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Consumable Online Issue 053
==== ISSUE 53 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [September 14, 1995]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gajarsky@pilot.njin.net
Sr. Correspondents: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Al Crawford,
Dan Enright, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi,
David Landgren, Tim Mohr, Joe Silva, John Walker
Correspondents: Dan Birchall, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Tim
Hulsizer, Daniel Kane, Stephen Lin, Sean Eric McGill,
P. Nina Ramos, Jamie Roberts, Linda Scott, Ali Sinclair,
Jon Steltenpohl, Courtney Muir Wallner,
Scott Williams, Britain Woodman
Also Contributing: Anthony Horan
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann, Damir Tiljak,
Jason Williams
Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gajarsky@pilot.njin.net
==================================================================
All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s).
Permission for re-publication in any form other than within this
document must be obtained from the editor.
==================================================================
.------------.
| Contents |
`------------'
SNEAK PEEK REVIEW: Urge Overkill _Exit The Dragon_ - Jeremy Ashcroft
REVIEW: Morrissey, _Southpaw Grammar_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Garbage, _Garbage_ - Anthony Horan
REVIEW: Original Soundtrack, _The Show_ - Britain Woodman
CONCERT REVIEW: Eskimo - Dan Enright
INTERVIEW: Tom Maginnis of Buffalo Tom - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Red Henry, _Gravity_ - Linda Scott
NEWS: Artist Access, David Bowie/Bing Crosby, Cypress Hill, London Suede,
Replacements, Ruby (Silverfish)
TOUR DATES: Bloodhound Gang, Cravin' Melon, Robert Cray, Down
Emmet Swimming, From Good Homes, God Lives Underwater / KMFDM / Korn
Juliana Hatfield, Kate Jacobs, Letters to Cleo, Machines of Loving Grace
Medicine, Alanis Morrissette / Ruth Ruth, Joan Osborne
Ruth Ruth / Tripping Daisy, Shellac/Uzeda/Dis- Tour Dates
Shinebox Tour (Mike Watt + Crew of Flying Saucer), Noah Stone
1000 Mona Lisas, Tricky/Laika, Urge Overkill
Back Issues of Consumable
---
SNEAK PEEK REVIEW: Urge Overkill _Exit The Dragon_ (Geffen)
- Jeremy Ashcroft
Though UO's last album outing, the pop classic that is _Saturation_,
still sounds as fresh as ever over two years after its release, in many
long-term Urge-fans' opinion, it never quite matched the soul and
personality of their pre-Geffen outings. And reading between the lines of
recent Urge interviews, it seems that the band themselves may be of the
same opinion, so how has all that affected their second Geffen release,
_Exit The Dragon_?
Since joining "the big leagues," a lot has happened to Urge - not least
the suicide of their close friend and mentor, Kurt Cobain - and this is
reflected in the more thoughtful tone of _Exit_. That said, the band
have always had a compassionate side, and in fact one of the tracks - the
moving "View Of The Rain" - was recorded back when _Saturation_ had
barely made the stores. Joined at first by a simple acoustic guitar and
electric piano backing, Nash Kato's rich vocal asks if any of us really
know ourselves: "Take a walk beside yourself, get to know the person
behind the face, is it someone you can really love?", the arrangement
gradually adding a string section, a sitar and other instruments to an
emotional conclusion.
By contrast the album opener - "Jaywalkin'" - is led by a sinuous
guitar riff, the chorus getting funked up with some dirty, low-down Clavinet.
Determined to leave this album as spontaneous as possible, much was
recorded one-take, and in the case of the Fripp-like guitar "solo" of
this song, almost non-take... guitarist/bassist King Roeser was running
through the song to find a suitable tone but it sounded so great they
just left it as is. Funny lyrics abound, as in "I can walk with kings, I can
walk with queens ... I can walk the walk with Johnny Cash, I can really walk
the line".
"The Break" (to be the band's American single) proves that UO's
jukebox goes back further than the '70s in that there is a distinct Stones
vibe and the backwards-sounding guitar solo evokes Hendrix. That said, the
way the song is put together is pure Urge. Another rocker, "Honesty Files",
takes a sidewards glance at the chords of "Gimme Shelter", though again
the song is uniquely Urge - it's a long time since Jagger sang with as
much conviction as King Roeser does here. In fact Mr Roeser surpasses
himself on this album - there's a true confidence in his vocals.
Other potential singles include "Need Some Air", a quirky, catchy
pop song with the same kind of choppy feel as "Woman 2 Woman" from the
previous album and is the favourite of many listeners. "Somebody Else's Body" -
already planned as the first worldwide single - isn't as immediate,
but it's a definite grower and the brass-accompanied chorus is so
infectious. Personally, I'd have selected "Monopoly" as the surest chart
hit, from its impossibly optimistic-sounding main riff, to Nash Kato's
wonderful vocal.
Fans of the heavier UO need look no further than "This Is
No Place" is introduced by a heavy tom-tom beat, the guitars almost
Alice Cooper in their menace, and with UO's trademark skip-a-(heart)beat
rhythm. The two-part "Last Night/ Tomorrow" is sure to be an in-concert
favourite - King opens the song with a typically UO lost-the-girl lyrics
"I've lost my soulmate again/I'm lost/console me again", Nash closing the
song at boogie pace. "And You'll Say" is an amazing combination of a
heavy riff with, at times, really intimate vocals.
