Date: Wed, 4 Oct 1995 12:23:33 -0700 
      From: Ivo Lorelei (beswick@chaph.usc.edu) 
      Subject: ok, this is the pops....

BAD 5015 The Amps, tipp city.

For those of you who are music directors at radio stations or whatnot,
you've probably gotten this single from Elektra.  The ep is three songs,
a whopping total of 6:00 for the entire thing.  tipp city is a great
song, probably the best song on the ep, just like a briar is really good
too, and empty glasses (kim's basement 4 track version) is ANGRY.  The
whole ep is really low-fi, but the songs are great.  They're short, fast,
and GREAT to get you going in the morning (considering it only takes you
6 minutes to get going in the morning, that is).... The artwork is ok,
nothing impressive...but I love the green colour they use, and green is
FAR from being my favorite colour, so I suppose that's a plus.

      Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 08:56:28 +0100 
      From: Andrew Norman (nja@LEICESTER.AC.UK) 
      Subject: The Amps

"One pound 99", I thought, "I haven't seen a 4AD release that cheap for
ages".  The Amps single has only got three songs on it, and weighs in at
a shade under six minutes in total.  I wouldn't mind if it contained
three short bursts of superb punk rock heaven, but what it actually
contains is three short bursts of amateurish punk rock hell.  If I
didn't know Kim Deal's history I'd say that Ivo probably signed the Amps
in a fit of madness after seeing them play in a bar somewhere - in fact
I think they would get bottled off in most bars, on this evidence.
Awful, awful stuff.  "Tipp City", "Like a Briar" (a cover), and the demo
which was on the FTWW sampler, if anyone cares.  Did she really write
"Gigantic"?


            Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 09:09:19 +0000 
            From: Andrew Norman (nja@LEICESTER.AC.UK) 
            Subject: Amps & Autechre

      Slight contrast in this week's purchases.  The Amps first - I know I
      said recently that on the strength (or weakness) of "Tipp City" I was
      unlikely to buy the Amps album, but this weekend I heard a rather good
      song in a record shop which could only have been Ms Deal singing.  And
      as others have reported, the album is actually not bad.  Not all that
      good, but not bad - it would have made a really good 8 track "Come on
      Pilgrim" style mini-album, there are some songs on it which wouldn't
      be out of place on a Breeders album.  Having said that, I don't think
      the Breeders have been all that special since Tanya left.  Try before
      you buy, but don't judge the Amps on the "Tipp City" single.



     Date: Fri, 19 Jul 1996 05:39:02 +0200 
     From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen (larsi@IFI.UIO.NO) 
     Subject: New things

The Amps - Pacer

Hey -- 30 minutes long, lots of tracks, low fi, pop tunes -- what
album does that remind me of?  Why, "Pod", of course.  Did Kim want to
re-create that album?  I have no idea.  It's a crunchy and lively
album, but it's so short it's always over before I notice that I'm
playing it, so I have no idea whether it's any good or not.  I can't
recall seeing much discussion of this album here either, so perhaps
that's the effect it has on y'all?  One thing's for sure -- it's not
*bad*.  It might be good, even.  Dunno.