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Consumable Online Issue 050
==== ISSUE 50 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [August 19, 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, Daniel Kane, Sean Eric McGill,
P. Nina Ramos, Jamie Roberts, Linda Scott, Ali Sinclair,
Jon Steltenpohl, 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 |
`------------'
REVIEW: Foo Fighters - _Foo Fighters_ - Joe Silva
REVIEW: Ramones, _Adios Amigos!_ - Reto Koradi
REVIEW: Ugly Kid Joe, _Menace To Sobriety_ - Linda Scott
REVIEW: Young Gods, _Only Heaven_ - Reto Koradi
REVIEW: Soundtack, _Judge Dredd_ - Lee Graham Bridges
Interview: Rachael of The Blue Up? - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Various, _Flashback Cafe, Volume 2_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Cellophane Flowers, _e.p._-Tim Mohr
REVIEW: Bloodhound Gang, _Use Your Fingers_- Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: The Blues Band / Vincent Flatts Final Drive
Wilbarston, England July 22 - Richard Boyles
NEWS: Morrissey, Georgia Satellites, Independent Web Site, Oasis,
Chrissie Hynde/Pretenders, Urge Overkill, Patti Palladin
TOUR DATES: Better Than Ezra, Brooklyn Funk Essentials/Spearhead, Circle Jerks
Dandelion, Eskimo, Bruce Hornsby, The Invisible 666 Tour (Evil
Mothers, Horsey), Elton John, Live/PJ Harvey/Veruca Salt/Buffalo Tom
Dave Matthews Band, Moonpools & Caterpillar, Rev. Horton Heat / Hagfish,
Speedball, Ugly Kid Joe / Souls At Zero, Vinyl Devotion,
Warped Tour (L7, Quicksand, Sublime, Fluf, Use For A Name, Orange 9MM, Civ)
THE READERS WRITE BACK
Back Issues of Consuamble
---
REVIEW: Foo Fighters - _Foo Fighters_ (Roswell/Capitol)
- Joe Silva
Legacy units like this one are generally starting out one step behind;
poised to deliver but equally slated for failure. Out of the shards of
Nirvana come Mr. Grohl's Foo Fighters. Buried somewhere in their press
kit probably lays the rationale for the name, but there's little need for
fluff of that kind for the moment. The single, " This Is A Call" was
greeted by alternative radio with open arms, and if they ever get around to
liberating it from their mindset, there's more raw power type fun to
be uncovered.
If we have to reckon with the similarities, they are indeed there.
Grohl fosters Nirvana's innate affinity for melody that made _Nevermind_ the
immense crossover burden that it became. Couple that with the former
trio's trademark of sheer thrust and there are some of the key elements
that made Kurt & Co., and now subsequently, the Foos work.
But the distinctions are there as well. "Floaty" starts off grounded
enough with an almost Led Zep like acoustic intro before it wafts off, held
up by a swirling tuft of flange. "Big Me" has the strumming gentleness of
a Teenage Fanclub number while "Weenie Beenie" counters with a Thurston
Moore cum Mudhoney noise buffer and a distorto-Reznor vocal. Point being
that the Foos feel comfortable on either side of the alterna-fence. And,
they can just as deftly weld both faces of the band together when it suits
them as well. For instance, the initial slow amble of "For All The Cows"
eventually bursts into full 4/4 gallop a minute or so into it and back again
hitch free.
There are a couple of waning moments, but not enough to meander over
in print. And while most of these songs have been with Grohl for some
time and probably aren't lyrically pointed at the here and now, the "I don't
owe you anything" line in "I'll Stick Around" has a funny ring of truth to it
for all the grunge mavens who might be looking to Grohl for a bit of
salvation. Nope, he doesn't, but the Foos deliver any"hoo".
---
REVIEW: Ramones, _Adios Amigos!_ (Radioactive)
- Reto Koradi
Dinosaurs on the record cover are certainly appropriate for the
Ramones. It's been 21 years since they were at the root of punk, which is
just having another revival with Green Day and the likes. But the Ramones
never cared much about trends. Through good and bad times, they've been
playing the same kind of music over two decades. And while some people
might argue that this is a bad thing, their new release _Adios Amigos!_
proves that time just doesn't seem to pass for the Ramones. From the
original lineup, singer Joey and Johnny on guitar are still on board.
Marky took over the drums many years ago, and bass player CJ joined the
band in '89, taking occasional lead vocals.
The album starts with the Tom Waits song "I Don't Want To Grow Up",
adapted to the speed and energy that have become a Ramones trademark. All
but one of the other tracks are Ramones originals. Their consistency
over the years makes it hard to avoid that some songs revoke memories of
previous classics, e. g. "Life's A Gas" reminds a lot of "I Wanna Live".
There's one song where they don't borrow from their own past, though; the
melody of "Scattergun" is fatally similar to Paul Brady's "Steel Claw".
Like all good punk songs, most of the tracks are below 3 minutes, they
easily play through 13 listed plus one "hidden" track in 36 minutes. Only
"She Talks To Rainbows", a wonderful punk ballad, diverges from the
straight three-chord punk rock that they play like no one else.
There's a lot of talk whether they will really make the album
title true, and say "adios". On one hand it would be a pity to quit being
in such excellent shape; on the other hand it's always been a sign of class
to stop at a high point. _Adios Amigos!_ is a great album, it will make
Ramones fans jump with joy, and gives everybody that lost track with them
(or completely missed them so far) a perfect chance to jump on.
