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Consumable Online Issue 124
==== ISSUE 124 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [October 9, 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,
Bill Holmes, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Robin Lapid,
Stephen Lin, Scott Miller, Linda Scott, Scott
Slonaker, Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl,
Simon West, Lang Whitaker
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann
Also Contributing: Michele Morabito
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.
==================================================================
.------------.
| Contents |
`------------'
INTERVIEW: Moby - Robin Lapid
REVIEW: Love Spit Love, _Trysome Eatone_ - Joe Silva
CONCERT REVIEW: John Hiatt - Reto Koradi
REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Spawn_ - Stephen Lin
REVIEW: Sundays, _Static And Silence_ - Tim Kennedy
REVIEW: Super Deluxe, _Via Satellite_ - Scott Slonaker
ADVANCE REVIEW: Duran Duran, _Medazzaland_ - Michele Morabito
REVIEW: Stereophonics, "Local Boy in the Photograph" - Tim Mohr
REVIEW: Mike Watt, _Contemplating The Engine Room_ - Al Muzer
COMPILATION REVIEWS: Jackson Browne, _The Next Voice You Hear_ , _Euro
Dance Hi-NRG_ , _Pure Dance 1998_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Too Much Joy, _Green Eggs and Crack_ - Tim Hulsizer
REVIEW: Smart Brown Handbag, _Lullabies For Infidels_ - Reto Koradi
REVIEW: Oral Groove, _Collisionville_ - Bill Holmes
CARTER U.S.M. CALL IT A DAY - Simon West
NEWS: Duran Duran, Golden Palominos, Walt Mink
TOUR DATES: Backsliders, David Bowie, David Byrne, Cravin' Melon, Alana
Davis, Foo Fighters , God Street Wine, Irving Plaza (New York City
concert hall), Jackyl, Jars of Clay / Plumb, Love Spit Love / Closer,
Motley Crue / Cheap Trick, Old 97s, Promise Ring / Compound Red,
Samples, Scanner / DJ Spooky, Seven Mary Three, Shootyz Groove / Tree,
Slackers, Sneaker Pimps / Junkster, Third Eye Blind / Reef, Two Dollar
Pistols
Back Issues of Consumable
---
INTERVIEW: Moby
- Robin Lapid
Listening to a Moby album is like a lesson in Learning to Love
Schizophrenia. He has long been known to many as the human face of
techno, but as a hard-core music lover with influences ranging from Bad
Brains to Bach, it is hard to pin the man down. On albums like _Everything
Is Wrong_ or _Animal Rights_, you can hear anything from ambient to
hard-core punk from one track to the next.
Moby is a prolific artist, to say the least. Apart from his own
albums (including numerous releases under pseudonyms), he has remixed
songs for the likes of Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Aerosmith, and
Blur (his favorite being a "Beat It" remix for Michael Jackson). He was
set to produce the upcoming Guns 'n Roses album, but not wanting to move
from New York City to Los Angeles for 8 months, Moby is now devoting the
majority of his time to working on his next album. Moby's "re-version"
for the James Bond Theme has been making the rounds of alternative
stations, and can also be heard on _I Like To Score_ (coming out in the
U.S. on Oct. 21), a compilation of songs he's done for film and television.
His personality is as much a part of his music, something for
which he's taken a lot of flak. The release of his last album, _Animal
Rights_, was more industrial/punk than his trademark electronic sound,
leaving many of his techno fanbase crying traitor. But what can't be
denied is how much a role *all* of his influences play in his music.
His set during the recent Big Top tour (an electronic-dance "rave,"
American-style) was befitting of Moby's personality, an unseemly,
seamless contrariness of moods and emotions. His unflinching honesty
with his musical output, and his efforts at reflecting his human side
in all its diversity, is what ultimately makes his music complex, vital,
and alive.
I caught up with Moby the day after his 32nd birthday, at Big
Top's Oakland stop. He had time before his 1 a.m. set (and a quick nap)
to expand on his renewed love for techno and his vegan, Christ-loving
lifestyle.
Consumable: How's the tour going?
Moby: For me it's going really well. It's the first time in
a couple of years that I've gone out and played an all exclusively
electronic dance set. The only problems are that ticket prices are too
high, because most of the bands on the tour no one's ever heard of
before. What tends to happen is 808 State plays, and I play, and
everyone goes home. Tonight it should be fine because it's San
Francisco and it's a weekend. But in some of the smaller cities we've
done during the week, I'll play and be done around 1 o'clock [in the
morning], and then everyone just disappears - the bands that come after
me are playing to empty houses.
C: How do you feel about the backlash you got from fans and
critics for _Animal Rights_, when you decided to go for a more
industrial, punk sound?
Moby: It kind of made sense to me. But at the same time,
when I was making _Animal Rights_, I also made the Voodoo Child album,
which is an all-electronic, very quiet record, and I was making a house
music record, and I was doing dance remixes, and I was writing classical
music for movies. So what tends to happen, is artists or musicians get
judged on the record they make every 16 months as their sole creative
output. But I do all these different things, so when I made _Animal
Rights_ , I thought it was just one part of the whole picture.
Hopefully it will all be seen as a cohesive mass. I think, in
a few years, if anyone takes the trouble to do so, they look back and
they'll see everything, all the records I've made all in relation to
each other, and it'll all make sense. But when it's happening, it might
seem a little confusing to people.
C: Are you working on your next album right now?
Moby: Mm-hm. That's why I wanna go home.
C: What's that album going to be like?
Moby: Stylistically, I don't really know. I want it to be an
emotional album. _I Like To Score_ is coming out in October, but the
record I'm working on now, I think it's much more in line with what
people would expect a Moby album to be like. I think with _Animal
Rights_ , I kind of confused people more than I wanted to.
C: Was it intentional? I know that in your music and your
personal beliefs, you welcome and promote an open-mindedness.
Moby: I like lots of different types of music and I don't see
why I should make one kind at the exclusion of anything else. With
_Animal Rights_ , I really didn't want to confuse people by making,
like, a punk rock heavy metal record with really quiet classical
interludes. I think it's a remarkable record, and I think in the
context of everything else I've done and hopefully will do in the
future, it will make a lot of sense then. But I didn't mean to confuse
people quite as seriously as I did.
C: So you have a bigger plan with each album you put out?
