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==== ISSUE 138 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [March 11, 1998]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gaj@westnet.com
Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim
Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Sean
Eric McGill, Al Muzer, Joe Silva, Lang Whitaker
Correspondents: Tracey Bleile, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott
Byron, Jason Cahill, Patrick Carmosino,
Arabelle Clauson, Krisjanis Gale, Eric Hsu, Tim
Hulsizer, Robin Lapid, Scott Miller, Linda Scott,
Scott Slonaker, Simon Speichert, Jon
Steltenpohl, Simon West
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann
Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gaj@westnet.com
==================================================================
All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s).
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the
editor.
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| Contents |
`------------'
INTERVIEW: Jules Shear - Joe Silva
REVIEW: Ani DiFranco, _Little Plastic Castle_ - Jon Steltenpohl
INTERNET WEB SITE REVIEW: The Beastie Boys Online - Robin Lapid
REVIEW: Swervedriver, _99th Dream_ - Patrick Carmosino
REVIEW: Jimmy Ray, _Jimmy Ray_ - Bob Gajarsky
CONCERT REVIEW: Lisa Loeb - Jason Cahill
SINGLE REVIEW: Primal Scream, "If They Move Kill 'Em" - Patrick Carmosino
REVIEW: Fastball, _All The Pain Money Can Buy_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Air, _Moon Safari_ - Robin Lapid
REVIEW: Dave's True Story, _Sex Without Bodies_ - Patrick Carmosino
REVIEW: Soak, _Soak_ - Dan Birchall
REVIEW: Tonebenders, _Tonebenders_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Brownie Mary, _Naked_ - Linda Scott
REVIEW: Within, _Within_ - Dan Birchall
NEWS: American Music Club, Blur's Graham Coxon, Cause & Effect's Rob
Rowe, Veruca Salt, Rock Out Censorship, USA Songwriting Competition
TOUR DATES: Bluetones, China Drum, Cravin' Melon, Dakota Moon, Dave's
True Story, Dream Theatre, Everclear / Jimmie's Chicken Shack /
Feeder, G. Love & Special Sauce / Alana Davis, High Llamas, Irving
Plaza (NYC concert hall - www.irvingplaza.com), Ziggy Marley &
Melody Makers, Megadeth, Misfits, David Poe, Princess Superstar,
Promise Ring, Reel Big Fish / Pilfers / Mr. T Experience, Sherry
Rich, Swervedriver / Libido, Third Eye Blind / Smash Mouth / Fat,
Tim, Zeke
Back Issues of Consumable
---
INTERVIEW: Jules Shear
- Joe Silva
Despite the fact that his tunes have bolstered a few
careers, or that he spearheaded a mini acoustic revolution by
coming up with the concept for MTV's Unplugged program, Jules
Shear's name may still only draw recognition from pop purists
and breatheren songwriters. After a considerable gap between
solo projects (his last LP, _Healing Bones_, was released in
1994), Jules has returned with an album of 15 original songs
all recorded as duets called _Between Us_ (High Street). Born
partially out of the "Writers in the Round" shows he co-hosted
with Richard Barone in New York City, these latest outings
feature a similar vibe - sympathetic voices and song craftsmen
joining forces to take material to new levels. Included among
the many vocal talents contributing to this album are Ron
Sexsmith, Paula Cole, Roseanne Cash, Angie Hart of Frente!,
and the legendary Carole King. Between mixing sessions for a
new James Brown tribute record that Shear was contributing a
track to, Jules spoke to Consumable.
Consumable Online: With so many different people
contributing in the studio for this record, have you come up
with a way to take this on the road?
Jules Shear: Well we're a few weeks on a few days off.
I'm going to do it with a singer named Jenifer Jackson who is a
New York singer/songwriter. We sound really good together and
she can cover a lot of the female duetists that are on the
record. I think we're going to do it really stripped down and
it'll just be me and her singing songs.
C.O.: Considering your lengthy history, doing solo work,
being in a band, and acting as a songwriter for someone else, do
you consider this project what you've been working towards? Is
it an ideal situation for you?
J.S.: There are so many things I like to do that is was
ideal at the time that I did it and it's ideal for me now to be
going out and playing these songs, but I wasn't really thinking
about this as the ultimate record that I could make in my life.
I don't really do that. But for the time period when it was
conceived, it seemed like the perfect thing. Then again, doing
this James Brown thing for the last couple of days has been
ideal as well. That's been fun too. But it's a different kind
of fun having fifteen different vocalists traipse into the
studio and you have to deal with every one on a different
level. So that presented it's own set of challenges, which I
totally enjoyed. We got amazingly good performances out of
everybody that came in. We didn't have anyone where we thought
'Well, they really didn't do it good enough.' Everyone who showed
up is on the record.
C.O.: Does this project have a similar resonance for you
as the finales you used to do when you hosted Unplugged, where
the guests from that particular show would get together and sing.
J.S.: It's definitely got some of that to it. That's
something I enjoyed doing. Because when you're not in a band,
or especially if you live in someplace like Woodstock and you're
not going out and socializing like in New York City for instance,
then I tend to know people but we don't get to hang out. And I
love that sort of camaraderie aspect of it all and I tried to
do that on Unplugged. I love to get people to sing and play
together, but it was kind of like pulling teeth sometimes on
Unplugged. Some people are just inclined to do it and be more
outgoing and other people are not used to it at all. Especially
when it's a live situation in front of a huge MTV audience, they
were loath to put themselves up to that for fear that it would
not look good, so we had that problem a lot. On the record it
was easier because you're in a more controlled situation. You
can do more to make people feel comfortable. And I've always
been attracted to singing with other people. I grew up singing
with my brothers and I miss that sometimes, not being in a band.
C.O.: Speaking of working alone, I didn't know that Todd
Rundgren had produced your first solo record.
