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Consumable Online Issue 206
== ISSUE 206 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [April 12, 2000]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com
Managing Editor: Lang Whitaker
Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann D. Ball, Chris Hill, Bill
Holmes, Tim Kennedy, Jon Steltenpohl
Correspondents: Michelle Aguilar, Paul Andersen, Christina
Apeles, Niles J. Baranowski, Jason Cahill,
Matthew Carlin, John Davidson, Andrew Duncan,
Matt Fink, Krisjanis Gale, Jade Hughes, Paul Hanson,
Scott Hudson, Jianda Johnson, Steve Kandell,
Dave Kemper, Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Wes
Long, I.K. MacLeod, Al Muzer, Wilson Neate,
Mike Pfeiffer, Linda Scott, Don Share, Scott
Slonaker, Kerwin So, Chelsea Spear, Michael
Van Gorden, Simon West
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, David Landgren, Dave Pirmann
Also Contributing: Jeremy Ashcroft
Address all comments to staff@consumableonline.com ; subscription
information is given at the end of this issue.
==================================================================
All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright Consumable
and their author(s).
==================================================================
.------------.
| Contents |
`------------'
REVIEW: No Doubt, _Return of Saturn_ - Niles Baranowski
REVIEW: Chumbawamba, _WYSIWYG_ (What You See Is What You Get)_ - Wilson Neate
INTERVIEW: UnAmerican - Christina Apeles
EVENT REVIEW: South By Southwest (SXSW), Austin, Texas;
March 15 -19, 2000 [Part 2] - Joann D. Ball
REVIEW: Braid, _Movie Music Vols. One and Two_ - Andrew Duncan
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Music From The Motion Picture The
Million Dollar Hotel_ - I.K. MacLeod
REVIEW: Nash Kato, _Debutante_ - Jeremy Ashcroft
REVIEW: Ween, _White Pepper_ - I.K. MacLeod
REVIEW: Tara MacLean, _Passenger_ - Paul Andersen
REVIEW: The Posies, _The Best of the Posies: Dream All Day_ - John Davidson
REVIEW: Rockapella, _Rockapella 2_ - Paul Andersen
REVIEW: Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, _Furnace Room Lullaby_ - I.K. MacLeod
ERRATA: Crowded House
TOUR DATES: Fiona Apple / Eels, Ben Folds Five, Robert Bradley's
Blackwtaer Surprise, Bush / Moby, Ani DiFranco, Filter / Veruca Salt
Goldfinger / U.S. Crush, Handsome Family, Kelis, Korn, Liquid Soul,
Lit / Radford, Loud Family, Magnetic Fields, Mix Master Mike, Ian
Moore, Oasis, Splender / Vertical Horizon, Sally Taylor
Tonic / Third Eye Blind, Union
Back Issues of Consumable
---
REVIEW: No Doubt, _Return of Saturn_ (Interscope)
- Niles Baranowski
Gwen Stefani of No Doubt is on the cusp of her fourth decade
and seems to be feeling her age. While _Return of Saturn_ does have
a few moments of uptempo abandon, it is a maturation of the awkward,
confused sort that only aging pop bands undergo (see the most recent
records by Pulp, Kenickie and Supergrass). It's definitely not as
brassy as _Tragic Kingdom_ and its lyrics tend to swing towards the
docile, or at least the domestic. There's no misinterpreting a song
title like "Marry Me" or lyrics such as "I always thought I'd be a
mom." Even when she's back to her single girl life, there's still a
note of obsession and jealousy to these lyrics, pining for exes or
staring down the competition.
_Return of Saturn_ starts out on a typically new wave note
with "Ex-Girlfriend," which treats dejection as a foregone conclusion
and features lite-rap breaks that make it clear Stefani's been
listening to a lot of Blondie recently. After this bustling opening
salvo, though, the album mostly settles into a reverie of mid-tempo
ballads and starry-eyed sighs. As catchy as it is, there's something
unsettling about hearing No Doubt do a song as slickly sappy as "Simple
Kind of Life," where Stefani's voice never hits the squeaky peaks of
emotion that were her past trademark. Without these trademark tics,
a song like "Life" could be almost any female fronted band gunning for
pop radio.
This loss of individuality isn't helped by the presence of
producer Glen Ballard, who goes to great lengths to tone down the
band's previously over-the-top antics. There are even moments when
he is apparently trying to make the band into another Alanis. He
helps to clean up the panoramic weepers but he seems unwilling to
let the band loose. The only truly rapturous, off-the-hook moment
here is "New," produced by Jerry Harrison, formerly of the Talking
Heads. On this truly dizzying new-waver, Stefani longs to cling to
the fresh first moments of a relationship even as they slip through
her fingers. The synths dance jerkily (one of the last vestiges of
ska here, incidentally) while her voice gets more and more enveloped
by longing. In a moment like this, it's easy to believe she's a DIY
diva.
"I find myself choking on all my contradictions," Stefani
admits at one point and _Saturn_ is chock full of them. For example,
it's the songs where her lyricism seems shakiest and creepily
co-dependent that the music feels most confident. "Bathwater" and
"Marry Me" are both tough to listen to without squirming (the former
features Stefani frequenting an ex-lover's tub out of nostalgia) but
it helps that the former washes in a bouncy cabaret vamp and the
latter is linked to a slight, reggae-tinged pulse. "Six Feet Under"
sounds lively with its Orange County three-chord crunch until you
realize that the band has gone massively existential, questioning
life, death, the pill and any other Big Issue they can fit into a
three minute pop song. Were it not so smirking and matter-of fact,
it would be tedious. They manage not to seem out of their depth by
keeping the music shallow and sweet as well.
The album could use a few more of these toe-tappers in the
gently satirical vein of "Just a Girl" but it sure doesn't lack for
prom-ready songs. The lovely, tragic "Supension without Suspense"
is almost "Don't Speak" caliber and "Dark Blue" thumbs its nose
elegantly at a sulky, life-damaged ex-lover (Gavin Rossdale, maybe?).
"Oh, maybe I'm supposed to make you feel better," she says with a
hint of sarcasm. Too often, Stefani instead elects to be a willful
doormat. I know that few people really listens to No Doubt for the
lyrics, but Stefani makes it hard for you avoid them. When they're as
egregiously domestic as "If you lived here, you'd be home by now,"
it's almost impossible to turn a blind eye to the fact that she's
pining for stereotypes which most women in rock struggle to get away
from. The dulled tone of the album -- and the pair of identity-mining
tunes -- suggest that this is Stefani as she really is. Hopefully,
next time someone will tell her she's more magical in her makeup,
making like Cyndi Lauper fronting the Stiff Little Fingers. As it
stands, _Return of Saturn_ offers thrills, but only intermittently.