---
REVIEW: Ugly Kid Joe, _Menace To Sobriety_ (Mercury)
- Linda Scott
Ugly Kid Joe has a winner with its new release _Menace to Sobriety_.
If you're looking for variations on their big single "Everybody But You",
this album isn't it. The band has matured, changed its style and some
personnel. They *want* to distance themselves from their hit single off
_America's Least Wanted_; the band calls this winner a novelty hit and
urges you to check out the whole Ugly Kid Joe picture. Previous style
might have been bubblegum rock with some thrash and metal - a style to
please the beach bar and frat party crowd, but they've changed some. Ugly
Kid Joe began life as a Black Sabbath cover band and they are reclaiming
the hard rock, in your face roots.
Who are these guys? Ugly Kid Joe started to form in 1989 in Northern
California and in two years they had a lineup to sign with Mercury and
release a debut mini-album, _As Ugly As They Wanna Be_. "Everything About
You" was lifted from this album and was found again on 1992's _America
Least Wanted_. World tours opening for Def Leppard and Ozzy led to some
personnel changes. Continuing with the band would be vocalist Whitfield
Crane, guitarist Klaus Eichstadt and bassist Cordell Crockett. New recruits
are drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist David Fortman. Fortman has
particularly contributed a professional, hard rocking influence.
_Menace to Sobriety_ has a two minute instrumental introduction
leaving no doubt the following tracks will not be "Everything About
You". With the exception of "Cloudy Skies" and "Candle Song", the rest
are really rockers - from the rabblerousing "God" to the menacing
"10/10". The slower tracks are well positioned at the middle and end
providing a much needed rest. "Tomorrow's World" has been released as a
single. This track, indeed the entire album, showcases the excellent guitar
playing. Drummer Larkin is also a standout. This band and this music
will be great live - concert attendance is a must.
_Menace to Sobriety_ is a chance to hear a polished band with
a changed but firmly defined style. Ugly Kid Joe as a better, more
mature band now but they still have their versatility. The hard rock
base is there but they can rap, do sensitive, wistful songs and
probably still play "Everything About You".
---
REVIEW: Young Gods, _Only Heaven_ (Interscope)
- Reto Koradi
Even from their great first single "Envoye" in '86 and the first,
untitled album in '87, the Young Gods from Switzerland had ecstatic reviews
("the future of rock music") all over. Melody Maker made their debut release
album of the year. Despite that, they never seemed to make much progress, even
though releasing 5 albums with international distribution is remarkable for
such an innovative band.
The only original member on the newest release _Only Heaven_ is
Franz Treichler from Geneva, vocalist and brain of the band. Use Hiestand
took over the drums in '87, Alain Monod has been playing the samplers since
'89. Vocals, drums and samplers was always the whole lineup of the
Gods, certainly most unusual for a rock band; they were the first to build
up their music completely on samplers. Also worth mentioning is producer
Roli Mosimann, who has worked with New Order and The The.
While the music of the Gods was always highly interesting, it was
challenging at the same time, the huge wall of guitar samples and
industrial noise made them an acquired taste. Things have slowed down
somewhat on _Only Heaven_, and the effect is largely positive. There are
still tracks with aggressive industrial samples, like "Strangel" and
"Kissing The Sun", but even those have some slower passages that leave time
to breathe. The center piece is the 16 minute long "Moon Revolutions",
using a nice sample for the basic beat in the first part, evolving into a
very ambient sound with tons of great samples in the middle part, and
ending at a faster pace, with almost tribal drums. Other tracks confirm the
widened scope of their music, like the ballad-like "Child In The Tree" with
an acoustic feel, or "The Dreamhouse" with playful samples that remind of
our co-patriots Yello.
The orchestral (Mozart) samples from the early releases have
disappeared completely. The sources of the samples are hard to figure out,
many of them sound sort of familiar from daily life, but they get a
completely new identity inside the music. Treichler's vocals are sometimes
slightly melodic, but most of the time they are still in his unique,
intense, but at the same time almost whispering, style. The lyrics are
mostly English, only going back to French at a few places.
_Only Heaven_ is certainly less radical and violent than the Gods
used to be. The gothic/industrial sound is made more accessible by ambient
influences, making for a more relaxed style. But the result is more than
the sum of its parts, it still sounds consistent, and mostly brilliant.
This is still not music that will attract the mass audience, but music
lovers with an open mind will find an album that will reward their time
investment many-fold.
The Young Gods have a web home at http://www.mcnet.ch/gods. This
also contains detailed tour information, they are just finishing up their
US tour and will have many dates in Europe from September to December.
---
REVIEW: Soundtack, _Judge Dredd_ (Epic)
- Lee Graham Bridges
For about a year now, movies based on comic books or graphic novels
have been big-sellers at the box office. Movies like _The Crow_, _Tank
Girl_, _Batman Forever_, and the latest, _Judge Dredd_, have something else
in common--good soundtracks.
However, the JD soundtrack is different from the others because it
not only includes the standard tracks by various alternative bands, it also
includes the movie's score, composed and conducted by Alan Silvestri, who
has also been involved with music in over 40 other films (including _The
Bodyguard_, _Back to the Future_, and _Blown Away_). Silvestri has done a
fantastic job in contributing to the distressing nature of _Judge Dredd_
with the music he selected and helped create.