J.S.: I love Todd. He's a really great guy. As far as his
demeanor goes, maybe it's not my favorite demeanor as far as a
producer goes. He cares a lot about the things he cares about,
and the things he doesn't really care about, he doesn't care
about at all. Now I tend to be a little like that myself and
that's fine for me as an artist because I'll have a producer to
look after things. But when your producer is like that it can
be a little unnerving. There were many times when I would sing
a vocal and he would say That's fine.' and I wouldn't think it
was good enough. And I was really used to the opposite situation
with a producer. I felt like he was settling a lot of times. But
the plus side was that we liked a lot of the same music and as
people we got along really great and still do when we see each
other. I don't think we're all that compatible as an
artist/producer combination, but at the time it seemed like an
excellent idea.
C.O.: Now as a producer, was it kind of tricky to coax
certain things out of people performance-wise for this new album?
J.S.: Yeah, for some people. Some people just come in
and they do it and they know it's right and it turns out better
than you imagined it was going to sound. When that happens, you
take it as a gift. Other times, people were just unprepared. Like
the same people who never did their homework in high school are
still doing that to this very day out in the real world. They'll
show up and just not know the song or think they knew because
they went through it a few times on the tape. But when it comes
down to hearing us sing together on tape, you just know it's not
there. Then you have to get down and get it any way you can.
C.O.: Were there any tricks you used to get people on
track quicker?
J.S.: If we had to do them separately, I would just have
them come and sit with me in the control room just because it
would make people feel like it was a more intimate setting, which
is what I wanted for the record anyhow. Just talking to people
about the songs (was another way), because generally they would
just hear a demo of me singing both parts of the song with my
part on far left and their part on far right. So even if it was
like a female, I would sing the guest part in falsetto. That was
all they had when they came in, so sometimes it was good just to
sit down and go Here's where it's coming from and yes I really
meant it to be like that.' Sometime you have to discern from
people whether they're just singing it differently because they
think it should just be different or whether they just remember
it that way and they don't know they're doing it a different
way. And in 90% of the cases, they thought it went that way and
not that they were trying to improve it. A person like Carole
King could make up something, change it, and actually improve it.
C.O.: So generally it went fairly smoothly.
J.S.: It went unbelievable smoothly. One of the things
we talked about when we were first doing this is Is this going
to be a nightmare working with people who are unable to sing the
parts or can't sing the parts?' Doing a duets album is really
opening up a can of worms, particularly if it's a whole bunch of
songs that nobody's ever heard before. So it's not like doing
classic songs with new arrangements, these are songs that when
people hear these duets it's going to be their first exposure to
that song. They're going to think that this is the template,
this is the way this song was written to go, so I wanted to get
it right first time around.
C.O.: Was there anyone you tried to get that wasn't
available?
J.S.: There was one person we tried to get whose record
company would not allow them to do the record and that was the
only time. That was another thing that people told us when we
started to do the record, was that 'You're never going to get
permission from people to do this.' Sometimes it took a little bit
of talking through administrative people to get them on the record,
but only once did an attorney try and get in the way of the whole
process and say that their artist couldn't do it. And that was
unfortunate because it was with someone who I'd sung the song with
live, but in the end that was the one Margo Timmins sang and she
did a fantastic job and it's hard to figure that song sung by
anybody else at this point.
C.O.: Were there any songs that didn't make it on to the
album that were a little more uptempo or pop-ish?
J.S.: No. Every one of the songs was based around picking
an acoustic guitar. That was part of the concept from the
beginning, that the tempos were going to go from slow all the way
up to almost mid-tempo. I just didn't want to make one of those
records (that was all over the place). With Todd, he would listen
to thirty songs I wrote and say Let's do a rock one, let's do a
slow one, let's make this one psychedelic.' He had kind of a
one-of-each' approach to do an album. On this record I didn't want
that. If you put this record on at the beginning and played it all
the way through...it was kind of a late night record where you
could put it on and not get jarred half-way through. I wanted it
to be all cut from one cloth and that was the way I approached it
in the writing and we took it that way through the whole
production process.
C.O.: So where do you think you stand industry-wise at
this point in your career?
J.S.: You know, I try to create my own reality as far as
where I stand. I try to bring the industry into my own reality,
rather than me going to theirs. If I was going to do that I
wouldn't be doing the music I do. I wouldn't be doing anything I
do. I would be paralyzed basically. And so the only thing you can
really do is create the climate yourself rather than figure
yourself into one that already exists.
C.O.: Is there anyone that you've wanted to write for
and haven't been able to get a hold of?
J.S.: No. I don't really go out looking for that kind of
thing. Things kind of happen organically (with me).
C.O.: Well was there anything particularly fun or memorable
that happened during this record that you'll remember?
J.S.: Angie (Hart) brought her mother with her (laughs)!
After she left, we kept on saying She brought her mother with
her!' Her mother was really nice but that was pretty unusual!!
---
REVIEW: Ani DiFranco, _Little Plastic Castle_ (Righteous Babe)
- Jon Steltenpohl
Ani DiFranco has a small problem. She's almost happy (the
bio calls it "lighthearted".) Having conquered her feminist
demons, found love, and graced the covers of umpteen magazines, who
can blame her for easing off on the gut wrenching, wound bearing
lyrics that endeared her as a critic's darling and a fan's
obsession. The album cover is the first give away. It's a
brilliant, happy blue with a little plastic goldfish castle, bright
orange aquarium rocks, and DiFranco's goofy mug plastered on the
body of a goldfish. Not exactly the thick, obscured portraits of
her last few covers. Look at it wrong, and you might actually see
a little smile pursing her lips.
Found within _Little Plastic Castle_ is a quieter, gentler
side of Ani DiFranco than fans of her past few albums might be
expecting. Her sarcasm and wit are still present, but the
intensity is set down a few notches. On _Little Plastic Castle_,
DiFranco gives us the poet inside her. The songs are sometimes
nothing more than tapestries behind her verses, and she even goes
as far as including a 14 minute track of free-form music and words
called "Pulse".
