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Consumable Online Issue 131
==== ISSUE 131 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [December 16, 1997]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gaj@westnet.com
Sr. Correspondents: Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren,
Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva
Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Tracey Bleile, Lee
Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Patrick Carmosino,
Krisjanis Gale, Bill Holmes, Eric Hsu, Tim
Hulsizer, Robin Lapid, Stephen Lin, Scott Miller,
Linda Scott, Rainier Simoneaux, Scott Slonaker,
Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Simon West,
Lang Whitaker
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann
Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gaj@westnet.com
==================================================================
All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s).
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the
editor.
==================================================================
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| Contents |
`------------'
INTERVIEW: Cause & Effect's Robert Rowe - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars _Live and Kickin'_
- Joann D. Ball
CONCERT REVIEW: Midnight Oil - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Lisa Loeb, _Firecracker_ - David Pirmann
REVIEW: 2K, "***k The Millenium" - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Various, _We Will Fall - The Iggy Pop Tribute_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Mogwai, _Young Team_ - Simon West
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the Cheeze_ /
_The Hit List_ - Joann D. Ball
REVIEW: The Gain, _Ready Steady Smash_ - Bill Holmes
CONTEST WINNERS: Doors Box Set giveaway
NEWS: Black Crowes, From Good Homes, (hed) p.e. / Motley Crue,
Local H / Triple Fast Action, Modified "Chillas", Prodigy,
Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against The Machine
TOUR DATES: Barenaked Ladies / Devlins, Brain Surgeons, Juliana
Hatfield / Triple Fast Action, Hed P.E., Moxy Fruvous, Oneida /
Be/Non, Oral Groove, Pave The Rocket, Phish, Jane Siberry
Back Issues of Consumable
---
INTERVIEW: Cause & Effect's Robert Rowe
- Bob Gajarsky
What happens when your record label calls it a day and
abandons nearly all its artist roster? If you're a member of
synthpop band Cause & Effect, it means taking a detour and
getting your music out to the masses via the Internet.
Robert Rowe, lead singer and one of the founding members
of the California band, decided to take the band online in 1996
in order to regain control over the band's decisions. The choice
has proven to be a fruitful one.
"Building our web site has been one of the best decisions
we ever made.", Rowe explains. "We don't tour very often so it's
been a good way to keep that relationship with the audience that
you get while touring and to keep people informed of our progress.
When used creatively, the Internet gives power to artists to reach
people anywhere in the world without the help of a label and at a
very low cost. That just wasn't possible before."
That web site - at http://www.causeandeffect.com - serves
as a sort of clearinghouse for fans to discuss the band's favorite
songs, learn the latest news on Cause & Effect from the band's
members, and purchase merchandise - including the band's third
album, _Innermost Station_ (Liquefaction).
_Innermost Station_ originally started as a 6 song EP to
satisfy the fans who had been clamoring for a new release. But
when the trio got into the process of recording, songs flowed
freely - and soon, ten songs were recorded. The tenth song was
dropped, however, because it didn't fit in with the flow of the
nine that eventually comprised _Innermost_.
With the title taken from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, it
should come as no surprise that the songs here are much more mature and
revealing than previous C&E releases. Taking a sip from a glass of red
wine, Rowe discusses the evolution of _Trip_ and _Innermost_.
"_Trip_ was a questioning of things on a spiritual level and
through the recording of that album, we came to find a few answers for
ourselves. I think a lot of the songs on _Innermost Station_ deal
with a breakdown of the physical world around us and the breaking
apart of relationships."
One of the breakdowns which the band had to deal with after the
success of their breakthrough album, _Another Minute_, was the passing
of original member Sean Rowley in 1992 when he suffered a severe
asthma attack which resulted in heart failure. The memory of Rowley
still plays an important part in Cause & Effect's music.
"He (Sean) would never settle for whatever came easy," Rowe
sadly recalls. "He'd always push until he came up with something
better. I think of this every time I write."
