DIGITAL UNDERGROUND

Fast 'n' Bulbous
www.fastnbulbous.com

Online since late '95 and the intellectual domain of music journalist A.S. Van Dorston, the Fast 'N' Bulbous Webzine, tellingly enough, takes both its name and official motto ("I may be hungry, but I sure aint' weird") from Captain Beefheart lyrics. (The site, however, isn't associated with the Gary Lucas-helmed band Fast 'N" Bulbous: The Captain Beefheart Project.) Expect, then, plenty of non-mainstream coverage: "out" music reviews (recently: Notwist, Four Tet, Black Heart Procession), well-reasoned essays (due shortly: "The Last Of The Independents: Four Music Magazines That Mattered," about the rise and demise of venerable zines Trouser Press, Option, Lime Lizard and Puncture) and, of course, lists. Lots of 'em, including a 403-item one compiling the best records of 2002 (there are similar treatments going all the way back to 1965) to genre-specific, consumer-guide-rated lists ("Soul and Funk," "Krautrock," etc.). As Van Dorston muses, "I'm a notorious list-maker. My friends tease me endlessly for it. I feel compelled to keep track of music I like for the fear of forgetting stuff." No kidding.

--Fred Mills