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Consumable Online Issue 046
==== ISSUE 46 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [July 14, 1995]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gajarsky@pilot.njin.net
Sr. Contributors: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Al Crawford,
Dan Enright, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi,
David Landgren, Tim Mohr, Joe Silva, John Walker
Other Contributors: Dan Birchall, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Kelley
Crowley, Tim Hulsizer, Sean Eric McGill,
P. Nina Ramos, Jamie Roberts, Linda Scott, Ali Sinclair,
Jon Steltenpohl, Jorge Velez, Courtney Muir Wallner,
Scott Williams, Britain Woodman
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 |
`------------'
INTERVIEW: Bo Diddly - Dan Enright
REVIEW: Bruce Hornsby, _Hot House_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Elvis Costello - _Kojak Variety_ - Joe Silva
REVIEW: Up & Down Club Sessions - Volumes 1 and 2 - Ali Sinclair
REVIEW: Local H - _Ham Fisted_ - Joe Silva
REVIEW: Green Apple Quick Step, _Loaded_ - Sean Eric McGill
CONCERT REVIEW: Monster Magnet, Stone Pony, Asbury Park, N.J. - Frank Herd, Jr.
LABEL REPORT: Sarah Records - Tim Mohr
NEWS: Morrissey's _Southpaw Grammar_
TOUR DATES Barenaked Ladies / Billy Bragg, Bjork, Buffalo Tom
Cranberries / Toad the Wet Sprocket, Daryll-Ann, Die Warzau / Sister
Machine Gun, Foetus, Bruce Hornsby (solo acoustic piano with Q&A sessions)
Jayhawks / Wilco, Freedy Johnston, Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers, Moby,
John Prine, Soul Asylum/Jayhawks/Matthew Sweet/Victoria Williams,
Suicide Circus, They Might Be Giants
The Readers Write Back!
Back Issues of Consumable
---
INTERVIEW: Bo Diddly
- Dan Enright
Born Ellis McDaniels, Bo Diddly is one of America's musical
treasures. It's almost impossible to play rock and roll without
"borrowing" his trademark rhythm. A recent appearance in my neighborhood
also confirmed he's still got what it takes. His performance included a
song he'd written on the plane ride to Wilkes-Barre (PA) and a stage
presence that puts many younger musicians to shame.
I had an opportunity to talk to him about his recent recording,
last year's _Promises_, which he produced and played all the instruments
on, but our talk also focused on the question of royalty payments for his
Chess recordings. Here's what he told me...
C: I read where you and Al Teller [chairman of MCA Group] co-hosted a
press conference in 1992 to address the royalty problems with the Chess
Records Masters...
Bo: MCA, to my knowledge, is not involved with the rip-offs. As
of now - and prior to now - I haven't found anything to suggest
bootleggin' or playin' with royalties. They've been tryin' to do the right
thing as far as I know. I have to take their word for it and so far I
haven't found any fault with 'em.
C: Have you gotten any money?
Bo: Oh, no. They were supposed to be tryin', but I haven't heard
anything. I'm a little bit upset about it because it's the same old story,
over and over again. You have to get an attorney and then they tell ya,
"Well, we need ten thousand dollars as a retainer." There's no guarantee
you're going to find these people and when you do find 'em, it takes you
five years to get any money out of them. That's a bunch of bullshit! The
old American word... bullshit. See, you people out there been buyin'
records and thinkin' the artist is livin' good. Because if you held your
money right, you can do ok. It's like anything else. A guy could be a
grocery man, but if he saves his nickels and dimes he'll be all right. But
I'm in the business of music and makin' people happy, so my payment is a
little bit different.
But still and all you've got thugs out there don't want to pay -
and they're not payin' - people. You got lawyers that are crooked, helpin'
these dudes get away with murder. And I figure that I've been murdered!
I've been had. You know, I'm 66 years old and I'm still workin' because I
have to work. I'm not financially fixed. I'm not going to tell that lie
and say I am. I'm not hungry, but if I can't afford to stop workin'... At
66 you start thinkin', "What's this all about? What have I been doin' for
40 years?" I've been makin' somebody else fat.
C: Especially when you consider almost every song you've written has
been covered.
Bo: And I ain't got a dime for it. I think this is crazy. What we
call... statute of limitations, is made for crooks. If you don't catch 'em
in time, then there ain't no sense you messin' with 'em 'cause of statute
of limitations. But there ain't no statute of limitations on murder, and I
figure I've been murdered!
C: It seems like MCA has the resources to deal with the problem and
recover some money for you...
Bo: Well, they've got to go after the same dudes I've got to go
after. But nobody's attached anybody's bank accounts. I think the US
government should contact me and get involved, because these people... I'm
pretty sure they know where they are quicker than I do.
C: They could go to record stores and look.
Bo: When you find a bootleg record in a bin, the guy that owns
the store won't give you the number where he got it from.
