JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT #448.51!

The Populars – The Vindicator EP (Kindling) :: The singer steals from Roger Daltry and the guitarist steals from Pete Townshend. But when I hear an ignorant chorus like, “I wish you’d hurry up and die,” all I hear is the Who without a clue. Someone should tell these clods to choose life instead before they die before they get old.

XBXRX – Sixth In Sixes (Polyvinyl) :: These blistered sisters are screamin’ it for themselves.

Doug Cox & Sam Harris – Hungry Ghosts (Northern Blues) :: When sci-fi author Spider Robinson writes in the liner notes about “Tibetan Buddhist cosmology” and the “Zen Masters” of acoustic roots music, he’s stretching because “Canned Heat Blues” sure ain’t music to read T. Lobsang Rampa’s Chapters Of Life by.

Doomriders – Black Thunder (Deathwish) :: This dark dose sure ain’t music to read Rampa by either, but a few chapters of Mickey Spillane’s The Last Cop Out might go down good while you listen to these hoarse Cooperish theatrics—although the Mick would surely disagree and, come to think of it, so would Alice.

Mark DeCerbo & For Eyes – Sweet On The Vine (Zip) :: I might like this competent album a whole lot better if Mark didn’t sound so much like Elvis Costello. Or is that John Lennon? Robin Zander?

Tricky Woo – First Blush (Last Gang):: These wasted wastrels strike enough preening poses to punk out the New York Dolls.

SIZZLING PLATTER OF THE WEEK: Messer Chups – Crazy Price (Ipecac) :: This “Telstar” meets “Out Of Limits” sonic sliver fuses a holy-cow campabilly cornball aesthetic with a low-brow surfabilly lounge mentality. It’s got a beat, you can geek to it, I give it a 10.

Be seeing you!