Moby: Not an intentional bigger plan. It's kind of like, say
if you're married to someone - in the morning they're in a really foul
mood. Well, you don't assume they're going to be in a foul mood for the
rest of their life. You take that as part of their personality. There
are different facets to different people's personalities, and it works
through an artistic level as well. If you know someone for ten years,
you realize that sometimes they're quiet, sometimes they're loud,
sometimes they're funny, sometimes they're jerks. It all combines
into a cohesive whole, and I would hope that my creative output
reflects that.
As a human being and a musician, I'm comfortable enough with
ambiguity, that I don't feel a need to constrain myself and say, "Okay,
this is what I am." I don't see any problem with loving classical music
and also loving punk rock and speed metal.
C: Do you think that the music you put out is intimately
connected to who you are as a person?
Moby: Yeah, I'm not quite sure how, but it all comes from me.
And I tend to be more expressive through the music that I make than the
way I live my life. You can reveal a lot more through making music
[than you can by living life]. A lot of the music I make has a sort
of "epic" quality to it, and it's really hard to live an "epic" life
(laughs). I'm sort of like, shy and retiring.
C: What do you think of the techno music coming out now?
Moby: I can't generalize it. Some of it I really like, and
some of it I can't stand. The thing I think that I miss is that it
tends now to veer into a more esoteric sound. In like 1989 to 1992,
it was really uplifting and joyful. It tended to be like a techno
anthem. There don't seem to be as many today. It tends to be more
underground, more esoteric now. But I really miss the anthems.
C: What kind of music have you been listening to lately?
Moby: Classical music, and a lot of speed metal. I really
like stuff like the Toadies. And my own music. Classical music,
speed metal, and my own music.
C: You mentioned recently that you went to a John Fogerty
concert, and that you liked the fact that he was a "populist," and
played just the hits, the songs that the audience wanted to hear.
Do you feel the same pressure when you play shows?
Moby: I just feel like, I want to make people happy.
Especially when you can do that, when I have the ability to make
people happy through the music I make. A lot of bands don't want to
play old stuff, they just want to play new stuff. As an audience
member, you tend to want familiarity. You're paying money to hear
songs you love, and I'm overjoyed to provide that service.
C: What was the audience reaction like when you toured for
_Animal Rights_?
Moby: We toured for five months in Europe, and the response
was quite good. At this point, I had an epiphany where I realized I
don't want to be that self-indulgent to my creative output.
C: Do you think you'll ever do another album like _Animal
Rights_ ?
Moby: I'd probably do it under a different name, like, not
put it out as "a new Moby album."
C: Were you trying to gain a new audience with that album?
Moby: I was just making a record that I wanted to make. It
never crossed my mind that I would alienate old fans or earn new fans.
I'm bound to alienate people [in putting out the music that I do], but
you can't make people happy all the time.
C: How did you become a Christian?
Moby: In my own weird way I love Christ and I love the
teachings of Christ. The word "Christian" can mean a lot of different
things. In Macedonia it means a Russian Orthodox Christianity. If
you're in Ireland it means something different altogether. There's
so many different expressions of what Christianity is and they have
nothing to do with each other. I prefer to just think of myself as
(searches for word) a Christ-liker.
C: Does that play into your music at all?
Moby: Oh yeah. I'm not quite sure how, but it does. Hopefully
it affects my music in a cohesive, organic fashion.
C: You have an internet account, right?
Moby: I did many years ago, but I haven't been online for a while.
C: On the rec.music.christian newsgroup, a lot of people tend
to see you as a sort of role model, and some people tend to think it's
wrong that you condemn the Christian right.
Moby: I don't really condemn the Christian right. If somebody
considers themselves a conservative Christian, I have no problem with
that. What I have a problem with is judgementalism. The conservative
Christian ideology doesn't make sense to me. I don't feel it has a
foundation in the teachings of Christ. Everyone's welcome to believe
whatever they want to believe. It's not my place to condemn someone
for their belief structure. But it does rub me the wrong way when
someone calls themselves a Christian and their ideology doesn't seem
to have much foundation in the teachings of Christ.
I read an interview with Ralph Reed, and he's talking about
the strength of the family unit, and personal American values, and I'm
not saying those things are bad, but they really don't have anything to
do with Christ. So, when I criticize the conservative Christian right,
[it's because] I feel that they're leading people astray. A farmer from
Kentucky, what do they know about Robert Mapplethorpe? So it's really
easy to say, "Those evil homosexuals in the big city, or those sinners,
or those unwed mothers." But the truth is, I think what Christ wanted
us to strive for was compassion and nonjudgementalism.
C: So do you promote that message when you put out your music?
Moby: Yeah, primarily through the essays that I write, and in
giving interviews. My goal is never to try to convert anyone to
anything or convince anyone of anything. I just want to share my
opinions, and hopefully people will share their opinions back, and
you create a dialogue. I've been wrong about so many things in my
life that I certainly don't think I'm right now. I believe what I
believe at this moment. It's all subject to change depending on [the
beliefs that I have] and the contact I have with other people.
C: Do you feel that techno music is going back to those ideals
that made you get into it in the first place, the celebration and
enthusiasm of music?
Moby: It seems like, with the younger people involved in it
now, there's a real celebratory quality to it. The gregarious aspect
of it and the celebration aspect of it, that's what I love about it.
The music now is very uplifting.
---
REVIEW: Love Spit Love, _Trysome Eatone_ (Maverick)
- Joe Silva
Not that the first Love Spit Love disc was so metaphysically
detached from the Furs, but having floated at least one LP with
moderate success, it's at least sonically clear that Richard Butler
is more comfy with the association. That is to say that now when
co-conspirator Richard Fortus strays closer to Butler's old flame,
the singer's more apt to follow.
Working essentially as a Morrissey/Marr styled duo, the two
Richards have returned from the Imago fiasco with a brimful of tunes
that are not only in league with their 94 debut release, but that
also see them having the confidence to push the faders up and let
loose with a little less melancholia and a bit more clamor.
From the single's ("Long Long Time") opening moments, the
verve runs at much higher levels and with Butler's voice in full
croak, the combination gets to soaring quick. Hired hands Chris
Wilson and Frank Ferrer are essentially solid, if not non-descript
additions to the picture. And because they either had a protracted
amount of time to mull over the content, or Fortus' ability to second
guess Butler's tastes has improved, Love Spit Love beat the sophomore
jinx cold.