C: What about the label info...
Bo: No! It's not that simple. Baby, it's not that simple. These
people got post office boxes. They send out catalogues and the only way
you get anything from 'em, you have to say, "Well, I'm a record store
owner..." and the cat might investigate to find out if you really have a
record store. It's crazy. And when you find one of these people and run
down on 'em, they're likely to be workin' out of their house. They're
still makin' money and not payin' you. I'm the artist, it's my product,
and they have no right to do it without me.
I can't go sell Cadillacs without General Motors permission. I
feel like, my shits mine. Like General Motors say, "Hey, that's mine." and
I can't do it. So, why is it so easy for these people that take your
stuff? Copyrights? Now it sucks!"
I hear so much country music that sounds like rock and roll songs
from the '50s, ya dig? They've taken part of the song and curved it just
enough you may not be able to say nothin' about it. And this sample
bullshit. I think one of the things that hurt us is when we lost the
musicians union. All the unions actually. Because the union fought for the
rights of the person, the worker. I think we need to get back to that.
There ain't nothin' wrong with it. You got somebody to go to bat for you.
You have an employer that's an asshole and treats you any kind of way,
it's not right.
You know, one of the things is - since we're talkin' about
employers - you take Japan. I don't care what they say about the Japanese
people. They're beautiful people and they work together. I see the reason
why they're so successful is because they do work together. They get up
and the boss comes through the factory and talks to the people, "Hey, good
morning. How you doin'? Let's have a good day today..." and boom, boom,
boom. Whatever it is they be sayin', the people are happy and that's the
reason why they turn out such good products. We got to take a lesson in
this country, from people in other counties, in order to survive. Because
they're doin' it.
C: I agree. I think we should cooperate a little more and compete a
little less.
Bo: Well, it's called togetherness. You know, there's people
don't even know who lives next door to 'em. It's really screwy, it's
scary. Everybody in a neighborhood should know who's kids belongs where.
That's the way it was when I was comin' up. Everybody for four, five
blocks knew where you lived.
C: Your talking about being 66 and having to work.
Bo: Is ridiculous! You should see my walls. You should see the
awards and plaques I've got on my wall that many people don't know I have.
I look at this shit and I says, "What is this for?" I love the idea people
thought enough of me, for what I was doin', to present these things to
me. But the public don't know that I got 'em.
C: What steps can the fans take to fight the bootleg problem?
Bo: They need - my fans... old rock and rollers, young rock and
rollers - to watch and write record companies and demand that the
artist... I think if people started to picketing and not buying records...
it would hurt a lot of artists, but I think the artists would understand
people are not buying records because the record company's not payin' the
artist.
But you don't know which one is the culprit. That's the thing.
See, I could belong to MCA. Ok, now MCA has got the Chess catalogue, but
some dude in New Orleans just took it upon himself to press up as many Bo
Diddly albums, or he'll take a song from Bo Diddly and he'll take a song
from Chuck Berry, he'll take one from Elvis Presley, put 'em all on one CD
and package it as... _Rock & Roll Era_. I'll go somewhere, see this damn
thing, and look on there and say, "Damn! Where's it come from?" and it's
pressed in Holland somewhere.
Now, the United States government can't stop it, but it should be
able to monitor everything that goes out of here and comes back. Then ask
these people, "Did you pay the artist? Have you payed Mr. McDaniels?" so
that they can get the money for me.
---
REVIEW: Bruce Hornsby, _Hot House_ (RCA)
- Bob Gajarsky
When an artist has been honored with a Grammy, some say, his
best days of pure "music" are long behind him. With his latest release,
_Hot House_, Bruce Hornsby disproves that theory with a free flowing jazz
album which draws the listener up and away.
Drawing on his more than 100 shows with the Grateful Dead (as
guest keyboardist), Hornsby has seemingly mastered the art of recorded
improvisation.
But whereas Hornsby was just learning to jam on his last release
without the Range (_Harbor Lights_), _Hot House_ shows a much more successful
side of Bruce. The first single, "Walk In The Sun", strikes back to
his initial days from _The Way It Is_ - but other tracks, such as "White
Wheeled Limousine" and "Spider Fingers" - allow Hornsby's piano skills
to roll in synch with his jazz background. "Big Rumble" sounds like
Aerosmith taking their first steps into jazz, and realizing that they like
it. Guest musicians abound here, including Bela Fleck, Chaka Khan, Pat
Metheny and, of course, Jerry Garcia.
This album is NOT something that should be gotten by a fan looking for
a quick 4 minute single; nearly half the songs are more than 5 minutes.
_Hot House_ is meant to be savored, like a fine bottle of wine, not gulped
like cheap beer.
Bruce Hornsby has come a long way since being a backing pianist for
Sheena Easton's touring band in 1983. One Hornsby fan, upon hearing this
record, said that it was like his last release, _Harbor Lights_, but taken to
the next level - where the musicians sound like they're having fun, jamming
and improvising as they go. I couldn't agree more. Expect the critics to
rave about _Hot House_ - and deservedly so.