---
REVIEW: Chumbawamba, _WYSIWYG_ (What You See Is What You Get)_
(Republic/Universal Records)
- Wilson Neate
Chumbawamba's records have always stressed -- quite rightly --
that music and politics are inseparable. To do it justice then, any
discussion of _WYSIWYG_ (an album that "mixes it up musically and
politically" according to its press blurb) has to address both of
those components as constitutive of the overall package.
Three years have passed since the Leeds collective brought
anarchy to the home-makers of America via talk-show performances of
"Tubthumpin'," the song that -- as well as finding its way onto the
_Home Alone III_ soundtrack -- launched a thousand frat parties and,
for a short time, provided background music for segments on the Fox
Sports channel. On the heels of that earlier Stateside success,
_WYSIWYG_ is an album largely about America, its cultural ills and
the many tentacles of its...ahem...corporate capitalist ideology.
Musically, _WYSIWYG_ is brilliantly eclectic and accomplished,
incorporating a cappella numbers, country tinged ballads, hip hop beats,
melodic folk tunes, and rock. And lyrically, _WYSIWYG_ is very clever.
Complete with the now-standard Chumbawamba word plays, puns and acerbic
wit, the songs cast a wide, razor-barbed net from which very few people
appear to be exempt. Politically, however, when you listen to the
content of the lyrics you get the sense that the Chumbas certainly
aren't half as radical as they'd like you to think. At times they
sound quite reactionary -- especially when it comes to gender and
sexuality -- and at other times, they're embarrassingly simplistic,
albeit in a charmingly anachronistic way.
From minimal, sampled inter- and intra-song fragments to
complete songs, _WYSIWYG_ bashes its listener over the head with the
outdated notion that popular culture is a uniquely American enterprise.
Since cultural dependency is a target of Chumbawamba's musical
cabaret-style critique, how odd then that they should build their
album around the musical styles and other cultural materials of the
nation they're attacking, thereby simply reinscribing it as the dominant
global paradigm.
"Jesus in Vegas" is a punchy song to jump around to and would
make a great single. Unfortunately, however, it's a product of the
"wow, just think, what if Christ came to capitalist America, let's
write one about that!" school of lyrics. Similarly, the beautiful
folk/country pastiche "Celebration, Florida" is a musical and vocal
success but in the lyrics the Chumbas ever so earnestly tell us all
about the Disney community as...you'll never guess...a metaphor for
America! "Dumbing Down" serves up more of the same, albeit disguised
in a great '60s Petula Clark pop sound.
But it's not just in the realm of popular culture that the
Chumbas identify America as the Great Satan. Even militarism, attacked
on "Smart Bomb," is coded "in American" with its funky Village
People-esque sound and its Pentagon jargon. OK, the US does have a
habit of weighing in as Global Cop but there's more to it than that.
I guess that British militarism just isn't as sexy as American
militarism; we Brits don't have that accent, the wacky characters, the
buzz words or the right soundtrack music. In short, our militarism
doesn't make for such good pop songs.
"I'm Not Sorry, I Was Having Fun" critiques the debacle of
Woodstock 1999, albeit only in terms of its commercialism and lack of
politics. Oddly enough, it glosses over the sexual assaults that took
place. Still, the song does feature one of the finest lyrical flights
of fancy which has Rush Limbaugh squaring off against Britain's finest
Marxist actor, Ricky Tomlinson. "Pass It Along" hones in on US corporate
culture of the Gates variety, bemoaning the loss of an authentic,
face-to-face model of community at the hands of evil communications
technologies among other things. With its repeating motif of Madness'
"Our House," it seeks to evoke some kind of traditional values and
community, but what that means at this historical juncture is left unclear.
While one of the brief interludes, "Moses With a Gun," takes aim
at a really worthwhile target, Charlton Heston, the "best title" award
goes to "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Jerry
Springer." This brings together Giuliani's favorite artist Damien
Hirst and the king of trash TV, with the latter ending up in formaldehyde.
"Shake Baby Shake" has great horns and exquisite vocals but, unfortunately,
opens up the can of sexist worms that gnaw away at Chumbawamba's purported
radicalism. Focused on American women, this song has a female vocalist
slag off other women without pausing to consider the social and material
pressures that might make them "buy into" an inadequate vision of
femininity. "She's Got all the Friends" goes after UK female media
bores who write society columns as well as slumming US rich girls. This
time the vocals even have a catty lilt. But who cares? Is this important?
All this song does is re-run the '60s notion of feminism and the militant
left being at odds.
But things get particularly tricky with "I'm Coming Out." Having
picked on pointless, ineffectual targets, the Chumbas turn their
self-righteous critical eye to sexuality and pick on a couple of dead
people, namely Freddie Mercury and Rock Hudson. Again this is a fun,
catchy song but the rhetoric of "outing" in the lyrics, as well as its
"explication" in the liner notes, is indistinguishable from the kind of
homophobic rot you find in the English tabloids. This is particularly
ironic in view of the sentiments expressed in their earlier song
"Homophobia" from _Anarchy_. Shame on you Chumbawamba.
Having said that, they do knock themselves out with their lovely,
a cappella rendition of the Bee Gees' "New York Mining Disaster."
Never trust an album that not only prints the lyrics but then
explains them to you at length. It shouldn't take that much work. To
revive an old joke, How many anarchists does it take to change a light
bulb? Or to slag off pitifully easy targets?
---
INTERVIEW: UnAmerican
- Christina Apeles
You may have not heard of UnAmerican yet, but you will.
This quartet of Brits are releasing their self-titled debut album
next month on Universal Records with twelve tracks reminiscent of
sixties Americana, yet right in line with such contemporary acts
such as the Jayhawks and Wilco. UnAmerican is Steve McEwan (founder
and lead singer, formerly of World Party), Matt Crozer (guitar),
Pete Clarke (bass) and Tim Bye (drums). If you are looking for
intelligent, sincere song writing sans the image-conscious
demeanor of recent English bands, UnAmerican offers a classic
sound without all the attitude.
While doing a string of interviews in New York, Consumable
met with the singer Steve McEwan and drummer Tim Bye, to talk about
the impact of American music in their lives, the state of music
today and preparation for their album's release and upcoming tour.
CONSUMABLE ONLINE: There's always a story behind the
naming of a band, so why UnAmerican?
