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== ISSUE 202 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [March 8, 2000]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com
Managing Editor: Lang Whitaker
Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Chris Hill, Bill
Holmes, Tim Kennedy, Jon Steltenpohl
Correspondents: Michelle Aguilar, Paul Andersen, Christina
Apeles, Niles J. Baranowski, Jason Cahill,
Matthew Carlin, John Davidson, Andrew Duncan,
Krisjanis Gale, Jade Hughes, Paul Hanson, Eric
Hsu, Scott Hudson, Steve Kandell, Dave Kemper,
Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Wes Long, I.K. MacLeod,
Wilson Neate, Mike Pfeiffer, Linda Scott, Don
Share, Scott Slonaker, Kerwin So, Chelsea Spear,
Michael Van Gorden, Simon West
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, David Landgren, Dave Pirmann
Address all comments to staff@consumableonline.com ; subscription
information is given at the end of this issue.
==================================================================
All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s).
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the
editor.
==================================================================
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| Contents |
`------------'
REVIEW: Steely Dan, _Two Against Nature_ - Paul Andersen
REVIEW: Michael Hutchence, _Michael Hutchence_ - Michelle Aguilar
REVIEW: Various Artists, _At Home With the Groovebox_ - Christina Apeles
REVIEW: Gov't Mule, _Life Before Insanity_ - Paul Andersen
REVIEW: Aimee Mann, _Music From The Motion Picture Magnolia_ - Joann D. Ball
REVIEW: Presence, _All Systems Gone_ - Wilson Neate
REVIEW: DJ Spooky vs. Scanner, _The Quick and the Dead_ - Andrew Duncan
REVIEW: Gas Giants, _From Beyond The Back Burner_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: The Anniversary, _Designing A Nervous Breakdown_ - Kerwin So
REVIEW: Violent Femmes, _Freak Magnet_ - Don Share
REVIEW: Ginny Owens, _Without Condition_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Therapy?, _Suicide Pact - You First_ - Andrew Duncan
REVIEW: Phil Coulter, _Highland Cathedral_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Blue Oyster Cult, _Don't Fear The Reaper - The Best Of - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Gran Torino, _Two_ - Paul Andersen
REVIEW: Wild Colonials, _Reel Life Vol. 1_ - Chelsea Spear
NEWS: Beach Boys, Cult, Grooveradio / Moby, Art Garfunkel,
J-Bird / Rockapella 2,
TOUR DATES: Beck, Frank Black and the Catholics, Phil Coulter, Enon,
Fastbacks, Filter / Chevelle, Gomez, Guster, Ben Harper And The
Innocent Criminals, Incubus, Jayhawks, Korn, Aimee Mann / Michael
Penn, Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, New Wet Kojak, Papas Fritas,
Powerman 5000, Pretenders, Lit / 22 Jacks, Step Kings
Back Issues of Consumable
---
REVIEW: Steely Dan, _Two Against Nature_ (Giant)
- Paul Andersen
It has been 20 years since Steely Dan last put out a studio album,
yet amazingly, for the duo of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, time has
stood still. Their new album, the perfectly titled _Two Against Nature_,
sounds as if the natural progression of the band from _Gaucho_ to now
has seamlessly cut through those two decades, causing a definite deja vu
reaction to take place. It's as if they have simply taken an extended
vacation.
Of course, Steely Dan is not your typical pop band. Adored by a
large legion of fans, they traverse a path that is as much rooted in jazz
as it is in rock. Combining top production values -- they have always been
one of the cleanest-sounding bands in popdom with exceptional
virtuosity by a cast of top studio musicians, the duo works in a realm
of music shuttered away from any normal connection to what passes for
popular music. The Dan has always been ahead of their time; it will be
interesting to see if the marketplace has caught up to them, yet.
Yet in many ways, Steely Dan has produced an album that is as safe
as it is brilliant. Yes, brilliant (you can capitalize it if you want to),
but the odd set of songs that make up _Two Against Nature_ sounds as if
they could have been part of the sessions that made _Gaucho_. As full of
odd characters and elliptical meanings as ever, they have given their fans
precisely the album they have clamored for all these years.
It wouldn't even be a bone of contention if Fagen hadn't come out
with _Kamikiriad_ in 1993. A 'solo' album produced by Becker, it was one
of the decade's best. A stunning work that stands as perhaps the best
merging ever of pop and jazz into a singular music, it took chances that
_Nature_ only hints at. The fact that _Kamikiriad_ could have just as
easily been released under the Steely Dan moniker is beside the point.
Oh well. At least the boys are back, proving once again that
occasionally, time can stand still, even though they're still ahead of
it. There's probably a logarithmic equation there somewhere, waiting for
a mathematician to work out the Steely Dan theorem.
---
REVIEW: Michael Hutchence, _Michael Hutchence_ (V2)
- Michelle Aguilar
I should probably get this out of the way now: With a decent
number of genuinely catchy exceptions ("Devil Inside" "Need You
Tonight" "Not Enough Time") I have never been a huge fan of INXS.
Having said that, I have the odd luck to have seen one of
INXS frontman Michael Hutchence's last shows, a few weeks before he
killed himself in a Sydney hotel room. It's one of those blips of an
event that takes on unexpected significance in your life only in
retrospect.
In a fairly intimate Montreal club setting that night, the
crowd was packed with teenagers and thirtysomethings alike (including
my brother - the huge INXS fan in the family who invited me to drive
eight hours from Massachusetts to see this show), who were all pretty
damn excited to be there. Nicholas Cage was in the audience, taking a
break from shooting "Snake Eyes," and graciously waved to Hutchence
and the audience when spotted. All in all, Hutchence should have felt
fairly on top of the world, but instead, the whole thing seemed to be
ringing very hollow for him.
While his bandmates played their songs solidly behind him,
Hutchence mostly ignored them and alternately preened and sneered at
his audience, constantly pacing, as if he couldn't decide between
heaven and hell. He pulled underdressed, underage-looking girl groupies
out of the audience seemingly at every turn, spending half the song
serenading them, the other getting them to simulate sexual acts on
him. While this over-the-top persona could have evoked the bad-boy
sexual electricity of Zepplin-era Robert Plant, it came across instead
as actions full of numb rage.