---
REVIEW: Elvis Costello - _Kojak Variety_ (Warner Bros.)
- Joe Silva
By now 'ol Dec MacManus probably can't jar the listenership
quite as easily any longer by the curves he may feel compelled to
toss at them. No one expects a collection such as _The Juliet
Letters_ to be sandwiched betwixt two straight ahead rock (sic)
discs, but its arrival quickly becomes a matter of acceptance to the
faithful. So this collection of covers, gleaned from his years of
scouring the discount bins and his own record closet, is as logical a
progression as anything he's ever delivered. You can think of it as a
somewhat off kilter compilation tape of songs that manage to push
Elvis' odd buttons, all bundled up and delivered to whoever's out
there and interested.
Already long known on bootleg the circuit as the "Barbados
Sessions", _Kojak Variety_ starts with a misfired vocal that initially
maintains that outtake feel. This was Costello's two week whirlwind
shot of proving he could put together an album's worth of decent
material in no time with very limited funding. On hand once again
were a couple of loyalists (part-time attraction Pete Thomas and
avant-guitarist Marc Ribot) as well as a few hired heavies (skins-
God Jim Keltner, bassman Jerry Scheff, keyboard tickler Larry
Knechtel, and long time studio gun James Burton).
Once outlined the challenge appears fairly minor - Elvis enlists a
load of talent, sets off for the Caribbean to run through a string of
covers, comes up with enough new product to keep the homeys at
Warners happy. However, somehow things got gummed up back at
the office and the tapes wind up being fed to the truly hardcore
through a series of discrete back room swaps before the label
manages a legitimate release. Who blinked and why currently
remains undocumented.
Granted, the art of the cover is a tricky one as we all know, but
without digging up the originals for your standard freshman
contrast and comparison, it seems Elvis has called this set with a
fair amount of acumen. From the straight 4/4 howl of Little
Richard's "Bama Lama Bama Loo" to his rough and tumble vocal
of Screamin' Jay Hawkins "Strange," Elvis seems right on his mark.
Further in the sweet and beautifully somber R&B-ness of "Must
You Throw Dirt In My Face" sounds like it might have accidentally
lifted from the running order of the _King of America_ LP. From
there Costello takes a fair stab at Dylan ("I Threw It All Away"),
obscure Holland/Dozier/Holland ("Remove This Doubt"), and
screechy guitar laced go at Ray Davies "Days" that seals the whole
package as an appropriate farewell number. But it's the sheer ease
and understated instrumental rendering (light brushed snare, and
backdrop organ...) of something like Willie Dixon's "Hidden
Charms" that might lead you away from the original.
But on the flipside, that's what this whole exercise may be about.
Elvis sketches out his source material in an uncharacteristically
wordy fashion on the "inner sleeve" to purposefully illustrate and
celebrate the great song writing that prompted his recorded
admiration. It's heartfelt to be sure and all doubters can refer to the
Costello's dating of the liner notes if they're not sure after a few
listens. With love from Elvis to you, February 14th 1995.
---
REVIEW: Up & Down Club Sessions - Volumes 1 and 2
(Mammoth Records/Prawn Song)
- Ali Sinclair
These two discs are a collection of live recordings from
San Francisco's "Up & Down" Club, home of acid jazz.
Acid jazz as heard here is probably best described as a funky,
dancable music with includes elements of various styles: its roots
steeped in jazz, but flavored with a lot of funk, soul and hip-hop.
It's hot, city music, and it's insistent: it's not commercial, but
is extremely energetic. It's nightclubbing music - not song
so much as rhythm and movement. It's young but it's also
very mature.
The bands playing on these Sessions include Hueman Flavor,
the Up & down All-Stars (collaborations by some of the Clubs
most popular artists), the Josh Jones Jazz Ensemble and the
Josh Jones Latin Jazz Ensemble, the Will Bernard, Kenny Brooks
and Charlie Hunter trios, The Dry Look and Alphabet Soup.
A mix-and-match of musicians, some - like drummer Eddie Marshall
and bassist Wiitala - playing in more than one ensemble and on
both CDs.
The music is fun and exciting. And the musicians are true
musicians - as jazz musicians usually are, whatever flavor of jazz
they play. With hip-hop from Hueman Flavor and Alphabet Soup,
and latin/salsa jazz from Josh Jones, this collection is
an excellent introduction to "acid jazz".
