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Consumable Online Issue 211
== ISSUE 211 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [June 1, 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,
David J. Klug, 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
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).
==================================================================
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| Contents |
`------------'
REVIEW: Steve Earle, _Transcendental Blues_ - Matt Fink
REVIEW: Olive, _Trickle_ - Joann D. Ball
CONCERT REVIEW: Wire at Irving Plaza, New York City - Wilson Neate
REVIEW: Various Artists, _VH1 Storytellers_ - Scott Hudson
REVIEW: Robert Belfour, _What's Wrong With You_ - David J. Klug
REVIEW: King's X, _Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous_ - Scott Hudson
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Songs for the Jet Set 2000_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: Julie Ritter, _songs of love and empire_ - Paul Andersen
REVIEW: Dianogah, _Battle Champions_ - Kerwin So
REVIEW: Damon Bramblett, _Damon Bramblett_ - David J. Klug
REVIEW: Land of the Loops, _Puttering About a Small Land_ - Wilson Neate
REVIEW: pApAs fritAs, _Buildings & Grounds_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: the scoldees, _My Pathetic Life_ - Paul Andersen
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Panther - A Tribute to Pantera_ - Paul Hanson
REVIEW: Cerulean, _Skylight_ - Paul Andersen
NEWS: Joey Waronker / R.E.M.
TOUR DATES: Dope / Primer 65 / Pimpadelic, Eels, Foreigner,
Indigo Girls / Spearhead, Jayhawks, Korn, Steve Miller / Gov't Mule,
Skint (record label) tour - Brassic Beats, Elliott Smith,
3 Doors Down, Sally Taylor, Tonic, Wheat
Back Issues of Consumable
---
REVIEW: Steve Earle, _Transcendental Blues_ (Artemis)
- Matt Fink
There is a rather well-known quote from Steve Earle in which he
claims that the late Townes Van Zandt was the greatest songwriter alive and
that he'd stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table and make that proclamation.
No doubt, Van Zandt was a tremendous songwriter, but sadly served as an
all too real role model for a young Steve Earle, who would follow his
lead and spend a good portion of his life fighting chemical vices. Life
rarely gives second chances, and in the end Van Zandt paid the price for
a life that put a little too much strain on his body, as he died at the
age of 52. Earle, however, has made the most of his.
To be sure, few artists had a better decade in the 90's than
Earle, who kicked heroin, was released from prison, remarried, *and*
recorded four fantastic albums in the span of five years. From the
pastoral acoustic folk of _Train a Comin'_ to the rambling stoic song
cycles of the junkie coming through his struggles a stronger man on _I
Feel Alright_ and the spectacularly eclectic _El Corazon_, Earle has
been busy making up for lost time. Heck, he even recorded a bluegrass
album with 1999's _The Mountain_. No matter how close Earle was to the
edge, he managed to turn his experiences into a voice of real-life
perspective, and we should be happy that he was inspired to use the
musical medium to heal his largely self-inflicted wounds.
To this day, Earle seems to be a haunted man. No doubt, very few
artists have stared into the void as intently as Earle, who found the
allure so strong that he took up residence there for awhile, eventually
finding himself a frail 95 pound ghetto junkie who didn't even own a
guitar. Earle knows how far he has come, and he's not looking to
squander any opportunities. After all, this is a man who pleaded with
Woody Guthrie to "come back to us now," but ended up being too impatient
and took to personally playing at political rallies whose causes he was
interested in, just as the folk legend had done himself. All that being
said, the stakes have been raised for _Transcendental Blues_, the more
legitimate follow-up to the watershed release of _El Corazon_.
Coming off almost as a summary of the four aforementioned
recordings, _Transcendental Blues_ sounds somewhat like a collection
of unreleased gems from those sessions, as the new effort revisits much
of the same territory musically and thematically. Blowing through 15
songs in less than 50 minutes, Earle opens with two rather lumbering
guitar tracks, with both the title cut and "Everyone's In Love With You"
being somewhat alt. rock friendly. These mid-tempo rockers almost seem
to melt into one another with psychedelic Beatles circa-_Magical Mystery
Tour_ effects, fuzzed out guitars, crashing drums, backmasked vocals
and vaguely Eastern elements. Recalling the Fab Four again, especially
McCartney's "Fool on the Hill," "The Boy Who Never Cried" is quite
literally unlike anything Earle has done in the past. Being a strange
mini-epic with dramatically sweeping orchestration and tempo changes
uncharacteristically grandiose for Earle, the ballad shows an amazing
extension of his abilities as a songwriter.
For all the critical acclaim Earle gets for his startling
narratives and intense introspection, he really can write a great tune.
The bouncy Cajun-influenced "Steve's Last Ramble" is about as infectious
as anything he has ever written, with blissfully blown harmonica and
tight accordion lines all wrapped around Earle's ruminations on giving
up the wild life. Once again showing his resourcefulness, the high
energy "The Galway Girl" is yet another surprise, with Earle
incorporating Celtic touches with beautifully soaring penny whistles
and the accordion of Irish musician Sharon Shannon. Seeing that he
has recorded with both the Del McCoury Band and the Supersuckers in
recent memory, you have to wonder if a collaboration with the
Chieftains could be too far away.
Even as Earle seems to be breaking new ground, the majority of
the tracks seem to have musical relatives on his other albums. The
driving "I Can Wait" brings to mind "Somewhere Out There" from _El
Corazon_; whereas, the gently finger-picked guitar and shuffling drums
of "Lonlier Than This" recalls much of the work on _Train a Comin'_.
