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Consumable Online Issue 172
== ISSUE 172 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [March 28, 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 |
`------------'
REVIEW: Blur, _13_ - Robin Lapid
REVIEW: Steve Wynn, _My Midnight_ - Michael Van Gorden
REVIEW: Wedding Present, _Singles 1989-1991_ - Christina Apeles
REVIEW: Friends of Dean Martinez, _Atardecer_ - Tracey Bleile
REVIEW: Church, _Magician Among The Spirits Plus Some_ - Joann D. Ball
INTERVIEW / REVIEW: Dubtribe Sound System, _Bryant Street_ - Krisjanis Gale
REVIEW: Joydrop, _Metasexual_ - Jason Cahill
REVIEW: The Ladybug Transistor, _The Albemarle Sound_ - Tim Hulsizer
REVIEW: Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors, _!Sock Ray Blue!_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Various, _The Disco Box_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Sammy Hagar, _Red Voodoo_ - Linda Scott
REVIEW: Love Kit, _Who's Afraid Of The Radio Tower?_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Janet Robbins, _All the Worlds_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Bottle Rockets, _Leftovers_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Various Artists, _SLC Punk Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack_ / _The Other Sister Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack_ - Joann D. Ball
NEWS: Rhino Musical Aptitude Test
TOUR DATES: Asian Dub Foundation, Candlebox, Chamber Strings, Cubanismo
Spring Tour, Dubtribe Sound System, Eve 6 / Lit, Flick, Godsmack /
Loudmouth, Jets to Brazil / Euphone, Low, Marvelous 3, Mighty Blue
Kings, Steve Miller Band, Alanis Morissette, Olivia Tremor Control,
Placebo / Stabbing Westward, Push Kings, Sick Of It All, Sleepyhead,
Elliott Smith, Sparklehorse / Varnaline, David Wilcox
Back Issues of Consumable
---
REVIEW: Blur, _13_ (Virgin)
- Robin Lapid
Blur have a more decisive air about them, and their sixth
album resonates with their new attitude. On _13_, they take their
deconstructionist leanings to heart, and the desire to make
British-inflected three-minute pop songs have been nearly overtaken
by the need to overlay their sound with a more experimental vibe.
Lead singer Damon Albarn bares his soul in his lyrics, admitting
that the entire album is a chronicle of his break-up with Elastica
frontwoman Justine Frischmann. As a result, _13_ is a more expansive
take on their last, eponymous (perhaps ominously-named?) album.
For the most part, Blur overhaul their unabashed pop hooks,
infuse some punk ethics and crook them into an array of musical
diatribes. With producer William Orbit at the helm, they spread over
this a panoply of dark, moody trip-hop and similar tricks of the trade
(the samples of a vacuum cleaner in overdrive, a radio tuner suddenly
trailing off into sonic hyperspace and Albarn druggily intoning,
"space is the place"). It's mood music of the highest order,
sometimes effervescent and at other times just overindulgent.
The band load their aural script with the dark echo of
electronic reverb, looped drums, and a thematic series of mantras.
In "Caramel," a comatose Albarn intones, "where is the magic?/ Gotta
get better" over gloomy synth; couched in the trip-hop and piano
of "Trimm Trabb" he repeats, "I can't go back/ let it flow/ I sleep
alone that's just the way it is" before Coxon superimposes an ascending
whine of guitar and the voice trails off. Their experiments acquire
a hit-and-miss ratio, smushing every traditional sound, lyric, and
sample into a cacophonous sea of sonic waves, some fluid and haunting,
and others merely the foam and drone of static eccentricity.
Tempering these temperamental tracks are aggressive punk
freak-outs similar to Blur's "Chinese Bombs" ("B.L.U.R.E.M.I.") and
"Movin' On" ("Swamp Song"). The odd sprinklings of love-lost ballads
ground them to a less ethereal reality, from the doting sobriety of
"No Distance Left to Run" to the pared-down, transcendent pop of
Coxon's "Coffee and TV."
But there's a reason the band chose to open with soaring
choir-backed ballad of "Tender," a song that grows on you with each
listen. It's the gospel cry of "Come on, come on/ get through it"
that becomes the album's overriding mantra, redeeming the awaiting
melancholia with pop hope in one gentle, fell swoop.
---
REVIEW: Steve Wynn, _My Midnight_ (Zero Hour)
- Michael Van Gorden
Listening to the new Steve Wynn CD is like running into
an old friend you haven't seen in a wile. You notice they have
changed, maybe gotten a little older, or look different - yet
the familiar feeling is still there. No matter what changes, they
are still the same old friend you used to enjoy spending time
with. And if you ever enjoyed spending time with Steve Wynn's
music, whether solo or part of the Dream Syndicate, then you
will enjoy spending time with _My Midnight_.
On his 7th solo release Steve Wynn stretches his musical
muscles a little and allows us another peek inside his mind. The
CD starts off strong with "Nothing But The Shell" a retro-glam
rocker featuring Wynn's scorching harmonica solo. Lines like
"finally stashed away the vices, like a shield against the coming
crisis" might lead one to think that Wynn is preparing himself
for the end of something important, perhaps the end of the world.
The songs "My Favorite Game" and "Cats and Dogs" might
surprise some longtime Wynn fans. Wynn has admitted to a fondness
for 70's funk and soul music, claiming that it was more of an
impact on him than what others might think. The rhythmic soul
intro to "My Favorite Game" lays the ground work for the great
sound achieved by the background vocals of Linda Pitmon mixed every
so lightly with Wynn's trademark growl. You barely notice her
singing in the background, as you try to figure out what vice no
one wants to play along with. The horns on "Cats and Dogs", arranged
by Joe McGinty, make for an interesting new sound for Wynn,
combining with his soft and seductive voice to make one of the
most interesting sounding and fun songs Wynn has recorded.
That is not to say that the album is all funk and no roll.
The track "In Your Prime" is a great song about the "glories of
raw - untamed youth". The chorus is one of the most infectious in
the Wynn catalog. I found this hook roaming around in my head for
days after I heard it.
