by:Dustin Coleman and Christi Harber

Ugly Kid Joe-Menace to Sobriety -Mercury Records

If you were weird enough to enjoy Ugly Kid Joe’s first hit, Hate Everything About You, then you will probably love the band’s new album, Menace to Sobriety. But if you did not like it, you’ll hate this album. Even though the band has grunged up their guitars somewhat, by the time singer Whitfield Crane cues in on the first song God, things get real corny. Middle class white boys complaining about life hasn’t been the same since Sid died. Ugly Kid Joe should let it stay dead.

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With a line-up ranging in age from 17 to 24, The Beggars is probably the best young band to hit the music scene since Live released Mental Jewelry. By mixing 1960’s Bealtes-esque songwriting, the moodiness of goth-rock, and a little bit of distortion here and there, the band has scored a hit with its self-titled debut album.

The first single, Falling Down, is a chiming, ringing piece reminiscent of songs from the late 1980’s/ early 1990’s band Ocean Blue. The band then shows its diversity in songs like Lovely Soul Detonator by showing it’s more edgy side. But no matter what genre each song pertains to, the Beggars lends its overall style to a more timeless pop-rock tradition that can be seen in some of the greatest bands of all time.

The Circle Jerks-Oddities, Abnormalities, and Curiosities- Mercury Records

Some bands are just hard to hate:T-Rex, AC/DC, early David Bowie, late Elvis, and the latest to the list, the Circle Jerks. In some sort of reunion, the Jerks remind the music world just how annoying rock n’ roll can be on its new album, Oddities,Abnormalities, and Curiosities. With punk-rock riffs and lyrics that go absolutely nowhere, the Jerks made your typical funny-punk album that even the Ramones would be jealous of

(considering it can’t create a good new album either).

The first song, Teenage Electric, basically gives the listeners a taste of what is to come. After that, the album turns into one big punk riff. But maybe that’s not a bad thing. Granted, it would be hard to imagine any other band pulling off cameo vocal performances from puppy pop star Debbie Gibson and girlie grit rocker Suzi Gardner from L7 on the Jerk’s version of Robyn Hitchcock’s I Wanna Destroy You.

If you are looking for good keg music, this is your album. But if you are looking to be inspired, search somewere else. This ain’t no picnic.

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Grand Puba- 2000-Elektra Records Grand Puba’s long-awaited second solo album, 2000, takes hip hop into the future by incorporating samples with new blends of beats giving his CD a smooth touch of hot buttered soul.

The first single to drop was I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are), with a beat that makes you want to groove. Puba sends out warning messages of life to his listeners in Back Stabbers, dealing with people that are so-called friends. Puba then switches the vibe to discussing the social ills, violence and drugs that plague the concrete jungles throughout black America in Change Gonna Come.

On each joint, Puba puts the flavor in your ear with original hook lines in the chorus to keep the listeners bobbing their heads to thumping basslines.

Puba should have reached out to other producers because this release sounds similar to his first record.