The album starts off with the Cure's "Dredd Song", a track with lots
of heavy percussion and unsettlingly melodramatic vocals/lyrics. This song
is not the Cure's best, but until the Cure's new album comes out in early
'96, it will be enough to satiate many fans.
The The's "Darkness Falls" is next, and it is smashing, of course.
It's nice to hear something original from the band since the last release
was a covers album. Like most of the other songs on the soundtrack, this
track has a melancholy/not-sure-if-we're-scared-or-angry-or-tired feeling to
it, carried to the extreme by Matt Johnson's vocals about "a storm coming to
this ol' town", and that "you are blessed, I am cursed", repeated over
guitars dipped in foreboding and sprinkled with doom.
White Zombie's "Super-Charger Heaven" seems almost too energetic to
fit well on this soundtrack, but represents the feelings of angst,
frustration, and confusion that afflict the good Judge throughout the movie.
This is a standard White Zombie track in every way--in fact, it was already
present on their most recent album, _Astro-Creep: 2000_.
I thought I would never in my lifetime hear a Cocteau Twins song on
a soundtrack, especially a Cocteau Twins song done _specifically_ for the
soundtrack. Such is the case with "Need-Fire"--it will not be featured on
any of their upcoming LP's or EP's, according to CT's Robin Guthrie. This
song is very hard to like at first, even for the band's biggest fans. But
after five to ten listens, it is easier to appreciate the heavy percussion
and less harmonious style the Cocteau Twins suddenly adopted for this song.
Finally, Leftfield contributes "Release the Pressure", a reggae-ish
techno tune that appeared on their (upcoming U.S.) album _Leftism_. This track
finishes off the set of actual "songs" included on the soundtrack. Yet for
some reason, I think that John Lydon screaming "burn Hollywood burn" over
some Leftfield music placed here would have added an interesting twist to
the soundtrack...
The score, which is the dominant musical influence in the movie, is
good--more subdued than many other motion picture scores. After seeing the
movie twice, however, I found myself a little disappointed that _Judge
Dredd_ had not taken after _The Crow_ a bit more, in the sense that the
"real" music should have been given more of a chance to enhance the artistic
and dramatic qualities of the movie. One can hear only a few seconds of
each of the songs besides "Dredd Song" (played over end credits). This is a
true waste, especially considering that good soundtracks such as this one
are rare.
Even though there are only five actual songs on the soundtrack, it
is a good purchase and contains at least one to as many as three songs that
may not be released elsewhere. Consider buying the _Judge Dredd_
soundtrack...and listen to it in the theatre where more music is most needed.
---
INTERVIEW: Rachael of The Blue Up?
- Jon Steltenpohl
I recently had the chance to speak with Rachael, the lead singer of
an incredible, emerging Minneapolis band, The Blue Up?. The band recalls
echos of Kate Bush, XTC, and Peter Gabriel, and younger music fans will
find an immediate resemblence to Tori Amos. Recently, The Blue Up? were
signed to Columbia with the help of their producer, Bobby Z. Fans
of Prince will remember Bobby Z as the drummer in Prince's band, the
Revolution. In fact, The Blue Up?'s new album, _Spool Forka Dish_, was
recorded in Prince's Paisley Park studios. However, unlike Prince protege
bands such as Vanity 6, The Blue Up? is Rachael's own band and her music
bears little resemblance to the Minneapolis funk sound.
If there is any similarity, it is the connections with the Revolution's
Wendy and Lisa. Fans of Wendy and Lisa will find that The Blue Up? is a
must have album. Bobby Z also produced Wendy and Lisa's first album, and
the mood and emotions are similar. _Spool Forka Dish_ is a bubbling
concoction of raw emotions, simple playground tunes, and studio noodlings.
Some songs are layered with criss-crossing words and melodies that weave
themselves into an incredible sonic tapestry while other tracks are fast,
guitar driven, pop tracks which cut through your ears like a freight train.
And admist this array of stunning tunes are snippets of tiny melodies sung
in a cute girlish voice.
That voice is none other than the leader of The Blue Up?, Rachael.
Talking with Rachael was a great experience. Her view of the world is at a
slightly different angle than the norm, and it was refreshing to speak with
someone who wasn't locked into the everyday way of life. Her voice
embodies the unholy marriage of a spiritual earth mother, a 4 year old, and
a valley girl.
Consumable: What's it like being signed to Columbia?
Rachael: Being on a major label is so elusive and strange. I mean,
there's just really no way you can describe it or anything. A million
things might be going on, but you can't explain it to anybody cause you
can't even explain it to yourself! It's kind of like _The X Files_ or
something. As soon as you join the FBI, you're on this secret mission.
But you don't know what your mission is, and you don't know who your boss
is, and you don't even know why you're doing it.
C: How much control did you have over your album cover?
Rachael: In the beginning, I had some control, and, after a while it
just took so long. They took control to get it done. In the end, I really
didn't have anything to do with it. But in the beginning, I had really a lot
of control so it's like 70% me and maybe 30% them. I got to tell them how
the photo cover should be. But I had nothing to do with the font or how
they did it or that blue sort of weird thing that's on the cover. And I
got my art in there. That was cool.
