Blender
Pop Culture Magazine CD ROM
Volume 2.5

Magnapop
Rubbing Doesn't Help
(Priority)

by Dan Cataiano

Magnapop's road to success has been abrupt. Formed by singer Linda Hopper and guitarist Ruthie Morris from the ashes of several Georgia bands (including Oh-OK, Linda's early-80s pop combo fronted by Michael Stipe's sister), they had barely settled on a name when fame struck. While still relatively unknown stateside, Magnapop were causing a sensation in Europe -- they actually played England's huge Reading Festival before their first album came out. Since then, things have only gotten better. Their awesome debut, The Bob Mould-produced Hot Boxing, was an ecstatic swirl of loud guitars and ragged vocals, nailed down by Shannon Mulvaney's furious bass work. Their latest, the more varied Rubbing Doesn't Help, proves they can pull off affecting ballads (the delicate "My Best Friend"), yet still kick ass (the unapologetically hard-core "An Apology"). It's perhaps their finest work to date.