Spreading more of that dogma

Various Artists

dogma for the secret agent

Oregon kids are helping each other these days. Outside In, a youth support agency focusing on homelessness, drug use and HIV education, now has a benefit compilation CD released on Bland Records to help with costs. This 23-track album includes a great variety of musical genres, from emo to punk to swing. Besides having an awesome album insert design, some of these bands can actually deliver.

Some of the more impressive, or at least interesting, tracks include a cover by Slackjaw of the 80's hit "Don't You Want Me." This version sounds more raw and angsty than the original, but the vocalists just can't compete with the Human League. The next track, "Miss Brown to You," by The Gone Orchestra, is a Squirrel Nut Zippers-esque swing number with great vocals and trombone sections. It also has some weird, out-of-place, background effects which tend to be rather distracting.

While almost all the featured bands are quite talented, listening to a number of emo songs in a row can become sort of, well, annoying. The "yeah we're a high school band and we play in my garage and we rock" idea only goes so far. There are a number of much needed genre breaks, however, like Supervillian's hardcore/thrash/metal "Terminator" which takes over in the middle of the album.

Some more good tracks include Kayo's "I'll 5," which definitely has alternative radio playlist potential and is one of the best cuts on the album. Crux's "Paint" is a great punk track. 44 Long's "Undertaker" is another one of the best cuts, and has a distinctive country/rock sound. It has really good vocals, and impressive guitar runs. Primer Grey Polliwog's "Twistin' Jerk" is at the very least unique, with punk/rock music and fast vocals reminiscent of an extremely warped combination of Sublime and the Beastie Boys. One of the final cuts, H.E.A.D.'s "Radio is a Razor," is a synthesized, digitized track-think of a TIMARA major gone crazy in the industrial deejaying circuits.

This album contains more monotonous, boring, emo cuts than is really necessary, but otherwise showcases a number of diverse and talented bands. The good songs make this an album worth listening to; besides, it's for a great cause.

Copies of Dogma for the Secret Agent, are available from senior Adrienne Leverette.

- Hannah Blumenfeld