---
REVIEW: Local H - _Ham Fisted_ (Island)
- Joe Silva
Since Helmet's six figure salary couldn't bolster their major label
sophomore effort any further than the bargain bins, Local H have
offer to assume possession of the heavy, fast and tight with their
debut. _Ham Fisted_ roars in spots, chugs along in thick distortion
in others, and knows that stopping the whole rig on a dime adds to
the intended wallop. But what Scott Lucas (guitar, vocals) and Joe
Daniels (drums) seem to have a hold of is the notion that their taste
for bombast and fuzz doesn't have to obliterate the melody. Three
tracks in on "Mayonnaise and Malaise", the two manage a totally
kosher reconciliation of the rough stuff and the hook. It's a good
move as well, because their heads wind up craned above the tide
rank and file post-grunge rockers who stock the college play lists
with more ethic than content.
Not that Local H is a smiley, happy noise unit - Locus seems as
torqued up as anyone when he blurts "It sure is something/to be
twenty-nothing." And when they rumble into "User" there seems to
be a big enough bile factor as they groove all the way to the near-
metal double guitar lines in the break, making "Don't you give me
no shit" a believable enough mantra. I've been tempted a couple of
times in these paragraphs to drop the name of that Seattle trio, but
that might be a misleading comparison. There's a minor affinity but
this is a flavour that's seems to crisp most of the time for flannel.
I'm not sure completely about the motive behind "Chicago
Fanphair '93" (there's too much lyric lost in the yelp there...) but go
from "Scott-Rock" to "Bag of Hammers" and back to "Cynic" and
you'll find that this is some of the better unbridled stuff that you'll
hear for a moment. Manicured, yet not mild mannered.
---
REVIEW: Green Apple Quick Step, _Loaded_ (Medicine)
- Sean Eric McGill
Green Apple Quick Step is a band from Seattle, and the music they
play can be termed as "grunge", assuming you're into that whole music
labeling thing.
There, now that's out of the way. But before you write GAQS off
as just another group of Pearl Jam wanna-be's, take a listen. There's
something going on their sophomore effort, _Loaded_ that we haven't heard
in a couple of years coming out of Seattle. Mainly, they actually sound
like they're having *fun*.
Despite its often dismal lyrical content, Pearl Jam's _Ten_ was
an album that you could crank up and sit on the hood of your car drinking
beer to, but everything that followed from Vedder and Co. has been
anything but for the most part. _Loaded_ is the same kind of album that
_Ten_ was. While there are some pretty intense statements made on this
album, GAQS don't forget that they're actually a rock n' roll band, and
like it or not, fun is what is at the heart of all rock 'n roll. This is
an album for parties and the occasional period of deep introspection,
something which is incredibly hard to achieve for musicians, with most
opting for one or the other.
Of course, part of the reason for the likenesses to _Ten_ stem
from the fact that _Loaded_ was produced by Stone Gossard and Nick DiDia.
But the production here isn't what is intriguing about this group. What
is important is the music and GAQS are one of the best bands out right
now, and _Loaded_ is one of the best releases of the year.
The album opens with "Hotel Wisconsin", the name of the hotel
where the band was robbed of all their equipment on their last tour. At
almost four minutes long, it may seem like a little much, considering
that it's ninety-nine percent instrumental (think "Up the Beach" of
Jane's Addiction's _Nothing's Shocking_ album and you've got the idea).
But the track is like the calm before the storm, as the album launches
into "Ed #5" and "No Favors", which both remind us what punk was about
in the first place, but without drowning us in nostalgia.
One of the more interesting musical aspects of GAQS is the vocal
pairing of Ty Willman and vocalist/bassist Mari Anne Braeden. On "T.V.
Girl" and "Lazy", Willman and Braeden blend together perfectly, their
voices mixing to take the songs to levels that simply couldn't be
accomplished by two male or two female vocalists working together. And
when Braeden takes the mike for "No Favors", I found myself grateful that
she wasn't doing her best Courtney Love impersonation, and doing it well.
On tracks like "Dizzy" (which is featured on the soundtrack to
_The Basketball Diaries_) "Los Vargos" and "Halloween", the band shows
off its knack for a good hook. These songs are incredably catchy, and
"Dizzy" should go over well on radio (it would already have been a hit if
_The Basketball Diaries_ had done better in theatres).
The rest of the band (guitarists Danny K and Bobby Ross and
drummer Bob Martin) all shine on this album, and rumor has it that they
ain't bad live, either. Their "residency tour" will take them to various
points in the country for about a month at a time, with the band playing
essentially the same venues for that time period. It's an interesting
experiment from and interesting band, and certainly something you should
check out.
---
CONCERT REVIEW: Monster Magnet, Stone Pony, Asbury Park, N.J.
- Frank Herd, Jr.
If Mr. Rogers had been at the Stone Pony on May 20th, he might have
been heard to ask (as the paramedics strapped an oxygen mask on him and
wheeled him out the door), "Can you say sensory overload?"
Yes I can - Monster Magnet. Even before they took the stage, the
air was charged with nervous anticipation. The feeling was palpable; it was
like the calm before the first sky-splitting peal of thunder signaling a
monstrous electrical storm. Rather than run for cover though, the crowd
eagerly embraced the torrent of sound that followed.
