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Consumable Online Issue 076
==== ISSUE 76 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [May 16, 1996]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gajarsky@email.njin.net
Sr. Correspondents: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Dan Enright, Tim
Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Sean Eric
McGill, Tim Mohr, Jamie Roberts, Joe Silva, John Walker
Correspondents: Dan Birchall, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron,
Joe D'Angelo, Paul Grzelak, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer,
Stephen Jackson, Daniel Kane, Mario Lia, P. Nina Ramos,
Linda Scott, Ali Sinclair, Jon Steltenpohl
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann, Damir Tiljak,
Jason Williams
Also Contributing: Al Muzer
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.
==================================================================
.------------.
| Contents |
`------------'
INTERVIEW: Cracker's David Lowery - Al Muzer
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Shots In The Dark_ - Sean Eric McGill
REVIEW: Ammonia, _Mint 400_ - Mario J. Lia
REVIEW: Ride, _Tarantula_ -Tim Mohr
REVIEW: Savoy, _Mary is Coming_ - Stephen Jackson
REVIEW: MC Eiht (Featuring CMW), _Death Threatz_ - Jamie Roberts
REVIEW: Mojave 3, _Ask Me Tomorrow_ -Tim Mohr
REVIEW: Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band, _Hang Up Sorrow And
Care_ - Paul Grzelak
REVIEW: Jayne County, _Deviation_ - Jamie Roberts
NEWS: Au Contraire, Barenaked Ladies, Jason Becker, Bryndle, Howard Jones,
Los Lobos, Sarah McLachlan, Mid Atlantic Sound Surf and Skate Symposium,
Sonicnet Chat, White Nights Festival, Zero Hour Records
TOUR DATES: Q101 Concert, Ammonia / Skunk Anansie, Bad Religion / Unwritten
Law / Dance Hall Crashers, Bloodhound Gang, Boyracer, Jeff Buckley,
Dada, Dishwalla, Download, Dread Zeppelin, 50 Feet Tall, God Lives
Underwater / Life of Agony, Half Hour To Go, Paris Hampton, Ho-Hum,
Hollowbodies, Howard Jones, Killing Joke, Limblifter / Stanford Prison
Experiment / Local H, Madball, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Nada Surf,
Nature / Acumen, Nields, No Doubt, Ozzy Osbourne / Type O Negative /
Sepultura, Patrick Street, Posies / Shake Appeal, Ruth Ruth / Nixons /
Grover, Kevin Salem, Slobberbone, Steeleye Span, Ten O'Clock Scholar,
Varnaline, Velour, Vitapup, Mike Watt, Weston, Wrens
ERRATA
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
Back Issues of Consumable
---
INTERVIEW: Cracker's David Lowery
- Al Muzer
As catchy, crunchy and completely memorable as their previous
hits, Cracker's latest chart-bound single, "I Hate My Generation," is a
refreshing chunk of angry, tonsil-ripping virulence with an irresistible
Top 10 hook.
Taken from Cracker's third Virgin Records release, _The Golden
Age_, the song blasts its way through the sappy ballads, make-believe
tough grrrls and fifth generation Pearl Jam posturing on today's charts
like a recently-fired postal employee paying the boss a surprise,
early-morning visit.
"I Hate My Generation" is an odd, but effective, choice for a
first single in this, the feel-good era of Hootie. Driven by guitarist
Johnny Hickman's manic, juiced-up power chords and distorted metal riffs
layered over a heavy, melodic pulse machine-gunned out by bassist Bob
Rupe and drummer Charlie Quintana; the song's big hook comes from
vocalist/guitarist/songwriter David Lowery - who lets loose with an
impassioned yowl and a raw, snarling, end-of-his-rope frustration that jabs
a lyrical stake into the heart of just about everyone over the age of 30.
Lowery, the former leader of every mid-'80s college student's and
rock critic's favorite band, Camper Van Beethoven, has worked hard on _The
Golden Age_ . This is his third release with Cracker and - as has been the
case since CVB disbanded in the wake of 1989's _Key Lime Pie_ and Lowery
began working with Hickman - Cracker's latest is getting its usual lack
of respect from the critics.
Calling from Thunder Bay, Ontario, during the first week of a
particularly grueling North American tour, Lowery is still baffled by a
recent Cracker/Paul Westerberg joint album review in a New York City
newspaper. In the full-page article, the writer called the former
Replacements bandleader "heroic" for pointing out that, "a good day is
any day that you're alive." The author then went on to label "I Hate My
Generation" as a "cheap collegiate joke" because Lowery "never bothers to
tell us why."
Sounding road-weary, tired and slightly edgy, Lowery clearly
needs to get a few things off his chest.
"Sometimes I look at a review and I go 'What the fuck is this
person even and did they even listen to the lyrics?' " begins the
obviously bewildered singer. "I can't be that oblique. Or, I'll read a
review where the writer got a really weird take on what I'm saying, in
particular, a lot of people say that I'm always cynical. There are two
out of 12 songs on this record with maybe an element of cynicism to them."
