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Consumable Online Issue 066
==== ISSUE 66 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [January 18, 1996]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gajarsky@pilot.njin.net
Sr. Correspondents: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Al Crawford,
Dan Enright, Reto Koradi, David Landgren,
Tim Mohr, Jamie Roberts, Joe Silva, John Walker
Correspondents: Dan Birchall, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Jason
Cahill, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Daniel Kane, Mario Lia,
Sean Eric McGill, P. Nina Ramos, Linda Scott,
Ali Sinclair, Jon Steltenpohl, Courtney Muir Wallner,
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: The Bogmen - Dan Enright
REVIEW: Brian Wilson, _I Just Wasn't Made For These Times_ - Eric Hsu
REVIEW: Shamen, _Axis Mutatis_ - Lee Graham Bridges
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Excursions in Ambience_ - Joe Silva
REVIEW: Air Liquide, _Red_ - Lee Graham Bridges
REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Heat_ - Sean Eric McGill
REVIEW: Various, _CatCompilation II_ - Reto Koradi
REVIEW: The Kabalas, _Martinis and Bagels_ - Dan Enright
REVIEW: Billie Ray Martin, _Deadline For My Memories_ - Daniel Kane
REVIEW: Rory MacLeod, _Self Titled_ - Dan Enright
REVIEW: Fear, _Have Another Beer With Fear_ - Linda Scott
REVIEW: Ben Neill, _ Green Machine_ - Daniel Kane
NEWS: Jayhawks, Best Ohio Band, Popsmear, Sonicnet Chat, Mike Watt
TOUR DATES AC/DC, Cravin' Melon, Cypress Hill, Godplow, Kilgore Smudge,
Robbie Laws & Urban All-Stars, Letters to Cleo, Liquor Bike
ERRATA
The Readers Write Back!
Back Issues of Consumable
---
INTERVIEW: Brendan Ryan of the Bogmen
- Dan Enright
If you took the sardonic wit of They Might Be Giants and mixed it
with the groove of early Talking Heads, you'd be close to describing The
Bogmen. But you'd still be missing something, because neither band exactly
describes the sound the Bogmen have developed.
Lyricist Bill Campion is a major element of the band's
uniqueness. He writes, for example, about human induced environmental
disaster, lack of personal responsibility, quack psychiatry, a broken
relationship, and the sorrow of a lovers death, with humor and a depth of
intelligence rarely heard in rock music today. It's this humorous approach
to such bleak subjects that makes the band stand out.
This lyrical strength is then coupled to a six piece ensemble -
Bill [Campion] on guitar and vocals, Bill Ryan on guitar, Mark Wilke on
bass, Brendan Ryan on keyboards, PJ O'Connor on percussion and vocals, and
Clive Tucker on drums - resulting in songs having intricate and engaging
arrangements which complement each other perfectly.
Their freshman album, _Life Begins at 40 Million_, was produced by
former Talking Head, Jerry Harrison. I talked with Brendan about the
influence Jerry had on the band during the recording and beyond.
Consumable: Parts of the album remind me of _Remain In Light_.
Did Jerry have the same influence on this recording, Brian Eno had on
the Talking Heads' album?
Brendan: That's my favorite album of theirs by far. I've talked
to Jerry about that many times and he knows it, too. I love that album.
I'm the person who should be doing this interview, because if anybody else
was here they would have laughed. They know how much I like it and listen
to it.
He definitely did have fine touches that are heard on the record.
But one thing I would have to say about Jerry - which I found to be a huge
positive, we were a debut band signed more for our following, I think, than
our music. The record company showed interest in us because of our
following.
So, here comes a guy who's made huge amount of records. He came in
and I think we were all a little bit nervous. I was ready for him to turn
everything around and make it "Jerry Harrison and the Bogmen." And he did
have a strong input on some songs. We listened and worked it out - and in
that sense, yes, he did have his hand in the music and the arrangement,
just like Brian Eno did.
But there were songs he didn't even touch. I mean, on a few tracks
on the record he said, "You know what guys? I don't think that song needs
anything. I think it's fine just the way it is."
For me, that showed he wasn't this huge ego that wanted to change
everything to the way he liked it. He let the Bogmen go down on the record
as themselves. He made us listen to each other more, "You're walking over
this bass line, you're walking over the guitar line, lets try to clear
everything up." and he definitely did improve things. Brought it up a
notch.
C: How does the songwriting/arranging work in the band?
B: We are definitely a collaborative band. We're a six
piece, so obviously some people are more important to the songwriting than
others. Usually it starts with music first and Billy puts his lyrics to
it. But it has also gone the other way. He had songs that were already
finished - lyrics, arrangement, chord structures, melody, everything -
then we just put our parts to it. So there's a few different methods.
C: Whatever makes the best song?
B: Right, whatever makes the best song. Nobody's feelings
get hurt. I mean, we're musicians but we're also friends first, so we have
no problem telling each other if something doesn't work or if it's a great
idea. There's no power struggle. By the time everybody has their parts
done, it definitely sounds like the Bogmen. No matter who came up with the
initial idea.
