Media Blackout 

It’s not over! It’s never over! You’re the disease! And I’m the MB31! • George P. Cosmatos R.I.P. (1941-2005) :: First he directed Rambo. Next he directed Cobra. Then he made history when he directed one of the 10 greatest Westerns of all time, Tombstone. • The Raveonettes — Pretty In Black (Columbia) :: They’re just like the Lords Of Acid … only without the acid. • Hanin Elias — Future Noir (Cochon) :: The female Gary Numan makes a techno Nico record. Who will love Alanis Sane? • Spitalfield — Stop Doing Bad Things (Victory) :: Stop making bad albums. • Mem Shannon — I’m From Phunkville (Last Load) :: Ah’m frum Missoura, an’ dis heah silky smood funk elpee sho’nuff dun showed me, yassum! • Doug Sahm – The Return Of The Formerly Brothers (Stony Plain) :: Sir Douglas serves up a steamin’ slice of Cajun swamp-wop with a side order of early Chicano honky-tonk Tex-Mex rock ’n’ roll. Would you like some Canuckistan country boogie with that? • The Curtains — Vehicles Of Travel (Frenetic) :: Skillfully scattershot, ethereal and ambient, these charming childhood chakras will have your head driftfully grazing the ceiling. • Andy Stochansky — 100 (Interscope) :: Andy’s an amped-up Elliott Murphy for the 21st century with songs that are just as good and a heart that’s just as big. • The Deadly – The Wolves Are Here Again (Pluto) :: Bone-pulverizing Jimmy Page guitar riffs. Slaughterhouse screamo Tom Verlaine vocals. What’s not to like? • Elton John — Blow Mauves (MCA) • SIZZLING PLATTER OF THE WEEK: The Valley Arena – Take Comfort In Strangers (Astro Magnetics) :: The chunky guitars and punky vocals are reason enough to stick around, but it’s the unexpected John Bonham power drumming by Carlos de la Garza that keeps this train from derailing. • Be seeing you!