Jale - Emma

(Derivative, 1993)

Aw heck. On “Emma,” Jale sands away most of the rough edges that made its debut so kinda-likeable, opting for a nimble indie-gal facelessness instead of the garagey chunk of “Aunt Betty.” Has about it the stench of a demo tape for sucker-heavy major labels (wasn’t this right about the time when Atlantic partnered with Matador?) and potential 120 Minutes mini-stardom… not at all my cup of meat in these manly summer nights of 2009. Still, Juliana Hatfield fans might enjoy.

Jad Fair - In A Haunted House

(Derivative, 1995)

Skinnyboy Jad nerds it up vocally with some retro-suits from Shadowy Men On a Shadowy Planet, singing dud Halloween lyrics over semi-meaty old-timey tom-heavy instro-blugh. OK. Sure. B’s a buncha un-song ghost sounds a whoooo-in’ and a-howlin’ and a-screamin’, but gosh, I heard the same shit while trick-or-treating back in the ’80s, and don’t need to re-hear it now minus the miniature Milky Ways and Three Musketeers. Record’s definitely Not Cute. That Jad was always a Forced Exposure fave, yeah, but then again they also dug that clown Dredd Foole for years, so take any such rec with a poopload o’ saltiness.