McEwan: We're in England and we make music that's sounds
quite American. We love American music but we're not American.
It's just a great name for encapsulating what the music is about,
British people making music that sounds American.
CO: So how is it with all the great acts that have come
out of England, your biggest influences American artists like Bob
Dylan, Chuck Berry and Paul Simon?
McEwan: The only English bands that we have been influenced
by are American-sounding, like Led Zeppelin. And there's the
Beatles, who were really influenced by American rock 'n roll.
Bye: Nothing English has ever really been a big influence
on our band.
CO: Most of the music that has been popular in the States
from Britain have been electronica acts, Brit Pop bands and
alternative rock bands like Bush or Oasis. How do you see UnAmerican
fitting into the current musical landscape?
Bye: What we do as a band, no matter what trends there are
in music, whether it's the heavy rock stuff or the pop stuff, it
is not really a case of us fitting in. It's really a case of no
matter what's going on in a scene, there's always gonna be room
somewhere. We're a four-piece band not using electronics playing
rock n roll.
CO: You've obviously been received well in London clubs since
that's how you were discovered. Is there a large audience for your
brand of Americana?
McEwan: Bands such as Wilco and Jayhawks, they all have a
following in England. There's a magazine called Mojo, they love
that kind of stuff and that's probably where we're coming from so
yes there is an audience. Trouble is to be a huge success in
America, what tends to happen is England kind of slates you, they
crucify you because you've had success in this country.
CO: Your album is first being released in the States.
Obviously, the goal in mind is to break' here, but why not launch the
album at home then take it abroad?
McEwan: The thing with America is it's so big and can cater
to a lot more kinds of music, whereas London is very small and it
all happens very quickly so you have to get on radio, you got to
get in a couple of magazines, you have a hit and then it's all
over within a week. You can't get in a bus for a year and tour
in England. You can get around it in three weeks. The thing is in
England you have to hype it up and be trendy, it's very fashion land.
CO: It's apparent your music comes first before image which
is very refreshing.
Bye: We're not trying to be fashionable. We haven't set out
to create a new image or create a new scene like that, we've just
set out to make music and play songs, which is really what it's
always been about.
McEwan: I just want to move people in some way so I really
believe in the songs and I think they're good enough to move people
and I think that's what really counts.
CO: You can't ignore that packaging of a band is a fact in the
industry.
Bye: If people are into you for your songs, chances are
they're gonna be into you longer. If people are into you for your
image or because what's hip at the moment, you're not gonna be cool
or hip for your whole career because things change.
McEwan: During that Brit pop thing, there were so many bands
that kind of like came and disappeared once the Brit pop thing was all
over. Now it's a dirty word. Those that (still) exist are the ones
who have changed their sound completely like Blur who sound more like
Pavement now.
CO: Your music is very passionate and the lyrics have a nice
story telling aspect to them that you don't hear a lot of these days.
McEwan: The kind of things I've grown up with listening to are
Bob Dylan and Neil Young or Joni Mitchell... really emotionally kind of
wrenched kind of stuff and it's obvious that's what I try to do. When I
write a song and you get that kind of, I can't describe it, that tingling
feeling, you know you're onto something and that's what I try to capture.
A lot of other people I know who have done really well in England
write very formulaic songs. Let's get a topic, a first chorus, it's
produced, it's always slick and sells a lot of records. Good luck to
them but I can't write like that.
CO: What was your experience working with such talented session
musicians as Jim Dickinson, Barry Beckett and David Campell, who have
worked with legendary artists like Ry Cooder, Boz Scaggs, Dylan and Roy
Orbison. Were you intimated at all?
Bye: The guys were more intimidated by us.
McEwan: There's Jim Dickinson and he's this character who's
played on everything, I mean the Stones, played with Dylan and all these
people, but he doesn't know anything about music really. Basically we'd
ask him to play a C chord, and he'd say, I don't do chords. He'd be
like shaking when we'd play the song. All these guys have been doing
this for years but are now in their sixties or late fifties.
Bye: They were wondering why young guys from England wanted them
on our record.
McEwan: They've been doing a lot of producing but probably
haven't played on a record for awhile. Like Barry Beckett did a ton of
stuff in the seventies, and again while we were recording he'd say, I
haven't done this in a while guys, so stick with me here while I get
my chops back together. He was great. David Campbell, Beck's dad, was
amazing. He did the string arrangements. He's a genius.
CO: The album was produced in Memphis. How did it feel being
in a city rich with music history?
McEwan: It was fantastic, it was great. Memphis is very
blues-oriented and although we're not a blues band, just the fact that
all these blues legends recorded there, it was amazing. We were there
for three months but it's quite conservative. There's not that much
to do. It would get to one o'clock in the morning and we'd be ready to
party but there would be nothing to do.
CO: There is so much in your bio about older influences, are
there any current bands that you are inspired by or share a sense of
camaraderie?
McEwan: There's Wilco and the Jayhawks, and there's Gomez but
they're doing something slightly different, more blues than rock. The
whole music industry has become so professional now that very few
things are less heart and soul. With the whole corporate machine, I
think the innocence is gone. In the sixties and seventies it was all
about the music and not just radio play.
Bye: That's what I was saying earlier about image and scenes.
Bands such as The Who, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles, they weren't
aware that they were starting a whole new scene, they were just
doing it. They weren't making a conscious effort to say okay, this
is our image this is how it's gonna be. They just wanted to play
their music and that's why, to me, it was all so good because that
was there #1 objective, not oh we've got to go down to the gym and
get our muscles up or we've got to do this or do that. Play music
and make it sound good, that's how it should be, it really is that
simple.
CO: Can you talk about the transition from playing with World
Party to forming UnAmerican?
McEwan: After the World Party thing I wanted to get my own
band together and it took a while because you don't want to be
with a bunch of wankers. You wanna be with a group of people that
are really nice and easy to get along with and can be friends and
be really good musicians as well. I met Matt first, who was playing
with a really dodgy band and his guitar playing is really different
than mine, completely on the edge, he never plays the same thing
twice, he's on another planet. And no matter how much we rehearse,
when we get to the gigs, he plays something completely different
whereas I am much more disciplined. I make sure everything is in
place, things like that. I got a hold of him and he was really up
to it. Pete I saw was in another band and he had a great stage
presence then we had this other drummer, but he had a bit of a
wobble and went off his trolley two days before the first gig and
Tim came in and saved us from a huge embarrassment. He learned the
whole set in one day.
CO: What was your experience playing with World Party; did
it give you a good grounding?