The Byrds-ish chiming guitar and ringing organ of "Wherever I Go" finds
Earle again trying to outrun his relentlessly pursuing demons, yet
somewhat resolved that he'll just have to deal with them. The striking
verse of "Halo 'Round the Moon" recalls Van Zandt's "If I Needed You" as
much as anything, as Earle often pays homage to the songwriter's legacy.
Earle returns to bluegrass on "Until The Day I Die," which must be at
least in part semi-autobiographical, as a country boy is bewitched by
the city and ends up longing for the familiar fields of home while
behind prison bars. No doubt the most powerful statement on the album,
Earle creates a character who laments his wandering ways and wearily
looks forward to the release of death in "Over Yonder (Jonathan's
Song)," as he makes a list of who he'd like to receive his earthly
possessions. Saying "I hurt everyone I loved" and "I'm goin' over
yonder where no ghost can follow me" is about as moving as anything to
spring from Earle's pen and probably sums up a good deal of what he has
been through.
All in all, _Transcendental Blues_ seems to lack the urgency and
cohesiveness of _El Corazon_ or _I Feel Alright_. Still, adding all the
elements reveals an album that is a nearly note perfect country rock
album, being equal parts Gram Parsons and the Beatles. So, even if it
isn't Earle's most dizzyingly fantastic album, it might be the best
album you hear all year. If, as Earle would have us believe, Townes Van
Zandt's death left a void at the head of the singer-songwriter movement,
he's obviously doing everything he can to make sure he can put a claim
on that distinction.
---
REVIEW: Olive, _Trickle_ (Maverick)
- Joann D. Ball
_Trickle_ is the much anticipated sophomore release from
Northern England's electronic duo Olive. Building on a solid foundation
established in 1997 with the excellent debut _Extra Virgin_, keyboardist
Tim Kellett and vocalist Ruth-Ann Boyle once again experiment with an
adventurous mix of drum 'n' bass, jungle and reggae dub. And this time
out, Olive add yet another amazing twist to their signature trip-pop
sound.
Olive have a new record label, and the duo's relationship with
Maverick Records has everything to do with impressing the right people.
Super fans Madonna and her Maverick co-partner Guy Oseary initially
contacted Kellett and Ruth-Ann about contributing to the _Next Best Thing_
soundtrack. Since Olive had just ended an agreement with RCA Records,
Maverick was well ahead in the recruitment game. Not only did Olive
produce an exciting dance cover of the 10cc classic "I'm Not In Love" for
the soundtrack, the duo also signed a long term deal with the label. And
_Trickle_ is the fantastic result.
"I'm Not In Love," which is included on the new release, is
connecting with audiences in dance clubs and is receiving significant
airplay on dance/hits-oriented radio stations across the country. But that
cover is just a mere hint of what fills the long player. Olive once again
casts that signature ethereal hypnotic spell from the first sounds of the
opening track "Love Affair" through the last note of the secret bonus
track "Take My Hand."
While the grooves on _Trickle_ are more subtle, the sound remains
melodic, textured and multi-layered. The songwriting is still brutally
honest and straightforward as it addresses the various emotions and moods
evoked by love and loss. Kellett, who writes from a distinctly feminine
point of view, penned half of the tracks solo and collaborated with Ruth
Ann on four songs. The heartfelt and soulful "Smile," however, was written
by the duo with partner Peter Vettesse. Ruth-Ann's captivating and
soothing vocals, which made "You're Not Alone" an international hit for
Olive three years ago, work similar magic on "All You Ever Needed" and
"Speak to Me." The most outstanding track here, though, is "Push" which
enhances an electronic ambient sound with classical orchestration.
Olive are scheduled to perform a series of live dates in the U.S.
this Summer to support _Trickle_. With a new record label, a new record
and tour, Olive will once again deliver trip-pop to the masses.
---
CONCERT REVIEW: Wire at Irving Plaza, New York City
- Wilson Neate
All right, here it is . . . again . . . the return of Wire
nearly quarter of a century after their inception and 12 years after
their last US gig. While Finnish electro noodlers Pan sonic did their
best to hold the audience's attention, they offered only a minor
distraction from the more pressing concern on most people's minds:
namely, could Wire still be the fly in the ointment or would Wire 2000
be a load of kidney bingos?
It's a worrying question given the many circa '76-'77 acts
who've become the very dinosaurs against which they once railed, wheeling
out aged, zimmer-frame punk and playing gigs that often consist of
40-something blokes with beer bellies playing to 30-something blokes
with beer bellies, stage-diving and pogoing. In other words, one of
the deeper circles of rock hell -- an evening of sad pantomime nostalgia
in pursuit of a past authenticity delivered by has-beens and
never-weres, long deprived of the context in which they might have
been relevant for a fleeting moment.
But last night, as the first layers of sound coalesced gloriously
into 1977's "Pink Flag," we were reminded of what we already knew. To
ask if Wire are still relevant misses the point. Wire's relevance has
never had anything to do with a context exterior to them as they've
always constructed their own context and have routinely reinvented it.
Wire have constantly rewritten the rules of the game -- live and on
record -- often defying comparison. Even to measure Wire in terms of
how authentic they sound compared to one of their previous incarnations
is a red herring. They were never authentic and have never kept it
real, opting instead to be the ideal copy and to emphasize a performed
identity and an ironic distance.
Although they were never fully part of the punk scene, they
were the consummate punk band. By mid '77, punk's fleeting creativity
and spontaneity had stagnated into homogeneity and caricature, yet
Wire's "40 Versions" of themselves would offer a postmodern antidote
to the fixed identity that punk quickly assumed. With their first
album in 1977, Wire were already offering a metacommentary on the
scene, pushing songwriting and performance in new directions with a
degree of humor, experimentation and unpredictability that, while
allegedly central to the punk ethos, was sorely lacking from most of
their peers in anything but posture and pose.
Wire prefer the path of most resistance, especially live.
