Aural Fixations

MATTIAS HELLBERG
Mattias Hellberg
(Silence)
Sweden's Mattias Hellberg has been knocking around the edges of the Nordic music business for several years now, as a member of Diamond Dogs and the Wayne Kramer-endorsed Nymphet Noodlers, before finding a measure of success in the covers duo Hederos & Hellberg. Now he's finally stepping out on his own with his self-titled debut album, and it's a knockout. (more)

HOUSE OF FREAKS
Monkey On a Chain Gang
Tantilla
(Rhino Handmade)
Thank the deity of your choice for Rhino Handmade. The fine folks masterminding the limited edition reissues have seen fit to give a remastering job to the first two records by one of my all-time favorite bands, Richmond, Virginia's much-missed House of Freaks. (more)

ROCKPILE
Seconds of Pleasure
DAVE EDMUNDS
From Small Things: The Best of Dave Edmunds
SOUNDTRACK
Porky's Revenge
(Columbia/Legacy)
Rockpile was one of the greatest roots rock bands in history, the equal of celebrated combos like Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Beat Farmers, etc. So it's a damn shame that the British quartet made only one album, 1980's classic Seconds of Pleasure. (more)

CHRIS STAMEY
Travels in the South
(Yep Roc)
Chris Stamey is one of those minor geniuses whose contributions get lost in the shuffle. Rock cognoscenti know him as one of the founding members of the legendary 80s North Carolina-to-Hoboken pop band the dB's, while today's young rock fans probably recognize his name from the many production jobs he's taken over the last few years for Alejandro Escovedo, Caitlin Cary, the Mayflies USA and others. But he has a catalog of fine solo records to his considerable credit. (more)