Not a great way to remember the last time you saw someone.
You know that classic moment in most war movies, where a
soldier loses his friend in the war and he faces the overwhelming task
of writing to his buddy's parents a testament to their son's bravery
and goodness? Because he deserves a better final image than a pile of
blood and urine on a battlefield? That's a bit what this album is like.
Hutchence's producers Andy Gill (Gang of Four) and Danny
Saber (Black Grape) pulled out this almost-finished album a year after
Hutchence's death, determined to sweep aside the ugliness of that
Sydney hotel room, convinced that he deserved a better legacy. As odd
luck would have it, they had some pretty decent stuff to work with.
While he had turned over to INXS' label a perfectly standard and not
all that exciting INXS album in _Elegantly Wasted,_ for his solo work,
Hutchence seems in his last year to have been trying to find a way
out of the stylistic expectations of INXS. This half-finished album
bears hearing, not as a sordid catalog of Hutchence's last year, but
as his most honest, most direct, most human album to date.
Which is not to say that all these songs succeed. Some can't
escape the dull sheen of heavy programming and uninspired melodies,
despite the appealing honesty of their lyrics. But there are some
genuine winners here, especially for any fans of INXS who may have
always secretly wished for something more deep from Michael Hutchence.
"Possibilities," a slow reggae number with minor-key string
arrangements, gives us Hutchence ruminating on his career-long Jim
Morrison pose, and "All I'm Saying," is a pretty, grey rainy-day of a
song that recalls and far surpasses INXS' "Beautiful Girl." "Get on
the Inside," is more surface and more poppy, but quite catchy, while
at the same time, hinting at darker thoughts, the way Bowie did so well
in the '70s. You can almost see Hutchence taking a symbolic stand, smack
dab between where he had come from with INXS and where he seemed to be
trying to land himself.
"Baby It's Alright," and "Flesh and Blood" recall U2's _Achtung
Baby_ in their swaths of High Production, tons of programming and warm,
upfront vocals. (According to Saber and Gill, Hutchence had been
fascinated with U2's postmodern self-reinvention) The eerily-titled
"Don't Save Me From Myself" is a simple, naked song that makes one
wonder what Hutchence might have done with a second or third solo
album, once he had exorcised his personal and musical demons.
However, the one song with an actual U2 stamp on it, "Slide
Away," is a disappointment. Featuring guest vocals by Bono, it frankly
sounds less like a loving tribute than filler. My suspicion is that
this is the real reason it is the album's last track, not because it
was intended as Hutchence's swan song. "She Flirts for England," is
also disappointing, with a boring repetitive melody and lyics that
seems more like one of INXS' worst indulgences, covered up with lush
production by Saber and Gill, still writing that soldier's letter back
home.
This album won't convert any outright Hutchence-haters, but it
is an album that deserves an open-minded listen by INXS fans and those
who can appreciate the hidden beauty inside gaudy packages.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _At Home With the Groovebox_
(Grand Royal and Tannis Root)
- Christina Apeles
What a grand display of electronic ingenuity with the use of
a Groovebox from artists like John McEntire of Tortoise, Money Mark,
Sonic Youth and Beck. Tannis Root's motivation behind the project was
to take a programmable synthesizer with a library of classic and fresh
synthesized sounds, or what is referred to as "a band in a box," pass
it on to a wide range of artists, and see what happens. The result, in
two words, is "absolute fun."
A small number of the fourteen artists featured could resist
creating the ultimate dance track with their try at the Groovebox.
Early pioneers of synthesizer music, Jean Jaques Perry and Gershon
Kingsley, whose song "Baroque Hoedown" inspired the Disneyland Main
Street Light Parade music, shine in their tunes. Perry throws a little
bit from the legendary song, a mix of bells, vocal samplings and
traditional Scottish melodies into "Groovy Leprechauns," while
Kingsley, dolls up a moog number in true festive fashion with
"Popcorn." Air, who are far from foreigners to such technology,
created a masterpiece of a ballad with "Planet Vega," an exploration
of instrumentals, using tempo variations, moving inflections and
dreamlike beats. And Bis gets down and dirty in "Oh My," letting it
all hang out with heavy pulsations, sampling and progressive synth
playing, for a beat happy dance track.
One would expect the clever and funky numbers offered by Money
Mark, Cibo Matto and Beck on this release, but the most entertaining
aspect of this collection was seeing how acts like Pavement, Buffalo
Daughter and Bonnie "Prince" Billy a.k.a. Will Oldham (Palace Brothers)
tackled an instrument with such a dance fever surrounding it. Pavement
is almost unrecognizable in "Robyn Turns 26," sounding closer to
hip-hop than indie pop, and Buffalo Daughter finds familiar ground,
with high hats, hypnotic cycles of sound, even that
annoying-on-all-but-this-occasion hand clapping sample worked into
"303 + 606 = ACID," an obvious homage to underground music. And could
anyone fathom Bonnie "Prince" Billy doing a danceable tune? Of course
not, he was among the few that did overcome the urge to boogie,
presenting his somber penchant atop spare music, probably the most
unlikely pairing of true indie vocals with charismatic tempos. How
he turned the Groovebox into a low-key instrument in "Today I Started
Celebrating Again," just proves his range, or better yet, taste in music.
Veteran pianist extraordinaire Dick Hyman closes the disc with
"Glass Slipper," a dramatic orchestration of sounds appropriate for a
cathedral setting or a ballet. Listening to him will amaze you, as with
all the artists on _At Home With the Groovebox_, making you think twice
about what can be done with a compact box.
---
REVIEW: Gov't Mule, _Life Before Insanity_ (Capricorn)
- Paul Andersen
The trio has long been an accepted musical format in the jazz
world - it seems to be the perfect number of instrumental voices to
interact evenly. Each has an equal part in the overall sound, blending
together in unity while leaving enough room to fully explore the nuances,
crooks and crannies contained in the framework of a song.
