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	Allan Holdsworth - Wardenclyffe Tower - Cassette tape on Restless Records Guitarist Allan Holdsworth is widely considered to be one of the finest instrumentalists in all of jazz fusion, yet has never truly received the recognition that he so rightfully deserves. Born on August 6, 1946, in Bradford, Yorkshire, Holdsworth was originally taught music by his father, who was a pianist. First a saxophone player, Holdsworth didn't pick up the guitar until he was 17 years old, but learned the instrument quickly. After playing in local outfits (in addition to learning the violin), Holdsworth relocated to London, where he was taken under the wing of saxophonist Ray Warleigh. By 1972, Holdsworth had joined progressive rockers Tempest, appearing on the group's self-titled debut a year later before joining Soft Machine in December 1973 -- and radically changing the latter outfit's sound to guitar-based fusion in the process. U.S. drummer Tony Williams discovered Holdsworth around this time, which led to an invite for the up-and-coming guitarist to replace John McLaughlin in Williams' Lifetime project -- Holdsworth abruptly left Soft Machine in March of 1975, subsequently appearing on the Williams recordings Believe It and Million Dollar Legs. But Holdsworth's union with Williams was a brief one, as the guitarist joined up with French-English prog rockers Gong for such albums as 1976's Gazeuse! (released as Expresso in the U.S.) and 1978's Expresso II, in addition to guesting on recordings by Jean-Luc Ponty, Bill Bruford, Gordon Beck, Jack Bruce, and UK.
	American Music Club - California - Cassette tape on Frontier Records CALIFORNIA is one of the American Music Club's most straightforward, roots-rock-oriented releases. It's certainly the most country-flavored, as arid desert landscapes mix with twangy guitars and folksy acoustic strumming. The anomalous "Bad Liquor" turned out to be one of the most-requested songs in the band's repertoire. It's a raging, punky rocker in which singer Mark Eitzel plays the drunken fool looking for trouble or the next drink, whichever comes first. Conversely, "Jenny" is a quiet, ominous, acoustic ballad full of low-key sorrow, and there are parts of the harrowing "Laughing Stock" that are barely audible, as Eitzel's self-esteem vaporizes before our very ears amid gently rippling guitar arpeggios.The opener, "Firefly," is really the mood-definer for the album, and its ostensibly upbeat arrangement masks the lyrics' bittersweet observations about the fleeting nature of happiness. "Somewhere" and "Pale and Skinny Girl" are portraits of non-beautiful losers in the classic AMC mold, the former sounding like it could be a Replacements outtake. Eitzel's existential angst is at its most appealing on "Lonely"; over a steady-rolling folk-rock backing, he reaches new heights (depths?) of alienation with the chorus "If I have to be this lonely, I might as well be alone."
	Bongwater - The Big Sell Out - Cassette tape on Shimmy Disc Records As much a performance art troupe as a band, Bongwater was the brainchild of guitarist (Mark) Kramer -- chief of the Shimmy-Disc label and a former member of Shockabilly -- and actress Ann Magnuson, best known to mainstream audiences for her role in the ABC sitcom Anything But Love as well as the feature film Making Mr. Right. Kramer and Magnuson first met at her downtown New York nightspot Club 57, where he engineered the sound for her performances with the all-female percussion group Pulsalamma; after forming Bongwater in 1985, the duo enlisted avant-garde guitarist Fred Frith to record their 1987 EP debut Breaking No New Ground, a crazed neo-psychedelic set typified by Magnuson's surreal narratives, often inspired by her dreams about major celebrities and fellow downtown NYC denizens.
	Charlie Watts Quintet - Tribute To Charlie Parker - Cassette tape on Continuum Records Watts has always thought of himself as a jazzman, and between Stones tours he played in the 1980s with a travelling jazz festival. His solo albums have all been jazz. In the 1990s, he formed the Charlie Watts Quintet, which has gradually expanded to a tentet, specializing in standards like "I've Got a Crush on You", "Stairway to the Stars", and "In the Still of the Night".
	Christian Death - Only Theatre Of Pain - Cassette tape on Frontier Records And thus was American goth rock born. Perhaps an extreme statement, as one could argue 45 Grave beat Christian Death to the punch, if with a lot more intentional humor. Still, it's about the only thing that can be said upon listening to Christian Death's debut, Only Theatre of Pain, released in 1982 and influencing more bands that can be counted since then. The member who got the most attention was, unsurprisingly, singer Rozz Williams, but guitarist Rikk Agnew is the secret weapon that makes this album so good. With the first phase of the Adolescents (and a solo album) behind him, he brings his punk-inspired work here, and with the help of longtime producer Thom Wilson, who sat behind the boards here, the two created a perfectly ominous world of tolling bells, heavily treated guitar, and general spookiness. Bassist James McGearty and drummer George Belanger keep the murky energy going and thankfully aren't afraid to kick up a storm when needed either. The most memorable song is "Romeo's Distress," a catchy slice of doomy punk-pop that admittedly has one of the most un-PC lyrical starts around. Throughout, the band either kick out the melancholy jams, McGearty's purring bass leading the way, or sheer atmospherics, some quite effective. Witness the slow wash of sound concluding the first side and kicking off the second, or the combination of noise, keyboards, and treated vocals on the closing "Prayer."
