Atom and His Package

An essential eulogy to the band (i.e., Adam Goren and his sequencer) for the legions of cult fans, Hair: Debatable is the final, rocking nail in the Atom & His Package coffin: a recording of Goren's last live show. The favorites are here, and there are lots of them -- tributes to the metric system ("[Lord It's Hard to Be Happy When You're Not] Using the Metric System"), Enya ("Pumping Iron for Enya"), and evil black metal bands ("Me and My Black Metal Friends"), hilarious narratives like the '80s new wave of "Snowshoe BBQ" and the mocking pseudo-cover power rock tune "Shopping Spree," and political rants on stupid punks ("Anarchy Means I Litter") and racist sports team names ("If You Own the Washington Redskins You're a Cock"). Then there are the priceless covers, from I Hate You's 30-second "Bloody Lip" to the send-up of Brutal Truth's "Collateral Damage" and the awesome electro rendition of Fugazi's "Waiting Room." It's all too cute and Goren's nasal voice should be as annoying as heck, but that's the beauty of it -- it's punk rock by being overly quirky, obnoxiously catchy, and goofily in your face. The bonus DVD is priceless, with two hours of live footage, videos, and documentaries. Probably alienating for nonfans, it's a necessity for Atom & His Package followers. ~ Charles Spano, All Music Guide