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The Briefs

Off The Charts | Dirtnap

It doesn''t matter if it''s 1973, ''83, ''93, ''03--rock and roll bands never learn their basic lesson--the road is a lousy place to write songs and the follow-up to mega-catchiness is almost always drab.

So is the case with this Seattle punk quartet, whose 2000 disc Hit After Hit was indeed just that, one blast of primal snottiness after another--zingy, insanely singable silliness. On to the road they went, playing endless van tours of the States and built an impressive following in their wake. Problem is, this lifestyle isn''t conducive to the manufacture of decent material, especially in pop-punk bands (to wit, the New York Dolls'' second disc, the Clash''s, Blondie''s).

The Briefs penchant for endlessly repeatable and hilarious hooks is nowhere in evidence here. "(Looking Through) Gary Glitter''s Eyes" isn''t a parody of the Adverts 1977 paen to murderer Gary Gilmore, nor is it a pointed enough attack at the British pop star/kiddie porn addict to register points. In fact, the only truly memorable numbers here are the straight-forward tearjerker "Tear It In Two" and the in-concert fave "We Americans", the latter of which has been road-tested for years.

I couldn''t wait to throw this bad boy on when it arrived; now, I can''t imagine putting it on again. The sophomore slump, it''s a bitch.

--Johnny Angel

Moving Units

Self Titled EP | Three One G

With an underproduced sound that is quite endearing, the Moving Units debut EP is surprisingly less than 15 minutes long, with only four songs that combine elements of punk, new-wave and disco. They''ve got a hook that''s so damn catchy, every record shop in LA sells out of their EP almost as soon as it hits the shelves. Moving Units hits the G-spot with a sexually-charged allegiance more to funk than punk, and with their off-kilter take on modern punk rock.

And while their formula is familiar, the sound is memorable with staccato guitars, wiry, melodic bass lines, angular guitar riffs and somewhat frivolous, silly vocals that are sung with such decadence that you can''t resist the urge to sing along. Every track is lead by a mayhem of discoesque bass lines, taunting the drumming to frantically stay ahead of the controlled mania of melody. The songs are quick with an artsy, angular attack that forces you to dance.

"Melodrama", filled with raw, repetitious, herky-jerky motions of the rhythm section, pivots on an axis of crude, minimal, melodic guitars and wailing distorted vocals. The guitar in "I Am" plays off the punchy bass licks, picking up the tension and volume in the chorus. With a jest of melodic mischievousness and musical novelties, "Between Us & Them" retains more new wave ingenuity that what most nu wavers try to front but can''t quite pull off. The most captivating track on the EP is undeniably "X And Y", with a pulse and throb that''s not unlike the oversexed shimmy of disco.

Using the same bass rhythm and note progression on the entire EP, Moving Units could easily be considered monotonous and tedious but they are so much fun it''s difficult to resist their hook. It''s not groundbreaking music, just pure entertainment. As they mock the overly manufactured dance music industry, Moving Units coerces you to "surrender to the disco drama" as they contribute to the newly-formed, rock-based idea of club culture.

--Melanie Walker