The title track is a scary look at oneself, through the
eyes of one suffering with a sleep disorder. "My midnight hates
me much like I hate myself, always steps between me and someone
else" and "when I start to lean to love the night, My midnight
blinds me with it's flashing lights". Lines like this show that
Wynn hasn't lost his talent for looking at the dark side of life
and putting into words what many of us feel but are afraid to
face.
"The Mask of Shame" has that dark haunting sound we have
come to expect from Wynn. Evoking a feeling we have probably all
felt at one time or another with lines like "Broken by my own
promise, haunted by my own name, hiding from the world, wearing
the mask of shame". This song reminds me of a slower version of
"my old haunts", and would have felt right at home on Dream
Syndicate's _Ghost Stories_.
The last two songs on the CD are classic Wynn songs.
"We've Been Hanging Out" is a warped duet that Wynn describes
as silky smooth and sinister. While lovers in a love-hate
relationship of codependency and seduction dance around each other,
the strings add an eerie feeling to their love making. A great duet.
And, while "500 Girl Mornings" ends the album on such a high note,
you want to go back and start over. With a driving backbeat ala
David Bowie's "Heroes", Wynn name-drops a litany of fictional
girlfriends, dysfunctional all. And when he sings the chorus of
"Hey can I look in your eyes again" your not sure how it fits
with the line preceding it "all that I want, more than anything
I want, is to just be alone, just be alone". Doesn't matter,
this is the best song on the CD.
Throughout this disc, the one constant I truly enjoyed
was the piano playing of Joe McGinty. Always present but never in
the way, his subtleties seemed to drive the songs along even more so
than the guitar, while for the most part remaining in the background.
Just as in the past, Wynn got to hand-pick his band and his taste in
sidemen continues to standout. Long time collaborator Chris Brokaw
is joined by members of Pere Ubu, Psychedelic Furs and Zuzu's Petals.
The band spent 11 days Last November laying down the tracks and
practically living together at Water Music in Hoboken. This closeness
adds to the energy and excitement about the music evident in the
sound of the disc. Without a doubt long time Wynn fans will
thoroughly enjoy this CD, but Steve Wynn takes enough chances without
losing his vision to make any fan of rock and roll want to play _My
Midnight_ again and again.
---
REVIEW: Wedding Present, _Singles 1989-1991_ (Manifesto)
- Christina Apeles
Headed by David Gedge, who founded the band in 1985 in Leeds,
Britain, Wedding Present's music can be compared to a rollercoaster
ride that never ends with enough revolutions and twists to keep you
bobbing your head all day long. If your ears have yet to be blessed
with the ditties of Wedding Present, _Singles 1989-1991_ is the perfect
way to get a sampling of their finest. A double CD packed with close
to two hours of pogo-friendly tunes, this release is a godsend for
dedicated fans and a certain treat for new listeners. Even if you
own all of their albums, this would be a fine companion to your
collection with rare, previously unreleased, and out-if-print
Wedding Present B-sides and live tracks.
Gedge has a voice that has all the machismo you could ever
ask for, backed by guitar riffs galore, and pounding drums in
indie-hits "Crawl" and "Kennedy," never letting the momentum drop.
Of course, having fifteen of the recorded and live tracks
produced by Steve Albini of Big Black (whose also produced the likes
of Sonic Youth and Nirvana) only serves as proof of the kind of rock
appeal that Wedding Present offers. My personal favorites continue
to be "Corduroy," "Dalliance," and "Lovenest," all energetic, jangly
tunes culled from their celebrated 1991 _Seamonsters_ release, but
the covers and live tracks that account for half of _Singles_ are
not to be dismissed.
There are a slew of covers ranging from the low tempo Lou
Reed-penned "She's My Best Friend" to Pavement's indie fave "Box
Elder" and the early punk song "Don't Dictate" by Penetration. The
most notable covers are the rockin' version of "It's Not Unusual,"
yes, made famous by Tom Jones, and Wedding Present's pop punk
rendering of the King of Skiffle, Lonnie Donegan's "Cumberland Gap."
Meanwhile, the band's live tracks, which include "Brassneck" and
"Everyone Thinks He Looks So Daft," are a nice addition to _Singles_,
though it is hard to discern them from the studio-recorded songs
except for some audience cheers, because the Wedding Present is such
a tight band it just goes to show they sound just as exceptional live.
---
REVIEW: Friends of Dean Martinez, _Atardecer_ (Knitting Factory)
- Tracey Bleile
Sporting a completely new line up of Friends, Bill Elm has taken
his show and moved it from splashy poolside splendor straight into the
heart of the desert at near-dark. _Atardecer_ (apropos title: Spanish
for "to get dark" or "grow dark") takes the beautiful backdrop
instrumental and crash lands it upon the hardpacked sand lit by a
zillion stars, cold and fiery at the same time. Aha! I smirkingly dub
thee Atomic Lounge. But the Friends defy easy categorizing, and being
in the all-or-nothing genre of instrumental music, they make that
work to capture your attention and keep it seem like no work at all.
A dark shift in mood sees the abandonment of the brass and
traditional keyboards used on past Friends' releases, and Bill Elm's
signature lapsteel is relegated to more of a backing vocal role in
many of the songs to allow for some new experimentation to creep in.
_Atardecer_ features much more programming, keyboards and effects,
taking a sweet cowboy lope in the Friends' cover of "La fin de le'te'"
and making it ever so slightly eerie and off-kilter. "Casa Mila" takes
a more traditional intro from Elm's catalog and turns it on its ear
with lots of spooky Moog and space phone guitar.
Although the disc likes to veer way out into sci-fi sound
effect territory, with the squonks and bleeps of the opening track
to the UFO blast off midway through "Contact,"
it always manages to slide back onto a more musical course and save
_Atardecer_ from too much goofiness. The classic swingin' vibe is kept
alive in the slow-samba "Otra Vez," and the sinuous cry of the
lapsteel and simple percussion of the title track keep you fully
engaged and have you believing you can see the northern lights, even
trapped in the heart of the city.
To be both retro and futuristic, and not be camp is an
accomplishment. Call _Atardecer_ music to set the end of the century
to. No one here will argue.
