Discount
"Wonder Pulled Me Under" EP (Liquid Meat)
Think about Sarah Shannon from Velocity Girl singing for Blink-182 while the lads played their songs at half speed and you have an idea of what this sounds like. Totally, absolutely cool as fuck with some change and a cherry Slurpee on the side.
"All Too Often" EP (Mighty Idy)
This is a bit better than the CD reviewed elsewhere in this issue, if only because it's faster. It's introspective, aggressively so, and the speedy melodies make the self-examination more palatable.
"Ataxia's Alright Tonight" CD (Liquid Meat)
I had a convo with Dave Tiltwheel about this band recently. Having forgotten what they sounded like, but remembering that I enjoyed it, I said I thought they were okay, but didn't grab me that much. I hereby retract that statement. This album - while it still reminds me of Velocity Girl on speed - rocks, and in that swinging pop-punky way which I enjoy so much when it's done well and abhor when it's horrible. In this case, it may not be the apotheosis of punk-pop (i.e. we aren't talking about Screeching Weasel here), but it certainly may fall into my own pantheon of pop-punk saints in a few years. Saint Discount, patron saint of Florida and great female vocals.