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Consumable Online Issue 098
==== ISSUE 98 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [January 18, 1997]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gajarsky@email.njin.net
Sr. Correspondents: Jeremy Ashcroft, Dan Enright, Reto Koradi,
David Landgren, Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr,
Al Muzer, Jamie Roberts, Joe Silva, John Walker
Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron,
Paul Grzelak, Janet Herman, Bill Holmes, Eric
Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Stephen Lin, Scott Miller,
P. Nina Ramos, Linda Scott, Simon
Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Courtney Muir
Wallner, Simon West
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann
Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gajarsky@email.njin.net
==================================================================
All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s).
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the
editor.
==================================================================
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| Contents |
`------------'
REVIEW: Space, _Spiders_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Various Artists, _ A Tribute to Mott The Hoople_ - Al Muzer
REVIEW: Lemonheads, _Car Button Cloth_ - Joe Silva
REVIEW: Wilco, _Being There_ - Scott A. Miller
REVIEW: The Odds, _nest_ - Bill Holmes
SINGLE REVIEW: No Way Sis, "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" - Tim Mohr
REVIEW: The Year Of Graham Parker - Daniel Aloi
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Scream_ - Bob Gajarsky
INTERVIEW: Gouds Thumb - Al Muzer
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Punk-O-Rama Vol. 2_ - Simon Speichert
REVIEW: Dots Will Echo, _Get Your Hands Off My Modem, You Weasel_ - Al Muzer
REVIEW: Linda Perry, _In Flight_ - Reto Koradi
NEWS: Blondie, Fleming and John, MuCoMo Coffee Break, Tom Petty,
Squirrel Nut Zippers
TOUR DATES: Aphex Twin, Chalk Farm / Wild Colonials, Connells,
Goldfinger / Reel Big Fish, Nanci Griffith, Huey Lewis & The
News, Jesus Lizard, Mars Needs Women, Metallica, Porno For Pyros,
Poorhouse Rockers, Professor & Maryann, Royal Fingerbowl,
Sebadoh, Stillsuit, Type O Negative / Sister Machine Gun / Drain
S.T.H., Vallejo
Back Issues of Consumable
---
REVIEW: Space, _Spiders_ (Universal)
- Bob Gajarsky
You may have noticed our European correspondents
putting the debut record of Space, _Spiders_, in their top
5 of *1996*. It's no accident that Europe has fallen in love
with this British band and if there's any justice in the world,
America will as well.
The four-piece outfit of Tommy Scott on vocals and
bass, Jamie Murphy on vocals and guitar, Franny Griffiths on
keyboards and Andy Parle on drums bears relation to their
Britpop neighbors only in their decidedly British accents and
their country of origin.
Weird without being incomprehensible, different while
maintaining the aura of pop, Space somehow produce a wonderfully
original record without ignoring their musical predecessors.
Many of the tracks offer two or three completely distinct
styles within four minutes of pop bliss. While most albums can
be captured in a few key phrases such as techno, industral, or
synthpop, _Spiders_ defies such categorizations.
Possibly the closest comparison to Space would be the
psychedlic dance beats of Shaun Ryder's groups, Happy Mondays
and Black Grape. After all, songs such as "Mister Psycho",
"Voodoo Roller" and "Major Pager" approach the best of Ryder's
groups' output.
However, the part that may be most challenging for music fans
raised on a mentality of "3 singles, 3 mid level tracks, and
4 filler tunes" is that these standout songs are neither indicative of
the album, nor its best tracks. That honor lies with the three
British top 20 singles which helped _Spiders_ debut at number
five on the British charts and become so popular as an import
that Universal had to move up its release date
for the album by several weeks.
Those singles *do* display all the diversity Space has
to offer. "Me and You Vs. The World" harks back to the early British
pop of the 60's in that same vein as the Kinks and Herman's
Hermits. Mexican cha-chas, a la Ben E. King's "Spanish Harlem",
is the background for a Burt Bacharach meets alternative lounge
music - sprinkled with some xylophones - on "Female of the
Species". Juan Esquivel would have an absolute field day with
this one.
The third single and leadoff track, "Neighbourhood", is
probably the standout song on this collection full of stars.
Spy theme music serves as the mural which Space use to paint a
Pulp-ish sounding hit. Even the lyrics are quirky - their
neighborhood consists of the local transvestite, the serial
killer vicar who lives at 666, the big butch queen, and the
folks who make a living off of crime - but are never there
because they're all doing time.
Vocalist Tommy Scott explains the method behind their writing
madness, "I get my ideas from Quentin Tarantino movies and
Looney Tunes cartoons. We'll never write ordinary love songs.
We're more likely to write 'I met a girl and she's in love with
me so she poisoned my entire family'."
The diversity doesn't end there. Funk and white suburbia
rap also make their presence on different cuts and, if there
weren't already enough twists and turns on _Spiders_, the group
end the album with a pure techno track - no vocals - "Growler".
It doesn't hit 160 beats a minute, but it could easily fit in
at a rave.
