Picking up where the
Lookout! Freakout series left off,
This Is My Bag is the new budget sampler from Lookout Records, giving a snapshot of the Berkeley-based punk and indie rock label circa 2005. Fifteen songs later and it's pretty noticeable that the roster has shifted to lean more heavily on the indie rock side of things, and overall, some standouts include the ever-powerful
Ted Leo (who donates two tracks here),
Hockey Night's charming "For Guys' Eyes Only,"
the Reputation's "Face It," and
the Mr. T Experience pop-punk goodie "She's Not a Flower." Plus fans of the defunct
American Steel can see what most of those guys are now up to with the synth-driven sounds of
Communiqué. There's not much here in the way of unreleased tracks or bonus gems, so it might really be unnecessary for fans to buy
This Is My Bag for their collection. But it's presumably the extra DVD of music videos that's included to pick up the slack, and it is admittedly a nice addition. Either way, this is still a good overview for curious bystanders on the current face of Lookout. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide