7 & 7 is

The best thing about Magneto USA is that the Austin trio combines punk with New Wave in a way that begets energetic pop songs with balls. Case in point is bassist Tony Scalzo's (the punk part of the equation) ripping "Human Torch" and Miles Zuniga's (the New Wave half) "Back Door," both of which can be found on the band's Eater tape, but not on Diablo Musica's green vinyl. Great single, though Zuniga's B-side pales a bit next to Scalzo's A-side, and any live performance you might catch. With Killing Oscar you're not likely to catch any live performances, since these locals mostly make records (for a number of years now), so without a concrete visual image of the band, this self-released 7-inch flashes pictures of vocalist Charles Warlick as a Glenn Danzig clone fronting some lesser Eighties metal band - you know, the big, omnipresent voice. For the B-side "Fucked," Warlick comes out from behind the curtain to reveal a little guy with a mere mortal voice, while the band does metal funk. Unfortunately, that same metal funk becomes torturous on Cactus Smack Conspiracy's recent 45, whose three cuts ("Topo Chico," "Naked Mothers Hands," and "C-Section") are such obnoxious, leaden funk that these locals make the Red Hot Chili Peppers sound like Curtis Mayfield. Speaking of leaden, there's Austin's Sangre de Toro, who're trying to sound that way - y'know Melvins, Cherubs, etc. - as their Pinche Gringo debut (again green vinyl) lumbers through the party plodder "Dancing Beer," and the much less interesting instrumental B-side "Rise and Shine." This isn't a single you'll listen to forever, but rather just enough that you will want to see them live. And isn't that the point? - Raoul Hernandez

"7 and 7 is" reviews local and national 7" singles. Send to: "7 and 7 is," The Austin Chronicle, PO Box 49066, Austin, TX 78765.