"I mean, Paul Westerberg. Now, I love Paul Westerberg. But, Paul
Westerberg is way more cynical than I am in his songs and that's not what
you read about him," Lowery adds, still stung by the review, "I was
really mystified and I just don't know what the deal is anymore."
"Some woman from the L.A. Times wrote that "Big Dipper" says,
basically, the same thing as "I Hate My Generation," "he chuckles. "And
when I read that I went, 'Wow!' I mean, what the fuck is up with that? I w
as really astounded by that and I thought to myself, 'Well, maybe it's
just really oblique. Maybe I fucked up on that song.' "
"So, anyway, there was this kid at one of our gigs who asked me
for my autograph," continues Lowery. "He's this 17-year-old kid at a club
and when I ask him, 'Hey, man, what's "Big Dipper" about?' He can tell
me! You know, lately my theory has been, 'Okay, all right, I guess I'm
smarter, I'm just going to have to accept it.' Critics," he says
jokingly, "are afraid of me because I'm smarter than them."
"I think I might be turning this into another one of my
'I'm-mystified-by-music-journalists-interviews,' " he laughs, "and I'm not
really trying to. It's actually kind of fascinating to me because I'm
really trying to figure out what, exactly, is the deal. I also can't
figure out why, even in good reviews of Cracker, there always seems to
be this sort of backhanded compliment thing. It's like they [music
critics] almost have to be rude to us. It's bizarre. Does everybody think
that they're being original?"
"I've been accused of being cynical, arrogant, negative,
self-loathing, self-indulgent and, you know, sort of angry and such and
such," he sighs. "It's like, what the fuck's that about? Of course we're
self-indulgent, that's what you guys [critics] want us to be. We're
supposed to be self-indulgent - we're a fucking band! Duh," Lowery says
in his best Butt-Head imitation. "Let's see, I'm gonna write songs. I'm
onna be selfless and write songs for the masses, huh, huh.' You know?
Well, fuck that!"
It ain't easy being Cracker.
After four years, five albums, two EP's and a flood of positive
press, Camper Van Beethoven imploded in a shower of anger and acrimony
and the various band members moved on to other projects. Drummer Chris
Pederson, bassist Victor Krummenacher and guitarists Greg Lisher and
David Immergluck formed the very Camper-esque Monks Of Doom and released
a few critically-praised albums on Pitch-A-Tent/Rough Trade Records.
Lowery laid low for awhile before forming Cracker with long-time
friend and pre-Camper bandmate Hickman, bassist Davey Faragher and
drummer Rick Jaeger.
"Me and John had played together or just sort of fucked around
working on songs, playing covers and stuff like that for years before
we put this band together," recalls Lowery. Hooking up with Hickman after
high school, the duo formed a mutant jam band known as the Estonian
Gauchos and played together until Lowery moved north to attend UC Santa
Cruz, where he would eventually form Camper. "He's just awesome on
stage. He kicks ass," says Lowery of his old friend. "It's great that,
years later, we would start working together and have a band and
actually get sort of famous."
When Cracker's self-titled Virgin Records debut was released in
1992, a legion of Camper Van Beethoven fans joined a new group of people
attracted to Hickman's sharp guitar and Lowery's even sharper lyrics.
Solid tunes such as "Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now)," "I See The
Light" and "Happy Birthday" got frequent listener requests, a club tour
did relatively well and alternative rock radio got behind the record.
Failing to note the gradual shift toward a poppier sound in Camper
Van Beethoven's music, critics who'd only recently finally "got" that band
reacted to Cracker as if Lowery had betrayed some sacred, unwritten trust
and sullied the CVB name by blending country, funk and hard rock
influences with witty lyrics and catchy, upbeat pop hooks.
Although sales of Cracker's first album were decent, the record
never received the press it deserved as critics, for the most part,
remained unmoved.
The band devoted part of February and most of March, 1993, to
recording their second album with producer Don Smith. Lowery, Hickman,
Faragher and new drummer Michael Urbano released _Kerosene Hat_ in
September and signed a contract for a spring/summer '94 tour as the
supporting act for the Spin Doctors and the Gin Blossoms.
A funny thing happened on the way to the arena.
"Low," the lead track on _Kerosene Hat_, became a major hit. It
took several months for the song to build - but, with a video in regular
rotation on MTV featuring actress Sandra Bernhard, a sprawling hook
that grabbed you by the collar, memorable, shout-along lyrics and an
aggressive, air guitar-worthy riff, "Low" and the follow-up singles,
"Eurotrash Girl" and "Get Off This" helped the album become a
million-seller by the end of the year.
Losing Faragher and Jaeger along the way, the band picked up
bassist/vocalist Bob Rupe (The Silos, Gutterball, The Bobs) and former
Pixies drummer David Lovering and hit the road on a Gin Blossoms/Spin
Doctors shed and arena tour that often found the opening act more
popular than the two headliners and the headliners frequently wearing
"Cracker kicked our ass" hats and T-shirts on stage.
"We got booked into that tour when our record was still obscure
and stuff," recalls Lowery. "That's just the way the business goes. We
did have a lot of fun, though."
After a few months off, the band returned to the studio with new
drummer Charlie Quintana to record songs for what would eventually become
_The Golden Age_.