McEwan: It was really brilliant, I was just really young in
my early twenties touring America in these huge shows. We toured
with the 10,000 Maniacs on their last tour and it was really
great... playing those venues and seeing America was an amazing
experience.
CO: Our readership is mostly in their early twenties to
mid-thirties. What kind of response do you anticipate from an
audience that recalls your style of music as rock music their
parents listened to in their time, versus this age of hip hop,
electronica and so forth?
Bye: I think if they're into good songs, they'll like it.
The style of the music is almost secondary to the songs.
McEwan: There are teenagers who just love Bob Dylan so
there's a new generation of people that are looking back and
discovering old music and realizing that it's not old at all,
it has a life and a strength and a depth that maybe a lot of
new music doesn't have. So I hope they listen to us because we
have that spirit.
CO: The album is being released here in April and you'll
start touring the States immediately. How is the band preparing
for these upcoming events?
McEwan: Lots of greens and vitamins. Actually, we've been
doing a bit more recording to have the second album ready. We've
got a studio in the tower of a church and it's really lovely and
we do all our rehearsing and recording in there and that's what
we do when we get back until we tour. It's perfect because it's
stone and there's no houses around so you can make as much noise
as you like. You can go completely bonkers except Sunday morning
of course.
Consumable sends belated birthday greetings to drummer
Tim Bye and bassist Pete Clarke who celebrated their birthdays
on March 11 while in New York. Further information on UnAmerican
and tour information can be found on their aesthetically-pleasing
website at http://www.unamericanonline.com .
---
EVENT REVIEW: South By Southwest (SXSW), Austin, Texas;
March 15 -19, 2000 [Part 2]
- Joann D. Ball
With listen.com lined up as one of South By Southwest (SXSW)
Music's major sponsors, it was no surprise that the Internet was a
hot topic and feature at this year's conference and trade show held
at the Austin Convention Center during business hours on March 16-18th.
The Music section of the SXSW website (http://www.sxsw.com)
offered online registration as well as details about the music festival,
conference and trade show. The site also featured an Online Registrants'
Directory which facilitated the networking process by listing the names
and affiliations of all conference registrants who wished to be
included. The availability of such vital information online certainly
made it easier for registrants to schedule their activities and
networking plans before arriving in Austin.
While the Internet certainly facilitates networking, nothing
can replace personal interaction. Perhaps that's why newcity.com and
garage.com wisely promoted their websites and offerings with tins of
breathmints in the overflowing bag of freebies that all conference
attendees received. A copy of Magnet Magazine, the CD sampler "A
New Viking Invasion!" featuring powerpop from Sweden, and a
multipurpose writing pen/container of bubbles advertising an
evening with the Japan Not For Sale Allstars were among the various
items included in the free canvas goodie bag.
Although free promotional items were also available at many
of the exhibitor booths, information was the main priority at the
dot.com dominated industry trade show. On-line music companies
like San Diego/Carlsbad, California-based spinrecords.com
(http://www.spinrecords.com) demonstrated their websites and
explained their services. The House of Blues used a comfortable
lounge area to promote its live music Internet site
(http://www.hob.com). And Internet-based Spike Radio
(http://www.spikeradio.com) webcasted from a crowded booth that
featured DJ's spinning cutting edge techno, house and dance musics.
The proliferation of Internet-based music and entertainment
companies evident at the trade show was also a popular topic at
conference panel discussions. And the significant interest in all
things Internet related expressed by panel attendees and presenters
was often related to serious concerns about recent and anticipated
mergers and consolidation within the radio, records and media
industries.
One of the first noteworthy discussions of the issue took
place at the "Internet Radio: Small Stream or Mighty River" session
moderated by Bob Ezrin of Enigma Digital. A well informed panel
featuring Pam Long, Senior Producer of the recently launched online
entertainment outlet icast.com, and movers and shakers from Spike
Radio, spinner.com and Jeff McClusky & Associates made it clear
that Internet radio has tremendous potential to transform the music
listening experience. While panelists were quick to point out that
Internet radio has yet to generate profit and is largely kept
afloat by venture capital, they were nevertheless optimistic about
its eventual commercial viability. Panelists also suggested that
Internet radio's future success stems from it being more receptive
and responsive to listener feedback and its ability to provide
greater programming variety than conventional radio stations. The
panelists main message, however, was that Internet radio is still
a work in progress with new approaches and technologies constantly
addressing valid questions about access, sound quality,
availability, content and delivery.
Another noteworthy discussion of the Internet revolution
took place at the "Making Noise on the Net" panel, where musician
and MTV favorite Thomas Dolby (now using the surname Robertson)
discussed his new company Beatnik and provided insights about
the potential of online music making and distribution. And at the
packed session "Artists Only," Public Enemy visionary and
rapstation.com founder Chuck D. and other musicians commented on
how the Internet and merger issues effects artists and performers.
Unfortunately, Chuck D.'s optimism and enthusiasm about
the Internet's potential is not yet the norm in urban and hip-hop
circles. The untapped potential of cyberspace was all but ignored
at the "Spreading Urban Music Nationwide" panel which emphasized
instead traditional street level marketing and promotional
approaches. And even though online music publications were only
briefly discussed, the "War Stories: Writing About Music Then &
Now" provided an informative and entertaining overview of how
music journalism and criticism has also changed during the past
three decades. Deputy Editor Evan Smith of Texas Monthly moderated
an distinguished panel featuring award winning music journalist
and myplay inc. Editorial Director Ben Fong-Torres, Rolling Stone
Online writer and former Creem Magazine staffer Jaan Uhelszki,
New York Times music writer Ann Powers, Rolling Stone biographer
Stanley Booth and freelance writers John Morthland and Ed Ward.
The panelists freely shared stories about travelling with bands,
the ethical dilemmas involved in music journalism, and more
recent industry practices that limit access to artists for
interviews. Despite the various challenges, long hours and
relatively low pay, the distinguished writers all agreed that a
genuine appreciation and love of music was remained the main
inspiration and primary motivating factor for their work.
Other important Internet-related discussions and
presentations, however, took place outside the Austin Convention
Center. On Thursday evening, British-based music and music
technology company Dig PLC hosted a hip and lavish pre-launch
party for its new MP3-GO products. MusicStore combines a CD player,
digital jukebox and Internet music gateway and connects to both
home stereo systems and personal computers, while SoulMate is a
user-friendly portable MP3 player that makes it easy to download
music from the Internet. Given the impressive presentation for
both the new product line and the related online global music
network (http://www.dig-Music.com ), its only a matter of time
before Dig PLC starts a revolution in how music is played,
recorded, listen to and managed.