"Pulse" is beautiful and mesmerizing. It's a Kafka-esque
ode to a self-destructing lover which finds DiFranco mouthing
hoarsely "i thought: i would offer you my pulse, i would give
you my breath." The music is cool and jazzy. A lazy trumpet
plays over the silent surges of the repeating acoustic guitar
line like the wandering thoughts of a sleepless, moonlit night.
The lyrics are contemplative and wise, melancholy and hopeless.
"We lie in our beds and our graves," sings DiFranco, "unable to
save ourselves from the quaint tragedies we invent...".
So maybe she's not so happy. But there's a new perspective
on this album. For the most part, everyone else seems screwed up,
and it's DiFranco giving them a piece of her mind. In the bruised
and tender "Independence Day", DiFranco takes back a lover and
pleads, "you can't leave me here / now that you're back / you'd
better stay this time / cuz you say the coast is clear / but you
say that all the time". In "Glass House", she tells the world,
"if you think you know what I'm doing wrong / you're gonna have
to get in line / but for the purposes of this song / let's just
say i am doing fine." And for all of the pundits who comment on
her ever changing fashion sense, DiFranco pokes a sarcastic jab
in the title track. "Quick," she jabs, "someone call the girl
police and file a report".
But it's not just the lyrical perspective that's different
on _Little Plastic Castles_. DiFranco experiments more in the
studio this time around. This is the first album where she
sounds like she felt comfortable recording her songs. "Little
Plastic Castles" features a horn section which recalls the Mighty
Mighty Bosstones at half speed, and "Deep Dish" brings back the
horns for a bouncing, experimental piece that is reminiscent of
Suzanne Vega's departure from acoustic folk a few years back.
"As Is" finds DiFranco singing calmly to a quiet little tune and
bending her voice around the title phrase like a pretzel.
_Little Plastic Castle_ is exactly what you'd expect from
Ani DiFranco in that it's different than any of her previous work.
Unlike a major label musician forced to put out a carbon copy of
their last album, DiFranco's individualist tendencies are
unbounded. There are a few familiar tunes like "Loom" and a
studio version of "Gravel", but the songs are first and foremost
poems set to music. They're engaging to listen to, but they
don't always follow the tidy verse-chorus-verse pattern.
All of which makes _Little Plastic Castle_ an album that
probably won't make it onto your local alternative radio station,
but will make it to the discerning fan's CD player. If she was
with a major label, such an album would be a disaster for the
record execs. _Little Plastic Castle_ may not be the logical
follow-up to _Dilate_ and _Living in Clip_, but DiFranco's sold
more than a million albums doing things her own way, and there's
no reason for her to change now. _Little Plastic Castle_
represents just another intriguing evolution in DiFranco's
no-compromise career.
---
INTERNET WEB SITE REVIEW: The Beastie Boys Online
- Robin Lapid
Computer bigwigs always talk about the far-reaching potential
of the Internet as a vital tool for economic and social growth. But
we all know what the Internet's *really* useful for -- hacking and
proffering advance copies of the new Pearl Jam cd and making proper
tributes to your favorite bands, like "The Beastie Boys Ate My
Balls!" homepage.
The collective Beastie Boys -- namely, the punk-rapping trio
of Mike D, MC Adam Yauch, and Adam "AdRock" Horovitz -- are
representin' well on the web, both officially and unofficially. The
band has made ample use of the Internet's saturation ability to
promote their numerous musical and philanthropic side projects. The
fans, of course, are having their say as well. Herein, a primer to
help weed through the net detritus and find those golden nuggets of
b-boy representation.
The official Beastie Boys website, "On the Strength of the
Doo Rag," (http://www.grandroyal.com/beastieboys) is the first and
best place to go for a comprehensive Beastie fix. It started life
as a high-quality fanpage, but Mike D's Grand Royal label has since
taken over, so it has both the latest official news and all the
other nit-picky goodies a fan could ever want. In fact, most of the
fanpages just steal their stuff from this site. Included are tons
of archived press clips, quicktime videos, pictures, discography,
the official mailing list faq, and relevant links, including the
homepage of Milarepa, the not-for-profit (co-founded by Adam Yauch)
organization which puts on the annual Tibetan Freedom Concert.
There are also updates on the latest goings-on of all things Beastie,
which more recently includes confirmation of a new album and tour
this summer.
The best links from this page include the 1995 Tour Diary
(http://www.grandroyal.com/BeastieBoys/TourZine), an amusing
behind-the-scenes look at the American tour for _Ill Communication_ .
Nearly every date is catalogued with setlists, pictures, and the
necessary Beastie anecdotes (i.e. the time they snuck into a
waterslide park afterhours, the NYC Madison Square Garden performance
and afterparty, Mike D's explanation on Billy Joel's honorary status
as 'the Fifth Beastie Boy').
The Grand Royal Records webpage (http://www.grandroyal.com)
links you to all the bands on the label, including AdRock's BS 2000
side project and some outdated information on the GR magazine. But
there's also a link to the interactive web-version of 1992's sold-out
premier issue, with its infamous Bruce Lee cover story. This first
issue epitomizes the best reasons to love the Beastie Boys -- the
music for sure, but also that punk-ass, tongue-in-cheek cool
filtered through hilarious in-jokes. Included in this issue are
interviews with friends like Luscious Jackson and Def Jam's Russell
Simmons, a fashion spread which pays tribute to Joey Buttafuoco, and
Beastie-style music reviews (sample: Soul Asylum, 'Whatever The
Fuck Their New LP Is Called' -- Mike D: 'This is why most white
people suck. Who stole the soul? Soul Asylum.').
The official GR pages are pretty impressive as far as content,
but only mildly so concerning graphics. Expect bigger and better as
an apparent web- initiative has been ordered, so GR may be upgrading
the entire site in anticipation of the new Beastie Boys album.
Overall Rating: 'Jiggy' (i.e., flair, style, very worthwhile).