C: Did working with Jerry have an impact on your live performance?
B: Yeah. Especially me, 'cause I used a lot of new
equipment in the studio I never had live and I got a lot of new sounds.
So, when the record was done, I had a lot of sampling to do to get the
sounds on the album so I could put them in the live show. I think that's
true for everybody. Everybody's tried to sound a little more like the
album. But, everybody agrees, our live show has a more energetic, more
dynamic sound to it.
C: How much of your catalogue made it on the album?
B: That's one thing with a debut album. We had so much
material, it took us a long time just to narrow it. There's 12 songs on
the album... we have, including all the old stuff, maybe 30 or 40. We
narrowed down to 18 or 17 and then, finally, we just went with 12. And
since the album has been released, we have four or five brand new songs
we're putting in our live set.
If we tape our live show and listen back to it, I can only listen
to the stuff that's not on the album, because it's new and fresh for me.
And I think it's a lot more mature. The songwriting, musically is. So, we
definitely continue to write all the time. We don't stop. I think that's
the most important thing. If you want to be a band with longevity, you can
never stop writing.
C: Is the sardonic point of view wired into the band, or
just this group of songs?
B: That is definitely our attitude - our personality - in
our lyrics. And the new songs, that aren't on the recording, are more
comic. There's more humor in the new stuff than what's on the album.
C: The music complements Bill's lyrics, really well.
B: He's satirical in his writing. I can't really answer
lyrical questions, but that's the way I interpret them. He wrote his
lyrics and we all put our parts to it, but I tried to put things in I
thought would go with his lyrics. And there are sounds you can hear, which
just go with his lyrics. "Doctor Jerome's" a good example. We used tuba
solos, we wanted to make it sound like, almost, a carousel. So we put tuba
samples, french horns, trumpets, and stuff in there.
C: Do you change the arrangements for the live performances?
B: No. We're not a "Jam Band," we're not a big "Solo Band."
We don't extend our songs too much.
C: Do you rearrange them to keep them fresh?
B: Actually, we do that a lot. Even if it's as little as
putting a new ending on it, because we feel our ending's boring.
C: And different sets every night?
B: It's funny, because it drives our crew crazy. They
always want to know what song is up next, because they have to get the
guitars or the program presets ready. We write a set list... we
procrastinate, because every show is different. If we're playing in front
of 10 people, we're not going to come out with a huge, rockin' song. If
it's a quiet setting, we'll start off with something more mellow. So, we
change our set every single night. I don't think we've ever played - I
don't want to sound like the Grateful Dead [laugh] - the same set two
nights in a row.
C: Do you try to read the crowd?
B: Yeah, we do try to do that. It's hard when you're a six
piece. Everybody wants to have a set and stick to it, because you change
instruments, change programs, whatever. But, sometimes we'll have a mellow
song and if it just doesn't fit, or we feel the momentum's going, we'll
call it off and say, "No, let's do this other song." So, yeah. We cater to
the crowd.
---
REVIEW: Brian Wilson, _I Just Wasn't Made For These Times_ (MCA)
- Eric Hsu
The notes and ideas of Brian Wilson have ended up everywhere,
appreciated more and perceived as cooler once disguised in non-Beach Boys
settings: Paul McCartney's bass lines, punk-pop, John Cale, the Pixies and
Frank Black, REM, even Def Leppard harmonies. And there's no question that
occasionally the ideas are done better (see the Descendents' "Wendy"), but
the point remains. It's amazing how much music improves for a lot of people
with the subtraction of candy-striped outfits and the addition of dark
shades, distortion and/or a hard drug addiction. And that's because it's
impossible to hear music as pure sound since the history and social context
of the music alters the listener's brain, which is where music happens
anyway.
So when I say that Brian Wilson's voice is a little broken and
out-of-tune in this disc and that the Don Was production is slick,
session-musicianly and sometimes fantastically inappropriate, that isn't
meant as a knock on the listening experience. Because context is
everything and the Brian Wilson myth is one of fallen child genius
overindulged and constantly manipulated for commercial gain. And frankly,
most people had written Brian off as a raving lunatic incapable of getting
out of bed, much less making music.
Even though I've hyped the "come peep at the tormented and
manipulated boy genius" angle, it's good that the song selection here is
generally outstanding. The songs are pulled from all across the years of
Brian's output, from the early JFK-inspired "Warmth of the Sun" to the two
best songs from the Wilson solo album from this decade. He sings in his
"mature" voice ("mature" = lower register, ragged, old, weird and slurry,
covered in flange), but his voice fits the mellowness of the songs chosen.
And he's never sounded so child-like and frightened as when he ends the
line "there're a lot of people out there hurting and it really scares me".
He also sounds genuinely playful on "Wonderful", which is not a bad idea,
but I'll stick to the box set version since the real kick of the song is in
the godlike precision of the harmonies which really enhances the
fairytale-ness of the surprisingly good Van Dyke Park lyrics.