The tracks spin off the album one after another, loud, catchy,
and not too far removed from the firmament that the Furs stood firmly
upon nearly twenty years past. One number, the semi-somber "Fall On
Tears," has a chorus etched into it that is sure to place it among
Butler's better work.
And while Butler's lyrics still more happenstance than
forethought, it's easy to forgive him stealing more and more bits from
his previous songbooks. They appear more as reassertion than repetition.
Set to tour through the remainder of the fall and in and about
the holidays, Love Spit Love's continually more respectable take on
aggressive, modern pop will probably be worth an evening out. And if
Fortus (who may still have his best work ahead of him) stays on track,
Butler's raspy vocal signature may still have a forum to hold for years
to come.
---
CONCERT REVIEW: John Hiatt, Zurich, Switzerland
- Reto Koradi
Besides releasing one excellent album after the other, John
Hiatt has also gained a solid (yet much too small) fan base through
his live performances. This Monday night was off for an excellent
start with supporting act Katell Keineg; you just can't stop
wondering why she doesn't seem to hit it big.
John Hiatt entered the stage alone, starting the show with an
acoustic version of "Alone In The Dark". Almost from the first second,
it was clear that it would be one of those concerts where all the
pieces would just fall together. An artist who is obviously in a
great mood - entering the stage with a big smile - and an audience
which immediately connects. The first part of the set mainly
consisted of tracks from the new album _Little Head_ . While many
times people prefer to hear their old favorites, the new material was
quite well received. Songs like "Pirate Radio" and "Sure Pinocchio",
which sound slightly simplistic on the album, gained a good deal in
their more energetic live rendition, and turned out to be immediate
winners. From the slower songs, "Far As We Go" showed that it has
everything to make it a new Hiatt classic.
Later in the show - and even more so in the numerous encores
requested by the enthusiastic audience - Hiatt and his band performed
a well balanced cross section of his output from the last 20 years.
Unavoidable, and always a special highlight, was "Have A Little Faith
In Me". It is simply amazing that he can still play it with so much
dedication, and giving it a new twist every time, after having played
it thousands of times. One reason why he never gets tired of his
classic songs is certainly the possibility to play them in different
ways. "Thing Called Love", which can also make a wonderful slow
track, came along as punching rock number this time.
While Hiatt himself always stands in the center, his band also
deserves mentioning. Each member was technically perfect, and they
managed to sound relaxed and spontaneous, while at the same time being
incredibly precise and perfectly in synch.
Apart from the musical output, Hiatt also captured the audience
as a highly gifted stage performer. He always shows that he really enjoys
playing, and his facial expressions make you feel glad that he plays in
small enough venues where you can see him from 10 feet away. He
smiles almost all of the time, and his wide open, burning eyes seek
contact with the audience. There is really no need for gadgets like
video walls; a bunch of red and blue spot lights are all they need.
The only thing left to be desired was that the show would have
been longer. But even good things have to come to an end, and everybody
in the audience probably felt privileged to have been part of such a
special event. It was one of those rare concerts where everything fits
together.
---
REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Spawn_ (Immortal/Epic/Sony Soundtrax)
- Stephen Lin
Who would've thunk it? That one man, a simple comic book
writer/artist, could build a veritable empire. Todd McFarlane is that
man and Spawn is the foundation upon which his empire has been built.
Back in 1992, McFarlane and group of the comic book industries
hottest creators formed their own company, Image. It was an isolated
event of "breaking the rules." Image generated an infectious excitement
with their new line of comic book titles (including Spawn). I'd be
surprised if anyone was clairvoyant enough to recognize just how popular
Image and Spawn would become.
Apparently, popular enough for a few spin-off titles to be
published. Popular enough for Todd McFarlane to start his own toy
company. Popular enough for HBO to pick up on an animated
adult-oriented series. Popular enough for a live-action movie. And
perhaps most significantly, popular enough for Sony to release _Spawn_
as a companion to the movie.
Remember the _Judgement Night Soundtrack_ from a few years ago?
Where they got a bunch of hip-hop artists to team up with a bunch of
alterna-rockers together? _Spawn_ uses the same concept, but a
different mix. Instead of hip-hop, we have the "electronica." (Ah, yes
"electronica!" Catch phrase of the week!) With the flash success of
Prodigy and the like, why not team them with real live rock bands?
It works - most of the time.
The album opens up with Filter & The Crystal Method. "(Can't
You) Trip Like I Do" is easily the best blend of talents and sounds.
It sounds like one cohesive unit playing one collectively written song.
This may result from Filter's pre-existing comfort with the use of
electronics. Even though "Trip Like I do" has its own singular sound,
you can definitely pick out the individual artists influences. Another
well-blended track is Mansun (who happen to put on one of the best live
shows I've ever seen) & 808 State's "Skin Up Pin Up." Mansun's
distinctive vocals and song structure sound perfectly at home in the
electronic ambience of 808 State.
Following Filter & the Crystal Method are Marilyn Manson &
Sneaker Pimps. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a big Manson
fan - but I absolutely adore the Pimps. While "Long Hard Road Out of
Hell" is definitely more Manson than Pimps, it still impressed me.
"Long Hard Road Out of Hell" has the perfect amount of eeriness,
groove, and aggression piled on top of one another. Rumor has it
that a Spawn remix album may be in the works where a Sneaker Pimps &
Marilyn Manson (more Pimps athan Manson) version of "Long Hard Road
Out of Hell" may appear. Please?
Orbital & Kirk Hammett's "Satan" sounds more like Orbital
remixing Hammett than a collaboration between the artists. The
same can be said of Butthole Surfers & Moby's "Tiny Rubberband"
and Silverchair & In Vitro's "Spawn." Prodigy & Tom Morello's "One
Man Army" and Henry Rollins & Goldie's "T-4 Strain" sound entirely
like one artist with the other's guest vocals. One band inevitably
disappears beneath the other. (Not to mention that "One Man Army"
has an irritating and repetitious sample which does not sound unlike
a Yugo car-horn.)
Soul Coughing & Roni Size's "A Plane Scrapped Its Belly on
a Sooty Yellow Moon" is the biggest disappointment on the album;
it is nearly impossible to discern any Soul Coughing influence other
than M. Doughty's vocals (Doughty's performance on 808 State's album
_Don Solaris_ is infinitely more satisfying.) Stabbing Westward &
Wink's "Torn Apart" remains rather non-descript in my memory.