The following afternoon, the newly formed Indie Alliance
also promised to make a major impact on the music industry.
Emphasizing a positive, artist-centered approach to the music
business, the Indie Alliance informed and entertained industry
professionals, artists and others at a crowded, festive and
very friendly launch party. The Indie Alliance plans to cover
all facets of the music industry, and includes Boulder,
Colorado-based Ariel Publicity, Artist Relations and Cyber
Promotions (http://www.arielpublicity.com) among the eight dynamic
independent companies that have come together to do music business
the right way.
In the past decade and a half, South By Southwest
(SXSW) has grown from a premiere music conference and festival
to incorporate separate film and interactive components as well.
The official website is already promoting the SXSW 2001 film,
interactive and music conferences and festivals, scheduled
for March 9-18th. In the meantime, though, registrants at this
year's event can continue networking online using the Online
Registrants' Directory or by participating in ongoing online
discussions of SXSW 2000 events. And all visitors to the SXSW
Music section of the website can take advantage of direct links
to band websites such as those belonging to VHS or Beta
(http://www.vhsorbeta.com ) and the YoungBlood Brass Band
(http://www.youngblood.brassband.com ), the two brilliant
unsigned acts which I was greatly impressed by.
---
REVIEW: Braid, _Movie Music Vols. One and Two_ (Polyvinyl)
- Andrew Duncan
Sometimes things just never die and sometimes things just should
not die. Luckily for Braid, it's the latter.
For fans of the Champaign-Urbana, Ill., quartet, there is no
question that _Movie Music_ is the ultimate wet dream, featuring two
CDs worth of rare and hard-to-find songs. Unfortunately, a 400-word
review cannot justify the importance this collection has on the
indie-rock world.
_Movie Music_ is a concept that had grown with the band
throughout their seven year existence, beginning in 1993. With only
three full-length releases under their belt, much of the band's
recording history came from a vast development of seven-inch singles
and compilation appearances - many are now out of print. Both CDs come
with a gazillion pictures, beautifully written commentary and song
descriptions, as well as printed lyrics.
_Volume One_ tracks the linear progression of the band's seven
inch and split seven inch releases beginning with "Sounds Like Violence,"
a song from their "early years" that immediately displays the band's
trademark of using emotional extremes. Robert Nanna and Chris Roach have
the ability to flawlessly change from a melody to screaming at the top of
their lungs. Both can be on the verge of falling apart melodically, but
manage to come back together and sound good at doing it.
"Motion Light," "(Strawberry Ann) Switzerland" and "I'm Afraid of
Everything" is a sobering melancholia that bursts into a schizophrenic
frenzy of pounding drum beats and chugging guitars that are part angular
rock and part driving hardcore. It is a rarity a band can accomplish this
transition without the blink of an eye and never sacrificing quality to
do it.
Songs like "Fire Makes the House Grow" takes a little getting used
to and sounds like a down tuned Descendants song, but certainly does not
create a sour note for the other tunes, especially with gems like
"You're Lucky To Be Alive," an unreleased song that resembles what The
Promise Ring is successful at today.
_Volume Two_ acts more like a collective mix of Braid songs that
explores more with their experimental side. "Elephant" clearly
demonstrates this with the help of Kate Reuss on vocals that swirl
around plenty of angles and hooks to coincide with stints of linear
hardcore. "Eulalia, Eulalia" is an expressive song that really pulls
the band together as a whole. The list goes on, including four previously
unreleased songs and a cover of the Pixies' "Trompe Le Monde" and The
Smiths' "This Charming Man," along with four other cover tunes.
Simply put, this is a creative, conceptual masterpiece that will
forever be a part of documented history.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Music From The Motion Picture
The Million Dollar Hotel_ (Interscope)
- I.K. MacLeod
It appears the artists gathered together to work on the
soundtrack to Win Wender's latest work were far from being various.
The U2 extended family and a member of the film's cast are the
creative force behind this soundtrack. There is no argument that
the relationship between the German filmmaker and the Irish band
has been mutual and fruitful over the years (see _Faraway, So
Close!_ and _Until the End of the World_), but with several top
notch soundtracks under his belt (hear _The End of Violence") this
16-song collection comes off as being rather subtle and unobtrusive.
Produced by Hal Wilner and recorded in Dublin, at times you
can get washed up in the emotional tide. The MDH Band is a collective
of U2 regulars, like Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, that are more than
capable of drawing the listener into the music. The problem is there
is never a long enough instance of intrigue to make you want to
continue with the ride.
Milla Jovovich tries her hand at Lou Reed's "Satellite of
Love" but ends up making his original vocal delivery sound like
worthy of The Three Tenors. It turns out the final cut is the only
song with an obvious pulse. "Anarchy in the USA," an updated Spanish
version of the Sex Pistol's anthem, features Tito Larriva on vocals
with the MDH band backing him up at full throttle. It sounds a little
out of place and phase with the rest of the soundtrack, but then again
I haven't seen the film yet.
"Never Let Me Go" is a solid Bono original that slowly gains
its pace and form like it was being requested in a smoky lounge in
California. "Falling at your Feet" sounds much like a delicate music
box that builds nicely into a soft pop song. The last of Bono's solo
outings is a half-baked tune called "Dancin' Shoes" and has him
possessed by the Fine Young Cannibals to a less than satisfactory effect.
"The Ground Beneath Her Feet" features Salman Rushdie lyrics
culled from the pages of his book of the same name and is a more than
worthy single for a band that has spent twenty years in the big
leagues of the music business. "Stateless" is another new U2 track
that acts like a direct link to the bands sound from over a decade
ago. Zooropa's "The First Time" blends nicely into the mix and is
also given a reprise by Daniel Lanois a couple tracks later. As U2
finish up their new album in the studio, this soundtrack should be
all that is needed to hold their fans attention in the next few months.
---
REVIEW: Nash Kato, _Debutante_ (Loosegroove)
- Jeremy Ashcroft
For a band supposedly ruthlessly ambitious in their pursuit
of rock star fame, Urge Overkill's former members have been
conspicuously absent from the record racks since their demise some
three years ago. There was a one-off charity show in 1997 featuring
guitarist Nils St Cyr in place of the by then departed King 'Eddie'
Roeser, and Ed himself has recorded demos and toured a little with
his Electric Airlines and Kimball Roeser Effect projects, but no new
albums to enjoy - until now!
