 Weezer
(DGC/ Interscope)
The aggressively silly "Pork & Beans"
sets the tone for a full -tilt celebration of
arrested adolescence on Weezer's sixth album.
Rivers Cuomo is the Peter Pan of geek rock on
the band's third self-titled album (this one
unofficially known as “The Red Album,”)
which puts them in the running for "Most
Self-Titled Albums Ever" (a pantheon which
includes Peter Gabriel and the band that holds
the title with like, a gazillion self-titled
albums, CHICAGO!)
On most of the songs here, Cuomo is a savvy
pop-rock songwriter, but there's also a whiff
of demographic targeting in the immature humor
of his unquestionably catchy tunes. He yuks
it up about tipping cows and blasting mailboxes
in "Everybody Get Dangerous," daydreams
about dropping out of school to become a
rock star in "Troublemaker," and escaping
adult responsibilities in "Dreamin.' "
These are hardly predictable concerns of a wealthy,
married father and Harvard grad, but the band's
bounty of rock riffs and roaring choruses bolster
the argument that Cuomo is appealing to the
closet juvenile in all of us.
"Heart Songs" is a ballad in which
they pay loving homage to the chart-toppers
of their youth which include, Eddie Rabbit,
Slayer, Rick Astley, Terrence Trent D'Arby,
and Rob Bass. Now that's an eclectic mix! This
is rich, funny material that will rock your
asses off! - Phil Rainone
 Throw
the Fight - In Pursuit of Tomorrow (Cordless.com)
In a world overrun by verse-chord-verse janglepop,
Throw the Fight has managed to establish a distinctive
sound by melding urban pop punk noise that distorts
the songs around the edges. They're captivating
with an aggressive, punchy beat. The bands four
instrumentalists construct a dense wall of guitars
and drums,
abandoning the pretentious, and concocting splatters
of feedback, angst-ridden vocals, and even a
mature sense of melodies. "In Pursuit of
Tomorrow" is colorful and engrossing, with
a rhythmic blend of art and reality. - Phil
Rainone
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