You might think the official mailing list (subscribe
majordomo@grandroyal.com) would be just as rewarding. But you'd
be wrong. Most of the high-volume traffic consists of e-mails
wondering "So when's the new shit gonna drop?" and posts that just
wanna show off some gangsta- inflected lingo. There are some
promising posts, including information on the new album, but even
that was filtered from mtv online. The same goes for the
alt.music.beastie-boys newsgroup. Ratings for both: "Wack" (i.e.,
bad, as in "what if Sean "Puffy" Combs sampled Celine Dion's Titanic
theme song?" kind of bad).
For other Beastie Boy jiggy-ness on the Web, Sonicnet has
exclusive coverage of 1997's 2nd Annual Tibetan Freedom Concert from
New York (http://www.sonicnet.com/tibet/97). It contains realaudio
and -video clips from many of the bands that performed, including
almost the entire Beastie Boys set. For the best in beastie links,
the Ultimate Band List saves you a lot of search-time
(http://www.ubl.com/artists/001024.html); it includes categories
such as audio and video links, brief intro's to fan pages, and much
more.
---
REVIEW: Swervedriver, _99th Dream_ (Zero Hour)
- Patrick Carmosino
Alan McGee parting ways with Swervedriver and signing the
likes of Super Furry Animals and Three Colours Red in their wake
just can't bode well for Creation Records. Especially when the
Swervie's fourth disc, _99th Dream_, is chock full of the sounds
that made the label famous. Walls of guitars, ponderous lyrics and
pop sensibility continue to be the calling cards of this Oxford-bred
ensemble. Originally cast into the same shoegazer box as early-90's
peers Lush, My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Curve, Swervedriver's
1991 debut _Raise_ (A&M Records) proved to be on the perimeter of
that genre, trading more on chunky yet thoughtful metallic sounds.
Seven years on, _99th Dream_ may ironically be the light that sparks
the 'dream pop' revival.
For one of the best things about Dream is that it never
makes grandiose rock and roll promises, only to let the listener
down later on. It delivers the goods in its own time and space.
Check out the care-free instrumental "Stellar Caprice" for proof.
The languid guitar layers, headed up by a harpsichord like lead,
makes one wonder what would have happened if Pet Sounds-era Brian
Wilson had shared some of the substances he had with guitar boy
wonder/brother Carl. "Stellar Caprice" is an electric godchild to
the Beach Boys' "Let's Go Away For Awhile".
Swervedriver's pop abilities are also on exhibition
throughout this record. In fact, the band reaches a nirvana in
sound when it pulls from such sources as _All Things Must Pass_ -era
George Harrison (the title track) mixed with a horizon-stretching
view a la early Pink Floyd ("She Weaves A Tender Trap"), a simple
indie-pop philosophy ("These Times") and a link to the current
Oasis/Verve axis ("Wrong Treats"). Adam Frankiln's soulful vocals,
are as ever, a soulful glue that gives Swervedriver an appealing
warm sense of what they are doing (check out the wry harmonies
on "In My Time" for proof!). The fuzz box/flange heroics of
Franklin and fellow guitarist Jimmy Hartridge make it all the more
fun. You can really get a grasp of this on the album's barnstorming
closer "Behind The Scenes Of The Sounds & The Times", where the
Swervies provide a sonic boom that lacks the false angst of...say...
Smashing Pumpkins. Perhaps Swervedriver's former labels (Creation,
A&M and Geffen) fucked up indeed!
---
REVIEW: Jimmy Ray, _Jimmy Ray_ (Epic)
- Bob Gajarsky
The history of 1950s music is littered with music
performed by black artists, and then achieving a greater
level of 'popular' success, in a watered down format, by
a white performer. Elvis' career can be rationalized by
his later successes, but is there any doubt that Pat Boone
destroyed "Tutti Frutti" or "Long Tall Sally"?
Falling somewhere between the two extremes that Elvis
and Pat present is that of Jimmy Ray. The 22 year old East Londoner
(Walthamstow, to be precise) has already captured the hearts
of radio programmers with the rockabilly meets 90s sound
of "Are You Jimmy Ray?", and if initial feedback is any
indication, slick-backed hairdos may be poised for a comeback
because of Ray's charismatic personality.
A first listen through _Jimmy Ray_ echoes
George Michael's "Faith" days - complete with his Wham backing
singers of Pepsi & Shirlie. Traces of Andrew Ridgeley's
former partner are evident in the music long before the
recognition of a title which echoes back to Wham's heydays
of the mid-80s; "Let It Go Go". While Michael brought more of
a dance beat to his reinterpretation of the 50s, Ray adds
univentive drum loops.
Prior to his breakout single, Ray's career followed
the same course as many other English wanna-be musicians;
jobs at Woolworth's supplementing failed attempts at a
Smiths-inspired band (The Cutting Room) and a pop/techno
group known as A/V. But it was his partnership with Con
Fitzpatrick in early 1997, coupled with their love of
fifties music, that yielded the right combination.
"By February, 1997, I had some rough demos," Ray
remembers. "I was keen to produce my album by myself, but
Lincoln (Elias, Sony U.K. representative) said 'I know
this guy into Fifties rock and roll and contemporary pop
music, just like you.' That was Con Fitzpatrick...we got
on straightaway, and ended up co-producing most of the album."
"I Got Rolled" is likely to be the second single, with
its "Wille and the Hand Jive" guitar chords. "Trippin' On
Baby Blue", the most original song on the album, might have
its harmonica-based introduction right out of "Love Me Do",
but the remainder of the track is strong, with a slight nod
to a faster version of "Tears of a Clown", yet still
maintaining a sense of individuality. While there are other
singles to be plucked from this bird, _Jimmy Ray_ doesn't
offer an endless supply of perfect three and a half minute
singles.
At thirty five minutes in length, Jimmy Ray's
self-titled debut album is more likely to gain converts from
the alterna-something region than to recruit people who
were around when Palisades Park was an attraction AND a song.
