Quasi - American Gong

Quasi have always been seen as something of a footnote in the history of American alternative rock - this despite the band's inherent likeability and a string of wonderful albums that would make most of their peers green with envy. Certainly one can blame the ongoing ambiguity over whether the band is a 'side-project' or not - but with the recent addition of Joanna Bolme on bass and the corpse of Sleater Kinney now very cold indeed, one hopes Quasi will be seen for what they are: one of the most vital and engaging outfits on the indie shop floor. American Gong hits all the major pleasure centres dead on: Sam Coomes' writing is arch-but-lovable, fusing Cobain-like couplets and lurching melodic chops to supreme effect, whilst the bombastic production underlines that Janet Weiss is one of the very best - and most swinging - rock drummers of her generation. A peach of an album from start to finish. [Mark Shukla]