And while _Another Minute_ may have drawn comparisons to
British synth pioneers such as Depeche Mode, the band's evolving
sound - including instruments not normally associated with synthpop
bands, such as a Fender Stratocaster or Rickenbacher 12 string guitar -
have made any of those comparisons moot. Rowe dismisses those
hanging on to once-valid analogies.
"I think with _Trip_, we managed to prove ourselves and develop
something unique. What annoys me are those that refuse to look further
than the similarities. Early Gene sounded a lot like the Smiths but that
doesn't mean that they (Gene) are invalid."
The instrumental "Radiolaria" offers the first chance to hear
Cause & Effect skirt the world of ambient music. Rowe first started
work on this during a solo weekend, where working on a song without
lyrics or vocals proved therapeutic. Fellow bandmates Keith Milo and
Richard Shepherd convinced an appreciate Rowe that it would fit with the
feel of _Innermost Station_ and made it into a complete song.
"We've never released an instrumental before so it was one more
way we could do something different from what we've done in the past.
I think with this genre of music (synthpop) there is a tendency to not
go outside of the boundries that were created by the bands that started
it all. We don't believe in not doing something just because it doesn't
fit the mold. If we feel like using a Gibson and a Marshall stack, we'll
do it if it works for the song."
Longtime C&E fans need not fear that the band have abandoned
their roots. Many of the tracks contained on _Innermost Station_ would
fit nicely in with the flowing work which was released on _Trip_, where
the songs weren't aimed at creating dance club fads, but at lasting
songs with honest-to-goodness intelligent hooks. That trait continues
here on cuts such as "Eclipse" and "She's So Gone".
"The World Is Ours" opens with ninety seconds of introspection and
mildly haunting music before bursting into a traditional keyboard chorus,
as Rowe implores his lover to 'Get up on the rooftop and scream out our
desires / They can keep their heaven, I'll stay down near the fire / The
world is ours.'
Meanwhile, "Real?" musically recalls "Another Minute", but with more
mature lyrics. 'The older I get, the less I feel / I don't know what I
want / I don't know what is real', Rowe realizes, as the younger boy from
the aforementioned cut has grown into a man.
There are no standout, top 10 singles here, but in establishing
a band's long-term success, the quality of albums is key. Cause &
Effect have produced another album which will tug at the hearts of
synthpop fans without having them run to hear an 'original' Erasure
or Depeche Mode disc.
What does the future hold for Cause & Effect? A tour in support
of _Innermost Station_ (with video projectsion) is in the cards for 1998,
but the band hasn't committed to anything. And just as Todd Rundgren is
doing, the band is looking into downloadable audio as an alternative to
discs - in order to distribute remixes or one-off songs to their fans.
As for whether the band will return to the major label distribution
that Zoo (and BMG) offered, that bridge will be crossed at a later date.
According to Rowe, "Maybe we'll go back (to a major) after we've proven to
ourselves that we don't need them so it feels more like a choice than a
neccessity."
But for now, Cause & Effect are experiencing first-hand the
power of the Internet to bypass traditional music outlets, and achieve
the goal of most performers - allow their music to be heard by the people.
---
REVIEW: George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars, _Live and
Kickin'_ (Intersound)
- Joann D. Ball
"Free your mind and your ass will follow." With these
words of truth and wisdom, funk philosopher and mastermind George
Clinton introduces himself, the P-Funk All Stars and two-and-a-half
hours of righteous funk on _Live and Kickin'_. The otherworldly
experience that is a live P-Funk concert is captured here in 15
classic tracks performed live in a number of cities between 1972
and 1997. The only official live record from George Clinton & The
P-Funk All Stars, this double disc offers a rare look into the
evolution of one of the major forces in contemporary popular music.
P-Funk live is always a lively, spirited, intense and
sweaty experience designed for maximum audience participation.
And even without the visual antics and costumes, you still get
the feeling that there's about 20 people on stage funking it up
just for you. The production job on this release puts the funk
right in yo' ears and into your soul, completely capturing the
party vibe on the stage and in the audience.