_Spiders_ is why full length albums were invented, instead
of singles. The only common thread among the fourteen tracks,
besides the band, is Space's committment to altern-pop sensibility.
Because of its diversity, _Spiders_ may prove to be too
smart an album for generic record buyers. But for anyone
who appreciates an album that from start to finish never lets up
- and never lets the listener down - _Spiders_ is a must-have.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Moth Poet Hotel: A Tribute to
Mott The Hoople_ (Triad/Nippon Columbia Japan)
- Al Muzer
It's about time someone got around to paying proper
tribute to Mott. And who better to oversee the project than former
Love Affair/Mott The Hoople keyboardist Morgan Fisher?
Finally beginning to receive the recognition they've long
deserved, the general tendency has been to view Mott The Hoople as
glam-rock one-hit wonders who got lucky when they hooked up with
David Bowie (who penned "All The Young Dudes" for the band's 1972
album of the same name) - and who, just as quickly, sank back into
relative obscurity once Ziggy moved on.
The first rock band to play Broadway, and the musical
instigators of a riot at London's Albert Hall that resulted in a
ban on all rock shows at the venue for the next few years; Mott The
Hoople were important (albeit unsuccessful) contributors to the
British music scene long before Bowie's interest was initially piqued.
An integral factor in the sound and atmosphere of the final
two "official" Mott The Hoople albums, as well as the two
half-hearted efforts recorded under the aegis of "Mott" that
followed the departure of singer/songwriter/guitarist Ian Hunter;
Fisher's production and keyboard work throughout most of this
outstanding disc helps maintain a sense of cohesiveness despite
the wide (and wild) variety of musicians involved.
Recorded, save two tracks, by some of Japan's best rock,
punk, folk and alternative bands (as opposed to the "cutesy-pop"
acts that normally clutter that nation's charts); the CD not only
serves as an updated reminder of one of rock's most underrated
influences - it's also an effective showcase for several Japanese
groups who would otherwise remain secrets of the far East.
The CD kicks off with an uplifting version of "All The
Young Dudes" that features enthusiastically-mauled lyrics sung by
an assortment of Moth Poet All Stars who obviously don't choose
English when asked their language of choice. Osaka's Easy Walkers
follow with an exceptional, slightly-Stones, very cranked rip at
"Rock 'N' Roll Queen" that features a phlegm-spewin' harp solo, a
spunky bass lick and buzzin', Keith Richards-fueled dual guitars.
Despite an all-Japanese vocal, there's absolutely no
denying the brilliant riff and infectious melody of "Honaloochie
Boogie" - Ian Hunter's finest moment and certainly an opportunity
for The Yellow Monkey to add yet another outstanding single to
their collection (the band had a No. 1 album on the Japanese charts
in 1995) of hits.
Hiroshi Yamaguchi's Heat Wave check in with a majestic,
seven-plus minute version of the introspective "Ballad Of Mott"
that positively soars thanks to violin, harmonica, tin whistle,
mandolin and acoustic guitar offset by Fisher's wheezing melodion
and Dave Hatcher's resonating, northumbrian pipes.
Brian May's rollicking take on "All The Way From Memphis"
finds the former Queen ax-wizard earning extra points for his
one-man guitar/bass/keyboards act; while sampled bits from an old
Mott live recording, Cozy Powell's over-the-top skin bashing, and
Hunter himself turning up in the studio to lay down backing
vocals - helps elevate the track to near-classic status and makes
it an instant stand-out.
Following May's thunder would seem a considerable task for
anyone, which is why Kazufumi Miyazawa's stark, acoustic
guitar/harp/spoken-word (Japanese, of course) folk rendition of
"I Wish I Was Your Mother" makes perfect sense. The High Lows'
exuberant, party-time version of "The Golden Age Of Rock 'N' Roll"
picks up the tempo; which seems to goad The Privates into
'Pistol-whipping the proto-punk, "Death May Be Your Santa Claus,"
into submission in slightly under seven minutes.
The disc winds down with a spacey, Manfred Mann-meets-Umma
Gumma re-working of the formerly delicate "Trudi's Song" as
performed by Shake (sha-keh); and ends with an unusual, yet catchy,
kaleidoscope of Music History 101 from Fisher that ripples with a
static-funk beat, Mott-ready keys, a chooglin', T-Rex guitar riff,
Lou Reed-caliber vocals and an almost "Creeque Alley"-ish lyrical
history of Mott.
Not quite as electrifying as the original versions (and
what tribute album is?); the conclusion of _Moth Poet Hotel_ will
more than likely find you pushing the "repeat" button on your CD
player rather than digging through your old vinyl for a copy of
Brain Capers - which says a lot about Fisher's labor of love.
Join the Mott The Hoople mailing list by e-mailing:
majordomo@pobox.com and typing "subscribe hunter-mott" as the
body of text in your message.
For those of you with access to a good source of import
records, (or, if you're a good American distributor looking for
something unique to add to your catalog) the disc is on Triad/Nippon
Columbia Records, #COCA-13627.