Blackie's "The Mistake" is the sorry tale of an rockstar seriously
overindulging themselves to help ease the boredom of life on the road.
It's a pretty serious message, though UO irony is never far away - "It's
a catchy song, it's number one. Too bad you had overdosed."
Opening with almost folky, droning chords, "Tin Foil" is a beautiful,
intensely moving, falling-out-of-love song. With King Roeser's fragile
vocals sounding suitably hurt - "I know where you've been; so what's the
matter with asking?" - it is in many ways, one of his finest moments on
record. A true Urge classic.
With the same hymn-like quality of "Let It Be" or Joe Cocker's
version of "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Digital Black Epilogue"
is a string-accompanied soulful duet between Nash Kato and a young lady
called Penica who just happened to be recording at the same studios.
Midway through the song's nine-minutes, the already powerful song takes
on epic dimensions: Introduced by a military drum beat from Blackie and a
half-singing/half-talking cameo from Liz Phair, the song takes off Sgt
Pepper-style into a huge wall of relentless swirling strings and
distorted guitars. As many times as I've listened to it already, I still
can't avoid it giving me a shiver-down-the-spine. I don't think I can
beat Blackie Onassis' own description of the song - "it's like the world
collapsing in on itself" - it really does leave you breathless.
With the extra time afforded by the CD format, many bands run out of
steam trying to make up an hour of music - there may be 40-minutes of
great songs, but the rest of the tracks are basically filler. Not so
_Exit The Dragon_ - there isn't a weak song on the whole album and the
hour of music contained on the disc goes all too soon.
Due to be released in the United States on September 26.
---
REVIEW: Morrissey, _Southpaw Grammar_ (Reprise)
- Bob Gajarsky
It may surprise some that Morrissey's solo career has already
been longer than the band which gained worldwide notoriety, the Smiths.
But, unlike the band's consistent high level of productivity, Morrissey's
solo career has been plagued with inconsistency - he'll always remain
in the shadow of his prior work with Johnny Marr. His latest release,
_Southpaw Grammar_, falls into that middle range of his solo efforts.
The first indication that Morrissey has consciously decided to
switch gears is on the leadoff track, "The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils".
Clocking in at more than eleven minutes, this reminds one of a possible
throw-away session from U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me".
The operatic noises are bound to overwhelm those listeners who prefer
Morrissey's slower works, but this author remains convinced that his
voice and cutting lyrics work best with a solid, fast musical backing.
Luckily, the rest of the album's eight songs opt for this rock sound.
The first singles, "The Boy Racer" (U.S.) and "Dagenham Dave" (U.K.),
are weaker-than-expected, and arguably his worst "first" solo singles
from any of his albums. The problem isn't the songs - they're solid
enough, but they don't have the hook that Morrissey has become known for.
"Boy Racer", specifically, builds up to a crescendo that never comes, and
almost seems like a second generation band whose idol was the Smiths.
"The Operation" takes its opening drum riff from "The Queen Is Dead",
and "Dagenham Dave" opens quite similarly to R.E.M.'s "Get Up".
Any of the "fast seven" could become singles, depending on the whim
of the moment, and in and of itself, that bodes well for _Southpaw
Grammar_; how many albums can boast seven singles? The problem with Morrissey
is that he has established such a high level of excellence, when all cylinders
are clicking, that anything less than his best pales in comparison. Ignoring
his Smiths' works (which is an unfair comparison for anyone, including
Morrissey), _Viva Hate_ and _Your Arsenal_ are true standout albums.
Unfortunately, _Southpaw Grammar_ can't match up to these two, and in fact is
a pale imitation of Morrissey at his best.
If this was a brand new artist, we'd call it a promising debut,
once they could take the songs to the "next level". But Morrissey
isn't afforded this cushion, both among his fans and the media. Ignoring
his compilation albums, it stands firmly in the middle of his solo work;
worse than the aforementioned two albums, and better than _Vauxhall and I_
and _Kill Uncle_. And some of Morrissey's uniqueness - which helped
build his sensational fan base - appears to have worn off.
---
REVIEW: Garbage, _Garbage_ (Almo Sounds / Geffen)
- Anthony Horan
It's not entirely uncommon for record producers, successful or
otherwise, to start their own band and put records out. Rupert Hine made an
art form of the concept in the early 1980s and even managed a hit single, and
the practice is rampant in the dance genre. Butch Vig, the man who produced
that album a few years ago, is a tangential exception to the producer-wanting
to-be-a-musician cliche. He's been playing in various unknown bands for years,
and recording them for almost as long. And, to be fair, Garbage is not Butch
Vig's band. While his sonically spectacular production values are stamped all
over the fledgling Madison, Wisconsin band's debut album, it's a work that is
a truly collaborative effort between Vig, his longtime studio and band buddies
Steve Marker and Duke Erikson, and an unexpected wild card in the person of
former Goodbye Mr MacKenzie and Angelfish member Shirley Manson, imported from
Scotland for the occasion. The debut Garbage single "Vow" caused a minor tidal
wave of interest from press and public alike, initially almost impossible to
buy but now climbing the mainstream charts in Australia. As it should - the
perfect meeting of the grunge ethic with pure pop - and sweetened by the most
spectacular production ever lavished on a single - it takes a mere two listens
to set up a permanent home in that bit of your head that plays songs at you
all day while you're trying to concentrate on something else.
