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Consumable Online Issue 169
== ISSUE 169 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [February 24, 1999]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com
Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim
Kennedy, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva, Lang Whitaker
Correspondents: Christina Apeles, Niles J. Baranowski, Tracey
Bleile, Lee Graham Bridges, Jason Cahill, Patrick
Carmosino, 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, Simon West
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, David Landgren, Dave Pirmann
Also Contributing: Dan Birchall
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.
==================================================================
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| Contents |
`------------'
REVIEW: Blondie, _No Exit_ - Tracey Bleile
REVIEW: Paul Westerberg, _Suicaine Gratifaction_ - Chris Hill
INTERVIEW: Gigolo Aunts - Al Muzer
REVIEW: jimmyeatworld, _Clarity_ - Tracey Bleile
REVIEW: Lo Fidelity Allstars, _How To Operate With A Blown
Mind_ - Tim Mohr
REVIEW: Jason Falkner, _Can You Still Feel?_ - John Davidson
REVIEW: Prince Paul, _A Prince Among Thieves_ - Tim Hulsizer
REVIEW: Colin James, _Colin James And The Little Big Band
II_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings, _Anyway the Wind
Blows_ - Dan Birchall
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Old School vs. New School_ - Joe Silva
REVIEW: The Ziggens, _Pomona Lisa_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Banyan, _Anytime at All_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: Guadalcanal Diary, _At Your Birthday Party_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Don Caballero, _Singles Breaking Up (vol. I)_ - Kerwin So
NEWS: Black Crowes, Cravin' Melon, Depeche Mode, Sister Hazel /
Gibson Guitar Award, Tom Petty, London Suede
TOUR DATES: Absinthe, Afghan Whigs, All / Less Than Jake, Babe The
Blue Ox / Trinket / Interpreters, Joan Baez / Hank Dogs, Better
Than Ezra / Jude, Candlebox, Eve 6 / Marvelous 3, 50 Tons of
Black Terror / Groop Dogdrill, Fleming & John, Flick, Flys,
Godsmack / Grinspoon, Grandaddy, King Missile, Kodo, Korn, Offspring,
Oleander, Placebo / Stabbing Westward, Plastic People of the
Universe, Rusted Root, Samples, Sepultura / One Minute Silence /
Biohazard, Ten Foot Pole, Waco Brothers
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
Back Issues of Consumable
---
REVIEW: Blondie, _No Exit_ (Beyond)
- Tracey Bleile
The high priestess of never-pigeonhole-me-cause-I-won't-fit,
Debbie Harry, and the original lineup of Blondie have pulled it
together from the disparate corners of the earth and sound as on the
edge as they were throughout their career. _No Exit_ is far more
energizing than you might expect.
There's a lot of jumpy dance numbers, as fresh and defiant of
being pinned down as they were in the early 80s. There's calypso,
there's ska, there's punkiness, and it's all come by as legitimately
as any of their early work. It's also quite amazing how tight Blondie
sounds, working together for the first time in almost seventeen years.
But what is just as great, is you know who this is instantaneously,
earmarked with the classic, New Wave pulsating guitar and keyboards,
and that wanton/waif/tough/sweet voice that is Debbie Harry. "Nothing
Is Real But The Girl" would have tidily fit into the dance groove of
the end of the disco/beginning of the dance club era. "Night Wind
Sent" is another great track in the same mood; Harry's smooth and
gentle croon wafting up over a shimmering up-tempo beat.
Yes, the title track is an over-the-top rap featuring Coolio,
a deep thundering bass and melodramatic sampling of Bach's Toccata and
Fugue; a bit schticky, but not out of place. The single "Maria"
is a little too processed and creamy (i.e. built for commercial
success) for the rest of what's to be had here on _No Exit_, but hell,
if Madonna can still surprise us within a dance-oriented album and
Cher can breathe new life into her career for the umpteenth time doing
the same, why not bring the originators up off their their laurels to
see what they are yet capable of?
Hey, Blondie broke the ground, so it's their territory to move
in once again. So if you want or need a reminder of where the
attitude was born and how that transcends labels of "disco" or "new
wave" or anything else that ever made you groove on a dance floor,
_No Exit_ evokes dance music's birthright and its ultimately
pigeonholeless existence.
---
REVIEW: Paul Westerberg, _Suicaine Gratifaction_ (Capitol)
- Chris Hill
On _Suicaine Gratifaction_, his third solo album since
the 1990 Replacements swan song, _All Shook Down_, singer Paul
Westerberg resolved to sonically exorcise the ghosts of his past
for good. Then, asked by the label to perk up the gentle album
he'd fancied completing, Westerberg complied, and what began as
an Acapulco cliff swan dive now resembles a jumper changing
clothes as he accelerates past the 35th floor: still committed
to the course, just not as aesthetically pristine. But any
complaints of stylistic schizophrenia arising from the patchwork
construction of ballads and rockers are washed away by the heart-
baring, honest emotion found throughout the album. _Suicaine
Gratifaction_ is the closest thing yet to the soul of the man
dogged by the success never achieved, but critically awarded in
absentia, to the Replacements.
The gentle acoustic side is bound to alienate more than
a few of the hard-line Replacements fans, who don't care to
contemplate ex-punk Paul singing a love song duet with Shawn
Colvin. The horror! Westerberg's acknowledged that he's a
different man now, that the Replacements were made special by
the combination of four raw, blazing talents, belonging to a
moment in time that can't (and couldn't) be recaptured. He's
older, he's wiser, and he's opening himself up for scourging
self-examination, hinted at with songs like "Answering Machine"
and "Unsatisfied", but never to this extreme.