---
REVIEW: Church, _Magician Among The Spirits Plus Some_ (Thirsty Ear)
- Joann D. Ball
Reunited and reinvigorated, The Church made a triumphant
Stateside return with the brilliant _Hologram of Baal_ several months
ago. The interest generated by that record and subsequent sold-out
tour is particularly noteworthy because it paved the way for the
American release of an essential volume in the band's impressive
catalog.
_Magician Among The Spirits Plus Some_ was the first record
to feature the reunited trio of principle members Steve Kilbey, Marty
Wilson-Piper and Peter Koppes and their musical union with newcomer
Tim Powles. The record's name stems from the fact that it is an
expanded version of an album originally released in the band's native
Australia in 1996. In its repackaged form, the record includes four
additional tracks (Man," "Sads," "Won't Let You Sleep" and "Why Don't
You Love Me") that were only available as bonus tracks on the single
for the jangly guitar power-pop track "Comedown."
Running almost 80 minutes and with all of its pieces intact,
the CD contains those signature elements one expects from The Church.
Kilbey's lyrics and the instrumentation are first-rate, and the songs
range from the hauntingly mysterious track ("Welcome") to trippy
psychedelica ("Could Be Anyone"). There's also an ambient excursion
(the title track) and an atmospheric, 14-minute sonic journey
("Grandiose"). Overall, the 13 tracks that comprise _Magician
Among The Spirits Plus Some_ exemplify the band's refined and
magnificent art rock, making this prequel to _Hologram of Baal_ a
must for Church fans old and new.
---
INTERVIEW / REVIEW: Dubtribe Sound System, _Bryant Street_
(Jive Electro)
- Krisjanis Gale
_Bryant Street_ does not hesitate to convey what Dubtribe Sound
System is all about... really deep house incorporating a wide variety of
musical influences which, at the very least, will have you shifting
left-to-right in your office chair, and at best, moving and grooving
all over your living room rug, full of zest for life.
The last bit can be taken wrongly as exaggeration, until you've
actually heard this album.
Throbbing bass. Swishy cymbals. Speedy, eccentric, slap-happy
congas, bongos, and other native skins. Deep, percussive organ riffs.
Bubbly acidic synth basses. Floating flutes. Strings that surround you.
And a life-loving groove that just does not let up once it's begun.
Lead founder-member clearly brought back tons of influence from
his travels in Morocco, the Balearic islands, Mexico, the Yucatan
Peninsula, and home-base San Francisco. This isn't just House music,
and it certainly isn't just a group of DJs pawning themselves off as
true musicians. This is what is means to open your eyes, ears, and
heart to the whole world, take it all in, and reinterpret it via your
own musical means. As a result, the work of Dubtribe is close to
impossible to classify...except to say that it has lots to do with soul.
"Samba Dub," "No Puedo Estar Despierto," "Wednesday Night,"
"Loneliness in Dub," "Ain't Gonna Do You No Good," "Breeze", and "If
You're Not Coming Back to Me" are the most infectious of the twelve
tracks, which are at the same time both a retrospective look - at the
Jazz of the 30's and 40's, the Disco and Funk of the 70's, and the
groove-centric House of the late 80's - and a fast-forward to the
collision of tribal musical forms (World music) and everything that
came after it.
Best of all, the album is mixed like one of the many life
sessions at which Dubtribe has continually proven themselves as the
Harbingers of House... once you begin your journey upon this body of
work, it's rather difficult to end it. So get a copy of _Bryant Street_,
put it in your CD player, and lose yourself in the Dubtribe Sound System
for an hour... or two... or three...
And now, a few words with Dubtribe Sound System...
Consumable: How would you describe your own music?
I get a sense of soul-salsa-house while listening to _Bryant Street_.
Dubtribe (Sunshine Jones): A lot of folks have asked us about
the Latin influence in our music from the last few years and I say this:
dutribe means "tribal house music in dub" the name comes from the party
we started in 1990 in San Francisco. We were musicians, not DJ's, and
it was difficult for us to leave well enough alone, so we spun Latin,
African, Brazillian and Middle Eastern records over the top of our drum
machines and keyboards.
Eventually, we got a sampler and started to consolidate the
whole experience. slowly folks caught on in our home town and we were a
traveling electronic studio, after a few heavy trips across the US in
a van we pared down the setup to a much smaller list of gear and
nowadays we look more like a band than anything.
I would definitely say that the Latin influence on _Bryant
Street_ is strong, but by no means the end of the description. It's
hard to resist the urge to pigeonhole us, but try it and you'll soon
be wrong. San Francisco House music has never been about one style
all night; it seems to me that the more diverse the DJ the better the
response. We liked this a lot about our home town and brought it in
as a seminal source in Dubtribe Sound System.
(Moonbeam Jones): House music is the foundation on which we
lay all of the rhythmic influences you hear in our music; Latin,
Soul, Disco, Tribal... as long as you can put a 4/4 kick drum under
it, anything goes.
CO: Who are your main influences?
D (SJ): Some traditional influences including Herbie Hancock,
Third World, King Tubby, Miles Davis, George Clinton; some house
influences including Frankie Knuckles, Nu Groove, and the DJs from
the late 80s / early 90s in San Francisco.
But mainly, we're most influenced/inspired by our peers...
people out there unafraid to move ahead and force dance music to grow
and change, to examine itself more deeply, to take itself more
seriously. Like Keri Chandler, Joe Clauselle and our friends and
family in San Francisco like Corey Black, Cosmic Jason, Onionz and the
rest of the crew. We see these people as pushing house music forward
from the inside, taking risks and opening avenues for everyone on the
dance floor, in their living rooms and in their hearts and minds as
well.
We don't approach the music from a "stomp, stomp, stomp" place.
House is an art, like jazz, and 15 years into the movement I say we
have arrived at a quantifiable force in the underground. people take
the music as far away from the simplicity of a 4 on the floor groove
as the will (and they WILL; see jungle, tech step, hardcore, drum and
bass...) but it always comes back to house.
CO: What is the main philosophical driving force behind Dubtribe?
D (SJ): There's no easy way to answer that; I'll try to
explain by way of a true story: it was 1988, I was in a suit. I felt
pressure from all sides to proceed into a career in law or advertising.
So I spent some time abroad, traveled a lot, ended up in Morocco. After
a pretty sad trip there i went via hovercraft to the Balearic Islands
(VERY different islands back then) and danced and danced in the tiny
little clubs there. For the first time I heard all forms of music
played together in a night held together by the four on the floor
kick drum of house.
