Shout

As kind of a celebration of the music showcased in the late 1990s and early 2000s at the Shout! club in New York City, this has just over a dozen tracks by acts that have graced its stage. Though a sticker on the shrink wrap declares it to be "an arsenal of rare, unreleased and alternate tracks," the rarity really isn't that big of a deal to trumpet considering that not many people, even in indie rockdom, are too familiar with most of the bands. Elefant and the Warlocks are about the most recognizable acts on a compilation that, at first glance and hearing, seems like it might be a neo-garage anthology. It's true that this CD is largely devoted to guitar-oriented rowdy sounds with echoes of the '60s and '70s, with the crossover of blues/garage/pop/hard rock of the early '70s being a prominent approach. But it's fairly diverse within that aesthetic, though not crowded with memorable songs. Vue's "Pictures of Me" sounds a little like a caricature of early-'70s Rolling Stones; the Greenhornes' "Good Times" has the most convincing evocation of '60s-type garage angst; the Witnesses' "(Walkin') Steppin' Pneumonia" evokes the gutsier early-'70s glam sounds; and Knoxville Girls' "I Had a Dream" is trashy '50s-styled R&B-rock. In a change of pace from most of the disc, the Boggs' "How Long?" is nonchalant, raggedy folk-blues. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide