Aural Fixations

BIGELF
Hex
(East West/Warner Music Sweden)
It ain't easy extracting the unusual from the familiar. But that's just what Los Angeles' Bigelf does on its third record Hex. The various elements making up the Bigelf sound seem pretty obvious: Black Sabbath-style riff metal, Deep Purpleish boogie, Pink Floydian psychedelia, even some King Crimson-type prog and ELO-spiced pop. (more)

TODD RUNDGREN
Liars
(Sanctuary)
Most music fans know Todd Rundgren as a producer, musician and songwriter, but he's also a pioneer in computer, internet and video technology. That's only germane to this discussion inasmuch as his work in those fields has kept him off the record racks for much of the 90s, and many of us wondered if he'd ever make another pop record. Fortunately, he's found whatever inspiration he's been missing and released Liars, his first non-compilation original work since 1995's The Individualist. (more)

SWEET JUSTICE
Sweet Justice
(Real-O-Mind)
The ongoing hiatus of the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs left a void in the annals of contemporary rock & roll, but Cheetahs frontman Frank Meyer wastes no time filling it with his new band Sweet Justice. Picking up where the last Cheetahs record Gainesville left off, Sweet Justice is even more varied, driving (sometimes barreling) down musical byways untouched by the Cheetahs. (more)

THE WILDHEARTS
The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed
(Gut/Sanctuary)
Regular readers of this site are probably getting a bit sick of seeing the Wildhearts' name appear yet again. Well, tough feces. The British quartet's name is getting splashed all over these cyberpages once again, because its 2003 album The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed is finally getting a proper U.S. release. And there was great rejoicing in the streets! (more)