From the very first chord, Jon Kleiman's insistent percussion, the
tandem crunch of Ed Mundell's guitar and Jow Calandra's bass, and Dave
Wyndorf's raspy vocals awakened primal urges in everyone and gave the
impression of barely-restrained power.
About halfway through the show the enthusiastic crowd hoisted one
lucky (unlucky?) fan up in the air and tossed him on stage, knocking out a
monitor and most of the guitar and vocals as well. The problem was remedied
within a minute, and the restored sound only served to re-emphasize how full
and textured their music is.
For some people the highlight of the show was the battery of
drums reminiscent of a stampede in "Elephant Bell" (from their first
A&M album _Superjudge_);for others, it was the gripping bump and grind
of "Nod Scene" (my personal favorite from their Caroline release,
_Spine of God_);and everyone got off on the healthy sampling of tunes
from their latest venture _Dopes to Infinity_. With the help of
visuals engineered by Tim Cronin, Monster Magnet was our guide for a
planet-stomping trip through the cosmos.
However, we had to land sometime. They closed the show with
"Vertigo" from the new release. Appropriately, too, because when it
ended, it felt as if the music had been pulled out from under us and we
were falling.
This was, without a doubt, one of the best shows I've ever
seen. I'll leave you with a quote from their single, "Negasonic
Teenage Warhead": "I was born and raised on Venus, and I may be here
awhile." I certainly hope so.
---
Label Report: Sarah Records; including Heavenly, _The Decline and
fall of heavenly_; East River Pipe, _Poor Fricky_;
Sugargliders, _Sugargliders_ and _Gaol Ferry Bridge_ (Europe)
- Tim Mohr
Based in Bristol, England, Sarah has a reputation for bringing out
unthreatening guitar pop, perhaps best represented by the Field Mice or
Another Sunny Day. The label's offerings typically have been uncluttered,
jangly, somewhat meloncholic - and to some people, annoyingly wimpy and soft.
Pure pop that won't exactly scare your parents.
In the past year Sarah has expanded their catalogue with records from
a number of promising bands. Albums from Heavenly, East River Pipe, and the
Sugargliders are particularly solid, and a singles compilation of Sarah
bands, _Gaol Ferry Bridge_, offers an overview of the label's roster.
Heavenly's excellent "Atta Girl" single is on _Gaol Ferry Bridge_.
Heavenly sound quite similar to Washington, D.C.'s Velocity Girl (Sub-Pop),
and comparisons to recent British hopefuls Sleeper would not be completely
unwarranted. Like Velocity Girl's early single "Forgotten Favorite", "Atta
Girl" opens with a lonely guitar strumming before the whole band jumps in.
The lyrics lament possesiveness and jealosy in a relationship, and the chorus
is a strong rebuttal: "I'm not yours, and never will be now. You've shown me
how you are - you're jealous - and how far you've tried to smother."
On their eight-song album, _The decline and fall of heavenly_,
another side of the band is added to the display. Here Heavenly reveal a
whimsical streak, showing an affinity for camp, sing-songy elements. Heavenly
may share some of the fascinations with 60s European easy-listening music
that infuses Saint Etienne with a similarly whimsical charm. Heavenly rely
entirely on guitar-based songs, however, and the occasional xylaphone never
leads to the dance elements or electronics used by Saint Etienne.
On _Poor Fricky_, East River Pipe conforms to the mold of Sarah
bands: quiet, simple, almost wimpy. It sounds like a one-man band, extremely
sparse songs built around meandering guitar lines with occasional synths
added to some of the jangly laments. The vocalist sounds like a weary, indie-
Tom Petty. His nasal delivery also hints at Yo La Tengo or the Feelies. In
fact, East River Pipe could almost pass for Yo La Tengo unplugged, like on
their collection of covers, _Fakebook_.
Lyrics on East River Pipe's _Poor Fricky_ cover the meloncholic
gamut, with the most striking aspect found in the descriptions of deeply
personal emotions couched in weird technological references. "Metal
detector," for instance, discusses trust; the earnest plea is for a friend to
"put away the metal detector, baby." Another song is a serenade - to a
dictaphone. East River Pipe contribute three non-album songs to the _Gaol
Ferry Bridge_ compilation. The formula is the same: there's one tune
entreating "put the helmet on."
Melbourne's Sugargliders have released an extremely interesting self-
titled compilation, modestly subtitled "a flawed but beautiful collection,"
bringing together 12 singles released from early 1992 to late 1993. Naturally
enough, the three singles on _Gaol Ferry Bridge_ are also found on their self-
titled album.
The impressive first song, "Letter From A Lifeboat," combines a lazy
programmed drum beat with poppy guitars and softly delivered male vocals.
