KELLY WILLIS
Fading Fast (A&M)
It’s so obvious someone should have thought of it sooner. Hook Kelly Willis up
with some good bands — Son Volt on the first three tracks and
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Horsepower on the other — and let her do her thing. It’s just an EP, but
Fading Fast is Willis’ best work on record.
— Michael Bertin
WANNABES
I Am God (Dejadisc)
Damned if you don’t, damned if you do. Damned if don’t already own the
Wannabes’ two full-lengths and need a sampler EP, and damned if you do, but
want the two XTC-ish outtakes or the rockin’ little Jo Carol Pierce tune from
the tribute of a few years back. A solid 15 minutes, but gimme 30 more and a
new album. — Raoul Hernandez
PUMP’N ETHYL
Thank God I’m Livin’ in the USA! (DSR)
What if Hank Williams, Jr., went hardcore? Dallas’ Pump’n Ethyl uses patented
loud-fast appeal as a bully pulpit for knee-jerk libertarianism. Fortunately,
the band is also armed with a dark sense of humor that recalls the classic
Eighties fuck ’em all mentality of Fear and Fang. With song titles like “Drunk
`N’ Tattooed,” and “Heavy Metal Dickhead,” you know that this is more akin to a
drunk and distorted hootenanny than a Ron Paul rally. (Emo’s, Saturday,
October 12.) — Greg Beets
Bonus Tracks reviews all local and Texas-based releases commercially
available. Send to: “Bonus Tracks,” PO Box 49066, Austin, TX 78765
This article appears in October 11 • 1996 and October 11 • 1996 (Cover).