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Consumable Online Issue 097
==== ISSUE 97 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [January 7, 1997]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gajarsky@email.njin.net
Sr. Correspondents: Jeremy Ashcroft, Dan Enright, Reto Koradi,
David Landgren, Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr,
Jamie Roberts, Joe Silva, John Walker
Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron,
Paul Grzelak, Janet Herman, Bill Holmes, Eric
Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Stephen Lin, Scott Miller,
Al Muzer, P. Nina Ramos, Linda Scott, Simon
Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Courtney Muir
Wallner, Simon West
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann
Also Contributing: John Fahres
Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gajarsky@email.njin.net
==================================================================
All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s).
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the
editor.
==================================================================
.------------.
| Contents |
`------------'
INTERVIEW: The Dictators - Al Muzer
REVIEW: BoDeans, _Blend_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Social Distortion, _White Light White Heat White Trash_
- Jeremy Ashcroft
REVIEW: The Monkees, _Justus_ - Daniel Aloi
REVIEW: Duncan Sheik, _Duncan Sheik_ - Stephen Lin
REVIEW: 22 Brides, _Beaker_ - Scott A. Miller
REVIEW: Moe., _No Doy_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Love Riot, _Maybe She Will_ - John Fahres
REVIEW: Brave Combo, _Mood Swing Music_ - Scott A. Miller
NEWS: David Bowie, Duran Duran Tribute, Mark Eitzel, Grey Eye
Glances, Doug Powell, Silverwave, Smashing Pumpkins, Mike
Watt, Yello
TOUR DATES: Camber, Drain S.T.H., Goldfinger / Reel Big Fish,
Porno For Pyros, Sebadoh, Shake Appeal, Type O Negative
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
Back Issues of Consumable
---
INTERVIEW: The Dictators
- Al Muzer
Sometimes it takes a while for the history books to catch
up with what really happened.
Witness: America's God-given right to populate the West
corrected to read as the shameless land theft it really was; the
Mexican-American War, once considered a righteous border protection
move, now reflects the bullying of a race living here long before we
set foot on the big boats; and the music books that once touted the
New York Dolls, MC5, the Ramones and Iggy as the earliest progenitors
of punk finally include The Dictators on the list.
Well, actually, that last part hasn't happened yet, but it will.
Punks before punk was cool, junk culture freaks before the
rest of us realized there was such a thing as junk culture, wrestling
fanatics at a time when most of America didn't even know who Andre
The Giant was and the Hulkster was just a muscle-bound gleam in
some pharmacist's eye - New York's Dictators were cranking out loud,
hard, fast, fun, dumb and obnoxious years before a market for loud, hard,
fast, fun, dumb and obnoxious even existed.
Originally a quartet featuring drummer Stu-Boy King, guitarists
Ross The Boss and Scott "Top Ten" Kempner and vocalist/songwriter/
bassist/former rock-critic/music 'zine publisher Adny (or Andy, it
varied) Shernoff; the group's early, sloppily-enthusiastic
performances garnered the band local fame not only for the intensity
and jet-engine volume of their music - but for the occasional
appearances made by wrestling fanatic, "secret weapon" and equipment
destroying band roadie, Handsome Dick Manitoba.
"We formed The Dictators mostly because we had no other
choice," said Shernoff during a recent phone call. "We were all friends
before we formed the band, but, the band was formed mainly because we
didn't seem to fit in anywhere else. Music was the only place we all
felt comfortable. I, personally, didn't know what else to do with my
life."
Somewhere along the line, music journalist Richard Meltzer
(immortalized on "Borneo Jimmy") took a shine to the group and began
championing The Dictators' cause until Epic Records finally signed
the band.
"People were aghast," laughs Manitoba as he recalls the initial
reaction to the Dictators. "We were just so hysterically horrible!"
"They hated us!" chortles Shernoff. "The world hated us!
Everyone hated us! We were dropped by Epic within, like, six months.
There was absolutely no outlet back then for what we were doing."
"I remember we threw White Castle hamburgers at the audience
once," Manitoba chuckles. "All of us loved White Castle hamburgers,
so, naturally, we thought our audience would love 'em, too."
"Unfortunately," he laughs, "we forgot that we were opening
for Rush at a club in Atlanta and this wasn't exactly our audience.
There I was, this 210-pound guy with an afro and a wrestling outfit
throwing hamburgers at a crowd of Rush fans staring back at us in
horrified shock. I don't think the world, or that part of it, at any
rate, was ready for us yet."
From Handsome Dick's bellowed ("I don't have to be here, 'ya
know? This is just a hobby for me, you hear? A hobby!") rant at the
beginning of the band's classic 1975 debut, _Dictators Go Girl Crazy_,
through '77s excellent (if somewhat uneven) _Manifest Destiny_ and
1978s should'a hit, _Bloodbrothers_ (the latter two on Asylum) - The
Dictators on record were generally a good five to six years ahead of
their musical time.
"Groups like The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Who and 'Stones
were really big early influences on The Dictators," comments Shernoff.