The point is Brian still has a lot of personality, which can't be
said about the arrangements and playing. The good sounds come from a
refinement of the original ideas in the songs (altered "Caroline No"
milkbottle beat, big warm piano sound on "This Whole World"), and the
atrocious come from straying too far (the nightmarish flute solo on
"Caroline No"). This is true even when the performance is good, for
instance the backup singers sing soulfully, but that doesn't really fit
with the BW program. The arrangements are slick, but in _Pet Sounds_
orchestras have a real distinctive voice, and these sounds are anonymous. I
really doubt Brian had much input on this album. Just the fact that he
sings out of tune is a dead giveaway, since he used to be a maniac for
in-tuneness (thus Mike Love's complaint "Who's going to hear these
mistakes, the ears of a dog?" that named _Pet Sounds_).
If you're only a fan of peppy _Endless Summer_ Beach Boys, skip
this. If you're a fan of _Pet Sounds_ and on, this is worth a listen. If
you are a _Smile_ fanatic, you have already purchased this disc. If you are
a reflexive BB hater, this disc may not convert you unless you are only
familiar with candy-striped bozos carrying surfboards. That might have been
the best result of the documentary this disc is attached to: introducing
people to the more thoughtful and mellow side of Brian Wilson.
In the end the documentary was a bit of a letdown for me, except
for the music, which, as I said above, is really enjoyable for
socio-econo-political-voyeristic reasons. "This Whole World" is a real
polished gem, "Do it Again" was charmingly retro even in 1968 and is in
retro-overdrive in 1995, and "Melt Away" and "'Til I Die" are stunning,
beautiful songs by any standard. If you're running Audiodeck 2.5 or a
comparable Audio CD player, program it to cut off the flute solo in
"Caroline No" and skip the curiosity-demo "Still I Dream of It", then sit
back and relax and feel the dissonance in your head as the frustrated,
drug-and-age-ravaged, developmentally-arrested child-man genius sings, "and
when I go everywhere, I see love, love, love" and means it.
---
REVIEW: Shamen, _Axis Mutatis_ (One Little Indian/Epic)
- Lee Graham Bridges
The Shamen's founding member, Colin Angus, had this to say about
their new album, _Axis Mutatis_: "The shaman is an archetypal hero, the
outsider at the center of the world. And at the center of the world, at the
intersection of all possible worlds, is the Axis Mutatis." However, to say
this is the defining Shamen album, or the culmination of the Shamen's work,
is quite inaccurate.
More than any other album the Shamen have done, _Axis Mutatis_ is
one that sympathizes with all kinds of causes - independence for Hawaii,
legalization of hemp for use in industry, the unfairness of Britain's
"Criminal Justice Act", the promotion of the psychedelic culture and (of
course) various aspects of Shamanic culture.
Frankly, the lyrics could use a little work. There are some bands
that can pull off being so-called "political bands," that is, bands that can
address political issues in their music. Whether or not the Shamen are
capable of this I cannot say, but they didn't quite pull it off this time.
It seems as though this is not the fault of the lyrics themselves but their
structure, which (in songs with lyrics) is arranged with the music in a way
that seems just a little too direct, as if there is a heavy emphasis on the
lyrics. This made this album a bit tedious. Ex-Soul II Soul member
Victoria Wilson-James loans her talent to the album, and indeed there is a
marked change in vocal style with _Axis_- but it is just another changed
aspect of the Shamen that might make many fans long for the old days.
The instrumentals serve to de-emphasize the sloppy lyrics, making
them the strong point of the album. The Shamen need to realize that they
don't have to make a statement in addition to the music - the music is the
statement. Many of the instrumentals are fantastically ambient and
soothing, yet energizing, transporting one to the depths of the cosmos.
"S2 Translation" is probably the most interesting piece on the album
because of the way it was constructed. The MIDI sequence was created by the
use of data from "the amino acid characteristics and the DNA coding for
protein S2, a receptor for serotonin and other tryptamines." This
incredible feat was accomplished through the use of a computer program
devised by Colin.
The title Axis Mutatis refers to "the tree of life," which links
earth to the spiritual realm. Even though the album's concepts are not
well-executed, they are rather interesting. For more information on the
Shamen and _Axis Mutatis_, check out the Shamen's home page NEMETON at
[http://www.drci.co.uk/drci/shamen].
_Axis Mutatis_ is an average album from the Shamen, but I would only
recommend it for devoted Shamen fans - everyone else, please refer to _Boss
Drum_ or _En-tact_.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Excursions in Ambience, The
Fourth Frontier_ - Various (Astralwerks)
- Joe Silva
Despite all its heavy Windham Hill cum rain stick sensibilities, the
Public Radio affair known as Echoes is also one of the few national
outlets for those who seek deep ambient satisfaction. That is unless
you're close enough to some Urban club-scape that actually harbours
a house of techno that either has an low BPM area or is daring
enough to sponsor an evening's worth of the electro-dub stuff. If
neither of the preceding options aren't available, then finding a way
to grasp what's out there might be a bit tricky were it not for
collections like these.