In rock and roll, there is also a tradition held forth in threes.
Give me a good power trio, and we'll take no prisoners; give me a great
one, and we'll take over the world.
Gov't Mule is one badass great trio of musicians. In the muscular
style of bands like Cream and Hendrix's Experience, yet coming from a
decidedly Southern point of view (guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist
Allen Woody first saw the light together in the Allman Brothers Band),
the Mule is perhaps the best power trio currently in rock. Together with
drummer Matt Abts (as propulsive a drummer as you'll find), the three
musicians concoct some tightly wound jams. Haynes' specialty is slide
guitar and a bluesy growl of a voice, absolutely perfect for their
music, dripping with grits and grease, while Abts and Woody keep it all
tethered to the ground through a freight train of a rhythmic machine.
_Life Before Insanity_ is the third studio effort by the group,
and it features a bit more structure in terms of the songwriting. With
five of the songs clocking in at less than six minutes, the jam-sodden
nature of their music has been somewhat curbed, though they do kick it
out elsewhere on the disc. This one may actually get some airplay,
especially "Lay Your Burden Down," which features special guest Ben
Harper. But the good news, especially for old fans, is that their
penchant for odd time signatures and sudden melodic changes remains
intact. Think of it as a Mule for all tastes.
---
REVIEW: Aimee Mann, _Music From The Motion Picture
Magnolia_ (Reprise)
- Joann D. Ball
Eight Aimee Mann originals and her superior cover of Harry
Nilsson's "One" make _Music From The Motion Picture Magnolia_ a
quality soundtrack worthy of commercial and critical recognition.
And Aimee Mann's songs are also the central element which makes the
film Magnolia a uniquely crafted cinematic experience.
That singer/songwriter Aimee Mann is capable of accomplishing
so much with her music is perhaps only surprising to record company
naysayers who passed on some of the very same songs that inspired
film director Paul Thomas Anderson. An ardent Aimee Mann fan and
close friend, Anderson listened to Mann's music constantly while
writing the incredible film which has received Golden Globe and
Academy Award recognition. Mann's tenderly honest "Deathly" was
Anderson's original inspiration for the film's central character
Claudia. And he used her simple and straightforward introspective
number "Wise Up" to connect all of the movie's main characters in an
unforgettable sing along film sequence. And yes, "Wise Up," an
emotionally rich, piano and strings crafted masterpiece, has also
received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.
Another friend, fellow musician and producer Jon Brion, also
figures prominently in Aimee Mann's solo success-at-last story that
is _Music From The Motion Picture Magnolia_. Brion liberally
contributes his musicianship, sound sensibilities and production
skills on the soundtrack opener "One" and also on "Momentum." Both
songs echo the fresh and innovative approach he displayed on Mann's
critically acclaimed 1996 effort _I'm With Stupid_. In addition to
his work on these tracks, Brion also plays a variety of instruments
on "Build That Wall" which he co-wrote with Mann, the aforementioned
"Deathly" which he also produced, and "Wise Up" which was produced
by Mann's husband Michael Penn. Mann works just as well without the
studio wizard as suggested on "You Do," the instrumental "Nothing Is
Good Enough" and the rollicking "Driving Sideways." In addition to
"You Do," Mann also self-produced "Save Me," a trademark vulnerable
plea of longing which completes her contributions to the soundtrack.
Driven by her acoustic guitar and bass over a simple drum beat and
lightly accented with accordion, "Save Me" especially suggests that
_Bachelor No. 2_, Mann's full-length third solo release, will be her
best to date.
Supertramp's classics "Goodbye Stranger" and "Logical Song,"
Gabrielle's dance smash "Dreams" and an original instrumental title
track from Jon Brion round out _Music From The Motion Picture
Magnolia_. These songs also appear at key moments in the film, but
it is clear that without Mann's nine offerings Magnolia and its
soundtrack would be simply status quo. And that is exactly why
director Paul Thomas Anderson completely gives Mann the compliment
and credit she has long deserved by suggesting that "you can look at
the movie as the perfect memento to remember the songs that Aimee has
made."
Available in stores nationwide, _Music From The Motion Picture
Magnolia_.can be purchased also from the Aimee Mann Direct store on
her website http://www.aimeemann.com along with the initial Internet
exclusive release of _Bachelor No. 2_. The online Aimee Mann Direct
store also carries Mann's first two solo efforts, the three '80s
records from her band 'til Tuesday, as well as other non-musical
merchandise. Tour dates, lyrics and other information can also be
found on the website.
--
REVIEW: Presence, _All Systems Gone_ (Ark 21)
- Wilson Neate
Presence is a collaborative project helmed by Nottingham-based
producer Charles Webster and featuring a clutch of vocalists and
musicians, including Sara Jay, Shara Nelson, Steve Edwards, Mathew
Herbert and PK Joyce. This collective may borrow its name from the
title of the seventh Led Zeppelin album, but the seamless melding of
smooth soul, techno and house effected by Webster and friends is
about as far from the sound of Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones as you
could get.
Although he may not be a household name, Webster has certainly
been known to fans of house music for some time. Not only did the
Presence singles "Better Day" and "Sense of Danger" precede this
album, but Webster had already established a reputation as a versatile
house and garage DJ, and as the man behind the aliases Sine, Symetrics,
Lo:Rise, Furry Phreaks and Love From San Francisco.
Presence have been labeled Britain's answer to Air, owing to
their shared penchant for drifting, melodic textures. But on _All
Systems Gone_, Webster occasionally creates a heavier and sharper
sound suffused with breakbeats -- particularly on tracks like "Favour
Nothing." And while Presence take a leaf out of Massive Attack's
book, offering a downbeat counterpoint to big beat euphoria, Webster
achieves that effect by taking a deep house and soulful techno
approach, as opposed to the dub and trip/hip-hop route of 3D and company.
_All Systems Gone_ is best described as dance music that you
can chill to. But then, although its sound is inevitably rooted in
house and dance, it isn't a house album or even a dance album per se.