Let's just hope that the younger set take a look back at the
Carl Perkins' and Little Richard's of the fifties before
they dub Jimmy Ray the next Jimmy Dean.
---
CONCERT REVIEW: Lisa Loeb, Tramps, February 27, 1998
- Jason Cahill
Well before the release of Lisa Loeb's two albums, people
were talking about her live performances. In Manhattan, she
frequently played at CBGB's Gallery, a small, intimate club known
for its great acoustics. There, audiences would find themselves
completely transfixed by her smooth, flowing vocals and smart,
girl-next-door looks. Those in attendance recognized her as
something special each time she took to the small stage, sometimes
with her band, sometimes with just her guitar. Since then, her
music has matured and developed a rich texture. Her recent show at
Tramps on the lower west side of New York City was evidence of just
that.
Her set consisted mostly of selections from her two studio
albums, as well as songs from a never released tape she used to
sell for the bargain price of $10 after her shows. Supported by
her ever-changing band Nine Stories and a three piece string
section, she solidified her status as one of music's finest pop
stylists, mixing together smooth, wistful ballads with infectious
pop songs, both ripe with her trademark melodies and pitch perfect
vocals.
"Truthfully" and "Let's Forget About It", both selections
from her latest album _Firecracker_, are both proof positive that
Loeb deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as artists like
Shawn Colvin and Aimee Mann, female vocalists with a great ability
to craft songs which are rich in vocal quality and illustrative
lyrics. "Waiting For Wednesday", "I Do" and "Taffy" were also
standouts, each as catchy and fun as the other. The addition of
the string section added new dimension and life to a familiar
favorite like "Hurricane", giving the song a maturity and brooding
texture otherwise lacking.
Disappointments? Not many, but a few. One in particular
was Loeb's scaled down version of "This", a slow, meandering ballad
off _Firecracker_. In numerous past shows, Loeb has performed this
song as an energetic, up-tempo pop song. In fact, it appeared as
such on her early demo recordings. But in keeping with the version
of "This" which appears on _Firecracker_, Loeb performed it without
any of the intensity the song originally contained.
That aside, Loeb's performance was as solid as any of her
early shows in the small clubs of New York City. The venues might
be larger, but she still manages to hold an audience with just her
voice and her guitar.
---
SINGLE REVIEW: Primal Scream, "If They Move Kill 'Em"
(Creation U.K.)
- Patrick Carmosino
Remixed by Kevin Shields, the sheer beautiful noise coming
from "If They Move..."s first seven-some odd minutes makes you
think that the next My Bloody Valentine record is right around
the corner. In fact, this must be the new MBV record, no doubt?
A buildup, from mellifluous horns to the types of blares that have
brought Shields tinnitus on, is the theme here. There's so much
going on in the end, between the superpounding beat and the layers
and layers of supersonic sounds, that leaves the listener
wonderfully stunned and just muttering in a style not unreminiscent
of Mr. Lou Reed.
The Scream's haunting version of "Darklands" is Bobby
Gilespie's tribute to his original brethren, the Jesus & Mary
Chain. The gorgeous-ness of this version certainly sounds like a
right thank you for the Reid brothers allowing Gillespie to be
their Moe Tucker, if just for one album. "Also" features a
haunting, _Atmosphere_-esque synth coda at the end and on the
remix which sort of explains why this single is dedicated to Ian
Curtis. All this plus an extended version of "If They Move, Kill
Em" in the original, Vanishing Point-style makes this one of the
few current import singles worth plopping down your $11.99 on.
---
REVIEW: Fastball, _All The Pain Money Can Buy_ (Hollywood)
- Bill Holmes
No doubt you've heard the leadoff single, "The Way", which
has exploded out of the box like a rocket even though the album
hadn't been released yet. Good news - there's more where that
came from. Fastball's second album is almost culture shock for
fans of their first. Not that it's better - although it is - but
more that it's so...well.... different! Where _Make Your Mama
Proud_ owed a debt to The Replacements; this second platter is
much more along the lines of Wilco's _Being There_. Refined but
not restrained, Fastball takes it up a level, albeit at an angle.
And that single! If the sneaky intro of "The Way" doesn't
hook you, the irresistible chorus will, especially with the
incredible barrelhouse piano sound that drives it along. Hot on
its heels, "Fire Escape" borrows from The Dylan via Byrds
playbook (the first verse is a nod to "All I Really Want To Do"),
and "Better Than It Was" uses ringing twelve string to marry
early Tom Petty with latter period Band. Vocalists Tony Scalzo
and Miles Zuniga carry the harmonies well, just enough torch in
their twang to please y'alternatives and rockers alike. (And
speaking of The Band, "Out Of My Head" will make any of their
fans do a double take).
Impressively, Fastball has channeled their exuberance
without sacrificing the content. Not as frantic as their debut,
_Pain_ is solid when it's more soulful - "Slow Drag" and "Which
Way To The Top" are standouts. And if it needs to kick a little
ass, no problem - "Sooner Or Later" is a killer, and should be a
smash if anyone is awake at the House Of Programmers. The boys
even swing with horns on "Good Old Days", which features a
Chicago/Asbury Jukes horn chorus that carries the melody until
the guitar solo shreds it just for the hell of it. By the time
the record closes with the haunting "Sweetwater Texas", you've
touched all bases and scored. As has the band.
---
REVIEW: Air, _Moon Safari_ (Source/Caroline)
- Robin Lapid
I have a feeling that _Moon Safari_ started out as an
interactive movie. It's 2 a.m. and you're relaxing in the
chill-out tent at a rave, exhausted from a rigorous night of
dancing. You close your eyes to soak in the dark, and float
through soundscapes filled with jazz, soul, and mellow splashes
of old-school Atari sound effects. The sensual sounds overtake
you. You'd fall asleep, but then you wouldn't hear the music.