As difficult as it may be to to make an album's worth of
sometimes barely pulsing electronics and endlessly looped rhythms
sans lyrics, Astralwerks continually manages to compile enough of
the engaging moments ambient techno has to offer, without
dispelling the listener's interests into the cosmos. Which is more
than can be said on occasion for some of the more well appointed
artists of the genre - take heed Sir Richard Twin.
With a nod to the liner notes, the tracks (ten total) are indeed
steeped in enough and echo and delay to consider the treatments as
vital and or integral to the pieces herein. But what appears more
crucial, however, are the bracing mix and variety of sound
smatterings pasted here and there that draw your attention. It would
be a near silly exercise to attach a particular description to a few of
the samples, (check out the shuddering Doctor Who-ish burst of
distortion that runs through Far Out Son Of Lung's "Cow") but they
are often the key elements; the hook; the drives much of the track's
personality.
Previous _Excursions_ have rounded up the bigger names in the
field as well as the lesser knowns, but much of _The Fourth
Frontier_ dwells more towards the latter. Research indicates that
Flying Saucer Attack's "Instrumental Wish" is not indicative of their
general style per se, but it's a well sussed addition for it's inclusion
of some last minute indie-space guitar that's far more attention
grabbing than what's recently to be heard from garage guitar wiz
Thurston Moore. The "Sonic Lullaby" edit (that clocks in at 8:04
mind you) by Me-Sheen is probably just a hair or two shy of
infringing wholesale on Kraftwerk's shtick circa _The Man
Machine_, but the execution is so blissfully on target, it's far more
tribute than rip off. The spare but rumbling synth intro to Luna Sol's
"D.I.A.P.O.W" sets up a tremendous otherworldy atmosphere that
turns around to slyly introduce and deftly blend in a handfull of
ultra-appealing organic sounds. Even Ben Neill hands in
an alluring bit that teams up some groovy bass work with some neat
lost soul of Miles Davis horn abstractions.
And while I'm surprised that the the Astralwerks folks didn't nab a
moment from someone like U-Ziq (who's definitely a feather in
their current roster) to relpace the one of two less gripping spots
here (777's "Fay Deau Deau", for instance, continues to show how
off-center and dull their approach can be), they recoup enough of
the ambient verve overall not to require the benefit of his name
recognition. For those who aren't hardcore enough to seek out
obscure white label resources or a bored with the brutish, hit or
miss-ness of Profile Records _Best of Techno_ collections,
_Excursions in Ambience_ once again delivers an elegant survey of
the sea of ambience.
---
REVIEW: Air Liquide, _Red_ (sm:)e)
- Lee Graham Bridges
"To use the machines, and not be used by the machines"--this is the
policy under which Air Liquide operates. And although _Red_ follows some
fairly basic dance music maneuvers, Air Liquide show off a little of this
ingenuity in this creation.
Two men run the operation: Walker and Jammin' Unit. It is known
that Walker studied electronic composition and the University of Cologne,
and produced hip-hop and house records until the studio went bankrupt.
Walker later formed Air Liquide with Jammin' Unit, who still remains a bit
of a mystery.
So they put together _Red_, a record that would perform well on or
off the dance floor. The best songs are faster and very catchy
("Interactive Warlords", "Ex-Stasis", "Live in New York - part 3", "MP3"),
with slamming, scratchy samples repeated over constant, irregular backbeats
(somewhat similar to, but not nearly as loud or eccentric as much of Aphex
Twin's _I Care Because You Do_). Other tracks ("Der Laufer", "Live at
Ultraschall - part II", "Theme From Robot Wars") are even more skillfully
designed concerning the arrangement and variety of sounds presented, and
also make for interesting listening. Yet other tracks are not conceptual,
experimental, or dance-oriented/"fun" in their nature, but just tedious ("If
There Were No Gravity", "Tanz Der Lemminge II").
Overall, though, this is a fine offering--Air Liquide presents us
with an "enhanced" dance album. Besides, we can't deny the functional
aspect of _Red_ - and the unique qualities apparent to the discerning ear
make _Red_ an important statement as well. Not your usual ride - trip,
trip, that is.
---
REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Heat_ (Warner)
- Sean Eric McGill
I suppose it would be foolish to expect anything less than a good
soundtrack from a Michael Mann film. After all, this is not only the guy who
turned Miami Vice into a hit not just on television, but on radio as well -
not to mention a man who had the ability to put a Clannad song into _The Last
of the Mohicans_ and have it come out well.
So, it's no surprise that the soundtrack to _Heat_ is full of great
music. The real surprise is where that music comes from. Scored by Elliot
Goldenthal (who receive an Oscar nomination for his work on _Interview With
The Vampire_), and featuring artists like Passengers and Moby, the
soundtrack for _Heat_ consists mainly of music that is either straight-out
ambient or pretty damn close almost the whole time. In other words, it's
like the soundtrack to the best episode of Miami Vice that was never made.