C: That center one with a spool, fork,
and dish; is that where the album title (_Spool Forka Dish_) came from, or
did you draw that after you came up with the title.
Rachael: No, I drew that after I came up with the title. I'm more of
a visual artist than anything. That's what comes natural to me. It's
probably what I should be doing, because it's easy. But the reason I
chose music is because it's hard, and I don't get it. It's a challenge to me -
"What was I thinking!" But I just wanted to challenge myself
in different areas. And I really hate math, and music is really
mathematical. So it's really, really hard for me. I'm not very prolific;
I really labor over songs because they are so hard.
C: How do you usually write a song? Do you have the words down first?
Rachael: No, I write the words last. I write all the music first.
C: That's interesting because it seems to me like your lyrics are so
much a part of the song in terms of how they're overlapped with the
melodies.
Rachael: Yeah, "It's a bitch." Yeah, [it's hard] just to make them
all fit. And you're like, "Oh, god." It takes me, weeks sometimes
to make the words go in. I usually just start with titles cause I don't
really like sentences yet, but I've gotten to like words. I'm kind of
working backwards. So, I usually just come up with a word and then I'll go
"Oh, I like that word." And, I'll write that down. I have all these words
written all over my house. And, usually, I don't ever go back and look at
them. They just end up in little piles everywhere because I'll always have
a new word that day. And then, I'll write like five songs just from a
guitar... little songs, little humming things that came into my head. I'll
be working on about five songs over a year or something. And each one has
this really cool part, but each one has this part which sucks. So, they
never get done, and then you go, "Eyew, what do I do? How do I fix it?"
And then, after a year, it's like a stew. It's just been sitting there so
long, and they all marinate together. And I'll just go, "Oh my god! All
five songs fit together!" Kind of like, "You've got chocolate on my peanut
butter." "No, you've got peanut butter on my chocolate." I don't know,
and then they all smoosh together. And then, usually just one word that
I've picked out sort of fits in somewhere.
C: How did you go from just being a struggling artist to having Bobby
Z find you and getting in this whirlwind of being with a major label and
everything?
Rachael: Well, I would definitely say I'm still a struggling artist.
(laughs) But, he saw us play at First Avenue (in Minneapolis). It was the
most amazing thing. Renee, my drummer, she wanted to play in
this local band showcase night at First Avenue. And she went to Glam Slam,
which was only two blocks away because she was supposed to see one of her
friends there before we went on. Right when she walked out, she saw
this postcard on the ground of just this angel playing this musical
instrument. I mean, it was just sitting there for no reason. But she
picked it up, and we all thought it was a superstitious omen thing, you
know. She brought it back, and said "Oh, this means we're going to have a
good show. It'll be ok" because we were all scared and everything. And
then we were like, "Yeah, yeah, it'll be ok!" So we all kissed this
postcard, and then [at the show] I saw this mysterious guy in the audience
who I'd never seen before at First Avenue when I'd been in there. But,
obviously, he's been in there because he made that movie [Purple Rain].
It was weird. I didn't hear anything about it for days and then he
contacted our record company. And it at all happened from there. He just
loved our music and decided to shop it and then produced our record.
He liked it so much that he became our manager.
C: I've always been a fan of stuff that Bobby Z has touched, like the
first Wendy and Lisa album.
Rachael: Oh yeah, he loves that album. He's really proud of that.
C: I brought them up is because I can hear some harmonies like theirs
in a couple of your songs. Was that from Bobby Z's help?
Rachael: No, I did everything. I did it all.
C: That's cool because, with artists like Vanity, you knew that those
were just Prince groups. But, when I listen to yours, I didn't feel like
Bobby Z did that much in terms of the sound He just let you do your own
thing?
Rachael: Yeah, I pretty much did it all. He just let me have free
reign and helped when I got caught on a glitch or something. He's very good
for guidance - someone who just can hold your hand, who kind of knows the
way, but you're the one that's walking - like learning how to ride a bike.
You're riding the bike, but he's there in case you fall. He was just so kind,
and he always knew when to push me and when not to.
C: So you guys recorded at the Paisley Park Studios, right? In the
bio, it said that you were in the studio across from Prince.
Rachael: Yeah, he was rehearsing the whole time. He rehearsed like
6 or 7 hours a day. It was crazy. It's not like he was in there the whole
time, but his band had to be. He has, all these tapes of his voice
so he doesn't even have to be in the room while they're practicing. And,
you would never really know if he's even in there or not cause you'd always
hear... singing. But you'd always think, "Is he in there or is he not in
there?". It was weird, but we were literally right next to it. He was in
the other room rehearsing really loud. -bam bam bam bam kaboom kaboom
kaboom- You know, you'd be recording "Capture This", and you'd hear
"Mother fuckerrrrr!!!! One Two Three Four... and a One!" So it was really
interesting for about the first month. Then after about the second month
it was like, "Oh my god! Is he here again today!" But it was definitely a
huge novelty. Most of the time, it was like, "Woooow!", and I was trying
to see him. Actually, we were banned because we -looked- at him too much.
C: Tell me about "Beautiful Hysterical" - it sounds like it's just you
and the guitar.
Rachael: Yeah, it is.
C: That one seems a lot like Tori Amos' music where it's just
you and the instrument, but you get so much feeling and power out of it.
