Alice Donut - "Freaks In Love" DVD (director: David Koslowski)

This documentary film looks at the life and times of weirdo New York freak-punk act Alice Donut, who have spent 25 years remaining steadfastly independent and confounding critics and fans. Director Koslowski does a fantastic job interviewing band members as well as peers like producer Martin Bisi, Curt Kirkwood (Meat Puppets), Jello Biafra, and Greg Werckman (Alternative Tentacles/Ipecac).

As well, there's tons of classic live footage and intimate behind-the-scenes clips, illustrating Alice Donut's fearsome and wild post-punk sounds. Biafra sums it up well with a cover quote: "The missing link between R.E.M. and the Butthole Surfers".

Though Alice Donut never quite reached the heights of some of their indie peers in the 80s or 90s, they remain an iconic symbol of true independent spirit, and although the members have moved on in life, they still, on occasion, regroup to play shows and even record. The "scene" may be vastly different, but Alice Donut remain legends. "Freaks In Love" is a superb, well-done, and enlightening film for fans, or anyone interested in the legacy of a sometimes-forgotten but influential post-punk band. (MVD Visual)

Alice Donut site

Meat Puppets - "Out My Way" CD

Originally a 1986 EP, this reissue adds 7 mostly unreleased tracks, making for a more substantial 52-minute album. Coming from the diverse, but punk-affiliated SST label, no doubt these boys confused many a listener. Having much more in common with country and folk than punk, per se, "Out My Way" is full of chiming indie pop tunes. Covers of "Good Golly Miss Molly", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", and "Burn The Honky Tonk Down" show that the brothers Kirkwood and friends were drawing inspiration from such disparate sources as early rock and roll, blues, and country -- all filtered through the Puppets' sun-baked Arizona psychedelic mindset. "Out My Way" may have been little more than a stop-gap release in its day, but it holds up remarkably well now. (MVD Audio)

Meat Puppets site

Meat Puppets - "Mirage" CD

The band's 5th album, originally from 1987, is here reissued with an additional 5 previously unreleased tracks appended. On "Mirage", the band's unique amalgam of post-punk, bluegrass, classic rock, and psychedelia congealed into a highly listenable, and distinctive whole. Consisting solely of brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood with drummer Derrick Bostrom, "Mirage" contains certifiable classics like "The Wind And The Rain", or and the rollicking Western hoedown of "Get On Down", which garnered some MTV airplay back in the day. "Beauty" showcases the Curt's prowess on guitar, with lightning-fast licks that, if electrified, could double as thrash metal. "A Hundred Miles" is a calliope of chiming guitars amidst the sing-a-long pop-song structure. A strong album, and one that still sounds relatively fresh, save for the drum machine pulsing through most of the tracks. (MVD Audio)

Meat Puppets site

Meat Puppets - "Monsters" CD

The band's 1989 LP was to be their final for SST Records, and it begins with the stomping heavy rock of "Attacked By Monsters". More electric and "rock" than previous Meat Puppets offerings, this album shows another leap by the band, further upping the ante with better harmonies, and an arguably more "mainstream" sound. But rather than "selling out" (as some accused them of, especially as they were to soon signing to major label London Records), this seems, in retrospect, to be more a gradual and natural move towards more accessible songwriting.

"The Void" is another swaggering boogie-rock monsterpiece that reminds a little of a slightly psychedelic ZZ Top, believe it or not, as does the blazing "Flight Of The Fire Weasel". But there's still plenty of meandering, freaky guitar fireworks otherwise, a specialty that the brothers Kirkwood are renowned for. As it stands, "Monster" is a solid effort, and holds up well, even over 20 years later. (MVD Audio)

Meat Puppets site

"A History Lesson Part 1 - Punk Rock In Los Angeles in 1984" DVD (director: Dave Travis)

This documentary utilizes footage culled from Travis's teenage bootlegs, and succeeds in presenting a fitting and faithful tribute to the era's nearly-forgotten punk roots. Sandwiching more recent-era band interviews with his fan-shot live clips, "A History Lesson" gives the impressions of the featured acts in their own words, so there's a proper historical perspective that some live videos lack. Included are the Meat Puppets, Redd Kross, The Minutemen, and Twisted Roots, all children of punk rock who broke some of the molds and helped give rise to the alternative scene of the 90s.

Sure, some of the live clips are grainy and the sound muddy, but this stuff would've been lost on VHS forever, so kudos to Travis for resurrecting it, and for giving us a unique and interesting document. Anyone with an interest in classic LA punk needs to see this, pronto. (MVD Visual)