new introductory bit here.

This is a reviews page based on my own collection, which just keeps growing despite itself. If it isn't listed here, it's because I don't own it yet, or I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Also, bother your local "new rock" radio station and make sure they are playing "new rock" and not "Rock the Casbah," which is not new.

note: entries in red text indicate my pick for the artist's best available album. A gold numeral indicates the POPocalypse winner of the year's best album; second- and third-place winners are in blue. Green lettering indicates an obviously exploitative record company compilation without apparent artist input.

Although they never found mainstream success, the Kitchens remained critical darlings in England for the duration of their career. Signed to One Little Indian Records, the three-piece, led by bassist Patrick Fitzgerald, toured the US once and racked up MTV play, but never broke beyond the "alternative" label.

After some singles and an LP called Love is Hell, they signed to A&M for US distribution. Strange Free World, their second album, and first to be issued in the USA, is a really impressive mix of chiming guitars and power chords. It contains the ferocious and beautiful "Drive That Fast." It did seem like their energy was ebbing as they continued. The Death of Cool was not as crushingly immediate as its predecessors, and tended to drag on the second half. It did contain some strong material, like the epic "On Tooting Broadway Station" and the single "Breathing Fear," an angry indictment of homophobia. It's still one of the best albums of '92.

Their fourth album, released with virtually no press or announcement, is actually not very memorable, although the epic "Here Come the Swans" and the delightful single "Now It's Time To Say Goodbye" wear very well. It seemed like neither their American or British labels wanted to know anymore. They released a single, "Feel My Genie," in 1996 under the pseudonym KOD while shopping for a new contract, but split up before finding one.