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SEVEN INCHES I HAVE ROTATED ABOUT/DIGITAL PENETRATION/VINYL FETISH

(BY DJ Not by the Hair of My Timmy-Tim-Tim)

Honk The Horn 7" by Evaporators (Nardwuar the Human Serviette Records, P.O. Box 27021, 1395 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC, V7T 2X8, CANADA, [email protected]/Mint Records, P.O. Box 3613, Vancouver, B.C., V6b 3Y6, CANADA, [email protected]

Nardwuar (vocals/organ) is immature, intrusive, and possessed of an irritating voice. Thus, I love him to bits (so to speak - rumours of my chainsaw-wielding tendencies are just that, though I am a Chainsaw fan), and am glad that stroke he had a couple of years back has not slowed him down much.

He and his band (John, bass/guitar/organ/percussion; Scott, drums; David, guitar/vocals) are back!!

As is his wont, Nardwuar includes an excerpt from one of the interviews he does at his day-time radio gig, grilling Tommy Lee about one small portion (no pun intended - maybe) of the video he made with his former(?) wife, Vancouver Islander Pamela Anderson.

There are also four songs in their fast, unsubtle, garage-rock-punk style - and all this in less than eight minutes of vinyl.

It's silly material, verging on chaos at times, and is thus a joy to hear. Buy dozens!!

Become The Media 3xCD by Jello Biafra (Alternative Tentacles Records, P.O. Box 419092, San Francisco, CA, 94141-9092, USA/AK Press, P.O. Box 40682, San Francisco, CA, 94140-0682, USA

There's always room for Jello, as he rants and raves for your dining and dancing pleasure.

Hours and hours of spoken-word, on the anti-globalization and anti-corporate tip, with occasional dips into partisan (Green) politics.

He can be paranoid - he can be shrill - but, when he's on, he's DEADLY!!

3 CD by The Butchies (Mr. Lady Records, P.O. Box 3189, Durham, NC, 27715, USA, #919.682.1150

Kaia (guitar/vox/harmonica), Alison (bass/organ/vox) and Melissa (drums/vox) are back. This is a return to the basic sound of their debut, Are We Not Femme?, after the diversity of 1999's Population 1975.

I thought there were moments the arrangements were sloppy, and that the production could have been cleaner, but the pounding, loose punk-pop style is too exhilirating to maintain these gripes for long. It's a lot better than Christina Aggravata (who I'm afraid of, along with Brittle Spares, BS Boys and In Sink). So, if you buy only one dyke-rock-with-poetic-lyrics in 2001, this should be your choice. :)

Revelling/Reckoning 2xCD by Ani Difranco (Righteous Babe Records, P.O. Box 95, Ellicott Station, Buffalo, NY, 14205, USA, 1-800-ON-HER-OWN, [email protected]

Possessed of some of the most intricately irritating packaging I have seen, this is, nevertheless, a pleasant, delightful surprise.

This is jazzy, diverse and experimental, easily some of the best music Ani has put her name to, showcasing her growing facility on a variety of instruments other than guitar.

Loosely speaking, the RECKONING CD is acoustic and has the political/personal songs, such as "Your Next Move" and "Subdivision", as well as the more troubled love songs. REVELLING has some of the more hopeful, or at least still-striving-towards-understanding, love songs, and has fuller arrangements, though there is some overlap ("Tamburitza Lingua" is on the second CD, but decidedly political).

Like Prince, that other commander of multi-instrumentalism and sprawling multi-CD sets, there are moments of overreach - but, as any number of artists have said, you have to do the things you cannot in order to learn how to do them.

Calling All Kings and Queens CD by Various Artists (Mr. Lady Records (see the Butchies review for full address)

Perhaps in an attempt to atone for her "crimes" against trannies, as some would hold the appearance of the Butchies at the Michigan Women's Music Festival to represent, Kaia has issued this fine collection.

It has a wide range, from the electronics of Tracy and the Plastics to the power-ballad metal of Vaginal Davis to the bizarre piano-lounge of Kiki and Herb, and proves that a lot of girl bands emulate the sound of Sleater-Kinney (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Today's Empire, Tomorrow's Ashes LP by Propagandhi (G7 Welcoming Committee, P.O. Box 27005, C-360 Main Street, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 4T3, CANADA)

Chris (guitar/vox), Jord (drums/organ) and Todd (bass/vox) are super-political critters, and, if song titles like "Fuck The Border", "Albright Monument: Baghdad" and "Today's Empire, Tomorrow's Ashes" weren't a big hint, the huge packet "Knowledge Is Power" that comes with the LP should drive the point home, with its extensive essays and research on the CIA and anti-native racism, not to mention the useful weblinks included in the CD lyric booklet tucked into the package as well.

Musically, the poppier aspects of earlier LPs have been toned down in favour of a more driving, hardcore feel, which is a little unfortunate, but the performances are energetic and the lyrics thought-provoking and slightly more subtle than in the past (comparatively - this is still a didactic bunch of fellas).

Some of my queerpunk buddies complain that there are no direct shoutouts to homo issues this time. However, "Natural Disasters" and "Ladies' Night in Loserville" certainly question hetero norms in their way.

Powerful - uncompromising - and definitely an anarchist threat to society (if only tunes in and of themselves had knocked down any walls since Jericho).

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