Another standout is "Ahprahran", which can also be heard on the Sarah
sampler. The lead guitar bleats a soft staccato line as an interesting bass
bubbles along with drums; the vocal line fits in so well that this slow pop
song almost sounds danceable. Likewise "Trumpet Play" where a fluid bass line
carries the sparse tune along while guitars make occasional appearances that
have the effect of samples.
The Sugargliders use glittery, clear guitar tones and short pop
structures. But somehow they end up bursting out of the genre - on some songs
because of hypnotic drums, on others because the gentle strumming somehow
creates illusory pulses of rhythmic excitement. Using traditional rock
instruments and structures while exploring unusual territory is admirable; a
tiny-sounding indie band whose songs for some reason have an atmosphere
reminiscent of both the Church and Portishead is special.
The Sarah sampler _Gaol Ferry Bridge_ offers tracks from each of
these three bands alongside five others. The Heavenly single and b-side are
among the band's best songs, as are the Sugargliders songs that appear on the
compilation. Most of the other bands are less interesting than Heavenly, East
River Pipe, and Sugargliders. Action Painting! and Boyracer seem particularly
unsuccessful experiments: hard-core and wimpy pop just don't fit together.
They don't sound aggressive enough to pull off blustery, punky streaks and
the loud, fast patches don't effectively enhance the other side of these
bands. Still, Boyracer's "cog" is catchy, primarily because its chugging
guitars and slight syncopation closely resemble the music from the old Batman
TV series.
Of the other bands on _Gaol Ferry Bridge_, Secret Shine make an
unnecessary foray into territory already well-explored by Slowdive and Blind
Mr. Jones. And Blueboy is altogether too, uh, blue - whining about going far
away on Air France while disposing with percussion.
The notable exception to this mediocrity is Even As We Speak. Their
jazzy "(all you find is) air" uses sax, xylaphone, and a Soul II Soul beat to
back up breathy female vocals. Their other song is all guitars and speed with
the effect of vintage Go-Go's or the Primitives.
A majority of the 16 tracks are quite good, and even the disposable
songs are not unlistenable, just unspectacular. Still, the appeal of even the
best songs is limited by the general congeniality of Sarah bands. People who
tend to prefer Velocity Girl to the rest of the Sub-Pop catalogue, for
instance, would do well to check out the _Gaol Ferry Bridge_ sampler. Fans of
other low-key acts like the Feelies, Galaxy 500, Swell, even Morrissey, might
find things here to like. Likewise fans of New Zealand pop bands such as the
Chills or the Straightjacket Fits. But if you preferred R.E.M.'s _Monster_ to
_Automatic for the People_ you may be disappointed by even the most
impassioned band on _Gaol Ferry Bridge_.
---
NEWS: The new Morrissey album, _Southpaw Grammar_, which is
slated to be released later this year, offers a couple mysteries to Morrissey
devotees.
The U.K. release is tentatively scheduled to include a picture of
boxer Kenny Lane, taken from an April, 1963 issue of The Ring. Due to
copyright difficulties, if the Lane picture can not be used in America,
the U.S. cover should feature a recent picture of Morrissey.
The first single will be "Dagenham Dave" and the sleeve will
include a childhood picture of Terry Venables, a U.K. soccer
commissioner. Track number 8, "Southpaw", ends abruptly with a
distortion rip which is deliberate - Morrissey and his band played on
and on until the tape ran out, accounting for the rip.
---
TOUR DATES
Barenaked Ladies / Billy Bragg
July 18 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
July 19 Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati Zoo
July 20 Chicago, IL Vic Theater
July 21 Minneapolis, MN The Zoo
July 22 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
July 24 Indianapolis, IN The Patio
July 25 St. Louis, MO Westport Playhouse
July 26 Kalamazoo, MI State Theatre
July 30 Englewood, CO Fiddler's Green Amph.
