Steve Stav goes way down with songwriter Johnny Dowd about “happy music,” the death penalty, and being called a genius.

New Earth Mud (Redline). Review by James Mann.

Dark’s Corner :: Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow - November 13th, 2002 :: Wednesday, November 13th, 2002

Simple Songs (Sloth Bear). Review by Matt Cibula.

Wrapped Islands (Erstwhile). Review by Martin Wallace.

Do You Remember House [12”] (Slip n’ Slide). Review by Bill Campbell.

Hurry Up and Wait (Aware). Review by Liza Hearon.

Tattooed Millionaire (Columbia). Review by Joe Frietze.

Close Cover Before Striking (Jetset). Review by James Mann.

Maybe We Should Take Some More? (Birdman). Review by Stein Haukland.

Say It More (Tiger Style). Review by Jason Michelitch.

No Longer My Concern (Beggars Banquet). Review by Kiran Aditham.

Vanessa Carlton at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, CA on November 10, 2002. Concert review by Sir Millard Mulch.

Bedrock (Pioneer). Review by Bill Campbell.

Touching Down (Full Cycle). Review by Matt Cibula.

Glaswegian tech-heads go on a quest to make a dance version of “Rhinestone Cowboy” in Stuart David’s The Peacock Manifesto. Ian Koss discovers a book as loopy as David’s band, Looper.

Sir Millard Mulch gets a preview of director Frank Scheffer’s new documentary on the legendary Frank Zappa at a special advance screening, to let you know if it are what it is.

Mondo Medicale (Necropolis / Deathvomit). Review by Matthew Moyer.

Water Hymns (Killdeer). Review by Rob Walsh.

Incest-Live (Force Inc.). Review by Kiran Aditham.