When I got back to San Francisco it was winter of 1990 and
house and rave had just begun to happen there. I must admit I didn't
care much for it right away. I missed the gay community's involvement
in the dance scene and I really missed the soul influence in the music.
So I started a group of people playing together, we made a jazzy
kind of music more like a cross between massive attack. One night,
I went to Osmosis (a San Francisco club) and my mind exploded. I
finally heard something in the music i had been missing.
I went home and locked myself in the closet, wrote a set
of music. Dubtribe was born.
Electronic music is just the music of the people in the US. It's
definitely different in Europe and it's even beginning to change here,
but for now and up until now house music has been our music, run by the
people, developed and performed and presented independently in America.
We have had so little help from the main men of money in the industry
here. I'm proud of our movement and pleased with the ingenuity and
progressive thinking we have devoted to the cause. Not everyone shares
our personal politics, but if you're out there doing it for yourself,
then you are our family in my eyes.
CO: Has your music always had a political vein? (as in "Holler!")
D (SJ): "Holler!" is my road to walk, a personal cross I
needed to bear. At the end of 1995 we were done. It was effectively
over for us. We were more popular and well traveled than ever, our
price had quadrupled and we were miserable. Everywhere I looked I saw
capitalism and greed. The movement I loved so much and had thrown any
hope of an ordinary life away for had evapourated.
"Holler" became an ever changing tirade for me as a means of
sharing my rage. as I worked through the rage it also became a
message of resolution and a source of strength for me. A way of
offering hope to everyone who felt burnt and bummed like me. Although
we have reinvented ourselves entirely through imperial DUB and
guidance records since then, I still felt like "Holler!" had a
place on _Bryant Street_.
The message you interpret (as political), I say, comes from
the listener. If they shrug and say "what a load of crap that peace
and love thing is..." then I say that points back at THEM doesn't it?
It tells me they have a lot more personal work to do, because we
didn't say "peace" or "love" anywhere on the recording, only in the
liner notes. you dig?
(MJ): Politics is just one of the "veins" through which
we travel. We have many sides and moods; we are not all one thing.
Pretty much whatever is on our minds comes out in our work.
CO: What is your favorite tracks on _Bryant Street_ and why?
D (SJ): My favourite track on _Bryant Street_ is "Breeze";
it's a song that came slowly for us. Initially it cleared the floor,
coming after "Holler!" in the live set. We meant it to have a sort
of cleansing effect on the whole room. After such a purging tirade,
we wanted to help bring the vibe back around to a loving place. At
that time, it seemed that a deeper energy was hard for the folks
to get their heads around.
Eventually, "Breeze" became like a triumphant celebration
for us at the end of the set. Really heavy and such a triumphant
song now. Very inspiring.
---
REVIEW: Joydrop, _Metasexual_ (Tommy Boy)
- Jason Cahill
In analytical terms, _Metasexual_, the debut album from Toronto's
Joydrop, could easily be labeled as textbook schizophrenia. At times,
the album is both lush and hypnotic. At others, it is choppy, disjointed
and inexplicably arresting.
Joydrop claim themselves to be "first and foremost a rock band",
but that description can be a bit constricting, as fledgling bands
strive towards what they consider to be - the quintessential rock sound.
More often than not, however, the resulting sound can be derivative as
bands wear their influences on their sleeves, their shirts and wherever
else they can showcase them.
On "Fizz", the opening track on _Metasexual_, Joydrop seems to
just be begging for comparisons to Elastica. The song is catchy enough,
but cluttered with samples and drum loops - not to mention some of the
most nonsensical lyrics this side of Soul Coughing. "Spiders", a
hard-edged rocker, seems awkward, placing most of its emphasis on overly
aggressive guitars and samples, completely pushing Joydrop's best
asset, their vocalist, into the distant background.
But remove the clutter and strip the songs down to the basics,
and _Metasexual_ really shines. "Beautiful", the album's first single,
is an example of minimalist splendor. Pensive and quiet, the song
showcases lead singer Tara Slone's powerful, yet fragile voice. Once
too often, however, the song gains momentum, only to eventually
culminate in periodic and unnecessary bursts of industrial feedback
and sampling. Despite the occasional bit of over-production,
"Beautiful" remains both the finest song on _Metasexual_, as well as
one of the year's most exciting discoveries. "Breakdown" is a lush
and richly orchestrated tune with a string section that gives the
song added dimension. "Dream Today" and "If I Forget" are two other
standouts that blend Slone's unique voice with rich melodies and
evocative lyrics.
The downside, of course, to creating an album filled with
highly accessible tunes is that it probably won't be long before they
show up on any number of shows on the WB. Note - the quickest way to
ruin perfectly good pop songs is to have them conjure images of
Felicity Porter walking despondently down a lonesome New York City
street.
In all, it's erratic, slightly over-produced and rough around
the edges, but when stripped down to its core, _Metasexual_ is a
truly impressive effort.
---
REVIEW: The Ladybug Transistor, _The Albemarle Sound_ (Merge)
- Tim Hulsizer
It's a tribute to the power of this band's vision that one can
scarcely draw similarities between The Ladybug Transistor and Gary
Olson's earlier group Iron Works. Ladybug consists of Olson (a man
of many instruments), Jennifer Baron (ex-Saturnine) Jeffrey Rush Baron,
Sasha Bell, San Fadyl, and Mike Barrett. The overall tone of the disc
is one of a laid-back Saturday afternoon, cruising about with the top
down. Hell, one of the songs is titled "The Automobile Song". Which
isn't to say the music is mindless; far from it. In fact, it's one of
the densest, most consistently intriguing pop albums I've heard in 1999.
With songs like "Oriental Boulevard" (the opening number) and
others, The Ladybug Transistor use trumpets like they're back in style,
evoking images of Pet Sounds and Eric Matthews simultaneously. There
are quiet moments with violins on the album and playful spots with
whistle, organ, saxophone and more. _The Albemarle Sound_ is definitely
on the retro tip, but it never grates like the self-conscious,
"we're-so-ironic" music by Ladybug's contemporaries. The best part of
this disc is that you get a distinct personality from the band,
something I've heard lacking in some other 90's music of this kind.