"But, we were also fans of The Flamin' Groovies, The Stooges, MC5,
Television and the New York Dolls. You know, all that good stuff
happening around the area when we were starting out."
"You gotta remember that back when we recorded our first
album," he continues, "there was no Ramones, there was no Nirvana,
CBGB's was just getting started and the Sex Pistols hadn't even met
each other yet. There was, however, stuff like Kansas, Yes and ELP
all over the radio."
A brilliant first effort, _Dictators Go Girl Crazy_
predicted punk rock with "Master Race Rock," "Two Tub Man," "Back
To Africa" and "(I Live For) Cars And Girls"; punk-pop with "Next
Big Thing," "Weekend" and "Teen Generation"; and new wave quirk-pop
as well as David Lee Roth's future solo career with campy covers of
"I Got You Babe" and "California Sun."
Within minutes (or so it seemed) of the record's release,
however, Stu-Boy took off for parts unknown and the group was unable
to immediately promote the album on tour.
It didn't matter. Despite the quality of the debut and a
half-hearted push from Epic, The Dictators were, by and large, ignored
by America (busy, at the time, gettin' down with K.C. And The
Sunshine Band and "Jive Talkin' " with The Bee Gees) and ...Go Girl
Crazy went absolutely nowhere.
Dropped by Epic quicker'n you can say "disco ball," the
Dictators spent the next two years searching for a new label and
integrating drummer/backing vocalist Ritchie Teeter, bassist Mark
"The Animal" Mendoza (with Shernoff switching to keyboards) and
Handsome Dick Manitoba (now a full-fledged member) into the lineup.
"Basically, the band thought it'd be safer and cheaper to
have me as a frontman rather than their roadie," laughs Manitoba. "I
misplaced things, lost a couple'a amp heads, and then there was the
time I ripped a metal awning out of a building when I ran into it
with the top of the van. Anyway, stuff like that always seemed to
be happening to me, so, it was pretty much a decision based on band
economics that, I think, worked out well for everyone."
"It was a lot cheaper for us that way," recalls Shernoff.
"Although Dick kept losing equipment and destroying trucks on us, he
was just too much fun not to have around. Besides, his skills as a
frontman were obvious - he's a guy who can definitely get people's
attention."
Finally connecting with Asylum Records (the home of Jackson
Browne and The Eagles), the reconstituted Dictators released _Manifest
Destiny_ at about the same time "Hotel California" took over the Top 10
charts in the same year the Sex Pistols released the "shot heard
'round the world."
Although poorly mastered, the album featured enough
radio-worthy pop hits in "Exposed," "Hey Boys," "Heartache" (later
'borrowed' by Bram Tchaikovsky), "Steppin' Out" and "Sleepin' With
The T.V. On" (title and concept used by Billy Joel on 1980's _Glass
Houses_) and enough wild-ass Manitoba rants ("Science Gone Too Far,"
"Young, Fast, Scientific," "Disease" and a blistering cover of Iggy's
"Search And Destroy") to qualify as a major disappointment when no
one seemed to notice its release.
"Who really knows why?" ponders Manitoba when asked about
the album's lack of success. "I don't. I could give you a variety of
good reasons, and the real reason would probably wind up being a
little bit of all of 'em and a lot of some of 'em." "The record
didn't sound right for its time, America wasn't ready for us, we
weren't marketed right, we weren't brought along right, we were,
man," he adds after a long, thoughtful pause, "I could go on, but
that leads nowhere."
Losing Mendoza to a just-forming Twisted Sister not long
after _Manifest Destiny_ hit the racks; Shernoff dusted off his bass
and The Dictators continued to play at legendary New York City clubs
such as CBGB's, Mother's and Max's Kansas City alongside bands like
the Ramones, Television, the Dead Boys and the Talking Heads.
"It always seemed like The Dictators sort'a fell between
the cracks," considers Manitoba. "Ya' know, like we were just
in-between the solidness of whatever was hot or happening at the
time. But, then again, that's the way it goes for 98-percent of the
records that come out."
Toughened by performing for jaded, but enthusiastic, crowds of
extremely vocal pre- and proto-punks, The Dictators' sound grew leaner
and sharper while Shernoff began writing some of the hardest-hitting
songs of his career.
Edgier, crunchier and more powerful than anything the band
had waxed to date, "Faster & Louder," "Stay With Me," "Baby, Let's
Twist," "What It Is," "No Tomorrow," "Minnesota Strip" and "I Stand
Tall" were raw, amped-up, pogo-punk tunes that came across like the
bastard offspring of a mean, hungry, disgruntled group of leather 'n'
jeans wearin' slobs caught-up in the heady energy of the punk movement.
Despite producing what was, in retrospect, one of the all-time
classic punk-rock albums of the late-'70s, _Bloodbrothers_ failed to
find its audience and, after being unceremoniously dumped by Asylum,
the band fell apart several months later.
"The biggest problem we had, I think, was that our records
were never that well recorded or produced," laments Shernoff.
"_Bloodbrothers_ was, essentially, a reaction to _Manifest Destiny_,
which, we thought, was a little overdone."