---
REVIEW: Lemonheads, _Car Button Cloth_ (TAG/Atlantic)
- Joe Silva
When it became clear that beatific pop beast Evan Dando
would probably not become another rock casulty (at least not
before handing in another proper album), the news set off a spike
on the intrigue meter. You had to wonder how much his well-reported
excesses in the wake of decent airplay had affected his output.
Then there was all that tambourine wagging during his entourage
status in the wings of the Gallagher Britpop circus over the last
year to up the curiosity factor. But like a more durable version
of Gram Parsons, Evan has survived all of this and knocked out a
solid, if not slightly skewed collection of new material.
What seems to shine through _Car Button Cloth_ is more
Dando's appreciation for a wide range of pop flavours than his
ability or current willingness to project any sort of unified
vision. But this may be one of the few non-positive issues you
can take with this release overall. With one or two commercially
viable pop entries logged here for career continuity (and because
he probably just can't help it), the album careens off in
directions as theologically disparate as cheesy western send-ups
and psuedo-garish rock poses.
What that probably says about Dando, is for all of The
Lemonheads' college/indie roots, he always maintain an affinity
for hooks and wound up, unmannered guitars no matter how they
manifest themselves. So for much of _Car Button Cloth_, Evan appears
less of a wistful Gen-X crooner than a well rounded muso that has
the divine sense to work up engaging tunes and letting them flourish
without being overly kneaded by their progenitor.
For proof, there's the spot on single "If I Could Talk I'd
Tell You" co-masterminded with Eugenius focal point Euguene Kelly.
Well honed Lemon-regular Tom Morgan contributes the serio-comic
"The Outdoor Type," and ex-Dinosaur Jr. drummer Murph helps to
propels numbers like "Something Missing" and "One More Time." Yes,
"6ix" is apparently about some well placed clothes hanger in the
fashion world that Evan shamelessly references, but it's essentially
useless to ponder. More entertaining contemplations can probably be
had by trying to place the retro keyboard lines in "C'mon Daddy".
True to form and mussed around the edges, _Car Button Cloth_
may not quite satisfy as many Mrs. Robinsons as he has in the past,
but it is yet another Evan dandy.
---
REVIEW: Wilco, _Being There_ (Reprise)
- Scott A. Miller
Try to remember the year you first really heard rock
and roll. The way you memorized the songs, all of which seemed
to actually be about you. The way you practically worshiped
your favorite band and couldn't wait to get to the record player
and play whole albums over and over again. The way you wondered
why radio stations didn't just put albums on and let them play
because albums were much better than the singles the stations
were playing anyway. The way you knew being in a rock band was
the only future you could imagine.
Wilco frontman and songwriter Jeff Tweedy apparently
remembers. Wilco's second release, the two-disc _Being There_,
finds him mining his own love for late '60s and early '70s rock
to come up with 19 songs that pay tribute to classic rock without
sounding as tired as, say, the classic rock radio format.
"I wanted our influences to be right on the surface on
this one ... I really wanted it to be 'Wilco quotes from their,
or maybe your, record collection," states Tweedy.
And if you've seen some of the media attention paid to
_Being There_ so far, you'll find out he's succeeded. There are
songs like "Monday" and "Say You Miss Me" that have Rolling Stones
written all over them. "Outta Mind (Outta Sight)" shows Tweedy
listened to a little Beach Boys while growing up and maybe caught
a few episodes of public television's most famous kids show,
"Sesame Street." (The album is dedicated to Tweedy's newborn
son, Spencer.)
There's a loose "let's go into the studio and jam" feel
to many of the songs. "Misunderstood" and "Sunken Treasure" both
stretch out more than six minutes long. Disc Two's last song,
"Dreamer In My Dreams," was recorded live in the studio and
appears to end two times before finally calling it a day.
But the fact that a few songs aren't as tight as most
'90s rock and roll doesn't mean _Being There_ doesn't have focus.
Disc One has more straight-ahead rock songs. Disc Two is prettier.
Tweedy tried to make both discs about "the emotional experience of
songwriting from the inside out." And his voice is still that
perfectly flawed, easy-going instrument it has been since Tweedy's
Uncle Tupelo days, sounding a lot of times like a less world-weary
John Mellencamp.
There's very little on _Being There_ that hearkens back to
Wilco's excellent first album _A.M._. There's no "Casino Queen;"
no "Box Full of Letters." But from the album's noisy opening on
Disc One to Disc Two's "last encore at the roadhouse on a hot
summer night" end, Tweedy shows you don't have to make the same
record twice to prove you're a great songwriter.
Making two records at once, though - now _that's_ the
stuff that makes kids want to be a rock and roll star.
---
REVIEW: The Odds, _nest_ (Elektra)
- Bill Holmes
This is the fourth album by the pride of Vancouver,
Canada, and it's great to watch a band mature into an unselfish,
cohesive unit. The Odds are blessed with two gifted yet diverse
songwriters who blend their vision, swallow their egos, and let
the whole band cook up the goodies. Building upon last year's
stellar _Good Weird Feeling_, which juxtaposed heart-wrenching
ballads with classic pop, _nest_ is another sampler platter
of melodic, harmonic, creative songs that should garner them some
long overdue recognition in the United States.
