Dogtooth Violet Independent/Millimotor woke American Pearl Sony/Wind-Up Zebrahead Playmate of the Year Columbia / Sony A fast runner in the pop/rock category, Dogtooth Violet has yet to disappoint fans who recognize their name as syn- onymous with a good time. Cornering the same kind of sound as OLP churns out on a daily basis, Dogtooth Violet delivers the above with the powerful vocals of trio front- man Gilles Maillet (vox/gui- tar), the swift bass note of Dave Childs and Dave Nowotniak (drums), who joined up permanently after the band found itself cycling “Straight-up, loud, and heavy” is how LA band American Pearl describes themselves and their debut CD. What are they talking about when they call them- selves an American rock band though? “Rock music direct from the underbelly of Hollywood that’s about regu- lar people and the less-than- sunny side of wherever they live.” After a variety of appear- ances with such bands as the Cult, Everclear and Buckcherry, American Pearl A killer infusion of classic crotch-rock and punk pro- duces Zebrahead. With the use of two vocalists, singer Justin ‘Goidtoof, and rapper Ali Tabatabaee, Zebrahead styles itself a unique sound which has yet to be success- fully duplicated. Claims Justin, “everyone has such diverse influences, and when we all put in our parts it turns out to be some- thing pretty unique, and pret- through lots of the ‘last minute variety’ in the drum department. So with a stable member- ship backing them now, and an ever-growing fan base, the Victoria band goes wherever there is an opening for them. Prince George’s Generator Cabaret featured Dogtooth Violet last month as a venue, and the band even popped by to play at the Northern Back Yard BBQ 2000. We were all set for a treat seeing these guys play after Kings Inc. but signed on to Creed success story label Wind-Up records and went on to _ play Woodstock ‘99. American Pearl started on guitarist Kevin Quinn’s Sunset Boulevard tattoo shop Quintesential Motherfucker. Singer Guitarist Kevin Roentgen had been going there for about six years, hav- ing been tattooed lots. FYI: Quinn is apparetly a bit of a legend in the tattoo communi- ty, the Spice Girls, Guns N’ Roses, the Cult, and Julia Roberts just a few of the ty special” All of the band members claim to be suckers for good melodies though, something which is blatantly apparent on “Playmate of the Year.” The biggest influences of these bands include Green Day and Descendents which “were punk yet had good melodies.” The Orange County, LA band got its big start when it released a self titled record- ing (known as the ‘Yellow the band was canceled at the last moment, leaving stu- dents missing out on a treat. However, they have vowed to return to UNBC so when they do don’t miss them. Dogtooth Violet, their self titled debut is not in their words “a plug in and press record” type of recording. The album itself is well thought out and open mind- ed, allowing for experimenta- tion for the band to find its own unique sound. The result is a pleasant line-up names whose bodies bear his art. American Pearl began recording of this self titled debut early this year. They view the album as a “com- plete body of work” where each song shows all of the emotions and moods which make them stand apart from other bands which are out there right now. The reception of American Pearl has been phenomenal given the relatively short length of time which it has been out for. Automatic is Album’ in 1998) and soon found themselves cast in Glenn Ballard’s (Allanis Morisette’s Producer) “Clubland” film. So far Zebrahead ha landed themselves a slot on the Vans Warped Tour and a guest appearance on “Waste of Mind,’ a film by one of the bands greatest fans, porno legend Ron Jeremy, who they got to know after eating free pizza together after one of their LA shows. ___Sept 25. 200 which will keep the deck rock- ing on that road trip you’re planning. For more informa- tion of Dogtooth Violet be sure to check out their web- site at . -Kevin Milos receiving the most radio play throughout the continent including the MAX in Prince George. “There was a time when Rock-n-Roll was down, dirty, loud and about the truth.” American Pearl has been liv- ing and breathing those gut level emotions all their lives and make it wildly apparent. -Kevin Milos One of the great features which sets Zebrahead apart from many other bands is the overall positive attitude of their music. Combined with an unstoppable melody, Playmate of the Year is one of those compilations where all of the songs are continuously uplifting and fun to listen to. -Kevin Milos