Released at the beginning of April, in its first two weeks on
the Billboard charts "I Hate My Generation" bulleted to No. 28 on the
"Mainstream Rock Tracks" list and jumped from No. 29 to No. 14 on the
"Modern Rock Tracks" chart. A quick scan of the radio dial was usually
rewarded with the rude blast of Hickman's guitar and Lowery's urgent,
tortured proclamation of disgust.
A wildly-diverse record, Lowery's slightly-absurdist,
vividly-inventive everyman lyrics and raspy, engaging vocals carry the
day on _The Golden Age_. Songs such as the frenetic, almost punk
"100 Flower Power Maximum"; a swaggering, slightly funked-up "Nothing To
Believe In"; the gorgeously-reflective, tremolo-heavy, "Big Dipper"; a
harmonica-driven, Neil Young-ish swamp-rock tune called "Sweet Thistle
Pie"; and the yearning, backwards-looking, jaundiced sentimentality
and pedal-steel and acoustic wash of the title track have the feel of
classics and are written and performed with more authority and
accessibility than anything Lowery has done in his frequently brilliant
career.
"I don't know if _The Golden Age_ is our major pop move," he
comments. "But, I really wanted to do a pop record in the sense that
this album is fairly eclectic and each song is arranged and instrumented
more according to what that song wants or needs rather than having a
sort of general 'rock' sound for the entire record."
"We go pretty far afield on different songs in the way that, say,
Bowie or Roxy Music did," he adds. "Well, David Bowie in the late-'70s,
early-'80s, that era. I'm talking about this old idea of pop and rock
music, you know? We tried to do a thinking man's version of that era of
pop."
When asked if there was pressure placed on the band by Virgin
Records to equal or surpass the success of _Kerosene Hat_, Lowery says:
"Not from the label. The only real pressure we felt was to top ourselves
creatively. The only way I know how to make a record is to make it so
that everyone in the band feels like we've just done something great.
You know, a much better record than the last one. A record," he adds,
"you're still gonna be proud playing a year into touring. That you're
still gonna dig, you're still gonna dig playing it."
"That's the only way that I know how to survive in this business
and that's all I've ever done," Lowery says. "And, apparently it works.
It's not exactly the direct route to stardom or anything like that. But,
it apparently works. With each new record there seems to be a few more
people at the shows, we sell a few more copies and we get a few more fans."
"And some of our fans," he laughs, "are psycho. There's a lot
of psychos in the audience. Do you know that L7 song, "Freak Magnet?"
Okay, I'm the boy freak magnet. I'm the male version of that. God!
There's a lot of freaky fans. With most of our fans it's really a
healthy kind of freaky. But, some of them are a disturbed kind of freaky,
too. Occasionally," Lowery adds, "you get somebody who's a little too
unbalanced, you know? Comes to, like, seven or eight shows in a row and
says really strange things in front of the stage and stuff like that.
Sometimes it's scary."
As for the meaning behind the lyrics that've caused the latest
bout of Cracker animosity amongst critics and are, undoubtedly, a
potential well spring of inspiration for "freaky" people everywhere;
the 35-year-old singer says that "I Hate My Generation" is: "An
overstatement and kind of an outrageous thing to say. I don't really,
but, I think that maybe I hate my generation for its self-loathing,
negativity and its pointless anger."
"A lot of people who are my peers only seem to be able to define
themselves negatively - by what they hate," Lowery says with genuine
regret. "They sort of delight in the failure of others rather than in
their own successes - and I think that's kind of sick, actually."
"That's what I was so pissed-off about on "I Hate My Generation."
The whole point of the song," Lowery explains, "is 'I hate my generation.
Now that I've said it, I feel liberated.' To me, it's a liberating song.
It's really fun to play and it's actually a happy song."
"Sometimes I just feel that rock lyrics are taken too literally,"
he laughs. "But, I like the fact that it [the song] kind of stirred up
something. You know, people are, like, going, 'Shit, man! "I Hate My
Generation." Man, that Cracker!' "
(This interview first appeared in Music Paper)
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Shots In The Dark_ (Donna Records)
- Sean Eric McGill
The music of Henry Mancini has become etched into our mass culture.
From the themes to shows like "The Pink Panther" and "Peter Gunn", to songs
like "Moon River", Mancini has become one of the more enduring composers of
this century. His music has the ability to touch a nerve in out collective
psyche, to elicit the response that he or the filmmaker desires.
And since we're currently undergoing a seemingly unending wave of
tribute albums, it seems only fitting that Mancini get his shot at one.
_Shots In The Dark_ features acts from all over the musical spectrum playing
their own renditions of Mancini tunes. On some tribute albums, this means
trying to get as far away from the original source as you can (witness Toad
the Wet Sprocket's laid-back, acoustic version of "Rock and Roll All Night"
on the KISS tribute album a couple of years back). But the catch with covering
Mancini is that his songs span generations even still, making it more of a
challenge for a group to simply do a good rendition of it then it would be
to totally go off on a tangent and try to change the tune entirely.
