VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Wonder of the Underground Pressed on Plastic
(The Meow Meow)
* * *
The Wonder of the Underground was conceptualized by Meow Meow proprietor Todd Fadel, as part of his master plan to integrate suburban high-school kids into the local music scene. Consisting of tracks by 14 local acts, and a couple national bands who will play the club in coming weeks, the free CD will be distributed at local high schools and from

www.themeowmeow.com. Starting with spastic electronic popsters Badger King and some pure rays of sunshine emitted by songwriter Rebecca Pearcy, the comp showcases dark, adventurous rock (Green Circles, Menomena) to the beat-oriented (a tight hiphop track from Illaj; the ubiquitous crunk of Panther) to straight-up pop (The Velvet Teen, the soon-to-be-über-famous Thermals). Who knows if the kids will bite, but it's a pretty solid album with which to try. JULIANNE SHEPHERD

DEAD PREZ
Turn Off The Radio
(Holla Black)
* * * 1/2
The modern purveyors of "fuckacophiphop" return with a CD that is so illegal, I feel like an accessory for just owning it. Self-released on the band's Holla Black label, the CD is rumored to be released under the radar of the band's oppressive major label who has left them floating in limbo these past few years. Chock-full of uncredited cameos and billed as a record by "DPZ," not Dead Prez, one gets the feeling that the duo is going to great lengths to avoid being sued for this release. Essentially a mix-tape album, Turn Off The Radio makes up for what it lacks in direction by featuring some of DP's finest material, including the meshed-teeth anger of "That's War" and the bouncing hooks of "Know Your Enemy," in which they rhyme, "Know your enemy / Know yourself / That's the politic / George Bush is way worse than Bin Laden is." As my friend put it so eloquently, Dead Prez makes me want to do push-ups and buy a rifle. CARMELO MARTINEZ

ELECTRIC SIX
Danger! High Voltage
(Beggars/XL)
*
Apparently, the new cool thing for Williamsburg hipsters to do is to SMOKE CRACK COCAINE. Is the doom of human civilization so nigh that America's young trustafarians are no longer satisfied with merely sucking up a couple rails of coke before heading off to the shrink? We have officially reached our nadir. Further proof: Electric Six, which is three tracks of bullshit white-guy disco-funk and cocky buttrock/Rocky Horror-aping guitar solos that single-handedly rewind the clock for 30 years of feminist art. It is stupid. It is without content. It makes Andrew WK look like Henry David Thoreau and, thanks to a guest spot by Jack White, it will soon be huger than Burt Reynolds' cock. The fact that this spooge is popular is evidence of the increasingly nihilistic nature of the Western world. Count me out. JS

* * * * Wally the Green Monster (Boston Red Sox)
* * * Sluggerrr the Lion (Kansas City Royals)
* * The Swingin' Friar (San Diego Padres)
* Mr. Met (New York Mets)