Various Artists: Dope Guns 'n Fucking In The Streets Volumes 8-11

It would be a tragic mistake to dismiss Amphetamine Reptile's mighty, ongoing Dope Guns 'n Fucking series as a mere batch of label samplers. For starters, fewer than half of the 17 songs on the new Volumes 8-11 are by bands on the label; originally released as a series of seven-inch singles, these tracks include work by such luminaries as Jawbox, Superchunk, Boredoms, Brainiac and godheadSilo. Like any collection of outtakes and oddities, there are weak and otherwise forgettable moments. But for every one of these, there's a track like Jawbox's tightly wound "Low Strung," or Chrome Cranks' sludgy "Dead Man's Suit," or Servotron's silly electronic "Matrix Of Perfection," or Brainiac's quirky "Cookie Doesn't Sing." It's a wildly diverse set, and a must for fans of just about any of the aforementioned bands.