Now, before you stick this slice of digital technology in your CD
player, be aware of a very important fact; Garbage are not a grunge band.
They've been insisting as much in interviews and press releases since "Vow"
came out, but this album is confirmation that all Garbage want to be is the
best pop band on the planet. In the process, they're happy to throw in
elements of the various forms of alternative rock that have changed lives
over the past few years, but despite the pervading lyrical themes of anger,
lust and the dark side of the human mind, the songs defiantly hammer pop hooks
into your head at every turn - pop hooks atop sonic deconstruction, at that,
though there's no gratuitous noise here. Everything happens for a reason on
this album.
So the complete digital silence that acts as an unspoken drum beat in
opening track "Supervixen" makes perfect sense, as well as giving headphone
listeners their first of many unsettling moments. Alternating anthemic guitar
choruses with seductive verses, it's a song that delivers the mandate for the
album in four minutes. Garbage have a habit of throwing pop hooks into their
songs as if it were the easiest thing in the world, and "Supervixen" is full
of them. "Queer" is sleazier and darker, propelled by a drum loop borrowed
from Single Gun Theory's "Man Of Straw" and populated by backwards tape loops,
a couple of dozen guitars and a lost jazz quartet. And without pausing for
thought, "Only Happy When It Rains" takes a midwestern rock verse and
launches it into a soaring chorus that proves once and for all what the likes
of Transvision Vamp did wrong - they never wrote this, for starters.
"As Heaven Is Wide" and "Not My Idea" borrow from the industrial side
of things for a moment, the latter alternating perfect indie-pop verses
(borrowing a Headless Chickens drum loop this time) with chunky guitar. But
it's "A Stroke Of Luck" that takes the first big chance. It is, you see, a
dark but gentle slice of seduction that sounds for all the world like
Portishead with guitars, and should be listened to late at night for best
effect. Following immediately is the phenomenal "Vow", swagger and glitter
welded together at high temperature. "Stupid Girl" uses the digital trash from
a faulty DAT deck as a musical instrument, which says more about this band's
ethic than any review ever could. A couple of highlights are saved for late
in the album: "My Lover's Box" is a pop masterpiece that implodes on itself
in the final minute, and by the end it's possibly the loudest thing ever
recorded on CD. Closing track "Milk" is unexpectedly reflective and honest,
a gentle finish that defies those who'd like to smugly categorise this band.
_Garbage_ is a genuinely exciting record both in terms of pop music and
production; indeed, as a pop album it's the most compelling piece of work in
many years. Forget the dross populating the mainstream charts; if you want to
hear the future of pop music, you need this album.
---
REVIEW: Original Soundtrack, _The Show_ (Def Jam)
- Britain Woodman
From the hip-hop documentary "The Show" comes a CD featuring a boomable
selection of tracks from the top groups and rappers in the scene, with a
couple of tracks by newer voices.
Here's a warning, though; hip-hop fans who haven't seen the movie and
notice all the big names on the back may be fooled into believing the 27-track,
76-minute disc actually contains new material by Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg,
among others. These tracks, as well as tracks credited to Kid Creole, Treach
(of Naughty by Nature), and Def Jam founder Russell Simmons, are actually
soundbites taken from interviews in the movie.
That said, the CD features many of the hottest names in rap today
(Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan, 2Pac, Warren G) along with a few of the
newer voices (Jayo Felony, the Notorious B.I.G.), complimented by tracks
from a few of who can now be considered the Old Masters (A Tribe Called
Quest, LL Cool J).
Highlights include Onyx's "Live!!!!", an even catchier version of
"Slam," and Warren G Productions' refining of his mellow sound on "Still
Can't Fade It." However, Mary J Blige seems a tad out of place on a
collection brimming with so much street cred.
_The Show_ is a worthwhile sampler of the sounds of 1995, representing
the East Coast as well as the West Coast, with a couple of R&B and Dancehall
tracks to mix it up.
---
CONCERT REVIEW: Eskimo, The Knitting Factory (New York City),
Tuesday, August 29 1995
- Dan Enright
The quintet from San Fransico took the stage around 11:30 pm, to
the cheers of a small but enthusiastic crowd of already acquainted fans.
And for good reason. This is the current generation carrying the cult
torch lit by Zappa and Beefheart and nurtured by fellow bay-men the
Residents and SnakeFinger (among others).
