V/A – San Diego Is Burning / 2004 Loud and Clear Records / 19 Tracks / http://www.loudandclearrecords.com / PO Box 5768, Santa Barbara CA 93150

In the same vein as the Lancaster Vs. Greencastle compilation, San Diego is Burning is a compilation that collects all the bands that were in San Diego at the time, and fits them together without much rhyme or reason. The quality of the tracks are very impressive, and the mastering between tracks is very solid. Most of the music on the disc falls into a lighter category, whether it be emo (Comfortable For You), indie (Via Satellite), or Zappa-esque cocaine-fueled craziness (Sleeping People). Tracks are stretched out seemingly all to their breaking point, and with a band like the aforementioned Sleeping People, they are able to allow for a near-five minute runtime on an instrumental, never losing their audience. A track seemingly out of the early nineties is the early choice for best track on the disc, with No Knife’s “Riot For Romance!” bouncing and skipping with a shuffling back beat and solid bass line.

The mastering on San Diego Is Burning is the most professional that I’ve heard from any small-market record label. Each high-hat, every noise is captured to perfection without any distortion. Bunky breaks through some of the pretension on the disc, pretension that had been building up for a total of nine songs. “Rodents in Love” is a track cast in the historic California and N.Y. punk scenes of the late seventies and early eighties. While I am not sure whether the compiler of this disc just was incredibly into the electronic music scene of San Diego or if bands are more prone to go along with the style out that way, but San Diego is Burning is a great cross-section of some of the music currently coming out that is influenced by Kill Rock Stars and Mute Records.

Mixing equal parts AC/DC with electronic noise, Twenty First Century Lepers make a Locust/Neon Hunk-styled track that actually incorporates a sense of harmony, something that most noise punk sorely lacks. Sticking Sin Sin 77 so late on the disc is really the only problem I could conceive on the disc – the poppy sounds of “Lies” would fit on mTV just as it would on any punk-themed radio show. All and all, San Diego Is Burning is a compilation worth the CD it was made on – something that is a good trait to have when most of the compilations that come out stink to high heaven.

Top Tracks: Sin Sin 77 – Lies, Kill Me Tomorrow – “Xerox My Hand “

Rating: 6.2/10