Other standout tracks include "Aleida's Theme," a wonderful,
loping puppy of a song, and the pseudo-Spanish instrumental "Cienfuegos."
As it is with the best releases, this album makes me want to have their
two previous full-lengths. The Ladybug Transistor are playing with
Belle & Sebastian (the other retro act everyone should own) in England
quite soon, and it's not hard to hear why. From the lush, green
60's-style artwork to the closing notes of the trumpet, this band has
definitely hit its stride in the pop music world.
---
REVIEW: Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors, _!Sock Ray Blue!_ (Shanachie)
- Jon Steltenpohl
When you've been immortalized by the Dead Milkmen, made your claim
to fame by calling for the death of Don Henley and impregnating Debbie
Gibson, and been named Honorary Captain of the 1998 Olympic Luge Team,
there isn't much else to aim for. So, Mojo has released a gen-u-ine
retrospective of Mr. Sock Ray Blue's Texas Prison Field Recordings Vol. 3.
At least, that's what the album cover and the liner notes tell you.
In reality, it's just the same old Mojo. Honky tonk and redneck
music is in full swing, and the lyrics are as acerbic as ever. Subtlety has
never been Mojo's forte, and he isn't about to let a single joke pass over
your head on this album. Whether it's "Drunk Divorced Floozie (The Ballad
of Diana Spencer)" or "I Don't Want No Cybersex", Mojo gives you the world
as he see it through his whiskey blurred eyes. "She died in the backseat /
Unzipping Dodi's pants," explains Mojo, "A buncha non-working rich pigs /
So camera shy / They got drunk, drove fast, and proceeded to die."
As if one famous blonde's death wasn't enough, check out the choice
words in "Orenthal James". "Orenthal James killed his bimbo X-wife,"
states Mojo. Yes, in the immortal words of Mojo, "Orenthal James was a
mighty bad man." It's not exactly "Bad Bad Leroy Brown", but at least the
song is fun to listen to. Yes, no matter whether Mojo is dogging the "Rock
n Roll Hall of Lame" or Disney ("watch a topless Pocahontas and hear the
people sing"), the music is rollicking.
"When did I become my Dad?" is the best song on the album. It's
just Mojo singing solo with his acoustic guitar doing a mournful, no
depression riff. No screaming or over the top lyrics. It's funny without
being outrageous, and kind of makes you wonder what Mojo could do if he
didn't seem to be hell bent on trying to make most of his lyrics go over
the top. If Mojo would drop his schtick and write depressing, love sick
lyrics, he'd probably be hailed some sort of genius. But just like Jim
Carrey being snubbed at the academy awards, Mojo Nixon has no chance in
hell of ever being taken seriously.
As it is, this Mojo album is pretty much the same as every other
Mojo album with the exception that the music on this one is probably the
tightest of any of his albums. There's stuff as sick as old classics like
"She's Vibrator Dependent", but nothing quiet as funny. The soundtrack to
the video game "Redneck Rampage" is included as is a tribute to the late
Country Dick Montana of the Beat Farmers. Probably, the funniest part of
the album is the bogus liner notes by John Swenson.
Of course, saying that the liner notes are the funniest part of a
comedy album isn't saying much. You'll get your chuckles, but don't expect
to fall out of your chair. Fortunately, Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors
play honky tonk and rockabilly well enough that you'll have fun just
listening.
---
REVIEW: Various, _The Disco Box_ (Rhino)
- Bob Gajarsky
The master label of reissues, Rhino, has released this
definitive four disc set of the disco era simply titled _The
Disco Box_.
The eighty songs bring together in one collection
the best (or worst) of the disco era in all their full-blown
polyester glory. The Ritchie Family's "The Best Disco In
Town" was the knee-jerk reaction to the medley / Stars on 45
fever which gripped the nation, and even resulted in a huge
smash of Beethoven's "modernized hits" (thank you, Walter
Murphy). While the Pittsburgh Pirates were utilizing "We Are
Family" as their World Championship theme song, the
country was shake-shake-shaking their booty to KC and the
Sunshine Band and enjoying good times provided by Chic.
Sex ran rampant in the clubs and in the music (Donna Summer's
"I Feel Love", Musique's "In The Bush", "More More More" by
the porn queen Andrea True Connection). Truly, it was the
age of decadence and dancing, and nowhere is that more
apparent than _The Disco Box_.
Arguably the most interesting part of the set occurs
on the fourth disc, where the generic 'disco' sound, after
being run into the ground in the late 70s, re-emerged and
influenced much of the 80s dance scene. Blondie's "Heart
of Glass" predated the 80s alterna-boom, "I.O.U." by Freez
helped launch the freestyle craze, and "It's Raining Men"
by the Weather Girls (formerly 2 Tons of Fun, performing
at fairgrounds around the country) helped make Martha Wash's
voice, if not her image, a staple at dancehalls around the
world.
Today's "wedding songs" ("I Will Survive", "Celebration",
"Y.M.C.A.") unmistakably show that disco has crossed over from
the clubs to the mainstream. VH1 "Behind the Music" specials on
Studio 54 and the glamourized excesses of the era have
brought the sensations of the seventies back to the forefront
at no time since the end of the gas crisis. And thanks yet
again to the folks at Rhino, the feel and groove of those
times has been indelibly captured on four compact discs.
---
REVIEW: Sammy Hagar, _Red Voodoo_ (MCA)
- Linda Scott
Sammy Hagar's _Red Voodoo_ is a pure rock and roll album. It
follows on the heels of Hagar's popular 1997 _Marching To Mars_, which
featured the hit single "Little White Lie". Like _Mars_, _Red Voodoo_
rocks with a lighter, party album touch. There's a joyful, good
times, party groove going, with visions of audiences up on their feet
and dancing in the aisles get YOU up and grooving in your living room.
What a great icebreaker for a party!
Sammy Hagar knows about partying with your friends. The Red
Rocker owns a Cabo San Lucas club called Cabo Wabo where industry pros
like Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Slash and many others come to perform
and sip Sammy's own brand of tequila. Hagar's been in the music
business since 1972. He's done solo work and worked in the Montrose
and Van Halen bands. Now he's put together his own band called the
Waborites, recorded an album, and they are off on a US tour.