Of the twenty-one tracks on the album, eleven were scored by Goldenthal
(three of those featuring Kronos Quartet). The remainder of the tracks, from
Michael Brook's "Ultramarine" to Terje Rypdal's "Mystery Man" all capture
the look and feel of _Heat_ perfectly, providing a great background for the
action in the film - which is really the bottom line when it comes to
soundtracks in the first place.
The album's highlights outside of the Goldenthal score (which is quite
good, by the way) include Lisa Gerrard's "Las Bas" and "Gloradin," as well
"Ultramarine," "Mystery Man," and "Last Nite," also from Terje Rypdal. The
best track on the album would have to be "God Moving Over The Face of the
Waters" from Moby, a track that can bring forth an incredibly amount of
inspiration, even when it's playing over a death scene, as it does in the film.
There are low points, but only two of them. "Always Forever Now" from
the Brian Eno/U2 collaboration known as Passengers and "Armenia" by
Einsturzende Neubauten both don't seem to work right, but for different
reasons. "Always Forever Now" seems like it was added simply because of the
names behind it, and "Armenia" is simply annoying.
But perhaps the real success of the album goes to Mann himself. He
knows firsthand how to capture the spirit of a piece of film with a piece of
music, and is willing to take risks that other directors wouldn't. For
example, anyone who has seen the film will notice that there is no "rousing
score" anywhere on the album, even though there is a five-minute gunfight.
The reason for this is that, quite simply, a rousing score set in the dead
center of the rest of the music on this disc would seem hopelessly out of
place. Of course, it's only fitting that in the film, there isn't a rousing
score, either. The five-minute gunfight is done totally without music,
giving it a realism that is hard to ignore.
---
REVIEW: Various, _CatCompilation II_ (Control-Alt-Delete)
- Reto Koradi
No need to worry, this has nothing to do with Christmas songs sung
by cats. The cat is the sign of C-A-D, a Houston based organization with
various activities for the proliferation of American synth pop, with the
involvement of well-known bands like Information Society, Cause & Effect,
Anything Box or Red Flag. _CatCompilation II_ is a sampler that features
tracks by some of these bands, as well as lesser-known ones.
It feels sort of strange when the music style that was once a whole
new revelation reveals feelings of nostalgia, and you realize that almost
15 years have passed since the great days of New Order or Depeche Mode. But
it is good to see that most of the current bands try to go beyond those
standards, and work with new influences. Information Society give a perfect
example of that, weaving industrial noises and goth keyboard lines into the
classic synth pop pattern. Many of the contributors draw from dance/techno.
"House Not Made With Hands" by Machine In Motion, with its dance beat and
the extremely catchy melody, is fully in the trend of (European) hits, only
that it is of much better quality than those. Should be a smash hit!
Another highlight is "Strictly Digital" by Talent Mafia, where the title
almost says it all: digitally processed vocals and an irresistible,
electronic sound that approaches Sigue Sigue Sputnik. Anything Box also
contribute a very interesting track, with some drum sounds, and band member
Dania is also present with a solo track, featuring beautiful vocals and
experimental keyboard sounds.
Others stay closer to the tradition, but all tracks are at a very
high quality level. E. g. Forgiving Iris deliver wonderful vocals, and also
Turning Keys wrote a melody that could make Human League or Erasure jealous.
Even if synth pop is not a current trend, this sampler is a lot of
fun to listen to, and a great way to get an overview of today's bands. And
in a time where music styles get recycled all the time, why not make '96
the year of the synth pop revival? You can start right in your living room,
with _CatCompilation II_.
Bands featured: Information Society, L.E.D., Channel 69,
Anything Box, Seven Red Seven, Dania, Machine In Motion, Division Of Beat,
Forgiving Iris, Still, Cosmicity, Turning Keys, Talent Mafia, Release,
Elizabeth, Realtime.
More information about getting this release and about C-A-D in
general can be obtained from CADInfo@aol.com. $1 from each sale goes to
support of HIV/AIDS victims.
---
REVIEW: The Kabalas, _Martinis and Bagels_ (Leppotone)
- Dan Enright
Here in Northeast PA, a large cross-section of the population has
roots in central Europe. This is best reflected by the local PBS Station's
decision to program a show entitled Pennsylvania Polka every Saturday
evening and the proliferation of Polka Bands at church/firehouse picnics
and weddings. The same must be true in Moline, Illinois - the home of this
quartet. The instrumental line-up gives the first hint of what's been
digitally encoded in the enclosed disc; not one, but two accordians (an
instrument that's unfortunately scorned as a musical aberration,
everywhere) played by Scott Morschhauser and Barry "The Wolfman" Wolf,
saxophones (soprano and tenor) from "Nervous" Neal Smith, and trap
set/frame drum rhythms by "Mr." Joel Dick.
