Various

An album devoted to songs by drummers - a wank session opportunity for rhythmatists to put themselves under a spotlight in some kind of dreadfully long Alex Van Halen-style drum solo nightmare? No. Monitor Records takes a handful of some highly underrated gods of indie drumming and the result is staggering and unpredictable. Highlights include Simone Pace, of Blonde Redhead, providing "Black Salad," an electronic experiment in tinkering with the speeding and slowing of time. Fugazi's Brendan Canty and Jerry Busher flinching obsessive compulsive disorder sounds of alienation in "Semi-detached" is like the Residents covering Joy Division. Although Damon Che, of Don Caballero, sticks close to his already established regime, Jeremiah Green, of Modest Mouse, goes further with his metallic dub track and Kyle Crabtree, of Shipping News, exudes some dreaminess. To be honest, if this disc was played for me without telling me what it was, I would likely think that this was some kind of soundtrack to a variety show sponsored by a company that manufactured hallucinogens.