BECK

Sea Change

(Geffen/Interscope)

hhhBeck at his best is a living synthesis of his record collection, an artist who raises the bar through constant reinvention and his need not to repeat himself--much like Neil Young, whose legacy is all over Sea Change. The album is a narcotic, neurotic feast; the tunes are lazy, hazy, muted electronics and steel guitar wisping around (Radio)heady string arrangements and Beck's typically serpentine melodies; the lyrics are as straightforward as one could hope for from rock's merry prankster. Perhaps that's because this time around, he's not so merry, reflecting on breakups rather than breakbeats. And, like any good heartwrenching experience, though this delicate record isn't immediately gripping, you'll find yourself needing to return to it without even knowing why. Beck at his worst is a living sampler ("Paper Tiger" could be a karaoke version of Serge Gainsbourg's "Melody"; "Already Dead" lays a new feel over Young's "War of Man"), but there's no way to begrudge him this when he creates such introspective (if depressive) beauty. Beck surpasses his templates, taking the music somewhere new every time, à la the freakout psychedelia of "Sunday Sun." "Let the golden age begin," he intones on the opening track; with Sea Change, Beck does his best to help it set sail. ALEX STIMMEL

BANGS

Call and Response

(Kill Rock Stars)

hhhhI'm surprised the Chicken Littles at our city's fine major media outlets haven't started issuing warnings about the major shakedown headed our way. I speak, of course, of the latest Bangs EP, Call and Response, which will rock the living daylights outta you with each of its 16 minutes and 32 seconds. Forget the "girl-band" moniker (which isn't even true, duh) or bootless Sleater-Kinney comparisons: Bangs are rock stars in their own right, blasting through the incendiary six tracks on this disc with equal parts sass and kickass. I've had the last track, "Dirty Knives," on repeat for the last three days (while hiding under my desk with my knees tucked to my chest, of course). Get ready for pulsing beats and riffs that will light up your entire nervous system, a rush of smart lyrics over fiery guitars, and the best handclaps this side of the playground. Run! Bangs are coming! KATE PREUSSER

Bangs' CD release party is Thurs Sept 26 at the Crocodile.

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Do the Pop! The Australian Garage-Rock Sound 1976-'87

(Shock Records)

hhhhIt's hard not to roll your eyes at the major music mags when they start performing the run-lemming-run dance to cover "garage rock," rolling all over it with feature stories like a dog trying to catch a scent off someone else's shit--after completely ignoring these same bands for YEARS. And then when they do their big garage pieces, who's in there? Say it with me: the Hives, the Strokes, the White Stripes, and the they're-NOT-fucking-garage Vines. Okay, so that's my rant of the day. My rave of the day is Do the Pop!, a double-CD set of Australian garage rock from the late '70s and '80s. This is some killer real garage, with legendary bands like the Saints, the Lime Spiders, and Radio Birdman mixed in with other trash-rock acts who worshipped Detroit/NYC proto-punk. Standouts include everything by the aforementioned three bands, "Television Addict" by the Dolls-obsessed Victims, and "King of the Surf" by Johnny Kannis. There really aren't any duds here, making Do the Pop! an essential addition to your garage-rock collection, whether or not it's sanctioned by the commercial media (which, at this point, I believe it is). JENNIFER MAERZ

YOHIMBE BROTHERS

Front End Lifter

(Ropeadope Records)

hhThere is no denying that Vernon Reid and DJ Logic have skills. Vernon Reid was the guitarist for the great black rock band Living Colour, and has played an important role in New York City's black avant-garde scene. As for DJ Logic, his work can only be described as pure art-hiphop. The present collaboration between DJ Logic and Reid (Yohimbe Brothers) was inevitable, as both musicians are "creative spirits."

Despite these impressive facts, Yohimbe Brothers' new CD, Front End Lifter, does not move me. It's supposed to be sexy and smart, but instead it's just smart. The lack of sex is a consequence of a general lack of beauty throughout the CD; or, put another way, it has the noises of desire without the rhythms of passion. The music is challenging, weird, and convoluted, though, leaving you wondering--as Massive Attack's Daddy G. once put it--"Where have all the flowers gone?" CHARLES MUDEDE