Disc one opens with "Cosmic Slop," title song from the
classic 1973 release. The perfect introduction to Funk 101,
"Cosmic Slop," combines blues and rock guitar solos, soulful
vocals and jazz horns with P-Funk's own extraterrestrial bass,
drums and keyboards. The funk continues to roll through extended
versions of the futuristic "Bop Gun" and "Funkentelechy (Where'd
You Get That Funk From), with the latter clocking in at slightly
over 24-minutes. And the live version of "Standing on the Verge"
is the missing blueprint for the style and sound of the Artist
Formerly Known As Prince. Listen to the tinkling ivories, the
call and response, and the extended jams and you can almost see
The Artist dancing around the stage in his platform heels. After
a rousing "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off)" and "Let's Take
it to the Stage," you get a few minutes to cool off during the new
studio recording "Good Love (Instrumental)."
The epic "Maggot Brain" opens part two of the P-funk fest.
This track, with its amazing 8 minute electric guitar solo, gives
dark side of the moon a completely new meaning. It leads right
into the seminal anthem "Make My Funk the P-Funk," on which George
Clinton promises to do "whatever it takes, whatever the party calls
for." Always one to deliver what he promises, Clinton then shines
the spotlight on 70s R&B radio megahit "Flashlight" and 80s
crossover smash "Atomic Dog." But it's the quarter of an hour
version of "The Mothership Connection" that proves that funk is
a religion in its own right. Here Clinton and the P-Funk All
Stars preach to the converted and transform the concert into a
funky religious revival. Midway through the service, Minister
Clinton slows things down for a deep meditation with an update of
the spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Encouraging the audience
to sing in solidarity through call and response, Clinton and his
followers unite to bring the spirit of the Mothership into the
room and then take in flight when the trumpets sound.
After the loungy "Pepe the Pill Popper" and the hip-hop
inspired "Let's Get Satisfied/Dope Dog," _Live and Kickin'_ comes
to an end with studio tracks "Ain't Nuthin' But A Jam Y'all" and
"State of the Nation." On "Ain't Nuthin' But A Jam Y'all," the
first single and video from record, fellow funkateers the Dazz Band
join Clinton and company on this slick and laid back groove.
Through the live cuts and studio tracks, _Live and Kickin'_
clearly demonstrates just how innovative and creative Clinton's
musical vision and genius has been during the past 25 years.
Like the Grateful Dead, Clinton and his All Stars turn concerts
into experiences and happenings where the music unites fans
spiritually and takes them to a higher level While the musical
mainstream has only recently provided a space for the magic of
P-Funk, Clinton's influence can be heard in the diverse sounds
of The Artist, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Living Colour just to
name a few, and the P-Funk groove has been sampled by a host of
rap and R&B artists. Recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall
of Fame, George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars continue to tour,
delivering the funk and nothing but the funk to audiences around
the world.
TRACK LISTING: Cosmic Slop, Bop Gun, Standing On The
Verge, Funk Gettin' Ready To Roll, Funkentelechy (Where'd You Get
That Funk From), Give Up the Funk (Tear The Roof Off), Let's Take
It To The Stage, Good Love (Instrumental)
Maggot Brain, Make My Funk The P-Funk, Flashlight,
Aquaboogie, Atomic Dog, The Mothership Connection, Pepe The Pill
Popper, Let's Get Satisfied/Dope Dog, Ain't Nuthin' But A Jam
Y'all, State Of The Nation
---
CONCERT REVIEW: Midnight Oil
- Bob Gajarsky
A certain level of excitement can be expected
when a major music act plays at a tiny venue.
And when international superstars Midnight Oil played
at the 200-person capacity Mercury Lounge in one of
three sold out New York City dates, the energy level
could have provided enough power to service the entire
Big Apple.
The five piece Australian outfit clicked
on a level few could possibly hope of achieving.
Best known in the States for their top 20
1988 hit "Beds Are Burning", this song actually
incited the least excitement in both the crowd and
the band. Lesser hits such as 1993s "Truganini",
1990s "Blue Sky Mining" and "Forgotten Years" and
1984s "Power And The Passion" were what drove the
crowd wild, and lead vocalist Peter Garrett seemed
to feed off the crowd's energy and excitement.
The audience at the Oil show was much different
than at the traditional concert. Although packed
in a tight area, there was no moshing - people were
dancing and stomping in place, literally making the
entire Mercury Lounge shake. And when Garrett
would have a monologue in between some songs
("I don't have too much to say tonight," he first
said, "which makes our drummer quite happy"), the
crowd immediately dropped any conversation, enabling
Garrett's imposing presence and voice to tower over
everyone.
But although Garrett the orator was a welcome
change from the "Hi New York, do you want to rock?",
most fans came to hear the music. The track selection
consisted of songs from the band's recently issued
'hits' compilation, _20000 Watt R.S.L._, along with four
selections from a forthcoming 1998 album - two of which
have been included on _20000_. One of the new tracks,
"What Goes On", was dedicated to the recently-departed
Michael Hutchence. The chemistry, raw power and
enthusiasm of all the band's members astounded even
this jaded concert-goer, and re-inforced my faith in
successful groups retaining their love of live
performances.
It's a rare group that can generate the same
level of enthusiasm for their songs after 20 years -
and even more difficult to find acts that can produce
new, robust songs after that time. Tonight, Midnight
Oil placed themselves in that class.
---
REVIEW: Lisa Loeb, _Firecracker_ (Geffen)
- David Pirmann
Admittedly, I've been a fan of Lisa Loeb and her bookworm
cat-like glasses since "Stay (I Missed You)" appeared on the
soundtrack to the film _Reality Bites_ more than a year before
her first album was released. With their first album, Lisa Loeb
and her backup band Nine Stories needed to overcome the instant
popularity that "Stay" brought them, and although it had some
good pop tunes, there was an equal number of forgettable, bland
songs in which it was obvious that as a band they had not found
their sound. In places, the indie-rock electric guitar of Nine
Stories' backup clashed with Lisa Loeb's intellectual pop
songwriting. On _Firecracker_, Lisa Loeb's second
full album, the band and Lisa's lyrics and singing have fallen
more into place, with the result being, for the most part, smooth
and harmonious "intelli-pop".
In the past two years, many women singer-songwriters have
appeared, many of whom are filled with angst and anger (Alanis
Morissette, Jewel, Liz Phair, etc.) but Lisa Loeb continues to
work against that trend. The pink bubblegum album cover is the
first indication, and the first single, "I Do", is the second
indication that there are other ways to write about spoiled
relationships: uptempo, good beat, and Lisa's easy-to-listen-to
voice (compare Ms. Morissette's "You Oughta Know" to see the
other end of the spectrum!). However, even without a strong dose
of black angst, it seems that every song is about spoiled
relationships in one way or another.
In literature classes, one is taught that it is a mistake
to assume that the "I" in a poem is the voice of the poet, but
the songwriting here, and Lisa's expressive voice, makes it hard
to seperate the song from the singer, leading to a very personal
experience as a listener. There are some places where the
songwriting suffers from Lisa Loeb's attempt to intellectualize,
but this too contributes to a feeling of being there with the
"I" in the songs. Almost every song is written in the first
person - a little glimpse into some "I"'s life.
Nine Stories, the band, has matured, losing the rock band
sound that marred some of the first album's tracks. The electric
guitars have been replaced by acoustic, and many of the tracks
are arranged with a string quartet or orchestra, for instance on
_Firecracker_'s second track "Falling in Love". The strings
combined with acoustic guitar and harmony vocals by guest Shawn
Colvin has a decidedly non-rock and yet non-folk sound which
works well. The second single, "Truthfully", uses the strings
and a very nice harmony vocal on the chorus, looped in by Lisa
herself.
As a sophomore effort, I think Lisa Loeb has matured
and worked out a sound that fits the songwriting well. The
songwriting still needs to mature a little. I'd like to
hear Lisa's voice and talent for personalizing the
songs to be used for something other than failed relationships.
None of the tracks here will be as powerful as "Stay (I Missed
You)". But, they've got the sound right, so I'll be waiting,
hoping the next album reaches the next level.