Unlike their last Swan Song recording _Der Shrimpkin_, which has a
very smooth sound, live they have a raw edge which is more suitable to
their material. While most bands these days seem bent on creating a wall
of sound (to the point of being noise), Eskimo goes in a completely
different direction, choosing sparseness of arrangement, resulting in a
rawness of performance more powerful than what's captured on the record,
exposing the music's true spirit. Short bursts of chaotic order, some
lasting only a minute or so, best characterize this band's style. The
short 50 minute set consisted of material from _Der Shrimpkin_, including
a masterful version of SnakeFinger's "Kill the Great Raven" as the encore.
The only exception was a tasty reworking of the old Nancy Sinatra
chestnut, "You Only Live Twice" - from the James Bond film.
With John Shivrba in a bright red "party dress" and blond mohawk
establishing the band's "look" and David Cooper doing the dance routines,
these guys have a look and sound that cannot be found anywhere else. A
recent distribution deal with Mammoth put them on the road for a month,
doing small clubs in some of the bigger markets. Hopefully they'll get
back out visiting college campuses, where they belong. When they come
around, if you have a taste for the challenging and adventurous, I recommend
catching their show. You won't be disappointed.
---
INTERVIEW: Tom Maginnis of Buffalo Tom
- Jon Steltenpohl
With their fifth album, _Sleepy Eyed_, Buffalo Tom has matured as a
band. Their sound mixes the power three piece sound of Sugar or Husker Du
with the pure pop of a band like the Smithereens. The result is a pure,
no-frills style of bare bones music which you can still sing along with.
In a way, they sound a bit like Buddy Holly on steroids and caffeine. The
song arrangements get straight to the point, and the solos are few and far
between. Bill Janovitz sings with a gratingly honest voice that pleads and
croons about lost loves and summers past. Bassist and back-up vocalist
Chris Colbourn and drummer Tom Maginnis add a steady backbeat to Janovitz's
front work. It is a full, three piece sound that Maginnis says was
inspired in part by the sound of Husker Du.
Although Buffalo Tom's sound doesn't rip off Husker Du, the emotions
and drive behind the music is the same. Without fail, _Sleepy Eyed_
provides powerful blasts of sonic candy that bring you back to the album
time and again. On the surface, there isn't much that distinguishes this
record. There's no studio mastery to go on about, and nothing new about
the performance. But, just like any great work that seems effortless,
Buffalo Tom's glory is drawn from the skill that goes into it. _Sleepy
Eyed_ works because the guitars are raw, the lyrics are real, and whether
it's a loud, raucous song or a melancholy ballad, the songs latch onto you.
Without a doubt, Buffalo Tom has finally mastered the sound of a three
piece band.
I recently had the chance to speak with Buffalo Tom's drummer, Tom
Maginnis about their new album.
Consumable: I must say to start off with that I really like your new
album. I think it's the best one that you've put out so far.
Tom: Thank you. I think I agree with you.
C: What do think maybe has changed in your life or in the band that
has gotten you to this point compared to past albums?
Tom: I don't know. I think it's been a pretty gradual change. We've
just gotten more comfortable with the studio situation and trying different
things in the studio. I think that in the early days it was far less money
and far less experience. We were just kind of hacking away at it. So I
think at this point we've honed our song writing skills and arrangements
and have played a lot of live shows. And we've gelled overall in every
aspect. At this point, we actually took a step back from possibly an
overly produced record, [_Big Red Letter Day_], where we were really
careful about everything. We were just kind of craving the old style of
banging it out and trying to keep it live and keep the vibe. We weren't
really making sure the i's were dotted and the t's were crossed and all
that. We really made a real effort to keep everything as live as possible.
We went as far as not using head phones and having little monitors and not
worrying about some of the noise bleeding in to all the microphones. We'd
rather just get a good vibe, and I've always felt that playing with
headphones and being separated off into different rooms is just totally
alien especially with the way we play. You know, the way we rehearse and
do all of our live shows is not that way, and all of the sudden we're in
this situation where you're supposed to actually be making the record, and
you've got these little headphones on. It's bizarre. This time was just
much more natural, and I think that overall added a great feel to the
record. I think the songs were very strong.
C: Sure. Well, that's one thing I noticed about this album. It's not
necessarily pretty, but I just keep playing it over and over.
Tom: Yeah, I like that assessment.
C: Musically though, I have trouble placing exactly where you are.
Your music feels, in a way, like the Smithereens. Not that you sound the
same, but that you guys have a fundamental American rock sound.
Tom: Yeah, we tend to get that some times. A lot of press in Europe
actually have seemed to pick that up on that aspect of it, and, I kind of
agree with that. I mean, we were definitely fans of the traditional,
"dinosaurs of rock", growing up. I think that element is still there. But
we try and put our own stamp on it, and we certainly were influenced by the
kind of mid-80's college rock scene when we started. So, it's kind of a
blend of those two things. We just play what we like to hear. I think
that's pretty natural. We try not to force too many things. We like to
take some chances, but it's always within the range of whatever has
become a traditional Buffalo Tom sound. We try little things within that
context. We're not out to revolutionize rock music, but in your own way,
you try and stretch your song-writing or add some weird instruments you
might not try to put in there normally.
C: Do you have any weird instruments on this one?
Tom: Not too weird. We did a little more organ stuff than normal. I
think Bill played a real basic simple cheap keyboard and stuff like that.