"We'd spent a lot of time in the studio working on the
second album, trying to make a strong, clean pop record," he
recalls, "while _Bloodbrothers_ was basically recorded live in the
studio. We just banged it out. It's a little lo-fi, but..."
"It's kind'a funny," observes Manitoba. "We were a part
of what eventually became something pretty important; but, we never
really sold a lot of records in 'our time.' It's sort'a like The
Dictators name and reputation, especially now, is much bigger and
more popular than anything we ever achieved commercially or as a band."
"It's nice to get recognition, though - anyhow and anyway
you can," he adds sincerely. "And, sure, I'd love to've made a
million dollars and sold a million records and had millions of people
loving us - but, things work out the way things work out. Better a
little recognition late than obscurity forever."
"People have always said that about us," laughs Shernoff when
the phrase, "years ahead of their time" is used to describe The
Dictators. "I think it's mostly because no one could ever figure us
out or 'fit' us anywhere."
"There's this section in the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame on
New York rock," he says with quiet pride. "And, we have our little
display there. There's a Handsome Dick Manitoba jacket and a copy of
our first album along with stuff from bands like the Ramones. It's
pretty flattering that people cared enough about that era of music
to include it in the museum. It was a pretty unique time in history."
While occasional one-off reunion gigs in the New York area
resulted in a live, cassette-only Dictators album on ROIR in 1981
called _Fuck 'Em If They Can't Take A Joke_ - with Ross The Boss
sportin' a fur loincloth in Man O' War, Manitoba and Shernoff (with
Ross) focusing on Manitoba's Wild Kingdom, Shernoff distracted by a
variety of production gigs (most recently, Shake Appeal, Guided By
Voices and D-Generation) and Kempner setting new standards for roots
rock with Eric Ambel in The Del-Lords and, later, with Dion
"Runaround Sue" Belmont, The Smithereens' Mike Mesaros and present
Dictators drummer Frank Funaro in The Little Kings - full-fledged
Dictators get-togethers came few and far between.
"I never consider them reunions," Manitoba says of the
occasional Dictator regroupings. "Because I don't really think of
us as ever having broken up. We started doing something a long time
ago and our lifestyles still reflect that."
"It's not like we all gave up on music and got jobs on Wall
Street," he laughs. "Our individual lifestyles enable us to do music
and to come and go from jobs that are, uhm, let's just say, performer
friendly."
"I know this is gonna sound really corny," Manitoba laughs,
"but, it's sort'a like The Dictators are a way of life. They weren't
just a phase we were all going through and then grew tired of. So, to
me, it's not like, 'Let's go do a reunion show!' It's more like, 'Hey
guys, let's get together and play this weekend!' "
And now, twenty-one years after _Dictators Go Girl Crazy_
failed to make even a minor dent in the charts, Shernoff, "Top Ten,"
Ross, Funaro and Handsome Dick have returned to the fray louder and
brasher than ever on their brand new Norton Records seven-inch,
"I Am Right" b/w "Loyola."
"Who's song ya' like better?" demands Manitoba with a
half-serious laugh. "Mine, or Andy's? Andy sings the pop song while
mine is more of a loud, crazed, over-the-top Dictators sort'a thing."
"We wanted to include both a punk and a pop song on the
single," offers Shernoff. "The pop thing is there to remind people
that we've always considered ourselves a pop band. The punk track,
which is actually more of a 'Detroit-rock' kind'a thing, is there
because, especially attitude-wise, we've always been a punk band."
"I think we did a pretty good job for a bunch of guys who
aren't really a band all the time," says Manitoba. "We didn't have
time to do much besides get intense, serious and ferocious and cut
the tracks. We had one day to record, mix and finish the songs, so
we were really focused."
"It's a great package," he says of the new seven-inch
single. "I'm just kind'a sorry it's not available in another format,
ya' know? 'Cause I can't even listen to it. Hell, my turntable
vanished a long time ago!"
In addition to cutting the new songs, the band recently
finished a month-long concert tour of Spain while Shernoff and
Manitoba are also busying themselves preparing a _Greatest Hits_
package to be released by Rhino Records sometime this year.
"The way I look at it," reflects Manitoba on the tour,
"everything we get now is just gravy. I really feel blessed that,
20 years later, without even trying to be a band, we can go to
Europe for a month and people want to see us play. I think that's
fantastic."
"As for my concept for the Rhino collection?" he asks.
"It's to not do a 'pimples and all' history of The Dictators,
ya' know? I'd much rather pick out 15 or 16 of the very best
tracks we did, add one or two new Dictator songs - and then raid
the archives for an unreleased rarity or two. You know, make this
the one Dictators record that everyone needs to own."
"Rhino has thrown the ball back into our court," adds
Shernoff. "They said that we could do whatever we wanted to with
the 'Best Of,' so I'm going through a bunch of unreleased stuff -
B-sides, demos and alternate takes - to see what's worth including."
With the recent Sex Pistols, Descendents, Circle Jerks and
Fear reunions coming at a time when the punk rock torch is being
held high by such "second-coming" groups as The Offspring, Rancid,
Pennywise, Green Day, Ruth Ruth and Goldfinger - could it be that
the ears of America are ready for the second coming of The Dictators?
