Mind Spiders-- whose self-titled debut was conceived almost
entirely by frontman Mark Ryan during downtime from his gig in
the Denton, Tex., outfit Marked Men-- don't present themselves
as a particularly careful or calculating act. Playing fast and
loose, Mind Spiders exist in a universe where the Flaming
Sideburns never crumbled under the weight of garage rock revival
excitement, where pulse-quickening legends Jay Reatard and
(fellow Dirtnap Records alums) the Exploding Hearts never met
their tragic ends. The songs on Mind Spiders are energetic but
not in-your-face, fun but not goofy, sharp but not stifled, wild
but not boorish. In essence, it's a rock record that pulls no
punches, and it's all the more endearing because of it.  Mind
Spiders define their sound right out of the gate, sporting
tightly-wound, zoetropic riffs that sound blasted from sand-
filled amps. There's also a touch of B-movie fetishism thrown
in-- sci-fi sound effects are not just fillers; they carry
melodies, with mummy-movie organs and s