_Red Voodoo_ has 11 tracks with great lyrics, vocals, and a
solid rocking beat. The opening track and first single is a winner
called "Mas Tequila". There is no way to stay seated during this one.
It's definitely a standing, clapping, dancing track. "Shag" is right
behind it with a solid, catchy beat that has the power to be another
single. And the title tells you what its about. There's a beautiful
breather with "Lay Your Hand On Me". The lyrics are gentle, and Sammy
sings it just right. "Sympathy For The Human" is an odd selection
about religious diversity, but you can tune out the lyrics and just
get into the music. All eleven are good to great, they're made for
dancing, and they just make you feel better. Whatever Sammy is
bottling along with the tequila, he needs to keep doing it.
To check out the tour schedule and hear clips from _Red
Voodoo_, check Sammy's web site at: http://www.redrocker.com
---
REVIEW: Love Kit, _Who's Afraid Of The Radio Tower?_ (Ginger)
- Bill Holmes
Impossible to pigeonhole, difficult to forget; not a bad
combination! Featuring titles like "Red Meat," "Spider On A Window,"
"You're My Food" and of course the two-for-one punch of "Dandelion /
Victorian Motorhome," Chicagoland's Love Kit is back with perky,
quirky pop tunes that are as odd as their titles.
"Red Meat," with its odd lyrics and Toad The Wet Sprocket
tempo intact, opens the door for this wild ride through pop's inner
recesses, but the following cut, "Bookmobile," sounds too fuzzed out
to be from the same record. Then delicacy: the toy piano intro of
"Champion Pony" is joined by some Beach Boy harmony chirps to bridge
your way across to the next track. But that's "New Low," which is just
pedestrian, alternative sludge (hey, maybe it was intentional?).
So four cuts in and you're still wondering what the hell is
going on, but then "Tiger Beat Heaven" kicks your ass and you swear
this is the best thing you've heard all year. Yikes!
Fortunately the batting average goes up shortly afterwards.
"Dandelion" is a little stressful but is the perfect set up for the
fuller "Victorian Motorhome." "Go There" creates a dreamy ambiance
using guitar phasing, and "Dear Gaspara" mines '60s pop and psychedelia.
"Spider On A Window" is stark by comparison -- acoustic six string and
wah-wah bass guitar -- but conventionally melodic despite the setting.
Ditto "Around The Bend," whose dual vocals and lightweight percussive
thrust carry the song to its fade out vocal coda. For you uptempo folks,
"Medium Crash" is Bo Diddley incarnate. In many spots, songs literally
bleed into one another; there's a lot going on here besides the
standard two guitar/bass/drum army.
Many comparisons can be made to the late great Let's Active,
and this is perhaps no more evident than on the aforementioned "Tiger
Beat Heaven," an urgent rocker just drenched in lo-fi glam. The vocals
on the verses sound like they're shouted through a kazoo, but the
chorus call-and-responses drag you right back in for the big finish.
Come on radio, you have to play this!
Rick Sparks and Eddie Jemison are a solid guitar attack, and
bassist Ellen Phillips locks down the bottom very well. All three sing,
and the arrangements are diverse. Kudos also to drummer Tim Ford for
providing wallop on even the softest of songs. Regular rock programmers
will never get this, but Love Kit should be a slam dunk for college
radio. For more information visit the label's website
http://www.gingerrecords.com .
---
REVIEW: Janet Robbins, _All the Worlds_ (Star Seven)
- Jon Steltenpohl
Although name recognition is everything, letting the whole
world know your dad is Marty Robbins in the first line of your bio
isn't exactly going to win you instant accolades. Depending on your
point of view, Janet Robbins is thankfully or regrettably not her
father when it comes to music. Where Marty garnered hits with quirky
country classics such as "El Paso," Janet has decided to focus on a
more modern, alternative sound. The result is a seven-song debut
called _All the Worlds_.
After mentioning her father, Robbins' bio quickly compares
her to Tori Amos, Kate Bush, and Jeff Buckley. It's another quick
plea to get your attention for an obscure indie album, but, unlike
many overblown bios, these comparisons are somewhat warranted.
Robbins has put together an album that features some soaring vocals,
atmosphere, and tender moments. It would be easy to write off such
an album if it were either derivative or a major label effort. But
this is a wholly original debut made in Robbins' own home studio and
distributed on her own label.
_All the Worlds_ is definitely worth paying attention to. It's
a polished sounding effort that shows what can be done without a major
studio behind it. The sound is crisp and clean. Distortions and effects
are used seamlessly, and Robbins does a good job of coming out
aggressively and then pulling back quietly. There is a Gothic
sensibility of disjointed guitar and plaintive wails, but it doesn't
include the Goth scene's reliance on black eyeliner and spooky lyrics.
Vocally, she employs the same crooning yodel Kate Bush uses to scale
up the octaves. On "Space Train," Robbins bends her notes like a
harmonica player and flutters between major and minor chords. When
necessary, she pulls back into a shell with quiet touches that lull
you in, much like Tori Amos. But unlike Amos and Buckley, Robbins
never seems to embody the songs as a personal diary. Her howls have
all of the volume of Sinead O'Connor's debut, but none of the passion.
This lack of passion is also reflected in the lyrics; they
are abstract and are merely flavors of emotions. Robbins sets a high
bar for herself with the musical peers she's chosen for herself. While
other artists seem intent on reaching down deep in their guts for
intensely personal lyrics, Robbins is mired in meta-poems about
misguided loves set on islands and wastelands. On "Eve," she sings,
"Gash wide and blistered dry / there's a harpist playin' in some
distant sky / spoon fed from a bone dry plate / this world's in
destruction." Not all of the lyrics are this obtuse, but none of them
really resonate with the listener on an emotional level either.
_All the Worlds_ is certainly an album worth checking out,
if nothing else but to say you knew Janet Robbins when. Anyone who
had a chance to hear some of Joan Osborne's early recordings will see
similarities in the budding talent. Although Osborne's eventual major
label debut was molded heavily by the record label for possible radio
play, Robbins' seems pretty intent on going the independent route, a
la Ani DiFranco. Her website - http://www.janetrobbins.com - Real
Player demos of 4 tracks, and she's maintaining a web ring for
independent artists.