"It's sort'a like The Dictators exist, and they don't exist,
ya' know?" chuckles Manitoba. "Like, we don't actively exist anymore
- but, we're alive. And, because we're still alive, we pop into
people's heads every now and they say, 'Hey, we really should do
something with The Dictators!' "
"Next thing ya' know," he laughs, "we get a phone call and
The Dictators are reborn again. It's sort'a like watering weeds,
all of a sudden, what was considered dead exists again. Ya' just
can't get rid of us."
---
REVIEW: BoDeans, _Blend_ (Slash/Reprise)
- Bill Holmes
They're still here, ten years later, creating solid,
soulful records that should be making AAA radio programmers do
cartwheels. So why is it that their only glimpse of the "big
time" has come from the use of their song "Closer To Free" as
the anthem from the television show _Party Of Five_? And unlike
the Rembrandts, they can't even maximize their opportunity - after
all, the show is on FOX, not NBC.
No matter - despite lackluster sales, club tours and
sporadic praise, Sammy Llanas and Kurt Neumann have forged ahead,
mining the vein they know best. Somehow two vocalists who
individually would be unspectacular twist their voices into a
well-oiled and irresistible harmony; Llanas' rasp smoothed out by
Neuman's silk. Think Everly Brothers with a Jason And The Scorchers
edge, or a Springsteen lead with a Little Stevie who can hang with
him all the way through.
_Blend_ incorporates New Orleans rhythms and instrumentation
to fill out its sound. "Heart Of A Miracle" could have been plucked
off a Willy DeVille record (speaking of under-appreciated artists),
and "Red Roses" is that slow dance with a lover on a second floor
balcony. When they rock, like "Count On Me", it's more akin to the
sound of the Long Ryders or even Mellencamp than 1-4-5 rock (again
thanks to brushes and toms for a backbeat instead of the Big Drum
Sound). Other standouts include "Hurt By Love" and "Hey Pretty Girl",
a song that Springsteen would have killed to record for _The River_.
Someone must like them - they still have a record deal in an
age where record execs are preaching corporate liposuction. And
they're still making very good music, despite the fact that there
doesn't seem to be a radio format ready to embrace them. Fans will
be pleased to have another release that stays true to the course.
Those new to the BoDeans will find yet another quality band toiling
in the shadows. Looks like a win-win situation.
---
REVIEW: Social Distortion _White Light White Heat White
Trash_ (550 Music/Epic)
- Jeremy Ashcroft
With notable exceptions, the particular instruments a band
may use doesn't really have such a big influence on whether or not
you like the band. The guitar player might be playing a Strat, they
might be playing an SG; the beat might be maintained on Yamaha drums,
or it might be a Ludwig kit. The sounds might be different, but it's
really the notes that guitarist plays that counts, or whether the
drummer can get your feet moving. On the other hand, a singer's voice
can often either be the thing that attracts you to a band, or - if
it's not to your taste - be something that gets in the way of the music.
I say this by way of apology: this album is good, but in the
same way that some people can't really enjoy the music of, say, Kate
Bush, just because of her very distinctive voice, my enthusiasm for
Social Distortion is lessened purely because of the vocals. Someone
once compared Bryan Ferry's voice to champagne... a little is nice,
but too much can get up your nose. Okay, so that's the negative stuff
out of the way. And only a personal reaction: Singer Mike Ness has a
similar tight-throated style to Richard Butler of the Psychedelic
Furs... a voice that sold millions!
_White Light White Heat White Trash_ is Social Distortion's
sixth album, and although some previous releases have reflected the
band's interest in rockabilly (such as Hank Williams), this one is
firmly rooted in the U.S. punk rock that the band grew up with. While
they might cite bands such as The Ramones and Dead Boys as influences,
the band that this album most reminds me of is The Dictators, with
their tight punky rhythms and short-sharp-shock metal guitar. ("Down
On The World Again" even sounds like it has that band's Top Ten on
lead!).
Highlights include the album opener, "Dear Lover" - which
after its misleading intro, which could have been The Cranberries'
"Zombie" - truly bursts into life; "I Was Wrong", which quite
rightfully given its anthemic feel is the album's first single;
and "Pleasure Seeker" which has an Instinct-era Iggy feel about it.
Actually my real favourite isn't even credited on the sleeve, and
I'm sorry to give away the 'secret track', but Social Distortion's
metallic, but still funky, reworking of the Stones' "Under My Thumb"
which closes the album is a truly great cover.
In summary, as a fan of The Dictators myself, there was a lot
to like about this album... my ears just wished for Handsome Dick
Manitoba in on vocals.
You can find more about the band at their web site, at
http://www.socialdistortion.com
---
REVIEW: The Monkees, _Justus_ (Rhino)
- Daniel Aloi
This is the album they always had in them?
On the double-entendre-titled _Justus,_ Messrs. Dolenz,
Jones, Nesmith and Tork do it all as a band, for the first time
on record since 1970 - they sing, they play their instruments,
they write the songs. They're "the Pre-Fab Four" no more.