	Throwing Muses - Red Heaven - Cassette tape on Sire Records Undaunted by the departure of Tanya Donelly to form her own group, Belly, Kristen Hersh continued Throwing Muses as a trio on the band's fourth album, Red Heaven. The pared-down lineup gives rock songs like "Furious" and "Backroad" a more powerful, muscular sound and pop tracks like "Dirty Water" and "Firepile" a crisp, spacious feel. Overall, Red Heaven is the Muses' most rock-oriented album since House Tornado, especially on songs like the Bob Mould duet "Dio," "The Visit," and "Rosetta Stone," but the band's pace has slowed into a slinky, winding groove that is more solid and forceful than the volatile tempo shifts of its early work. However, the ballad "Pearl" rivals anything on Throwing Muses with its spooky unpredictability, and the charming, delicate "Summer St." is one of Hersh's most endearing songs. One of Throwing Muses' finest albums, Red Heaven showcases Hersh's continuing development as a powerful and eclectic singer, songwriter, and guitarist.
	CIA - In The Red - Cassette tape with Glenn Evans of Nuclear Assault on Combat Records As the career of thrash metal band Nuclear Assault was winding down, the band's drummer Glenn Evans released this, his first solo offering under the name C.I.A. in 1990. He tackles all instrumental and vocal duties on In the Red, making the disc's somewhat disjointed sound understandable. Friends and Nuclear Assault bandmates help out with some background vocals and guitar solos, but Evans relies almost entirely on his own performance skills. He proves that he can handle any thrash weapon of choice, but the drummer's first instrumental love is featured throughout the record and most prominently on "Moby Dick Part 2." Basically a two-minute-plus drum solo, the pseudo-tribute to John Bonham features a flurry of double bass work. Standout track "Turn to Stone" sports a metal gallop exposing the musician's early-'80s British influences that echo throughout this recording. With it's drippy lyrics and mellow guitar harmonies, the power ballad "Samantha" is a little out of place on In the Red, giving the Combat Records release a musically uncommitted essence.
	Faster Pussycat - Whipped - Glam metal cassette tape on Elektra Records Sleazy Hollywood metal band (whose name was lifted from a Russ Meyer flick) Faster Pussycat released their first album in 1987 and peaked commercially two years later with the gold album Wake Me When It's Over, and the Top 40 single "House of Pain." Although their next album, 1992's Whipped, hit number 90 on the charts, it fell off quickly; with the alternative rock explosion, the hard rock audience had changed and had no patience for Faster Pussycat's trashy glam metal. After the group's split, singer Taime Downe formed the industrial/goth outfit the Newlydeads (along with a former member of another former L.A. glam pop outfit, Bang Tango's Kyle Kyle), issuing three albums -- 1997's self-titled debut, 1999's remix collection Re-Bound, and 2001's Dead End. With America experiencing a resurging interest in '80s glam pop by the early 21st century, Faster Pussycat reunited for a tour. But instead of an album of all-new material coinciding with the tour, a collection of old tracks remade as techno remixes was issued, entitled Between the Valley of the Ultra Pussy
	Fudge Tunnel - The Complicated Futility Of Ignorance - Cassette tape on Earache Records King Snake Roost toured the U.S. with Babes in Toyland, Helmet, and the Hard-Ons. During the two-month tour, they recorded their third album with producer Butch Vig. During this time, Tolnay also worked with the Dead Kennedys' lead singer Jello Biafra and members of U.S. band Steel Pole Bathtub under the banner Tumor Circus. Ground Into the Dirt was released in 1990 on the Amphetamine Reptile label in the U.S. and Megadisc in Europe
	Green River - Come On Down - Cassette tape featuring Pearl Jam and Mudhoney one Homestead Records Green River arguably had little impact outside Seattle, though they did form a friendly alliance with emerging American indie rock bands, most notably Sonic Youth who would later quote the Green River song "Come On Down" in their 2000 song "Nevermind (What Was it Anyway?)". However, the impact Green River had on the music made in Seattle would eventually be felt around the world. Their influence could be felt on both their contemporaries (Soundgarden, The Melvins) (though influence on the part of the Melvins was a two way street) and later Seattle bands (Nirvana, Alice in Chains). Before Nirvana, or indeed Mudhoney, Green River was the flagship band at legendary Seattle label Sub Pop, and through the bands who would form when the band split up (Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney) the members went on to influence millions of people world wide.