Versailles-born Nicolas Godin and Jean Benoit Dunckel are
the writer-directors of this album, weaving pastoral pop and jazz
into hybrid electronic songs. They've infused their aural visions
with an array of keyboard and piano sounds, hints of acoustic
guitar, and the occassional whispers of a sultry French soul-singer.
This music carries more sonic levity than traditional ambient -- the
pop instrumentals, the moog, and the Space Invaders effects keep the
mood relaxed but intriguing.
It sometimes verges on the overly inocuous and airy (no pun
intended). "Sexy Boy," the U.S. radio single and perhaps the weakest
track, is more droning than hypnotic, with its persistent soft-techno
whines and keyboards. But _Moon Safari_ is more a complete journey
into a mood, a sum of its parts rather than a loose collection of
standout singles. Just when I feel the music drifting away into
weightlessness, it brings me back down to earth. "Remember" is a
track you really can't forget, with elegant strings following the
gentle ebb and flow of keyboard burbles. "Ce Matin La" begins
almost like an ambitious Abba song, before drifting off into some
breezy, buoyant sax and violins.
Someone labeled them "post-house," which is a difficult
definition in the techno/ electronica realm -- a "post-" prefix here
and a "-core" suffix there, and you've got a thousand different
sub-genres alone. To me, it's the sound of spaceships, violins, and
seductively sunny days in the French countryside, the latter of which
is, incidentally, where the album was recorded. No "post-" or "-core"
for me, please; just give me Air's red-wine version of dub-ambient.
---
REVIEW: Dave's True Story, _Sex Without Bodies_ (Chesky)
- Patrick Carmosino
Dave's True Story makes a clever kind of jazz, almost designed
to charm generation x-ers and the bunch of punks that preceded them.
'Cause you see, guitarist Dave Cantor and chanteuse Kelly Flint came
from that gen-w bunch. They make smooth, cabaret jazz that definitely
wouldn't sit too comfortably with the Kenny G set (unless said set
thought that by listening, they were being way radical). Instead,
_Sex Without Bodies_ is the _Trinity Sessions_ for the cappuccino
set! Like the Cowboys Junkies classic, Sex... was recorded in a
church, hence the perfectly suited reverb that wettens the sound.
Unlike the latter's dark, western obsessions, Sex...s tunes
rely mostly on today's quintessential, thirty-something, cosmopolitan
experiences. Written mostly by Cantor, the songs center mostly on the
maturing perspectives of sex and romance, sometimes living in perfect
harmony and sometimes at each others throats. Witness "Spasm", in
which Flint coos about desires that could swallow you whole but
later admits they're not the real thing,...just a spasm. On the
title track, the author has discovered that virtual sex is so much
easier that he/she may never go back to the real thing again. All
this is sorted out in the warmth of a shuffle beat, late-60s
Zombies-feelin' melody and warm vibes, mind you. But after all the
ups and downs of the casual dating life, we get "Nirvana", which is
probably one of the most charming denials of actually falling in
love that one can come across. With only Cantor's guitar playing
early-Style Council/EBTG, Wes Montgomery-inspired licks, Flint
regretfully ponders I cant deny this stranger in my skin, I guess
it's just nirvana has set in. Talk about a song custom-built for a
girl I know on Mott Street!
And that goes to demonstrate who gets _Sex Without Bodies_
and all too effectively. It achieves that downtown feel all too
well. Most of the songs sport not only Flint's cooing and Cantor's
kool guitar, but also stand-up bass, shuffle kit and bongoes. With
its additional beatnik feel (although DTS dismisses all that in
"Daddy-O"), it's no wonder why Dave's True Story also attracts the
Vin Scelsa/Idiots Delight crowd who also fawned over the Washington
Squares folk revival ethic of the late 80s. The only wrong move
made which I cant stand, but the mentioned crowds will probably
love is DTS' take on "Walk On The Wildside". Yes, it is one more
thing that _Sex Without Bodies_ has in common with _The Trinity
Sessions_ (on which "Sweet Jane" was effectively blown apart and
put back together), but it doesn't embellish on anything Lou Reed's
original laid down and comes up short: best left for an encore.
Other than that, _Sex Without Bodies_ is a nice, comfy
experience...for that warm fuzzy feeling inside.
Chesky Records can be contacted at PO Box 1268, New
York, NY 10101.
---
REVIEW: Soak, _Soak_ (Interscope)
- Dan Birchall
If you enjoy bands like Live, Alice in Chains, Collective
Soul and Our Lady Peace, but find yourself wishing their songs
involved a bit more in the way of samples, audio loops and
spoken-word rapping, Soak's eponymous 1997 release may be just your
cup of tea.
To be sure, the fivesome - vocalist/guitarist Jason Demetri,
guitarist Leigh Alexander Mason, bassist John Moyer, percussionist
Heath Macintosh, and oddly-named keyboardist Turdlben - aren't the
first to generate catchy hard-rock tunes. Demetri's not the only
vocalist out there whose lyrics are actually intelligible. And
they're not even the first hard-rock band to make use of extensive
sampling, as fans of industrial music or Queensryche's _Operation:
Mindcrime_ can attest.
But in successfully bringing these elements together, Soak
manages to carve out a niche of its own. The resulting sounds are
diverse, and the band easily shifts between portions of their style.
As the first full-length release from a band that's only been playing
together for a few years on the Dallas scene, the album is
surprisingly polished.
None of the tracks on this album will have you reaching for
the fast forward button and the band really shows its strength and
range in the middle four songs. "Shutter Gut (Caroline)" features
sample-laden verses driven by a funky bass riff. "Me Compassionate"
has a fast-paced, industrial feel. "Street Monkey" is a slow, jazzy
instrumental. And the vocal harmonies in the chorus of
"Transcendental Drift" are excellent.
Overall, the band delivers music that's technically and
artistically solid without being pretentious, with plenty of what
listeners want, and a few surprises thrown in.