Infamous for choosing to play unrecorded, new tracks in place of "the
hits" -- sometimes in an almost confrontational fashion, as evidenced
on the _Document and Eyewitness_ CD -- they often managed to out-punk
audiences who wanted to hear familiar material. In view of their modus
operandi, it might seem unthinkable then, not only that the original
four members of Wire have come together once more but also that
they're touring and playing old material in a "proper" concert format.
But of course, in the Wire scheme of things it makes perfect sense,
given that it's so unexpected. As drummer Robert Gotobed explained
recently, "For Wire, this is radical."
In an hour-long set featuring tracks from the '77-'79 albums
_Pink Flag_, _Chairs Missing_ and _154_, '80s material from _The Ideal
Copy_ and _A Bell is A Cup_ and a new song ("He Knows"), Wire didn't
falter for an instant. Just four blokes grafting away on a bare stage,
with basic lighting, no-frills instrumentation and no special effects,
they managed to generate and maintain a compelling level of intensity
and energy.
With his trademark sneering delivery fixed somewhere between
irony and sarcasm, Colin Newman took care of lead vocal duties as well
as one half of the guitar onslaught. The other half was provided by
Bruce Gilbert, who stood characteristically motionless for the
duration, focused on the job at hand and proving that -- while he
might look like your high school geography teacher -- he's undoubtedly
the hippest 55-year-old punk around. Although Graham Lewis took a back
seat vocally, occasionally joining with Newman on choruses, his bass
sounded fuller than ever.
But the star of the evening was drummer Gotobed. Eyes closed
and hammering away on the sparsest of kits with the insistence and
consistency of a human metronome, he didn't miss a beat. From the
older material through mid-period fare like "Advantage in Height,"
"Silk Skin Paws" and "The Boiling Boy" and even on the new track, his
performance proved that he has always brought a crucial dimension to
Wire. It's ironic that the man who made himself redundant in 1990 on
the verge of the band's fuller exploration of computer technology should
now return as the pivotal member.
Despite their metamorphoses over the years, last night's gig
foregrounded the common denominators of their sound that have remained
recognizable: namely, an inimitable ability to craft unique, textured
songs out of the juxtaposition and layering of minimal, individual
elements and a lyrical repertoire that comes and goes between the
twin -- often overlapping -- poles of snapshot observation and surreal
abstraction.
Among the highlights were a chunkier rendering -- thanks to
Lewis's bass -- of their paean to postmodern identity, "40 Versions,"
and "Mercy," a track that somehow brings together the shipping forecast
and cross-dressing. "Mercy" was particularly impressive as Wire edged
it through its menacing build up, put it through its varying paces and
rhythms and finally pushed it onto its crashing climax. Punk's two
initial challenges with regard to duration and speed -- "How short?"
and "How fast?" -- were revisited with blistering renderings of
"Another the Letter" and the inevitable "12XU," which provided the
respective answers, "still under a minute" and "faster than Fear."
The taut, pared-down funk of "Lowdown" witnessed the hitherto
unthinkable prospect of a Wire sing-a-long (of sorts) as a smiling
Newman briefly yielded to the audience. During the performance of
"12XU," Wire's ludic side openly declared itself in full-on comedy as
Newman engaged in a deliberately camp rendition of what appeared to be
a snake dance.
With Robert Poss of the Band of Susans adding to the guitar
arsenal, Wire came back for an encore, a 10-minute version of "Drill."
Last night's rendition was rough and raucous, shot through with
feedback and shorn of almost all its lyrics. It was the ideal coda.
"Drill" is a track whose myriad incarnations have stood as the perfect
embodiment of Wire's own trajectory of continuities and discontinuities.
Ultimately, last night's mutation of "Drill" underscored the point made
by the gig as a whole -- that Wire continue to reinvent themselves in
ways that demand our attention.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _VH1 Storytellers_ (Interscope)
- Scott Hudson
VH1's Storytellers series has been enormously successful, so it
was certainly no surprise when the fine folks at VH1 released _VH1
Storytellers_, a compilation CD extracting best-of performances from
the show. What was a huge surprise, if not a downright disappointment,
was that the disc contains no stories. Let's face it, the allure of the
show are the stories that inspired the songs, told by the artists in
their own words, in their own voices. So if it's stories you want,
you'll have to pull out the booklet that accompanies the disc and read
them.
The disc does feature some fine performances from artists such
as David Bowie, James Taylor, Stevie Nicks, The Bee Gees, The Pretenders,
Counting Crows and Elvis Costello. But without the stories, there is
nothing that sets this disc apart from any other big-time compilation
disc you may find in your local record store. To VH1's credit, a
portion of the proceeds from the sale of _VH1 Storytellers_ will
benefit City Of Hope programs in pediatric oncology, as well as other
forms of cancer.
One can only hope that VH1 will learn from its mistake. And
with recent installments to the show featuring such artists as The
Stone Temple Pilots, Pete Townshend and Steely Dan, a second compilation
disc could be rather interesting not only because of the great music,
but the inspiring stories behind them.
As for this disc, the only story that was told, was the one
VH1 told you when they packaged this disc and stamped _VH1
Storytellers_ on the cover.
---
REVIEW: Robert Belfour, _What's Wrong With You_ (Fat Possum)
- David J. Klug
The Fat Possum label has been heralded for unearthing electrified
North Mississippi juke-joint blues by R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough,
and T-Model Ford, in addition to offering the stirring music of
Mississippi natives Asie Payton and Super Chikan. Robert Belfour is
a striking addition to the Fat Possum catalog, as he makes music that's
genuinely difficult to distinguish from vintage blues recordings of the
20s and 30s. Any familiarity with that era's country blues serves as
excellent reference, because with the exception of two songs _What's
Wrong With You_ is a solo acoustic recording. It may also be the
finest blues record I'll hear all year.
