Music Library: Chrome, The Chrysler, Chuck E. Weiss, Chuck Prophet, The Church, The Church Mice, Ciccone Youth, Circulatory System

Chrome - Red Exposure. The third or fourth album by the seminal industrial band, Red Exposure sounds like early Pere Ubu and Public Image Ltd.'s Second Edition, although these are ahistorical comparisons. Excellently noisy, skronk-krautrock-punk. I hope to pick up a few more albums from this period of Chrome's existence (which has apparently stretched out far beyond the breaking point).

The Chrysler - "First Blood." A free download from eMusic. I like it enough to keep it around, but don't love it enough to stick it on a mix. Has a dreamy, ethereal guitar over folky chords-plus-vocals, and no bass or drums.


Chuck E. Weiss - 23rd & Stout. This is the Chuck E. from Rickie Lee Jones's song "Chuck E.'s In Love." That song was a work of fiction, but Chuck E. is a real guy. This album sounds a lot like some of Tom Waits's 70s beatnik-jazzbo stuff, but it's a bit more middling than Waits's highs.


Chuck Prophet - No Other Love. I loved Prophet's old band Green On Red. His songwriting is in top form on this album, which recalls John Fogerty and Robbie Robertson in the best way.


The Church - Starfish. This one'll take you back. Anchored by the majestic "Under The Milky Way," which was actually a big hit back in 1988, Starfish is actually kinda slick, but mostly great, atmospheric and iconic college rock. And my high school band covered "Reptile!" I still don't know the words.


The Church Mice - Babe, We're Not Part Of Society 7". This is Armand Schaubroeck's pre-solo garage band, and it sounds like it: as if the Velvet Underground were suddenly taken over by the Seeds, who were not just blind-drunk but on acid, too.


Ciccone Youth - The Whitey Album. This is Sonic Youth's Madonna-oriented one-off that also features Mike Watt on one track. Watt's quite the Madonna enthusiast and has even formed a sporadic tribute band called the Madonnabes. I think he talked Sonic Youth into making this album, which is mostly screwing-around-in-the-studio avant-noise built around drum loops with the occasional Madonna deconstruction. It's quite a lot of fun, actually.


Circulatory System - Circulatory System. After the split of Olivia Tremor Control, Will Cullen and most of the other members formed Circulatory System (with Jeff Mangum on drums!). CS has a lot of the psych-pop-fuzz sound of OTC, and that's not a bad thing.