"I believe I've started to go out of my head", he sings
on "Sunrise Always Listens", a spare, beautiful, despairing
confessional. If this was the original direction for the album,
it makes me yearn for the dark twins of the rocking throwbacks
"Lookin' Out Forever" and "Final Hurrah". Choosing to suffer
for his art, Westerberg followed a downward spiral during the
album's creation, plumbing his emotional depths for songwriting
grist. "Sunrise..." explores the nadir of a manic depressive's
cycle: the bewildered 2 a.m. feeling where no answers are
forthcoming, and an act of nature takes on epiphanic meaning.
The song carries the same throat-choking emotion found on
_Eventually_'s ode to Bob Stinson, "Good Day".
Westerberg is a master at crafting lyrics rife in double
meaning, homonym wordplay ("only when you're chaste/chased, can
you ever run fast"), subtle-as-he-wants-to-be sarcasm, and O.
Henry ironic twists of phrasing. Missing is his overt humor.
He's said, "This is a dark record--you'd be hard pressed to find
a joke on it, which might be the greatest departure, because
there's always at least one joke on my records, but I don't
think this one has one." (The voice of his toddler, wailing
2:36 into "Whatever Makes You Happy" belies this claim, and I
swear there's a barking toy dog layered in the middle of
"Fugitive Kind". Perhaps these are winks, rather than jokes.)
Self-deprecating, edgy honesty crops up even on the
mandated upbeat songs - "I was the last thing that you ever
wanted/still the best thing you never had", "Whatever makes you
happy/I'm pretty sure isn't me". It's all part of the mirror
Westerberg holds up to himself, a process he describes in song:
"As the poet drags the darkness/within him to the light/it's only
in self-defense". Almost as if he doesn't have a choice, risking
his sanity to save it.
Don Was, co-producer with Westerberg, says "It's a rare
occasion when you get to make a record that has solidly good
writing throughout, where every line has value and there's not a
wasted word. I wanted the production to be sonically invisible
so that there would be no remnants of the recording process that
would get between Paul and the listener." True to his word, the
acoustic numbers are given room to breath, echoing edgily, with
small flourishes - an English horn on "Self-Defense", an
accordion on "It's a Wonderful Lie" - goosing the song without
calling attention to themselves.
Maybe that jumper doesn't look so awkward. But next
album, I'm hoping he's allowed to go the full distance to
expressing that interior darkness. He relates his discoveries
with a rare ability that deserves whatever protection can be
offered.
---
INTERVIEW: Gigolo Aunts
- Al Muzer
A criminally-overlooked musical treasure destined for Big
Star-like after-the-fact respect, recognition and reverence, the
Gigolo Aunts deserve to be blasting from your speakers this very second.
Touring almost continuously since 1988's _Everybody Happy_
but, thanks to a contractual dispute with RCA Records, not heard on
a full-length disc since 1994's _Flippin' Out_; group co-founder /
songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Dave Gibbs, bassist/vocalist/ songwriter /
co-founder Steve Hurley, drummer Fred Eltringham and guitarist /
vocalist / Jon Skibic (the latter two taking over, as of _Flippin'
Out_, for Paul Brouwer and Phil Hurley, respectively) have bounced
back with _Minor Chords And Major Themes_.
Audible fans of the Raspberries, Badfinger, the Beatles,
Kiss, Velvet Crush (Gibbs was that group's touring guitarist in 1991),
the Byrds, Teenage Fanclub and, of course, all things Cheap Trick;
_Minor Chords And Major Themes_ is a watershed collection of
hook-laden, buoyantly-catchy, lyrically-moving potential hits that
compares favorably to its jangly forbears while it challenges such
contemporaries as Nada Surf, Marvelous 3, Figdish, Sloan, Fountains
Of Wayne, The Vandalias and Baby Lemonade.
The first offering from Counting Crow frontman Adam Duritz's
Universal-distributed E Pluribus Unum imprint, the charismatic young
vocalist has been an ardent Gigolo Aunts fan since the grunge-heavy
early days when their breezy, pop-based major label debuts were both
being ignored by radio.
Not just any label chief, Duritz requested the 'Aunts as the
opening act for portions of the Counting Crows' 1997 tour; sings
backing vocals (with Fountains Of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger)
on "The Big Lie"; and was frequently spotted in the audience during
their January residency at Hollywood's ultra-trendy Martini Lounge.
In addition to the mega-star status of their dreadlocked label
president, a year-old UK Top-30 hit and British TV theme song in
"Where I Find My Heaven" and considerable chart success in Japan; the
Gigolo Aunts have also received attention for the inclusion of "You'd
Better Get Yourself Together, Baby" on a recent episode of _Felicity_.
Besides television, the 'Aunts have also made inroads into the
lucrative world of movies and are featured on the soundtracks for
_Dumb and Dumber_, _The River Wild_, _That Thing You Do_ and _Swimming
With Sharks_ starring Kevin Spacey.
As the Mike (Aimee Mann, Letters To Cleo, Jennifer Trynin)
Denneen-produced _Minor Chords And Major Themes_ CD gathers momentum
behind such FM-friendly songs as "Super Ultra Wicked Mega Love," "C'mon,
C'mon," "For A Moment" and "Everyone Can Fly" - longtime fans have
begun pinching themselves and asking anyone who'll stop long enough
to listen, "will 1999 be remembered as 'The Year Of The Gigolo?' "
"Just wait 'til you hear our electronic side project!" Gibbs
jokes when the various musical trends that've charted since his group's
guitar-pop debut was released are mentioned. "We're also working on one
of those rap-metal hybrid things, you know...one'a those bands."
"That'll be called 'Illy-Bar," offers Skibic.
"And then, John's got a band that's called 'Skibic'," laughs
Gibbs. "It's an all instrumental thing...a lounge-core, heavy-metal,
drums 'n' bass, rap-a'la-Limp Biskit-and-Korn kind'a thing..."
