Seattle-based Quickie does their best to distill the most defining elements of '80s punk/new wave. The single "Chameleon" roars out of the gate with a manic wah-wahed guitar. Just when you think the tune will be little more than a din of suburban metal, the verse -- driven by a sledgehammer drum groove -- breaks into a chorus reminiscent of the Buzzcocks. Even in tunes like the raucous "Medicated (Just to Get By)," the young trio's angst is softened by catchy melodic hooks and a self-deprecating sense of humor. For good measure, they throw in a retro synth line that does more than recall the Cars.

"Psalm 1:41 (Jesus is a Mannequin)," a paean to those kitschy dashboard saviors, brings to mind the driving wordplay of R.E.M.'s "It's The End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" -- if played and sung by the Sex Pistols. Meanwhile, you'll fight back the tears on "Special K," a tender and revealing ballad of sorts: "I'm not that queer, I just fear I'm just weird when you're near." This is speeding-down-the-expressway party music that will get you where you're going in a hurry. And it's delivered by a band who's moving forward by looking back. Be sure to look for their new album on MUSICBLITZ Records in 2001!

-- Michael Lipton

Michael Lipton is a writer whose work has appeared in Spin, Option, Musician, Request and LA Weekly. As a musician he can be heard on recordings with Southern Culture on the Skids and as a member of the house band on "Mountain Stage," a live performance radio show distributed internationally by Public Radio International.