Rather, it draws from a rich palette of forms, rhythms and moods to
serve up some stylish pop music doused in melodies -- often of the
melancholy variant -- that move effortlessly between and beyond all
the labels and terms.
Above all, this album comprises memorable, textured songs
created out of the leitmotifs of house, much in the spirit of
Everything But the Girl's _Temperamental_ or Deep Dish's _Junk
Science_. Indeed, it's intriguing that a veteran practitioner of a
dance form in which traditional song structure and narrative have
never figured highly on the agenda should draw so much influence from
what he calls "proper songs" -- he cites artists as diverse as Rickie
Lee Jones and Kraftwerk -- and sculpt an album of varied tracks, almost
all of which stand up on their own as hit material.
One of the keys to the success of this album is Webster's
rotation of vocalists who enhance the uniqueness of each track -- and
he's assembled quite an impressive line-up here. Acclaimed for her work
on the first Massive Attack album and her subsequent solo ventures
_What Silence Knows_ and _Friendly Fire_, Shara Nelson impresses on
the soulful deep house numbers "Sense of Danger" and "Matter of Fact."
Sara Jay, whose breathy vocals graced Massive's _Mezzanine_, is
equally effective on the slow, gospel-evoking "Far Far Away From My
Heart" and the techno-based "This is You."
But the highest praise here is reserved for Steve Edwards.
Perhaps best known for providing the falsetto on Finley Quaye's "Even
After All," Edwards shines through all of his contributions on _All
Systems Gone_. Whether it's on the techno garage of "Future Love" and
"Better Day" or the breakbeat-laced, Detroit sound of "Been 2 Long,"
Edwards's Curtis Mayfield-style vocals add a very special ingredient
to Webster's ecumenical mix.
---
REVIEW: DJ Spooky vs. Scanner, _The Quick and the
Dead_ (Sulfur/Beggars Banquet)
- Andrew Duncan
DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid, aka Paul D. Miller, has teamed up
with Sulfur Records' top dog, Scanner, to create an anti-musical
statement that brings forth a more intellectual form of pop culture.
_The Quick and the Dead_ is classified as a part of the Meld
Series. The CD defines it as "a union of one artist with another,
breaking the mould, dissolving expectations, in the hope of opening
up a fresh wound in the sound." DJ Spooky and Scanner have stuck the
knife in the wound and twisted the concept beyond repair.
With Scanner's exceptional debut for Sulfur, _Lauwarm
Instrumentals_, DJ Spooky has taken the initial landscapes of
Scanner's haunting minimalist landscape he has defined and chips away
at the creative boundaries. DJ Spooky adds depth and movement with the
inspiration of his experiences in Africa, as well as the sounds of New
York's urban landscapes.
The first track, "Journey" takes the sounds of cloudy, urban
industrialism and adds ambient-dub that emotionally builds in volume
and substance, eventually receding into the second track, "Edison,"
and further with "Uncanny," an experimental approach to hip-hop sampling
that tweaks the effects to the extreme.
DJ Spooky leads you on a roller coaster ride with quick scenery
of urbanism to Scanner's apocalyptic minimalism that boil down to just
plain creepy. "NGUGI" can be conveyed as theatrical horror that bleeds
into "Dialogic," fueled by African tribalism, burning down to just a
lull in "Channel Float." Turn down the lights and you might just feel
frightened or poetically inspired.
Scanner's presence leaves a spine-chilling effect only
intensified by DJ Spooky's talents. _The Quick and the Dead_ is truly
a godsend that will hold its presence well into the 21st century.
---
REVIEW: Gas Giants, _From Beyond The Back Burner_ (Atomic Pop)
- Bill Holmes
The ironic title attests the fact that this record survived a
label merger, an almost old-band reunion, and an almost new-band
break-up. But ex-Gin Blossom Robin Wilson's determination to finally
have a band with his buddies paid off in spades. Gin Blossoms fans
mourning the break-up of their heroes will rejoice when they hear this
record, while the harder sound might even attract a bigger audience.
The Gin Blossoms seemed to break up just when they were ready
to enjoy the rewards of hard work, but this was a tense, haunted band.
Founder and songwriter Doug Hopkins' tragic suicide lingered over the
band's success, and following up a debut album that spawned six radio
staples, _Congratulations I'm Sorry_ had nowhere to go but down. So,
Wilson grabbed drummer Philip Rhodes and old friend guitarist Dan
Henzerling and started over, leaving guitarist Jesse Valenzuela and
the rest of the band to regroup in some other format. When they became
a casualty of the label wars, they incredibly walked away with a studio
full of gear, their master recordings, and no debt. To better control
their creative destiny, the Gas Giants hooked up with Internet record
company Atomic Pop, who first released the record as a digital download
before conventional brick and mortar stores got theirs.
And the result? Sometimes more power trio than power pop, but
_Burner_ is loaded with three minute winners. Robin Wilson is a great
singer, case closed, and Henzerling's inventive guitar playing adds a
lot of sparks to what could be seen as the third Gin Blossoms record.
Retaining producer John Hampton was a smart move, as he obviously
knows the players well and maximizes their strengths of vocal harmony,
strong melodic attack, and Wilson's comically pessimistic lyrics.
"Quitter" is a killer single, as memorable as anything the Gin
Blossoms ever did, as is the bouncy "I Hope My Kids Like Marilyn
Manson" and "In Between Two Worlds." So much for the thought that Robin
Wilson can't write good songs.
Although some tracks on the disc's latter half are not as
memorable, they're not filler either, and they pack enough of a wallop
that you know these guys must kick ass live. Anyone who ever saw Rhodes
play knows he was the glue that held the Gin Blossoms together on stage,
and Henzerling's gurgling guitar break on "Quitter" (an acoustic version
of which is available on the band's website as an MP3, by the way) is
just one gem in his bag of tricks. The band even designed the
comic-book packaging, although you'll need 20/10 vision to read the
four-point "Rollerball" font they unwisely printed the lyrics with.
Jesse Valenzuela? Your serve, sir.
