Review Archive: V

Gilded Stars and Zealous Hearts  

First listen to Gilded Stars and Zealous Hearts will probably give you the impression that Velocity Girl has mellowed out a bit, but several listens to this highly addictive CD will change your mind (and seeing them play live will definitely prove it). Don't let me give you the impression that they've changed-they're still a pop/alternative band. But they're a band that really knows how to write and perform songs that are able to sink their way into your brain where they reside for good, occasionally popping up in the middle of the day-which makes you want to listen to Gilded Stars again (it's a vicious circle). Velocity Girl seems to be experimenting with slide guitars which gives some of the songs a bit of twang to them, but overall they've just refined and perfected their style from Simpatico! (Plus Sarah's got a fucking rad voice!) If I were to list my favorite songs, it'd just be the entire track list.

Calm and relaxed midwest-styled indie rock via Boston in a nicely screened CD sleeve. I enjoy listening to Vic Firecracker a lot even though there's nothing groundbreaking going on. This music sums up what I want to be listening to when I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for. I can put this on at any time and be totally into it. It doesn't push me emotionally in any particular direction but rather to a relaxed state of homeostasis. It may not sound like a good characteristic but good musical Ritalin is hard to come by. [Brian Chapman]

Firme  

The long-awaited followup to Who Is, This Is is on Epitaph, so you can expect to hear more Voodoo Glow Skulls in the future. And, like the last album, VGS continue to mix hardcore and ska at high speeds, singing about drinking, jocks, and life in general. They've re-recorded a couple old songs ("Trouble Walking" and "Empty Bottles"), but the remaining 14 songs are new (though I think their cover of "Charlie Brown" was released somewhere before, but I can't remember right now...). "Shoot the Moon," "Nicotine Fit," and "Drunk Tank" are just a couple reasons why I really like this album.

Baile de los Locos  

Reviewing a Voodoo Glow Skulls album is like reviewing a Pennywise album: you already know what they need to know. VGS continue their own style of hyper ska-core (with a Spanish twist). The album only slows down for a couple minutes during the slow ("slow" by VGS standards, that is) instrumental "Los Hombres Nolloran"; the rest of the time it's strictly hardcore played way too fast — how the horn section keeps up at times is beyond me. And they've also hidden a cover of "Feliz Navidad" at the end of the CD for when you go caroling this Christmas...