---
REVIEW: 2K, "***k The Millenium" (Mute)
- Bob Gajarsky
The Jams. The Timelords. Disco 2000. The KLF. The K
Foundation. No matter what name you know them as, the duo of Bill
Drummound and Jimmy Cauty have returned to the musical arena.
This time, the enigmatic pair have taken the name 2K, and
released the single "***k The Millenium". As a medley taken from
some of their previous songs (most notably "Don't Take Five Take
What You Want" and the 1988 version of "What Time Is Love"),
this hodge-podge may initially seem unrecognizable to most
American fans, but devoted K fans will pick and choose the
samples. No threats from Abba lawyers will derail this
song, however.
The four track single includes two 4 minute versions of
the title track, a 'brass' version of it, and a 14 minute
extended version which explores the many musical paths which
Drummound/Cauty have taken throughout the years.
With a video reminiscent of Frankie's "Two Tribes",
Drummound and Cauty take their 'artistic pursuits' to a newer,
stranger level. Scenes shift quickly from dockers screaming
'Fuck the millenium, we want it now' to a theatrical setting
with two older gentlemen in wheelchairs (our heroes) racing
around the stage with rhino horns strapped to their heads and
axes in their hands. A strange video, to be sure, but Drummound
and Cauty have burned 1 million pounds before, on a lark.
Not quite the return which was expected when the KLF
announced their departure from the music industry five years
back, but it's still nice to see Msrs. Drummond and Cauty
return to shake things up a bit.
---
REVIEW: Various, _We Will Fall - The Iggy Pop Tribute_ (Royalty)
- Bill Holmes
Many Americans measure time by how many years it's been
since a life-changing moment like the Kennedy assassination (that's
34 years and counting, for you math-deficient readers). For the more
musically inclined, chew on this - _Raw Power_ turns twenty-five
next year! As a companion to the recently remastered classic,
Royalty Records has assembled a twenty-track, seventy three minute
tour through Iggy Pop's career, the third such collection I've seen
but easily the most high profile. Reading the artists and track
listing on the back cover would be enough inspiration for even a
fringe fan to grab the disc, but the contents may surprise you. A
couple of the brightest moments come from the most unlikely artists.
Nada Surf always struck me as a one-hit MTV band, but their
great version of "Sick Of You" is reminiscent of _Love It To Death_
era Alice Cooper! Sugar Ray, another band-of-the-moment, torches
"Cold Metal" so thoroughly that not even the insipid turntable
scratching during the solo can take it down. Pansy Division shows
that they have balls after all with a great rip on "Loose". The
Lunachicks make "Passenger" an aural treat all over again, and Extra
Fancy's shuffle version of "Sell Your Love" is one of the two or
three best cuts on the record.
Some artists do exactly what you'd expect. Joey Ramone
(backed by the Misfits) turns in a Ramones-cum-Bo-Diddley version
of "1969", and Joan Jett barks out a typical snarly-grrrl cover of
"Real Wild Child". The Red Hot Chili Peppers do a credible version
of "Search And Destroy", but it's licensed from seven years ago,
not newly recorded. If they were going to rob the vaults, I would
have much preferred the Dictators' classic flame-thrower
interpretation, but perhaps the producers were afraid that
Handsome Dick would use the opportunity to punch out Jayne County.
You also get what you expect from bands like The Misfits, 7 Year
Bitch and Bush Tetras, but Lenny Kaye's heroin take on "We Will
Fall" was a surprise.
Not everyone shines, however. While it's a given that Ig
and the boys sometimes tried to squeeze four pounds of notes out
of a three pound bag, they at least did it with personality. If
the music was sometimes simplistic, they more made up for it with
energy. Here an almost-unrecognizable Superdrag drones their way
through "1970". Blondie, here reformed as a four piece under the
pseudonym Adolph's Dog, schmooze their way through "Ordinary
Bummer" (what a waste of a Clem Burke sighting!). NY Loose
sounds like processed cheese, and Blanks 77 are just...well....blank.