One of the more shockingly entertaining tracks includes Korn &
Dust Brothers "Kick the P.A." It boggles the mind. Typically Dust
Brothers hip-hoppy beats with the ridiculously raucous and crunchy
Korn distorted armada of guitars and bass permeate the being of this
song. It sounds as if the Dust Brother and Korn were held at
gun-point and forced to write the track together. Nothing blends -
and that's the beauty of it. Similarly entertaining is Slayer &
Atari Teenage Riot's "No Remorse (I Wanna Die)." It's a speed metal
freak's wet-dream come true - a mish-mash of Slayer's unbelievably
fast guitar riffs scrambling to keep up with ATR's super-hyper
jungle-esque beats.
Mr. McFarlane, do you see what you've created? You haven't
simply created a comic book character. You've 'spawned' an empire from
which others can create. Even if you're not necessarily a fan of some
of the above mentioned bands, you'll want to check into this album.
The amalgamation of two often distinct bands can produce surprising
results.
---
REVIEW: Sundays, _Static And Silence_ (Geffen)
- Tim Kennedy
1997 has been the year of great expectations. Primal Scream,
former Stone Rose John Squire's band Seahorses, Oasis (the greatest
expectation of all), Radiohead, each strove to satisfy their
expectant followings with new product. Amidst that motley lot emerge
an unlikely comeback from yesteryear - The Sundays.
The Sundays' last offering - _Blind_ - was in 1992, a not
entirely satisfying successor to their stunning debut _Reading Writing
And Arithmetic_ of 1989. That debut was a glorious showcase for
the ethereal, technically superb voice of Harriet. At times
it recalled the Smiths at their best, at others the Cocteau
Twins without the 'wibbly wibbly' lyrics. _Can't Be Sure_ was
surely *the* alternative anthem for those not in the thrall of The
Stone Roses who debuted in the same period. That album has
not aged a minute and still stands today as a modern classic.
Like expecting Oasis to come back sounding like Goldie or
Prodigy, it is pointless to expect a Sundays album to not be anything
but a downbeat, spooky, yet inspiring listening experience, where
the little voice so arrests the ears that one strains to hear each
line.
This record is actually a departure from the style of the
first two albums in that it borrows from various musical styles,
with each track varying quite a bit from the last. Also Harriet
has become huskier of voice since the last outing. The
intonation is the same however. Apparently there is now a little
Sunday whose appearance has been part of the reason for delay...
At times the songs stray into funkier territory (though not
funk in the sense that James Brown might understand it - more Maria
McKee), at others a desolate take on Fleetwood Mac circa _Rumours_.
The hallmark of Harriet's voice prevents the source of musical
inspiration from taking centre stage however. Her voice belongs
truthfully to folk, though here even country is tackled.
It is quite galling to think that the one good song the
Cranberries ever did was a Sundays impression, upon which success
a career spent on guitar histrionics was based. "Linger" of course
was a good song, but listen to this album and you'll wonder why
Dolores didn't stick to gentler themes like her mentors.
This is a thoughtful album of varied hue, and could be the
surprise success of the autumn.
---
REVIEW: Super Deluxe, _Via Satellite_ (Revolution)
- Scott Slonaker
I wish those three little blond kids sounded like this.
Seattle has always had its own little pop scene, probably
formed as a release from the prevailing gloom 'n grunge. One of its
shining lights are Super Deluxe, a pop band's pop band, steeped
in the traditions of Redd Kross, Cheap Trick, Big Star, and the
Posies. They're young, boyishly handsome, and harmonious, and
probably less obnoxious than that Okie trio.
_Via Satellite_ is the follow-up to Super Deluxe's debut,
_Famous_ , which happened to contain the best power-pop single
of the last couple of years, "She Came On". Despite moderate
radioplay and a cute Speed Racer-ish video, that song failed to
ignite in the tragic coulda-shoulda been tradition.
This new album's irresistible single, without a doubt, is
"Farrah Fawcett", a heavenly bundle of hook 'n dazzle with an "oh,
yeah" chorus and monolithically huge chord changes. Singer Braden
Blake's rose-tinted visions of "making out with you there in the
closet (oh yeah, oh yeah)/You reminded me of Farrah Fawcett," is
truly memorable. Naturally, the record company released the
Britpop-y "Love Liquid Wraparound" instead, a rock-solid song
in its own right but not quite up to the same level.
Yet, the strengths of _Via Satellite_ also highlight the
weaknesses. When you're a pop band after hit singles (or, as a
consolation, three-minute bits of sugary nirvana), it naturally
follows that some songs are destined for the A-side and some
the B-side. So, for every "Your Pleasure's Mine", a catchy,
Redd Kross-ish chunkfest, there's a lite-punk wannabe like "Lost
In Your Failures". The pleasant piano and jangle of "Alright"
lead right into the overlong and overblown "Commonplace" . The
high-school-French of the bouncy "What's Up With Me" soon yields
to the turgid plodding of "One In a Million". "New Variations"
may parlay an overused Ramones riff into an enjoyable ride, but
"Half Asleep" floats by without an impact. Breaking the pattern
somewhat, the band strings two fine tunes (the jangly "Suicide
Doll and the simply beautiful, spare "Years Ago") together
consecutively at the end of the album. And thankfully, the
now-obligatory hidden track doesn't hurt anything or leave a
dull taste.
Super Deluxe has charm, chops, and charisma to burn, and
one of these days, they might just catch a break. _Via
Satellite_ may be a bit hit-and-miss, but its high points are
truly wonderful, and fans of the genre or band in particular
shouldn't need a push to get to the record store. Anyone else
wondering what happened to guitar-based pop music in the
hailstorm of techno beats, horn sections, and G-funk bravado
need look no further.
---
ADVANCE REVIEW: Duran Duran, _Medazzaland_ (Capitol)
- Michele Morabito
Duran Duran have finally returned back to their roots - great
pop dance music - on their latest album, _Medazzaland_. This new CD adds
a little electronica and other wizardry alongside beautiful lyrics.
The first CD to come out of the newly slimmer Duran (with the
departure of founding member and bassist John Taylor last January),
_Medazzaland_ immediately captures the listener's interest with the title
track. It includes the electronically enhanced voice of Nick Rhodes,
a first time on vocals for the keyboardist. It also introduces the
production team of Nick and its guitarist Warren Cuccurullo as TV
Mania (who recently produced two songs for the upcoming Blondie
reunion album).
