Bill Whitten formed the New York City band Grand Mal after the dissolution of his former group, the Connecticut combo St. Johnny, in 1995. While his former unit gloried in Sonic Youth-style fuzz and feedback (with a distinct slacker air), Grand Mal was decidedly less lethargic, glorying in glammed-up aggression and gutter-punk abandonment. Whitten launched Grand Mal with a primarily solo EP in 1996. The punctuations of energy and hearty stabs at club-kid culture (bolstered by the vocals of Carmen Quinones) clearly indicated a new path for Whitten. Lead guitarist John deVries (...