With tribute projects you take your chances, and the
percentages are good on this one. Song selections are scattered
throughout the Stooges/Pop canon, although some classics like "I
Wanna Be Your Dog" and "Raw Power" were not included (then again,
would YOU want to try those?). Amazingly, I've seen this
compilation for sale at some music stores that have traditionally
been too nervous to stock actual Iggy product! The times, they
are a changin'.....
---
REVIEW: Mogwai, _Young Team_ (JetSet)
- Simon West
If you're one of those people who can't understand why a nice
bit of atmospheric indie guitar rock is always spoilt by some bugger
singing all over it, we've got yer band here.
_Young Team_, the full-length debut from Scotland's Mogwai, has
a few voices, swirling in and out of the mix in conversation and
mutterings. There's one actual vocal on "R U Still In 2 It", but that's
it. What Mogwai concentrates on is atmospheric instrumentals, with some
of the most affecting melodies I've heard recently.
The tempo is pretty slow throughout, but the volume is apt to
change in a heartbeat, sending layers of angry guitar over the listener
where previously there was calm. Driven by a clean, minimalist rhythm
section and augmented on this release by the keyboards of ex-Teenage
Fanclubber Brendan O'Hare, Mogwai make music for dark nights and violent
storms. The ten tracks here are not traditional four minute rock
songs. Stretching anywhere from two to 15 minutes, they move from
driving riffs to ambient breaks, fractured pieces of melody weaving in
and out of the piece.
Snatches of sound and style on _Young Team_ occasionally remind
you of someone else - Joy Division here and there, a touch of
_Disintegration_ -era Cure on "Yes I Am A Long Way From Home", but the
whole is entirely original - dense, layered melodies and moods -
particularly on the standout "Summer (Priority Version)" and the
drifting, swirling 15 minute finale "Mogwai Fear Satan". An excellent
debut - the soundtrack to a film no one's written yet. Highly recommended.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the
Cheeze_ / _The Hit List_ (Intersound)
- Joann D. Ball
Multi-artist compilations make perfect gifts and excellent
party soundtracks. This holiday season, check out _Retro Lunchbox:
Squeeze the Cheeze_ and _The Hit List_ from the Atlanta-based
record label, Intersound.
Fans of more accessible 80s New Wave pop music will enjoy
_Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the Cheeze_. This collection includes
some well-known Top 40 and MTV hits, some of them cheezier than
others, and a few other treats. The _Retro Lunchbox_ opens with
Wang Chung's "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" and is followed by the
Escape Club's "Wild, Wild West." Not only is the fun and humor
of this 15 song collection evident in the song titles of the
selections, but it also guides the track placement. Why else
would The Waitresses' cheeky "I Know What Boys Like" come just
before Berlin's "Sex (I'm A ...)? The real pleasures here,
though, are Haircut 100's "Love Plus One," Soho's "Hippychick"
and Scritti Politti's "Perfect Way." When compared to "Our House"
by Madness and "I Ran (So Far Away) by A Flock of Seagulls, these
three tracks are less likely to be heard on your local alternative
radio station's flasback program.
If commercial rap and hip-hop is your flavor, then check
out _The Hit List_. This twleve-song collection is Intersound's
first rap effort, and it features a range of styles and grooves.
Topping off the list is the jazz-sampled stylings of "Ya'll Ain't
Ready Yet" by Mystical, and it rolls right into Shaggy's smash
hit "Bombastic." 2Pac's 1993 collaboration with MC Breed, "Gotta
Get Mine," is probably the roughest and rawest of the tracks here.
It is certainly a contrast to the slick 70s soul-inspired "I
Wish" by Skee-Lo, and the light and breezy "Summertime" by D.J.
Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The absolutely hillarious "I Got
a Man" by Positive K turns up here, too,. and MC Breed's "Ain't
No Future in Yo Frontin" closes out the line-up.
_Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the Cheeze_ and _The Hit List_
are both fun, upbeat collections. Because they are not intended
as an historical overviews of the respective music formats, they
don't include obscure or underground songs. Rather, the cds are
perfect for friends who enjoy laughing about their teenage years
and for that retro or hip-hop happenin' New Year's Eve party.
