ROCK

Screaming Trees: "Dust"

Epic 483980 2 (44 mins)

Dial-A-Track Code: 1201

Ask any flannel clad teenager to name Seattle's top bands, and chances are he - and it will be a he - will forget to mention the band which practically started the whole thing: The Screaming Trees. These guys were the original grungeheads, f...ed up and freaked out, and singer Mark, Lanegan's self destructive tendencies were surpassed only by those of his friend, Kurt Cobain.

Dust is the seventh album from one of America's biggest cult combos, and it drags you coughing and choking through some seriously rough rock n roll terrain, passing through progrock, psychedelia and post punk along the way. Halo Of Ashes is an ominous opener, which wears its nihilism like a life support machine; All I Know is a straight talking tune of regret, while Dying Days and Dime Western revives Led Zeppelin with majestic, epic grace.

More imaginative than Alice In Chains and more optimistic than Soundgarden, Screaming Trees are the true seedbearers of the Seattle sound. The Black Crowes: "Three Snakes And One Charm"

American 74321 38484 2 (49 mins) Dial-A-Track Code: 1311

With their fourth album, brothers Chris and Rich Robinson have returned from the backwoods of Amorica, and come up with something nearer to the straight highway of rock n roll. They still haven't abandoned their very leftfield approach to classic songwriting, and many of the songs on Three Snakes go through some unusual twists and turns in their quest for meaning.

The Crowes have learned to distill, evenly, their country, folk, rock and soul influences into straightforward tunes like Blackberry, (Only) Halfway To Paradise and Let Me Share The Ride, while their emotional growth is illustrated in ballads like Girl From A Pawnshop and How Much For Your Wings? And the dope fuelled psychedelia of Evil Eye shows that the band still look at the world through dilated pupils. Only The Black Crowes could make good ole Southern rock sound so cool.

Mexican Pets: "The Voice Of Trucker Youth"

Blunt 0014 (53 mins)

Dial-A-Track Code: 1421

The two best Dubcore bands share a "pet" name, and they've both released material on Blunt, the label run by Dan Oggly and Therapy's Andy Cairns. The Voice Of Trucker Youth is a prelude to Mexican Pets' proper debut album, and it combines the band's four EP's to date, Subside, How To Have More Fun, Mackerel Sky High and Diana The Moon.

It's not a well rounded collection by any means, but as an update of the Pets' progress to date, and an indicator of what direction they might be heading towards, it's not a bad disc at all. It's easy enough to spot and dismiss the obviously weak B sides like Magnet Force and Daktari, but it's harder to ignore the insistent guitar, buzzes of Diana The Moons Subside and Stigmata Errata. Even the whimsical sounding Where's My Pony? tramples on a few expectations.

Dave Matthews Band: "Crash"

RCA 07863 66904 (69 mins) Dial-A-Track Code: 1531

Deep Blue Something: "Home" Interscope IND 90002 (42 mins) Dial A Track Code: 1641

Run away! Run away! It's the attack of the Hootie bands! American rock is being taken over by new, nondescript bands, with non committal names and a non specific style of music. Their guitarists are all dab hands at the meaningful acoustic strums, their drummers are great at those fast shuffling, country rock beats, and their singers are past masters at making the smallest inanities sound portentous.

The Dave Matthews Band have that funky edge which is almost a prerequisite for Hootie rock, and Mr Matthews has that low slung, tight wound voice which has become a bit of a Hootie trademark. Deep Blue Something are responsible for the tawdry Breakfast In Tiffany's single, and their album is home to much of the same style of overblown, rainswept sentiment. If this stuff can get into the American Top Ten, then there's hope for the Reckless Pedestrians.