And as such, it's all over the map. No mere amalgamation
of vanity solo shots like The Beatles' _White Album,_ _Justus_
pulls the band together while playing up individual strengths
and weaknesses. I like - nay, love - about half of it, but maybe
not the half that old-guard Monkeephiles (or those merely
familiar with their goofy '60s NBC-TV series) might.
The first track, Michael Nesmith's 1968 "Circle Sky,"
sounds like a garage band stuck in the '60s a la The Lyres or
The Grays. Thank the estimable Nesmith for the '90s production
values. Always the holdout, having rejected all reunion tour
proposals, here proves he's a quite talented studio knob-twiddler.
The credits say "Produced by The Monkees," but Nesmith ultimately
had the role of producing and mixing the project while the other
three were on tour this year.
"Circle Sky" is the obvious old Monkees song to "cover" -
obscure enough (it's from _Head,_ the soundtrack to their trippy
cult film directed by Jack Nicholson) and absolutely to the point
of this project with the chorus "It looks like we made it once
again." It's also great fun to pick out the individual Monkees'
voices and instruments in the mix - if you can get past the fact
that it sounds unlike anything they've ever done. Midway through
the album, another grungy Nesmith cut, the vitriolic "Admiral
Mike," could have come from the poison pen of John Lennon, with
a dash of Nick Lowe's satiric wit. The song's subject of derision
is "only selling ads," as Nesmith takes a swipe at clueless greedheads.
So Mike's my hero on this album, but Micky Dolenz deserves
proper credit as the band's impassioned heart and soul, past and
present. He infuses nearly every one of the 12 tracks with
vitality, something sorely needed for an aging band who are still
easy targets for narrow and misguided accusations of going through
the motions or trying to regain commercial or critical status with
a "reunion" as a gimmick.
Dolenz' "Regional Girl" is also heavy sounding, and the
kind of tune the band would have committed to record if they'd
lasted (as a cohesive unit) into the late '70s and the birth of
New Wave. Tork, the broadly talented folkie of the group, is as
capable with a Bach fugue as a protest song. He has a pair of
pleasant and melodic tunes here, "Run Away from Life" and "I Believe
You." The weakest creative link is David (no longer Davy?) Jones,
who as a songwriter can only spin out cotton-candy ballads ("Oh,
What a Night") and whose self-admitted musicianship begins and ends
with the tambourine (having seen him not quite get the maracas right
during a 30th Anniversary Tour show this summer).
But Jones' vocal harmonies are essential to the album, and
of course it wouldn't be the Monkees (ballads, bitterness, bad
judgment and breakups included) without him. His album-closing "It's
Not Too Late" - nearly saved by Dolenz' roof-raising gospel harmonies
at the coda - is still the fluffiest tune to come along in a long
time, the kind of thing now-aging Tiger Beat readers would have
loved for its sheer sappiness. And it might even play on A/C today.
But that's the radio-weary cynic in me talking. Better start over
with "Circle Sky." Here we go. It looks like they made it once again.
---
REVIEW: Duncan Sheik, _Duncan Sheik_ (Atlantic)
- Stephen Lin
Throughout 1996, I had a few favorite albums which
spent excessive amounts of time in my CD player. Poe's
_Hello_, Curve's _Cuckoo_, Chemical Brothers' _Exit Planet
Dust_, Letters to Cleo's _Wholesale Meats and Fish_,
Portishead's _Dummy_, Soul Coughing's _Ruby Vroom_, and
Garbage's self-titled release were among those beloved CDs.
I recently noticed that none of these albums were released
in 1996. With that in mind, I attempted to determine what I
thought were the best releases from 1996.
You'd think that'd be an easy task, but each album I
proceeded to pick up from my collection had been released
some earlier year. Finally, I came up with a short list of
CDs that spent any significant time in my CD player: Dave
Matthews Band's _Crash, _Songs in the Key of X: Music From
and Inspired by the X-Files_, Fiona Apple's _Tidal, Soul
Coughing's _Irresistible Bliss_ and Duncan Sheik's self-
titled release.
Duncan who?
Exactly.
What's even stranger is that this ill-exposed artist
has the "bragging rights" of being my favorite release from
1996. (Boy, what an honor!) So, who exactly is this man?
I'm not sure. (Not very compelling, eh?)
Here's what I do know: He has a clear and strong voice
which, in combination with his song-writing style, sound
reminiscent of Toad the Wet Sprocket. Tight harmonies
permeate the album. Howard Jones plays piano on "Reasons
for Living." The album was recorded mostly in Precy-sur-
Oise, France. Layers upon layers of beautifully
orchestrated guitars, piano, organs, strings, and vocals.
Tasteful use of an E-bow (which is much better than R.E.M.'s
grating flirtation with an E-Bow on their single "E-Bow the
Letter"). Hook, hooks, and more hooks.
Sheik's single, "Barely Breathing" is unbelievably
catchy. I'd heard the song playing while wandering through
the Gap and then again while passing by a Warner Bros.