Some harmonicas and that.
C: Yeah, the harmonica fits in pretty well.
Tom: Yeah, we tried it on an earlier record and it got some play
around the Boston area. We put it in, hesitating, not sure if we wanted to
deal with harmonica in the solo break, and we had it way down in the mix.
And when we did a remix, Ron Saint Germain, [our producer], immediately put
it way upfront. We've become more comfortable with taking those sort of
chances. I mean, they don't sound like huge chances, but for us, we're
just a basic guitar band.
C: I used to have a folk radio show, and I used to always play your
acoustic singles and b-sides. Where do they fit into your music? Is that
something you just tinker with in the studio?
Tom: Um, I think that's kind of an outgrowth of where the songs
originated. Basically, Bill and Chris will write the basic ideas for songs
on acoustic guitar and just record them at home. Then, we pass the tapes
around and select which ones we like and start working on them by adding
different parts or changing tempo and stuff like that. [The acoustic
versions] are kind of a stripped down return to where they really came
from. So, it's kind of a natural thing. I don't think it's something we
have to really work out. It adds a different flavor to a record. We stir
it up a little because it gets a little repetitive if every song is loud
and furious.
C: You say "loud and furious"; it seems like a lot of the lyrics are,
well, they aren't so happy on this album. Is that the mind state of the
whole band?
Tom: Uh, no. It's hard for me to say. I'm the one guy who writes no
lyrics, but you know, if I have to speculate on it, I'd just say they're
probably more inspired by those sort of emotions. I think a lot of people
are. It's kind of harder to write a happy song than it is to write
something that affects you more deeply or something that may be troubling
you down deep. It sort of bubbles to the surface in a song. It's like a
different way to express something you might not otherwise be able to
express in your daily life. It's just kind of an outlet for those type of
feelings.
C: It seems like you guys just pretty much play your songs as they
are, as they need to be.
Tom: Yep. I think we've become more concise in arranging and stuff
like that. We've felt like if it doesn't really need to be there or if it
sags or if it doesn't go in the right direction in a certain part then
let's change it or cut it out. The result is that there are more shorter
songs on this record than we normally have. We usually write three and a
half, four minute songs and a lot of these are under three minutes which is
kind of a shock to us. But, I think that over so many records, we've added
some meat to the songs. You can recognize right away that, in rehearsals,
we tend to take care of that. We don't like to arrange the basic structure
of a song too much in the studio. We do that before hand and really have
them rehearsed - especially for this record because we recorded it so live.
We didn't want to be screwing around with arrangements in the studio. It
just takes too long and costs too much.
C: Do you work up most of the songs touring?
Tom: Um, not too much. It's hard to find time to really get the
songs together. There's usually maybe one or two we tool around with at
sound checks sometimes, but generally, we like to more or less stop when
we're going to start arranging and rehearsing and not try to do too much
touring. Bill is always bringing his acoustic guitar into the hotel room
and recording little bits. He ends being pretty prolific. It's more of an
editing process when we actually get down to the ones we do. It's pretty
democratic. We all pitch in our ideas, and we'll be pretty open about
which songs we like and which ones we think sound just like a song on the
last record.
C: Speaking of touring, how did you get set up with the Live tour?
Did you know the guys?
Tom: No, they approached us. We didn't know them personally. The
timing for us with our record coming out made it real worthwhile for us to
do. It just seemed like a natural thing. From what I'm told, I don't know
if it's true, but they had a big list of bands, and we were at the top of
it. So, they asked if we could do it, and we agreed. But, I would like to
get out later in the fall and play our own shows because it's tough playing
early when people are just finding their seats.
C: You did this album pretty much like you do your live shows. Is
_Sleepy Eyed_ how you end up sounding live?
Tom: Yeah, I think so. I mean, this record may be a little closer
than the last couple because we tried not to layer too much. It's pretty
simple. I think we play a little bit more intensely because we are a three
piece, and you feel like you've got to fill up the space and the guitar is
pretty loud. The dynamics could be increased when it's live and there's no
extra instruments. You have to kind of push the loud parts harder and pull
back more on the softer stuff where in the studio you tend to level it out.
C: Some of the really good three pieces I've seen live were The
Juliana Hatfield Three and Bob Mould just before he formed Sugar. How
would you guys say you compare those two bands?
Tom: I would say we're definitely more in the vein of Husker Du and
that camp. They are certainly [a band] that played when we were going to
school. They came to our college, and we saw them play. And it was just
guys, regular looking guys in the same clothes that they came in, and they
just went up on stage and played a pretty inspired show. And that's
somebody we respected. That's what affected our live shows -- seeing that
they could pull that off and have great dynamics. And it took a while, you
know. We toured a lot and had to go through a lot of wild stuff. And now
we're a pretty good live band. Maybe we weren't for a few years when I was
still learning drums at the beginning since I had started as a guitar
player. We all kind of switched around on different instruments when our
other bands had sort of fallen apart, but, we just went at it, you know.
C: How'd you come up with a name like Buffalo Tom? I know it's kind
of a cheesy question to ask, but...