---
REVIEW: Bottle Rockets, _Leftovers_ (Doolittle)
- Bill Holmes
Sometimes resilience is its own reward. Although the recent
major label meltdown made meteor-sized headlines, bands being shed
like so much dead skin is an age old ritual. Signed by Tag/Atlantic
(the same label with the ears to grab Fountains Of Wayne) after the
success of their indie debut for East Side Digital, the Bottle
Rockets figured they had the best of both worlds. The new label
promised wider distribution and publicity, and their stint at ESD
hooked them up with Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, the closest thing y'alternative
music has to a human divining rod. But Tag wasn't "it" for long, and
ported to Atlantic they were just another legal liability on a dead
sea scroll. So kiss momentum goodbye - out comes the obligatory record
with a whimper instead of a bang, and into the tank go the rest of the
tracks that were recorded. Needless to say, breaking a rootsy band is
a hard job when you try. Not even trying is like pulling the plug on
the respirator. After you forgot to turn it on in the first place.
Fortunately the band was able to walk away from Atlantic and
the _24 Hours A Day_ sessions with their songs, which drummer Mark
Ortmann says "didn't work with that particular album". Claiming
inspiration from sources as diverse as Aerosmith and Merle Haggard,
the sound of a Bottle Rockets record doesn't necessarily have a thematic
flow anyway, so imagine what a collection of "leftovers" sounds like!
Like most bands, there are a range of influences that sometimes play
nice and sometimes head-butt each other. _Leftovers_ is head-butt
territory all the way; it contains some solid moments but is more
enjoyable than it is essential.
The record starts with a sweet, pretty country tune "Get Down
River", followed by the acoustic bluesy tone of "Dinner Train To
Dutchtown"; both tracks feature yeoman work by Ambel. Then a trip down
a much darker road with "Skip's Song", an appropriately somber homage
to Skip Spence ("oars in the water/paddling's such a bore/acid and
madness / and nothing more..."). But lest you think your head will bow
forever, the strong 1-2 punch of "If Walls Could Talk" and "Financing
His Romance" is but a short tune away. "Walls" is Bakersfield swing and
George Jones in a Waring blender, which makes the country-fried
pop-a-billy of "Romance" even more appealing. Vocals by guitarists
Brian Henneman and Tom Parr are solid throughout, but especially good
in that pair.
However, one reality jolt is the painful dirge "My Own
Cadillac", which to these ears sounds like Neil Young at the wrong
speed. Anguish and atonality have their place, but somehow this
abandons the emotion and just becomes...noise. (Hold the letter bombs,
I'm sure it has its appeal, but I haven't seemed to have been in the
right mood for this one yet. I'm not sure I have a mood like that
though). The "bonus track" is three minutes of almost silent passage...
except for some light crickets chirping. Peace, at last? Or the sound
of their last label doing nothing to promote their career?
Ironically, they went from a company that did little to a
company called "Doolittle". With this stepping stone of "odds and
sods" holding our attention, let's see what the boys can do when they
release their new one later this Spring backed by a more artist-centered
organization. (For more information, visit http://www.doolittle.com )
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _SLC Punk Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack_ / Various Artists, _The Other Sister
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack_ (Hollywood Records)
- Joann D. Ball
Movie soundtracks can be hit-or-miss, sometimes filled with
everything except the songs from the movie that you wanted to hear
again. But that's definitely NOT the case with two new releases on
Hollywood Records, the _SLC Punk Original Motion Picture Soundtrack_
and _The Other Sister Original Motion Picture Soundtrack_. Both
showcase fitting song selections in perfect order, with the former
soundtrack coming across like a cool college radio show circa the
mid-1980s and the latter sounding like a warm, feel good Adult
Contemporary collection.
Hollywood Records' own Detroit upstarts The Suicide Machines
get _SLC Punk_ off to a rousing start with a ska-punk cover of the
country classic "I Never Promised You A Rose Garden." Then the punk
classics start rolling as if part of an underground radio playlist.
There's the pure energy of Exploited's "Sex & Violence" and Fear's
"I Love Livin' In The City, and the raw power of punk godfather Iggy
Pop on the Stooges's seminal "1969." "Too Hot" by The Specials provides
a brief ska break, before the punk history lesson continues with CBGB's
scenesters the Ramones' ("Cretin Hop") and Blondie, an old skool band
currently riding an incredible popularity wave. Blondie's punk pop hit
"Dreaming" seques perfectly into "Kiss Me Deadly" by Billy Idol's first
band Generation X, and is followed by the Velvet Underground's "Rock
and Roll." An interesting point of departure is the trip-hop cut
"Gasoline Rain" by Moondogg, but it actually provides an even greater
sense of just how groundbreaking punk was and how it continues to
influence new forms of music. Several songs later, the Dead Kennedys'
"Kill the Poor" brings the 14-track release to a fitting close,
capturing both the primacy of punk and the social welfare policies
of the Reagan era at the same time.
_The Other Sister_, more mainstream in appeal and less
aggressive in tone, features lead singles "Loving You Is All I Know"
by The Pretenders and "The Animal Song" by Savage Garden. On the former,
Chrissie Hynde lends her unmistakable vocals to a Diane Warren
composition. A power ballad of near "Armegeddon" proportions, it
similarly emphasizes the passionate voice of the lead singer while
burying the band's signature guitar sound under elaborate
orchestrations. Australian chart-toppers Savage Garden wrote "The
Animal Song" especially for the romantic comedy, and the song's
catchy chorus and upbeat tempo reflects the film's "love conquers
all" message.
The 11-track release also features top selling artists Joan
Osborne, whose previously-unreleased version of the Etta James classic
"At Last" is a real treat, Paula Cole on the radio hit "Me" and
Hollywood Records' breakthrough artists Fastball on "She Comes
Round.'" "Follow If You Lead" by their label mate Idina Menzel should
find a well deserved audience and "When You Say Nothing At All" by
Alison Krauss suggests yet another country crossover waiting to
happen. Juliet Lewis' recording debut and a selection from Rachel
Portman's original score close out the soundtrack.
