Rock 'n' roll is supposed to be a bit dangerous sounding and while that quality can come from various aspects of the music there's nothing quite like when a band has a lead singer that seems to be unhinged. Meet then Mr. Jack Kansas, who sings here like he's liquored up, dodging the cops and late for an appointment with his court-ordered shrink. In other words, Kansas is the real deal, the perfect mouthpiece for this set of Doors, Cult and even Rolling Stones-influenced rock. The crazy is balanced out with clever when it comes to the lyrics though as Kansas reels off lines like "Mama's on the breadline/Mixing up the moonshine" on "Whiskey Going Free" and "The game of chicken is over/Cluck, cluck, so long" from the title cut. Add to this a solid rhythm section and fearless guitar riffing from Frank Pick and you have one of the most fun and exciting albums to come along so far this year. One of the record's song titles says it best: "This Music Blows My Tiny Mind"!

The Shams
One and All
(Self-released)

The Shams are based in San Francisco but their music has a distinct Irish overtone, no surprise since three of the five members are Irish while a fourth is Irish-American. The music is buoyant rock with a slight punk overtone; the Irish comes mostly from the voice of singer Sean Daly. Daly shows only a hint of an accent on "Sunset Paddy's" but on "Go On Home Boys" the accent is full-on, making it one of those songs that you'll definitely want to hoist a pint o' Guinness to. There's a bit of the blues incorporated into "Not Bothered" but it's the one relaxed moment on this six-song EP; this is party music and if you need a new anthem for St. Paddy's Day, give the rowdy "Drinks Are on Me" a spin.

BP Fallon
Live in Texas
Saustex