Photo by Jeanne RiceWell, we did it again—slapped together another CD, maxed out with 22 tracks from 22 local playaz, each of whom survived a strict, rigorous quality-assurance process, just to make sure that you, the loyal Weekly page turner, would drool through every one of the disc's 72 minutes. And just like last time, it's FREE.
Here's what you do: pick up a hard copy of this week's issue, flip to page 35, clip out the coupon, and take it to one of the fine retail establishments you see listed for your very own copy, starting Saturday. No purchase necessary, even!
All the bands on our compilation CD can be found sweating it out in the clubs of OC and Long Beach on a regular basis, and they can all really use your love (in the form of your cover/beer money). If you like what you hear, hunt them down, see them live, and buy their CD/T-shirt/sticker swag. I mean, what else are you gonna do this summer? Blow your hard-earned dinero on some lame Adam Sandler or Will Smith movie? Go on, shoo! Get out there! Take an activist's role in your musical tastes! And don't let the radio tell you what you're supposed to like. That's what the Weekly is for.
And now, the complete track-by-track rundown of Focus-Grouped to Death, Volume Dos of Weekly-approved local band tuneage:
1. THE KILLINGTONS, “Best I Know.” On CD, at last! The Band That Should Be Mega appeared on Volume One and makes a return appearance here. None dare call them “emo.” 2. GO FORTH GETTERS, “I'm On My Way Out.” Our expert focus group determined that tasty, crunchy guitar songs like these improve your sex drive. 3. HAVALINA RAIL CO., “California.” Just your average psychedelic cowboy disco tune, a track from their superb America album. 4. ELEMENT 17, “Indifferent.” Music to sulk by, from the band formerly known as Chlorine. 5. THIRD GRADE TEACHER, “The Underklass.” The disc's one and only LA band, but they get more love from OC crowds. 6. ABSOLUTE RAGING MANIACS, “Andrea's Liquor Store.”Beer, peanuts, bread, mayonnaise—an anthem for those late-night munchies. 7. TUB, “Red Room.” Another special encore engagement! And still not wimpy! From their CD Coffee Tea Soda Pop Pee. 8. BLACKMAN, “Ebony Girl.” An ecstatic, funkified soul celebration in praise of the “brown sugar babies” who make life sweet. Awww, yeeeahhh! 9. OSCAR, “Girls.” The stuff women usually say about men, turned on its head. 10. PEACE CORP., “Valerie Vandal.” Cigarettes, black eyes, hard drinking, car smashing. Parents strongly cautioned. 11. STRANGER DEATH 19, “Skylab.” Shooting the surf through the stars of sonic splendor. Or something. A track from their forthcoming album, Jealous Robot.12. DODGE DART, “Gonna Fuck You Up.” Hey, man, don't mess with Dodge Dart's women, or you'll get yours. A too-brief cut from their So American album. 13. GRAB BAG, “Why'd You Go Away?”Extraordinarily hooky girl-group rawk, produced by once-and-future Go-Go Kathy Valentine. 14. SHAVE, “Hummer.” A track from their album Jesus Shaves. We have no idea what this song is about. 15. FABRIK KINGS, “Repo Man.” They don't usually play this song live anymore—too ska-sounding, which they've gotten away from—so soak it up while you can. 16. WEEDPULLER, “Geographic (Half Way to Seattle).” Why leave OC for whatever is the trendy rock town of the moment when everything's already here? 17. THE RELATIVES, “Perplexion.” Love and confusion, wrapped around a sweet, bubbly bass line. 18. SERIAL KILLING 101, “Tri-State Killing Spree.” Random, senseless, locked-and-loaded carnage, as dramatized by a bunch of record-store employees who can actually play instruments. 19. DECEPTICANS, “I'm Leaving Here.” The disc's hardest track, proof that sometimes it's really more about attitude and passion than pristine sound quality. 20. ACME BOMB FACTORY, “Shine On.” The power of positive thinking. A track from their album Water. 21. THE DIBS, “When a Man Loves the Moon.” A beautiful, bleary-eyed, bourbon-soaked ballad, from the Traveling Wilburys of Long Beach—all of the Dibs are in other bands. Some are in several. 22. THE JOHN KLEIN CONSPIRACY, “19th St.” A sad, mournful obit for Costa Mesa's old dive bar the Stag and the Mesa Theater, both of which used to be where a mega-bookstore now sits.