The Odds are fuller and fatter this go-round, adding
snippets of trumpets and keyboards along with inventive background
vocal arrangements. As I was trying to settle on a word to
describe the overall sound of this record, I remembered the first
time I heard _The Beatles_ (a.k.a. the "White" album) and was
struck by the fact that such a potpourri of music was still
somehow linked by a common thread. Couldn't pin that one down,
either.
Now I'm not going to hang the Beatles mantle on these
guys; Oasis can live with that albatross. There are a few tips of
the cap, of course. Check out the Harrison guitar leads and
Macca-like rhythm piano of "Suppertime", or the Lennon-ish
closing piece "At Your Word". Crowded House fans will savor the
beautiful vocals, acoustic guitars and organ wash in "Heard You
Wrong" and "Nothing Beautiful Lasts". Maybe even a little vintage
Squeeze in "Hurt Me"?
There's a lot going on here - the call-and-response vocals
of "Say You Mean It Wondergirl", the in-your-face guitar riffs of
"Tears And Laughter", the rock-meets-rumba beat of "Night's
Embrace"...not a duff track in the lot. But for the essence of the
Odds, just slip this disc into the player and listen to the killer
1-2-3 punch that starts it off. "Someone Who's Cool" is the
prototype ear grabber - chunky guitar, killer backbeat, and a
sing-along chorus that will have you blowing out the car speakers.
The fact that it's also funny, literate and self-depreciating
despite it's la-la-la chorus just takes it up another notch.
Bang - track two's slide guitar and pleading vocal slides you
into mid-tempo heaven, more manna from Canada! By track three's
snap-snare intro and ringing guitar, it's too late - you're hooked
for the ride.
There's no doubt that these guys are solid and versatile
musically - they can rock the house with anyone or play with
restraint, and the production and arrangements (kudos to Steven
Drake) are top-notch. But if you coast on the melodies alone you
might find yourself humming the infectious refrain from "Nothing
Beautiful Lasts", only to realize later that it's written from the
perspective of a cockroach! But don't let that "odd" perspective
throw you - gloss past the wordplay and you'd miss such gems as
"out come the stars, pinholes of light in a moth eaten blanket
held over the night" ("Out Come Stars"), or this cautious
confession from "Make You Mad": "When I call you beautiful /It's
cause I can / and when you think I'm sucking up / I sort of am..."
Craig Northey and Steven Drake, the guitarists and
vocalists, are a powerful tandem, but don't sell the rhythm
section short. Bassist Doug Elliot's vocals are a key ingredient
in the band's exquisite harmonies, and drummer Pat Steward is
solid and vibrant without ever sounding "busy". Here's the
topper - as good as they are on record, as a live band they step
it up a notch.
Do I have any complaints about this record? Well, after
the last song, it ends...
---
SINGLE REVIEW: No Way Sis, "I'd Like To Teach The World
To Sing" (EMI U.K.)
- Tim Mohr
This single presents an intriguing situation, where a
group of Oasis-copycats take the real Oasis to task for copying
old songs. Apart from the various levels of irony on display, the
No Way Sis cover of the New Seekers song-cum-cola advertisement is
a terrific piece of Oasis-style rock.
Added to the song are background vocals of "shake along
with me," mocking No Way Sis's heroes for ripping off "I'd Like To
Teach The World To Sing" in their hit "Shakermaker."
The b-sides include two oasis-style-but-no way sis-written
tunes, an up-tempo instrumental, "Quick Sand Song," and the wistful
acoustic "Good Times," presumably sung, like the Noel-sung b-side on
every Oasis single, by the ersatz Noel of no way sis.
Some might say this is the nadir of Britpop's derivative
tendencies, but on the other hand it is difficult to criticize a
band that imitates a band who admit to imitating the Beatles (though
Oasis did think up their own name). While many bands slyly left from
other groups or songs, No Way Sis, unlike Northern Uproar (Oasis) or
Heavy Stereo (Slade) or Gene (the Smiths) or Elastica (Wire) or
Pulp (Laura Branigan's "Gloria", itself taken from the Italian
Umberto Tozzi), are willing to give credit to the original
authors and freely admit they are aping their heroes. This
makes them not dissimilar to many bands from a period whose
credentials are rarely questioned, namely the Beat/British Invasion
era that saw the rise of many bands with covers of old favorites:
the Rolling Stones with "Not Fade Away" or "Time is on my side"
or "Route 66," the Beatles with "Twist and Shout" or "Chains,"
the Animals with "House of the Rising Sun," the Searchers with
"Love Potion Number 9," Manfred Mann with "Doo Wah Diddy" - the
list is endless.
No Way Sis have, incidentally, signed a five-album deal
with EMI U.K.
---
REVIEW: The Year Of Graham Parker (multiple releases)
- Daniel Aloi
Quick! Name an artist that had eight releases in 1996.
No, not Pere Ubu, not Mannheim Steamroller, not the Grateful Dead.
Try some little guy from England.