---
REVIEW: The Anniversary, _Designing A Nervous Breakdown_
(Heroes and Villains / Vagrant)
- Kerwin So
Well kids, spring is approaching soon. Greet the coming
sunshine with the gleeful tidings of this debut album from Lawrence,
KS, band The Anniversary. If you took smooth power chords and New
Wave-inspired synthesizers, and melted them together into the visceral
mold of post-hardcore, you would get this band. They don't recall the
Pixies or Devo so much as the Rentals and Velocity Girl, and believe
me, those are high compliments.
Perhaps I was being a tad glib -- although The Anniversary's
music could certainly be described as sunny and sweet, a closer
inspection of the lyrics sheet reveals themes of yearning, nostalgia,
and forbidden love. Take, for instance, the song "All Things
Ordinary" (which in a truly just world would be a commercial radio
smash), whose ultra-catchy chorus goes, "Will you stay near me now,
don't leave this town, until we've figured out, between the two of
us we're strong enough -- I feel that in your touch." Or how about
this line from the rocking "Emma Discovery": "And how can I possibly
describe the way we looked back then? Because falling in love, whether
or not it lasts, there's truth in that."
Yes, it's lyrics like these (and the band's Midwestern roots)
that undeniably point to The Anniversary's roots in emo, but I'd like
to think they're one of a few bands really testing the bounds of the
genre. No member of the band is over 23 years in age, quite surprising
considering the amount of talent they've managed to pack into this
debut. I look forward to more great things from them. In the meantime,
relive the longing and romance of youth with this album, and be glad
that the '80s could still have a hand in creating music this good.
---
REVIEW: Violent Femmes, _Freak Magnet_ (Beyond)
- Don Share
Their first new album since 1994's bewildering _New Times_
and last year's live _Viva Wisconsin_, _Freak Magnet_ finds the
Violent Femmes as bouncily crisp as ever, which means since their
justly revered 1983 debut. Original members Gordon Gano and Brian
Ritchie are joined again by new drummer, Guy Hoffman, once of the
BoDeans, and again we are treated to a combination of familiar
sounds and hit-or-miss experiments, a combination of, er, high and
low points.
The album kicks off with "Hollywood Is High," one of several
instantly likeable and energetic electric tunes; its ambivalence is
characteristic: "And I don't wanna have fun / Fun always lets me
down / And I don't wanna stay young / And always be just hangin'
round." The Femmes aren't all that young anymore, of course, and
they and their fans have likely felt let down since the band's
early, freshly twisted days. Still, as the title tune puts it,
"Some magnets attract / Some magnets repel / Some magnets say: hey,
hey what the hell / I'll take it both ways." If I quote a lot of
lyrics, it's because Gano is memorably quotable - even when he's
being silly, he's not just trying to be fun.
"Sleepwalker," for instance, the album's single, says it all:
"Am I too late / Am I too far estranged... / Is the singer / singing
badly / Or is he trying to sing the wrong song?" Well, on balance,
the "right" songs are either those that crackle with added electric
guitar-punch, but don't suffer from mere punk-predictability - as
does "All I Want," which is merely rote, and "Mosh Pit," which is
something only a Bart Simpson would love ("What's for breakfast /
What's for lunch / What's for dinner / Captain Crunch!") - or the
ones that are freshly experimental. "New Generation," for instance,
sounds like a toss-off, yet it's as succinct and funny as the
Ramones, a kind of "My Generation" in reverse; similarly exhilirating
is "In the Dark," which combines the punning punk-ness of "He has
more women than you'll ever know / Hey daddy hey daddy hi daddy ho"
with a Martin Denny-esque snake-charming flute solo. As for the
experiments, "Forbidden" is as strange and wonderful as Gano gets:
"Come with us and play! / See, we have breasts as women." "I Danced"
is quirky and vivid. "Rejoice and be Happy" is an actual hymn, sped
up and kicked in the seat of its robes.. and why not? "We are the
salt of the earth / If we're not salty / What are we worth?" A Brian
Ritchie bass solo worthy of John Entwhistle, to boot. "Happiness
Is" is Zen-like in its repetitions, and also positively illuminating:
"Happiness is a word for amateurs."
But "I'm Bad" is, indeed bad - listless, perhaps
unintentionally unsatisfying. "At Your Feet" is just a love song.
And, of the failed experiments, the closing "A Story" is a tedious
epic about a "monster of the interstate ... / Who eats teenagers."
It ends with Gano's claim that "The moral of this story / Is clear
for all to see / And if clearly all can see / Then it isn't clear to
me." Typically ambivalent from beginning to end, _Freak Magnet_
is a handful of tunes shy of being a Femmes masterwork, but it nicely
bookends the band's long and in fact distinguished career.
---
REVIEW: Ginny Owens, _Without Condition_ (Word/Epic)
- Jon Steltenpohl
We'd all like to think it was Amy Grant who brought Christian
rock to the mainstream, but in all honesty, it might have been Stryper.
Still, Christian rock these days is much better than it used to be.
Groups such as DC Talk and Jars of Clay are actually as good as some
non-Christian artists, and the Christian rock community seems willing
to accept artists who don't quote a Bible verse in every song.
Ginny Owens is one of this latest breed of Christian artists.
Regardless of her lyrical content, her musical strength is just
incredible. She falls somewhere between Sarah McLachlan, Tracy
Bonham, and Tori Amos. Only, Owens is like the good girl of the
bunch. In fact, had Tori Amos stayed the sweet church girl of her
childhood, she probably would have sounded much like Ginny Owens.
_Without Condition_ is full of singer/songwriter pop goodness.
Granted, the number of artists making this sort of music can be
overwhelming. But a good album is a good album, and Owens deserves
credit. _Without Condition_ is a collection of upbeat pop songs which
are mainly light and easy on the ears. The title track is an Amos
like song with piano and strings which is broken and segmented into
a compelling mix. Like Amos' work, this method results in a song which
seems fragmented on the surface, but is actually easy to fall into.