TRACK LISTING _Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the Cheeze_ -
Everybody Have Fun Tonight [Wang Chung], Wild, Wild
West [The Escape Club], I Wanna Be A Cowboy [Boys Don't Cry], I
Know What Boys Like [The Waitresses], Sex (I'm A ...) [Berlin],
Love Plus One [Haircut 100], Our House [Madness], Hippychick
[Soho], Perfect Way [Scritti Politti], Whirly Girl [OXO], Pass
The Dutchie [Musical Youth], I Ran (So Far Away) [A Flock of
Seagulls], One Night In Bangkok [Murray Head], Saved By Zero
[The Fixx], Dancing In Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop) [Q-Feel].
TRACK LISTING _The Hit List_ - Ya'll Ain't
Ready Yet [Mystikal], Boombastic [Shaggy], Neva Go Back [Special
Ed], Gotta Get Mine [MC Breed & 2Pac], Tonite [DJ Quck], I Wish
[Skee-lo], People Everyday [Arrested Development], Down With the
King [Run D.M.C.], Summertime [D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh
Prince], Back to the Hotel [N2Deep], I Got A Man [Positive K],
Ain't No Future in Yo Frontin [MC Breed].
---
REVIEW: The Gain, _Ready Steady Smash_ (Mighty)
- Bill Holmes
Somebody set the clocks back twenty years at a lot of
the record companies. Plenty of ska-pop-punk-wave releases coming
out of the woodwork could easily be mistaken for their forefathers,
albeit with better production. Some pay tribute, some add a new
twist, and some....well, some just aren't as good. Where twenty
years ago there certainly were enough bands with limited musical
and/or vocal abilities, it was also a revolution of sorts - a
backlash to complacency in music that literally erupted. Now,
twenty years too late, record companies are tossing the wide net
once again in search of that "new/old sound".
Steve Pilace writes all the two and three minute songs
here (thirteen songs clock in at just over thirty six minutes).
Musically there's a lot of adrenaline here, and the songs have
more of a harmonic sense that fellow bangers Offspring, for
example, but I don't know how to say this any other way than the
blunt truth - Pilace is incapable of singing on key. I know a lot
of people who are not technically great vocalists (Ron Wood, Bob
Dylan, John Lydon/Rotten) who make up for any shortcomings through
pure emotion. These vocals have nothing to offer - vapid, claws
on the blackboard screeches - but if you read the lyrics you'll
know that you're not missing anything. Not that moshers could
care about such things anyway.
It's too bad, too. His guitar playing is rapid-fire
Ramones riffing, and the rhythm section of Corky Pigeon and
Joey Travers is solid. In better hands I'd enjoy hearing "Song
For Saturday" (Corky sings this one, and he's off-key too!) or
the title track. I wish there were some way to strip the vocals
right off the record and play it as an instrumental disc. Like
The Ventures on crack.
If you're looking for a soundtrack for a skateboarding
movie, you've got the perfect sonic assault with no lyrical
content to get in the way. They bang, they bash, hell, they
even yell "Oi!" at the top of their lungs. But even their best
songs, like "Month Of Mondays" and "So Low" are just Green Day
without the charm and without the wit. If you're looking for punky
pop and rock music worth your dollars, there are far better places
to drop your wallet.
---
CONTEST WINNERS: > Congratulations to Ryan Dunn, Brad
Friess, Barbara Pashkoff, Ben Wern and Molly Wilson.
Each person will win one copy of the Doors Box Set.
Thanks to Elektra Records and C Notes Interactive for
their sponsorship of the contest.
---
NEWS: > Members of the Black Crowes fan club have recently been
sent holiday cassettes from the band. It includes the Crowes' cover
of the Beatles "Do You Want To Know A Secret" as well as holiday
greetings in English, Spanish, French, German and Ukranian.
> From Good Homes has recently issued a four song EP,
_Live At Waterloo_, which was taped near the band's home in
Stanhope, New Jersey. Further information on the release can be
obtained at http://members.aol.com/raind727/main/fghindex.htm
The band's forthcoming self-titled album will be released in
spring 1998.
