Toadies: Todd Lewis (vocals, guitar); Darrel Herbert (guitar); Lisa Umbarger (bass); Mark Reznicek (drums).

Recorded at Record Two Mendocino, Mendocino, California and Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, California.

If you swear by Faith No More, if the musical stylings of those fun-loving Chili Peppers really get the blood moving through your veins, if the Sex Pistols are your idea of a great band from the past (and why shouldn't they be?)--well, podna', allow us to introduce you to Toadies. No, not "The" Toadies. Just Toadies, thank you, and leave your eardrums at the door. This Fort Worth hard-core quartet serve up a singular brand of punky blues: lots of noisy, guitar-centered songs, and a healthy dose of irony. In other words, these guys don't take themselves too seriously, and RUBBERNECK is all the better for it.

Take "Possum Kingdom," in which Todd Lewis pitches his woo with more than a hint of sarcasm--or is it? "I'm not gonna lie/I'll not be a gentleman/Behind the boathouse/I'll show you my dark secret..." Behind the boathouse, behind it all, the band churns, slow and funky, while a whining, circular guitar riff almost seems to mock the proceedings. There's more than a little Nirvana influence--Andy Wallace, who worked on that band's seminal "Nevermind," also did the mixing chores here.

This is Alternative Rock that doesn't sound like all the other Alternative Rock out there, mainly because the band has a knack for stringing together simple but devastatingly effective rock hooks. Witness "Tyler," another track that showcases Toadies' ability to explode out of a spare, bass-driven pulse, into a brutal wash of cloudy guitars and loops of feedback.

Audio Mixers: Eric White; Andy Wallace.

Recording information: Record Two Mendocino, Mendocino, CA; Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, CA.

Photographer: Michael Lavine.

The Toadies' debut album is a streamlined version of the Pixies' warped guitar rock and Nirvana's throttling grunge. It results in some good moments, particularly the single "Possum Kingdom." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Toadies' debut album is a streamlined version of the Pixies' warped guitar rock and Nirvana's throttling grunge. However, the Toadies leave out those bands' quirks; what's left is nothing more than modern hard rock -- you can hear their influences, but the Toadies don't incorporate them, they simply regurgitate them. It can result in some good moments, particularly the single "Possum Kingdom," but the album simply doesn't have enough of them. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Alternative Press (1/95, p.70) - "...they can't help but sound like a beefy Texas version of the Pixies....throw in a mite of Cheap Trick, recent Soundgarden and some generic headbanger alterna-metal as well..."