The other focus track is called "I Wanna Be Moved," and it shares more
with McLachlan's beat-driven sound. "Free," a nice, easy-going track,
has already charted in some areas on the Adult Contemporary arena.
"Springs of Life" attempts to be a bit soulful, but is
something of a letdown. The background vocals and organ don't really
click together. Similarly, "Symbol of a Lost Cause" attempts to be a
bit harsher than the rest of the album, but Owens gets a little lost
when venturing beyond sweetness. Fortunately, she ends the album on
the sweetest note with "Own Me." The song is only piano and soft
voice, and is as good as anything by any of Owens' piano playing peers.
_Without Condition_ is a nice debut for Ginny Owens. She has
the unfortunate, yet common problem of being one of many talented
female singer/songwriters out there. As a result, comparisons to
other artists come quickly and easily, and there isn't a lot to
distinguish Owens from the crowd except for her emphasis on her
faith. Although _Without Condition_ wouldn't be a bad choice for
non-believers, Christian rock fans should definitely check this
album out.
---
REVIEW: Therapy?, _Suicide Pact - You First_ (Ark 21)
- Andrew Duncan
Therapy? has always been known to break the boundaries of the
hard rock community, treating the music more as art than as gyration.
The Irish group invaded the States with a brilliant, schizophrenic
noise-rock introduction (_Caucasian Psychosis_) that would make Charles
Manson grin. The album had a punk-rock edge with frightening lyrics,
mostly about introspection gone wrong, love lost and serial killers.
They packed such a punch that A&M Records signed them, releasing
_Nurse_ and _Troublegum_. Both albums cleaned up their grittiness and
added a poppy edge, while vocalist Andy Cairns wrote some of the
catchiest lyrics around ("Screw that, forget about that, I don't want
to think about anything like that," later ending with, "I've got
nothing to do, but to get screwed up on you.") Their style of lyricism
wrapped around guitar hooks that would leave an imprint in the mind. As
the band progressed, each album would take a slight turn.
Even with their trademark sound, they were hard to pinpoint
and became unpredictable. _Infernal Love_ proved this best as the band
introduced electronics to their sound. It was like Christmas and not
knowing what was in the presents under the tree. It's Christmas again
and Therapy? is back with yet another knot to their twisted journey.
This time the band relapses back to their noisy days. The
concept sounds promising, as _Caucasian Psychosis_ proved to be their
best work. However, the album was recorded too quickly (a mere
two-and-a half weeks), and Cairns's voice unfortunately falls through.
"He's Not That Kind Of Girl" sounds like Van Halen's "Ice Cream Man"
sung by a burnt-out blues singer. "Wall Of Mouths" demonstrates the
Therapy? we all know and love. Cairns wails, "Got nothing to say, I'm
not talking to you," in an attitude that resembles early Iggy Pop.
Disappointingly, "Hate Kill Destroy," based on Nietzche's writings,
and "Jam Jar Jail" are annoying.
Like always, the musicianship is above par and the
instrumental "Big Cave In" is eerily exciting, filled with offbeat
timing and powerful dynamics. "Little Tongues First" is the hit maker
of the album with a video to follow (an enhanced version is included
with the CD). The band ends on a positive note with the destructively
bouncy "Sister."
_Suicide Pact_ is shaky and unstable. The band has more
potential, as they have proved it in the past, even without the
commercial-pop aspect. Unfortunately, they were not able to maintain
it this time around.
---
REVIEW: Phil Coulter, _Highland Cathedral_ (RCA Victor)
- Jon Steltenpohl
Call me crazy, or maybe call me uniformed, but for
atmospheric, new age, Celtic music, my world has typically started
and ended with Enya. I've always been aware of other artist such as
Clannad, Loreena Mckennitt, and the Chieftains, but none of them have
ever really captured the "mellow" mood like Enya did. Well, now I've
got another artist who fits the, uh, Enya genre. Despite a history
that goes back some 30 years, this is the first I've heard of Phil
Coulter.
And that's too bad, because Coulter is very talented. The
fact that this album is released on RCA Victor would make you think
that this is an album strictly for the crusty "Howard's End" and Emma
Thompson crowd. Yet, although it can be a slow paced album, _Highland
Cathedral_ is filled with impeccable sound and simple, subtle melodies
that will appeal to everyone. It is engaging enough to sit snug
alongside of your Enya collection. Coulter's work with James Galway
and Roma Downey are dubious resume entries for modern rock lovers,
but regardless of whether or not those artists appeal to you,
_Highland Cathedral_ might.
Coulter has a good feel for constructing music which is New
Age yet full of substance. Despite the common perception of what
"New Age" entails, there are no pan flutes, no effeminent saxophones,
no whale songs and not even a hint of John Tesh. The only New Age
cliches employed are the use of wind noises along with the bag pipes
on one track. But, this is done well, and, when set against the litany
of New Age atrocities, is somewhat forgiveable.
The only distraction will come for those who manage to be fans
of both New Age Celtic music and Spinal Tap. Unfortunately, "The
Gathering -- Bealtaine" shares a spoken intro similar to Spinal
Tap's fateful "Stonehenge," and visions of dwarfs dancing around
18-inch-tall monoliths are regrettable. Fortunately, the intro is
over quickly, and the compelling drum beats quickly erase any visages
of Harry Shearer in a fu manchu.
Coulter is being sold to us as a New Age artist on a label
that rarely releases albums to the Modern Rock crowd, yet _Highland
Cathedral_ is an album which fits the modern listener very well. So,
forget about demographics. If you're looking for a new "mellow" entry
into your CD collection, Phil Coulter's _Highland Cathedral_ is an
excellent candidate.
---
REVIEW: Blue Oyster Cult, _Don't Fear The Reaper - The Best
Of_ (Legacy)
- Bill Holmes
To some, Blue Oyster Cult's (ahem) legacy is that of a
thunderous, ponderous rock band firmly locked into the '70s. And the
same people will claim that your appreciation for their dense lyrics
and guitar pyrotechnics might have been proportional to just how stoned
you were at the time. If you're guilty as charged, this remastered
single-disc collection might surprise you.