Rachael: Cool! Yeah, I wrote that in the midst of recording the album.
I just had this urge. I needed to write something that was really brutal,
brutally honest. Like when PJ Harvey has songs where her mouth is just
right there. It's pure.
I just wanted to do something really rough because
everything else is so layered. I just wanted one song that's like "Here's
me not layered at all."
I'm proudest of that song, although no one really ever seems to
mention it. I guess it's not a "happy peppy" number. (laughs) I mean,
I'm always really happy when I write a song, but I'm never actually giddily
pleased or anything like, "Oh my god!" But I really was pretty happy with it.
It's like, "I DID IT!" And it's the longest song I ever wrote, because all my
songs are like two and a half minutes long.
C: Why did you take the whole album and play it backwards on the last
track?
Rachael: Cause I listen to albums backwards. I have a 4 track, and I
can flip tapes over and just listen to them backwards. And I always just
thought that was cool. Mostly, everyone doesn't like the backwards track.
But I wanted to put it on anyway. I did it for those 3 people that would
go "Yeah!"
C: Have you found any hidden messages in your music?
Rachael: Yeah, I did actually. "Spoons for Seven" backwards is funny
because the song has such a calming effect. If you listen to it backwards
carefully I definitely say, like, in this really funny voice, "I'm
nerrrrvousssss!". And it's so true. It's really true because I am really
nervous and stuff. And you're like, "Oh man, even when I'm trying to be
calm and I'm writing a calm song, it still says, 'I'm nervous.'" The truth
comes out!
C: "Spoons for Seven" is a neat little piece. Does it have a special
meaning to it?
Rachael: No, it was mostly just kind of a vision. I was foggy
dreaming of, like, how everything is equal in a way. Like, animals and
organic objects as well as inanimate objects like hats were like equally as
important and would get go to heaven and have dinner all together.
C: You have that spirituality going through a lot of your
lyrics and your music. At the start of your bio, there is a quote from you
that says, "I want to make people happy and bring them out of the state of
being angry. I just want to be a part of people's happy memories." Is
that a philosophy of your own? Or a religion?
Rachael: I don't know. That's kind of a goofy quote. (laughs)
It changes from day to day. It's really hard to peg me down because,
I could be completely different tomorrow. But, that doesn't mean that the
part of me will go away. It resurfaces and kind of goes around. But, I
definitely do though. I don't want to be the album that people put on when
they're really in a bad mood, and they want to get in a worse mood. You
know, when they're really in a bad mood, and they're like, "I'm going to
put on Bauhaus and drrrrrink!" Although I love Bauhaus, they never put
me in a bad mood. Now, Skinny Puppy, that can really put me in a bad mood.
I'd just really rather be that kind of album that, when someone's in a really
good mood, they go, "Oh, god, I really want to hear The Blue Up?" It's like,
when you put on the B-52's or The La's, and the person's acting really funny
and they wanna dust their house. I just really see my music as being "happy
dusting your house music!"
_Spool Forka Dish_ by The Blue Up? is currently available in any
decent record store. The album is a powerful collection of songs that will
really challenge your mind. Just like the best of Kate Bush's work, The Blue
Up? combines exquisite, embracing songs with intriguing studio work. At
times, _Spool Forka Dish_ sounds almost as if The Art of Noise were playing
only live instruments in their music. If Tori Amos is "a little too weird"
for your tastes, then maybe you should stay away. But, if Amos only gets you
hungry for more, then The Blue Up? should help feed the space between your
ears.
---
REVIEW: Various, _Flashback Cafe, Volume 2_ (Oglio)
- Bob Gajarsky
The reissue label of the West Coast, Oglio Records, is back
to treat fans of alternative adult music to another morsel of 1980's
hits with _Flashback Cafe, Volume 2_.
As compared with Oglio's other reissues, which often highlight
songs or versions not previously available on CD, nearly everything on
_Cafe_ is relatively easy to obtain. However, tracks like the
Psychedelic Furs "Love My Way" hit an audience which doesn't necessarily
want to purchase _All of This and Nothing_; it's this more casual hits-fan
that the package targets.
Even with this limitation, however, _Cafe_ manages to include a
pair of more difficult-to-find songs, that of 'Til Tuesday's "Voices
Carry" and The Blow Monkeys "Digging Your Scene". With former 'Til
Tuesday lead singer Aimee Mann's solo album delayed until 1996,
the _Cafe's_ reissue "Voices Carry" might be the only sound you'll hear
of Ms. Mann in the fall.
Fans of the lighter 1980's sounds have found it hard to find a
compilation for them. However, with the release of Volume 2 of the series
that Oglio claims is "the best blend of 80's mellow new wave", these
fans may just have found a cafe that they can call home.
TRACK LISTING: David Bowie - Absolute Beginners, Talk Talk - Life's What You
Make It, Howard Jones - No One Is To Blame, Yaz - Only You, Joe Jackson -
Breaking Us In Two, The English Beat - Can't Get Used To Losing You,
Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way, Paul Young - Come Back and Stay, The
Rembrandts - Just The Way It Is, Baby, 'Til Tuesday - Voices Carry, The
Blow Monkeys - Digging Your Scene, Scarlet & Black - You Don't Know,
Icehouse - No Promises, Roxy Music - Avalon
---
REVIEW: Cellophane Flowers, _e.p._ (Nymphonic)
-Tim Mohr
Using Gin Blossoms, REM, and Matthew Sweet as blockers, Cellophane
Flowers head straight up the middle of the alternative guitar field.
