Cup of Sand
The indie pride of Chapel Hill, NC, Superchunk kept its DYI spirit alive in the face of oft-shaky alt rock fortunes. This set is essentially an exercise in vault-cleaning, culling a decade's worth of outtakes, EPs, B-sides, and previously compilation-only cuts  into a 25-track double-disc that chronicles the band's disparate muse--including energetic covers ofAdam Ant's "Beat My Guest" andDavid Bowie's "Scary Monsters"--if as many undercooked ideas as accomplished ones. Superchunk's strength has always been as a singles band, and when their music is focused into the smart, propulsive energy of "Basement Life" or theIndoor Livingouttake "The Majestic," it's as good as anything their more successful contemporaries churned out. Snarky acoustic takes of "1000 Pounds" and "Detroit Has a Skyline" also showcase the band's intriguing range of musical colors and emotion. Superchunk devotees will welcome the band's detailed comments on every track and the collection's convenient gathering of tracks from a daunting range of eclectic sources, if only four previously unreleased cuts.--Jerry McCulley