---
REVIEW: Tonebenders, _Tonebenders_ (Yep Roc)
- Bill Holmes
Mixing Memphis Stax/Volt soul, greasy horns and the
filthiest Fender Rhodes sound I've heard in years, North
Carolina's Tonebenders have flushed the fashion and issued a
CD chock full of hip shaking grits. Lounge music my ass -
eschewing vocals on most tracks, these guys cook up music so
varied, flavorful and saucy that Quentin Tarantino could work
backwards and make a whole movie just based on the groove.
What gives the record such charm is the tightrope walk
between laid-back riffs and combustive chops; the listener
feels like he has stumbled into some great party in a back
room yet there's more direction than pure jam. Boasting
ex-members of both Whiskeytown and Six String Drag, somehow
the quintet sounds nothing like either. Think more along the
lines of _Exile On Main Street_ era Stones on some of the vocal
tracks (guitarist Jim Pendergast, when he does sing, has that
combination drawl/growl that almost sounds Cockney), yet capable
at any moment of echoing Pere Ubu, If or The Yardbirds (and in
the case of "Rudy The Frisbee Assassin", all three at once!).
The two-man horn section sounds like more because they don't
play the standard horn parts we've all heard a thousand times.
Different, like Morphine is different, but not *like* Morphine.
How to describe a band like this? Yeahhhh.......if you
have a sense of adventure, appreciate roots rock and Southern
soul and aren't afraid to get a little jazz on your fingers, I
highly recommend the ride. Those with pop sensibilities will
probably like the Credence-like leadoff track "Soda Pop Quiz"
or the Jaggerisms on "Favorite Dress"; I prefer the funky but
chic "Der Der Der" even though I have no idea what that means.
Yep Roc is a small label from Raleigh North Carolina,
so you might not find this everywhere. I was hooked at a
listening station in a small Chicago store. You can try your
luck at 919-929-7648 (REDEYE202@aol.com) and thank me later.
---
REVIEW: Brownie Mary, _Naked_ (Blackbird)
- Linda Scott
From radio station djs to fans jamming the clubs, Pittsburgh,
PA is a strong supporter of its local bands. Since Rusted Roof
blasted off for the big time, local prognosticators have predicted
the next big thing will be The Clarks or Brownie Mary. If having
the highest placed fan would decide, Brownie Mary would get the nod
from President Clinton. Both the President and Chelsea became fans
when Brownie Mary performed for the Democratic National Party at the
Annual Democratic Saxophone Club Fund-Raiser.
Hard to believe this band with its almost charismatic stage
presence was formed just four years ago and in that time went from
playing college parties to winning the Graffiti Rock Challenge - where
the band went up against a hundred other East Coast bands and came
out on top. Brownie Mary has a loyal following in the mid-Atlantic
region, and they continue to perform at over 150 gigs a year, each
one an energy-filled show.
Brownie Mary was formed in 1993 by Kelsey Barber (lead vocals)
and Rich Jacques (guitar). These two are the band's heart with bass
and percussion slots currently filled by Ron Bissel and Mark
Rajakovic. With Kelsey's powerful, gritty female vocals combined
with Jacques' rhythm hooks and melodic guitar, the band has an
alternative-pop-rock sound similar to The Cranberries, The Pretenders,
and No Doubt.
The band recently signed with Blackbird and put together
their third CD, _Naked_ - but first to receive a national focus.
It remains to be seen if listeners will give it the same attention
outside of the Pittsburgh region. Hopefully, they will give it a
chance, as the band has written some good material, surrounded by
earthy vocals, and well-crafted melodies. _Naked_'s smooth sound
is attributed to the hiring of producer Kevin Maloney (Sinead
O'Connor).
If you like strong female vocalists and pop rock, _Naked_
should be on your musical shopping list. Brownie Mary is now on
its way up and out of Pittsburgh, and on the road. As the band
says - if all you have is the CD, you can't begin to say you've
heard Brownie Mary.
---
REVIEW: Within, _Within_ (Fish N' Brook)
- Dan Birchall
You never know what you'll run into backstage at a
heavy-metal concert. Last summer, my wife and I saw a fan hand
a CD to each member of a west-coast metal band. Moments later,
as the band stopped to say hello to us, one of the bandmembers
covertly slipped us their copy of the CD, unopened.
It stayed in a box for a few months - times were busy - but
eventually, my wife became curious. She gave it a listen - and
hasn't stopped raving since. It didn't take long at all for me to
give it a try as well.
For starters, it's definitely _not_ metal. The label's web
site at http://www.fishnbrook.com/records/ warns visitors that "this
music may be too relaxing." Yes, it's new-age neoclassical, with
guitars, piano and keyboards. You may have heard it on new age
radio shows - it debuted on the Airwaves Top 50 chart at _New Age
Voice_.
The combination of Troy Dilley's guitar work and Lisa
Cardinali's piano and keyboard talents yields a very relaxing
instrumental sound, and given the smooth merging of the sounds, it's
not surprising that the two are romantically linked as well.. If
you like classical music and artists on the Narada label - or are
just looking for a way to mellow out - Within should be quite
enjoyable.
---
NEWS: > Two American Music Club discs - _Engine_ and _The
Restless Stranger_ - have been reissued with three additional
tracks.
> Blur's Graham Coxon has started his own label, Transcopic
Records. The first band to be signed are Assembly Line People Program
out of Chicago (a Fugazi/ Make-Up type band). More information can
be found at their official website, http://www.transcopic.com
> Rob Rowe of Cause & Effect will be appearing at an intimate
instore acoustic performance at Bill's Records in Dallas, Texas on
Saturday, March 21 at 7 pm.
> Nina Gordon, one of the co-founders of Chicago-based
Veruca Salt, has quit the band. According to representatives
at the band's label, Geffen, the future of the group remains
in doubt.