What astounds as much as the music on record is that this is
Belfour's first full-length release. Now 60, he's recorded only once
before -- in 1995 he contributed eight songs to an obscure German
anthology titled _The Spirit Of Blues Lives On._ Belfour's vocals at
times recall John Lee Hooker in utilization and tonal range but as
remarkable as his singing is, his guitar playing is outstanding (it's
notable too that he's entirely self-taught). The power of Belfour's
music is undeniable, and at least comes from the tradition of Hooker,
Howlin' Wolf, and Muddy Waters. What's Wrong With You gets my highest
recommendation, and makes for an essential addition to any serious
blues music enthusiast's collection. In 1982 John Swenson (Crawdaddy
editor and frequent contributor to Rolling Stone and Village Voice)
wrote that Lightnin' Hopkins was the last of the great country-blues
singers. Had Belfour been recording then, that statement would never
have been written.
---
REVIEW: King's X, _Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous_ (Metal Blade)
- Scott Hudson
King's X eighth studio release _Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous_
could have easily been titled _Crime Of The Century_ , and for good
reason. When the Houston trio consisting of Ty Tabor (Guitar), Doug
Pinnick (Bass) and the underrated Jerry Gaskill (Drums) released their
debut album, _Out Of The Silent Planet_ in 1988, they brought to the
table a unique blend of seamless Beatlesque harmonies amidst a wall of
heavy-rock riffs, Revolver-era psychedelia and driving prog/metal
rhythms. The result was sheer musical magic. There was every reason to
believe, at that time, that King's X were mega-stars in-waiting. But
that didn't happen!
While the world bandwagon-jumped from fad-to-fad, King's X
unceremoniously released five brilliant records that went largely
unnoticed by the record-buying public. As a matter of fact, the albums
that followed, _Gretchen Goes To Nebraska_, _Faith Hope Love_, _King's
X_ and _Dogman_ sold just under 500,000 units, combined.
Despite the lack of mainstream support, _Please Come Home...Mr.
Bulbous_ proves the band's unwillingness to alter their direction or
to conform for the sake of commercial success.
If there is a weak song on this set, it is the record's opening
track "Fish Bowl Man" with its chaotic intro. Although not a bad song,
actually the chorus is rather catchy, it does contain a lengthy,
meaningless spoken dialogue about two-thirds of the way through.
The tracks that follow, "Julia," "She's Gone Away" and the
trippy-smooth "Marsh Mellow Field" are outstanding tunes and prove,
once again, that the band has lost absolutely nothing.
"When You're Scared" harkens back to the _Dogman_ album and is
reminiscent of "Flies and Blue Skies", although a bit darker. The song
captures Pinnick's knack for creating a vocally haunting atmosphere.
And there's "Charlie Sheen" which features a classic Ty Tabor
intro, melodic and flowing with an almost Dickey Betts feel, but your
guess is as good as mine as to where the title comes from.
The disc is also graced by one of the most beautiful King's X
tunes ever written in "Bitter Sweet." The song features the band's
excellent three-part harmony, with Tabor's atmospheric guitar lines
carefully carrying the song to the heavenlies.
_Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous_ is an excellent disc, worthy of
any collection. After 12 years and eight amazing albums, these guys ought
to be mega-stars, but they're not. And that, my friend, is a crime.
Perhaps we should take this disc and the rest of the King's X
collection and put it into a time capsule, not to be unearthed for 100
years. No doubt that those listening several generations from now would
wonder what kind of fools we were for not allowing this band the success
they so richly and justly deserve.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Songs for the Jet Set 2000_ (Jetset)
- Chris Hill
Perfectly engineered for mid-afternoon autumn drives in
the country, the third volume in the "Songs for the Jet Set"
series is filled with breezy, sun-drenched tunes. Their guiding
aesthetic is '60s soundtracks: movies of experimentation (with
or without the aid of pharmaceuticals), romantic expression, and
personal exploration: movies which are quaintly dated by modern
standards, yet still boldly visionary given today's restrictive,
politically-correct, "just say no" environment. Dubbing this
aesthetic "Cinema Pop", the artists involved have managed the
supremely rare feat of three compilations which please from start
to finish, while firmly adhering to their initial vision.
This installment begins with the playfully flirtatious
"El Graphic" by Tomorrow's World - retro-chic keyboards, rhythm
guitar, and harmonized "ba ba ba" syllables reintroducing the
band and atmosphere to their initiates. Responsible for one of
the high watermarks in the series ("Kites are Fun" on the first
volume), Tomorrow's World deliver a powerful one-two punch here,
following their blissful, love-struck "On A Saturday" with the
Sandra Dee, crying-in-the-windowbox "I Realised You". Leading
the first with male vox, and the second with female, the band
clothe their romantic sentiment ("Visions of someone special/
appearing to be just daydreams of love/...All I ask's for someone
who cares/who understands and just needs me") in unisex, one-
size-fits-all garb.
_Songs..._ continues the previous releases' seamless
placement of the naive and the worldly side by side. "Day Out"
by Daisies ("Oh, what a hand in glove day!/Oh, what an 'I'm in
love!' day!") is sassy and innocent, yet fits perfectly against
the hazy, Vaseline-smeared-lens psychedelia of Milky's "Willow's
Song". For my money, the most cinematic of the twelve tracks,
Milky's soft female vocals and Spanish guitar create a palpably
dreamy setting. Bolstering this visual quality, the aptly-named
Wallpaper ante in with three instrumentals ("At the Art Museum",
"Sun", "Dreams That Money Can Buy") which serve as both stand-
alone pieces and intermissions between vocal tracks.