> Motley Crue may have been one the ones featured on the
news, but the real source of Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx's arrest
at the Crue's December 10 concert in Phoenix was opening act
(hed) p.e. Apparently, Lee invited the band to join him onstage
at the end of the Crue's concert. Guitarist Chizad was the first
one onstage, and a security guard mistook him for a fan - and
tried to restrain Chizad. Other members of (hed) p.e. joined in
to help out their bandmate, and Lee and Sixx joined in the scuffle,
which culminated with Lee kicking the security guard in the back and
subsequent arrest.
> Local H's Scott Lucas is now also playing guitar on the
road with Triple Fast Action.
> Modified, one of the leaders in the 'create your own
sounds' field, have recently released _Chillas Net Sounds Vol. 1_.
The CD-Rom for this product, with over 600 samples in 600 MB of
sounds and video, offers up the ultimate combination of
user-mixable drum 'n' bass, techno, ambient, hip hop and
jungle music. This disc will immediately capture the interest
of any club fan because of the ability to mix, match and save
countless audio and video combinations to create any type
of club atmosphere without leaving your house - or computer.
The disc is available in the UK at major software
and music retailers, or interested international home DJs
can check out the company's website at
http://www.modified.demon.co.uk
> Never one to shy away from controversy, the latest
Prodigy single is "Smack My Bitch Up". The song, which is
primarily an instrumental which samples from the Ultramagnetic
MCs, has drawn the wrath of various women's groups in the
United States. In addition to this, a video filled with
topless dancers and violence - with an interesting twist late
in the video - has been banned from many music programs.
The maxi-single includes two versions of the title track,
a dub remix of "Mindfields", and a re-working of _Spawn_'s
"One Man Army", here retitled "No Man Army".
> The holiday season has presented video treats for
fans of two of alterna-rocks louder acts. Rage Against the
Machine's self-titled home video comprises 70 minutes of live
performances from 1996's Reading Festival in England and
several other concert locations, uncensored versions of
several Rage videos (including a previously unreleased
spoken-word performance of "Memory of the Dead"), and
a cover of the Bruce Springsteen song, "The Ghost of Tom Joad".
In addition, a bonus single of "The Ghost Of Tom Joad"
is included in the package.
Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails has released a long
awaited double video set. _Closure_ captures the raw and
unabated furor which transcends Nine Inch Nails' music.
The first part of this collection consists of live
versions of eleven of Reznor's songs, while the second
half of this set includes (for the first time) the complete
collection of 13 uncut NIN music videos, fused together
by Coil member Peter Christopherson.
---
TOUR DATES (Please confirm with site before travelling):
Barenaked Ladies / Devlins
Dec. 27 Rochester, NY War Memorial
Dec. 28 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
Dec. 29 Chicago, IL Riviera
Dec. 30 Cleveland, OH CSU Center
Dec. 31 Detroit, MI Palace
Brain Surgeons
Dec. 26 Ithaca, NY Haunt
Juliana Hatfield / Triple Fast Action
Dec. 16 Pittsburgh, PA Rosebud
Dec. 17 Baltimore, MD Fletcher's
Dec. 18 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Dec. 19 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Dec. 20 New York, NY CBGB
Hed P.E.
Dec. 17 Seattle, WA Subzero
Dec. 19 Fremont, CA Club Kaos
Dec. 20 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill (with Incubus)
Moxy Fruvous
Dec. 31 New York, NY Bottom Line Cabaret Theatre
Oneida / Be/Non
Dec. 17 Atlanta The Point
Dec. 21 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
Oral Groove
Dec. 19 New York, NY Sidewalk Cafe
Pave The Rocket
Dec. 18 Kansas City, MO Hurricane w/Rocket Fuel is The Key
Dec. 19 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry w/ Lifter-Puller, Freedm Fghtr
Dec. 27 Springfield, IL Atrium w/ N.I.L.8., Fragile Porcelin Mice
Phish
Dec. 28 Landover, MD USAir Arena
Dec. 29-31 New York , NY Madison Square Garden Arena
Jane Siberry
Dec. 17 Ontario, CA Trinity Church
Dec. 19 Cincinnati, OH Emery Theater
---
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