Hits or Misses

Vitamin C

More

Elektra

There's no US RDA. for trash for an excellent reason. Vitamin C, "famed" for such songs as "Graduation (Friends Forever)" and "Smile," has cut a sexy pop record, and it's a catchy, seamless piece of garbage. The innocence of her self-titled debut has disappeared in favor of flesh - noted by the bare-shoulder, bare-back, bare-chest shot in the liner notes - and increasingly trite lyrics. "You are my hip-hopper," she moans, "you are my heart-stopper." And the message Ms. C is sending out is truly inspiring - "When a guy wants a kiss/ Who am I to resist?.... Everyone knows/ I can't say no." Our fortified heroine does have some embarrassingly catchy, inspired moments, particularly on opening track "The Itch" and the penultimate, R&B-flavored "Real Life." Vitamin's cover of the Waitresses' tacky classic "I Know What Boys Like" is bouncy and filled with heavy rhythms, but it sounds borrowed and derivative - just like the rest of the album.

- Drew Shelton

moe.

Dither

Fatboy Records

Jam bands get screwed on recording deals; they're forced to distill epic songs into five minutes, then their fans get pissy about the lost solos, and then the critics pan them for failing both to transfer their live energy onto the album and to make full use of the studio's mixing capabilities. Abandon your prejudice, and take a look at moe. (and groups like it) as though it were two separate bands - a live one and a recorded one. Taken on its own merits, Dither is an attention-grabber of an album. The group uses jazz guitar underneath modern rock vocals to create an intense and engaging effect. Songs like "New York City" have two complementary melodies bouncing back and forth, and the solid, tuneful percussion (independent of the drums) adds a unique, natural element. Don't expect a mere recording of a live set from Dither, but instead appreciate the solid songwriting that jam bands aren't always known for.

- Drew Shelton

Pressure Cooker

I Want To Tell You

You've probably heard Pressure Cooker's two general music genres before, even if you haven't exactly heard the band's work. Complete with a calypso vibe and generic beach-music feel, it's the faceless jam band seen poolside at a sunny, tropical resort. I Want to Tell You could very well be used as the soundtrack to a cruise line commercial providing visions of a faraway paradise, complete with Hawaiian-clad middle-agers dancing around with Daiquiris in tow.

The other face of Pressure Cooker is that of lounge act, complete with swingin' horns, and swaggering attitude. Not much better.

In these atmospheres, Pressure Cooker would surely thrive. But generic, indistinguishable music isn't so great for everyday listening. I Want To Tell You's unvarying vocals and beat don't lend themselves to a casual listen, nor to background party music. And so it seems the band will be condemned to playing Bob Marley covers somewhere in paradise. Hell, at least they'll be warm.

- Sheryl Gordon