Death by Chocolate offer two quirky tunes, delivering on
the promise shown in volume two's gleefully kittenish "Zap the
World". The first is a cover of the cheerful, druggy "My Friend
Jack": "My friend Jack eats sugar lumps/Sugar man hasn't got a
care/He's been travelling everywhere." Their second, "Bears",
springs from a child's inventive imagination: "When you're
walking between the lines and the squares/be careful that you
don't step on the bears/...There's a bear in the gutter/so be
careful not to utter/a sound that will disturb". Bowery bums or
bears, there's no judgment implied. A girlish whisper of "Ssssh,
there's a bear!" and a growl finish the song with its amusing
reality intact.
Like this track, _Songs for the Jet Set 2000_ maintains
its humor tongue-in-cheek, convincingly sincere in its love for
the genre, while avoiding any hints of kitsch or mockery. This
devotion ensures that the next volume will be as eagerly awaited.
See http://jetset.sinner.com for further info on this series.
---
REVIEW: Julie Ritter, _songs of love and empire_ (Luxstar)
- Paul Andersen
Mary's Danish was one of the most underrated, most talented
bands ever to grace the Los Angeles music scene. They were verged on
the big things that everyone predicted for them, only to have the
proverbial rug pulled out from under them by an unscrupulous record
label. They eventually splintered up, disillusioned, tired, with members
going various ways, some to other bands, some to real estate lives in
suburbia.
Julie Ritter co-founded the band with kindred spirit Gretchen
Seager, and the two vocalists forged a give-and-take style that still
sounds better than 99 per cent of the bands out there today. But out of
the ashes sometimes phoenixes arise, as this album verifies. Quite
simply, Ritter has crafted a set piece that is stunning from the
rave-up opening chords of "Bed" to the bell-ringing close of "And
What Were Roses," with all facets of emotion and textures caught
within the grooves echoing ever so forcefully. Even when she drops to
a whisper, the gale force is ever at hand, threatening to burst forth
like a biblical storm.
Ritter's voice is not one of operatic range, and she has a
tendency to modulate her notes in a yelp-like style, but it is signature
sound so personal and so full of the depths that it absolutely grabs you
by the ears and makes you notice it. Stylistically, the songs run the
gamut from jump-up ravers to blue-tinged ballads to a mollish version
of the only cover here, Lennon/McCartney's "Cry Baby Cry," that uses a
noirish trumpet to set a Marlowe-like mood that would sound right at
home on the jukebox down at your corner dive.
As a music writer, listening time is always at a premium, but
when I'm relaxing and listening for myself, this is the first disc I
grab. A tour de force, well worth finding (try Amazon, or her own site,
http://www.julieritter.com ).
---
REVIEW: Dianogah, _Battle Champions_ (Southern)
- Kerwin So
Chicago's Dianogah has always stood out among underground
rock bands for its unconventional lineup: two bass guitars -- one
"sharp," one "round"-- and a drummer. That's it. They claimed the
reason for this arrangement was because nobody in the band could
play guitar. Once you hear the soft acoustic guitar tones of
"Kaisakunin", the vignette which opens Dianogah's latest album
_Battle Champions_, you'll realize that this has changed.
And that's not all that's changed. Dianogah's previous recordings
generally tended to be muddy and plodding, favoring a more "math-
rock" type of sound, replete with mechanical and sometimes sterile
progressions. But hints of brilliance shone underneath, particularly the
gentle tenderness that Dianogah has the unique capability to evoke.
_Battle Champions_ takes this potential-- realized last year in the
band's stunning contribution to the _Reach the Rock_ soundtrack --
and stretches it into the gorgeous expanse of a full album.
In fact, _Battle Champions_ is less a rock album than a modern
symphony composed of eleven movements. Warm, melodic basslines
wrap around surging rhythms that unravel from looping syncopation
into expansive, meditative passages, occasionally accompanied by just
the right amount of piano (as in the epic "Indie Rock Spock Ears").
These elements together command an air of such innocence, quiet,
and vulnerability, that you almost feel ashamed to do anything else
while listening to it. In this sense, Dianogah bears an aesthetic
resemblance to '70s troubador Nick Drake.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect is that Dianogah very ably
tugs at your heartstrings with very little use of vocals. And, while the
imperfect voice of frontman Jay Ryan remains by far the weakest
point of an otherwise astounding band, Ryan sings with enough quiet
conviction to carry the two voiced songs through, diminishing
Dianogah's power not a whit. Sample lyrics: "I pull my head inside
my shirt/ I've had to cover up and hide/ Because I know that it's going
to hurt/ It's going to hurt this time."
But if Dianogah has proven anything, it's that you don't need
words to evoke deep emotion and get your message across. In
saying that, I think I've already used too many words attempting to
describe this album-- it's just something you have to experience for
yourself. Me, I've been listening to _Battle Champions_ repeatedly
for weeks now, to the point where it has weaved its way inextricably
into the dark passageways of my consciousnessness. Credit another
masterpiece to producer Steve Albini, and hope that _Battle
Champions_ finally gains Dianogah the recognition they deserve.
---
REVIEW: Damon Bramblett, _Damon Bramblett_ (Munich)
- David J. Klug
I saw Damon Bramblett perform at this year's SXSW, having gone
out of my way to hear the singer/songwriter tagged as sounding like the
Man in Black. For about a month prior to that show I'd inquired about
Bramblett's music and always got the same response: he sounds like
Johnny Cash. Hey, that's not bad company but it nevertheless made me
wonder if most of the people with whom I spoke ever heard a lick of
Bramblett's music. Yet even I took the bait and found myself telling
others before the show that I was off to see this guy, Damon Bramblett:
"sounds like Johnny Cash."