_Medazzaland_ also has the honor of being the first album to
have its first single being sold, previewed and downloaded (legally!)
over the Internet before it hits retail distribution. The first single
is "Electric Barbarella", an upbeat pop song tribute to the film in
which the named themselves after - it remains to be seen whether they
will run into legal problems, a la Aqua and "Barbie Girl".
One new song, "Out Of My Mind", appeared on _The Saint_
soundtrack last April. The other songs include "Big Bang Generation",
a wonderfully poppy song that can easily be sung along to. "Who Do
You Think You Are?" is a beautifully written classic ballad. "Silva
Halo" is a departure from the album as it is a bit gloomy and dark.
"Be My Icon" is about fan obsession, which takes on an eerie aura with
Princess Diana's death a few weeks ago. "Buried in the Sand" is
rumored to be written about Taylor, the founding bassist who left
earlier this year; it is a short, soft song. "Michael" is another
soft ballad song that ends with powerful keynotes. "Midnight Sun" is a
perfect in between rockish-and-ballad-song with a little acapella and
some violins.
"So Long Suicide" is the most surprising song on the album,
with a beginning soft like a lullaby to a powerful booming line of
'Hello, I'm alive' and alternates between a rocker and gentle closing.
Duran's contemporary for this type of song would be Oasis - or is it
Oasis like Duran?. The final track, "Undergoing Treatment", has a
slight funky beat and whistle to it - and ends definitively with a
door slamming.
The Duran Duran website, located at
http://hollywoodandvine.com/duranduran can fill you in on the 'official'
news of the band - but a wide variety of fan sites, such as one at
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2578/dduran.html can help fans stay
one step ahead with the latest unoffical news and rumours.
_Medazzaland_ will be released in stores on October 14.
---
REVIEW: Stereophonics, "Local Boy in the Photograph" (V2 Europe)
- Tim Mohr
The explosion of Welsh bands continues with the Stereophonics,
whose brand of brash guitars, up-speed tempos, and rasping vocals are
without a doubt influenced by the most famous of Welsh bands, the
Manic Street Preachers. The comparisons end there, however, for while
some would complain about the Freddie Mercury quality to vocal lines
of the Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics lean, predictably,
towards Liam Gallagher.
There is one more important thing to say about Stereophonics:
with "Local Boy," they have written one of the best singles of the
year, a perfect combination of heart-breaking lyrics and loud guitars
that keep the song from dipping into bathos. Not to mention the
fantastic b-side, "Buy Myself a Small Plane."
Smalltown life atop driving guitars: "Something blocks the
line again and the train runs late for the first time. Pebble beach,
we're underneath a pier just been painted red, where we heard the
news for the first time. And all the friends lay down the flowers,
sit on the bank and drink for hours, talk of the way they saw him
last...local boy in the photograph today."
The music is full but sticks to the basic rock combination
of guitar-bass-drums and eschews frills that must have tempted the
producer given the lyrical content.
Stereophonics have an amazing gift for saying so much by
actually leaving many things unstated. Perhaps a cliche, but a
lyricist who can actually write this way shows how effective the
technique can be. Right or wrong, had "Local Boy" gone 'My buddy
got hit by a train, waah, waah' it would have elicited only yawns.
This rare quality is also evident on the b-side: "I'm gonna
buy myself a small plane, I'm gonna crash it on the South Lawn...just
big enough for me." In context, the song seems a cry of frustration
about the way President Clinton managed to start as a candidate from
the left-of-center and then shift to the right in what then became
the model for Tony Blair and New Labour. The freight truck driver in
the lyrics, part of the working-class backbone of the old Democratic
constituency, seems unable to gain the attention of the top Democrat
except by landing on the White House grounds.
The obtuse but incisive manner in which Stereophonics approach
their subject matter is unmatched by any current band.
Stereophonic's _Word Gets Around_ full length is slated to
be released in the United States on October 28.
---
REVIEW: Mike Watt, _Contemplating The Engine Room_ (Columbia)
- Al Muzer
An honest, blue collar presence in an increasingly white
collar musical world, former Minutemen/fiREHOSE bassist Mike Watt's
second solo offering pays a gritty, sprawling, free-form homage to
his father, strong coffee, the Navy, drowning, the towns of San
Pedro and Red Bluff, shore duty, his former bands and salt o' the
earth guys with dirt under their nails and sweat on their brows.
Returning to the three-man configuration (with guitarist
Nels Cline and drummer Steve Hodges) that suited him so well in
his previous outfits - Watt thunders mightily on the edgy,
drone-like "In The Engine Room"; mixes jazz, JJ Cale and Sonny
Sharrock on "Red Bluff"; vents his spleen on a very Minutmen
"Bluejackets Manual"; and spends the rest of this challenging,
but ultimately satisfying disc, bouncing from fiREHOSE free-forms,
full-on guitar freakouts, percolatin' mothership funk, salsa-fueled
fusion, bossa nova Django, acid rock, ambient noise, Lizard King
darkness and salty, Popeye-caliber seafarin' ditties.
Conceived, according to Watt, as a punk rock opera "about
three guys [working together] in the engine room of a boat";
_Contemplating The Engine Room_ - which name-checks folks such
as Hurley, Ginn, Hart, Mould, Rollins, the Kirkwoods, Norton and
D Boon (D Boon is "The Boilerman") - serves as a cathartic coming
to terms for one of alternative music's most influential elder
statesmen while it also celebrates the sound of "three [new]
people playing together."
---
COMPILATION REVIEWS
- Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Jackson Browne, _The Next Voice You Hear_ (Elektra)
Several years ago, a Jackson Browne promotional-only compilation
disc generated tremendous fanfare on the collector front; even today,
this item fetches prices up to $100. Browne has finally decided to
release a legitimate hits compilation, complete with two new selections.
It seems incredible that his signing by David Geffen for the
then-startup Asylum Records was controversial, but when Jackson hit
the top 10 with "Doctor My Eyes" (a feat that wouldn't be duplicated
until 1982's "Somebody's Baby"), he erased all doubts to his commercial
success. And when _Running On Empty_ was released in 1978, Browne
cemented his stature as a successful rock artist.
However, Browne takes a decidedly non-commercial turn on this
compilation. The Sprinsteen-like "Running On Empty" is the only selection
from that classic album, omitting "Stay," "Cocaine," and "Load-out";
"Boulevard" and "That Girl Could Sing" (from _Hold Out_ ) are left off
in favor of "Call It A Loan", and other upbeat singles such as "For
A Rocker," "Lawyers In Love," and the controversial "For America"
are excluded from this set.
