine. While this isn’t quite the kick-in-the-ass hip-hop needs, Sharkey can sometimes be kinda fly for a white guy.—Kristopher Monroe

Minus the Bear
They Make Beer Commercials Like This
Arena Rock Recording Co.
•••••••8••

Frank Zappa used to release records with tastefully tacky covers and funny album/song titles. Now, so does Minus the Bear. But Zappa also had mad talent. Now, so does Minus the Bear. Although the band’s lyrics are a little more serious than Zappa’s—a little—both composed some quirky melodies that are fun. On MTB’s EP there are nuances of math rock and a bunch of danceable rhythms. Jake’s voice and the band’s songwriting are somewhat reminiscent of Juno, and Matt Bayle’s production does the band justice. It’s incredible.—Brian Kidd

Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Polydor
•••••••8••

With the release of their smash debut album, Scissor Sisters are on the lips of every jet-setting hipster, recording music with the hottest pop stars (the latest being the holy Kylie Minogue) and opening up arena shows for Duran fucking Duran (not that anyone gives a damn about them anymore). The eminently fuckable ex-Seattleite Jason Sellards (aka Jake Shears) has penned some great musical theater, with generous inspiration taken from “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and ‘70s-era Elton John. While not quite as brilliant as those two, this album is damn close—and as melodramatic, sexy, and dance-worthy as anything you’re likely to find this year.—Deuce La Cock

Scissor Sisters perform live at Seattle’s Showbox on September 23.

Tom Heinl
With or Without Me
Leisure King Records
•2••••••••

Heinl, on the back of the album, promotes this CD as “Stereoke,” which, I suppose will move more copies than referring to it as “a shining beacon of ridiculous crap.” Each song appears twice, once with Heinl singing soul-searching and poignant lyrics about meaningful subjects such as peeing in a beer bottle, IHOP pancakes, drinking Scope and living in a trailer park; and a second time as instrumentals—the idea apparently being that if Tom’s trauma-inducing lack of skill is deleted, the listener might not be tempted to go on a three state killing spree after the album’s completion. This is, of course, completely wrong.—Brian Graham

Landing
Sphere
K Records
••••••7.5•••

Have you ever fantasized about making love in outer space? Landing has recorded the perfect background for your tryst. “Sphere” builds and releases layers of sexual tension. The cinematic music reveals itself at the slow pace of the weightless. Male and female voices drift in and out of the songs as quietly as your first attempt at talking dirty. The first civilian spaceships are set to leave in the near future; your fantasy just might become a reality.—NW

The Velvet Teen
Elysium
Slow Dance Records
•••••••8.5••

Covered in strings and computer blips, the Velvet Teen’s latest full length release “Elysium” is a compelling album and new direction for the California trio. The Teens, who gained indie pop success with “Out of the Fierce Parade,” began recording with EP intentions taking a new approach sans six-string. Essentially a collection of well crafted piano tunes, soft harmonies and a healthy amount of lyrics, “Elysium” intrigues. The album, self-recorded in an empty warehouse on a Macintosh Powerbook, climaxes with “Poor Celine,” an understandable piano-driven piece that rocks a chorus illustrated with rising and falling dynamics. Yum.—Intern Billy

Gomez
Split the Difference
Virgin
••••••••9•

“Split” is the key word. I’ve always had mixed feelings about Gomez, because they’re like two bands in one. Blame the dual vocalists. One’s a pleasing pop singer, while the other growls—distinctive, but harder on the ears. Maybe I’ve gotten used to their schizoid nature, maybe they’ve learned to reconcile their personalities better—I couldn’t say, but I haven’t been able to stop playing this disc.—KCF

Clinic
Winchester Cathedral
Domino
••••••7•••

There is an anger, a distance and a seething argument in this carnival. But it has something seductive like the suspense of clicking up a roller coaster just before your stomach drops. “Winchester Cathedral” is the stuffed four-foot frog, the staggering sailors and the haunted house of mirrors filled with your own phantoms. The sounds are disjointed yet slip together like the music box merry-go-round and the toothless barker bellowing hollow promises of exotic images and freakish ghouls, over and over again. But then just as suddenly it is romance, harmonious and rhythmic and everything you’re looking for in a Clinic album.—Josh Davis

Br. Danielson
Brother:Son
Secretly Canadian
••••••7•••

Heinl, Daniel Smith, leader of the eccentric Danielson Famile, sings songs about God, his family and carpentry on his latest release and first under his solo moniker. Smith approaches his faith and his fractured folk music with a refreshingly childlike sense of awe and wonder (on one song, he declares “I’m outright anti-miserable”) and the result is downright bizarre and compelling. From Smith’s shrieking “YOU GIVE GIFTS BELOVED LOVE!” to the exhausted sighs of “Hammers Sitting Still,” “Brother:Son” is oddly transcendent.—Joel Hartse