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Consumable Online Issue 175
== ISSUE 175 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [April 26, 1999]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com
Managing Editor: Lang Whitaker
Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim
Kennedy, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva
Correspondents: Christina Apeles, Niles J. Baranowski, Tracey
Bleile, Jason Cahill, Patrick Carmosino,
John Davidson, Andrew Duncan, Krisjanis Gale,
Paul Hanson, Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer,
Franklin Johnson, Steve Kandell, Reto Koradi,
Robin Lapid, Linda Scott, Scott Slonaker,
Kerwin So, Chelsea Spear, Simon Speichert, Jon
Steltenpohl, 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 their author(s).
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the
editor.
==================================================================
.------------.
| Contents |
`------------'
INTERVIEW: Cool Breeze - Lang Whitaker
REVIEW: The Creatures, _Anima Animus_ - Chelsea Spear
REVIEW: Ben Folds Five, _The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold
Messner_ - Lang Whitaker
REVIEW: Soundtrack, _The Matrix_ - Franklin Johnson
REVIEW: Latin Playboys, _Dose_ - Tracey Bleile
REVIEW: Soft Cell, _Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret_ / _Non-Stop Ecstatic
Dancing_ / _The Art of Falling Apart_ / _This Last Night In
Sodom_ - Joe Silva
REVIEW: Alejandro Escovedo, _Bourbonitis Blues_ - Tracey Bleile
REVIEW: Papa Vegas, _Hello Vertigo_ - Franklin Johnson
REVIEW: Chapter in Verse, _Wicked Smile_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Burning Airlines, _Mission: Control_ - Steve Kandell
REVIEW: Disappointment Incorporated, _F=0_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Ten Story Love, _Ten Story Love_ - Michael Van Gorden
REVIEW: Shades Apart, _Eyewitness_ - Scott Slonaker
NEWS: Cheap Trick, Guided By Voices
TOUR DATES: Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs, Beastie Boys, Ben Folds
Five / Fleming & John, Black Crowes / Lenny Kravitz / Everlast,
Cubanismo Spring Tour, Delgadoes, Ani DiFranco, Dubtribe Sound
System, Gomez / Mojave 3, Kent / Papa Vegas, Steve Miller Band,
Of Montreal, Olivia Tremor Control, Pan Sonic, Ernest Ranglin,
Splender, Underworld, Wilco, David Wilcox
Back Issues of Consumable
---
INTERVIEW: Cool Breeze
- Lang Whitaker
As one of the charter members -- along with Goodie Mob, OutKast
and Witchdoctor -- of hip-hop's inventive, Atlanta-based Dungeon Family,
Cool Breeze had a solid base from which to launch his solo debut, the
recently released _East Point's Greatest Hit_. The first single from
_East Point's_, the poetic, melodic "Watch For the Hook," which
features the entire Dungeon Family taking turns on the verses, and Cool
Breeze holding down the chorus ("The C stands for Cool Breeze who's
known as the champ/Freddie Calhoun, the coolest cutter at camp/My
one's and my two's got your whole town shook/Better listen to your
corner, and watch for the hook") spent over a month at Number One on
the Billboard Rap Chart.
Last month Cool Breeze (whose real name is indeed Freddie
Calhoun) took a break from the final mixing of _East Point_ to eat
chicken wings, drink sweet tea and watch cartoons in The Dungeon,
which is actually just the basement of producer Rico Wade's mansion
just south of Atlanta. While relaxin', Cool Breeze discussed with
Consumable what makes Cool Breeze the champ. You better watch for
the hook.
CONSUMABLE ONLINE: How long have you been writing, doing your
thing?
COOL BREEZE: I remember when I first started, I was ten or eleven
years old, just rappin'. I remember hearing Run-DMC on the radio, and I
started writin' raps. I was talkin' about the teacher, and I was just
freakin' everybody out in class. I was in the sixth grade. That's like,
eleven years ago. But, I was knowing what I was doing. That's what
really tripped me out. I was understanding how to rhyme and put little
phrases together...
CO: Tell stories?
COOL: For real. Even way back then I had little stories I would
tell. But that came from my father being into music. He'd always make me
and my sister sing and get up in front of people, so I wasn't shy, you
know what I'm saying?
CO: Do you remember your first connection to hip-hop?
COOL: You remember back when the old "Roxanne" stuff came out,
when you used to do your own version of it? I was doing it then. I
would hear something and I would do my own version of it, even way back
then. Me and my other friends, I'd get them into it.
CO: Your flow kind of reminds me of Run sometimes...
(Cool Breeze makes a weird, squeal/grunting noise of approval)
COOL: Old school?
CO: Yeah, I mean...your voice doesn't sound happy all the time,
but it's kind of light, you know what I'm saying? Not as hard as a lot
of shit is now. Do you think about that when you're recording?
