by Sarah N. Kunz

Contributing Writer

O.C. Supertones

Loud and Clear

BEC

They've got a brass section. They've got energetic, head-bobbing rhythms. And

they've got God. Who could ask for anything more? Certainly not the O.C.

Supertones, a California-based Christian ska band that was formed in the early

1990s. The Supertones have previously released three albums; for their fourth,

Loud and Clear, they teamed up with producer Garth Richardson, who also worked

with Rage Against the Machine. The Supertones, however, could not sound any less

like Rage Against the Machine. Instead, imagine the sounds of ska-scene leaders

Reel Big Fish and Mighty Mighty Bosstones with a bit less commercialism and a

lot more evangelism.

Loud and Clear is quality Christian ska that also appeals to a mainstream

audience, just like the three albums that came before it. But that's the

problem: Everything about Loud and Clear is just like its precursors. For

example, the same hard-hitting, head-bang worthy introductions appear in "Escape

from Reason" and "Pandora's Box." The reggae influence is still there, shaping

mellower songs like "Spend It With You" and, to some degree, "Father's World."

Another song to watch for is the enjoyable "Jury Duty," which mixes things up by

beginning with a gentle bass riff and keeping the brass to a minimum, which is a

nice break. Most of the tracks, however, are relatively loud, which gets

overwhelming after a few songs.

The Supertones have worked hard to make the unlikely combination of Christian

and ska mesh, and they have succeeded. However, they seem to be having trouble

doing anything new within the genre they helped establish.

First-time listeners and devoted Supertones fans will not mind the

repetitiveness in Loud and Clear, but all listeners should realize that this

album is both loud and clear-ly nothing new.

The Tender Idols

Distressor

E-MAGINE

by Josiah J. Madigan

The Tender Idols are a sneaky bunch. With the vaguely Rothko-like blood orange

cover (replete with a large, portentous bullhorn) of their latest record,

Distressor, they'd like you, potential record buyer, to suspect they are an

angry, insurgent crew; perhaps something like At the Drive In with more

dynamics.

Instead, they've brought forth a pleasantly harmless modern rock record that

sounds beamed-in from some alternate universe blissfully devoid of whatever

spawned Limp Bizkit or Papa Roach. Think Stone Temple Pilots without the

occasional tunefulness, or simply Fastball. There are a handful of nice

touches--a surprising chord change at the end of the chorus of "Man Out of

Season," the lightly skimming bass line of "Washed Away," and an unconventional

progression on "Fighting"--but these are buried in a pervasive sense of sameness

that extends from start to finish. Perhaps hoping that fuzzy guitars will hide a

lack of melody, the band make nearly every song a midtempo crescendo to a

faceless chorus. Even exceptions like the comparatively rocking "Freefall" and

"Through the Light" sound curiously restrained. Lyrics are the vaguely

disaffected collections of morose observations you'd expect. Sample: "Sleeping

on your pages there's a family of clowns / Handing out the money while you're

chasing it down." But these are harsh words for a very nice-sounding record by a

band that clearly knows what it's doing--nearly any of Distressor's songs could

be slipped onto modern rock radio, and no one would notice. Whether that's good

or bad is the only genuinely distressing aspect to the album.

Modern English

Life in the Gladhouse 1980-1984

4 A.D.

by John Paul M. Fox

This greatest hits album of one of the great 80s bands is, predictably, great.

Life in the Gladhouse contains the work of Modern English in their prime.

Combining elements of post-1970s punk, synthesizer pop and neo-psychedelia,

Modern English helped spawn the New Wave of UK rock which helped define 80s

music. Along with fellow artists Duran Duran and the Psychedelic Furs, Modern

English's synthesized experimental rock has become what we fondly think of as

pop music during the Reagan years. The band became one of the first British

groups to enjoy heavy play on MTV, solidifying their popularity and influence on

both sides of the Atlantic.

Life in the Gladhouse is comprised of songs from six of Modern English's albums

and singles. I guarantee that you know "I'll Melt With You," the band's

signature song. This anthem of 80s pop is probably their best song, transcending

its 15 minutes of Top 40 fame and continuing to get airtime on pop stations even

today. Modern English's experimental nature is evident in this compilation;

their musical innovation ranges from rattling film cans in "16 Days" to the

Gothic "Black Houses" to the unmistakably zeitgeist pop song "Machines."

Despite its integral attachment to a bygone musical era, Modern English commands

more than mere nostalgic appreciation; their music is still edgy and

high-quality even two decades after their heyday.