These four gents have bent to the task of combining traditional
central European songs like Freilach HaShlishi, Peeschoo Lee (fast and
slow versions), Freilach HaRishon, the Russian Waltz, and Russian Sherele
[I can't be certain these are the correct spellings for the songs, since
they're pretty much smartasses - as you'll see] with originals that
feature some "Weird Al-esque" lyrics and attitudes.
"Planet of the Apes Polka," for example. They've condensed the
movie's plot to 17 lines, summing the moral of the story to: "Our future
seems to look pretty funky/If drop the bomb we must/You'll heed my
warnings this I trust/We'll have to put the kibosh on the monkeys."
Or, "Death Takes an Ibuprofen." As the reaper watches humans
living longer and looking younger, these guys note: "Once the mirror was
your friend. Smile now and it's not the end. Your age is causing misery.
Hide it with plastic surgery. You can beat it. You can last. Wrinkled
gray hair now is past. Losing chess with Igmar Bergman. Look it's death
taking an ibuprofen."
The "BunzuvSteil Polka" is a lament about what happened to the
narrators home life after his wife got "bunzuvsteil" - "There's men lined
up around the block/I point my ears like Mr. Spock/To hear these dogs
bark/like a wiskered seal./I can't believe this frightning view/They're
like caged lions at the zoo/Since my baby got the bunzuvsteil."
And then there's "Get Maj!" which starts as a dirge, then asks,
"What do you think you're soaking in? *male voiceover: Relax, it's Palm
Olive... What do you think you're soaking in? *female voiceover: Is it
mild?... Male voiceover: More than just mild, it soften your hands while
you do the dishes!... *female voiceover: Dishwashing loation!?..." [this
ends side one] followed by - before it was cool - the theme from
"Underdog."
There is one "serious" song amongst the 18, "Wall Marrt Polkaa."
It warns against the homogenization of small towns by chain stores; "My
home town was famous for Italian restaurants. The mom and pop eateries
and the lucious food they'd flaunt. Now the restaurant chains have become
the local haunts. They're serving up the bland and this is what you want?
Local business, local profits that's what makes us all smart. It's not
worth the lousy service. Why don't you do your part?"
If you dislike accordians, then stay as far away from these guys
as you can. But, if (like me) you're a fan of Weird Al and 3Mustaphas3
this is a worthy addition to your collection. And, according to the
manufacturer, this Lepp*o*phonic Long Play Stereo Microgroove disc may be
played on monophonic reproducers without any adverse effect on the disc
or playback system. But, they warn, the full dimension of binaural sound
will only be recreated on a properly equipped hi-fi system, matched with
a pair of stereophonic speakers. Purchasers are assured that because the
recording is fully compatible, there's no need to fear it becoming
obsolete in the future...
These truely indie, madcap musicians can be contacted on the
World Wide Web at http://www.panix.com/~vision/kabalas.html
---
REVIEW: Billie Ray Martin, _Deadline For My Memories_ (Sire)
- Daniel Kane
Two adjectives familiarize the listener with Billie Ray Martin:
experienced and talented. Born in Germany and with a London background,
Billie Ray Martin is a Nineties soul queen, as our generation's Techno/Garbo,
as the Marlene Deitrich of dance.
The former lead singer of Electribe 101 (best known for the
house/soul sound of songs such as "Tell Me When The Fever Ended"),
reaches new heights with her solo debut, _Deadline For My
Memories_.
"Your Loving Arms," released in England in 1994, reached the
British Top Ten, with sales in the 200,000 range, also faring well in the
clubs in the States.
To me, an intriguing facet of the artist is the range of lyrical
creativity, from the triumphant "You and I (Keep Holding On)" to the
narrative "Hands Up and Amen" to the accusatory "Imitation of Life" to the
chronicled love of "Your Loving Arms."
"Space Oasis", an intriguing track, evokes images of a sleeping
satellite that awakens to the patrons capturing the magic of the night
while the sultry "We Shall Be True" doesn't hesitate to get to the point:
"...there is me, there is you, and we know what to do..."
This is highly recommended for anyone into the soul and house
dance sound.
---
REVIEW: Rory MacLeod, _Self Titled_ (Bazillion)
- Dan Enright
This album, a collaberation between Rory and his producer
Juliann France, took a while to grow on me. Bass-y and bleak, it struck
me at first as another of those angst ridden whine fests - but there's
more going on here. Rory performs almost all the instruments so this is
clearly a personal project/statement from Providence, Rhode Island. It's a
scathing look at the people and places Rory hangs around.
It starts with his observation in "I Know How You Are"; "You just
don't like it if it's strange, you don't want to have to use your brain."
This is followed by an angry rant in "Now that I'm Down," "You say
money's tight/you won't help me get right/You talk about pain/you
don't know about pain/ you think it's a game... I see you on tv, i see
you in the cafes/talking about the people you've saved..." then, his voice
dripping with venom, he continues "Now that I'm down, Fuck me!"