"I've also got a ska-Klezmere side project that I'm working on
called 'Smock,' " adds Skibic.
"Smock!" Gibbs says as though he really likes the feel of the
name. "And then, well, there's always 'The New Jersey Guitar Army.' "
[Note: TNJGA is an actual Gigolo Aunts offshoot that performed most of
Television's Marquee Moon at an East coast club recently. "We were
thinking of doing a real long version of L.L. Cool J's 'Mama Said
Knock You Out', " confides Skibic. "But decided to go with Television
instead."]
"The New Jersey Guitar Army is, uhm..." Gibbs says with a
searching pause, "it's a great release. We try to take things
seriously when we're in the studio and on the road, you know? But
the business aspect of this," he adds with the weary sigh of someone
who has truly been there, "is such a fucking joke that, if you can't
have a little fun you wind up getting...you get defeated because it
seems so...so arbitrary as to who gets played on the radio, what
records are in the stores and who gets all the press coverage. It
really is something of a joke, so you've gotta try to have fun with
it while you can."
"And, if it becomes something that's no fun anymore..."
interjects Skibic.
"Sometimes I think, 'here's this thing that I love...this
record,' " Gibbs continues in a torrent of words, " 'this record that
is, like, a huge part of me and has been a part of my life...' I'm
saying something that's really personal to me on this record...."
"And...," prompts Skibic, a man who has clearly been on the
receiving end of previous, and similar, examinations of the way things
work by Gibbs.
"And then you put it out there and you read some shitty review
of it and you're like, 'Goddamn!' " Gibbs says sadly. "It almost makes
you not want to do that [make music] again. That part, I dread."
"It's really hard predicting what's gonna appeal to radio,"
Skibic deadpans. "Which is why we try not to worry about it and play
what we like."
"Which is why I'm happy every time I hear, like, a Barenaked
Ladies song on the radio," Gibbs explains. "It may not be exactly like
us, but it's at least got guitars, bass and drums on it."
"I'm predicting a brass band revival," jokes Skibic. "Like,
big high school bands. Really fucking good high school bands...Sousa!"
"Sousa?" queries Gibbs. "Hey! Around the turn of the century ...
the kids dig the Sousa! That's what I'm seeing as the next big thing.
Sousa with big, phat break beats behind it! Everything always comes
back to Sousa."
---
REVIEW: jimmyeatworld, _Clarity_ (Capitol)
- Tracey Bleile
_Clarity_, the second full-length major release from Tempe, AZ's
jimmyeatworld, or Jimmy Eat World, as you like it, was the release that
almost wasn't. Or was it? I digress. The album was suffering from the
strangest sort of sophomore jinx - not that it was coming out to a
chorus of boos and hisses, rather, dead silence. Word on the street was
their major wasn't going to support another release after _Static
Prevails_ faded from view way too fast. The band was working their
asses off anyway, after a long break following _Static_. They hooked
up with Gainesville, Florida indie Fueled By Ramen and cut a kick-ass
self-titled EP. The story gets weirder here, so stay with me.
This punk-inspired, poetically-informed groups of guys have a
little tune on this EP. Let's put it this way. If John Hughes were
makin' a cut-across-all-clique-lines teen movie now like he did when I
was watching them, this would be the straight-shooting, can't shake that
melody credit-roller. Only a 1,000 copies of the EP were slated to be
pressed. Seems a section of hell was indeed destined to freeze over.
When an ambitious and intrigued DJ from the monolithic KROC in L.A. got
their hands on the EP, they heard this song. Started playing it. Next
thing you know, it gets added. Kiss of life. Goes into heavy rotation;
a giant segment of an important musical market is hearing this song (at
a minimum) 10 times a day. Kiss of eternal life. Guess who anted up to
make sure this full-length release will indeed get the major support it
deserves, after all?
"Lucky Denver Mint" is just one prime example of what was already
great and shows so much growth in this band. The restless, driving
percussive backdrop (courtesy of Zach Lind's two-fisted assault) of
"Lucky" is matched beat for beat with the heavy bassline (Rick Burch
more than holds up his half of the rhythm) and speed-strummed (not
thrashed) guitar. The band's obsession with patterns, like modern
dancers, takes percussion and rhythm like dance steps, playing the same
riff/same beat the same for ways, which ties back to the same essential
moves within the same piece. You can count the beats clearly in every
single song, in true metronome fashion, to great hypnotizing effect.
"For Me This Is Heaven" (another holdover from the EP) takes a simple
heavy guitar line and balances it with a clean, simple piano
arrangement that makes your throat ache every time you listen to it.
These songs show how clearly the band has learned the value (intrinsic
and musical) of holds and pauses within the music itself. They've
listened to their U2, circa _Joshua Tree_, the Cure, et al, and have
picked up on the legacy of where music was heading in the very early
90s and brought it alive in time for the end of the decade.
The band breathes the essence of punk, but feeds on the elements
of surprise, and are quick-change artists at heart (a trait they've
probably had from day one, it was what made _Static_ shine, and works
to even greater effect here): quiet opening verse, one perfect bass
line, tinkling piano or xylophones, dramatic violins and cello,
sweet-sung vocals. Then it all suddenly explodes as Jim Adkins' puts
his permanently-high-register reaching voice over the top and Tom Linton
stomps on his wah-wah, and sends you staggering back a step or so. All
of these elements come to bear at the album's mid-point, with a
seven-minute raging and whispering beauty,"Just Watch The Fireworks",
which builds and builds and then fades back, violins and xylophone and
piano playing a delicate counterpoint to crashing drums. Philharmonic
Punk Pop? Can't encapsulate it with a tag, I'm just here to try and
interpret for you.