Tom: Yeah, well, I wish I had a real good snappy answer, but, uh, a
friend of ours was just kind of playing around with the name "Buffalo Bill"
perhaps since there was Buffalo Springfield. Bill's the lead singer, and
I'm just more of the shy guy in the back playing drums and they thought it
was pretty funny to have "Buffalo Tom". We didn't think too seriously
about it at the time because we were just playing parties and shows at
school, and it just kind of stuck. And then I get asked a million times in
my life!
C: So how did you go from just playing around college to getting
signed up with SST? I read that J. Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr.) produced your
first record?
Tom: Yeah, he had something to do with the American side of the SST
part. We'd done a quick one day demo of 3 songs, and we sent it all over
the place. The only real response was from a guy in Holland who had a
label. He just slowly sent us some more money and wanted to hear some more
demos and those eventually became our first album. It was recorded in 1988
and came out in 1989. And J., you know, was a friend of ours. He's from
western Mass. where we went to school. He had put out a couple of records,
so we asked him to come in and help out because we didn't know what the
heck we were doing. I think he had a little bit of a hand in getting SST
interested. At that time, you know, they were a pretty hip indie label and
all our favorite bands were on SST so we were amazed that we actually had a
record on SST. So, we started doing pretty well in Europe. We came out in
Holland and did well, and we got some labels interested in England. We
ended up signing with Beggars Banquet, and then, through them, we were
licensed to Elektra. We did pretty well in England. Dinosaur Jr. was
really big in England, and we just slowly started building our audience.
C: Can anybody get that self-titled album now?
Tom: It was available for a while and then, all of the sudden, it is
kind of hard to find. But, I think we've gotten the rights back in the
last year. So, it'll probably be put out again with a couple of extra
songs. It's a cool record. In a weird way, you might hear some
similarities to the new one just because it was definitely rougher and done
quicker without too much texturing.
C: Sure, those are the kind of albums that I know a lot of my friends
go back to. Like the first couple Lemonheads albums, they just love them.
Tom: Yeah. We're good friends with them, and we ended up touring
with those guys in Europe. We kind of hooked up with them later since we
didn't really know them from the Boston days. But we were, like, playing
together in Germany and stuff. They were a great band then and have done
pretty well for themselves.
C: What would you say the Boston scene is like? Are you still a part
of that at all?
Tom: Um, I guess in a way. We do really well in Boston. We kind of
started more in western Mass, which is a little different. It's just a
healthy place for bands to start. It's not one of the media centers of the
record business, but there's a built-in college audience because of all the
different schools. In that way, it's got great college radio. There's
probably like five good stations so a lot of bands can make a demo and
actually get some air play and start to build at some followings at small
clubs and bars. That's kind of what we did, but it wasn't until the first
record came out here that we started to pick up.
C: Okay, last night I was trying to think of comparisons for you guys
and trying to place your sound. And for some reason I started thinking
about Bryan Adams.
Tom: [laughs]
C: His style is straight forward, poppy songs. But somehow, you sort
of seem in the same vein.
Tom: That's funny that you should say that because I think, kind of
as a needle in the side, the Village Voice a couple of years ago came up
with this little blurb that called us something like "the Bryan Adams of
indie rock". And, we kind of took that hard because I think at the time we
were struggling to have credibility. I mean, we're certainly not real fans
of Bryan Adams in any way. But, I guess there's the traditional element
there that you could draw some parallels with, but I just, I don't know. I
just hope we're just... (Tom stops in mid-sentence.)
C: Well, he writes these reminiscing love songs, but they always come
out sounding so generic. And when I listen to your album, I think, "Man,
if you got into Bryan Adams -real- head and he made some -real- music,
maybe this is what he sound like."
Tom: Yeah, maybe that's a good way to put it. I'd accept that.
Hopefully ours in a little more honest, direct. I mean, hell, I don't know
Bryan Adams so, what can I say about him. But we just try to make what
comes natural to us, and we try not to worry to much about how we'll be
received. But, we come from a real, college radio, do-it-yourself, punk
attitude where you just get up there, you know, no fancy stage show or
costumes.
---
REVIEW: Red Henry, _Gravity_ (Blackheart Records)
- Linda Scott
Home territory to Red Henry is Washington, D.C. Unless you live
there, you probably haven't heard them as they are just launching their
first tour this fall. If they stop near you, you have to go hear them.
Believe it or not, this unknown band's new album has become one of my
favorites.
Red Henry is three musicians who began playing together in the
late eighties at Virginia Tech. Chris Reardon handles lead vocals,
bass and most of the song lyrics. On guitar and backing vocals is Tony
Lopacinski. The trio is completed with drummer and backing vocalist
Eddie Anzueto. The band is heavily influenced by seventies hard rockers
Aerosmith, AC/DC and Van Halen. They take hard rock and emphasize
melody. The song lyrics are a strong feature not to be overlooked, and
thanks to excellent mixing the vocals are audible. The lyrics cover
many topics - social commentary, confusion, yearning, determination, joy.
_Gravity_ is actually Red Henry's third album. Their first
indie was release in 1989 and was a hit with fan and radio in D.C. 1992's
indie release was _Hard Road Down_. Once again this was successful in
their home territory. _Gravity_'s recording was funded by the band.