For example, the theme to "Peter Gunn" wouldn't be too well served
by trying to turn into...say, and ambient piece. "Peter Gunn Theme" always
has and always will be straight-forward guitar with a catchy hook. And The
Cramps' Poison Ivy does a great job of keeping to the original, while still
adding a bit of her own style to the tune.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects to this album is the
choice of performers. Sure, someone would think of putting The Cramps on a
tribute album - but not too many would think of just Poison Ivy. And even
less would think of Oranj Symphonette, Wonderful World of Joey, Wiskey Biscut,
and Man or Astroman?. None of these are bands which resonate in the mind of
the mass public, and that's just fine. Because these aren't today's hottest
artists who were asked to record Mancini tunes - these are people who truly
love and appreciate Mancini's work, and were given a chance to record
something they really had a feel for.
Tracks like "Touch of Evil" by Man or Astroman? and "Lonesome" by
Friends of Dean Martinez are both great examples of the superiority of this
album as opposed to other tribute albums in the past. While "Lonesome" stays
almost rigidly set in the original composition, Man or Astroman? use elements
like white noise to add an even more sinister feel to the song than the
original. And most of the tracks on _Shots In The Dark_ follow that
example. They are either dead-on covers or just a little different -
because let's face it - this is Henry Mancini we're talking about here...why
try to improve on the hippest cat around?
Donna Records can be contacted at PO Box 69188, Los Angeles, CA 90069
---
REVIEW: Ammonia, _Mint 400_ (Epic)
- Mario J. Lia
Recently there's been a surge in new punk bands, and along with this
'new' punk scene there has been new flavors of punk; the ska-punk of
Rancid, the pop-punk of Nirvana. But what happend to rock & roll? Where
has it gone? Enter stage right, Ammonia, who effortlessly combine punk
and rock & roll to make _Mint 400_ a distinctive treat for anyone.
Along with making any type of rock & roll comes the PMRC-minded
people who don't like the lyrics. Ammonia's first single "Drugs" has made
some radio stations refuse to play it due to the title. Searching further
down we come to the song "In A Box" that has the lyrics "Sit in/fall
out/I got no life", which sounds similar to the "Tune in, turn on, drop
out" catchphrase of the 60's. But as singer/guitarist Dave Johnstone
explains it's not like that. "There isn't really that much of a
message. "Drugs" is about apathy towards drugs. "In A Box" is about
living your life..in a box. Being in Perth [the band's hometown] is
feeling closed, not being able to see the world."
The first song on the album is "Ken Carter". This song starts out
with a very watery sounding intro and, a loud distorted chorus. And then
there's "Drugs". Although this song is very simple musically and
lyrically, it has been making its way around radio stations, and MTV, along
with everyone else, seems to love it. Later down the line comes the
aformentioned "In A Box". With its jangly chords played in ska fashion
it's sure to be a hit with everyone. However, the music is not always that
happy. There are some darker songs such as "Little Death" and "Face Down".
"Face Down", as the name implies, is about drowning.
The band hails from Perth, Australia and went on to Sydney to
record a live session for the alternative radio network, Triple J. And now
they are showing the American public what new music is all about. Will they
be the next great thing? Very possibly.
---
REVIEW: Ride, _Tarantula_ (EastWest)
-Tim Mohr
In the wake of the band's split, the new Ride album will no doubt
show signs of the strain that must have been evident to the members long
before they actually called it quits. Unfortunately, rather than a brilliant
nova to signify the band's implosion, _Tarantula_ follows apathetically in
the footsteps of the largely ignored _Carnival of Light_.
The lead single, "Black Nite Crash," sees Ride imitating Primal
Scream imitating the Rolling Stones. Andy Bell sings about a "rattlesnake
handshake" and the like, lyrics that smack of the most contrived rockisms.
The track "Sunshine/Nowhere to Run" borrows bongos from Primal Scream's
"Loaded," which were in turn taken from the Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil."
"Deep Inside My Pocket" adds a melodramatic spoken-word passage to organ
tones and guitar solos that recall the Black Crowes.
Compared to the time when Ride virtually single-handedly defined the
edge of new British music, the latest album represents a great
disappointment: from such heights of creativity on albums like _Smile_,
_Nowhere_, and _Going Blank Again_ to the depths of imitating other bands,
and bands who are themselves so derivitive.
Some songs work. "Dawn Patrol" successfully juxtaposes trademark Ride
vocal harmonies with a hint of 70s funk derived from the syncopation and
organ. This track also hints at Ride's glory period: all the musicians are
clearly represented and display nearly unsurpassed dexterity. This is
particularly true of the drums, hyperactive and creative but somehow not
overdone or intrusive. "Starlight Motel" is a nice loping ballad with
12-string and the country-ish trappings of an accordian and a mandolin.
The problem with this album makes the break-up of Ride entirely
understandable. Mark Gardner, whose vocals and sensibilities defined the
first three Ride records, is almost completely absent from this one. As the
band has more and more become Andy Bell's, his sensibilities have proven
rather unsavory, leaning with complete sincerity towards cheesy 70s rock and
lacking the irony or flair of other bands who successfully tap into the
energy and muscle of 70s rock.
