Mike Watt

Former Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist (and all-around indie legend) returns with his third solo release, a "punk opera" about the illness that nearly killed him in 2000. Only Watt could make you want to sing along with titles like "Pissbags and Tubing" and "Puked to High Heaven." His thundering riffs and plainspoken philosophizing (plus lots of organ) serve the story well.

This is a difficult album. From the traumatic instance that inspired it -- Watt suffered an
internal abscess in his perineum that could have killed him -- to the adventurous prog-rock
that executes it, this is a concept album that does not go down easy -- unless, of course,
endless repetitions of the phrase "Pissbags and Tubing" sung in strangulated harmony
appeals to you. The legendary alt-rock bassist, who established his reputation w... More >