Amid a flurry of multiple-label activity in reissues, live
albums and compilations on both sides of the pond, Graham Parker
released a new studio album in the fall, _Acid Bubblegum_
(Razor & Tie) which does indeed rock. With a tight band behind him,
Parker kicks into some venomous and sharply critical songs -
including "Turn It Into Hate," "Impenetrable," and the corporate
protest song "Beancounter."
One song in his recent acoustic "grown-up" vein is the
ballad "The Girl at the End of the Pier," whose subject jumps off
as the mellow arrangement comes to a close.
More typical of this new pink Parker is this line in
"Sharpening Axes": "I don't appeal to the masses, and they don't
appeal to me," sung in a wizened, almost tired voice. Parker even
knocks a soul icon in "Obsessed With Aretha:" "You might even say
the girl's still got soul - but not that much." GP plays all
guitars; the band includes Rumour bassist Andrew Bodnar and
Blondie's Jimmy Destri on keyboards.
In his own label bio (also posted on the Razor and Tie
website), Parker describes his more diligent fans thus:
"Goldmine-reading, vinyl-browsing, obscure-B-side-hunting, proud
(and extremely boring) Pink Parker-owning (get a life, why don't
you)."
He wants fans to skip everything else and buy _Acid
Bubblegum_. Fat chance. He knows us too well to expect that.
Those fans will welcome the newly remastered landmark 1979
album _Squeezing Out Sparks_ (Arista) CD, which includes the onetime
promo-only collector's item _Live Sparks_, a sequential live version
of the album, with "Mercury Poisoning" and "I Want You Back Alive"
added. The live performances are rather flat compared to the album
versions, but this remains a godsend for those who never found a copy
of the original promo LP - and vindicates Parker's topping the
Village Voice critics' poll for 1979.
The liner notes by Ira Robbins provide an informative
historical context, and Parker's essay - on the quagmire of
creative dead-ends and musicians' egos in the making of the
album - are almost as entertaining and informative as the aural
document they describe.
Still, Parker can't recommend it, for pragmatic reasons:
"On my last royalty statement from Arista, I owed them eight hundred
thousand dollars - so you won't even be doing me a favor!"
On the independent "tribute" CD _Piss & Vinegar: The Songs
of Graham Parker_ (Buy or Die) some artists have varying success
with GP's songs as they rub shoulders with such Parker friends and
fans as The Figgs (who incited epic pub-rock frenzy when they both
opened for and backed Parker on his recent tour); the Smithereens'
Pat Dinizio (with Frank Black on "Local Girls"); 22 Brides ("You
Can't Be Too Strong"), the Health and Happiness Show ("Stupefaction")
and Neal Casal ("Black Honey"). Tribute maven Jon Tiven does a
laconic version of "Fool's Gold."
On the whole the album is an interesting mix of styles and
reworkings of familiar material, and it's a good way for non-fans to
discover the artistry behind all the songs - but you're left with
this nagging certainty: Nobody sings 'em better than Parker.
To that end, you can check out some of these other '96
releases: a 3-CD box set of career highlights on Demon Records (U.K.),
as well as _The Best of Graham Parker and the Rumour_ (Polygram U.K.),
_Graham Parker and the Episodes Live in New York, NY_ from 1995 (Rock
the House/Classic Records/Razor & Tie), _BBC Live in Concert_
(Windsong) and a Penguin audiobook of Parker reading Jack Kerouac's
_Visions of Cody_. That's enough to keep any Graham cracker busy
throughout '97.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Scream_ (TVT)
- Bob Gajarsky
Friday evening itinerary in the big city - any big city
that has an active nightlife and a college. And the soundtrack
to the motion picture _Scream_ could easily be a representation
of the diary of one of those youths...
7:00 PM. Go out with friends to see the movie "Scream",
watch Drew Barrymore get star billing and appear for a minimal
time in the film, and combine comedy and thrill in one flick.
9:30 PM. On the way back from the movie, hear Bono
("With Or Without You" era) sound-alike Gus with a remarkably
slowed down cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear The Reaper".
10:00 PM. Hit the local college fraternity party. They're
not quite ready to break into R.E.M. yet, so as the teaser,
The Connells rock on their new song, "Bitter Pill". One of
America's lost bands - and having accomplished what For
Squirrels could only dream of - hits their target audience once again,
12:00 AM. Fraternity party is starting to turn into a mosh
pit. Melding Nine Inch Nails with a dance beat, listen to
industrialists Sister Machine Gun with their previously-released
"Better Than Me". Decide that it's a good time to hit the clubs.
1:00 AM. Soho record a hit song without stealing riffs from
Johnny Marr - this time, they just take the whole song. Icicle
Works' underground 80's hit (and their only American breakthrough),
"Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly)" gets a somewhat predictable cover,
but on such a good song, the expected works well.
3:00 AM. She's not just for Twin Peaks anymore. Julee Cruise
teams up with Dimitri of Deee-Lite (as The Flow) for the Interdimensional
Mix of "Artificial World". A jam packed dance floor grooves to
Cruise's luscious melody rising just above Dimitri's delicious
beats. If BT and Tori Amos hooked you, this will also wet the
musical palate.
