David Emmets
Does the Word Love Mean Forever
David Emmets' songs have a twisted sense of dark introspection that embraces his CD with a cold, poetic, morbid love that immediately makes this intriguing. But this sounds like a work in progress. Many times Emmets comes up with a groove and remains content to base an entire song on it -- too many times is a mistake. Several songs into the CD and I was thinking a co-writer would be a good idea, but songs like "Darkness In the Daylight" and "Expressing Love" show David can build to a great chorus with anyone. These songs could sure use a guitar solo or something though, but it's gonna be challenging to find someone able to skew this to another level. And the drum sound is gated and dated. Sounds like it's being played manually on a machine, which is fine, but some variety would be welcome; as it was on "Searching" which is fantastic (I wish it was longer and more developed). There is so much going for this, yet it could be really something. Watch out -- Emmets could blow us away with his next one. -- Bryan Baker, 729497

Dean Evenson
Ascension
Dean Evenson is co-founder of the successful new age / ambient label, Soundings of the Planet along with his wife, harpist Dudley Evenson. Soundings has been very successful in the genre, garnering Billboard charting status along with enabling the Evensons to use their successes in various cultural and environmental causes. This is important 'cos the spirit behind the music is often as essential to understand real new age as the music itself. Ascension takes us to the mountains Tibet with soaring atmospheres conjured with Dean Evenson's synthesizers and flute and helped by the vocal "orchestrations" of Lorellei, Dudley Evenson's harp and bells and rounded out with keyboards, cello, percussion and tablas. This is a contemplative release that is as near to "heavenly" as you might expect to get by such unconventional means as mere sonic vibrations. The spirit of this evokes an inspiration towards the hope of freedom for Tibet for which it is dedicated. -- Bryan Baker, 728502

Dennis Engleman
We Are Not Alone
Watch for review in a future posting. -- Bryan Baker,

E-Neptunes
sudo-neurotic
Watch for review in a future posting. -- Bryan Baker,

E. Coli
Bindle b/w "My Precious Friend"
Watch for review in a future posting. -- Bryan Baker,

E. Coli
Bindle b/w My Precious Friend
E. Coli is led by Ethyl Meatplow's John Napier taking an approach that is more rock/guitar oriented with slashing, feedback-strewn rhythms. -- Bryan Baker, 728295

Ears Under Siege
Signal to Noise
Clockwork ticks, woofer woofs and tweeter squeals, that's what noise cassettes are made of. The cover shows a hearing test in progress and the frequency ranges on this one go to such extremes that it could almost be used as one. And maybe that's part of the problem - it's pretty cold stuff, for the most part not an enjoyable listen. Meandering bleeps and cynical samples fill the first side without really going anywhere, and some folks might miss the humor in the one bit that does stand out, "Women Love That Shit." The second side redeems it somewhat, though, when the Ears come alive on an extended piece called "The Long Night." This particular track has a definite Heldon feel to it, which is to say, it kicks ass - more of this, please! The artwork and packaging are pretty good, with extra points for using runes to mark sides A and B. -- Steven Defoe, 729189

earwig
perfectpast tense
Earwig plays an edgy, intense brand of post punk/post thrash with plenty of hooks that lurch into blantant emotions with a defiant dissonance that should play extremely well to the college set. -- Bryan Baker, 730466

EBP
Watch for review in a future posting. -- Bryan Baker,

ed
Rock and Roll is cool, daddy, and you know it!
This album is classic early 90's Northwest influence rock. At times it ranges between every Northwest influence of the time, from SoundGarden to Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, this album is a glimpse into the time period that spawned Grunge as a national phenomenon. The credits only give first names, and Lee on vocals and guitar appears to be the focus of the group. The main difference with Ed compared to other bands of this style is the vocals. The similarity between Lee and Ozzy Ozborne is uncanny, and it appears as if he takes great pains to emphasize the similarities. The rest of the orchestration is classic to the genre, with most songs opening with either guitar riffs or bass riffs. Overall, if you are into Northwest music you will enjoy this album. -- Phil Simon, 729853

Eddie the Rat
Food For the Moon Too Soon
Watch for review in a future posting. -- Bryan Baker,

Eel O./Mortuary Attendent
Noise From Nowhere
A split-cassette featuring two artists on New Flesh Tapes' roster. Both seem to have a mutual motivation, that being to create noise works with structure, bordering on "songs." Each of these pieces has a flow which reveals forthought behind the process. Both artists use tones mixed with noise spurts, and an excellent use of the stereo picture. Very much one of the best "noise" tapes I've yet to hear. -- Bryan Baker, 726193

EHI, Hal McGee, Separation
Homemade Alien Music
Those familiar with the work of these three artists will find this CD offers no surprises, rather it gives many of us longtime fans a sonic blast on pristine compact disc format (although McGee's tapes have always maintained impeccable standards). The sounds here team with distortion, humming, ringing feedback and space-time delirium artifacts that may or may not be homemade, may or may not be alien and may or may not be music. -- Bryan Baker, 729583

Ehnemho/Arc (split)
wax / finite
Ehnemho was a loose knit group of friends who liked to play, with up to 10 or so people jamming at a session. It's sort of garage band type practice outtakes with a bit more substance than that description might imply to most of you. The Arc recordings are more improvisational, relying heavily on looped guitar structures and pots & pans -type percussion. Arc splintered into a later band called Loopspool which played a live performance for one its member's honors thesis. -- Bryan Baker, 727892

Eisenvater
Not reviewed. -- Bryan Baker,