COOL: Yeah, I try to be real, to not have an attitude when I'm
rapping. You got to be able to feel it. I don't try and change my voice
or do that kind of stuff. To do a whole album, and then go on the road
with it, and to live with it? I wouldn't be able to do that.
CO: But that's good because you're thinking ahead.
COOL: Exactly. A lot of people think for the moment, they find
something they can do and run with it. My thing is I stay in pocket. I
know what I'm talking about because I'm creating the whole situation.
It's just a matter of the people listening, catching all the little
phrases I'm throwing, and being a part of it.
CO: Right, right. What are you trying to accomplish with your
music? Are you going with this thing or are you just expressing yourself?
COOL: Yeah, I'm really expressing myself a lot. I look at myself
as a creator. Dirty South, that was one of my first phrases that I even
came up with that. All the phrases -- Old Nat-L, Old National Highway --
all the stuff that I use and all the shit that I do is just me. Can't
nobody else do it.
CO: And it's lucky that you is able to translate to a rap album
that will sell a lot of records and give you a job and still allow you
to do what you want to do.
COOL: Exactly. That's what I like about it. When I look at my
music, it's me, it's all me. It's like I rap exactly how I act, period.
That's me on the album, you're getting me in full blood. That's my
mental. All the cuts and all the phrases, that's me. That's what
makes the music so fun, me not just talking about this is that or
this is good, just me being me. A solo artist doing his thing.
CO: You've always come up with phrases that everyone knows now,
haven't you? (Like "Dirty South")
COOL: That's my trademark -- Freddie Calhoun the creator. I
don't even look at myself as a rapper, because I can do more than
rap. I can create a whole scene. I can start with a hook, a title,
a verse, and take it all the way there.
CO: You're like an artist, but instead of painting with a brush,
you paint with your mouth.
COOL: Exactly, exactly...I...I can...I couldn't say it no
better than that. Damn. I'm use that. That's like Cool Breeze shit,
right there, saying stuff that means two things. Like the phrase
"watch for hook," meaning two things. The hook means to hit somebody
with a punch, but also in the song. I paint a picture, but not with
a brush, with my mouth. That's Cool Breeze. Exactly.
CO: You talk about Cool Breeze like he's very separate from
Freddie Calhoun.
COOL: These are like characters that I'm bringing out, and I'm
setting them up like I want to. Cool Breeze is the rapper that's kicking
it all off, and Cool Breeze is like the tree trunk. Then there's
branches that are all branching off: Freddie Calhoun, The Calhouns,
Cool Cutter. The branches are just full of shit, so I can just keep
digging into it.
CO: (noticing the TV is on "Duck Tales") Do you like this?
COOL: What this right here? (laughs) Hell, no! (laughs) My
son, he be killin' this kind of stuff. He just turned two in January.
His name is Shacool Knairu. That means "Cool knowledge rules."
CO: That songs like a song.
COOL: Yup. Sounds like a hook.
---
REVIEW: The Creatures, _Anima Animus_ (Instinct)
- Chelsea Spear
Punk chanteuse and all-around force of nature Siouxsie Sioux
arrived on the scene in 1977 like an unholy cross between Elvira and
Pamela Des Barres -- and, as with all rock and roll icons from the UK,
she did us one better than that description would suggest. After
shedding her groupie status and providing us with over twenty years
of the finest droney, dancey goth punk known to man, Sioux dissolved
her main band, the Banshees, to make beautiful music with her husband,
Budgie, in the Creatures.
The Creatures's fourth album, _Anima Animus_, shouldn't alienate
any longtime fans of Siouxsie and the Banshees. As in her former band,
Siouxsie's indomitable voice and humourously creepy worldview is at the
center of the proceedings, as on "Exterminating Angel", a Gregorian
chant-influenced tune whose grotesque lyrics detail the unfolding action
in the Book of Revelations. However, while some of the ingredients
remain a constant throughout this affair, the album finds Siouxsie and
Budgie experimenting with new sonic ideas (or, at least, new compared
to their previous work). The arrangements are occasionally stripped
down to a sinewy combo of Sioux's voice and Budgie's energetic, melodic
percussion, and the songs frequently try different angles than one would
hear on a Siouxsie and the Banshees album, such as the lushly poppy
"Say", and the cinematic slow burn of "I Was Me!" The production draws
from lush drum 'n' bass techno influence and brings in some effects
that really draw listeners in, such as the dinner party sounds on
opening track "Second Floor".
This probably isn't the most representative place for new
devotees of Siouxsie to start. However, those looking for new angles
on electronically-inspired pop, or longtime fans of a thriving punk
diva who want to watch a continually fascinating career unfold, will
not be disappointed.
---
REVIEW: Ben Folds Five, _The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold
Messner_ (550 Music)
- Lang Whitaker
Ben Folds Five, the curiously named three-piece band from Chapel
Hill, N.C., this week releases their third studio album, the
extravagantly titled _The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner_.
