George St. John is on his own here, performing all instruments himself with a disc of fully realized, uniquely original pop tunes that are as good as anything out there. Fans of Devo, Wire, early Talking Heads and such diverse artists as Tommy Johnson and Wreckless Eric should find this disc irresistable.

George St. John's "Vexations" is enhanced with multimedia and includes a music video playable on most computers.

Vexations, once a name for George’s “band” (live, he’s accompanied by himself on guitar and drums), is culled from stacks of his homemade tapes. True to his record-store resume, it betrays an array of influences. Discerning ears will pick out Devo on “The Mystery Spot,” Dinosaur Jr. on “Big Road,” the Pixies on “Driven to Los Angeleez,” Talking Heads on “Disabling Enemy Radar,” Deadbolt on “The Night of the Living Chris & Dave,” Jon Spencer Blues Explosion on “That’s Demon Bad,” good ol’ arena rock on “Get Stakerized” and even obscure Hawaiian music in spots. The trick is, it’s all done without a trace of disjointedness.

It’s theoretically good enough to titillate tastemakers from Magnet to Alternative Press to No Depression to Harp, or perhaps Spin and Rolling Stone in those mags’ rare moments of taste.