While omitting many of his aforementioned 'rocking' songs,
the two new tracks ( "The Rebel Jesus" , "Next Voice You Hear" )
reinforce Jackson's softer side. At nearly 80 minutes, _The Next
Voice You Hear_ isn't skimping on quantity; however, it serves more
as a sampler to the softer side of Jackson Browne than a full blown
'greatest hits' album.
TRACK LISTING: Doctor My Eyes, These Days, Fountain Of Sorrow, Late
For The Sky, Pretender, Running On Empty, Call It A Loan, Somebody's
Baby, Tender Is The Night, In The Shape Of A Heart, Lives In The
Balance, Sky Blue And Black, The Barricades of Heaven, The Rebel
Jesus, The Next Voice You Hear
DANCE REVIEWS: Various Artists, _Euro Dance Hi-NRG_ (Priority) /
_Pure Dance 1998_ (Polygram TV)
_Euro Dance Hi-NRG_ , filled with acts unknown to America, combines
the disco era of the 70s with today; two songs are remixed in a '70s dance
mix' - Amya's diva-like "Got To Believe" and the cover of Milli Vanilli's
"Girl You Know It's True", by Centory featuring Trey D, which has a
distinctive Philadelphia feel to it. And a cover of America's "Horse
With No Name", with sound-alike vocals backed by a driving keyboard
beat, owes its origin to the decade many would like to forget.
Blue Ocean's "Whales" stands out as the key track here; with an
instrumental similar to Robert Miles' worldwide smash, "Children",
this is the track most likely to garner significant airplay. But even
with the possible success of Ace of Base clones Sonic Dream Collective
("Don't Go Breaking My Heart"), it's unlikely that the casual
dance fan will find this collection enticing. The solid Euro-clubber
will, however, take an immediate liking to this diverse collection.
In marked contrast, _Pure Dance 1998_ (released several months
before the new year) appeals to a much larger audience. Top 40 hits
such as the Cardigans "Lovefool", OMC's "How Bizarre" and U2's
"Discotheque" are all familar tracks, but surface on _Pure Dance_
in dramatically remixed versions to change the pace for people who
have heard those singles (in their original form) just one too many
times.
Clueless' eurodance cover of No Doubt's huge hit, "Don't Speak",
doesn't change much from the original song, but modern smashes such
as Crush's "Jellyhead" (remixed here), Amber's "This Is Your Night"
and Sash's "Encore Une Fois" more than make up for this shortcoming.
With other songs performed by the likes of Crystal Waters, David
Morales and Funky Green Dogs, _Pure Dance 1998_ might well be getting
played into the year of its title.
---
REVIEW: Too Much Joy, _Green Eggs and Crack_ (Sugar Fix)
- Tim Hulsizer
If you're anything like me, the wait between Too Much Joy albums
is long and interminable. As far as I'm concerned, there's just nobody
else playing their own, unique sort of...well, pop music. Not only that,
there has always been a gaping hole at the beginning of my Too Much
Joy collection, right where their actual debut album should have been.
Until now.
That's right, the fabled vinyl-only album they first released in
1987, _Green Eggs and Crack_, is now available from the wonderful folks
at Sugar Fix Records. And this is a revelation. Up until now, the album
(if you could get a copy) suffered from the age/scratchiness of the vinyl
you had, and also from the weaknesses of the mix itself. Now that it's
on CD, one can truly appreciate where they were coming from at the time.
When they originally put the record out, they mostly sent them to
college radio, press, and any pretty girl that happened to seem receptive
to hearing a band of goofy guys having fun. This plan paid off.
_...Crack_ is a time capsule, an aural picture of some young men learning
how to write songs and actually play them. The most amazing thing about
the record is that it's as good as it is! The lyrics, while juvenile,
are vintage TMJ, and I think I love the instrumentation all the more
because it's somewhat inept. And besides, I really don't think the
band would find the term "juvenile" an insult. As singer Tim Quirk
puts it in the liner notes, "our goal as a rock band was to blow up
the balloon and pop it at the same time."
It all begins in high school, if you can bear with me for a
moment. The band members knew each other, practiced, wrote some songs,
went to college, and in between beer and classes, they met back home to
practice some more. Oh wait, scratch the beer part, I'm not sure they
were ever "between beers". Finally they record an album, it has a cool
title, and it enters the pantheon of rock'n'roll legend.
All in all, _Green Eggs and Crack_ is alot of fun to listen to.
I've always preferred the wild-eyed rantings of young people to the
refined thoughts of my elders, and this CD fits the bill. "Drum Machine"
alone is worth the price of admission. What other song mentions Elmer
Fudd? Very few, my friend. Even remastered, you can still hear the
clank of beer bottles in the background, the terrific semi-singing of
Mr. Quirk himself, and almost smell the atmosphere of the studio.
Tacked onto the end of the album are three tracks recorded 6
years later, in 1993. The band had just parted ways with their major
label connection, and it shows. There's an energy that runs through
these tunes that really connected with me. "Drunk and In Love" speaks
for itself. It's not just a great lyric, but it has that amazing
buzzpop sound they were wielding at the time (see the _Cereal Killers_
/ _Mutiny_ albums on Giant Records for reference). "Frustrated" and
"Secret Handshake" both bear the marks of the band/label split, and
each refer to the music industry directly or indirectly. These three
tracks are must-haves for fans of the band, and for non-fans it gives
a nice peek at what the band grew into, post-_Crack_.
So hey, this is good, but not the best Too Much Joy album. But
we knew that, right? It's not about that at all. It's about looking
at one of my favorite bands and seeing where they came from. It's
about being a completist, and having all of the TMJ stuff I can get
my hands on. It's about having fun. And as you'll find out when you
put this disc in the player, Too Much Joy has always been able to deliver.
Sugar Fix Recordings can be reached at: P.O.Box 46361, Los
Angeles, CA 90046-0361
---
REVIEW: Smart Brown Handbag, _Lullabies For Infidels_ (Stonegarden)
- Reto Koradi
There were the times, when bands like Aztec Camera, China Crisis
or The Icicle Works made shamelessly good pop music which yet was not
cheesy enough to swim in the middle of the mainstream. If you sometimes
long back to those times in the midst of some 80s flashback lunch,
Smart Brown Handbag from Los Angeles are your instant fix.
