DWIGHT TWILLEY -- 47 MOONS

It's been 30 years since Dwight Twilley lit up the airwaves with his signature song "I'm On Fire," a perfect summer slice of jangly Power Pop that helped shape the genre for the New Wave rangers that followed in his wake. Twilley's had sporadic hits since then as well -- "Somebody to Love" in 1982, "Girls" and "Why You Wanna Break My Heart" in 1984 -- but he's never chased trends to curry radio or industry favor. Twilley's first new album in four years, 47 Moons, is a potent set of solid hooks and churning Pop tuneage, a fairly significant accomplishment given his erratic recording history (like the 13-year gap between 1986's Wild Dogs and 1999's Tulsa). Reteaming with original guitarist Bill Pitcock IV, Twilley shows he can still find the Pop stillpoint between rattling the rafters ("Better Watch Out," "Flippin'") and soothing with shimmery riffs (the title track, "Chance of a Lifetime"). There are minor missteps -- the keyboards are sometimes a shade too '80s, and the content of "Jackie Naked in the Window" would have been better suited to Twilley's albums in the '70s. But overall, 47 Moons is proof that Dwight Twilley's place in Power Pop's pantheon is no fluke. (Brian Baker) Grade: B

· LITTLE AXE -- CHAMPAGNE & GRITS (REAL WORLD)

LITTLE AXE -- CHAMPAGNE & GRITS

Son of a Blues man and one-time member of the legendary Sugar Hill Records rhythm section, Little Axe's Skip McDonald has reaped a bountiful harvest by deftly blending acoustic Blues with a Reggae twist. Also long-associated with an impressive stable of musicians in Adrian Sherwood's On-U-Sound collective, McDonald combines his earthy Blues with a Rastafarian message and the result is a heavy and handsome hybrid. On Champagne & Grits, the basic Blues song structures are executed in a deep, dank, Dub style. It's a brilliant mix of acoustic guitars and harmonicas straight outta the Delta, interwoven with Dub's laconic rhythms and subsonic bass tones. Grounding the whole electric effort in wood and steel, Skip's acoustic guitar sings clear and unaffected amid the mix of bouncing echoes, swirling left and right, much in the same way his lyrical words of wisdom ring true, railing against our money-worshiping, materialistic culture. The throbbing "Finger on the Trigger" encapsulates all the aforementioned traits with its field holler chorus and verses lamenting the "modern day Babylon" we're living in. The song's boiling, bubbling hook and righteous message stick in your mind like bittersweet molasses. Champagne & Grits is a solid success in spite of the presence of two tracks that have no business on the album. The undeniably catchy Euro-Dance Pop of "Same Boat" and the moaning R&B slow jam, "Say My Name," are very strong cuts, but both seem out of place here. The CD is bookended by clever remakes of old Blues numbers by Son House and Leadbelly. Skip McDonald's living, breathing amalgamation of Delta Blues and Dub is a revelation. (Ric Hickey) Grade: A-

· AGNOSTIC FRONT -- ANOTHER VOICE (NUCLEAR BLAST)

AGNOSTIC FRONT -- ANOTHER VOICE

In the past year, the older brothers of today's music have returned from their sabbaticals like a secret covenant convening on the eve of the Apocalypse. Is the music industry on the verge of implosion? I don't think it's that bad yet, but, for whatever reason, past masters like Prince, The Cure, Duran Duran and Judas Priest have risen like an army of Top 40 phoenixes. One of the most scalding re-emergences during this mini renaissance is from a relatively little-known Punk powerhouse, Agnostic Front. Forming in 1982, they became an epitome of New York Hardcore while providing battle cries against Reaganomics. Those times have long past, leaving the possibility that without the same cause, Another Voice, could end up sounding like just another Hardcore record. The congruence of power chords, political diatribes and drool-soaked lyrics start blurring together towards the end of the album, but after over 20 years and 10 prior albums of influential Hardcore, the energy they can still summon from the angry heart of a radical Punk is impressive. Even with one foot skanking in the grave of the mundane, the other one is kicking ass, proving that AF is still progressing instead of just sticking around. (Jacob Richardson) Grade: B

BIG BUSINESS -- HEAD FOR THE SHALLOW

· BIG BUSINESS -- HEAD FOR THE SHALLOW (HYDRA HEAD)

After minimalists like The White Stripes and Black Keys proved that it is in fact possible to create a full Rock sound using only two instruments, Big Business ups the ante by reducing six strings to four and operates with only a bass and drum kit. The sludgy growl on "Focus Pocus" and "White Pizazz" is intense. Jarred Warren's spasmatic drumming cracks like a magazine of lit M-80s. Walls of low-end static reinforce former Murder City Devil's drummer Coady Willis' odd yodelling. Yet past the facade of noise, Head for the Shallow is perforated with undeniably tarnished holes. As a collection of demos that tease at what the final product will sound like after adding guitar melodies and choruses, the album would be great. This is not the case. What you hear is the end. It's borderline frustrating. "Eis Hexe" and "Off Off Broadway" are the only tracks with minimal guitar work, yet they are immensely more fulfilling because of it. The album is straight-up raw, dirty Rock with a bite that nips instead of really ever sinking its teeth in. Big Business doesn't need to head for the shallow so much as it needs to wade out and try to find a bit more depth. (JR) Grade: C