With or without the Cash comparison Bramblett's music has been
labeled alternative country -- flag waving that is sure to make plenty
of prospective listeners turn up their collective noses and run from
the hills. Too bad, because his self-titled debut is alternative
country only because Nashville has yet to embrace its kind (and probably
never will). It's alternative country for lack of a better description,
just like the "hillbilly" and "rockabilly" music of the 50s from Johnny
Cash and Orville Couch to Carl Perkins and Warren Smith. Those artists
and dozens more like them were equally important contributors to early
rock 'n' roll as much as country and would today, just like Bramblett,
arguably be branded as alternative country artists. Which all means
that this record is intelligent and sassy and of the purest form of
country music, flavored with honky tonk passion and performed rock
solid.
Bramblett's an ace songwriter -- his characters come to life in
story songs -- and real country music endears itself to him. He penned
all eleven tracks and stand-outs include the opener "Tear Him Down,"
which bite's hard about a critic's darling, "Nobody Wants To Go To The
Moon Anymore," about disgust for complacency and status-quo (and
recorded by Sara Hickman on her Misfits album), "Heaven Bound," an
exceptionally tuneful song (and recorded by Kelly Willis on What I
Deserve), "Falling Apart," a bopper about the selfish sorrowness of
love lost, and "Waiting For The Mail," the record's best, and most
haunting, track. Pedal and lap steel, harmonica, and upright bass
figure prominently throughout Bramblett's songs, as do his vocals that
recall none other than Mr. Cash. Produced by Lloyd Maines (Robert Earl
Keen, Wayne Hancock, Richard Buckner), who also plays on the record,
the songcycle offers continuity not often found in recordings from the
current slew of "alternative country" bands and couldn't be farther
from the sounds of the Wilcos and Son Volts. Beyond the tags it's
also a record, like the very best of what's ignored by Music Row, that
will stand the test of time and be as enjoyable now as in years to come.
---
REVIEW: Land of the Loops, _Puttering About a Small Land_ (Up)
- Wilson Neate
Apparently, Land of the Loops mastermind Alan Sutherland grew
up consuming snacks and television in equal measure, so it's not
surprising that _Puttering About a Small Land_ should sound like the
residual memory of childhood sci-fi cartoon animation translated into
lo-fi electronica, filled to the brim with countless tasty, bite-sized
samples.
Possibly (mis)named after the Philip K. Dick novel, _Puttering_
recalls the Young Marble Giants and a less dense and less fluid Cocteau
Twins by way of a stripped down Stereolab. With the help of vocalists
Heather Lewis (of Beat Happening), Takako Minekawa (a Cornelius
collaborator), Jovita Carpenter (aka Lady Mallard of Volume All
Star) and DJ Trouble, _Puttering_ serves up a delicious collage of
sonic morsels, complete with intra-song movie dialogue snippets.
This follow up to 1999's _Bundle of Joy_ is a similarly
intriguing sonic rattlebag that never strays far from its basic
coordinates: largely unchanging, circular rhythmic patterns filled out
with bass and beats, and topped with fragile vocals and miscellaneous
layered sounds that loop in and out of the overall musical buffet.
While tracks like "Knee Deep in Packasandra" and the bubbling,
aquatic "How to Feed a Sea Monkey" take a Cocteau Twins approach with
melodic, swirling, ethereal vocals whose words are barely discernible,
cuts like "Slumber Party," "Automotive High School" and "Marshmellow
Pillows" reduce the vocal component to sampled fragments and inflections
that come and go, weaving their way through the textured sound.
The real winners are the sleeker numbers like "Drive Safely
(and Hurry Back)" with its dubby driving flavor and slight vocals --
sounding not unlike a low-key St. Etienne -- and "Party Pooper" (which
is anything but). Starting out with hovering vocal fragments and a
vaguely menacing Aphex Twin feel, it morphs into a mesmerizing,
dub-inflected mid-section before looping back to its point of departure.
_Puttering_ is a quirkily hypnotic, addictive aural experience
fashioned from a smorgasbord of samples. While Sutherland's approach
may not be as seamless and polished as higher-end electronica, neither
does it jar nor is it pedestrian -- despite a tendency to "plod" rather
than "putter" on occasion. Rather, it retains a deceptively simple,
almost minimalist charm.
---
REVIEW: pApAs fritAs, _Buildings & Grounds_ (Minty Fresh)
- Chris Hill
The third time must be the charm, as album number three
from pApAs fritAs is embarrassingly rich with sugar-coated pop
tunes. Drummer/vocalist Shivika Asthana's graceful poise and
guitarist/vocalist Tony Goddess' light yet masculine tones make a
yin and yang of formidable power. With bassist Keith Gendel
adding to the singing duties, lush harmonies pervade the album,
equaling 13 tracks with nary a throwaway among them.
"He said/she said" songs being personal favorites, "Way
You Walk" smote like a thunderbolt on first listen. The Human
League's "Don't You Want Me", Lush's "Ciao!", and now this song:
perfect examples of the moments when love and blame intermingle,
and the different perspectives give air to their grievances. He:
"I can tell by the way you walk/You wanna be alone with him."
She: "Why do you make up all these stories?/Made up your mind,
decided for me". He: "Will you tell him all the special things/
You told me you could never say?" She: "If I go, I won't be
lonely/If I stay now you don't own me." Sheer heaven, by words
alone. Add a sweet acoustic guitar solo, hand claps, and an
insanely boppy keyboard riff and the confection improves.
An album destined for summer road music, _Buildings and
Grounds_ radiates sunshine. "There's shots to take and plans to
make/There's candy bars and pizza to chew", Goddess sings in
"Another Day", a bouncy urging of "carpe diem" conviction. This
feeling springs up again on the waltzing "Girl", a devotional
dedication of love. Even the melancholy "I'll Be Gone" looks at
the brighter side of breaking up: "Draw the blinds/Let the
sunshine find a way.../We're not walking together/And now I'm
feeling alright."