With a tight rhythm section, two dynamic guitarists and a
charismatic vocalist, BOC was already a well-oiled live band by the
time they broke onto the scene in 1972. Their first three albums
boasted songs with aggressive titles like "Flaming Telepaths" and
"Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll"; not quite your average love songs.
Each album charted higher than the previous one, and the band toured
relentlessly. Finally, with the release of their fourth record, _Agents
Of Fortune_, "Reaper" became a top twenty hit and launched the group
into the stratosphere.
Admittedly, the sinister pose was a bit of a put-on, and tracks
like "Joan Crawford Has Risen From The Grave" and "Marshall Plan" prove
BOC to be Black Sabbath with better chops and a sense of humor, a trick
that label mates The Dictators would take a step further. But BOC could
rock with anybody, especially when underrated guitarist Donald "Buck
Dharma" Roeser would cut loose on tracks like "Take Me Away" and
"Flaming Telepaths."
This collection is the first to include material from every
album; strong but lesser known cuts fit well alongside hits like
"Burning For You," "(Don't Fear The) Reaper," and "In Thee." The two
and a half minute garage rocker "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" is a
forgotten gem, and you might be surprised to know that "Godzilla" was
NOT a single, considering it is one of their best known songs. Obviously
Nirvana liked it so much that Kurt ripped it off for "Smells Like Teen
Spirit." And the Farfisa-driven, glam-tinged "Goin' Through The
Motions" (co-written with Ian Hunter), should have been a smash hit.
The sound is crisp and clear - drums snap, bass pounds and
guitars rip. If you're a fan, indulge yourself. And if you're new to
BOC, well - for those about to rock, I salute you.
---
REVIEW: Gran Torino, _Two_ (26.2 Music)
- Paul Andersen
A nine-piece band aptly named after the classic Ford muscle
car, Gran Torino will get your feet hummin' as they blaze forth on their
sophomore album, simply titled _Two_. Featuring a stylized take on 70s
funk mixed with touches of hip-hop, Gran Torino comes at you with all
pistons churning.
Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, the band chews up and spits out
influences like so much Southern Comfort. You'll find traces of
everything from Earth, Wind and Fire and Tower of Power to Marvin Gaye
and Stevie Wonder in the mix, but it is done in a retro/modern gumbo
that sounds surprisingly fresh, especially if this is your first
go-round with this kind of music. They've listened well, and have
furnished themselves with a 'Gran' sound of their own.
The three horn players first met in the marching band at the
University of Tennessee, and there is a martial feel to the ensemble
passages. GT is definitely a good-time party group, and the 200 plus
dates they play annually has given them a really tight sound.
The album starts off with "Coup d'etat," an instrumental that sets
the mood with the horns riffing against a fuzzed-out guitar. They then go
through a program of tunes that surge and ebb with the feel of a late
night roadhouse set. Vocalist Chris Ford has a soulful voice perfectly
suited for the songs at hand, and by the time the checkered flag drops
on this dance party, you'll be converted. If Gran Torino comes roaring
down your two-lane highway, this disc is proof that missing them would
be a sin.
---
REVIEW: Wild Colonials, _Reel Life Vol. 1_ (Chromatic)
- Chelsea Spear
Common principle in film-scoring dictates that all music,
no matter how striking, original, or evocative in its own right, must
play a supporting role to the images on screen. Sure, with the upswing
of marketing there have been some exceptions to this rule, from the
sinister-sounding collection of oldies that populated the _Pulp
Fiction_ and _Reservoir Dogs_ soundtracks to the aesthetic snake-oil
that punctuated the ready-for-MTV action in such Gen-X cinematic
marvels as _Reality Bites_ and _Empire Records_. If the Wild
Colonials' recent compilation of film music is any indication,
however, the pendulum is swinging back and films are starting to
seek a more understated vibe to their musical leanings. Unfortunately,
the Colonials have taken this need for understatement and evocation
to its logical extreme, since much of this album is rather
banal-sounding.
If the original tracks included here are any indication,
the Wild Colonials are exactly the kind of band you'd expect to see
playing on the second stage at Lilith Fair. While their music can
take on a pendulous, propulsive drive, most of the time it lingers
in neutral, attempting to weave a spell with pretty melodies, slow,
swaying tempos, and the occasional augmentation of an unusual
instrument like didgeridoo, tambura or octigon to fill their sound.
With their full, Celtic-influenced sound, the Colonials want most to
sound like the Pogues, but their sanded-down edges and soft sounds
instead end up emulating another soft quintet with a misleadingly
raucous name, 10,000 Maniacs. Lead singer Angela McCluskey has a
strong, sure voice that tonally resembles a more assured Natalie
Merchant or more understated Dolores O'Riordan. All over, the sound
is very *nice* -- while it has its moments of swaying beauty, it
doesn't push the envelope enough.
To be fair, _Reel Life Vol. 1_ might not be the most
representative work for this band. After all, most of the songs
were written and performed for films, and might be places where the
band either fails on greater risks or plays it safe like hired
hands. And from perusing the liner notes it seems like the players
are more interested in providing an appropriate sonic background for
the action unfolding on-screen. Perhaps hearing these songs in their
cinematic context would make for a greater effect. The musicians are
clearly good at what they do, and with such a gem as a lead singer,
one would hope they'd do more. I'm curious to hear if these Colonials
truly get Wild when they are the center of attention.
---
NEWS: > Beach Boys fans will want to check out
http://www.luxuriamusic.com -- where every Saturday afternoon,
from 5 pm - 7 pm EST, Chuck Kelley will present Heroes and Villains.
The Internet broadcast features music from The Beach Boys' well-known
recordings as well as rarities and fringe recordings, as well as related
music from the likes of Marilyn Wilson's band The Honeys, Glen Campbell
and Van Dyke Parks and even such items as the infamous recording of the
Wilson brothers' father, Murry Wilson, coaching his boys in the studio.