His mocking of the "Local Pop Hero" is just as sharp. Describing
a guy that's more about style than substance, he describes him (in a
sarcastic tone of voice); "I want to be a local hero/I want to set my
sights on zero/I wnat to make you love me/I want to feel you touch me..."
"Dr. Fine" lambasts the medical profession "Voodoo priest/zombie
minions/on the wall, the shadows lurk/the hand is sure/the knife can
cure/zombies echo every word/they say, "scalpel... suture... you think
you're sick now/tell him to cut it out/you think you're better now/you'll
learn to do without/you think you're sick now/here's somthin' for the
pain/you think you're well now/it's running through you vein/you think
you're sick now/you think you're better now/you think you're sick..."
The album continues with songs titled "Man With the Largest
(brain)," "All Fires Are Beautiful," "The Kids Pay Twice," and "Lie So
Good." Rory has a unique songwriting style that mixes some strong
pop melodies and tight grooves with minimalist structures and jazz,
sometimes in the same song, a technique which works to emphasize the points
he's trying to make. Couple this to lyrics both sarcastic and bitter and
you have an album that stands alone. And, he doesn't appear to give a shit
how unpopular the views are - someone HAD to point these things out.
With bands falling all over themselves to sound like their
favorite recording act, or sign a contract based on the styles of others
before them, Rory is a unique breath of fetid air. He's got a really bad
attitude. But when I looked around my town, I noticed the same things that
were pissing him off lurking here. It was kinda scary...
Rory and his label can be contacted at: Bazillion@aol.com
---
REVIEW: Fear, _Have Another Beer With Fear_ (Sector 2)
-Linda Scott
Punk may be dying, but don't tell that to Fear. After ten years'
absence, Fear is back again with _Have Another Beer With Fear_, a raw,
aggressive punk album. In the late seventies, Fear was one of the most
influential punk bands on the LA scene. Original band members were
Lee Ving (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Philo Cramer (guitar), Derf Scratch
(bass) and Johnny Backbeat (drums). The band's defiant, nihilistic
attitude was captured on Director Penelope Spheeris' vintage film _The
Decline of Western Civilization_. The essential Fear album is their debut
recording _The Record_ with searing rock 'n' roll that broke down the
musical boundaries of their generation. Fear was noted for their fever-
pitch live appearances, with their most famous being a Saturday Night Live
appearance where band and fans in true punk style created a sea of slam
dancing and utter chaos.
In the early eighties, band changes saw Scratch replaced by the Red
Hot's Flea, replaced by the Dickies' Lorenzo. In 1985 Fear
released _More Beer_, an album with nothing really new to say. A drummer
change brought Nina Hagen's Spit Stix to Fear. But nothing new really
happened and _More Beer_ was the last album until now.
Unfortunately, _Have Another Beer With Fear_ breaks no new
ground. The band experience seems submerged and subdued. The music
is the same driving, thrashing punk beat with some interesting details.
With or without lyrics, the songs seem pretty much the same. None really
stands out as a possible single with the exception of "I Believe I'll Have
Another Beer". The album's beer theme is in the title and four tracks:
"Drink Some Beer", "Beerfight", "Free Beer" and "I Believe I'll Have
Another Beer". This third Fear album probably suffers from the big punk
problem - the music needs the band and the audience together. If you like
basic punk, you'll like this album.
---
REVIEW: Ben Neill, _ Green Machine_ (Astralwerks)
- Daniel Kane
What do you get when you combine the methodology of the
electronic dance underground and a marriage of technology with convention?
A performance by Ben Neill.
With his "mutantrumpet," an originally developed device combining a
conventional trumpet with synthesized sound, Ben's _Green Machine_ propels
the listener to a sonic jungle in several phases--birth, mutation and decay.
Thunderclaps, beating drums, bells, synthetic insect life--all are included
in a fascinating array of tracks made possible by the mutantrumpet.
According to Kyle Gann's "It's a Jungle" the rhythm and system
established and employed by Ben Neill are not coincidental as one would
probably presume a jungle atmosphere to be: "...all of Neill's rhythm, visual
and audio tempos, and fundamental bass tones were related to the numbers 6,
7, 8, and 9...implicit in _Green Machine_ was the Renaissance
fantasy that even the jungle manifests a hidden numerical order."
As a mutantrumpeter, Neill, now curator of "The Kitchen" (new art,
dance and music) since 1992, encourages interactivity with the audience during
performances, letting audience members become involved with the lit segment
while he mutantrumpets to the delight of the listeners.
---
NEWS: > Gary Louris, Merc Perlman, Karen Grotberg and
Tim O'Reagan - formerly, along with Marc Olson, known as
the Jayhawks - will begin recording their first album without Olson
in March. The new band name (and new lead singer) has not
been decided yet, but Louris noted that "There may be someone
else in the band, but not someone who's Olson-like or a
substitute."
> A "Best Band in Ohio" competition is being sponsored by
Nmuto and Zerone Audio Labs. The winner will receive 40 hours
of studio time in Fremont, Ohio, plus 1000 copies of their own release.