On their two previous records, the well-received _Forever and Ever
Amen_ and their initial self-titled album, BF5 has always seemed like
they were guys who just wanted to have fun. Little did we know that
somewhere beneath the fuzzy bass and the manic pianos, an impressive
level of restraint existed.
On the afore-mentioned previous records (as well as on _Naked
Baby Photos_, BF5's recent album of b-sides and outtakes), Folds
established himself as an accurate critic of the southern experience,
his songs rife with pop-culture references and detailed yarns about
life hovering around the poverty line. Of course, Folds' biting wit
crossed with the sonic boom of the band (Folds on piano; Darren Jessee
on drums; Robert Sledge on bass;) to create a bizarre but comforting
mixture of punk attitude and Gershwin chord progressions.
With _Messner_, BF5 seems to have grown up a little bit. Now
BF5 sounds like a band not so much obsessed with fighting the limits
of having three instruments. Instead, BF5 sounds like a band who is
interested in seeing what they can do with what they got.
There is no song that immediately recalls "Brick," though the
apologetic spaghetti western vibe of "Mess," comes close, at least in
tone. "Narcolepsy," the album's first track, sets a rambling example
of BF5's new direction. Starting slowly and subdued, the song
eventually crescendos to a thrashing, flailing swell, with background
vocals straight from an off-Broadway play and Folds wailing over the
din like a tenor Celine Dion; basically it's loosely controlled chaos
that sounds gorgeous.
At times _Messner_ is reminiscent of the old, fun lovin' BF5.
The album's lead single, the jaunty "Army," begins with Folds' singing,
"Well I thought about the Army, Dad said, 'Son, you're fucking high.'"
However, that sense of humor, formerly so deeply ingrained in BF5's
music, has been mostly shelved on _Messner_ in favor of musical
experimentation. It may not win BF5 any more fans, but there is a
sense of satisfaction glowing from _Messner_, like maybe BF5 has
finally made an album they'd sit around and listen to while getting
stoned.
Overall, _Messner_ is a big, sweeping trip; a far cry from the
shiny, happy songs BF5 previously presented. Using strings and horns to
underscore their efforts, for the first time BF5 actually sounds like
they have a purpose or a plan. Instead of just entertaining, BF5 wants
to experiment a little. These songs go places -- from fast to slow,
from loud to soft, from caring to careful -- and as a result,
_Messner_ makes BF5 sound like they know exactly what they're doing.
---
REVIEW: Soundtrack, _The Matrix_ (Maverick)
- Franklin Johnson
A number one money-making movie and a soundtrack with cutting
edge artists such as Rage Against the Machine, Prodigy, Rammstein and
the bad-boy poster child Marilyn Manson? These are all answers to the
question, "What is _The Matrix_"?
With a collection primarily filled with already-released
tracks, the other question isn't whether fans will have the songs - most
already will - but how well the cuts work in synch with the movie.
And they work better than should be expected; Meat Beat Manifesto's
"Prime Audio Soup" and Rammstein's "Du Hast" drive home all that can be
expected for a futuristic thriller, and songs such as Propellerheads
"Spybreak!" and Prodigy's "Mindfields" replace the pounding
with frenetic techno beats.
While proceeding along at a breakneck pace, _The Matrix_
takes the listener on a musical journey that has to be experienced to
be believed.
---
REVIEW: Latin Playboys, _Dose_ (Atlantic)
- Tracey Bleile
For people who really dig music that exists on the fringes,
the clever experimental quartet of the Latin Playboys -- comprised
of David Hidalgo and Louie Perez of Los Lobos along with their longtime
producer companions Tchad Blake and Mitchell Froom -- have brought
forth their second release, named appropriately and with a wink,
_Dose_. The music is on the fringes stylistically, geographically
and emotionally, but with little effort, the Playboys drive you on
over to their side of town. They bring you into their world by
incorporating as they have always done so well, many disparate
influences, and back it up with tons of great percussion and an
equally huge amount of flair.
It's about being allowed to listen in on the stories, like
the comical, tinny mariachi backdrop to the universal story of a family
outing in "Ironsides," or the beat poetry lyrics set against a tribal
beat speaking of the isolation of race in "Dose." The playfulness is
mixed in with the sadness, and the weirdness of the samples is tempered
by the humor of the creation. Forays into downright funk ("Locoman")
and sultry R&B, with some backing vocals courtesy of Wendy & Lisa
(perhaps a small favor being returned, as Blake produced their latest
release) on "Lemon 'N Ice" balance out the hootenanny of ethnic folk,
Nortena and street samples signify Froom has been turned loose once
again ("Nubian Priestess," "Paula Y Fred" are salted in among the more
straight-forward tunes).