Store. At the WB Store, Sheik's video was playing at ten
billion decibels on an enormous television screen. Despite
the incredible volume, I was sufficiently entranced by the
song that I went inside and finished watching the video.
Half a week later, the song was still stuck in my head and I
was compelled to buy the album.
Opening track, "She Runs Away" is a hook; the whole
damn thing - wonderful! The verses of "In The Absence of
Sun" and "Out of Order" sound a bit like Crowded House.
"Reasons for Living" and "Days Go By" are both depressing as
Hell, yet still manage to memorable and satisfying melodies.
"November" reminds me of Jeff Buckley (of whom I'm not even
particularly fond). "The End of Outside" and "Home" both
have Love Spit Love-y structural characteristics. "Serena"
builds in strength from beginning to end while maintaining
an unforgettable guitar riff throughout the choruses. While
certain themes may be cliche' ("Hey, there's a song about
love on here!!!") Sheik manages to not re-re-hash anything
too badly. And there you have it, nearly the entire album in
a nutshell.
I wouldn't ordinarily make such a big deal out of a new
artist, however, Sheik beating out old favorites Dave
Matthews and Soul Coughing is an impressive accomplishment.
Furthermore, if only you knew how impressive beating this X-
Phile's obsession is. well anyway, it's a great album. Go
buy it. It'll make you smile (or shrivel like a raisin out
of depression).
---
REVIEW: 22 Brides, _Beaker_ (Zero Hour)
- Scott A. Miller
If there were a Grammy for best Chrissie Hynde
performance 22 Brides would win it for the song "Truck Stop" from
_Beaker_. From the opening guitar riff and drum-clap to the
smoldering alto of lead singer Libby Johnson, "Truck Stop" leaps
off _Beaker_ and into your head just like "Middle of the Road"
leaped off _Learning to Crawl_ back in 1983.
But 22 Brides are no mere retro pretenders to Hynde's
"last of the independents" crown. Songs like "House on Fire,"
"Crash" and "Every Last Day" hint at greater things from this
sister act plus two from New York City.
Chief among the positives on _Beaker_ are Libby and Carrie
Johnson's tighter than tight harmonies. They're capable of turning
a song like the opening "Lullabye" from run-of-the-mill up-tempo
rocker into something special.
Beaker also introduces the Johnsons' new bandmates,
guitarist John Skehan and drummer Ned Stroh, who bring punch and
drive to these songs of rape, murder, random sex and out-of-control
women. It's really hard to imagine "House on Fire" performed without
Stroh's machine-gun snare flams. And Skehan's grinding solo on "Crash"
can vibrate skulls.
Despite all its considerable pluses, _Beaker_ hints that the
band is somewhat confused on what direction to take. Sometimes the
vocals go too far over the top, as in "Chain," where the Johnsons
harmonize, breath hard, and moan over a sloppy acoustic guitar
accompaniment. Other times, as in "True" or "Sunday Best," the songs
seem to have an unnecessary grunge element lacquered to an otherwise
nice piece of work. You're glad 22 Brides is on a label like Zero
Hour. Ultimately, the band will be allowed to ignore whatever Hole
is doing this year and find its own way.
There's a lot to like about 22 Brides, from its decidedly
feminine point of view to those gutsy gorgeous two-part harmonies.
_Beaker_ proves the Johnsons are capable of great things now with
still more to come. Stay tuned.
---
REVIEW: Moe., _No Doy_ (550 Music/Sony)
- Jon Steltenpohl
Grateful Dead fans listen up, another wannabe band is
on the scene. Good thing or bad? Well, if the success of Spin
Doctors, Blues Traveler, and Phish are any indication, go ahead
and rejoice. Moe. takes their lead and manages to be entirely
derivative, but very enjoyable.
As evidence, read the "subtle" Dead clues in their bio.
For instance, did you know that Moe. has been "touring endlessly
to spread their funky gospel" and that _No Doy_ "is an atypically
resonant set" from a band with "a wildly improvisational live
show." OK, so every Deadhead I know said the same thing about the
Dead shows they attended. Fortunately for Moe, they live up to
their bio.
_No Doy_ is a nearly hour-long set of 9 songs that range
from meandering epic jams to more compact pop tunes. "She Sends
Me" begins the album with a jangly little guitar part and such
nonsense love lyrics as "She's got a butt like a pillow and she
likes to wear black". Inexplicably, the album ends with the
synthesized sounds of frogs cavorting in a pond. The tone of the
album starts silly and remains the same throughout. It's nice to
find a truly carefree album. Mirth and merriment characterize
almost every song even when the themes are a bit depressing.
For a studio record, it's clear that these guys like
jamming and having a good time. "32 Things" features a "dueling
banjos" style jam on rhythm guitars before sliding into seventies
funk. "Moth" is an Allman Brothers inspired ditty about the
demise of a gypsy moth looking to escape only to be trapped by a
spider. The moral? "She knows nothing at all about life / She
knows everything about living."