"It's Over Now" is a momentary squall, as Asthana sifts
the ashes of love for answers: "Every time I think of you, I
stop and wonder why/It's over now, it's time to say goodbye".
Rainstorms pass, and brighter climes reappear: R. Buckminster
Fuller would be pleased with Gendel's contribution to the album,
"Vertical Lives". Its assertion that "Only geodesic domes can
save us now" is made structurally sound by a stomping drum beat
and clapping hands.
The band, with Goddess being the primary songwriter, has
an ability to mix in familiar elements that get the song's foot
in the aural door: be it the Brady Bunch lollipop bliss of
"Questions", the Rentals' sing-song of "Vertical Lives", the
Fleetwood Mac background vocal/guitar/keyboard ambience of
"People Say", or the Scud Mountain Boys' croon of the closer
"Lost in a Dream". Familiarity breeds instant welcome here, not
contempt.
It's rare that a male and female singer match up as well
as Asthana and Goddess. Prop Asthana's "You were always quiet/I
was always cold/Walking there beside you/Promises were gold"
against Goddess' "But now you say you've grown/So tired of being
alone/Ask me did I wait/I believe in fate" and the vulnerability
is equally conveyed by both sexes. Listen particularly to
Goddess in the above lines from "I Believe in Fate", as his
voice progressively strains on each line to impart the emotion,
with fantastic success.
As the seasons change, summer will always be close,
thanks to discs like this. "Pop has freed us", indeed. Surf
warning: http://www.mintyfresh.com and http://www.papasfritas.com
---
REVIEW: the scoldees, _My Pathetic Life_ (Spinning Plates)
- Paul Andersen
Like a breeze blowing into Manhattan from Long Island, the music
of the scoldees will pick you up and take you away from your cares, the
way an old friend you haven't talked to in awhile might cheer you up. In
fact, the scoldees -- Nancy Sirianni, Jack Hoffmann, John Collis and Ted
Rydzewski -- are four self-described best friends whose musical paths
have finally coalesced into a whole. The result is an organic sound and
feel that is the 180 degree opposite of the standard
industry-manufactured slickness that permeates much of the airwaves.
If Sirianni's name strikes a bell, it is because she has been an
irregular feature on the Howard Stern show, doing musical parodies and
suffering Stern insults. Here, however, she displays a voice that some
may initially compare to Natalie Merchant, yet about three songs in, its
timbre and phrasing become hers solely. Yet the nice thing about this
album is that no one scoldee predominates. Some songs ("Cellophane Man"
and others) feature Hoffman's lead vocals, and the harmonies are always
dead on - in fact, the four initially got together to work on choral
arrangements of Christmas carols!
Throughout this album, the melodies and lyrics match up in such
a way as to reverberate in the brain, with a catchiness amongst the
hooks that just screams 'radio airplay.' In fact, this disc is doing
amazingly well with programmers, who have latched onto "All I Want" as
the chosen first single, making them stars in such places as Hot Springs,
Arkansas and Roswell, New Mexico. It's a momentum that just might cause
_My Pathetic Life_ to come out of left field in the larger markets, also.
With their simple adult acoustic-rock sound and superb songwriting
abilities, the scoldees are the antithesis to rap/metal, boy bands, teen
girl angst and all those other entities that make up millennial radio.
Hopefully, there will be a place in the scheme of things for four old
friends making honest music, too.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Panther - A Tribute to Pantera_ (Eclipse)
- Paul Hanson
"Does Pantera really DESERVE a tribute CD?" is a reasonable
question. Bands like the Led Zeppelin, KISS, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest,
Van Halen, and AC/DC certainly do. Can Pantera be added to that list?
After all, the band is only about 10 years past a little-known glam
metal phase, which critics used as fodder to criticize vocalist Phil
Anselmo's anti-Metallica tirades during their 1996 tour. Are they really
that good?
Perhaps that question would be better answered in a review of
their latest release _Reinventing the Steel._ For this CD, you get 12
fairly familiar names, none of them as popular or with as much success
as Pantera in touring to sold-out arenas. The 12 bands here are signs of
metal to come.
Pissing Razors, a Noise recording artist, kicks the CD off with a
turbo-charged version of "Domination." Like their own releases, drummer
Ed Garcia is a master of the double bass drums, combining aggressive
chops with precision. Vocalist Joe Rodriquez bellows his part with
conviction. Boiler follows with "Mouth for War" which demonstrates the
band that made "The New Professionals" still have the fire that made
that CD heavy. Step Kings follow with "Good Friends & A Bottle of Pills"
which falls short of the original. Drummer Mike Watt fakes the double
bass part of this song. Murder 1 come next with "I'm Broken" which is
then followed with Ill Nino's version of "Five Minutes Alone."
The CD comes to a screeching halt with A.C.'s version of "The
Great Southern Trendkill." Those that might have thought "Picnic of
Love" was that band's swan song can rest assured that Seth and Josh
are in fine form. Disarray, from the Volunteer State, and one of my
personal favorite bands, kick out "Cowboys from Hell" with their
trademark heaviness. Vocalist/guitarist Chuck Bonnett, drummer Shane
Harmon and bassist Chris Looney have been slugging out the metal since
1996's classic "Widespread Human Disaster." FINALLY, they're with Eclipse
Records and getting some attention.