The entry fee is $50 / band. For more information, contact
yostie@aol.com or call 419-332-5667
> New York City's Popsmear magazine has been giving back
something to their subscribers - freebies. All the stuff that you've heard
about from the labels and 'zines - postcards, club passes, posters, stickers,
etc. - is given away randomly to the magazine's subscribers on a rotating
basis. For subscription rates and any other information, contact them
directly at popsmear@sonicnet.com
> Coming up on Sonicnet's chat schedule:
Jan. 23 Revelation Records (8 pm), Feb. 8 Das EFX (8 pm). Sonicnet
can be accessed on the World Wide Web at www.sonicnet.com
> Mike Watt will be playing bass for Porno for Pyros'
upcoming Australian tour dates while the band searches for a
new permanent bassists. Watt plans to record a new album later
this year; his slated live album for early '96 has been postponed
indefinitely.
---
TOUR DATES
AC/DC
Jan. 20 St. Petersburg, FL Dome
Jan. 21 Miami, FL Miami Arena
Jan. 22 Daytona, FL Ocean Center
Jan. 23 Atlanta, GA Omni
Jan. 25 Houston, TX Summit
Jan. 26 Austin, TX Erwin Center
Jan. 27 San Antonio, TX Alamodome
Jan. 29 Phoenix, AZ American West
Jan. 30 Anaheim, CA Arrowhead Pond
Cravin' Melon
Jan. 19 Knoxville, TN Flamingo's
Jan. 26 Chapel Hill, NC Cat's Cradle
Cypress Hill
Jan. 27 Phoenix, AZ Mesa Amphitheater
Jan. 29 San Antonio, TX Live Oak Civic
Jan. 30 Austin, TX Music Hall
Jan. 31 Dallas, TX Bronco Bowl
Godplow
Jan. 19 Morgantown, WV Nyabinghi Dance Hall
Jan. 20 Huntington, WV Drop Shop
Jan. 21 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony
Jan. 22 New York, NY Under Acme
Jan. 23 Wilkes-Barres, PA Mantis Green
Jan. 24 Boston, MA The Rat
Jan. 25 Philadelphia, PA Upstairs At Nick's
Jan. 27 Baltimore, MD Memory Lane
Jan. 28 Richmond, VA Twisters
Jan. 30 Columbia, SC Rockafellas
Jan. 31 Myrtle Beach, SC Mr. Yuk's
Kilgore Smudge
Jan. 21 Boston, MA Mama Kin's
Jan. 24 Philadelphia, PA JC Dobbs
Jan. 25 New Castle, DE The Coda
Jan. 26 Rockville, MD Manny's
Jan. 27 Virginia Beach, VA Skully's
Robbie Laws & Urban All-Stars
Jan. 19-20 Portland, OR Moosehead
Jan. 21,28 Portland, OR Harrington's
Jan. 24,31 Portland, OR Key Largo
Jan. 26-27 Gresham, OR M&M Lounge
Letters to Cleo
Jan. 31 Columbia, MO The Blue Note
Liquor Bike
Jan. 26 Cincinnati, OH South Gate House (with Omatic)
Jan. 27 Cleveland Heights, OH Grogg Shop
Jan. 28 Detroit, MI Shelter
Jan. 29 Kalamazoo, MI Club Soda (with Doxie)
Jan. 30 Toledo, OH Whit's End
---
ERRATA: In the final issue of 1995, we said that "we're the oldest
music publication on the Internet". As our own Dan Birchall pointed
out, as a multi-person reviews 'zine, this is true (yes, older than
Addicted to Noise and Vibe), but there are some mailing lists and
band-specific publications - such as Queensryche's _Screaming in
Digital_, which Birchall edits - which predate us by more than 2 years.
---
The Readers Write Back!
Just a note you let you know that I bought "Saturday Morning" and
it is the most awesome CD I have ever heard. The renditions of the old
70's cartoons is just too great for words. I saw Bush here in South
Florida is October and they sang the "Goolies Get Together" and it brought
back some great memories. Thanks for turning me on to these tunes.
- John T., Florida
I was a big fan of Anthrax with Belladonna but
was always left wondering how great they could be with a quality singer.
I got the answer with the_Sound of White Noise_ and that has been further
strengthen by _Stomp_. Now I dont think I'll be pulling out their old cds
anymore - if I ever take _Stomp_ out of my cd player - S.M., Oregon
Just wanted to thank y'all for keeping me in touch with the
music scene in all my travels of '95. You've hooked me onto Dance Hall
Crashers, Echobelly, Tarnation and Garbage and exposed me to countless
other bands that I would never have heard of through the mainstream
press. The majority of my new-music buying is guided by this e-mag and
a Canadian print mag called Impact.
Keep up the excellent work. I look forward to another year of
insightful and honest reviews by your conglomeration of reviewers.
- Gary P. Houston, TX
---
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===