When love goes awry in the Homeric epic "Rebubula", Moe.
gleefully sings "Rip off all my limbs / Poke out both my eyes / Pull
out my swollen tongue / Wear a thin disguise / And the sirens song /
Sweetly sucks me down / Into the ocean blue / I'll find my way back
to you." Not unlike Homer's works, "Rebubula" is a true epic of a
song (11+ minutes) with jams that, despite their length, manage to
keep your attention.
Producer John Porter puts the perfect twist on the album.
His credits are diverse as alternative martyrs The Smiths and blues
heroes Taj Mahal and Buddy Guy. _No Doy_ is impeccably mastered.
The vocals are clear and up front. The guitar is prominent, but
not overpowering. And, like his work with The Smiths, the bass
and drums are always allowed to fuel the groove. Moe. combines
funky rhythms and jazzy interludes with an easy going, southern
sound.
Moe. is clearly a band that's ready to be discovered by a
nation of neo-hippies. Their light, Dead-influenced sound already
has a solid audience waiting for them. Those of you who qualify,
well, you know who you are.
---
REVIEW: Love Riot, _Maybe She Will_ (Squirrel Boy)
- John Fahres
_Maybe She Will_, the long-awaited CD release from
Baltimore, Maryland's Love Riot, has a lot of expectations
lumped on it.
First, there is the fact that the band has won honors
internationally, including the Yamaha Soundcheck competition in
Japan. Then there is the album itself, being produced by Eric
"Roscoe" Ambel, who has been involved with the production of such
artists as The Bottle Rockets, Blue Mountain, Nils Lofgren, and
others.
Finally, of course, there's the band itself. After
catching the group live in various incarnations (which most,
until recently, were missing a drummer), there is the anticipation
of a record that takes you on a journey; Love Riot live is a sort
of spiritual experience coupled with a whole lot of groove.
So why is this album in the catagory of "OK" at best?
Let's take a look at the elements: great band, great producer,
indie label that allows for artistic freedom, great fan base,
great songwriting...why, then, doesn't the record work better
than it does?
Perhaps it comes down to one thing: energy. This band
is one that thrives on direct contact, be it with the audience,
the clubs, the judges...whomever they are trying to reach. And
it's that energy which is missing from the album. Sure the songs
are catchy, the instrumentation excellent, the vocals by frontwoman
Lisa Matthews exquisite. The album, however, fails to completely
translate the live show to recorded form. This is a problem, in
that this band seems to be about live, stripped-down presentation.
This doesn't say that the album is a failure; not by any
means. The music, as stated earlier, is catchy and the lyrics deep
with emotion. Cuts such as "Home" and "Smile" tug at the heart
strings, while "Don't Think Twice" gets the feet tapping and the
head bobbing. The songs stay mainly in the text of the band's
moniker: love. Good love, bad love, love in the making, love from
afar. You name it: if it's got to do with love, Lisa has written
about it.
The contributions of the remaining band members should not
be overlooked. Love Riot's unique instrumentation has helped to
put it on top. The current line-up hosts: Lisa on guitar and
vocals, Ron Campbell on drums and percussion, Mikel Gehl on guitar,
Willem Elzevir on violin and mandolin, and Mark Evanko on bass.
These artists come together behind top-notch songwriting to make
the Love Riot experience something special.
If you've never heard Love Riot before, by all means,
_Maybe She Will_ will surprise and impress. However, if you've
seen them live before, be prepared to have mixed feelings about
the recording.
---
REVIEW: Brave Combo, _Mood Swing Music_ (Rounder)
- Scott A. Miller
You know that feeling you get when you lift the couch
cushions during spring cleaning and find enough change to buy a
snack? You're happy, right? Brave Combo did a little housecleaning
to produce _Mood Swing Music_ and has given music fans the
happiness equivalent of finding a $20 bill in the laundry.
The 20 outtakes and overseas releases on _Mood Swing Music_
document nearly every style Brave Combo has ever recorded while
paying homage to some of the band's favorite musicians and
performers. It's hard to imagine a single band having - much less
needing-- a sampler album. But the Combo has recorded so many styles
from around the world that a sampler is probably the only way to get
a sense of the band's true gift for making authentic world music fun.
The opening waltz version of "Three Ducks" is as simple and
gorgeous as anything from Manheim Steamroller. It's followed by Brave
Combo's cover of "Little Bit of Soul." Originally a hit for The Music
Explosion, the Combo's version rivals Devo's cover of the Stones'
"Satisfaction" for quirkiness and probably lifts the spirits of all
the punk and new wave clubs that supported the band back in the early
1980s, when the best label anyone could find for its music was
"nuclear polka."
"Volare" is done in Japanese "Ondo" style, combining
traditional and popular music elements, and introducing Japanese Ondo
star Kikusuimaru to an American audience. "Come Back to Sorrento,"
the Italian pop standard, gets a Latin disco update that's guaranteed
to get your hips shaking. Also included is an outtake of the title
track from the Brave Combo collaboration with Tiny Tim called "Girl",
Tiny Tim's last major release.
Brave Combo doesn't run away from the label "quirky." And it
wears its "polka band" moniker like the Congressional Medal of Honor.