The tableau presented are all different colors and hues of
emotions, and at the risk of sounding terribly naive, it is incredibly
pleasurable to be able to experience what the Playboys have to offer,
and appreciate something so very different without any sense of
alienation. This _Dose_ is eye-opening and mind-expanding in a
ridiculously healthy way.
---
REVIEW: Soft Cell, _Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret_ / _Non-Stop Ecstatic
Dancing_ / _The Art of Falling Apart_ / _This Last Night
In Sodom_ (Polygram)
- Joe Silva
If you were young enough and resided on the side of the
pop/rock divide that actually danced some, the surge of British synth
bands in the early 80s were hard to resist. After all there wasn't much
hipsway in a stack of Rush and Van Halen albums, and disco's wilted
lifestyle had long suffocated the music's viability. And even if the
euphorically mechanistic-groove of Kraftwerk's _Computer World_ LP was
a more extant directive for the future, the chart-driven end of the
industry weren't interested in acknowledging any of it unless it came
through the visionary filters of the early rap community and inevitable
hit-makers like the Human League.
Enter Mark Almond and Dave Ball, a Leeds duo made up respectively
of one extremely gay fetishist (who got kicks telling people he was
actually Simon Le Bon during one of the band's first trips to New York)
and a seemingly innocuous tape-op who stood by his fey partner stoically
welded to his gear.
Together they attempted to celebrate the kind of seedy downtown
world that John Water's characters actually lived in. Almond crooned
like he'd just come off the drag bar circuit, and Ball's knob-twiddling
shifted from lush, to futuristic, to downright cartoonish. Propelled
by the trans-atlantic mega-hit remake of Gloria Jones' "Tainted Love,"
the band's true pop aspirations were instantly rewarded. Although the
album's electronics are dated and frequently insubstantial, and Almond's
probably honest attempts at raunch were ultimately, their debut offered
enough radio-ready material ("Bedsitter," "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye"),
to set off alarm bells for music-bizzers and DJs alike.
Despite "Tainted Love"'s relativey low BPMs, the band were smart
enough to capitalize on the serious dancefloor currency they had by now
generated. The follow-up EP, _Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing_, harbored mostly
previously released material re-worked for it's club potential. Included
are the ultra-fetching "What?," a worthwhile re-working of the earlier
"Memorabilia" single, and "Tainted Love"'s b-side cover of The Supremes
"Where Did Our Love Go?." Pound for pound, almost as worthwhile as its
predecessor.
Due to a mix of artistic duress (Ball was sick of appearances
by this point) and pressure from the British tabloids, the strains of
success could be heard in their second proper outing, _The Art Of
Falling Apart_. Despite one fairly sound and well-produced single
("Where The Heart Is"), the record's confused content laid to rest
an already stiffened U.S. market. But in the U.K. even the skewed
addition of a Hendrix medley on the album didn't stop it from charting
as high as any of their previous long players.
And although they continued to do well on their home turf,
Almond caved under the pressure of it all and after a few stunning
incidents, including confronting one Record Mirror critic with a bull
whip, packed it in. Their wind up, more interesting than any of their
previous work, had sparks (like "Meet Murder My Angel" and
"L'Esqualita") that were consequently adopted and capitalized upon
by the likes of Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys.
Poring over the bulk of this material, digitally remastered and
laid out with decent liner notes, it still screams for some further bit
of punctuation. Maybe it's the lack of the excellent "Torch" 12-inch
(a double UK-only compilation of the 12-inches is also now available)
to complete the picture. Maybe it's the finality of the box set
resembling, as they do, a career's proper casket. In either instance,
Soft Cell's misguided hedonism and only just maturing material is worth
much more consideration than several of their contemporaries who aren't
savvy enough to steer clear of packaged reunion tours and VH-1 specials.
---
BOOK REVIEW: Stan Soocher, _They Fought The Law_ (Schirmer Books)
- Bob Gajarsky
The only thing more certain than hit singles from top musical
acts is the trail of people looking to cash in on their gravy train.
Stan Soocher's _They Fought The Law_ examines nine separate cases
which helped influence the legal landscape of the musical world.
While some cases such as the Beatles inner strifes (and with
their record label) and 2 Live Crew effectively against everyone
were well documented by the mainstream press, the Shirelles' battle
to receive royalties on their re-issued recordings didn't generate
quite the newspaper publicity - but was undoubtedly a landmark
judgment in trying to repay some of the monies ripped off from artists
of the late 1950s and 1960s. Soocher explains each case - from
Billy Joel to Elvis Presley, George Michael to Michael Jackson,
and Judas Priest - with a clear, concise introduction to the
facts on both sides, case precedents (when applicable), interviews
with many of the participants, the conclusion from the judges, and
what effect the case had on the artist's careers. In some cases,
the legal landmines proved fatal; in other examples, musicians
demonstrated the perseverance which helped them become major stars
in the first place.