Evolving from the buzzing of a guitar amp - evoking the
mechanical noise that opened UO's most successful release, 1993's
_Saturation_ - the first track, "Zooey Suicide," bursts out of the
speakers with a sinuous feedback guitar riff and strong beat. Lyrics
too - and of the following track, "Queen Of The Gangstas," - are of
the same kind of camp adventure/spy story fiction spun on UO's "Sister
Havana."
The poppy "Octoroon" follows, like many of the songs on the
album, featuring the bright vocal backing of Veruca Salt's Louise Post,
though her finest moment on the record is possibly on the next track
"Cradle Robbers" -- a cautionary tale of middle-aged man's lust for
younger women. "Blow" is the album's first ballad, opening with
acoustic guitar and with a rich organ backgroundÅ like the rest of
the album, really nicely produced by (ex-Tori Amos associate) Eric Rosse.
Influences come from many quarters, and in the case of a small
boy then still called Nathan Kaatrud, the soul records played by his
babysitter gave him a real love for that genreÅ proof enough being
this album's title track, "Debutante". A low, low bass line, together
with street-corner whispers sets the scene, sounding like something
the O-Jays would have been proud of, then despite the later rock
riffing the track oozes soul. It's the album's stand-out track, and
a particular delight for fans of the older UO in that it marks the
return of "The Supersonic Storybook's" Lynn Jordan technicolour vocal
backing, plus the lyrics were penned by Blackie Onassis.
Via the riffy "Rani (Don't Waste It)" and Mexican brass of "Los
Angelena" comes the ultra-smooth "Black Satin Jacket"Å a track that
shows that Nash doesn't really need to cover Steely Dan (which he does
on a forthcoming soundtrack album anyway), he can write his own Steely
Dan songs, complete with swirling electric piano and multi-layer
harmonies. The lyrics are also intriguing "on my back like a black
satin jacket -- they really hate me, you ought to know".
After the slightly-Beatle-esque "Pillow Talk" comes a song that
first debuted at the 1997 charity show mentioned earlier (incidently,
the guitarist of that night, Nils St Cyr plays lead on this album too)
-- "Born In The Eighties" though presumably the lyric has been recently
brought up-to-date with its reference to MP3s. In view of the '80s being
very much the era of the yuppie, the song also features the great line
"fax the hippies, we've arrived!"
Finally, the album closes with another song debuted at that gig,
"Blue Wallpaper," which is that strange combination of sounding slightly
downbeat but hopeful at the same timeÅ like many of the great Urge songs.
In conclusion I really like the album and I'm sure both Urge
Overkill fans and anyone else willing to give it a listen will be
delighted too. On the evidence of this, plus the fantastic cover of
William Bell's Stax tune "Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday" available as
a free download at http://www.nashkato.com , who knows, the next Nash
album just might be the great soul album that Urge often aspired to. I
can't wait!
---
REVIEW: Ween, _White Pepper_ (Elektra)
- I.K. MacLeod
When you find the word mature in a Ween review, it is usually
prefixed by 'im-'. That is all about to change with the release of
their seventh and most consistent album to date entitled _White
Pepper_. A dozen original songs co-produced by Chris Shaw (Public
Enemy) are delivered in a lively and organic band format, with the
help of Claude Coleman (drums), Dave Dreiwitz (bass), and Glenn
McClelland (keyboards). You will not find the same vocal treatments,
f-words, and general wackiness that were showcased in last year's
sonic travelogue _Paintin' the Town Brown_. Well, at least not in the
same excess.
"Exactly Where I'm At" starts out with a Pod-era drum beat and
then transforms into pure Ween pop. The first single is called "Even
If You Don't" and has a jab of Paul McCartney and a slab of Sloan all
wrapped into one package. What would you do if you were trapped on a
deserted island? Dean and Gene would say "Bananas and Blow," which
features the addition on female background vocals over a Jimmy
Buffet-esque party jam. You can just imagine the band clad in
Motorhead shirts in a suburban garage in New Hope when the riff-heavy
"Stroker Ace" and the grunge of "The Grobe" come barreling out your
speakers. The creepy "Ice Castles" is another in a long tradition of
deranged instrumentals that the band pulls off with such ease. "Pandy
Fackler" might be worthy of a parental advisory sticker, but it might
send children into their parent's record collections to dust off an
old Steely Dan album to see if they ever had a dueling pedal steel
and organ in the mix. The surprising "Stay Forever" will have you
doing a double take. This could be a Savage Garden-size hit for the
band, but I let's not get too carried away. Towards the end of the
release, the roots rock of "Falling Out" might help you shedding a
tear or two in your beer for all the good love gone bad.
The duo of Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo have always
out-performed their own limitations and have only been limited by
their collective imagination. Whether it was lack of studio space in
the early days or the absence of a full time drummer on the road, the
talent and vision of the brothers Ween could shine through it all and
has manifested in a dedicated and cult-like fan base. The love/hate
relationship the listening public may soon end, with sensitivity and
beauty coming out on top. It looks like marriagedom and parenthood
have softened the edges and are responsible for displaying a new side
of Ween. Of course, I am exaggerating a little here. There are two
sides to every story and once you have walked through the drug-induced
haze and or stepped in the alcohol soaked carpet that makes up their
unique sound, there is no turning back.
---
REVIEW: Tara MacLean, _Passenger_ (Capitol)
- Paul Andersen
Like many of us in the music journalism field (yes, we can be
lazily affected by comparisons and labels -- sorry, but it's true, and
I'll admit it), the first thought that came to mind as I slipped this
in the CD tray was, "Hmm, must be another Sarah McLachlan." After all,
both are Canadian, and she spent a few years on the Lilith circuit.
So much for being lazy (though if I *were* still labeling,
Aimee Mann comes to mind). Tara MacLean travels a road that is highly
eclectic, bringing ingredients of folk, pop, a bit of jazz chanteuse
and an ethereal world stew that is befitting of her upbringing.
Born on Prince Edward Island in Canada's eastern Maritime
Provinces, not exactly your standard hotbed of future pop music
stardom, MacLean was brought up by parents who were, well, pagans
living in a log cabin, until they became born-again Christians, but
of a hippie variety, who constantly moved throughout the world, with
time spent in England, the Caribbean and Canada's west coast. This
upbringing has had its effect on her music: nature, myth, unity and
eternal chaos are explored lyrically, and there is an undeniable
spirituality that infuses this disc.