More than a mere title, _Clarity_ is a theme at work. Every
song takes a moment in time, just like that mythical Hughes movie, and
with a song like "Crush", brings you to that terrible split-second when
you realized that that one person is never gonna feel like you do, and
sets it to music. "Simple discourse breaks you clean in half / Regret
/ Do try it once and then you know / Your move / Settle for less again"
Adkins voice rails, and then trails away.
The delicious ironic and snarling "Your New Aesthetic" is the
band's call to radio and music's consumers to be more open, ready and
willing to new things, and at the same time rejects the "flavor of the
week" mentality. Given the fact that "Lucky Denver Mint" puts them on
the horns of that very dilemma, I will make my semi-annual plea that
programmers keep looking for depth, because this band has it to spare.
Failing that, it's up to you to dig for the good stuff. _Clarity_
gives with every fiber of its existence, and jimmyeatworld welcomes
you in to get what you need. Feel free to stay as long as you like.
---
REVIEW: Lo Fidelity Allstars, _How To Operate With A Blown Mind_
(Skint/Columbia)
- Tim Mohr
Though the Lo Fidelity Allstars record for Skint, the hot Big
Beat label that is home to Fatboy Slim, they are much like a Renegade
Soundwave for today: like Renegade Soundwave, they don't fit
conveniently into dance or indie. Abrasive bohemian-hop vocals layered
over dense sound collages that draw from both camps.
The Allstars are very much sample-based, using sources as
obvious as "Planet Rock" and old Stax and Motown songs to a variety of
semi-obscure easy-listening like Lalo Schifrin and Eartha Kitt. As is
popular at the moment in the UK, many nods to early-80s Electro surface
on _How To Operate_, from antiquated drum machines to the aforementioned
"Planet Rock" sample. Here and there a touch of Dub also influences the
tracks.
The album opens with "Warming Up The Brain Farm" - a soup of
dance elements, thicker than typical Big Beat. A vocal sample prepares
you for the rest of the record: "Nothing seems that weird anymore."
"Kool Roc Bass" also uses diverse vocal snippets, then actual
vocals compliments of The Wrekked Train. Like Renegade Soundwave, again,
Train's vocals are sneered more than sung. Hip-hop beats, scratching,
and bass synth anchor the proceedings.
Still, given the elements with which the Lo Fidelity Allstars
craft their songs, _How To Operate_ feels like an album: you can tell
this was created by a band, a collective effort (of seven people, in
fact) rather than an insular DJ album. More ideas are used on each
track; the many ideas have been hammered into cohesive songs rather
than simply strung along to beats. The Lo Fidelity Allstars seem almost
like an indie version of the Prodigy; cooler, lighter, less dependant
on obviously teenie ploys to propel their songs. _How To Operate With
A Blown Mind_ should broaden the appeal of sampler-based music because
of the underground, even - dare I say - lo-fi, sensibility and attitude
of the Allstars.
---
REVIEW: Jason Falkner, _Can You Still Feel?_ (Elektra)
- John Davidson
"Take a chance with me. And you will find you're only
dreaming. Dream awhile and when you awake. You'll find me gone."
So goes "The Invitation", the lead track on Jason Falkner's
follow-up to the best pop record of 1996, _Author Unknown._ Maybe
it's a plea for recognition, or maybe it's a soothsayer telling it
like it is. The music business takes no prisoners, and has a
history of making fools who believe otherwise. Falkner, who played
with The Three O'Clock, Jellyfish, the Grays, and others before
heading out on his own, certainly has seen the downs and a few ups
during his musical career, including _Can You Still Feel?_ which has
been sitting in the can for about a year already as it went through
the machinations at Elektra.
That said, Falkner's talents are again seeing the light on
_Can You Still Feel?_ As before, he is playing and singing everything,
creating dense, multi-layered pop songs that often begin like sketches
but end as musical portraits full of detail. This is not guitar-based
pop rock in the order of the Gin Blossoms or Third Eye Blind. It's
got more touch and grace to it, more craft applied, more personal
flourishes, and considerably more ambition. That's probably why it
doesn't sound much like a tight band blazing through some simple,
three chord songs.
The result is that his ideas take more time to soak in.
While the requisite hooks and sugar-coated swirls have immediate
appeal, it takes awhile to embrace the scope of the album. Quirky
bridges, shifting tempos, and shuffling lyrics create eccentricities
that seem to develop longer than they did on "Author Unknown." It's
not the easy sipping drink of before; the bitters are stronger this
time as Falkner wanders through old relationships ("The Plan",
"Honey") and does some soul searching ("Revelation" or "Eloquence".)
He's moved slightly away from pure pop veneer in his past, and become
a little more contemplative. Ironically, the song "Author Unknown"
seems as though it may have fit better on his previous album of the
same name. Still, if you heard his last one, or his work with the
Grays, you know what to expect and won't be disappointed.
Ultimately, Falkner is a first-rate writer, knowing how to
elaborate an idea without strapping on too many musical indulgences.
A twist here, a turn there, but rarely in excess. It's one of the
advantages of doing everything yourself, but as great as _Can You
Still Feel?_ is, it's not the record that will break him wide into
the mainstream. He's still just another singer-songwriter whose pop
songs are probably too complex for mass radio appeal. However, he's
one of the best working right now, and that leaves him a well-kept
secret for the rest of us.
---
REVIEW: Prince Paul, _A Prince Among Thieves_ (Tommy Boy)
- Tim Hulsizer
From one hip hop's finest minds comes one of the most ambitious
works in recent memory. Prince Paul has pulled out all the stops here
to make something better than your usual album. It's more of a
77-minute story, introducing us to Tariq (played by Breez), a young man
who needs a thousand dollars to put together his demo and get a rap
record deal. Unable to get the cash another way, Tariq's friend True
(newcomer Sha) volunteers to set up Tariq as a dealer "just for the
week." Of course, things never quite work out that smoothly.
