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Good Riddance Operation Phoenix Fat Wreck Chords It's fitting that this outspoken four-piece punk outfit hails from Santa Cruz. The hard-driving rockers staunchly support animal rights and vegetarianism (a portion of the proceeds from the album's sales will be donated to PETA). Packing its songs with political and social commentary and rage against the status quo, Good Riddance aims to make a statement with its insightful lyrics. Addressing misogyny ("Eighteen Seconds"), child neglect ("Self-Fulfilling Catastrophe"), social unrest ("Article IV") and war ("After the Nightmare"), the band also delves into matters of the heart in songs like the "The Hardest Part," on which vocalist Russ R. sings, "Let it go, I can't fix you anymore/Let it go, time to be stronger than before/Let it go and trust me/I'm not worth your waste of time." (Sarah Quelland) Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk Meco Hip-O Records With all the excitement surrounding The Phantom Menace, this retro-styled space funk album couldn't have come out at a better time. Though the original Star Wars was first released at the height of the disco era, its epic soundtrack (composed by John Williams) was anything but funky; this album is nothing but. Imagine the music to Star Wars bastardized to the theme song of CHiPs or some other popular '70s TV show, and you'll get a good idea of what Meco's offering is all about. Harold Wheeler's unusual arrangements of the songs (including the theme from the original Star Wars) are jazzed up with cheery special effects, including droid beeps and whistles and alien jabberings. (SQ) [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]