Which is not to say that it is all love and happiness and
peace signs. Songs like "Jericho," which leads off the disc, sway
towards the spiritual, as does "Jordan," but further along the content
gets earthier ("Poor Boy"). But it is the swirling "Divided" that best
displays MacLean's unique vision. With quiet electronics and a killer
hook of a chorus that will stay in the brain long after, it is a
higher ground view of the dividing lines between people. "Come let
faith be your garden/Always changing always still/Still breathing,"
she sings, asking that you "check your weapons at the door." Maybe
not your standard pop fodder, but it is nice to come across someone
with a wider view. And besides, it's got a damn good beat, too.
---
REVIEW: The Posies, _The Best of the Posies: Dream All Day_ (Geffen)
- John Davidson
It takes courage to wander the ruins of power pop, to walk the
line between the insanely catchy and the hummable but strangely hip.
There's little room for error as the very embrace of pop music is an
acceptance of short-attention fickleness, a willingness to induce
memorable singsong that ultimately may repulse. Even the greatest
songs fear the trappings of a mirthful hook, knowing that mystique and
beauty can easily fade at the altar of indulgent repetition. Yet bands
like the Posies keep coming and going, pursuing brittle pop dreams in
the face of inevitable career oblivion.
The Posies rose above of the soul-scorched metal scene in
Seattle with a revved-up, modern version of everything the Zombies
couldn't quite put their finger on. Signed to DGC after a home-produced
album sold well in the Pacific Northwest, the band delivered a
precocious major label debut in 1990. The bright guitars, Hollies-styled
harmonies, and bittersweet tales of _Dear 23_ garnered immediate
attention, but the glow was only temporary.
After all, DGC had also recently signed Nirvana, and it was only
a matter of time before the Posies and the rest of the country were
swept away by the deluge of grunge. It was a cruel fate of timing, and
two albums later (1993's _Frosting on the Beater_ and 1996's _Amazing
Disgrace_) the Posies and Geffen parted ways.
_The Best of the Posies_ is an adequate summarization of the
band's output for DGC, with some rarities thrown in for good measure.
Kicking of with "My Big Mouth", an ebullient tale of regret set to
jumping acoustic guitar, the band seems young and playful despite the
sad lyrics. It's easy to see the early charm that got the band signed
to the big time, but as the album progresses, the chronological
sequence of songs unwinds the Posies' maturing disillusion,
culminating in the raging "Everybody Is a Fucking Liar" (from _Amazing
Disgrace_.) Few artists have been so blunt with their frustration on
the label's own nickel.
Yet the bulk of the album is content to lay out what the Posies
did best: pour out hook after hook and somehow back it up with enough
squall to bleed the soul. Big Star has always been a reference point
(what with lead Posies Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer backing the
reformed Alex Chilton/Jody Stephens cult fave on relapse), and the
first half of the album pouts with many nods to that esteemed prickly
pop, even including the soaring "I Am the Cosmos" cover that was
previously vinyl 45 r.p.m only. "Solar Sister" was a hit that never
happened, and one of their last official releases, "Please Return It"
begs to be heard as well. Even "Going, Going, Gone" deserved better
than the one-off territory of the _Reality Bites_ soundtrack. In fact,
by the time the album concludes with the wigged out guitarscape in
"Flood of Sunshine," it's obvious that one more talented, fairly
unique band has fallen to the hands of diverging trends and impatient
A&R types.
Or maybe not. The Posies released a live album this year on
the tiny Badman label, and a four-CD boxed compendium of rarities
spanning their entire career is coming in the next few months on an
indie as well. That's not bad for a band that parted ways three years
ago. Better still, it's a testament to the fine songwriting that simply
won't leave your head.
---
REVIEW: Rockapella, _Rockapella 2_ (J-Bird)
- Paul Andersen
If your only exposure to Rockapella is from those omnipresent
commercials for Folgers and Almond Joy, please suspend whatever
negative feelings you may have gained from hearing them too much, and
open your mind to what the human voice can do, on its own, by itself.
The liner notes state that all the sounds contained within this
album were produced by "the voices and appendages of Rockapella," but
you will swear that ain't so after hearing the amazing things this
five-member group can do with the most basic of musical instruments,
the human voice. Of course, having a human percussion machine (in the
form of Jeff Thacher) doesn't hurt things.
Thacher used to amuse himself as a child by making up sounds
for the toys he was playing with, and now as an adult he continues to
make up sounds, only the toys have been replaced by a shedful of
percussion instruments. It has been said that fans come up to him
after shows to see if there is a hidden tape recorder or something
else that might explain what he does. The only magic is what he can
do with his voice and body.
Unlike a lot of a cappella groups who do *sans instrument*
arrangements of other people's songs, Rockapella writes their own
material. Melodically rich and surprisingly swinging (thanks to
Thacher and bass voice Barry Carl, who make a fine rhythm section),
the songs on _Rockapella 2_ are mainly relationship-oriented, which
at least to me keeps it in the tradition of the doo-wop street corner
image that I've always had in my mind. Of course, a lot more goes into
it than a group of guys under a street lamp.
The current single is the album's only cover, a version of
Squeeze's "Tempted" that, if there is any justice in the world, should
shoot up the charts. In a lot of ways, the current wave of boy bands
(think Backstreet Boys) are a marketed version based on what Rockapella
does naturally, without the trappings of image and manufactured
cuteness. Needless to say, groups like Rockapella (and others, like
the Blenders and the legendary Persuasions, who have kept a cappella
alive) totally blow them away.
"Tempted" is a perfect example of what these five do. They
manage to stay quite true to the original, including the vocal
go-rounds before the choruses, yet using words instead of instruments
to move the song forward, they impart even more meaning to the lyrics
of Difford and Tilbrook, adding yearning to the equation in this
questioning of the pitfalls in the road to monogamy.
Stylistically, Rockapella goes from the Latin-tinged "Doorman
Of My Heart" to the classic doo-wop of "Where Would We Be?" with
stops in between that reflect the many faces of pop music. And for
those fans that want it all, there are two Folger's commercial tracks
tacked on at the end.
Hey, ya gotta pay the bills, right?
---
REVIEW: Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, _Furnace Room
Lullaby_ (Bloodshot)
- I.K. MacLeod
It won't take long to see and hear what Neko Case is all about.
The cover shot is a faux crime scene where she plays victim to a brutal
attack. Her music is revisiting the rich heritage of the old and
neglected style of country music that is chalk full of brutal honesty.
Her vision is tried and true and her expertise is revealed in her
unmistakably enchanting voice. It haunts the airwaves with every
passing syllable and can equally trigger a tear in your eye or get
you into your dancing shoes.
