Like the meaning of a dream, Jucifer's sound can't be pinned down. The eerie but beautiful melodies will creep in and out of your consciousness and float through musical genres by the second. One may think Metallica meets the Cocteau Twins at one moment, Sonic Youth or The Breeders next, or June of 44 with a dash of Anthrax, but the Athens, Georgia, duo creates a mood so unique that they escape any particular label. It seems nearly impossible to believe that there are only two behind these creations as they layer cello, feedback, organs, bells, and record-scratching--in addition to any other instruments that complete their sound--over Ed Livengood's drums and Amber Valentine's seductive, syrupy vocals.

Jucifer's second complete album, I Name You Destroyer, may not get you amped for morning aerobics, but it is nonetheless an energetic, artful collection of songs--a little dark, a little smoky, a little rockin', and not without some demons and some angels to pull at the nerve endings. Destroyer's first track is a slow and sexy intro to the whole, followed by a slinky second track, a metallic version of The Cramps versus Morphine. The dark moods on the entire record change drastically from Halloween to the Apocalypse to The Nightmare Before Christmas. This pair manages to create so many opposing forces that come together in more of an ominous mist than a harsh dichotomy. "Firefly" is a perfect example of such unlikely combos; the entire song seems to take place in an underground opium den filled with belly dancers, zombies, and whispering pixies. The following track, "Lazing," hides sleigh bells, a Medeski Martin and Wood-like distorted organ, record scratching, and vocals not unlike Yo La Tengo's Georgia Hubley. I Name You Destroyer takes a little bit of everything from the buffet table at a vampire-fairy wedding reception to feed the schizo in you.

Check out a track by Jucifer: www.velocetterecords.com.