> Beggars Banquet has re-released five titles from the
Cult catalog. Three albums -- _Love_, _Electric_ and _Sonic
Temple_ -- have been remasterd and are being released with new
expanded packaging. The remaining two albums being re-released
are _Ceremony_ and _The Cult_.
> Grooveradio.com will be offering a free music
download of Moby's "Natural Blues" (Perfecto Mix), remixed
by Paul Oakenfold. This will only be available for a limited
time.
> Art Garfunkel is working on a new solo album, his
first since 1997's Grammy-nominated _Songs From A Parent
To A Child_. In related news, _Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest
Hits_ has been certified diamond, for sales of more than 10
million copies -- and is the best ever selling album by a duo.
> J-Bird Records will be offering music consumers
the opportunity to download four new tracks from Rockapella 2
via the Internet sites of Tower Records
http://www.towerrecords.com, Trans World Entertainment
http://www.twec.com, Wherehouse Music http://www.CheckOutMusic.com
and the Musicland Group sites, including http://www.SamGoody.com,
until March 27. The full CD will be available in stores
March 28.
---
TOUR DATES:
Beck
Mar. 9 Milan, Italy Alcatraz
Mar. 10 Zurich, Switzerland Volkshaus
Mar. 11 Munich, Germany Colosseum
Mar. 13 Cologne, Germany E-Werk
Mar. 14 Berlin, Germany Columbiahalle
Mar. 15 Hamburg, Germany Grosse Freiheit 36
Frank Black and the Catholics
Mar. 8-10 Los Angeles, CA The Mint
Phil Coulter
Mar. 10 Boston, MA Boston Symphony
Mar. 11 New Haven, CT Palace Theatre
Mar. 12 Philadelphia, PA Keswick Theatre
Mar. 13 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie
Mar. 15 Long Island, NY Tilles Center
Enon
Mar. 9 Morgantown, WV 123 Pleasant Street
Mar. 10 Lexington, KY Yat's Restaurant
Mar. 11 Nashville, TN The End
Mar. 12 Memphis, TN Last Place on Ear
Mar. 14 Houston, TX Rudyard's
Mar. 15 Denton, TX Rubber Glove
Fastbacks
Mar. 11 Seattle, WA Graceland
Mar. 16 Austin, TX Waterloo Brewpub (SXSW)
Filter / Chevelle
Mar. 8 Seattle, WA Showbox
Mar. 10 Salt Lake City, UT Salt Air
Mar. 11 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
Mar. 13 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre
Mar. 15 Milwaukee, WI Modjeska Theatre
Gomez
Mar. 9 New York, NY Roseland
Mar. 10 Philadelphia, PA TLA
Mar. 11 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Mar. 13 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club
Mar. 15 Dallas, TX Trees
Mar. 16 Austin, TX SXSW
Mar. 18 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Guster
Mar. 9 Vancouver, BC Richard's on Richards
Mar. 10 Portland, OR Alladin Theater
Mar. 11 Seattle, WA Fenix
Ben Harper And The Innocent Criminals:
Mar. 14 Porto, Portugal Coliseum
Mar. 15 Lisbon, Portugal Coliseum
Incubus
Mar. 8 Birmingham, AL Five Points Music Hall
Mar. 9 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre
Mar. 10 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live
Mar. 11 Tulsa, OK Cain's
Mar. 13 Knoxville, TN Moose's
Mar. 14 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
Jayhawks
Mar. 13 Columbia, MO The Blue Note
Mar. 14 Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck
Mar. 18 St. Paul, MN Gabes By The Park
Korn
Mar. 10 Fargo, ND Fargo Dome
Mar. 11 Madison, WI Dane County Arena
Mar. 13 Moline, IL Mark of the Quads
Mar. 14 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
Aimee Mann / Michael Penn
Mar. 8 Los Angeles, CA Cafe Largo
Mar. 13 Minneapolis, MN Guthrie Theater
Mar. 14 Chicago, IL Park West
Neko Case & Her Boyfriends
Mar. 8 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill
Mar. 9 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland
Mar. 10 San Diego, CA Casbah
Mar. 11 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Roadhouse
Mar. 12 Las Cruces, NM The Club
Mar. 15 Dallas, TX Gypsy Tea Room
New Wet Kojak
Mar. 8 New York, NY Cbgb / Underground Film
Mar. 11 Charlottesville, VA Tokyo Rose
Mar. 12 Atlanta, GA Echo Lounge
Mar. 13 New Orleans, LA Mermaid Lounge
Mar. 14 Houston, TX Rudyards
Mar. 15 Denton, TX Rubber Gloves
Papas Fritas
Mar. 9 New York City, NY Brownies w/ Team USA
Mar. 10 Philadelphia, PA w/ Team USA
Mar. 11 Washington, DCBlack Cat
Mar. 12 Chapel Hill, NC Room 4/Go Lounge
Mar. 13 Athens, GA 40 Watt w/ Of Montreal, Team USA
Mar. 14 Atlanta, GA The Earl
Mar. 15 New Orleans, LA w/ Man or Astroman
Powerman 5000
Mar. 10 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
Mar. 11 Lake Buena Vista, FL House Of Blues
Mar. 12 Fort Lauderdale, FL Chili Pepper
Mar. 14 Spartanburg, SC Ground Zero
Mar. 15 Birmingham, AL Five Points Music Hall
Pretenders
Mar. 8 Morristown, NJ Community Theatre
Mar. 10 New York, NY Roseland Ballroom
Mar. 11 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
Mar. 12 Pittsburgh, PA Palumbo Theatre
Lit / 22 Jacks
Mar. 8 Old Bridge, NJ Birch Hill Nite Club
Mar. 9 Scranton, PA Tisk's
Mar. 10 Cleveland, OH The Odeon
Mar. 11 Pittsburgh, PA TBA
Mar. 13 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Mar. 14 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
Mar. 15 Detroit, MI St. Andrews
Step Kings
Mar. 8 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
Mar. 9 Pasadena, MD Daytona's
Mar. 13 Wilkes-Barre, PA Metropolis
Mar. 15 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Mar. 16 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts
Mar. 17 New Haven, CT Toads
---
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