Guitarist Nils Lofgren was recruited for solos on a couple of tracks.
Then Blackheart Records, home of Joan Jett, picked up Red Henry and
released _Gravity_ in August.
The first single off _Gravity_ is the musically upbeat "Atlas"
which is doing well in D.C. Two other strong tracks are "Slingshot"
and "Tin Man". The other ten tracks are also good with perhaps the
weakest being the hidden 14th track. Overall, the album is very
interesting, a good rocker and well worth buying. Red Henry is in
its sixth year of recording together and the experience shows. It's
time to move this band out of D.C. to a larger audience.
---
NEWS: > A new independent site, Artist Access, has popped
up on the World Wide Web. They're located at
http://www.artistaccess.com/cdaudio/artistaccess.html
> The David Bowie/Bing Crosby single, "Little Drummer
Boy/Peace On Earth" has been issued on CD-ROM for the holiday
season. This will also contain the accompanying video for the song.
and is scheduled to be in stores in October.
> Cypress Hill have donated some tracks to _Hempilation_, a
pro-marijuana album to be released later this year for the benefit of NORML
(National Organization for the Reform Of Marijuana Laws). In addition,
their latest album, _III (Temple Of Boom)_, is scheduled to be released
on October 24.
>The London Suede have recorded a cover of the Elvis Costello/Clive
Langer song, "Shipbuilding", for the benefit album, _Help_. Scheduled
for release on October 17, proceeds will be donated to "War Child", a charity
which benefits war-traumatized children.
The band are currently writing and rehearsing at ex-Eurhythmics Dave
Stewart's studio in North London. They expect to begin recording their third
album -- their first with guitarist Richard Oakes -- in November.
> Skyway, the Replacements mailing list, is having a weekend-long
party for all fans of the 'Mats from Friday, September 22 to Sunday,
September 24 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For more information on this,
drop a line to skyway@phoenix.creighton.edu
> Ruby, the new solo project from ex-Silverfish singer Lesley Rankine,
will be releasing a CD5 of "Tiny Meat" on WORK Records this Fall, to be
followed by a full length album, _Salt Peter_, early next year. The album
was recorded over a seven month period and made almost entirely with computers.
She is putting a band together and is currently auditioning members
in London for a guitarist/keyboard player. Interested applicants should e-mail
Lesley at rubyO@aol.com
---
TOUR DATES
Bloodhound Gang
Sept. 14 Danbury, CT Tuxedo Junction
Sept. 15 Kutztown, PA G-Spot
Sept. 16 Boston, MA Local 186 (with Chucklehead)
Sept. 20 Toledo, OH Frankie's
Sept. 21 Morgantown, VA Nyabinghi Hall
Sept. 22 Knoxville, TN Mercury Theatre
Sept. 23 Fayetteville, NC Club Neo
Sept. 24 Jacksonville, FL Milkbar
Sept. 26 Gainesville, FL Covered Dish
Sept. 27 Atlanta, GA Wreck Room
Sept. 28 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre
Sept. 29 Tallahassee, FL Cow House
Sept. 30 Tampa, FL Stone Lounge
Cravin' Melon
Sept. 27 Roanoke, VA WardUs Rock CafeU
Sept. 28 Radford, Va Highlander Pub
Sept. 29 Blacksburg, VA Top Of the Stairs
Sept. 30 Chapel Hill, NC UNC
Robert Cray
Sept. 14 Melody Fair, N. Tonawanda, NY
Sept. 15 Massey Hall, Toronto, ONT
Sept. 16 Le Spectrum de Montreal, Montreal, QUE
Sept. 17 Flynn Theater, Burlington, VT
Sept. 19 Toad's Place, New Haven, CT
Sept. 20 Broome County Forum Theatre, Binghamton, NY
Sept. 22 Brewery District Festival, Columbus, OH
Sept. 23 Bogart's, Cincinnati, OH
Oct. 7 Universal Amphitheater, Universal City, CA
Down
Sept. 25 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Hall
Sept. 26 Cleveland, OH The Odeon
Sept. 27 New York, NY The Academy
Sept. 30 Los Angeles, CA The Palace
Emmet Swimming
Sept. 20 College Park, MD University of Maryland
Sept. 21 Fairfax, VA Fat Tuesday's
Sept. 22 Greensboro, NC Blind Tiger
Sept. 23 Atlanta, GA Darkhorse Tavern
Sept. 26 New York, NY Brownie's
Sept. 28 College Park, MD Paragon
Sept. 29 Fairfax, VA Planet Nova
From Good Homes
Sept. 15 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony
Sept. 16 Hampden Sydney, VA College
Sept. 17 New Haven, CT Toad's Place (with God Street Wine)
Sept. 19 Boston, MA Avalon
Sept. 20 Burlington, VT Toast
Sept. 21 Philadelphia, PA TLA
Sept. 22 Washington, DC Ballroom
Sept. 23 Richmond, VA Flood Zone
Sept. 25 Charlottesville Trax
Sept. 27 Virginia Beach, VA Bayou
Sept. 28 Newark, DE Stone Balloon
Sept. 29-30 New York, NY Irving Plaza
God Lives Underwater / KMFDM / Korn
Sept. 24 San Diego, CA Soma
Sept. 25 Sacramento, CA El Dorado
Sept. 26 Portland, OR Roseland
Sept. 27 Seattle, WA DV8
Sept. 28 Vancouver, BC Rage
Sept. 30 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre
Juliana Hatfield
Sept. 29 New York, NY Columbia Univ.