_SLC Punk_ and _The Other Sister_ are so strong as records
that they could exist independently of the films to which they are
attached. In this case, the soundtracks are crucial vehicles for the
movies rather than the typical "see-then-hear" arrangement. _SLC Punk_,
a comedy which chronicles the experiences of a pair of punks in staid
Salt Lake City during the early 1980s, opens nationwide on April
16th. _The Other Sister_, an uplifting comedy about a slightly
mentally challenged woman's desire to live and love on her own terms,
is currently playing in America.
_SLC Punk Motion Picture Soundtrack_ TRACK LISTING [artist in brackets]:
I Never Promised You A Rose Garden [The Suicide Machines], Sex & Violence
[Exploited], I Love Livin' In The City [Fear], Beat My Guest [Adam & The
Ants], 1969 [Stooges], Too Hot [The Specials], Cretin Hop [The Ramones],
Dreaming [Blondie], Kiss Me Deadly [Generation X], Rock and Roll [Velvet
Underground], Gasoline Rain [Moondogg], Mirror [Fifi], Ameoba
[Adolescents], Kill The Poor [Dead Kennedys]
_The Other Sister Motion Picture Soundtrack_ TRACK LISTING [artist in
brackets]: The Animal Song [Savage Garden], Loving You Is All I Know [The
Pretenders], When You Say Nothing At All [Alison Krauss], Mrs. Robinson
[Lemonheads], She Comes 'Round [Fastball], Me [Paula Cole], I'm Free [The
Soup Dragons], Follow If You Lead [Idina Menzel], At Last [Joan Osborne],
Come Rain Or Shine [Juliet Lewis], Carla & Danny's Theme [Rachel Portman]
---
NEWS: > The third annual Rhino Musical Aptitude Test (RMAT) will
take place on Wednesday, May 12 at 7 pm and will be hosted by Alice Cooper.
The contest will take place in four cities - Dallas, Chicago, New York
and Los Angeles - and over the Internet. For further information,
check out Rhino's site at http://www.rhino.com
---
TOUR DATES:
Asian Dub Foundation
Apr. 2 Toronto, ON Opera House Concert Venue
Apr. 3 Montreal, QC Caberet Music Hall
Apr. 5 Cambridge, MA Middle East
Candlebox
Apr. 1 Cedar Rapids, IA 3rd Street Live
Apr. 2 Springfield, IL Club S.S.
Apr. 3 Springfield, MO Juke Joint
Apr. 5 Colorado Springs, CO Music Hall
Chamber Strings
Mar. 31 New York City, NY Brownies
Apr. 1 Cambridge, MA TT the Bears
Cubanismo Spring Tour
Apr. 3 Seattle, WA Meany Hall/ U of W
Apr. 4 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
Dubtribe Sound System
Apr. 1 Buffalo, NY Marquee
Eve 6 / Lit
Apr. 2 Pittsburgh, PA Graffiti's
Apr. 3 Cleveland, OH Odeon
Apr. 4 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Flick
Apr. 1 Cleveland, OH Odeon
Apr. 2 Detroit, MI Clutch Cargo
Apr. 3 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
Apr. 5 Milwaukee, WI Rave
Apr. 6 Minneapolis, MN Quest Club
Godsmack / Loudmouth
Mar. 30 Springfield, MO Juke Joint
Apr. 1 La Cross, WI Valhalla/Uni of WI
Apr. 2 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl
Apr. 3 Des Moines, IA Super Toad's
Apr. 4 Madison, WI Kit's Corner
Jets to Brazil / Euphone
Apr. 2 Salt Lake City, UT DV8 dwnstrs
Apr. 3 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
Apr. 5 Minneapolis, MN 400 BAR
Low
Apr. 1 Pontiac, MI 7th House
Apr. 2 Ann Arbor, MI Halfway Inn - UofM
Apr. 3 Pittsburgh, PA Millvale Industrial Theater
Apr. 5 Waterbury, CT Brass City Records
Marvelous 3
Apr. 1 San Francisco, CA Slim's
Apr. 2 Sacramento, CA Bojangles
Mighty Blue Kings
Apr. 2 Tampa, FL Rubb
Apr. 3 Gainesville, FL Covered Dish
Steve Miller Band
Mar. 31 Fresno, CA Warrior Center for the Perf. Arts
Apr. 1 Thousand Oaks, CA Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
Apr. 2 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
Apr. 3 Bakersfield, CA Bakersfield Centennial Gardens
Alanis Morissette
Apr. 1 San Jose, CA Arena
Apr. 2 Las Vegas, NV Hard Rock
Apr. 3 San Diego, CA Cox Arena
Olivia Tremor Control
Mar. 29 Columbus, OH OSU
Mar. 30 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
Mar. 31 Toronto, ONT Horseshoe
Apr. 1 Northampton MA Pearl Street
Apr. 2 Boston, MA Middle East
Apr. 3 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Apr. 4 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
Placebo / Stabbing Westward
Apr. 1 Cleveland, OH Odeon
Apr. 2 Detroit, MI Clutch Cargo
Apr. 3 Chicago, IL Riviera
Apr. 5 Milwaukee, WI Rave
Push Kings
Apr. 4 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
Apr. 7 Minneapolis, Mn 400 Bar
Sick Of It All
Apr. 1 Philadelphia, PA Electric Fatory
Apr. 2 Providence, RI Lupos
Apr. 3 Lewiston, ME Central Maine Civic Center
Apr. 5 Buffalo, NY Erie Community College
Apr. 6 Toronto, ON The Warehouse
Sleepyhead
Apr. 2 Chicago, IL Lounge Ax
Apr. 3 Louisville, KY at Mercury Paw
Apr. 5 Columbus, OH Bernies
Elliott Smith
Apr. 3 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Hall
Apr. 5 Columbus, OH Ludlow's
Sparklehorse / Varnaline
Apr. 1 Vancouver, BC Starfish Room
Apr. 3 Salt Lake City, UT DV8
Apr. 4 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
David Wilcox
Mar. 31 Northampton, MA Iron Horse
Apr. 3 New York, NY Bottom Line
Apr. 5 Minneapolis, MN Guthrie Theatre
---
Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest
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