The Noise, the strange-but-ubiquitious Boston rock paper: Jesse Thomas

The last dozen years or so have brought about a number of second-string post-grunge sub-par rock acts, from the typical (STP) to the downright awful (Candlebox). Fortunately for us, Cordelia's Dad have managed to bring together all the best aspects of this genrem, and raise the bar for the future. Reyling on strong vocal performances, driving rhythm guitar, and a splash of studio trickery (the Tuvan throat singing on "Five Way Flashlight" is awesome; the trumpet or trombone on "Inhaler" is less than), Cordelia's Dad have assembled an excellent rock record. It was produced (in 1997) by Steve Albini (Nirvana, the Jesus Lizard) and (in 1999) by Mark Alan Miller (Dinosaur Jr.), and it shows, especially in the Low-esque "Hammer." WHAT IT IS brings me back to the mid-90s, and that's not a bad thing. This album would appeal to fans of K's Choice, the aforementioned Low, and just about anyone interested in guitar-driven rock 'n' roll. Too bad they're about six years too late for a decent Lollapalooza.