7:00 AM. Moby's "First Hand Hive" brings the raving crowd
back to earth. 'Tis a good thing that the beats are slow, almost
ambient - it would be hard to maintain a fast pace this late into
the evening/morning.
11:00 AM. Brunch is over. So's the evening. Nick Cave's
"Red Right Hand" somehow is a soothing, relaxing end to an evening's
worth of excitement. The only question that remains: with all the
aforementioned songs on the _Scream_ soundtrack, and a cabaret meets
rock cover of Alice Cooper's "School's Out" by The Last Hard Men (a
group of Skid Row's Sebastian Bach, Kelly Deal of the Breeders and
ex-Smashing Pumpkin Jimmy Chamberlain), why are there any copies
left in the record store?
---
INTERVIEW: Gouds Thumb
- Al Muzer
Although you'd never guess it after hearing the
band's self-titled Critique/BMG Records debut, or their
explosive near-hit "29"; in a previous incarnation, Gouds
Thumb were one of New Jersey's most successful cover bands.
Playing the tri-state club circuit as The Sense,
drummer Bernard Willimann, vocalist/guitarist Connor and
bassist Jeff Kral were a popular, if somewhat unfulfilled,
group of musicians just a few short years ago.
After hooking up with guitarist/vocalist Walter
Craven in 1994, however, the foursome decided to ditch the
Pearl Jam tunes, change the name of the band, and set to music
the original lyrics Connor had been writing all along.
"Adding Walt to the group," begins Connor during a
recent phone call, "seemed to open up so many more doors for us
musically. It made all the difference in the world for us. Walt
turned a pretty decent band into a great, I think, band."
At about the same time Craven signed on, a bit of (Jersey
Shore alternative station) FM 106.3 airplay for a Sense original
("Carnival") resulted in a sizable increase in the crowds that
flocked to the just re-christened band's numerous gigs.
The attention - and one amazing live gig - were all that
Crazed Management's Johnny Z. needed to convince him of Gouds
Thumb's unlimited potential.
Hands were clasped, dreams were aired, backs were slapped,
signatures were scribbled and, in a surprisingly short period of
time, a 12-song wallop of a debut hit the racks and "29"
immediately began turning up on play lists across the nation.
An overnight sensation some six or seven years in the making.
"We didn't really know what to expect at first," reflects
Connor on his band's increase in stature on the rock 'n' roll
pecking order. "It's an isolated sort of thing, you know, the
record company tells you you're getting played in one part of the
country - but you're in a different time zone playing to, like, 10
people on a Tuesday night and aren't there to hear it."
"After awhile, it just sounds like people talking, you
know. It's hard, really, to envision your song being" he pauses
and resumes thoughtfully, "but, then, when we finally show up in
those cities and towns and there are actually people there to see
us play. People who know our songs and sing along with them."
"There's nothing better than playing great songs for a
great crowd," interjects the previously quiet Craven. "You know,
it's really important to us," he adds, "that the songs we write and
record are good enough."
"And strong enough," offers Connor picking up the new thread.
"That we'll enjoy playing them two years down the road,"
finishes Craven.
"One of our major concerns when we were making the record,"
adds Connor, "was that there were no 'dead' spots on it. You know,
those tracks you, skip over each time you listen to it."
"I think we did alright," Craven says softly.
E-mail Gouds Thumb at: goudsthumb@aol.com; visit their web
site at: www.themusiczone.com/crazedworld; or, write to Critique
Records at: 50 Cross Street, Winchester, MA 01890.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Punk-O-Rama Vol. 2_ (Epitaph)
- Simon Speichert
_Punk-O-Rama Vol. 2_, the followup to the ever-successful,
_Punk-O-Rama_, is meant to further introduce people to the "sick
and twisted world of Epitaph". How true.
This CD should probably be called "Epitaph-O-Rama", as it
only gives the listener insight into the punk label's roster, but
I'm not saying that's a bad thing.
This album features a host of America's great punk bands,
and their "catchy melodic hardcore" sounds. Some of the groups
featured are Rancid, Pennywise, NOFX, SNFU, and Bad Religion; most
of the popular ones. However, even those already into the hardcore
scene will like this, as it features some semi-rarities; the folks
at Epitaph decided to make this album better than it already is by
including a previously unreleased DFL song, and a track from Me
First and the Gimme Gimmes (featuring members of NOFX, Lagwagon and
No Use For A Name).
All in all, 17 tracks from today's greatest punk bands, it
sells for $4 (yeah, that's right, 4 bucks), if you're a new or old
punk fan, you'll like it. I know I did.
TRACK LISTING: Coffee Mug - Descendents, Perfect People -
Pennywise, Cashed In - Pulley, Only The Good Die Young - Me First
and the Gimme Gimmes, Mutate With Me - The Humpers, Side Kick -
Rancid, Bullion - Millencolin, El Coo Cooi - Voodoo Glow Skulls,
Hate - The Joykiller, Code Blue - TSOL, Whatever Didi Wants - NOFX,
Gruesome Gary - Down By Law, Just To Get Away - Poison Idea, Thought
Control - DFL, Don't Have The Cow - SNFU, Give You Nothing - Bad
Religion, Jukebox Lean - New Bomb Turks
---
REVIEW: Dots Will Echo, _Get Your Hands Off My Modem,
You Weasel_ (D.W.E.)