30-year-old Prince Paul has come a long way from his days with
Stetsasonic and his production work on De La Soul etc., but his
tendency towards innovation remains at the forefront. While his peers
are content to run the same rhymes over the same old, tired beats, Paul
keeps stretching the boundaries of the form, with occasionally varying
results. On this, his second solo LP, he brings together a large cast
to flesh out the drama. Kool Keith, Big Daddy Kane, Chris Rock, and
Everlast are among the group, each with their own part to play and
dialogue or songs to perform.
Prince Paul's mind works in strange ways sometimes, which may
explain why he's such an underappreciated presence in the music industry.
He moves among the tracks like a demented ghost, distorting a sound
here or layering a noise there. A few recurring sound effects (a
donkey bray, a man saying "freakin' lickin'") tend to distract after
awhile, but they also add cohesion and tone to something that approaches
the divine at times. Witness Kool Keith's eccentric performance as
Crazy Lou, the owner of Weapon World, or check out the give and take
between Tariq and True on the track "What You Got (the Demo)".
More than just another hip hop release, _A Prince Among
Thieves_ is along the lines of an experimental parable about the record
biz. It combines elements of satire and wit, with serious moments as
well. It's cinematic in the extreme, so it comes as no surprise that a
film version is already underway. Expanding on Paul's old gift for the
hip hop "skit" (he basically invented it back in the 80's), this album
also functions as a look back at the past decade in the industry. It's
evident that he's more of a detached observer watching things from the
side, preferring not to speak until he actually has something to say.
Prince Paul calls _Psychoanalysis_ (his 1996 solo debut) "the
big middle finger up at everything". While the life situations
surrounding the artist have since changed from when he put that album
together, his work still has that exploratory feel to it. Let's hope
this new album brings one of hip hop's great artist/producers back to
center stage where he belongs. That could only mean more great things
in the future.
---
REVIEW: Colin James, _Colin James And The Little Big
Band II_ (Elektra)
- Bill Holmes
As jump, swing and blues appeal to yet another generation,
record labels are (ahem) jumping on the trend like they do any other,
everyone searching for their Brian Setzer Orchestra. Colin James put
his money where his mouth was back in 1993, however, and achieved
double-platinum success in his native Canada. Six years later, the
world has caught up with him - or rightfully, with Cab Calloway,
Louis Prima and Louis Jordan.
There's nothing groundbreaking here - bands like Chicago's
late Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows have forged blues and swing for
years - but at least James seems like a purist and not a bandwagon
jumper. I've seen enough people detaching their nose rings and donning
zoot suits to last me a lifetime, thanks, and what comes out is the
same lame attempt to ride the wave that's already passed them by.
James eschews posing for some nice turns of Ray Charles, Jackie Wilson
and Memphis Slim in addition to two of his own cuts. If he weren't
sincere, this would be a dance party recording; instead, slices of
blues pain like "You Know My Love" are prominently included.
Naturally, the main features are all there - rollicking
drumbeat, crack horn section, standup bass, strong keyboards. James'
voice has the right soft rasp for the material, and his guitar playing
is solid but not showy, (think B.B.King and Robert Cray). The result is
a record that sounds fresh, not dated, which, of course, is the point
of all this.
---
REVIEW: Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings, _Anyway the Wind Blows_
(Velvel)
- Dan Birchall
History has a strange way of repeating itself in the music
business, and the 90's have been no exception. The recent revival of
"Swing" bands (actually mis-labeled "Big Bands") introduced us to a horde
of little-known acts, and reminded us that musical styles never die.
The second Rhythm Kings album, _Anyway the Wind Blows,_
revives sounds that dominated the mid-century. But the Kings
aren't mere retro wanna-be's - their roster reads like a "Who's Who"
of classic rock. Organized by former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, the
project also features Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, and Mick Taylor.
Ten classic blues and jazz tracks are mixed with a half-dozen
originals by Wyman - good luck telling them apart! There are quite
a few catchy tunes, and some Stones-esque lyrical double entendres.
These aren't the Stones, of course - few songs even approach rock -
but the legendary talents involved turn out good results.
If you liked the "Swing" revival, this could further broaden
your musical horizons. It could also help you find common ground with
other generations - your parents or grandparents will recognize the
toe-tapping style. And with rock 'n roll gods like these in the
liner notes, your rock-fan friends won't think you've lost your edge.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Old School vs. New School_ (Jive Electro)
- Joe Silva
Considering the depth and urban stature of their back catalogue,
offering up this wealth of material to the whims of a new generation,
was probably an act of high seduction. The choices might not be all that
you might expect (who'd pass over Mystikal for a whack at a Stone Roses
track?), but the overall results are fresh enough to subdue any
complaints.
Employing a couple of heavy hitters (Fat Boy Norman Cook,
Grooverider), and some lesser known faves (Rabbit In The Moon, Aphrodite),
the mix of talent is enticing and diverse enough to tug at a listeners
attention, for "back in the day" nostalgia if nothing else, throughout
the disc. Leading off with the Whodini classic "Magic's Wand," rehabbed
by Big Beat Brit-boys Freestlyers, the collection gets off on the good
foot. This track and a fair portion of the others aren't so much
disassembled as they are decorously updated. Even more surprising is
that with one exception there's not a track that clocks in over seven
minutes. The coming vinyl treatments will undoubtedly stretch out some.