Along with Donald Passman's _All You Need To Know About The
Music Business_, Stan Soocher's _They Fought The Law_ serves as a
must-read for all aspiring musicians about the legal obstacles they
may overcome if the fickle gods of success deem them fortunate -
and how to overcome them.
---
REVIEW: Alejandro Escovedo, _Bourbonitis Blues_ (Bloodshot)
- Tracey Bleile
One of the cornerstones of the Austin music scene, Alejandro
Escovedo is a tireless journeyman, plying his craft in a new joint
every night; a flock of willing accomplices and rabid fans attending
him every where he goes. As such, his strength is his live shows,
which veer between quiet but emotional acoustic and loud, stripped-down
blues rock, with that touch of Texas. _Bourbonitis_ gives a crash
course in these strengths, and whether it's live in Chicago, or in the
studio in Chapel Hill or Austin, the disc carries the great vibe that
you would feel sitting three feet from his face, and what the musicians
in the studio with him must feel every time they record with him.
Spare of flesh but big in heart, both the songs and the man
trace a compelling history with _Bourbonitis_, which is comprised of
some originals (including two new songs) and several covers of
wide-ranging influences. Escovedo has reportedly never recorded most
of these songs before (with the exception of "Guilty") but has played
them for years in his endless touring. Capturing the feel was easy
using the great soundboard technique used on last year's live
compilation _More Miles Than Money_. Two of the quieter moments
feature great female backing vocals: Kelly Hogan does the honors in
an elegant cover of Lou Reed's "Pale Blue Eyes" and Melissa Swingle
(Trailer Bride) provides a mournful counterpart in a slowburn take on
Gun Club's "Sex Beat".
All of Alejandro's incarnations are fully present: raucous
Buick MacKane revisited in "Everybody Loves Me", honky-tonk bluesman
with a newly reworked version of "Guilty", and the go to blazes rocker
of "Sacramento & Polk". But the great warmth he projects as the
storyteller, playing off of the accompanying strings of acoustic
guitar, violin and cello, taking John Cale's "Amsterdam" and Ian
Hunter's "Irene Wilde" he spins giant soft webs of the memories of
women loved and women lost as well as their originators intended.
The one giant failing of this album: way too short. This
needs about three more songs to satisfy the Alejandro satisfaction
quota, because in his case, the songs are honed enough that it's going
to be quality in addition to quantity, and not just filling up space.
He can't be short on material, so I'm going to chalk it up to the new
addition to his family and that crazy tour schedule, but the better
to leave you hanging on for more, I guess. At any rate, a tip of the
cap to Bloodshot - how often does an artist who has never fit a neat
genre, and as such, has struggled from label to label on it credit
his current label for "making music fun again"? Not very, I imagine.
And to see two albums in as many years is testament enough that some
people are in this business for all the right reasons.
For more info on the label and the artist: see
http://www.bloodshotrecords.com and http://www.alejandroescovedo.com .
---
REVIEW: Papa Vegas, _Hello Vertigo_ (RCA / Sid Flips)
- Franklin Johnson
The debut album from Papa Vegas, _Hello Vertigo_, combines
all the necessary ingredients - melodic rhythms, catchy riffs,
and a modern-rock sensibility - to become a fixture on the
music scene.
Equal parts Verve Pipe and Live, the four piece unit -
vocalist Joel Ferguson, guitarists Pete Dunning, bassist Mick
Force and drummer Scott Stefanski - bring a sound all their own
to a dying rock scene.
"I try to bring in some of the keyboard sensibilities -
Depeche Mode and some of that," says Ferguson. "Pete brings in
the heavy, rock-oriented guitar thing, drawn from influences
such as Led Zeppelin, Beck and Queen. It's a good mix
that sounds like nothing except us."
The first single "Bombshell" is powerful and captivating,
while other potential hits including "Something Wrong" and "Long
Days" capture the unique sound which is Papa Vegas. Veteran
producer Don Gilmore (Eve 6 and X) and Tom Lord-Alge (Hole and
Marilyn Manson) also have recognized this special band by
contributing their talents behind the music. Definitely worth
a closer look.
---
REVIEW: Chapter in Verse, _Wicked Smile_ (5*4*1 Records)
- Jon Steltenpohl
Chapter in Verse is a new girl group out of New England that will
blow the socks off of fans of straight-forward female rock bands.
Dueling vocals and acoustic guitars haven't been done this well since
the early Indigo Girls, and the additional band members skew the sound a
bit towards Chrissie Hynde or early Melissa Etheridge and the rougher
feel of a Concrete Blonde. The beat is strong and the vocals are inspired.
Lead members Brenda White and Rachel Clayton share duties as song
writers and lead singers. Their lyrics are drawn from the same well, and
their musical styles mesh fluidly. They seem to share the music equally,
and the balance bodes well for them. The chance of one "Garfunkeling" the
other is slim. Their harmonies and lyrical counterpoints fit seamlessly
and owe a debt to the Indigo Girls sound. Their meeting at an open mike
explains a lot, and the touches of mandolin and harmonica don't hurt the
comparison either. Fortunately, the punchy lyrics and electric guitar
draw them away from being a Indigo Girls clone, and make the comparison
simply a reference point for the genre.