Another band in Disarray's league of not previously getting their
due recognition is Crush Efekt from Columbus, OH. CE burst through "Use
My Third Arm" with a ferocious intensity that made their "Real" release
so brutal. NOK rounds out this release with the worst mixed track,
"Fucking Hostile." Vocalist Jeremy Jenkins is shoved to the front of
the mix, which covers the faking of the riff by guitarists Mike
Marchand and Frank Busshaus. Drummer John Keane attempts to hold this
chaos together, but isn't very successful with sloppy fills.
This is definitely a mixed bag. On one hand, you get rising stars
like Pissing Razors, Boiler, Step Kings, Disarray, and Crush Efekt
playing songs that Pantera has bashed out previously. On the other
hand, though, you get A.C. screeching like a banshee, Hollow's decent
(but not outstanding contribution) and the ugly rendition by NOK.
---
REVIEW: Cerulean, _Skylight_ (Spinwheel)
- Paul Andersen
Cerulean is an L.A.-based trio consisting of guitarist/vocalist
Rick Bolander, drummer Mike McCabe and bassist Roger Marinelli. Bolander
and McCabe, childhood friends from New York, had lost contact over the
years until a chance meeting in Los Angeles in the summer of 1997. They
began writing music together, and _Skylight_ is the first fruit of their
labors. It is swirling guitar-driven melodic pop music that is as azure
as the group's name.
The music contained here swirls with an ebb and flow similar to
the waves pictured on the front cover. Pulsing one minute, driven by an
edgy fuzzed-out guitar, the next might find it touched by light drum work
not often found in this kind of music. Cerulean knows the beauty that
openness and lightness can create, and they're not afraid to let it
shine through.
The poetic lyrics touch on themes of optimism, lust, regret and
other human traits, buoyed by Bolander's rich voice that is equal parts
hope and angst, one never overtaking the other. It is an encounter of
imagery and sound that makes you sit up and take notice. A band
definitely worth checking out - and not for 'locals only.' You can find
Cerulean on the web at http://www.ceruleanmusic.com.
---
NEWS: > Former Beck drummer Joey Waronker will
continue his role as drummer and collaborator for
R.E.M. on their upcoming LP and tour.
---
TOUR DATES:
Dope / Primer 65 / Pimpadelic
Jun. 1 New Haven, CT Toad's Place
Jun. 3 Norfolk, VA The Boathouse
Jun. 4 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
Eels
Jun. 12 Washington, DC Garage
Jun. 13 Philadelphia, PA The Upstage
Jun. 14 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Foreigner
Jun. 9 El Paso, TX Biggs Park
Jun. 10 Sierra Vista, AZ Libby Army Field
Jun. 15 Burlington, IA "Steamboat Days" Festival
Indigo Girls / Spearhead
Jun. 2-3 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park
Jun. 4 Raleigh, NC Alltell Pavillion at Walnut Creek
Jun. 7-8 Vienna, VA Wolf Trap Amp.
Jun. 9 Philadelphia, PA Mann Music Center
Jun. 10-11 Boston, MA Fleet Boston Pavillion
Jun. 13 New York, NY Summerstage / Central Park
Jun. 15 Lewiston, NY Art Park
Jayhawks
Jun. 3 Petaluma, CA Mystic Theatre
Jun. 4 San Francisco, CA Slim's
Jun. 6 Portland, OR Aladdin Theatre
Jun. 7 Vancouver, BC Richards on Richards
Jun. 8 Seattle, WA The Showbox
Jun. 10 Santa Monica, CA Arcadia
Jun. 12 Los Angeles, CA Troubador
Jun. 13 San Diego, CA Belly Up Tavern
Korn
Jun. 2 Dusseldorf, Germany Philipshalle
Jun. 3 Eindhoven, Holland Dynamo Festival
Jun. 5 Hamburg, Germany Stadtpark
Jun. 6 Berlin, Germany Arena
Jun. 8 Katowice, Poland Spodek
Jun. 10-11 Germany Rock Am Park Festival
Steve Miller / Gov't Mule
Jun. 9 Lewiston, NY Art Park
Jun. 10 Pittsburgh, PA Starlake Amphitheatre
Jun. 11 Vienna, VA Wolf Trap
Jun. 15 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Art Center
Skint (record label) tour - Brassic Beats
Jun. 1 New York, NY Twilo (2K Lounge)
Jun. 3 Chicago, IL Smat Bar the Metro
Jun. 6 Los Angeles, CA Atmosmphere the Viper Room
Jun. 7 San Francisco, CA Backflip
Jun. 8 Portland, OR The Cobalt Lounge
Jun. 10 Seattle, WA Nation
Elliott Smith
Jun. 1 Seattle, WA Showbox
Jun. 2 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
Jun. 3 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
Jun. 5-6 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
Jun. 7-8 Los Angeles, CA Palace
3 Doors Down
Jun. 2 Oklahoma City, OK All Sports Stadium
Jun. 3 Kansas City, MO Sandstone Amphitheater
Jun. 4 Omaha, NE Westfair Amphitheater
Jun. 6 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
Jun. 7 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
Jun. 8 Cleveland, OH Odeon
Jun. 9 Pittsburgh, PA Club Laga
Jun. 10 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Sally Taylor
Jun. 2 McAllister, OK Icehouse
Jun. 9 Aspen, CO Double Diamond
Jun. 13 San Diego, CA Casbah
Jun. 14 San Juan Capistrano, CA Coachouse
Jun. 15 Hollywood, CA Vynyl
Tonic
Jun. 1 Houston, TX Hard Rock Cafe
Jun. 2 Norfolk, VA Town Point Park
Jun. 3 Wilmington, DE WSTW Show
Wheat
Jun. 3 Cambridge, MA TT the Bear's Place
Jun. 13 Chicago, IL Scuba's
Jun. 14 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry
Jun. 15 Iowa City, IA Gabe's Oasis
---
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