Immediately worthwhile is Pimp Juice's reclamation of A Tribe
Called Quest's "Go Ahead In The Rain." Equally well re-spun is
Aphrodite's take on the Tribe's "1nce Again." But if the interest
factor dips a touch during the Bassbin Twins' assault on Boogie Down
Production's "A Crate of BDP" where the interest dips are fairly
acceptable, it touches bottom when Bad Boy Bill has his way with Kool
Moe Dee's "I Go To Work." That was a track best left to the inner
vault. Norman Cook's go at the Tribe's "I Left My Wallet in El
Segundo" may skank some, but ultimately it disappoints. More redeeming
are items like DJ Icey's account of Whodini's "Five Minutes of Funk"
and the well-executed Hybrid Mix of Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's
"Summertime." With enough worth-while stuff on display, here's to
looking for Volume II.
---
REVIEW: The Ziggens, _Pomona Lisa_ (Skunk)
- Bill Holmes
As you might be able to tell from the album title, these
guys have a sense of humor. They're also crackerjack musicians and
masters of many styles. My first introduction to them was a song from
their _Chicken Out_ record called "Goober's Got A Girlfriend"; besides
the obvious visual shudder a title like that would generate, the
guitarist sound-checked everyone from Led Zeppelin to The Beatles
with throwaway fills. On _Pomona Lisa_, Dick Dale and Brian Wilson
get a workout, along with country moaners, tight-bun waitresses and
Abe Vigoda, among others (and the Mayberry jokes live on in the
booklet's artwork).
Surf punkers at heart, they can keep pace with The Ramones
on songs like "Stranded On Clicker Island" and "I Took My Mom To The
Prom" ("Didn't have to buy a corsage/the car's parked in the garage").
They even name-check their website in "Surf3", a Jan and Dean style
song about waxing up that keyboard. Then there are several reverential
surf instrumentals that will make your tiki lamp glow; "Surfin You Say"
and "Surfin Buena Park" are tasteful and sincere. But just when you get
soft, Dick Dale gets dusted with "Goin Richter" while Rodney King's
non-anthem "Can't We All Just Get A Longboard" blasts from the jukebox.
Even when writing love songs, they're slabs of twisted poetry and
desperate cries for therapy ("Pony Up" and "What To Do" especially).
The Skunk label is most famous for breaking Sublime, and if
they could get an overrated stoner band like that onto the radios of
America, I would imagine that these twisted wise guys will be a big
deal pretty soon. Few bands match irreverence with such talent - The
Colorblind James Experience comes to mind - but the Ziggens have the
chops to back up their smirks. They must be amazing to witness live.
Elliot Easton (yes, THAT Elliot Easton) produced the record
and plays some guitar, and he probably hasn't enjoyed himself this
much in a decade. Probably two.
---
REVIEW: Banyan, _Anytime at All_ (Higher Octave)
- Chris Hill
1997's _Banyan_ came about thanks to CyberOctave's keen
interest in the jams recorded the previous year by Porno for
Pyros and Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, Mike Watt,
Nels Cline, and Money Mark (and produced by the Dust Brothers).
The follow-up, _Anytime at All_, was a planned event, but the
spirit of improvisation remains dominant. Perkins redrafts Watt
and Cline (for what is essentially his solo outlet) and adds new
cohorts Rob Wasserman, Flea & John Frusciante (from the Red Hot
Chili Peppers), Buckethead, Bad Azz, and a slew of others to the
lineup, then steps back from the command chair, giving the
musicians room to follow their creative inclinations, and making
each an equal contributor to the final, free-form product.
Because of the loose structure, a mnemonic slipperiness
pervades _Anytime at All_. The songs melt their way into the
ears, play, then slide on, evading recall scant minutes later
like mental mercury. Devoid of a meaty "whole album" presence,
the cd fleshes itself out with funk and jazz jam riffs galore,
each song an organic, transitory creation: conceived, gestated,
and delivered day by day in the studio.
Some of the thirteen tracks teeter on the brink of wank,
and some plunge blissfully over. In particular, the 14:52 opus
"The Apple and the Seed". The song's final minute segues into a
drums, percussion, and bass-driven jungle soundtrack motif that
should have been the song's centerpiece, rather than its climax.
It's a litmus test for your own free-form appreciation limits.
That's the downside. On the upside, there are numerous
moments when a drum riff, a horn note, or a fine bass run rises
from the sonic bog, grasps the earlobes, and demands proper
attention. Willy Waldman from the Memphis Horns (on trumpet)
and hip hop engineer Dave Aaron (on clarinet) are responsible
for a number of these tugs, as is Perkins, who displays his
playing versatility. He uses the full range of a drum kit, plus
kettle and steel drums. Even water becomes a percussive
soundboard - a fine creative touch on "Early Bird". It's the
dot on the i in "organic".
"Keep the Change", another standout, combines blissed
female vocals ("I had a dream I was covered with mushrooms/
There's malice behind these questions.") over a trip-hop beat.
Herb friendliness a plus in the listener, I imagine.
Totaling 69 minutes, _Anytime at All_ makes a decent
soundtrack for a relaxed Sunday 3C (coffee, croissant, and
crossword) morning. Also useful as road-rage antitoxin during
the daily commute. http://www.cyberoctave.com/ for further
album/group info.
---
REVIEW: Guadalcanal Diary, _At Your Birthday Party_ (Guadco)
- Bill Holmes
Back in the early 1980's, a four piece band from Georgia
astutely forged a new and exciting sound from their influences. The
lead singer wrote about odd topics - religious paranoia, cultural
injustice, famous dead comedians - but the band created music as a
democratic process. The lead guitarist was inventive and could squeeze
just about any sound from his instrument, while the rhythm section
was locked in seamlessly, alternately driving and supporting the
thrust of the music. College radio jumped all over their first album,
and rightfully so - this was something that signaled a new fusion of
American musical roots with the interpretive genius of new voices. The
band packed themselves into a van and headed out to play every bar and
club that would have them. Their live shows whipped crowds into a
frenzy, and it seemed like only a matter of time before they would
be blasting out of every radio in America.
