Armchair Martian/Bad Astronaut

Split CD (2000)

Brinepacer

…Wherein two similar sounding bands cover each other's songs similarly as they were originally. Thus the purpose of these affairs is negated. These covers splits are quite a good idea in my humble opinion (no, sod that, I take back humble, it's my smegging review) but only if both bands have something to bring to the table in terms of interpretations, which is not the case here. That (major) quibble aside, this CD has its moment, but said moment is held over to the closing stages of the CD. BA's cover of AM's "Jessica's Suicide" is an at once poignant, ultimately thrilling respite from the bad country "punk" (typified by BA's "You Deserve This", the inclusion of which shows how stuck for good songs to cover BA were) that fills the rest of this split. Conclusion? Bring back Napster.