The most sophomoric teenage metal band couldn't make up better titles
for songs than Bell: "Burnin'," "Ride the Wind," etc. Unfortunately for him,
the audience that Ride has gathered together over the years is looking for
something different: something less American, something less contrived,
something less corny, something less crap. People who became Ride fans before
the last record will have to wait for Mark Gardner's next project to get any
notion of how Ride's fascinating early music will resolve itself; as more or
less an Andy Bell solo project, the band on _Tarantula_ bears very little
resemblance to Ride.
---
REVIEW: Savoy, _Mary is Coming_ (Warner)
- Stephen Jackson
Not since John and Yoko Lennon has a husband & wife team
combined their individual talents with such fortuitous abandon. The
synergistic melancholia of Pal Waaktarr-Savoy and Lauren Savoy has given
rise to a surprisingly fresh pop album whose sound evokes memories of
Lennon's own work, along with that of more contemporary alternative bands
like the Breeders, Nirvana, and Jane's Addiction. Pal Waaktaar, of the
Norwegian group A-Ha, has spent much of the past few years learning to use
a room full of recording gear housed in his Oslo studio. His wife, Lauren
Savoy, an innovative director of music videos in her own right, has
contributed visual and story ideas culled from a background of film and
electronic media, resulting in a album that is both melodically rich and
lyrically suggestive.
From the smoldering opening verse of "Daylight's Wasting" to the
Lennonesque "Half and Hour's Worth," to the haunting title track, Savoy's
pastiche of pain and pleasure pays tribute to such musical debts as the
Beatles (_Rubber Soul_), Peter Murphy (_Deep_) and the Fixx. In a recent
IRC chat session from Norway, Pal Waaktaar mentions his own pop influences
ranging from Radiohead and Smashing Pumpkins to Country Joe and the Fish
and Glen Campbell.
Eschewing the studio polish of many pop stylists, Pal and Lauren
Savoy maintain the rough edge typical of indie produced records, but with
a sophistication born of materials and talents under tight creative control.
Savoy is a musical force that conceals its garage band roots under a catchy
veneer of pop melodies floating upon an emotional sea of trouble. Like a
film noir musical of the Pixies, you can never be sure if that cry in the
night you've just overheard is another call for help or salvation. Either
way, you're hooked. And while you're waiting for answers to some of
life's big mysteries, Savoy gives a reason to listen.
For those online hipsters inclined to hi-tech fandom, Savoy
recently launched their own web site and are hands-on users of the Internet.
If you'd like to learn more about the band, point your web browser to:
http://www.sn.no/savoy/menu.htm And while you're downloading those cool
web pages, don't forget to play their cd. Because yes, Mary IS coming, but
she damn sure won't wait forever.
---
REVIEW: MC Eiht (Featuring CMW), _Death Threatz_ (Epic Street)
- Jamie Roberts
If the West Coast style is what you are down with, then you'll
be calling Eiht's new CD the bomb.
Heavy handed rhymes with laid back vocals are a West-side
trademark (a la Dre, Snoop, etc.). Eiht carries that torch and comes
correct with a fluid style of rap that he says "tells tales of life on the
streets of Compton". Backed up by Da Foe (Eiht's younger brother), Chill
(from N.O.T.R.) and Young Prod, Eiht actually raps about the reality of
life in any American 'hood.
Eiht's true standout quality is the strength of his street-fables.
"Thuggin It Up" (the first single) puts the dangers of comin' up the wrong
way above the homeboy-posturing and brings the message across in words
anyone can understand. "Thuggin..."'s beats glide along on the keyboard
driven, jazzy background that has become popular in more current rap.
"Collect My Stripez" brings to light Eiht's gangsta side, and shows
either the influence of, or the similarity to Dr. Dre's _Chronic_. Not one
to be played, Eiht lays down the law with his show of lyrical strength.
"...Stripez" turns out as one of the more bumpin tracks on the CD.
Rightfully called the 'Shakespeare of the streets', MC Eiht tells
the stories that rap fans expect to hear, in a style that is not overpowering
but is head-bobbingly listenable.
---
REVIEW: Mojave 3, _Ask Me Tomorrow_ (4AD/Warner)
-Tim Mohr
The opening song on Mojave 3's debut clearly delineates the band's
approach: acoustic song-writing and threadbare production with an unself-
conscious aim at highly emotive, vaguely nostalgic melodies and lyrics. "Love
Songs On The Radio," the opener, would sit nicely alongside the Cowboy
Junkies and Mazzy Star.
Mojave 3 consists of two members of Slowdive, one of the definitive
"shoe-gazing" bands that ruled British musical exports prior to the more
recent Britpop craze. The atmospherics of Slowdive are somehow still present
in Mojave 3, though now the feel is derived through entirely other means.
Where Slowdive layered electric sounds, Mojave 3 limits itself to acoustic
guitars, piano, and understated percussion.
The result is magnificent yet intimate. Sacrificing the splendor of a
waterfall of distorted guitar, Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell of Slowdive
nonetheless conjure a powerful album of much more direct music on _Ask Me
Tomorrow_. Of course, the very directness of the music can be unnerving, as
the ambient cushion of white noise that buoyed Slowdive no longer diverts
attention from the melodies and words of Mojave 3.