In grand indie tradition, the production is raw and untouched. It
is a joy to listen to because it is professionally done yet it encapsulates
their energy. The album has all the hallmarks of a live band that's just
hitting its peak. The overdubs are few and far between, and the music
sounds exactly like it must on the mixing board in the clubs. The liner
notes support this theory. Each shot is of the band members with
instruments in hand -- grimacing at a note or lost in the groove of the
song.
Unfortunately, this sort of band seems to be falling out of vogue
at the moment. At its essence, Chapter in Verse is a rock band. You
won't find any trendy Party of Five songs on _Wicked Smile_ or any VH-1
ready Jewel ballads. These are heartfelt, straightforward songs without
any frills or synthesizers. There's passion in this album, and without a
doubt, Chapter in Verse will continue to be a band that builds a strong,
solid following based on intense live performances. Here's your chance
to say you knew them when.
More information on the band can be found at
http://www.chapterinverse.com
---
REVIEW: Burning Airlines, _Mission: Control_ (DeSoto)
- Steve Kandell
If you're a fan of the DC band Jawbox, there's some good news
and there's some bad news.
Let's get the bad news over with: Jawbox broke up last year.
But here's the good news: Jawbox didn't really break up last
year. Sure, they're traveling under a new moniker, Burning Airlines,
and bassist Kim Colletta is no longer in the lineup, but Jawbox's
singer/songwriter/guitarist/capo di tutti capi J. Robbins is still the
frontman and co-songwriter/rhythm guitarist Bill Barbot has made the
switch to bass. Coletta, who runs the label that put out this album,
is hardly far from the fold, and her split seems to be as amicable as
they come. Burning Airlines' drummer, Peter Moffett, is new, but
played with Robbins in the seminal Government Issue a decade ago.
And even Jawbox recorded with two different drummers during their
eight-year career, so this is not exactly a drastic upheaval of
personnel. No grisly deaths by overdose or plane crash, no bitter
lawsuits, no euphemistic mentions of "creative differences" - as
rock band breakups go, Jawbox has not done a very good job of breaking
up at all.
Nor is the music anything unfamiliar. The new incarnation
takes Jawbox's melodic but hard-driving post-punk and reimagines it
as...melodic but hard-driving post-punk. Some might argue that
Burning Airlines might lean a little more on the melodic, but the
band's debut album _Mission: Control_ would not sound out of place
at all in Jawbox's canon. The album opens with "Carnival," "Wheaton
Calling," and "Pacific 231," which are jaunty and bouncy where a lot
of Jawbox's songs are bottom-heavy and thick, a change that might be
directly attributable to Coletta's departure. Of course, the
hyperkinetic "Crowned" and Barbot's excellent "Meccano" are denser
in arrangement and pretty much go against everything I just said.
The album makes for a good listen, but over repeated listenings,
no one song stands out as catchy or memorable the way "Savory" did.
The lyrics, and even the band's overall motif, are concerned with
themes of machinery, and indeed the band's precision and Robbins'
delivery could be seen as somewhat mechanical. What is lacking is a
little more soul and improvisation, although the potential seems to be
there. Smack in the middle of the album is "(my pornograph)," a sound
collage/instrumental based on a clip from Orson Welles' The Trial that
is a bit more arty than the average straightforward Jawbox song. And
there's also a brief untitled hidden track, a few minutes after album
closer "I Sold Myself In," that is more frantic and keyboard-laced than
the other songs, perhaps a sign of more interesting directions to come
for the nascent band.
All in all, given the principals involved, it is no surprise
that Burning Airlines is not trying to reinvent the wheel here but
rather expand on a tried-and-true formula: guitars, bass, drums,
verse-chorus-verse, shake well, and repeat. It's decent, if
unremarkable stuff, but if you're a fan of the late Jawbox, there is
nothing here that will sound particularly foreign or jarring.
---
REVIEW: Disappointment Incorporated, _F=0_ (Time Bomb Recordings)
- Jon Steltenpohl
Depending on your musical background, Disappointment Incorporated's
debut album _F=0_ is either a rousing, rambling alternative rock set or a
mere aggregate of Jane's Addition, the Cure, your favorite hardcore band,
and any loud band that's fed up with society. It's okay stuff, but it's
all been done before. Not that there's anything categorically wrong with
that. Every song charting right now is virtually a textbook alternative
or 80's retro remake. It seems as if the major labels have finally
forgotten about alternative music (and allowed it to be alternative
again!).