> Rock Out Censorship, a group dedicated to (as the name
implies) limiting censors of albums and concerts, is now on the web
at http://www.theroc.org
> Entries are now being accepted for the USA
Songwriting Competition - sponsored by BMI, Guild Guitars,
D'Addario Guitar Strings, Musician's Friend, Cakewalk Music
Software, Superdups and the American Songwriters Network.
For further information on the contest, check out the web
site at http://www.tiac.net/users/asn/songcontest.html
The competition ends on May 31, 1998.
---
TOUR DATES:
Bluetones
Mar. 22 Aberdeen Music Hall
Mar. 23 Glasgow Borrowlands
China Drum
Mar. 16 New York, NY Coney Island High
Mar. 17 Washington DC Metro Cafe
Mar. 21 Austin, TX Maggie Mae's
Mar. 23 San Diego, CA The Casbah
Mar. 24 Costa Mesa, CA Club Mesa
Cravin' Melon
Mar. 20-21 Isle Of Palms, SC Windjammer
Mar. 23 Hilton Head, SC Monkey Business
Dakota Moon
Mar. 16 San Francisco, CA NARM
Mar. 17 Los Angeles, CA Viper Room
Dave's True Story
Mar. 18 New York, NY Arlene's Grocery
Mar. 20 New York, NY Hotel Galvez
Dream Theatre
Mar. 17 Leipzig, Germany Halle Auensee
Mar. 18 Erlangen, Germany Stadthalle
Everclear / Jimmie's Chicken Shack / Feeder
Mar. 16 Indianapolis, IN Emerson Theater
Mar. 17 LaCrosse, WI Hollywood Theater
Mar. 18 Omaha, NE Sokol Hall
Mar. 20 Salt Lake City, UT Salt Air Pavillion
Mar. 21 Boise, ID Union Block
Mar. 22 Spokane, WA Met Theater
G. Love & Special Sauce / Alana Davis
Mar. 17 Rochester, NY Water St. Music Hall
Mar. 19 Boston, MA Orpheum Theater
Mar. 20 New York, NY Roseland
High Llamas
Mar. 16 Atlanta, GA The Point
Mar. 17 Athens, GA 40 Watt
Mar. 18 New Orleans, LA Howlin Wolf
Mar. 20 Austin, TX Waterloo
Mar. 21 Austin, TX Electric Lounge
Mar. 24 Los Angeles, CA Troubador
Irving Plaza (NYC concert hall - www.irvingplaza.com)
Mar. 16-17 Saw Doctors
Mar. 18 Rockey From The Crypt
Mar. 19 Shawn Colvin
Mar. 20 Joe Satriani
Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers
Mar. 16 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
Mar. 18 Tampa, FL Univ. of Southern Florida
Mar. 19 Panama City Bch., FL Spinnakers
Mar. 20 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
Mar. 21 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Major League Soccer
Mar. 23 Gainesville, FL Florida Theater
Megadeth
Mar. 17 Akron, OH Rhodes Arena
Mar. 18 Rochester, NY Harrow East Theater
Mar. 19 Hershey, PA Hershey Park Arena
Mar. 20 Lewiston, ME Central Maine Civic
Mar. 21 New York, NY Hammerstein
Mar. 23 Baltimore, MD Michaels 8th Avenue
Mar. 24 Norfolk, VA Boathouse
Misfits
Mar. 13 Oklahoma City, OK Will Rogers Center
Mar. 14 Springfield, MO Juke Joint
Mar. 15 Peoria, IL Madison Theater
Mar. 17 Pittsburgh, PA Graffiti
Mar. 18 Richmond, VA Alley Katz
Mar. 19 Portchester, NY 7 Willow Street
Mar. 20 Providence, RI Lupo's
Mar. 21 Worcester, MA Palladium
David Poe
Mar. 13 Pittsburgh, PA Rosebud
Mar. 14 Philadelphia, PA Tin Angel
Mar. 20 Austin, TX Westside Alley
Princess Superstar
Mar. 20 Austin, TX Fat Tuesday's
Mar. 21 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad
Mar. 23 Tucson, AZ Congress
Mar. 24 Los Angeles, CA Al's Bar
Promise Ring
Mar. 17 St. Louis, MO Side Door
Mar. 18 Memphis, TN Barristers
Mar. 19 Dallas, TX Orbit Room
Mar. 20 Austin, TX Electric Lounge (Sxsw)
Mar. 21 Houston, TX Fitzgeralds
Mar. 23 Knoxville, TN World Of Gifts
Mar. 24 Atlanta, GA Under The Coach
Reel Big Fish / Pilfers / Mr. T Experience
Mar. 16 Casper, WY Industrial Building
Mar. 17 Boise, ID Bogie's
Mar. 18 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
Mar. 19 Portland, OR La Luna
Sherry Rich
Mar. 20 Austin, TX Coppertank
Mar. 24 Nashville, TN Zanie's
Swervedriver / Libido
Mar. 20 Chicago, IL Metro
Mar. 21 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry
Mar. 22 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
Third Eye Blind / Smash Mouth / Fat
Mar. 16 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room
Mar. 17 East Lansing, MI MSU Auditorium
Mar. 18 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theater
Mar. 19 York, PA York College - Wolf Gym
Mar. 20 Alfred, NY Alfred Univ. - McClane Center
Mar. 21 Ypsilanti, MI E. MI Univ. - Pease Auditorium
Mar. 23 Eau Claire, WI Zorn Arena
Mar. 24 Minneapolis, MN Northrup Aud.
Tim
Mar. 16 New York, NY Brownie's
Mar. 17 Richmond, VA Twisters
Zeke
Mar. 16 Costa Mesa, CA Club Mesa
Mar. 18 Salt Lake City, UT Spanky's Cinema Bar
Mar. 19 Boulder, CO Club 156
Mar. 20 Denver, CO 15th Street Tavern
Mar. 21 Kansas City, MO Davey's Uptown
Mar. 23 Lawrence, KS Replay Lounge
Mar. 24 New Orleans, LA Dixie Tavern
---
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