As the older generation of British bands seek to evolve, the "shoe-
gazers" are faced with many paths. The Boo Radleys gained directness by
working with tighter song structures and letting the melodies step out of the
cacaphony stirred up by the guitars. Ride split up after reverting to
hackneyed rock revivalism. Mojave 3 is a bold and successful move from the
founders of Slowdive, and proves that their talents are versatile enough to
shift instrumentation and production styles while continuing to make quality
music.
---
REVIEW: Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band,
_Hang Up Sorrow And Care_ (Park)
- Paul Grzelak
This newest offering from Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band
is a very light-hearted offering to the folk / Celtic music crowd.
Maddy Prior, the lead vocalist for Steeleye Span, is in fine voice,
and the Carnival Band is ready with a rather diverse collection of
instruments (everything from the lute to the kazoo, the recorder to
the electric guitar, etc.) The combination creates a rather bright
and cheerful album.
_Hang Up Sorrow And Care_ tells the story of Old Simon The
King, discovered at an Ale House getting utterly drunk. The album is
divided into three sections, very different in tone. Each section
relates Simon's drunken wits.
Part I reflects on the joys of drinking and getting drunk.
"The Prodigal's Resolution" describes the joys of inheriting money,
and the parties that one can have. "The Leathern Bottel" makes a
saint of the man who invents a bottle that will not break or spill
when stumbling around.
When Old Simon The King begins to become enamoured of the
barmaid, his mind turns to reminiscence on women. Part II dwells on
various women, including the gentle love of "An thou were my ain
Thing" and "Now O Now I Needs must Part". But there are a couple of
surprises, such as "O that I had but a Fine man" - a tango (yes, a
tango!) about a woman who *really* wants a man, and the classical
sound of "Man is for the Woman Made". Of course, there is still a
song or two here singing the praises of "The Little Barley-Corne".
During Part III, Old Simon The King begins to recall somewhat
bittersweet memories of times gone by. This can be seen in the
mildly melancholy "Never Weatherbeaten Saile" and "In the Days of my
youth". The album concludes with a happy note from "Old Simon The
King" himself.
This album has a number of fantastic surprises in store for
the listener. There is the unusual instrumentation of the Carnival
Band that reminds this critic slightly of Gryphon. The vocals of Maddy Prior
are raised in a number of a capella tunes, sung in rounds with the
gentlemen of the Carnival Band. Even the CD booklet is written and
annotated in an old English style.
All in all, Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band have a winner
here. But be warned - _Hang Up Sorrow And Care_ is *not* an album
to be taken too seriously. This is not a recording to listen to
with headphones, rather with a small group of friends over a couple
of pints of ale. Fans of Maddy Prior, The Carnival Band or Steeleye
Span should look into this album. Also, if you are interested in
Celtic music, folk music, or the progressive style of Gryphon, take
a look at _Hang Up Sorrow And Care_ by Maddy Prior and the Carnival
Band.
---
REVIEW: Jayne County, _Deviation_ (Royalty)
- Jamie Roberts
The Trans-Gendered DIVA of Punk Rock has released _Deviation_
to coincide with the American release of her book Man Enough To Be A Woman.
The book is wild - as are the tunes - and Miss Jayne herself is the
consumate wild (wo)man.
She is gloriously, and somewhat surprisingly, up-to-date in her
music. Her punk rock is not as campy as one would expect, but rather
gritty and powerful. Her constant references to being of the 'old guard'
being the only downside of _Deviation_, Jayne proceeds to rock the roof
off the joint.
Jayne's cover of Joan Jett's _Cherry Bomb_ is classic. Hot-as-hell
guitar licks combined with her sneering vocal delivery bowls over the
listener on this, and every other track.
As the Queen of Shock-Rock, County titles her tunes to stun.
"Everyone's An Asshole But Me", and "Texas Chainsaw Manicurist" are just
a couple of the tracks that will crack you up on this CD.
_Deviation_ might be the best combination of raucous rock with a
real sense of humor that I have heard in a long time.
---
NEWS: > A new progressive music newsletter, Au Contraire, has just
released their second issue. The 8 pages in the May issue focus
on upcoming releases, news and more with a decided slant towards those
people who have Internet access. A year's subscription (12 issues)
costs $5 for U.S. residents, and more for those outside the United
States; contact aucon@acmenet.net for more information.
> The Barenaked Ladies will be appearing in a pay-per-view
television broadcast across Canada on June 26th, 1996. The show was
videotaped live in Montreal at The Metropolis on April 23.
> Guitarist Jason Becker, whose _Perspective_ album was recently
released, has his own website located at http://www.guitarists.com
> The Bryndle Web Site is up and running. Surfers can find it
at http://www.wco.com/~paulg/bryndle/
> Howard Jones will be making an in-store appearance at
Border's in Boston on May 18. In addition, he will be participating
in a charity softball game later that afternoon, and will be playing a
Hammond Organ used in Fenway Park.
> Los Lobos will be appearing online prior to their May 16
concert on AOL and the Internet (http://www.wbr.com/loslobos) for
a cybertalk at 9:00 EST.
