Good news first! Blister 66 is once again complete and ready to tear things up, in Denver and on the road! Their new drummer is none other than David Foonberg, formerly of Colemesis. I couldn't think of a better man for the job, though this does kind of leave Colemesis in the lurch. What a lovely surprise guitarist Fabian will have when he returns from Costa Rica (where Colemesis originated from). Blister66 also has another new member: DJ Kage. The band had a great performance at The Gothic last week, and will be on the road soon!

Also back in business, though after a much longer absence, is Tequila Mockingbird. Remember them? They were out of commission for a while after bass virtuoso split for Dear Marsha, but will have played several dates by the time you read this. In addition to steadfast members Dan and Wendy, the new lineup includes Mark Mauldin on guitar, Ryan Smith on bass guitar and Chris Spencer on percussion and vocals. The press release promises that they are now a different band with a "new and improved collaboration of friendship and enthusiasm." I look forward to checking out the new incarnation!

And returning to the Colorado Springs scene is Looks Like Me, who took a leave of absence after singer Lance's father was killed in a tragic motorcycling accident. My heart goes out to Lance, and I applaud his resolve in getting the band back to wowing the local scene so soon after such an unfathomable loss.

Did you think Bob Rupp was pushing himself a little too hard lately? Apparently, so did he. Now the man who leads the pack in supporting the local scene will be going into what he calls "semi-retirement." Yes, he'll still be the mastermind at Rupp's Drums, but no longer will he be pounding the skins for Paul Galaxy and the Galactix. It was a difficult choice, but there's really only so much a man can do for any length of time, even if you're the indomitable Bob Rupp.

Think your drummer has problems? They can't be as bad as those that one local Denver band (who wished to have their name withheld for obvious reasons) had to deal with. It seems the band extended their sympathy after hearing their drummer's child died of SIDS. When the cops started asking questions, however, the band learned that their now-former- drummer would be in jail awaiting trial for murder of said child. The drummer and his wife are accused of neglecting and severely malnourishing the child, which was the true cause of death. Maybe bands should start doing a background check before accepting members! The rest of the band was completely unaware of the incidents until much too late.

Maybe you were shocked to read Jessica's article about Carolyn's Mother's escapades in Nebraska? Small potatoes next to the reason a band called The Business is trying to get punk-oriented venue The Raven shut down. Versions vary of course, but the fact that remains is the band had their tour van shot up after a show at the club. No one was hurt, but word is going around that after the vocalist got into a confrontation with one of the bouncers, said bouncer called some gang-affiliated pals to come down and teach the band a lesson. Singer Terry Bones is making public his intent to get The Raven sued and closed, though others argue that the people who put bullets into the van were not really affiliated with the club.

Sad Star Café is looking for a guitarist still, call 303-606-3767 and leave a voice mail. Esovae still needs both a bassist and drummer, e-mail esovae@yahoo.com. Vox Demon'na continues their search for a keyboardist, call Cranberry at 303-321-6098. Talea of decanonizeD fame is still looking for projects, e-mail her at alleycat@decanonized.com. Dear Marsha, is hunting for a drummer, call Jerry at 303-332-1871. Carolyn's Mother quests onward for a drummer, contact arcturussports@aol.com. Another drummerless band, or soon to be, at least, is EL fiendHERO, whose drummer will be moving out of state soon, call Mike 303- 657-4753 or e-mail elfiendhero@hotmail.com.

Zeke: "Dirty Sanchez"
Review by Sean Hartgrove

Zeke comes straight from the gutter with their fourth brutal offering, "Dirty Sanchez." If you are not familiar with Zeke, well are you in for something good, provided you like your punk rock super charged, angry, hateful and violent. If you don't, then don't bother!

"Dirty Sanchez" is the band's second full-length release on the legendary Epitaph label. Epitaph has been signing a variety of bands over the past two years that stand out from the Bad Religion variety they have become known for. Zeke definitely breaks the mold with breakneck speed songs about bad things! Drugs, sex, violence, and driving fast are but a few of their favorite subjects.

Zeke has remained very consistent with the first three full-length recordings. "Super Sound Racing" and "Flat Tracker," both released by Scooch Pooch, are future classics to be sure. "Kicked in the Teeth," Zeke's Epitaph debut, clocks in at "very good" and shows a sonic maturity that I liked. Now we have something dirtier than the rest, angrier and all together more raw, particularly in the singing/screaming coming from front man Blind Marky Felchtone. Recently I asked him about this difference and basically what he told me was that after two years of non-stop touring, countless hours on the road and all the shit that comes with it, the band has been stressed to its limit.

"‘Sanchez,'" says Mark, "is basically a big fuck you. We wrote it on the road, so it was different in that way, but the tension is definitely us letting off a lot of steam."

"Dirty Sanchez" takes Zeke to a new level of angst and aggressive punch -- 16 songs in 21 minutes with a very live vibe is what you get; less groove with nothing to prove, it beats you up and spits you out. A-

Melanie Susuras: "Barefoot Again"
Review by Catalina

Buy this CD. Oh, I don't care if it's not your type of music, or you have deep traumatic issues with female singer/songwriters, or whatever. There are puppies on the CD. Well, okay, not on the CD, but there are pictures of them in the middle of the insert. Puppies! Very very cute puppies! Yeah, I'll talk about the music in a minute, first I want to look some more at these puppies.

Actually, I like the music, too. The songs make me think of lying outside on a summer day, her guitar busy, words carefully chosen, voice like a warm breeze. Drums are simple and subtle; keeping the beat, but not overpowering the message (and look! They were done by David Foonberg!). There's sadness and heartbreak, tenderness and hope, emotions richly conveyed but not pounded into you. "She" is melodic, bittersweet, and touching. "Balloon" is sadness wrapped up in a slowly strummed guitar and brooding voice, pulling hard at the heart and the corners of your eyes. "Tree" has more funky energy, bringing the mood up, light-hearted and comforting, with more guitar activity.

My usual complaint about this style of music is it gets boring quickly, but that's not a worry with this CD. Melanie keeps a variety, dancing from smooth and mellow to poppy and funky with ease. The songs don't sound like one continual jam session, each one seems carefully selected and crafted for maximum listening pleasure. There's a reason she's risen to the head of her genre, and been selected to play for could-be-next-President Al Gore. Playing, singing, and songwriting have all been successful on this offering, and I look forward to seeing her star continue to rise. And more pictures of her puppies. B