But the most famous band from Denton, TX, isn't a novelty act, unless
you consider people who make music because they love it a novelty.
Forget They Might Be Giants or even early Weird Al Yankovic, who
would throw in elements of polka strictly to be funny or campy. Brave
Combo records entire albums of polka to make people happy simply
because ringleader Carl Finch and his band of merry men believe above
all that music should be fun.
If you find polka a little difficult to swallow in large
doses, there's enough Tex-Mex, cha-cha and straight-ahead pop included
here to keep your interest and perk up your next party.
Or try popping it in the player the next time you're doing
household chores. You'll never vacuum the same way again. Because it's
not necessarily the amount of money you found under the couch cushion
that makes you so happy, it's the fact that you've uncovered a little
treasure. With _Mood Swing Music_, Brave Combo proves those treasures
can take a lot of different forms.
---
NEWS: > Consumable Online is one of a limited number of
Web sites helping David Bowie celebrate his 50th birthday on
the Internet. On January 8, there will be five never-before
heard songs, released using Real Audio 3.0. These songs will
only be available for 24 hours on January 8.
The songs are: a cover of Chuck Berry's "Round and
Round" recorded in 1971; an acoustic version of "The Man Who
Sold The World"; a single version of "Rebel Rebel" from 1973;
a live version of "Scary Monsters" from 1996 and a new mix
of his latest single, "Little Wonder". To link to the site, on
January 8, check out Consumable's website at
http://www.westnet.com/consumable
> Mojo Records will be issuing a Duran Duran tribute
album in late March of bands running the gamut from ska to
alternative to punk.
> Mark Eitzel's second solo (untitled) album for Warner will
be produced by R.E.M.'s Peter Buck in Buck's Seattle, WA studio.
Buck will also perform on the album, which will additionally
feature R.E.M. touring sideman Scott McCaughey, Screaming
Trees' drummer Barrett Martin and Seattle saxman Skerrik.
An extensive 1997 tour is planned, along with selected reissues
of earlier American Music Club albums.
> The band Grey Eye Glances (formerly Sojourn) has
got its own Web site at http://www.greyeyeglances.com - the
band's debut, _Eventide_, will be released by Mercury on February 11.
> Recording artist Doug Powell has his own web page,
which is located at www.telalink.net/~musickle/home.html
> The label Silverwave has established its Web presence
at http://www.silverwave.com
> The Smashing Pumpkins CD box set of five singles, _The Aeroplane
Flies High_, has been reissued due to greater than anticipated consumer
demand. An initial press run of 200,000 sold far better than expected;
if the local shop has sold out, fans can purchase a copy of the box set
by receiving a voucher from the store. Once the new run has been
completed, fans will receive a copy of the collection.
> Mike Watt has decided to rejoin Porno For Pyros for
one more United States tour beginning in January, 1997. This
will delay the start of recording of his own album, _Contemplating
The Engine Room_, an "opera" that also is his revival/revision
of the "power trio" tradition. The lineup will include Watt, Nels
Cline and Steve Hodges. Further information is available on Watt's
web page at http://www.fcom.com/~bofus/index.html
> Yello were awarded the art prize of the city of Zurich.
Synth-pop pioneers Dieter Meier and Boris Blank are the first pop
musicians ever to receive this prize, for "the most important Swiss
contribution to pop music". The band donated their $30,000 prize
for the musical education of underprivileged children.
---
TOUR DATES:
Camber
Jan. 9 New York, NY Under Acme
Drain S.T.H.
Jan. 11 New York, NY Downtime
Goldfinger / Reel Big Fish
Jan. 7 San Francisco, CA Trocadero
Jan. 9 Portland, OR La Luna
Jan. 10 Seattle, WA Rkcndy
Jan. 11 Vancouver, BC U. of BC
Jan. 13 Boise, ID Bogie's
Jan. 14 Salt Lake City, UT DV8
Jan. 15 Cheyenne, WY GI Forum
Jan. 16 Denver, CO Mercury Cafe
Jan. 17 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck
Jan. 18 St. Louis, MO Washington University
Jan. 19 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl
Jan. 20 Ames, IA People's Theatre
Porno For Pyros
Jan. 15 Miami, FL Club Nu
Jan. 16 Orlando, FL Embassy
Jan. 18 Jacksonville, FL Velocity Theatre
Jan. 19 Winston-Salem, NC Ziggy's
Sebadoh
Jan. 18 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Shake Appeal (Cheap Trick Tribute Show)
Jan. 9 New York, NY Continental
Type O Negative / Drain S.T.H.
Jan. 13 Richmond, VA Twisters
Jan. 15 State College, PA Crowbar
Jan. 16 Moosic, PA Sea Sea's
Jan. 17 Bethlehem, PA Lupo's
Jan. 18 Syracuse, NY Lost Horizon
Jan. 19 Virginia Beach, VA Abyss
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
I really enjoyed the reviews of the best CD's of 96, and
finding out when the most recent Dodgy CD will be released here.
Great publication. All the best in the new year.
- Debbie in New Jersey
---
Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest continuous
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===