Disappoinment Incorportated does every song like they're supposed
to as children of late 80's and early 90's alternative music. There's
crunching guitars, distorted screams, fading lines that plead things
like "there's no place like home, there's no place like home" or the
Pixie-esque "Gone to Heaven." (Where the hell is Frank Black's lawyer?)
"Feelings Mean Nothing" might as well be a Bauhaus or Love and Rockets
song. And there's a slower, acoustic tinged song called "Candy (Let me
in)" that builds into slow buzzing walls of guitars after the first few
verses. The album cover has red tinged images with pictures of guns, a
tattered American flag, an eerie doll with x's on its eyes, and the
ghosted word "less" seeping through.
It's all too familiar and cozy. In 1989, this album would have
been nestled in great with Love and Rockets and Nine Inch Nails and Faith
No More. But, that was 10 years ago. Yet, with a major label release
and an overproduced single, Disappointment Incorporated could be the next
big band. Being produced by Dave Jerden (The Offspring, Alice In Chains,
Jane's Addiction) was a smart move for _F=0_, and the presence of real
harmonies and melodies bodes well for this new band. Lead singer Brian
Burns' voice is reminiscent of The Cure's Robert Smith, and except for
their penchant for mimicry, Disappointment Incorporated does a great job.
They're a band to keep an eye on as they fall into their own sound, but,
for now, _F=0_ is merely promising debut rather than a groundbreaking
release.
---
REVIEW: Ten Story Love, _Ten Story Love_
- Michael Van Gorden
Have you ever found that when you're tired of running after
the next big thing in music and searching for an exciting new sound,
sometimes you just want to sit back and listen to some old fashioned
rock and roll? If this is the case, then Ten Story Love might be what
you're looking for. On their total DIY debut, these four boys from
New England remind us why we like rock and roll in the first place:
it's fun!
The loud guitars hearken back to the days of Cheap Trick and
early Goo Goo Dolls, and the tone of the record deals with, and I
quote, "life, love, work, and even a 'Big Question' or two." The band
has done their homework, expertly moving from one style to another.
From the "New York Punk" sound of album opener "That Perfect Girl" to
the funky sound of "In a different World," Ten Story Love show they have
a wide and very excellent taste in music. Sample the jangly pop of
"Marian on the steps" to the frenzied pair of out-and-out rockers "The
Company Store" and "Grinding Wheel." The former the home of a scorching
lead guitar solo, and the latter a dead-on Molly Hatchet vocal that
fits perfectly.
There were two minor problems I found with this disc at first
listen. First was the sound of the vocals. After repeated listening
this seems more a product of the recording and mixing than it does lack
of ability. The other minor issue is the inconsistency of the lyrics.
At times the words are very simple, almost naive, yet at other times,
such as on "The Human Torch," the lyrics are funny, insightful and
downright brilliant.
That fact that this CD exists is proof enough that there are
still people who care about rock and roll, and bands like Ten Story Love
deserve our support. Check them out further at http://www.tenstorylove.com .
---
REVIEW: Shades Apart, _Eyewitness_ (Universal)
- Scott Slonaker
After several albums and quite a bit of touring,
New Jersey's pop-punk Shades Apart have finally become part
of the machine- meaning a major label. Perhaps best-known
for their punkified cover of "Tainted Love", the band may
have surprised many longtime fans by making the move towards
the marketplace, after their emo-tinged 1997 album _Seeing
Things_ took a step towards Jawbox and a step away from the
Offspring.
Between the move to Universal and association with
producer Lou Giordano (Goo Goo Dolls, Live) and mixer Mike
Fraser (Metallica, Aerosmith) it is little surprise that
_Eyewitness_ is by a wide margin the band's most mainstream
effort. And, depending on how you feel about "credible"
indie punk bands sounding uncomfortably close to Matchbox 20
at times, this could be good or bad.
One of the best tracks is right up front: "Edge of
the Century" has a great ascending central riff and an
invigorating "whoooaahhoooowoooahhhwooo-ooo-ooo" thrown in.
Unfortunately, for every "Edge", there's a "Time Machine",
which could be Tonic or Third Eye Blind. These two songs
are very characteristic of the rest of _Eyewitness_: accessible,
propulsive pop-punk cut with solid but unremarkable pop/AOR
mush. And guess which side the first single, "Valentine",
leans towards? Other memorable touches are here, from the
Iron Maiden-ish clean guitar sound on "Sputnik" to the ballad
(horrors!) "One Starry Night" (which isn't half-bad, all things
considered).
In all fairness, there's nothing bad about this record,
but its adopted Everyrock sound is likely to leave it lost in a
sea of soundalikes. _Eyewitness_ may very well leave Shades Apart's
established fans neither here nor there, and the thirtysomething
trio aren't likely to be photogenic or quirky enough for MTV, but
in terms of pure songs, several of those contained herein certainly
rank with their best.
---
NEWS: > Cheap Trick is back on the record shelves - virtually.