Bjork
July 22 Seattle, WA King Theatre
July 23 Portland, OR La Luna
July 25 San Francisco, CA Warfield
July 26-27 Los Angeles, CA Mayan
July 31 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live
Aug. 2 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
Aug. 4 Chicago, IL Metro
Aug. 5 Detroit, MI State Theatre
Aug. 7 Toronto, ON Warehouse
Aug. 9 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
Aug. 10 Washington, DC Cellar Door Ballroom
Aug. 12 Boston, MA Avalon
Aug. 14-15 New York, NY TBA
Buffalo Tom
July 18-21 Hershey, PA Hershey Park Stadium
July 22 Philadelphia, PA Mann Music Center
July 23 Richmond, VA Classic Amphitheater
July 25 Raleigh, NC Walnut Creek Amphitheater
July 26 Charlotte, NC Blockbuster Amphitheater
July 28 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheater
July 29 Orlando, FL Central Florida Fairgrounds
July 30 Miami, FL Bayfront Park Amphitheater
July 31 Tampa, FL Expo Hall
Cranberries / Toad the Wet Sprocket
Aug. 4 Hartford, CT Meadows Music Theatre
Aug. 5 Mansfield, MA Great Woods
Aug. 8 Camden, NJ Blockbuster/Sony Entertainment Center
Aug. 9 Bristow, VA Nissan Pavillion
Aug. 11 Holmdel, NJ Garden State Arts Center
Aug. 12 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach
Aug. 14 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
Aug. 16 Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre
Aug. 17 Tinley Park, IL World Music Theatre
Aug. 19 Columbus, OH Polaris Amphitheatre
Aug. 21 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre
Aug. 22 Bonner Springs, KS Santstone Amphitheatre
Aug. 24 Dallas, TX Starplex Amphitheatre
Aug. 25 Houston, TX Woodlands Pavillion
Aug. 27 Denver, CO Red Rocks
Aug. 30 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Pavillion
Aug. 31 Laguna Hills, CA Irvine Meadows
Daryll-Ann
July 15 Petten, Seapop (NL)
July 28 Alkmaar, Atlantis (NL)
Die Warzau / Sister Machine Gun
July 19 Washington, DC Black Cat
July 21 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol
July 23 Cleveland, OH Odeon Music Hall
July 24 Cincinnati, OH Sudsy Malone's
July 26 St. Louis, MO Other World
July 27 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
July 28 Chicago, IL Double Door
Foetus
July 20 Los Angeles, CA The Roxy
July 21 San Francisco, CA Trocadero Transfer
July 23 Seattle, WA RKCNDY
July 26 Denver, CO Mercury Cafe
July 28 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
July 29 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
July 30 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's
Aug. 2 Boston, MA Mama Kin Music Hall
Aug. 3 New York, NY Tramps
Bruce Hornsby (solo acoustic piano with Q&A sessions)
July 21 Santa Monica, CA Borders 8-10PM
July 23 San Francisco, CA Borders 2-4PM
July 25 Seattle, WA Borders 6:30-8:30PM
July 26 Denver, CO Media Play 12:30-2:30PM
July 31 Atlanta, GA Rhythm and Views 6:30-8:30PM
August 1 Washington, DC Borders 1-3PM
August 2 Chicago, IL Borders 5-7PM
August 5 Detroit, MI Borders 12-2PM
August 8 Dallas, TX Borders 7-9PM
August 9 Houston, TX Blockbuster Music 5-6:30PM
August 10 Boston, MA Borders 7:30-9:30PM
Jayhawks / Wilco
July 19 Birmingham, AL 5 Points South Music Hall
July 20 Nashville, TN Dancing In The District
July 22 St. Petersburg, FL Janus Landing
July 24 Jacksonville, FL Shades
July 26 Myrtle Beach, SC Headroom
July 29 Norfolk, VA Boathouse
July 30 Charleston, WV Mountain Stage
Freedy Johnston
July 14 Bridgehampton, NY The Pike
July 15 New York, NY Central Park Summerstage
July 16 Philadelphia, PA Penn's Landing
Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers - Tribute To Bob Marley
July 21 Toronto, ON Markam Fairgrounds
July 22 Montreal, QC Verdun Park
July 23 Ottawa, CAN Ottawa Ractrack
July 25 Hampton, NH Hampton Beach Casino
July 26 Hyannis, MA Cape Cod Melody
July 27 New York, NY The Academy
July 29 Upper Marlboro, MD Prince George Equestrian
Moby has been added to the second stage of Lollapalooza dates
from July 18-31 in Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, Boston,
Hartford, New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
John Prine
July 14 Milwaukee, WI Performing Arts Center
July 15 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theater
July 17 Madison, WI Madison Civic Center
July 18 Chicago, IL The Navy Pier
July 19 Chicago, IL The Navy Pier
July 21 Indianapolis, IN Clowes Hall
July 22 Kalamazoo, MI The State Theater
July 23 Cincinnati, OH Moonlite Gardens
Soul Asylum / Jayhawks / Matthew Sweet / Victoria Williams
Victoria will be playing half her set with backing band Soul Asylum,
and the other half with backing band Jayhawks. The concerts will help
musicians in need of funds to defray musical costs.
Aug. 16 St. Paul, MN Municipal Stadium
Aug. 18 Green Bay, WI Brown Cty. Vet. Mem. Arena
Aug. 19 Noblesville, IN Deer Creek Music Center
Aug. 21 Louisville, KY Louisville Gardens
Aug. 22 Cleveland, OH Nautica Stage
Aug. 23 Milwaukee, WI Marcus Ampitheatre
Aug. 25 Finley Park, IL World Music Theatre
Aug. 26 Rochester, MI Meadow Brook Music Theater
Aug. 27 Toronto, ONT Varsity Arena
Aug. 29 Mansfield, MA Great Woods
Aug. 30 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach
Aug. 31 Philadelphia, PA Mann Music Center
Sept. 3 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
Sept. 4 Holmdel, NJ Garden State Arts Center
Suicide Circus
July 18 Detroit, MI The Mosquito Club
July 19 Pittsburgh, PA Electric Banana
July 21 Newark, NJ Studio 1
July 22 Wilkes-Barre, PA Rodanos
July 23 Springfield, VA Jaxx
July 25 New York, NY The Spiral
July 28 Cleveland, OH Red Eye
July 29 Detroit, MI I-Rock
They Might Be Giants
August 2-4 New York, NY The Beacon
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
This week's mailbox was full. What follows are some of the usual
compliments, a sampling of the mail regarding the controversial Kurt
Cobain piece, and some information on the Nine Inch Nails review.
