This is the review section. It's a free-for-all. We review records, toys, video games, food, restaurants and random products. Anything is up for grabs. This has been a regular feature here on Kick Bright since 1997. We mostly do record reviews because we are huge record nerds. We try to have "new releases" but old ones will make appearances because older stuff exists, too. It should be noted a couple hundred of the older reviews (1997-2000) have been lost. Reviews by Jeffrey are indicated (JH). Kristins reviews are (KM). Sometimes they're written by both but credited to whomever got to it first.

Agent Ribbons
And The Star-Crossed Doppelganger 7"
Seven Inch Project Records.

Agent Ribbons are a charming female duo presiding in their own world of made up fantasy, or actually Sacramento, California. Based on exchanging emails with them (Courtneys tried to get them to play Orlando during their tour last year, but no such luck), they both seem like very sweet, intelligent girls and their music definitely showcases these wonderful attributes. All their releases, including a full length LP, "On Time Travel And Romance", are insanely atmospheric. There's always a deep, lush back drop and an intriguing story played with much emotion. This is the first single from the Seven Inch Project, a series of limited edition 45's, beautifully packaged and ultimately collectable. In this case, its pressed in avocado green vinyl, perhaps to mimic the grass and trees featured on the cover drawn by Dame Darcy.

This is a slightly different approach for the Ribbons girls. Recorded by Dannie Murrie (of Little Teeth), unheard from them before, are the uses on xylophone, accordion and squealing violin (I haven't heard their entire LP, which we don't have, so I could be wrong). At a first listen, I notice the buzz of the equipment warming up. I can picture them in their recording element, but that image is soon diminished by the progressive build up of instruments and the climax of the eerie fairy tale. It reminds me of something Guillermo del Toro would have possibly come up with. We're brought into a dark world of rag dolls, wolves, gore, and finger wave hairdos. Both compositions, "The Wolf" and "That's Not Edgar's Heart", oddly enough deal with hearts either being possibly eaten or just barely held together with wires. This record has a much stronger foundation than that. Original and passionate work. (KM)

Brittle Stars
s/t 10" (Reissue)
Ruined Potential Records.

Longtime Kick Bright readers will remember Brittle Stars, a Gainesville shoegaze pop band that existed from 1998-2001. Both their albums were originally released on Shelflife Records and have been long out of print. Their first album is one of my all-time favorites so I really don't need to say much more other than it's mandatory you should own this reissue.

On their ten year anniversary in May 2008 the band reformed to play just one show at the Pop Mayhem festival and re-release their first album. Releasing it on vinyl for the first time is Ruined Potential Records. They spared no expense with the packaging. The artwork is totally different from the Shelflife version. There are three different covers, three different swirled colored vinyl (heavy gram), all limited to 101 copies of each. The packaging comes with a lyric sheet and the cover folds out and ties together like a file folder. It's a perfect pop album worthy of another look. (JH)

The Ettes
Look At Life Again Soon LP
Self Released.

In the summer of 2007 the record label Sympathy For The Record Industry was put up for sale, thusly closing up shop. The Ettes did what any other band did who had been dropped by their label: went to England, recorded an album on Liam Watsons 4-track, released their own album and toured the world.

The trio of Coco (vocals), Poni (drums) and Jem (bass) totally kick ass on this, their second record. From the very first fuzzed out guitar riff of "Subject" I knew this album was not heading towards a direct destination but going completely off the train rails slamming straight into an unsuspecting crowd taking no survivors.

The album is a fuzzy, dirty, gritty sludgefest. It's the dirtiness of the guitars that set the mood. Then comes the non-stop pounding of Poni's drums. Holy cow! It sounds like a 60's girl garage group but way pissed off. Take a listen to "Crown of Age". They've crafted a song so full of spite and venom you can't help but be angry along with them. Amazing song. It's just sounds so mean. Cocos vocals take a role on their own. With heavy reverb all over she sings slowly, almost perfecting a sweet ironic monotone voice, almost like Madonna's first album and anything by the Ronettes. This just be one of the best albums of this year.

The CD version comes out later this year on Take Root Records. Until then you can only get the vinyl pressing from the band. They released it themselves. Great cover artwork and it comes on clear yellow vinyl. I suggest the vinyl. It's the way it was meant to be heard. (JH)

The Feeling of Love
s/t 7"
Squoodge Records.

I picked up this one-sided record in Florida of a band from France on an Austria record label from a singles club released accordingly to the German alphabet. Random geography aside, The Feeling of Love is usually a one-man-band in a total garagey blues punk way. The first song on this one sided single is "Red Rhumba" and it's a slide guitar fury. "Oh Lord" is a fun distorted romp with "whoops" all over and nice single note guitar lines with note-matching vocals. (JH)

Shit Eagle
s/t/ 7"
Florida's Dying Records.

Whoah! What just happened? The first side didn't even go a minute and a half and it's over. There was some quick guitar then some super high helium sounding vocals with so much delay making them almost inaudible. Then some really super fast solos. This is obviously speed up on purpose. "Girls in School", right? Great song. Amidst the clutter, very catchy. The flip side bring two songs "So Sad" and "Gaysted Love", the latter being a really weird noisy song with more delayed vocals with vintage sounding keyboards. This blew my mind. (JH)