Their latest live release, _Music For Hangovers_ (on their own
label), compiles tracks from their first few albums. However,
until June 15, the disc will only be available via the Internet and
http://www.amazon.com . _MFH_ includes fourteen tracks recorded
from their four night set at Chicago's Metro, and includes guest
appearances by the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan and D'Arcy.
> Guided By Voices have recently signed with TVT Records.
Their debut album for the label, _Do The Collapse_, is produced
by Ric Ocasek and scheduled for an August 3 release.
The new lineup for GBV includes (of course) Robert
Pollard, Doug Gillard, Jim MacPherson, and Nate Farley. The
album's first single, "Hold On Hope", is currently available
for download from http://launch.com
---
TOUR DATES:
Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs
Apr. 27 Woodlands, TX Woodlands Pavillion
Apr. 29 Dallas, TX Coca Cola Starplex Amphitheater
May 1 Englewood, CO Fiddler's Green Amphitheater
May 3 Las Vegas, NV Thomas & Mack Center
May 5 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Pavillion
Beastie Boys
Apr. 27 Copenhagen, DEN Forum
Apr. 28 Kiel, GER Ostseehalle
Apr. 29 Berlin, GER Velodrom
May 1 Brussels, BEL Forest National
May 3 Glascow, UK S.E.C.C.
May 4 Manchester, UK Evening News Arena
May 5 Birmingham, UK Nec Arena
Ben Folds Five / Fleming & John
Apr. 27-28 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Apr. 30 Williamstown, MA Williams College Lasell Gym
May 1 Medford, MA Tufts Univ. Presidents Lawn
May 3 Chicago, IL Park West
Black Crowes / Lenny Kravitz / Everlast
Apr. 27 Phoenix, AZ Blockbuster Desert Sky
Apr. 29 Denver, CO Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre
May 1 San Antonio, TX Ramos Park
May 2 Houston, TX Cynthia W. Mitchell Pavillion
May 4 Kansas City, KS Sandstone Amphitheatre
May 5 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre
Cubanismo Spring Tour
Apr. 30 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
May 2 Atlanta, GA Music Midtown Festival
Delgadoes
May 3 New York, NY The Fez
May 4 Boston, MA VFW Hall (288B Green St.)
Ani DiFranco
Apr. 29 Oklahoma City, OK Lloyd Noble Center
Apr. 30 Kansas City, MO Midland Theatre
May 1 Normal, IL Redbird Arena
May 3 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theatre
May 4 Pittsburgh, PA Aj Palumbo Center
May 5 Syracuse, NY Landmark Theatre
Dubtribe Sound System
Apr. 27 Seattle, WA Aerospace
Apr. 30 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
Gomez / Mojave 3
Apr. 27 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
Apr. 28 San Francisco, CA Slim's
Apr. 30 Portland, OR Berbati's
May 1 Vancouver, BC Starfish Room
May 2 Seattle, WA Crocodile Cafe
Kent / Papa Vegas
Apr. 27 New York, NY Bowery
Apr. 29 Washington, DC Black Cat
Apr. 30 Atlanta, GA Midtown Festival
May 1 Nashville, TN Nashville River Stages
May 4 Chicago, IL Metro
Steve Miller Band
Apr. 30 Robinsonville, MS Horseshoe Casino
May 1 New Orleans, LA Jazz and Heritage Fest
Of Montreal
Apr. 29 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland
May 1 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill
May 4 Seattle, WA Ok Hotel
May 5 Boise, ID Neurolux
Olivia Tremor Control
Apr. 28 Seattle, WA Crocodile
Apr. 29 Bellingham, WA Western WA Univ.
Apr. 30 Vancouver, BC Starfish Room
May 1 Portland, OR Berbati's Pan
May 4 Denver, CO Bluebird
May 5 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck
Pan Sonic
Apr. 28 Seattle, WA Breakroom
May 1 San Francisco, CA Great American
May 2 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
May 5 Phoenix, AZ Bostons
Ernest Ranglin
Apr. 28 Eugene, OR Wow Hall
Apr. 29 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Apr. 30 Seattle, WA Fenix
May 4 Minneapolis, MN First Ave
Splender
Apr. 28 Albany, NY Valentines
Apr. 29 Providence, RI The Met Cafe
Apr. 30 Boston, MA Bill's Bar
May 1 Portland, ME Stone Coast Brew.
May 2 Long Branch, NJ Hooligan's
May 5 New York, NY Shine
Underworld
Apr. 28 Seattle, WA The Showbox
Apr. 29 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
Apr. 30 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
May 1 Santa Monica, CA SM Civic Auditorium
Wilco
Apr. 30 Charleston, SC The Music Farm
May 1 Nashville, TN River Stages
David Wilcox
Apr. 30 Tucson, AZ Berger Arts Center
May 1 Malibu, CA Smothers Theatre
---
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