- Al Muzer
A boisterous, slightly psychedelic collision of everything
good that's happened to music during the last 30 years; Dots Will
Echo are, without doubt, one of the finest purveyors of epic,
elaborately-produced radio pop to ever rear their grinning,
hook-filled heads and harmonize on a sweetly-voiced chorus of
"Oooohhhs."
As sonically inspired as fellow Jersey popsters, Lizard
Music or The Wrens; DWE alternately recall the Who, XTC, the
Beatles, Shoes, the 'Pistols, Beach Boys, Replacements, Mott The
Hoople, Ziggy, Cheap Trick, Donovan, The Residents, Big Star,
Sweet, Beck and Jeff Lynn - while crafting a uniquely personal,
always interesting, frequently hummable, generally inspired
collection of radio-accessible potential multi-platinum.
This genius three-piece also deserves a major pat on the
back for covering the one track on the _Sergeant Pepper_ album
everyone skipped (George Harrison's "Within You Without You") and
for actually making the former mystical snooze-fest listenable.
While the entire record is a dazzling pop masterpiece in
its' conception, scope, execution and overall effect; track No. 99 -
a solemn, thoughtful, torchy, piano and tears version of "The
Flintstones" theme song - was what guaranteed this group a spot on
my Top 10 list a mere three weeks into the new year.
For further information, contact D.W.E. at PO Box 22 Glen
Rock, NJ 07452.
---
REVIEW: Linda Perry, _In Flight_ (Interscope)
- Reto Koradi
Being late with your reviews for a change has one
advantage: there is no need to make speculations about the
possible success of the album. So in the case of Linda Perry's
first solo effort, all that remains to be given is an answer to
questions like: Why did it flop? Did it deserve it?
Even after repeated listening, you can't really say that
she did anything terribly wrong. Unfortunately she didn't do
anything terribly right either. Only rarely does she deliver the
punch that made the smash success of the only 4 Non Blondes album.
Instead of that, she sails on calmer waters, more in a
singer/songwriter style. But while the songs are all nice and
pleasant, they just don't have the quality to grab you. Combined
with weak lyrics, this causes the album to remain superficial.
What Linda Perry needs for her next album is the assistance
of a gifted songwriter, help with her lyrics. and a producer that
gives her an occasional kick. Even if numerous worse albums sold
many more copies than Ms. Perry's last year, this exceptional voice
deserves better material.
---
NEWS: > Blondie will have a reunion, with a disc of all new material
to be released sometime in 1997. Three songs have been produced by
"TV Mania", which is an alias for Duran Duran members Nick Rhodes and
Warren Cuccurullo. All other tracks are supposed to be produced by
Mike Chapman; currently, the band has not decided whether or not to
tour with the new material.
> Fleming and John have been busy in their home studio working
on their followup-album to _Delusions of Grandeur_. Ben Folds plays piano
on one track ("Laughing Out Loud") and the duo have added strings to
two songs appearing on Folds' forthcoming album. The new Fleming and
John album is due out in spring of 1997, to be followed by a worldwide tour.
> Former 4 Non Blondes lead singer is on MuCoMo's CoffeeBreak
Interview, at http://www.mucomo.com ; future interviews include Imperial
Drag (January 22), Social Distortion (February 5), and Frosted (February 19).
> Tom Petty is in the midst of playing 20 sold out shows
at the Fillmore in San Francisco full of covers, acoustic versions,
rarities, and his hits. Opening bands for the shows will include or
have included the Wallflowers, Pete Droge and Frank Black, among others.
> The Squirrel Nut Zippers have been invited to perform at
President Clinton's Inaugural Ball on January 20 in Washington, and
were the first confirmed band on the festivities.
---
TOUR DATES:
Aphex Twin
Jan. 25 Melbourne, Australia Big Day Out
Jan. 27 Sydney, Australia Big Day Out
Jan. 30 Osaka, Japan Bayside Jenny
Feb. 1 Tokyo, Japan Liquid Room
Chalk Farm / Wild Colonials
Jan. 18 Reno, NV Little Waldorf
Jan. 20 Boise, ID Neurolux
Jan. 21 Salt Lake City, UT Bar & Grill
Jan. 23 Ft. Collins, CO Mountain Tap
Jan. 24 Vail, CO Garton's Saloon
Jan. 25 Steamboat Springs, CO Inferno
Jan. 26 Aspen, CO Double Diamond
Jan. 28 Breckenridge, CO Josh's
Jan. 30 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
Jan. 31 Steamboat Springs, CO Inferno
Feb. 1 Aspen, CO DoubleDiamond
Connells
Jan. 18 Tallahasse, FL Floyd's Music Hall
Jan. 19 Orange Park, FL Shades
Jan. 21 Pensacola, FL Seville Quarter
Jan. 23 Hattiesberg, MS Blues Alley
Jan. 24 Jackson, MS Hal & Mal
Jan. 25 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre
Jan. 28 Oklahoma City OK Bricktown Brewery
Jan. 29 Austin, TX Liberty Lunch
Jan. 30 College Station, TX Dixie Theatre
Jan. 31 Dallas, TX Trees
Feb. 1 Houston, TX Satellite
Drain S.T.H.