Her solo debut came out of nowhere in 1997 considering her playful
pop-punk background in a trio called Maow. She claims her first love was
the country and western music of her Virginia birthplace, so you can look
at this phase in her career as a return to her roots. _The Virginian_
featured originals sandwiched between her various takes on countless
country classics to the delight of many listeners. She was aided by a
bevy of beaus and this time around her boyfriends include John Ramberg
(guitar), Scott Betts (bass), Joel Trueblood (drums), and a little side
action by the shadowy Brian Connelly (guitar).
The opening numbers, "Set Out Running" and "Guided by Wire," are
all the evidence you need to fall head over heels for this belle.
"Porchlight" and "We've Never Met" not only feature the one and only
Ron Sexsmith and his side kick Don Kerr (Rheostatics), but are two of
the most emotionally packed songs that have graced my stereo in awhile.
The straight ahead honky-tonk of "Mood To Burn Bridges" has non-stop
momentum and southern swing, while the heartfelt "Twist the Knife"
reveals Neko's vulnerable side without giving up too much control of
her surroundings. The currency of "Bought and Sold" is an epitaph for
a broken down heart through countless cases of dejection. The album
comes to a close with the stark "Furnace Room Lullaby," whose melancholy
melody was constructed in part by Bloodshot labelmates Dallis and Travis
Good of The Sadies.
As long as you are not satisfied with what passes as "new" or
"alternative" country, this CD will be sure to please. Neko Case is a
cowboy's dream and _Furnace Room Lullaby_ is more likely to get stolen
from a jukeboxe this year than any of Shania's back catalog.
---
ERRATA: > Crowded House was incorrectly identified as an
Australian band in Issue 205; they are actually from
New Zealand.
---
TOUR DATES:
Fiona Apple / Eels
Apr. 15 Pompano Beach, FL Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
Apr. 17 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium
Apr. 18 Asheville, NC Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Apr. 20 Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle
Apr. 21 N. Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
Ben Folds Five
Apr. 15 Rochester, NY Rochester Inst. of Tech's Clark Gym
Apr. 16 Ithaca, NY Ithaca College (Ben Light Gym)
Apr. 18 Albany, NY Palace Theatre
Apr. 19 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Robert Bradley's Blackwtaer Surprise
Apr. 18 New York, NY Shine
Apr. 19-20 Boston, MA Karma Lounge
Apr. 21 Philadelphia, PA TLA
Bush / Moby
Apr. 17 Jonesboro, AK Arkansas State University
Ani DiFranco
Apr. 15 Santa Cruz, CA Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Apr. 17 Santa Barbara, CA Arlington Theatre
Apr. 18 Los Angeles, CA Universal Amphitheatre
Apr. 19 San Diego, CA Open Air Theatre
Apr. 20 San Luis Obispo, CA Rec. Center At Cal. Poly.
Filter / Veruca Salt
Apr. 15 Beres, OH Baldwin College
Apr. 17 Philadelphia, PA St. Joesph's University
Apr. 18 Worchester, MA The Palladium
Apr. 20 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
Apr. 22 Scranton, PA Scranton Cultural Center
Goldfinger / U.S. Crush
Apr. 18 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
Apr. 19 Philadelphia, PA Theater Of Living Arts
Apr. 20 Old Bridge, NJ Birch Hill
Apr. 21 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance
Handsome Family
Apr. 16 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
Apr. 17 Chapel HIll, NC Local 506
Apr. 18 Raleigh, NC Kings
Apr. 19 Athens, GA Tasty World
Apr. 20 Nashville, TN The End
Apr. 22 St. Louis, MO Side Door
Kelis
Apr. 15 New Haven, CT Yale University w/Wyclef Jean
Apr. 17 Durham, NH University of New Hampshire w/Wyclef Jean
Apr. 19 Montreal, QUE Cabaret
Apr. 20 Toronto, ONT Phoenix
Apr. 21 Detroit, MI St. Andrews
Korn
Apr. 15 Nashville, TN Gaylord Entertainment Center
Apr. 17 Little Rock, AR Barton Coliseum
Apr. 18 St. Louis, MO Kiel Center
Apr. 19 Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena
Liquid Soul
Apr. 15 New York, NY Tonic
Apr. 22 Chicago, IL Virgin Records
Lit / Radford
Apr. 19 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Apr. 20 Panama City, FL Club La Vela
Loud Family
Apr. 16 Cambridge, MA TT the Bear's
Apr. 17 New York, NY Knitting Factory
Apr. 18 Washington, DC Metro Cafe
Apr. 19 Carrboro, NC Go Rehearsal
Apr. 20 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse w/ Magnetic Fields
Magnetic Fields
Apr. 20 Atlanta, GA The Variety Playhouse
Apr. 21 Athens, GA The 40 Watt
Mix Master Mike
Apr. 15 Brunswick, ME Bowdoin College
Apr. 16 Kingston, RI URI
Apr. 17 Durham, NH University of New Hampshire
Apr. 18 NY, NY Irving Plaza
Apr. 19 Boston, MA Middle East
Apr. 20 Worcester, MA Clark University
Ian Moore
Apr. 14 Ashville, NC Be Here Now
Apr. 15 Charlotte, NC Visulite Theatre
Apr. 16 Chapel Hill, NC Cat's Cradle
Apr. 18 Athens, GA 40 Watt
Apr. 19 Birmingham, AL Zydeco's
Apr. 20 Biloxi, MS Upstairs/Downstairs
Apr. 21 New Orleans, LA Tipitina
Oasis
Apr. 15 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
Apr. 16 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theatre
Apr. 18 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
Apr. 20 Detroit, MI State Theatre
Apr. 21 Akron, OH U. of Akron
Splender / Vertical Horizon
Apr. 15 E. Stroudsburg, PA E. Stroudsberg University
Apr. 17 Buckhannon, WV WV Wesleyan
Apr. 18 Pittsburgh, PA Lafayette College
Apr. 21 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance
Sally Taylor
Apr. 15 Aspen, CO Double Diamond
Tonic / Third Eye Blind
Apr. 15 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods
Apr. 16 Fayetteville, AR Barnhill Arena
Apr. 17 Warrensburg, MO Central MO Multipurpose
Apr. 18 Normal, IL Breadon Auditorium
Apr. 20 Columbus, OH Palace Theater
Apr. 21-22 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Union
Apr. 16 Columbus, OH Al Rosa Villa
Apr. 19 Erie, PA Sherlock's
Apr. 20 Bayside, NY VooDoo Lounge
Apr. 21 West Warwick, RI Station
---
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