No Objection like their rawk, they also like their post-rawk, their metal and lo-fi songwriters in a bedroom somewhere playing their guitar.

As this is a compilation I’d better do some lists. Let’s start with the songs that really stand out [in no particular order]:

Nerve Engine’s contribution rocks like a piece granite with claustrophobia and an intense hangover.

Birdhouse begin No Snare like the Beta Band if they knew what a melody was and the singer manages to pull off the “I’m standing in a desolate field which is filmed in black and white as the camera zooms past to create an effect of loneliness, despair and intensely intenseness” soaring vocals which show Coldplay up as the boring un-soulful lot they really are.

Econoline seem to send off headbanging vibes that would make any sane person look like one of those nodding dogs you see in the back of Ford Escorts.

* Pusha* begin Lowlife with a little “fuck off Establishment” quote that prove their gobshitey credentials. For people who come from Weymouth they sound very Jamie Oliver me old dahlings and possibly deserve cameo roles in whatever Brit Flick either Guy Ritchie or Vinnie Jones are directing, Lowlife is the sort of sneering, two-fingers-up-at-the-Establishment-play-at-4-squillion-decibels tooon that would fit in nicely as the soundtrack.

Right then, next we have Monkey Boy, purveyors of bass heavy rock’n’roll that you can actually dance rock’n’roll to. For some reason I can’t help imagining them dressed up in zoot suits like some ‘40s jive band.

Herrod are a rock band with Mogwai’s love of time changes and a singer that seems to have the same nasal whine as Brian Molko in the quick parts and reverts to the troubled singer-songwriter lament in the slow bits.

Talking about singer-songwriters Teflon make irons and Monkeys work for peanuts. By rights the Teflon Monkey should iron for peanuts, instead he’s got a rather gorgeous song on here that is a welcome break from all the high octane jumpy stuff and that actually gives the New Accoustic Movement a good name.

Jet Johnson are one of those bands that just sound as though they should be on Chemikal Underground’s rosta. Effortlessly cool, tuneful and pretty.

Next with the songs I don’t think much of I’m afraid:

I don’t really like At the Drive-In hence I’m not going to like San Quentin’s At The Drive In Lite. I have listened to it more than 3 times, trust me I have waited to see if it would grow on me, but it hasn’t.

I also have a notoriously short attention span and to my wee ears [element] are a bit too repetitive, dirgy and deadpan for my liking

..and that’s it on the loathing side. In the middle are some that live in the No Man’s Land of love/hate, such as Mountain Men Anonymous. Every time I listen to their songs I keep on waiting for the loud bit that never kicks in to come along.

Overall there is some bloody good talent on here. Talent that needs to be played very very LOUDLY.