Sept. 30 Fredericksburg, VA Mary Washington Univ.
Kate Jacobs
Sept. 29 Portland, OR Pacific University
Letters to Cleo
Sept. 12 Portland, ME Bad Habits Live
Sept. 13 Northampton,MA Pearl Street
Sept. 15 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts
Sept. 16 Louisville, KY Stage Door Johnnies
Sept. 17 Toledo, OH University Hall
Sept. 19 Rochester,NY Water Street Music Hall
Sept. 20 State College,PA Crowbar
Sept. 21 Hartford, CT Meadows Music Theatre
Sept. 22 Providence,RI Lupo's
Sept. 23 Boston, MA Boston Commons (free show)
Sept. 24 Durham, NH Univ. New Hampshire
Sept. 26 Buffalo, NY The Marquee
Sept. 27 Pontiac, MI Industry
Sept. 28 Cleveland, OH The Odeon
Sept. 29 New Brunswick, NJ Rutgers Univ.
Sept. 30 Philadelphia, PA T.L.A.
Machines of Loving Grace
Sept. 13 Salt Lake City, UT DV8
Sept. 15 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
Sept. 19 Tucson, AZ Buena Vista Palace
Medicine
Sept. 25 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Sept. 26 Providence, RI Club Babyhead
Sept. 27 Cambridge, MA TT Bear's
Sept. 29 Cleveland, OH Agora Ballroom
Sept. 30 Detroit, MI Shelter
Oct. 4 Bloomington, IN Second Story
Alanis Morrissette / Ruth Ruth
Sept. 17-18 Los Angeles, CA Anson Ford Theatre
Joan Osborne
Sept. 16 Roanoke, VA Roanoke College (with Widespread Panic)
Sept. 17 Lexington, KY Red Mile Race Track (with Widespread Panic)
Sept. 22 Oxford, MS Old Miss University (with Widespread Panic)
Sept. 23 Birmingham, AL Oak Mountain Amph.
Sept. 28 Knoxville, TN Tenn Amphitheater
Ruth Ruth / Tripping Daisy
Sept. 15 New Britain, CT The Sting
Sept. 16 Boston, MA Paradise
Sept. 19 Buffalo, NY Nietzsche's
Sept. 20 Albany, NY Saratoga Winners
Sept. 21 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Sept. 23 Washington, DC 9:30 Club (w/out Tripping Daisy)
Shellac/Uzeda/Dis- Tour Dates
Sept. 21 Milwaukee, WI The Globe (Uzeda & Dis- only)
Sept. 22 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle (Uzeda & Dis- w/ Dianogah only)
Sept. 23 Champaign, IL Mable's (Shellac joins Circus)
Sept. 25 Morgantown, WV Nyabinghi Hall
Sept. 26 New York, NY Knitting Factory
Sept. 27 Cambridge, MA Middle East (two shows; earlier show is all ages)
Sept. 28 Red Hook, NJ Bard College (7:00 start)
Sept. 29 Princeton, NJ Terrace Club
Sept. 30 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol (with Hurl)
Shinebox Tour (Mike Watt + Crew of Flying Saucer)
Sept. 21 Salt Lake City, UT Zephyr Club
Sept. 22 Fort Collins, CO Ramskellar (Colorado State)
Sept. 23 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
Sept. 25 Lawrence, KS Granada Theatre
Sept. 26 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl
Sept. 27 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Sept. 28 Iowa City, IA Gabe's Oasis
Sept. 29 Chicago, IL Cabaret Metro
Sept. 30 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
Noah Stone
Sept. 28 San Diego, CA Bodie's
1000 Mona Lisas
Sept. 14 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club
Sept. 15 Columbia, SC Elbow Room
Sept. 16 Statesboro, GA Legends
Sept. 17 Charlotte, NC Pterodactyl
Sept. 20 New Orleans, LA Jimmy's Club
Sept. 22 Mendeville, LA Marley's
Sept. 23 Baton Rouge, LA Varsity Theatre
Sept. 24 Houston, TX The Loft
Tricky/Laika
Sept. 25 Seattle, WA Moe's
Sept. 26 Portland, OR La Luna
Sept. 28 San Francisco, CA Slim's
Sept. 30 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Grand
Urge Overkill
(Australia)
Sept. 14 Melbourne Monash University
Sept. 15 Melbourne The Palace
Sept. 16 Adelaide Liberty
Sept. 18 Perth Metropolis
Sept. 20 Brisbane Roxy
Sept. 22 Canberra ANU
Sept. 23 Sydney Selinas
Sept. 24 Sydney Metro
(New Zealand)
Sept. 26 Auckland Power Station
---
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