Filching their name from lyrics in the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with
Diamonds," this Santa Barbara quartet does indeed lay its faith in such 60s
idols over the more common 70s cults of punk or proto-metal. This three song
release is their recording debut, and puts them squarely in that small camp
of American bands that aim for pop-rock, ignoring the more commonplace,
harder-edged forms championed by most American acts.
The e.p. opens with "Come Around", a poppy, up-tempo tune emblazoned
with REM-style back-up vocals: Dania Morales backs singer Brian Salmon with
soaring vocals that are unmistakeably indebted to Mike Mills' trademark
flourishes behind Michael Stipe.
Perhaps the best track is "I Don't Mind", where Ms. Morales
participates more fully in the chorus. Her melodic addition lodges the song
in your head.
The e.p. is catchy and well-crafted, lacking the mildly mellow-
dramatic stylings of Gin Blossoms. Cellophane Flowers also maintain their pop-
rock style without sounding at all imitative of the current wave of British
bands. They recall the Beau Brummels' fusion of American folk and Merseybeat
more than anything purely English, past or present.
---
REVIEW: Bloodhound Gang, _Use Your Fingers_ (Cheese Factory/Underdog/
Columbia)
- Bob Gajarsky
Imagine the Beastie Boys in their pre-_Licensed To Ill_ days,
without Rick Rubin to guide them and with their creativity being (as yet)
unfulfilled. Now, put them in the middle of Pennsylvania, and you've
got the Bloodhound Gang.
Is the group's name a reference to the detectives on the 1980's
public television kids show, 3-2-1 Contact? Damned if I know. But they
throw out references to any and all cultural references from the
1970's to the 1990's, from Rip Taylor (the Gong Show! among other things)
to Star Search and everything in between.
The album is _Use Your Fingers_ and the first single, "Mama Say",
is a take on the gibberish spouted by Michael Jackson on his single,
"Wanna Be Startin' Something". And with samples from "Goodhumor Man"
and "Save A Prayer", the gang come this close to producing a perfect
trailer-park rap song.
Unfortunately, that's the theme of the album - almost getting there.
The deliberate tempo switches of the songs gets tiresome after a while,
which is a shame - their lyrics, while possibly offensive (and definitely
not politically correct) to some, are really funny and their non-rap
cover of Kim Wilde's "Kids In America" comes off without a hitch.
They even attempted to sample an unknown Cure song, but were
turned down. So, in the liner notes, they say "If you see them (the Cure)
walking down the street, hold them down and make them eat red meat".
That's typical for the humor injected here - who else would sing
the K.I.D.S. Incorporated theme?
In conclusion, it's not your standard white rap album, and it's
not the Beastie Boys. But it does deserve a chance at your local
record store's listening booth.
---
REVIEW: The Blues Band / Vincent Flatts Final Drive
Wilbarston, England July 22
- Richard Boyles
Another night of quality rhythm and blues was expected from
this double bill, and the bands delivered as promised. From the first number,
support band Vincent Flatts Final Drive began with hard hitting riffs and
crystal clear vocals bringing back the memories of classic Lynyrd Skynyrd and
the Allman Brothers. Combining songs from their latest album and songs
from a wide range of artists including Michael Katon (a Wilbarston
favourite), they soon had the crowd singing along and begging for more,
Could The Blues Band follow this?
The answer seemed to be yes as the tension and anticipation rose
while the audience waited for the headline act to take the stage. The crowd
erupted as The Blues Band fired into their first number, "Sweet Home Chicago"
with Dave Kelly taking lead vocals. The pace continued for several numbers
before Dave slowed things down with some breath taking bottle neck slide
guitar, complemented by Paul Jones on harmonica.
After a few slow blues numbers, it was Paul Jones who whipped the
audience into a sing-a-long frenzy with the number, "29 Ways" which blended
into "Bo Diddley" and the Manfred Mann hit "5-4-3-2-1" and brought anthem
like singing from the crowd, justifying Paul Jones as a classic front man.
After nearly two hours of precision rhythm and blues, the band left
the stage but were brought back by the hysterical crowd for an encore,
starting with the Chuck Berry hit, "Nadine" and finally involving the audience
yet again with their last number "Boom Boom, Out Go The Lights" . This left
the crowd stunned, when the stage fell into total darkness for what seemed
like an eternity. When the lights came back on the band were not gone as
expected, but continued to play.
Overall a superb night with Vincent Flatts heating up the crowd and
The Blues Band taking them to boiling point. Roll on next month's gig!
---
NEWS: The first American single from Morrissey's _Southpaw
Grammar_ has been changed from "Dagenham Dave" to "Boy Racer".
The video is set for release on October 3, with the album still positioned
for a Sept. 26 release date. The song "Sunny", previously slated to
appear on the soundtrack to _Friends_, has been pulled.
There's now a World Wide Web page about the Georgia Satellites located
at http://fly.hiwaay.net/~dderrick/satellites.html
Oasis' new album, _(What's The Story) Morning Glory_, is slated
to be released October 3. Co-produced by Owen Morris and lead guitarist
Noel Gallagher, the album consists of 13 tracks. Although the recent U.K.
smash "Some Might Say" is included here, their hit "Whatever" is not, leaving
American fans to glean this one from import racks.