> Sarah McLachlan will be participating in an online Internet
chat on May 21st at 5:00 pm EST at http://www.sprint.com/sarah
> The Mid Atlantic Sound, Surf and Skate Symposium will be held from
June 6-8, 1996 in Wilmingon and Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, at
the Coastline Convention Center. Many local and national bands are
slated to play, as well as skateboarding demos and contests, guitar clinics
and seminars, a celebrity golf tournament, and many industry music panels.
> Upcoming Sonicnet chats include: Skinny Puppy, May 28, 7 pm, EST
go to http://www.sonicnet.com/sonicore/chat for chat information.
> David Bowie and Maxi Priest will headline the Fifth Annual
White Nights International Cultural Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia
on June 15, 1996. The largest music and cultural event in Eastern Europe,
all proceeds will be donated to Russian Children's Orphanages and Hospitals.
> Zero Hour Records has its site on the web, located at
http://www.zerohour.com
---
TOUR DATES
Q101 Concert
May 26 Chicago, IL New World Theatre (with Cypress Hill,
Foo Fighters, 7 Mary 3, Everclear, Candlebox, No Doubt,
Stabbing Westward, Afghan Whigs, Garbage, Love & Rockets,
Filter, Korn, Cracker, Girls Against Boys, Dishwalla
Ammonia / Skunk Anansie
May 17 Long Branch, NJ Metro Lounge
Bad Religion / Unwritten Law / Dance Hall Crashers
May 17 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
May 18 Salt Lake City, UT Salt Air
Bloodhound Gang
May 17 Albuquerque, NM Time Out
May 18 Mesa, AZ Nile Theater
Boyracer
May 17 Portland, ME Zoot's
May 23 Cleveland, OH Grogg Shop
May 24 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
May 25 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
May 28 Ft Collins, CO Tony's
May 31 Seattle, WA Off Ramp
Jeff Buckley
May 19 New York, NY Thread Waxing Space (Poetry Reading)
Dada
May 17 Milwaukee, WI Rave
May 19 Kansas City, MO Hurricane
May 20 St. Louis, MO High Point
Dishwalla
May 17 Houston, TX Urban Art Bar
May 18 San Antonio, TX KISS Show
May 19 Miami, FL WZTA Show
May 21 Memphis, TN Newbys
May 22 Nashville, TN Exit Inn
May 24 Indianapolis, IN WRZX Show
May 25 Detroit, MI Shelter
May 29 St. Louis, MO Side Door
May 30 Springfield, MO Juke Joint
Download
May 17 Rostock, GER MS Stubnitz
May 18 Potsdam, GER Waschhaus
May 19 Coesfeld, GER Fabrik Coesfeld
May 21 Arhus, DEN Huset
May 22 Gothenburg, SWE Musikens Hus - Evil Eye
May 23 Stockholm, SWE Fryshuset - Stroke
May 25 London, ENG Camden Underworld
May 27 Leipzig, GER Werk II
May 31 Munchen, GER Backstage
Dread Zeppelin
May 17 New York, NY Wetlands Preserve
May 18 Philadelphia, PA The Middle East Club
May 19 Washington, DC The Bayou
May 21 Louisville, KY Phoenix Hill Tavern
May 22 St. Louis, MO Galaxy-Mo
May 23 Kansas City, MO Grand Emporium
May 24 Minneapolis, MN Cabooze
May 25 Deerfield, IL Shades
50 Feet Tall
May 30 New York, NY Pyramid
God Lives Underwater / Life of Agony
May 19 Panama Beach, FL Spinakers
May 20 Orange Park, FL Shades
May 21 Tampa, FL Rubb
May 22 Winterpark, FL Fairbanks Inn
May 23 Ft. Myers, FL Pyramid Club
May 24 Oakland Park, FL Crash Club
May 27 St. Louis, MO Pointfest
May 29 Toledo, OH UT Auditorium
Half Hour To Go
May 17 Oklahoma City, OK Samurai
May 18 Kansas City, MO The Hurricane
May 20 St. Louis, MO Kennedy's
Paris Hampton
May 27 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
May 28 New York, NY Sin-E (filming for a possible movie)
Ho-Hum
May 23 Little Rock, AR Vino's
May 25 Little Rock, AR Juanita's
Hollowbodies
May 17 Columbus, OH Ludlow
May 19 Cambridge, MA Middle East
May 20 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
May 23 Virginia Beach, VA Town Point Park (w/Luster, Posies)
Howard Jones
May 17 Philadelphia, PA The TLA
May 18 Boston, MA Mama Kin
Killing Joke
May 18 Amsterdam Paradiso
May 19 Belgium Esneux Festival
May 20 Paris Elysee Montmatre
May 21 Strasbourg Laterie
May 22 Lyon Transbordeur
May 23 Barcelona Zelestell
May 24 Valencia Auditorium
May 25 Madrid Canuller Ii
May 26 Bilbao Factoria
May 28 Toulouse Le Pied
May 30 Brest Pavillion Penfold
Limblifter / Stanford Prison Experiment / Local H
May 17 Detroit, MI Shelter
May 18 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts
May 20 St Louis, MO Galaxy
May 21 Chicago, IL Metro
May 23 Dallas, TX Trees
May 24 Houston, TX Millenium
May 25 Austin, TX Liberty Lunch
May 28 Phoenix, AZ The Nile
May 29 Los Angeles, CA The Dragonfly