I really like Consumable - it's the only place I can get good tour
schedules. Keep up the good work! - Mario L.
On Courtney Love and Hole...
Courtney is Courtney. She used to get enraged at every single Kurt
question while he was alive, especially insinuations that he wrote
her music, or questions about what it was like to be Kurt's wife.
Courtney had a killer tour lined up shortly before Kurt's
death that would have blown _Live Through This_ through the
roof. Trouble is, her bassist decided that she really liked
heroin and had a little too much.
We had _Live Through This_ pegged as one of the best albums
of the year when it came out - certainly a level above that
achievable by L7 or Babes in Toyland. We made our minds up
before Kurt died, and we listened to Courtney claim her band
was better than Soundgarden or Pearl Jam.
Maybe you were just too wrapped up in Kurt to pay attention
to what Courtney Love deserved. Maybe she gets a little more
than she deserves, but if her first 2 albums are any preview
of what's to come then she will long outlive any benefit
her career has derived from the death of her husband. - Dave B.
***
I can't quite believe you ran "Cashing in On Cobain" by Sean Eric
McGill, which is neither good op-ed writing or even something I would put up
with spouted by a drunken person at a bar.
I agree that it's a shame people are cashing in on KC's death.
Okay. So then why "I have no problem with someone wearing a Kurt
Cobain t-shirt in memory of his music and his life. That's capitalism in
action." Explain to me how this is somehow excusable because it's
capitalism in action. I thought that's what McGill was complaining about --
"cashing in", capitalism in action.
No, what he really wants to do is trash Courtney for, whatever --
surviving, existing, being in band. It's somehow her fault that
interviewers ask 5 out of 10 questions about Kurt.
I wasn't predisposed to like Courtney's record and believed for a long
time the only reason anyone was listening to it was the sympathy vote.
Finally forced to listen to it, I had to admit it was a pretty good record.
Now, two months later, I have to admit Hole made a great record. It's not
as if she recorded after Kurt killed himself to make a buck, you know.
She had her own career.
No, what McGill is up to in hist rant is across-the-board woman bashing.
Yoko was a leech, Courtney was a leech, they never had an interest or
a talent outside their husband's careers, they don't deserve to have an
interest or a career, and all either of them are or ever will be are Mrs.
Kurt Cobain and Mrs. John Lennon.
I'm really curious: why did you see fit to run anything this
incoherent and this offensive? - Linda F.
(ED Note: Courtney was on a ton of covers - those covers were
prepared before Kurt killed himself. You had an interesting counter viewpoint
until you mentioned Yoko Ono. She would never have been given a contract (OR
a box set) if it wasn't for Lennon, and playing her music loud enough
for others to hear is a violation of all wartime conventions.
On a side note, *Cynthia* Lennon has just released in the U.K.
a cover of "Those Were The Days". Draw your own conclusions).
***
Thank you for having the balls to run that Kurt Cobain article. I get
sick of seeing people fawn over Courtney Love as if she's got some talent.
- James B.
On Nine Inch Nails...
Using big twenty dollar words in your review does not make it more
interesting it makes as if you do not know what you are talking about. There
is more going on at the time that you are listening to the music than just
music itself. Once, you understand that, then, and only then, will what you
are saying about Trent Reznor make sense. - K.M.M, Florida
***
David I. and Cheryl B. note that the U.K. version of _Further
Down The Spiral_ does include remixes of "Ruiner" and "Heresy" (in
David's words: two of the best mixes), as well as a live version of "Hurt"
and another version of "Mr. Self Destruct".
Cheryl further comments that:
One personal observation: while it is true that many NIN listeners
will buy every NIN remix EP without questioning its contents, we aren't
mindlessly feeding a self-indulgent monster. Why should we waste our time
questioning their quality before making a purchase? Historically, NIN
remix EPs are known for being excellent, with a cover here and there and
lots of imaginative and stylistically varied remixes by well-respected
musicians.
Another personal observation: Several times in his review Mr.
McGill mentions the small "number of different songs" on this or that NIN
remix EP. Well... we ARE talking about remix EP's here, so why shouldn't
there be multiple versions of any particular song? It might be more
logical to view each remix as a different song, considering the fact that
each has a new title and a new sound.
---
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===