_Lullabies For Infidels_ contains a whole number of those
sensible, yet catchy songs that you rarely hear nowadays; tracks
like "Solid Gold" or "Stretching Out" stand out as first class pop
songs. The comparison above was not accidental, the vocals and some
hooks remind of Aztec Camera. Smart Brown Handbag have a wider
spectrum thatn Roddy Frame's group, however; "Cucumber Vodka" and a
few other tracks feature noisy guitars, while the vocal lines are still
gentle and melodic. Band leader David Steinhart could easily win the
title for most inappropriate name for a musician.
To make sure that their output does not remain unreleased, David
Steinhart shorthandedly founded his own record label. We can only hope
that it will pay off. _Lullabies For Infidels_ is highly recommended to
all fans of tasteful pop music.
For more information on Smart Brown Handbag, contact
Stonegarden Records at 3101 Exposition Place, Los Angeles, CA 90018.
---
REVIEW: Oral Groove, _Collisionville_ (Cross Records)
- Bill Holmes
A long time ago I made a rule for myself - never review a
disc without listening to it at least five times on at least three
different days. I'm only human, and like most people, my mood can
affect the initial impression that a slab of new music will have on
me. Add to that the typical press kit - loaded with superlatives and
setting few bands can ever attain. Gotta be objective and open
minded - sometimes a CD that seemed incredibly inspired will wear
thin after only a few listens, and other times a record will start
to gnaw its way into my brain and let its charm do the talking. Oral
Groove's _Collisionville_ is gnawing and charming me still.
The Groove boys are a four piece from Brooklyn (although they
can pronounce those "th" sounds with minimal effort) who were weaned
on New Wave and Power Pop as well as the other radio sounds we all
couldn't avoid. The result is a clean, crisp pop-punk hybrid that
will appeal to fans of three minute car radio nirvana. The
production pushes Joe Mannix's vocals way up front, which sometimes
works wonders ("Levitate Her") and sometimes falls flat ("Id"), but
the harmonies are strong throughout. "Car Driver", the opening cut
and first single, is reminiscent of The Cars and The Jags - rhythmic,
sharp and punchy. Better still are the songs that lean closer to the
60's roots these guys were probably too young to experience
firsthand. "A Deeper Look Inside" could be a Britpop song from 1966
as easily as it could be a New Wave single a decade later. All the
songs were written by the band as a unit.
"Hold It In" and "Human Hands" slow down the tempo but are no
less effective - good vocal arrangements and hooks that stick in your
head after only a couple of listens. "Tell Me You Love Me", the
closer, is a sweet piano ballad. "Danny Felter", on the other hand,
sounds eerily like an outtake from Elvis Costello's first record -
play this next to "Mystery Dance" and you'll do a double take. With
"England's Dreaming", OG dresses in Jam clothing and takes a swipe
at the Oasises and Blurs who have the portfolio of clippings but
can't muster a British Invasion like the two before them. Up yours,
Gallagher.
My favorite one-two punch is "Something I Had To Do" and
"Come On". Drummer Chris Peck kick-starts "Something" the song never
lets you go, a great pedal-to-the-floor driving tune. And has there
ever been a bad song called "Come On"? Ed Fingerling's bass lead
gives this rocker a unique flavor, leading the band to the infectious
refrain and a classic pop guitar solo. Outside of "Id" there really
isn't a bad song, and "Id" is only 90 seconds long.
There's an error on the CD booklet that reverses track 11
and track 12. Outside of that, Oral Groove didn't make many mistakes
on _Collisionville_. A solid release from a band that might be even
better than the press kit says it is.
For more information on Oral Groove, check out the band at
http://www.crossrecords.com .
---
CARTER U.S.M. CALL IT A DAY
- Simon West
After ten years of social commentary, cycling caps and some
of the most appalling lyrical punning ever devised, Carter The
Unstoppable Sex Machine has called it a day. In a statement on the
band's official web site, guitarist/keyboardist Fruitbat explained, "I
think that we have made our best records and played some of the best
gigs ever in the last twelve months. Unfortunately, the weight of our
previous success has become too much, we do not want to end up like
Madness, coming together to play greatest hits and playing a 'crowd
pleasing' setlist...We never expected that we would be touring just
to satisfy the crowd's need for nostalgia. I know that this is not
true for most of you reading this, but, for me, that's how it felt on
the last couple of tours."
Formed out of the ashes of pop band Jamie Wednesday in 1987,
singer/guitarist Jimbob and Fruitbat mixed synth beats, punk guitars and
irresistable hooks behind lyrics dealing with such diverse subjects as
military racism, alcoholism and domestic violence, always with a savage
sense of humor. They hit the British singles charts in 1991 with
"Sheriff Fatman" and reached a commercial zenith with 1992's _1992: The
Love Album_ , which hit number one, and its accompanying single "The
Only Living Boy In New Cross" . The Top 40 singles would keep coming
through their next two albums, 1994's _Post Historic Monsters_ and
1995's _Worry Bomb_ adding a drummer, Wez, and continuing to
diversify and expand their sound.
The final Carter album, as yet untitled, will be released in
early 1998, and you haven't heard the last of Brixton's finest. "At
the moment Jim and I are both writing/demoing for our new projects. Jim
is looking at a solo career as plain Jimbob and will probably go out on
tour sometime next year," says Fruitbat. "I am still deciding what to
do, I'm not sure that I want to form a new band. I have written loads
of music but as yet not many lyrics - it has been a long time since I
wrote words and it might take me a while to get back into it. There is
a possibilty of teaming up with a female vocalist to do a single, but
I'm not sure about that."
Carter's official web site is at
http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~fruity/index.html
---
NEWS: > Duran Duran fans will get a double fill of their group on
Sunday, October 12 in Los Angeles at Tower Records Sunset parking lot.
The afternoon will feature several artists who perform on the
forthcoming _Duran Duran Tribute Album_ , while the evening includes
a live concert from LeBon and friends.
> _Dead Outside_, the remixes of the Golden Palominos' _Dead
Inside_ album, will be available for free only on the Internet from
October 15 through November 15. Remixers on the project include
Sean Beavan, Raymond Watts, Mark Walk, John Van Eaton and Scanner.
The album, which will never be commercially available, can be
downloaded from either http://www.nicole-blackman.com or
http://www.goldenpalominos.com .
> After eight years, Walt Mink has decided to call it a day.
