THE BOTTLE ROCKETS
Leftovers
New West

THE BOTTLE ROCKETS
Brand New Year
New West

Hairy barhounds from Festus, Missouri, show up their illustrious bosses

Since emerging from under Uncle Tupelo with an alt-country tougher and better written than that of the band they roadied for, the Bottle Rockets have never released anything approaching a mediocre album. But these 1998 and 1999 titles aren't where to start. The outtakes EP Leftovers shows off their great strength--not many bands leave songs as striking as the wired "Coffee Monkey" or the unrequited "Financing His Romance" on the cutting-room floor. Their major-label last gasp, Brand New Year, rocks impressively, albeit without much commercial effect. Powerful if a bit broad, it's almost as songful as you'd hope and figure, yet given the band's great refusal of alt-country wimpdom, it's strangely prone to alt-country corn. Really--amped bands should never, never bitch about technology.

Blender, June/July 2004