The band will begin a headlining U.S. tour in early October, starting
in Florida. The current U.K. single is "Roll With It"; the leadoff American
single is "Morning Glory". Songs such as "She's Electric" and "Morning
Glory" nick influences from the Beatles, while "Hello" has a Gary
Glitter-swiped ending.
Patti Bowman has started a website devoted to all independent
labels which have compact disc releases. People who are interested in
checking it out, at http://www.elwood.com/ants , might see a jazzy
blues player named H.M. Johnson - although all types of independent
music are welcome.
Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders' next tour, in support
of their forthcoming Unplugged-style album, will also be an acoustic
outing. They will be accompanied by a string quartet as well.
Chrissie and Urge Overkill's Nash Kato have recorded another
track as Superfan (they sang "Superstar" on the soundtrack to
_Wayne's World 2_). Not a cover this time, the song was written
especially for a save-the-children project in South America - the only
place the song is planned for release - and the pair are duetting in Spanish.
Almost 20 years after the project's inception, Patti Palladin is
currently at work on an album of Rolling Stones' covers. Patti started
the project by recording "The Singer Not The Song" back in the '70s, but
for various reasons the album was shelved. Chrissie Hynde has also
recorded a vocal on the album.
---
TOUR DATES
Better Than Ezra
Aug. 19 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre
Aug. 20 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl
Aug. 23 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Aug. 24 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
Aug. 25 Chicago, IL Cabaret Metro
Aug. 26 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
Aug. 28 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
Aug. 29 Cincinnati, OH The Garage
Aug. 30 Cleveland, OH Odeon Concert Club
Brooklyn Funk Essentials / Spearhead
Aug. 19 Madison, WI Paramount
Aug. 22 Columbia, MO Blue Note
Aug. 23 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck
Aug. 24 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre (without Spearhead)
Aug. 25 Vail, CO Garton's
Aug. 27 Tempe, AZ Electric Ballroom
Aug. 28 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
Aug. 29 West Hollywood, CA House of Blues
Aug. 31 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
Circle Jerks
Aug. 19 Cleveland, OH Agora Ballroom
Aug. 20 Toronto, ON Opera House
Aug. 22 Montreal, QC Le Spectrum
Aug. 23 Providence, RI Lupo's
Aug. 24 Boston, MA Axis
Aug. 25 Long Island, NY Roxy Music Hall
Aug. 26 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Aug. 27 Philadelphia, PA Theatre Of Living Arts
Aug. 28 Washington, DC Black Cat
Dandelion
Aug. 26 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street
Aug. 28 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl Entertainment
Sept. 3 Englewood, CO Fiddler's Green
Eskimo
Aug. 19 Tucson, AZ O'malley's
Aug. 23 New Orleans, LA Howlin' Wolf
Aug. 24 Pensacola, FL Sluggos
Aug. 25 Atlanta, GA Midtown Music Hall
Aug. 28 Philadelphia, PA Jc Dobbs
Aug. 29 New York City, NY Knitting Factory
Aug. 30 Boston, MA Middle East
Bruce Hornsby
Aug. 21 Hagerstown, MD Maryland Theatre
Aug. 22 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino
Aug. 24 Hyannis, MA Cape Cod Melody Tent
Aug. 25 Cohasset, MA South Shore Music Circus
Aug. 26 Wallingford, CT Oakdale, Theatre
Aug. 27 Beverly, MA North Shore Music Theatre
Aug. 29 North Towanda, NY Melody Fair Wurlitzer Park
Aug. 30 Latham, NY Starlite Music Theatre
Aug. 31 Devon, PA Valley Forge Music Fair
Sept. 1 Westbury, NY Westbury Music Fair
The Invisible 666 Tour (Evil Mothers, Horsey, and on some
dates Dead Voices on Air, Genesis P-Orridge, Psychic TV, and Lick.
Martin Atkins -all West Coast dates and some others.