But Guadalcanal Diary never got that shot. See, radio had
finally caught up with this other band called R.E.M.....and everyone
radio wizard knows that you can't have two great bands from the same
place. Unless it's Seattle, of course.
But radio and good music had ceased walking hand in hand years
before, so Guadalcanal Diary just kept kicking ass and taking names,
releasing four records for Elektra between 1984 and 1989 before finally
calling it a day. Murray Attaway took his acerbic vision to Geffen and
a solo deal, while the others signed on with Love Tractor and Hillbilly
Frankenstein. Fans of the band cherished their vinyl legacy, another
bug on the windshield of the music industry.
Fast-forward to 1995, as Attaway is recording his second (and
still unreleased) solo effort. Calling upon old bandmates to join in,
the spark reunites. Rumors fly. Hopes are raised. Finally, in 1996, a
reunion show that not only blows the doors off the room, but energizes
the band into a reformation.
_At Your Birthday Party_ was recorded over two nights in
January 1998 and features a sampling of songs from their past catalogue.
Unlike some bands who have reformed out of financial need or boredom,
Guadalcanal Diary sounds explosive. Jeff Walls incinerates stompers
like "Watusi Rodeo" and the Stonesy "Likes Of You" (the record's high
point) while Attaway sounds like a man possessed raising the roof at a
revival tent. You can't see Rhett Crowe's angular frame pogo-ing at a
manic pace, but you know she is. And how Poe gets through a night with
the same drum heads is beyond me. Their attack of "Dead Eyes" and
"Cattle Prod" would put most psychobilly bands to shame, but more
melodic fare like "Pretty Is As Pretty Does" ("Dizzy Miss Lizzie",
swamp style) and "Trail Of Tears" are as powerful and hypnotic as
ever. Sixteen cuts deep, crisply recorded but the stink of beer and
sweat is unmistakable.
Radio hasn't gotten any kinder, so although the band has
recorded some new material, they are in the process of finding the
right outlet for it. In the meantime, however, this self-released
live document should keep old fans happy while it opens the ears of
those who weren't fortunate enough to share it the first time around.
Those who wish to testify are strongly advised to head over to
http://www.guadalcanaldiary.com without further delay.
---
REVIEW: Don Caballero, _Singles Breaking Up (vol. I)_ (Touch & Go)
- Kerwin So
Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, solo, chorus, bad solo.
The fearsome foursome known as Don Caballero not only eschew the
conventional pop formula, they pound it to a bloody pulp. Don Cabs
music resembles a sonic train wreck: terrifying, brutal, yet awesome
to behold. While death metal might be the closest genre to identify
this band with, Don Caballero is decidedly not metal. Their sound is
dark and violent, to be sure, but in a more fragmented and pointed
way - intermittent shards of harsh guitar and thundering bass scrape
against fusillades of chaotically controlled percussion. Drummer and
band leader Damon Che nails his drum kit down onto the stage before
performing live, a ritual that, along with stripping down to his skivvies,
clearly demonstrates his power and seriousness behind the drums.
Don Caballero further refuse to add vocals to their songs, placing
them in a class of their own.
Now if you're already a fan of the Don, then _Singles Breaking
Up_ will definitely be up your alley, particularly if you jumped late
onto the bandwagon. While the CD doesn't technically contain any
new Don Cab songs, it does feature a host of B-sides and session
tracks left over from the past few albums, as well as one previously
unreleased track. To the new listener, however, it may be difficult to
tell the difference between songs, especially upon first listen. Despite
the reference to the Buzzcocks _Singles Going Steady_, this is not a
collection of Don Caballero's greatest hits, nor will any of the songs
ever likely achieve broad commercial success. But if you can stick
with it without sustaining a migraine, it may just pay off: you'll start to
pick out parts and changes you hadnt noticed before, and begin to
appreciate the force and sheer ability of drummer Che (particularly in
the shorter songs). Besides Che's blistering stickwork, the real
beauty of Don Caballero is the sheer density of its compositions;
once you get over the feeling of being overwhelmed, there's
something new to be heard and discovered every time. In
short: if you're feeling musically adventurous, give this CD - and this
band - a try.
---
NEWS: > The Black Crowes will be appearing on Late Night
With Conan O'Brien on Thursday, February 25 and performing
the new single "Only A Fool" from _By Your Side_.
> Cravin' Melon will be returning to the studios at
the end of March to make the followup album to _Red Clay Harvest_ .
> Depeche Mode's _The Singles 81>85_ has been domestically
released and remastered for the first time by Reprise Records.
Previously only available in the United States as an import,
this collection includes fifteen songs, along with two remixes:
"Just Can't Get Enough (Schizo Mix)" and "Photographic (Some
Bizarre Version)".
> Sister Hazel's Ryan Newell, Monster Magner's Ed Mundell
and the Wallflowers' Mike Ward have been nomatined for a Gibson
Guitar Award for "Les Paul Horizon Award - Most Promising New
Guitarist."
> Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will be performing
seven shows at San Francisco's Fillmore Theatre as a prelude to
the April 13 release of their new album, _Echo_ (Warner Brothers).
Each show, beginning at 8 p.m., will have a different opening
act.
> The London Suede will be releasing their new album
_Head Music_ (Nude / Columbia) in the U.S. on June 8. This will
be the first album without longtime producer Ed Buller, with
Steve Osbourne taking his place.