May 30 San Francisco, CA Trocadero Transfer
May 31 Portland, OR La Luna
Madball
May 19 New York, NY Wetlands
May 23 Richmond, VA Twisters
May 25 Danbury, CT Subzero
May 26 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
Mighty Mighty Bosstones
May 17 New York, NY Coney Island High (Anti Racist Action Concert)
Nada Surf
May 19 New York, NY Knitting Factory
Nature/Acumen
May 17 Detroit, MI Harpo's
May 18 Chicago, IL Dome Room
May 19 Champaign, IL Red Herring
Nields
May 17 Philadelphia, PA Tin Angel
May 18 Hartford, CT University of Hartford
No Doubt
May 17 Pontiac, MI Phoenix Plaza
May 18 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
May 19 Antioch, TN Veranda at Starwood
May 21 Birmingham, AL Sloss FUrnace
May 22 Baton Rouge, LA Centroplex
May 23 Pensacola, FL Bayfront Auditorium
May 24 Atlanta, GA Omni
May 25 Sommerset, WI Apple River Amphitheatre
May 26 Tinley Park, IL World Music Theatre
May 29 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre
May 30 New York, NY Roseland
May 31 Asbury Park, NJ Convention Hall
Ozzy Osbourne / Type O Negative / Sepultura
May 17 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
May 18 Atlanta, GA Omni
May 20 Pensacola, FL Civic Center
Patrick Street
May 17 Grand Rapids, MI Ladies Literary Club
May 18 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
May 19 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
May 22 Northampton, MA Iron Horse
May 23 Norwood, MA Norwood Theatre
May 24 Pawling, NY Town Crier
May 25 New York, NY Bottom Line
May 26 Vienna, VA Wolf Trap
Posies / Shake Appeal
May 20 New York, NY Coney Island High
Ruth Ruth / Nixons / Grover
May 17 Charlottesville, VA Traxx
May 21 Dayton, OH Sanctuary
May 23 Nashville, TN 328 Performance Hall
May 24 Memphis, TN 616 Club
May 28 Toledo, OH The Underground
May 29 Toronto, ON Concert Hall
Kevin Salem
May 23 Burlington, VT Club Metronome
May 24 Portland, ME Granny Killams
May 25 Boston, MA Mama Kin
Slobberbone
May 18 Dallas, TX The Barley House
May 24 Columbia, MO The Down Under Bar
May 25 Lincoln, NE Kinckerbocker's
May 26 St. Louis, MO Cicero's
May 29 Chicago, IL Lounge Ax
May 31 Madison, WI O'Cayz Corral
Steeleye Span Reunion Tour
May 30 Alexandria, VA Birchmere
May 31 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of the Living Arts
Ten O'Clock Scholar
May 18 Athens, OH Union
Varnaline
May 18 New York, NY Tramp's (w/ Bailter Space, Crown Heights)
May 19 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
Velour
May 20 New York, NY Continental
Vitapup
May 17 Charlottesville, WV Tokyo Rose
May 18 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
May 19 Lexington, KY Jefferson Davis Inn
May 21 Kansas City, MO Cicero's
May 22 Memphis, TN Barristers
May 23 Athens, GA Atomic Cafe
May 24 Wilmington, NC We Festival
May 25 Gainesville, FL Cow Haus
May 30 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
Mike Watt
May 25 San Pedro, CA Sacred Grounds (Dos)
May 31 Los Angeles, CA Jabberjaw (Madonnabes)
Weston
May 22 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
May 28 Casper, WY Club Dance West
May 29 Denver, CO Mercury Cafe
May 31 Kansas City, MO Daily Grind
Wrens
May 18 New York, NY Thompson Square Park (Free Show)
May 21 New York, NY Brownie's (w/Nectarine)
---
ERRATA: In the May 1 issue, the new Cast album was mistakenly referred to
as _Change_. The correct title is _All Change_. We apologize for the mistake.
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
(About the Wedding Present)
Yeah, Joe, Gedge can be legitimately compared to Curtis, cuz Wedding
Present itself sounds like Joy Division on Prozac. That's supposed to be
a compliment, I love the band. And if Peel doesn't see the similarities,
he's gone bonkers on us. - L.W., Colorado
(About Lush)
Just a bit of trivia here; "Tinkerbell" on that single (mentioned
in the May 1 issue) was actually *recorded* for the previous album,
_Split_, but eventually not used for the album. This was mentioned by
Miki Berenyi during an interview I did with her last month. She implied
that the version on the single was the actual _Split_ recording, though
the credits on the single don't reflect that. - Anthony Horan, Australia
---
To get back issues of Consumable, check out:
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Engleski Jezik/Music/Consumable or
Hrvastki Jezik/Glazbena Rubrika/Consumable
(URL) gopher://diana.zems.etf.hr:70/11/eng/Music/Consumable
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===