All remaining tour dates have been cancelled; their last show is
scheduled for Saturday, November 1 at the Mercury Lounge in New
York City.
---
TOUR DATES (Please confirm with site before travelling):
Backsliders
Oct. 11 Raleigh, NC The Brewery
Oct. 18 Flat Rock, NC Black Mountain Music Festival
David Bowie
Oct. 12 Washington, DC Capitol Ballroom
Oct. 17 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
Oct. 18 Minneapolis, MN Roy Wilkins Auditorium
David Byrne
Oct. 13 Baltimore, MD Bohagers
Oct. 14 Sayreville, NJ Club Bene
Oct. 15 Newark, DE Stone Balloon
Oct. 16 Washington, DC 930 Club
Oct. 19 Charleston, SC 96 Wavefest
Cravin' Melon
Oct. 11 Newark, DE Stone Balloon
Oct. 12 Pooughkeepsie, NY The Chance
Oct. 14 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
Oct. 15 Boston, MA The Avalon
Oct. 17 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Oct. 18 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Oct. 20 Chapel Hill, NC Cats Cradle
Alana Davis
Oct 15 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Foo Fighters
Oct. 11 Toronto, Canada Arrow Hall
Oct. 13 Sudbury, MA Big Thunder
Oct. 14 Kitchener, MS The Lyric
Oct. 16-17 E. Rutherford, NJ Giants Stadium (w/ Rolling Stones)
God Street Wine
Oct. 12 Poughkeepsie, NY Chance
Oct. 14 Northampton, MA Pearl St.
Oct. 15 Boston, MA Avalon
Oct. 17 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
Oct. 18 Washington, DC 930 Club
Oct. 20 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
Irving Plaza (New York City concert hall; http://www.irvingplaza.com)
Oct. 11 Jayhawks
Oct. 14 Musical Box
Oct. 15 Machine Head
Oct. 16 Nixons / Radish
Oct. 17 Knockout Drops
Oct. 18 Old 97s / Whiskeytown
Jackyl
Oct. 11 Flint, MI IMA (w/Seven Mary Three/Nixons/Coal Chamber)
Oct. 14 Old Bridge, NJ Birch Hill
Oct. 15 New Cumberland, PA Courtyard
Oct. 16 Scranton, PA Staircase
Oct. 17 Bethlehem, PA Lupo's
Oct. 18 Milton, PA Fiddlestyx
Jars of Clay / Plumb
Oct. 11 San Jose, CA San Jose State Event Center
Oct. 16 Spokane, WA Opera House
Oct. 17 Tacoma, WA Pacific Lutheran University
Oct. 18 Eugene, OR Hult Center
Oct. 19 Portland, OR Chiles Center-University of Portland
Love Spit Love / Closer
Oct. 11 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Oct. 12 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line
Oct. 14 Denver, CO Blue Bird Theatre
Motley Crue / Cheap Trick
Oct. 10 Cedar Rapids, IA Five Seasons Ctr.
Oct. 12 Minneapolis, MN Target Ctr.
Oct. 14 Cincinnati, OH The Crown
Oct. 15 Chicago, IL Rosemont Horizon
Oct. 17 Milwaukee, WI Wisconsin Ctr.
Oct. 18 Detroit, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
Oct. 19 Pittsburgh, PA Civic Arena
Old 97s
Oct. 11 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig
Oct. 13 Cleveland, OH Peabody's Down Under
Oct. 14 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
Oct. 16 Portland, ME Zootz
Oct. 17 Cambridge, MA T.T. Bears
Oct. 18 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Promise Ring / Compound Red
Oct. 11 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's (W/ Castor)
Oct. 12 Boston, MA The Middle East (W/ Castor)
Oct. 13 Philadelphia, PA Pontiac Grill (W/ Castor)
Oct. 14 Washington, DC The Black Cat
Oct. 15 Harrisonburg, VA Artful Dodger (W/ Castor)
Oct. 16 Chapel Hill, NC Lizard And Snake (W/ Castor)
Oct. 17 Columbia, SC Hunters And Gatherers (W/ Castor)
Oct. 18 Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech
Oct. 19 Athens, GA 40 Ultra Mod Compound
Oct. 20 Tampa, FL 403 Kaos Record
Samples
Oct. 11 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theatre
Oct. 14 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
Oct. 15 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
Oct. 16 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
Oct. 17 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Oct. 18 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl
Oct. 19 Lawrence, KS Liberty
Scanner / DJ Spooky
Oct. 12 Los Angeles, CA The Troubador
Oct. 13 San Francisco, CA Justice League
Oct. 15 Eugene, OR WOW Hall
Oct. 16 Seattle, WA The Showbox
Oct. 17 Vancouver, BC Chameleon Club
Oct. 18 Bellingham, WA Western Washington Univ.
Oct. 19 Portland, OR La Luna
Seven Mary Three
Oct. 11 Flint, MI IMA
Oct. 12 Lansing, MI Old Town October Fest
Oct. 14 Toronto, ONT Opera House
Oct. 15 London, ONT Embassy
Oct. 17 Knoxville, TN Barley & Hopps
Oct. 18 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
Oct. 19 Charleston, SC Waveland
Oct. 20 Columbia, SC Rockafella's
Shootyz Groove / Tree
Oct. 18 Washington, DC Capitol Ballroom
Slackers
Oct. 13 Washington, DC Bayou
Oct. 15 Pittsburgh, PA Graffitti Cafe
Oct. 16 Madison, WI Mango Grill
Oct. 17 Chicago, IL Reynolds Club
Oct. 19 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck
Sneaker Pimps / Junkster
Oct. 11 Pomona, CA Glass House
Oct. 12 La Jolla, CA UCSD Price Center
Oct. 14 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theater
Oct. 15 Albuquerque, NM El Rey
Oct. 17 Dallas, TX Trees
Oct. 18 Austin, TX Liberty Lunch
Oct. 20 Houston. TX Numbers
Third Eye Blind / Reef
Oct. 11 Boston, MA Paradise
Oct. 13 State College, PA Crowbar
Oct. 14 Scranton, PA Tinks
Oct. 15 Rochester, NY Water Street
Oct. 16 Cleveland,OH Odeon
Oct. 18 Columbus,OH Newport Music Hall
Oct. 19 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
Oct. 20 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
Two Dollar Pistols
Oct. 17 Charleston, SC Cumberland's
Oct. 20 Athens, GA 40 Watt
---
Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest continuous
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