Don't want to read longwinded reviews? Want to get right to the point? antiGUY does just that with these quick and dirty reviews.

Sum 41 � Chuck
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Could it be that Sum 41 grew up? Maybe just a little. They have definitely fattened their sound with this release where they take the predictable pop-punk formula and add heavy doses of metal. Sort of like the pop-punk answer to Linkin Park. If this were the band's first CD they probably wouldn't have such a bad reputation with serious rock fans. While this CD isn't incredible by any measure, it is still a lot of better than I expected. If the band can evolve just a bit more and dump the formulaic pop-punk elements and concentrate more on the metal side they may just totally change my mind. Until then Chuck is a good effort. How it will go over with the young girls that love this group is anyone's guess at this point. But they earn a little credibility with this CD. Not a lot, but enough for those that had previously written them off to give them another listen.

Green Day - American Idiot
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I have never been a fan of Green Day. In fact, Billy Joe has always gotten under my skin with his nasally vocals. I've always appreciated the simplic beauty of the songwriting and acknowledge the skills but once he opened his mouth it turned me off. So I expected a similar reaction to this CD. Although I have to dismiss the simpleminded politics, the music itself is a huge breakthrough for the band. Billy Joe doesn't even annoy me! Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised with what I heard when I put this CD on. It's a solid effort from start to finish and Green Day have become what they have always been, a great power-pop band hiding behind a façade of quasi-punk. The pop-punk formula is here but the band does venture beyond it or even transcend it to the true power-pop realm.

Duran Duran � Astronaut
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The moment of truth has arrived for the reunited Duran Duran. Can they come back after such a long absence and deliver the goods? The lead off track "(Reach Up For The) Sunrise" makes that hope spring forward. It's classic upbeat Duran Duran but it doesn't quite reach the heights of the band's signature work like "Rio", "View to a Kill", "Hungry Like the Wolf", "Save A Prayer" or "The Reflex". It doesn't even come close to the brilliance of "Ordinary World". That's just the first song. From there it is all down hill. That's not to say that this is a bad album, it is quite good pop music but it's nowhere near the quality of this band's earlier work. Die hard fans will probably love it, but it is not likely to make the kids of today pay much attention.

Rod Stewart - The Great American Songbook Volume III
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I give Rod points for being honest. He knows that he is long past the days of being "cool" and the best he can hope for is an adult contemporary hit. That being said, this format seems to be tailor made for Rod's voice. He's not Sinatra and that's a big part of the appeal. Instead of the smooth throated delivery that is typical of this style of music, Rod's gravely vocals give it an edge. The highlight is "Blue Moon," which benefits from Eric Clapton's lead acoustic guitar treatment. Rod did an admirable job on this collection. You know that Clive Davis must be proud. But given the genre, it's doubtful many antiMUSIC readers would find much appeal with this CD. Then again it might be just mellow enough to chill out to with a little green.

Brian Wilson � Smile
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At last! Smile has been released at last! It only took 37 years but we have it at last. Perhaps the most famous "unreleased" album in rock history, you really have to take the history and context of this album into account when listening to it. If it had been released as planned in 1967, it would have been revolutionary. Perhaps people were not ready for this much of a departure, but given that the Beatles "White Album" came out a year later, I think it probably would have gone over well. But it didn't come out, instead this project led Brian Wilson into personal and emotional tailspin. We did get a taste of Smile with "Good Vibrations" which at the time was a marvel in recording and songwriting with the brilliant juxtaposition of the somber verses and upbeat choruses. "Good Vibrations" only touches the surface of Smile. Even in today's context this album is brilliant. Brian takes us on a sonic journey, with a wide tapestry of sounds and flowing musical directions that may sound disjointed taken separately but when heard together formulate a landmark recording even in 2004, let alone 1967 when this material was conceived. Bravo to Brian for this masterpiece and thank you for letting go and sharing it with us.

Cake - Pressure Chief
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Some bands try to pass off strangeness for brilliance. Cake is one of those bands. If anything this CD is a lazy attempt from the band. They don't come close to matching the brilliance of a Beck or the Flaming Lips. They do come close to breaking through with "The Guitar Man", if the writing and performances on this CD matched this track then Cake would indeed have something special on there hands. But as it is, this album is really rather bland and highly forgettable to any but the most ardent Cake fan.

Silvertide - Show & Tell
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If you have a soft spot in your heart for 70s style hard rock then Silvertide more than delivers. Show & Tell is the album that Chris Robinson or Josh Todd should have recorded the last time out but didn't. Silvertide deliver great rock anthems with hook heavy choruses in the tradition of Fog Hat or Foreigner (before the wimpy ballads stuff of the 80s). Some say that rock is dead, but one listen to this CD and you can quickly smack them in the mouth. But will this appeal to younger listeners? We will have wait and see on that one.

Upside / Feds � Split CD
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This CD brings together two indie modern rock bands Upside and the Feds. And modern rock is just what you get. Both bands are more than competent in their musicianship. There are no big break away hits here with huge memorable choruses that cry out for radio airplay but both bands deliver strong efforts. Upside stick pretty close to the modern rock formula while The Feds spread their wings a bit. All and all this CD is a cool look at two up and coming modern rock bands.

The Vote - All Things Considered
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On All things Considered The Vote churn out an album's worth of melodious punk inspired tunes that forsake the true edginess of punk but don't come near to selling out like new wave. This is one band that is hard to pigeonhole with a label. The definitely fall somewhere under the punk umbrella, closer to the alternative cousins. What some may see as their biggest weakness may just be what's most appealing about them, they don't write songs with radio airplay in mind. They instead seem more focused on feeling the music out and letting it flow. Not quite as innovative or inspiring as The Blood Brothers but The Vote do earn a vote of respect from this jaded critic for doing something different. And this is one CD where you do tend to get more out of it with each subsequent listen. If you have the patience and the adventurous spirit to check out something different, this band just may earn your vote as well.

G.Love - The Hustle
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G.Love is ambitious in his attempted mix of hip-hop, funk, blues and rock. Sometimes it works but at others the limitations of the root genre bring the songs down, especially in the simply stupid " Booty Call" and the other songs focused around raps. But at other times with more focus G.Love breaks beyond the limitations and delivers something remarkable like the 60s tinged "Love" and "Loving Me". Arrested Development and Everlast don't have to watch their backs, but G.Love might be a good gateway sound for hip-hop fans into rock. That path is less likely to succeed going in the other direction. But it's easy to see how people that fall for G.Love will fall in a big way. An interesting listen and definitely not what you'd expect from a Universal Records release in 2004.

Stimulator
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Guest Review By Greg Howell
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Stimulator's self-titled debut starts out promising, but in the end, they end up falling flat. The album open with "78 Stimulator" where singer Susan Hyatt sound eerily like Shirley Manson, but that's as good as it gets. Stimulator begins its downward spiral with "Feelin Alright", and doesn't look back. The lyrics really seem to dumb down as the album turns into a more alt pop record that sounds like something Hillary Duff would spit out. If this album was more intelligent lyrically, I could give it 3 stars. Instead, I give it a 2.5.