---
TOUR DATES:
Absinthe
Feb. 28 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
Afghan Whigs
Feb. 26 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
Mar. 1 New Orleans, LA House Of Blues
Mar. 2 Baton Rouge, LA Variety Theater
Mar. 5 Chicago, IL Cabaret Metro
All / Less Than Jake
Feb. 27 Salt Lake City, UT Canyons Ski Resort (Daytime Show)
Mar. 2 Hollywood, CA The Palace
Mar. 3 Reno, NV Rodeo Rock
Babe The Blue Ox / Trinket / Interpreters
Feb. 26 Birmingham, AL Nick
Feb. 27 Tallahassee, FL Down Under
Mar. 3 Nashville, TN Exit Inn
Joan Baez / Hank Dogs
Feb. 26 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
Feb. 27 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theater
Feb. 28 West Palm Beach, FL Carefree Theater
Better Than Ezra / Jude
Feb. 25 Orlando, FL House of Blues
Feb. 26 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club
Feb. 27 Atlanta, GA Roxy
Mar. 2 Greenville, NC Attic
Mar. 3 Charleston, SC Music Farm
Candlebox
Feb. 25 LaCrosse, WI Hollywood Theatre
Feb. 26 Wausau, WI Bases Loaded
Feb. 27 Appleton, WI TCF Center
Feb. 28 Madison, WI Kit's Corner
Mar. 2 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
Mar. 3 Fort Wayne, IN Pierre's
Hank Dogs
Mar. 2 Washington, DC Birchmere
Mar. 3 Philadelphia, PA George's
Eve 6 / Marvelous 3
Feb. 26 Old Bridge, NJ Birch Hill
Feb. 27 Philadelphia, PA Theater of the Living Arts
Feb. 28 Syracuse, NY Lost Horizon
Mar. 2-3 New York, NY Bowery Ball
50 Tons of Black Terror / Groop Dogdrill
Feb. 26 Detroit, MI Alvin's
Fleming & John
Feb. 24 Birmingham, AL 5 Points South
Feb. 26 Nashville, TN 328 Perform. Hall
Feb. 27 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
Flick
Feb. 25 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol
Feb. 26 Baltimore, MD Whfs Radio Show
Feb. 27 Norfolk, VA Boathouse
Mar. 1 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
Mar. 2 Charleston, SC Music Farm
Mar. 3 Lake Buena Vista, FL House Of Blues
Flys
Feb. 26 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Godsmack / Grinspoon
Feb. 25 Salt Lake City, UT The Zephyr
Feb. 26 Colorado Springs, CO CO Music Hall
Feb. 28 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar
Mar. 1 Milwaukee, WI The Rave
Mar. 2 Chicago, IL The Metro
Mar. 3 Detroit, MI St. Andrews
Grandaddy
Feb. 26 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
King Missile
Feb. 26 Austin, TX Electric Lounge
Feb. 27 Denton, TX Rubber Gloves
Feb. 28 Oklahoma City, OKVZD/Mind Candy
Mar. 2 Albuquerque, NM Launch Pad
Mar. 3 Tucson, AZ Club Congress
Kodo
Feb. 28 Boston, MA Symphony Hall
Mar. 3-5 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
Korn
Feb. 26 Tucson, AZ Convention Center Arena
Feb. 27 Albuquerque, NM Tingley Arena
Feb. 28 El Paso, TX Coliseum
Mar. 2 San Antonio, TX Freeman Coliseum
Mar. 3 Dallas, TX Reunion Arena
Offspring
Feb. 27-28 New York, NY Roseland
Mar. 2 Troy, NY RPI Fieldhouse
Mar. 3 Mississauga, ONT Arrow Hall @ Intl. Center
Oleander
Feb. 26 Sacramento, CA The Crest
Feb. 28 Memphis, TN WMFS Show
Placebo / Stabbing Westward
Feb. 25 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol
Feb. 26 Baltimore, MD HFS Radio Show
Feb. 27 Norfolk, VA The Boathouse
Mar. 1 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
Mar. 2 Charleston, SC Music Farm
Mar. 3 Orlando, FL House of Blues
Plastic People of the Universe
Feb. 25 Toronto, ON el Mocambo
Feb. 26 Washington, DC Black Cat
Feb. 27-28 New York, NY Knitting Factory
Mar. 3 Oberlin, OH Oberlin College
Rusted Root
Feb. 26 Rochester, NY St. John's University
Feb. 27 Syracuse, NY Landmark Theatre
Feb. 28 Canton, NY St. Lawrence University
Mar. 2-3 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Samples
Feb. 25 Boston, MA Paradise
Feb. 26 Dover, VT Snow Barn
Feb. 27 Hamilton, NY Colgate University
Feb. 28 Ithaca, NY Ithaca College
Sepultura / One Minute Silence / Biohazard
Feb. 25 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live
Feb. 26 Corpus Christi, TX Yellow Rose Conv. Ctr.
Feb. 27 McAllen, TX Villa Real
Mar. 1 St Louis, MO Pop's
Mar. 2 Chicago, IL H.O.B.'s
Mar. 3 Detroit, MI Harpo's
Ten Foot Pole
Feb. 26 Minneapolis, MN The Whole
Feb. 27 Green Bay, WI Concert Cafe
Feb. 28 Chicago, IL The Metro
Mar. 2 Detroit, MI Shelter
Waco Brothers
Feb. 27-28 Chicago, IL Schuba's
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
> The quote from "Come Out" in the Reich Remixed review
is nearly correct in your piece. Substitute the word "bruise"
for "blues".
In the liner notes for the original recording of "Come
Out", Reich refers to the quote while explaining the sound bite.
Briefly, it is the voice of a youth explaining events surrounding
a beating he suffered during a Harlem riot in 1964. The police
were only taking people to the hospital who were visibly bleeding,
so this youth squeezed open a bruise on his leg in order to be
taken to the hospital. - Todd B., Washington
(Ed. Note: Many of the critics do not have a 'final' copy
of a disc, or a lyrics sheet, when reviewing an album. At least
it wasn't a Hendrix "Excuse me while I kiss this guy" mistake...)
---
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