Tuscadero ‘The Pink Album’ ¥¥¥3/4 (of 5)’She’s a latex dominatrix./ Her rubber bras are made by Playtex.’Imagine the B-52s got rid of that annoying talk-singing guy, got a clue about music and a little pissed off, then made an album. You’d have Tuscadero’s ‘The Pink Album.’ This Washington, D.C. band is lots o’ bubble-gum pop fun, with a catchy naive guitar/ bass style and lyrics that alternate between silly and biting. For example, these lyrics from ‘Just My Size:”Don’t throw him away/ he’s just my size/ I have no doubt that he’s good as first prize/ So if feelings for him start to fade/ and I finish with mine/ We’ll get together and trade.’Singers Melissa Farris and Margaret McCartney duel on their co-written lyrics, sounding like Belinda Carlisle and either of the B-52 chicks trying to sing over each other. Really catchy stuff. If this disc came out in June, it would have been a perfect summer vacation soundtrack. Pick this up and relive the mid-80s ‘ both the temperature and time period.
Pet (self-titled) ¥¥1/2Pet’s executive producer is Tori Amos. If they ever end up with a video in heavy rotation on MTV, you’ll hear that a lot. Hopefully, it won’t last long; this band is good enough to stand on its own.On the other hand, they’re not strong enough to get to the Buzz Bin without a little help. Singer Lisa Papineau sounds like Sarah McLaughlin with a dash more aggression. The rest of the band keeps it tight right along with her, with Tyler Bates providing some pretty strong guitar work, both electric and acoustic. Songs alternate between the acoustic and electric, fading back and forth very smoothly. The album as a whole is cohesive. The sound Pet is driving for comes through loud and clear.Unfortunately, the sound can’t quite hold you; your attention is easily snagged and Pet just fades into the background, like goldfish on the mantle. Like my roommate said, this is a good album to study to: not amazing enough to distract you, but interesting enough to enjoy when you’re daydreaming during your English reading assignment.
CD reviews are written by Andrew Huff
