Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

A second compilation of American indies from Worthless Records and as you’d expect there’s a mix of quality and styles here. The fact that modern rock seems to be the style of choice for America’s grassroots, it’s no surprise that it takes five rockist offerings before we get a bit of a change- some ska! Then it’s back to the furious rocky stuff in all its different guises- thrashy, heavy, it’s all here! If you’re a fan of American style rock’n’roll and you want to check out some new bands, this is ideal! Highlights for me include Speck’s “Mercy”, The Corbans’ “Anthem Song” and the techno industrial sound of Pilot whose “Fake It” even includes a Monty Python sample! Talking of samples, yet again DJ Darryl manages to submit the most impressive track here. Working with DJ c3po, “Sounds Of A Holy Heart” marries a drum’n’bass groove with samples from some old English doctor going on about heart murmurs. Absolutely brilliant! The soulful rap of “Paradigm 70” also stands out, simply because it’s different in style to much of the other bands here. Patchy, but mainly on the good side, these compilations are an ideal way of getting some new music in your ears!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.