Jan. 23 New York, NY Coney Island High
Jan. 30 Grand Rapids, MI Reptile House
Goldfinger / Reel Big Fish
Jan. 21 Chicago, IL Metro
Jan. 22 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Jan. 23 Dayton, OH University of Dayton
Jan. 25 Cambridge, MA Middle East
Jan. 26 Providence, RI Lupo's
Jan. 27 Burlington, VT Toast
Jan. 28 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre
Jan. 29 New York, NY Tramps
Jan. 30 Old Bridge, NJ Birch Hill
Jan. 31 Washington, DC 930 Club
Feb. 1 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Nanci Griffith
Jan. 22-23 Lexington, KY Kentucky Theatre
Jan. 24 Grand Rapids, MI Calvin College
Jan. 27 Madison, WI Madison Civic Center
Jan. 28 Duluth, MN Duluth Auditorium
Jan. 30 St. Paul, MN O'Shaughnessey Auditorium
Jan. 31 Des Moines, IA Hoyt Sherman Auditorium
Huey Lewis & The News
Jan. 29 San Francisco, CA Hilton Ballroom
Jesus Lizard
Jan. 19-20 Cambridge, MA Middle East
Jan. 21 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
Jan. 22 Providence, RI Lupo's
Jan. 25 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Mars Needs Women
Jan. 24 Augusta, GA Caffeine
Jan. 25 Columbia, SC Elbow Room
Jan. 26 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
Jan. 29 Charlotte, NC Fat City
Jan. 30 Asheville, NC 31 Patton
Jan. 31 Spartanburg, SC Magnolia St. Pub
Feb. 1 Huntington, WV Drop Shop
Metallica
Jan. 24 Denver, CO McNichols Arena
Jan. 28 Ames, IA Hilton Coliseum
Porno For Pyros
Jan. 21 Raleigh, NC Ritz
Jan. 22 Charlottesville, VA Trax
Jan. 24 Norfolk, VA Boathouse
Jan. 25 Washington, DC Capitol Ballroom
Jan. 27-28 Boston, MA Avalon
Jan. 30 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Jan. 31 New York, NY Roseland
Poorhouse Rockers
Jan. 23,30 Fells Point, MD Parker's
Jan. 24 Abingdon, MD Oh Brianst
Jan. 31 Havre de Grace, MD McGregor's
Professor & Maryann
Jan. 21 New York, NY Fez
Jan. 28 New York, NY Luna Lounge
Jan. 30 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
Feb. 1 New York, NY Hotel Galvez
Royal Fingerbowl
Jan. 19-20 New York, NY Luna Lounge
Jan. 21 Philadelphia, PA Silk City
Jan. 22 Red Bank, NJ Downtown Cafe
Jan. 23 Washington, DC State Of The Union
Jan. 24 Red Bank, NJ Downtown Cafe
Jan. 26 Boston, MA Green Street Grill
Jan. 28 Philadelphia, PA Silk City
Jan. 29 Red Bank, NJ Downtown Cafe
Jan. 30 Washington, DC State Of The Union
Jan. 31 Boston, MA Kirkland Cafe
Sebadoh
Jan. 21 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
Jan. 24 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club
Jan. 25 Gainesville, FL Florida Theatre
Jan. 27 Palm Beach, FL Respectable Street Cafe
Jan. 30 New Orleans, LA Howlin' Wolf
Jan. 31 Houston, TX Fitzgerald's
Stillsuit
Jan. 17 Albany, NY Bogie's
Jan. 19 New York, NY Wetlands
Jan. 22 Burlington, VT Club Toast
Jan. 23 New London, CT The L&G
Type O Negative / Sister Machine Gun / Drain S.T.H.
Jan. 21 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre
Jan. 22 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
Jan. 24 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony
Jan. 25 Burlington, VT Club Toast
Jan. 26 Montreal, QC Fou Founes Embassy
Jan. 28 London, ON Embassy
Jan. 29 Huber, OH Sanctuary
Jan. 31 Toledo, OH Asylum
Feb. 1 Peoria, IL Madison Theater
Vallejo
Jan. 18 Nacogdoches, TX The Roads
Jan. 22 Hattiesberg, MS Tal's
Jan. 23 Tuscaloosa, AL Ivory Tusk
Jan. 24 Auburn, AL Lil' Irelands
Jan. 25 Mobile, AL Monsoon's
Jan. 27 St. Simons, GA Island Rock Cafe
Jan. 29 Charleston, SC Cumberlands
Jan. 30 Augusta, GA Red Lion Pub
Jan. 31 Atlanta, GA Smith's Olde Bar
---
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