CD REVIEWS

The best local CDs of the year (so far)
DIG STAFF

THE BAGS | NIGHT OF THE CORN PEOPLE
LABEL | OAF RECORDS
WWW.THEBAGS.COM
Shit, son, the Bags used to rock Boston back when you were just a little pissant sitting on your couch, picking your nose and watching Thundercats. The Bags wanted to reward you for growing up, getting cool and taking your finger out of your nose, so they’ve reunited and re-issued their 1991 masterpiece, Night of the Corn People. The record features ear-splitting punk riffs, old men screaming absurdist lyrics and a truly bizarre-o mini rock opera. Check ’em out, before somebody breaks a hip. [PAUL MCMORROW]

CAMPAIGN FOR REAL TIME | YES… I MEAN, NO
LABEL | CURVE OF THE EARTH/BIG SCARY MONSTERS
WWW.C4RT.COM
Campaign for Real Time heap tons of snarly synth loops, hard knob-tweaks and time-traveling allusions on top of aggressive, feedback-heavy guitars—which pretty much makes them just like your band, only good. C4RT’s debut, Yes … I Mean, No, finds the band balls-deep in space-travel art-rock. The album’s opener, “Turn the Gun on Me,” is a fist-pumper that’s sure to incite geeks everywhere to sloppy riots, and standout tracks “N.F.S.” and “Don Cheadle” are similarly fucking awesome. Hooray for the future! [PAUL MCMORROW]

DEVIL MUSIC | GO!
LABEL | MASS DIST
WWW.DEVILMUSIC.ORG
The new one from Devil Music (who’ve done everything from re-scoring The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to a killer rock-ish take on Terry Riley’s new music masterwork In C) is a relentless rock effort, loaded with noise, shifting time signatures, chants, riffage and, most importantly, a huge sound. The crazed “U$AISAMONSTER” is especially good. Impatient fans who have been waiting for another heap big dose of the Devil, rest assured—this is straight from hell. [JOE KEOHANE]

ESOTERIC | TOO MUCH POSSE
LABEL | FLY CASUAL RECORDS
WWW.7L-ESOTERIC.COM
This album is early-’90s South Central genocidal C.I.A. crack for hip-hop heads. Since Esoteric helped establish Boston’s alt-rap scene a decade ago, he’s used his skills to go global. Too Much Posse presents the remnants of legendary studio sessions, with Eso’s all-star indie collabos alongside the likes of Apathy, Rasco, Del, Jedi Mind Tricks, Virtuoso and mucho more. Every aspect—from the liner notes, to backdrops, to mic handoffs—reeks of raw hip-hop. [CHRIS FARAONE]

THE EVERYDAY VISUALS | MEDIA CRUSH
LABEL | SELF-RELEASED
WWW.THEEVERYDAYVISUALS.COM
Five young, purple-hearted indie-pop stalwarts harmonize alongside big guitars and piano loops, and soak themselves in reverb for a punchy, promising record with an entendre-rich title. Media Crush has an appeal wide enough to satisfy just about everyone—the casual, hook-hungry BU partier, the dorky R.E.M. bootlegger at CD Spins, the horn-rimmed Ben Folds fans at Trident, tragic Emerson waifs and even jaded MFA patrons with asymmetrical haircuts. Media Crush is a gem simply because it’s so catchy, pretty and fun—with nary a trace of irony. [CHASE STAUFFER]

THE FOUNDATION | GREATEST HITS
LABEL | FOUNDATION MOVEMENT
WWW.FOUNDATIONHIPHOP.NET
When the Dig first reviewed The Foundation almost two years ago, the write-up was in a section that was regrettably titled “Rap is Crap.” We’ve matured since then (at least in our musical scope), and so have Eroc and Optimus, Boston’s premier thinking rhymesayers. In addition to being formally recognized by the city for their grassroots activism and extensively touring the Middle East and Africa, they’ve linked with fellow movement rappers, including m1 and stic.man from Dead Prez, and put down a modern classic. [CHRIS FARAONE]

NEW RADIANT STORM KING | THE STEADY HAND
LABEL | DARLA RECORDS
WWW.FURNACEROCK.COM
Nostalgic for the golden age of indie rock? New Radiant Storm King’s newest is an incredible cross-section of their 15 years in the game. “Scuttled” rocks a shimmering, punchy Drop Nineteens feel; “View of a Wedding Pt. 2” is like a marriage of Yo La Tengo and something off Viva Hate; “Sunset Provisions” provides trickling Sonic Youth-y tenderness; and “Quicksand Under Carpet” could be Ted Leo playing fourth guitar for Polvo. For anyone reared on old-timey “college rock,” this record is fucking great. For everyone else: ditto. [MICHAEL BRODEUR]

VICTORY AT SEA | ALL YOUR THINGS ARE GONE
LABEL | GERN BLANDSTEN
WWW.VICTORYATSEA.NET
You can talk about auspicious debuts, sophomore slumps and identity-forging third albums all you like; there’s something to be said for bands that make it to the fifth album without once stopping to suck. The scaled-down fire and ice of V@S’s early efforts have been refined to their finest here, with a persistent chilly melancholy tucked into unforgettable hug-your-pals-pronto rock songs that choke and warm up your heart like a soft, tight scarf. [MICHAEL BRODEUR]

CD REVIEWS

The best local CDs of the year (so far) DIG STAFF

The best local CDs of the year (so far)
DIG STAFF