Various Artists
ArtCore Volume One
Reviewed by Craig Stevens
In the short time that Tooth & Nail has been a record label, the company has developed an imprint which seems to inspire fierce loyalty; yet, rather than inspiring loyalty from one crowd, they've actually got two fandoms going: One group buys everything because it's loud; another group is a bit choosier, grabbing everything that's dark and moody. Well, after a few collections for the loud fans, Tooth & Nail has released a "dark and moody" compilation: ArtCore features an assortment of demos and unreleased tracks, including both established and unknown artists. Of the unknowns, the real finds seem to be The Sirago 17 and Superchrome U.K. The Sirago 17 finds Elli Bartsch singing like an angel over Chris Reid's noisy instrumentation, while Superchrome U.K. (they're actually from Washington state) is from the British school of dreamy fuzzpop. There are also three spinoff projects of note: Havalina Rail Co-hort Julie Musali is backed by various Havalina members as Julie Band ("A Little Nothing"); Aaron Sprinkle of Poor Old Lu, with help from brother Jesse and drummer Paul Mumaw, turns in as Rose Blossom Punch with "Sowing In The Sun"; and, the track that has already gotten the most press, the dynamite combination of rock goddess Leigh Bingham (Sixpence None The Richer) providing vocals for Starflyer 59 (under the nom de plume "Starflyer 2000"). With fab brand-new (or rare) tracks from Joy Electric, Luxury and Havalina Rail Co, there is nearly an hour of great stuff here. The only misstep would be the inclusion of MxPx; although their Teenage Politics hinted at their abilities to truly stretch punk, their appearance here is just out of place. Otherwise, ArtCore Volume One is an essential collection of newcomers, with just enough old friends to make it interesting.