E-mail grechtst@pepperdine.edu for more information)
Aug. 19 Salt Lake City, UT Cinema Bar
Aug. 21 Tacoma, WA Central Tavern
Aug. 22 Seattle, WA Moe's Club
Aug. 23 Portland, OR La Luna
Aug. 24 Sacramento, CA The Cattle Club
Aug. 25 San Francisco, CA The Trocadero
Aug. 26 Bakersfield, CA Underground
Aug. 27 Los Angeles, CA Dragon Fly
Aug. 28 San Diego, CA Casbah
Aug. 29 Phoenix, AZ Atomic Cafe
Aug. 30 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
Elton John
Aug.,19 Boston, MA Great Woods
Aug. 20 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post
Aug. 24-25 Chicago, IL United Center
Aug. 26 Columbus, OH Polaris Amphitheatre
Aug. 29 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Amphitheatre
Aug. 30 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre
Live/PJ Harvey/Veruca Salt
Aug. 19 Salem, OR LB Day Amphitheatre
Aug. 21 Park City, UT Wolf Mountain (Tentative)
Aug. 23 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Aug. 25 Kansas City, MO Sandstone Amphitheatre
Aug. 26 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre
Aug. 28 Summerset, WI River's Edge
Aug. 29 Milwaukee, WI Marcus Amphitheatre
Aug. 31 Chicago, IL World Music Theatre
Sept. 1 Indianapolis, IN Deer Creek Music Theatre
Sept. 8-9 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach
Sept. 10 Hartford, CT Meadows (Tentative)
Sept. 12 Toronto, ON Molson Amphitheatre
Sept. 14 Holmdel, NJ Garden State Arts Center
Sept. 15 Mansfield, MA Great Woods PAC
Sept. 16 Allentown, PA Allentown Fairgrounds (Tentative)
Sept. 17 Pittsburgh, PA Starlake Amphitheatre (Tentative)
Sept. 19 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavillion
Live/PJ Harvey/Buffalo Tom
Sept. 2 Columbus, OH Polaris Amphitheatre
Sept. 3 Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre
Sept. 4 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Theatre
Dave Matthews Band
Aug. 23 Rochester, NY Meadowbrook Theatre
Aug. 24 Pitttsburgh, PA IC Light Amphitheatre
Aug. 25 Canadaigua, NY Finger Lakes
Aug. 26 Holmdel, NJ Garden State Arts Center
Aug. 27 Bristow, VA Nissan Pavillion
Aug. 29 Philadelphia, PA Mann Music Center
Aug. 31 Boston, MA Great Woods
Sept. 1 Albany, NY Recreational and Convent Center
Sept. 2 Hartford, CT Meadow Music Theatre
Moonpools & Caterpillars
Aug. 21 Hollywood, CA Whiskey A Go Go (Free Show)
Rev. Horton Heat / Hagfish
Aug. 29 Salt Lake City, UT DV8
Aug. 30 Missoula, MT Bucks
Aug. 31 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
Speedball
Aug. 19 Grand Rapids, MI Intersection
Ugly Kid Joe / Souls At Zero
Aug. 19 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol
Aug. 20 Washington, DC Bayou
Aug. 22 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
Aug. 24 Boston, MA Paradise
Aug. 25 Providence, RI Strand Theatre
Aug. 26 Old Bridge, NJ Birch Hill Night Club
Aug. 27 New York, NY Limelight
Aug. 29 Montreal, QC Cathouse
Aug. 30 Toronto, ON R.P.M.
Vinyl Devotion
Aug. 24 San Francisco, CA Edinburgh Castle
Warped Tour (L7, Quicksand, Sublime, Fluf,
Use For A Name, Orange 9MM, Civ)
Aug. 19 Northampton, MA Northampton Airport
Aug. 20 Towanda, NY Melody Fair Field
Aug. 21 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
Aug. 23 Toronto, ON CNE Grandstand
Aug. 24 Cleveland, OH Nautica Stage
Aug. 25 Pontiac, MI Phoenix Plaza Amphitheatre
Aug. 26 Rosemont, IL Horizon Parking Lot
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK
I'd just like to comment that the song "The Night They
Drove Old Dixie Down", although popularized by Joan Baez, was
actually written and recorded by the Band before Joan Baez covered it.
While the point of the CD was to cover songs recorded by women
in 1973, I think it appropriate to note that the song was not written
by Joan, especially since there are people who feel that Joan massacred
the song. - Chris K, Minnesota
In the review of _Deep In The Jungle_ in #48, the writer refers to
jungle (house). WRONG. Jungle is breakbeat. The lineage to house
(frequently argued) is indirect at best.
And, _Encendedor_ is also referred to as the Dambuilders' first
album. It is their first American album; they had two or three released in
Germany before _Encendedor_, curiously enough.
- Andrew H., Texas
I just wanted to say thank you very much for the wonderful review of The
Innocence Mission's album _Glow_ in issue 49. Finally someone is taking
notice of this amazing band from Lancaster, PA (and I'm not just saying that
because I'm local). Jon Steltenpohl very aptly described just what it is
that makes this album such a gem and gave the readers appropriate comparisons
to other bands of the same style. (another review I read gave ridiculous
comparisons like the Cranberries - not even close!) Thanks again.
- Heather M., Pennsylvania
REM's show in Israel can be divided roughly in 3 parts. They started
with material from their _Monster_, which indeed sounded less
energetic then on the album, plus 3 new tracks. Among them was a song called
"Revolution" which impressed me the most; the other 2 were not too
impressive, although they follow the spirit of _Monster_.
In the second part they mainly played old stuff. "Losing My Religion",
which had a huge hit in Israel when _Out of Time_ was released was
very exciting, and "Everybody Hurts" was melting souls.
The best part howeverin my opinion, was the third, in which they played
4 tracks in a row from _Green_. It was amazing too see how good "Orange
Crush" and the other hits from this album sounded live. It rocked!
Finally they played "Let Me In", my favorite song from _Monster_
which lost its power, comparing it to the album) and ended with "It's The End
of the World As We Know It".
Although Michael Stipe does not talk much between songs, I don't think
he was bored. The show was very good, not incredible, but very good.
Oh, Radiohead opened for REM. They played all their goodies from _The
Bends_ and of course "Creep" (also a huge hit in Israel). They introduced
"Fake Plastic" by saying that they probably would never make it without
this song. Their music forced them into a static show. Since I love their
music, it didn't bother me, but I can't say that they excited anyone who had
not previously heard them.
Ofer K., Israel
---
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