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==== ISSUE 135 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [February 16, 1998]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
Internet: gaj@westnet.com
Sr. Correspondents: Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren,
Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva
Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Tracey Bleile, Lee
Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Patrick Carmosino,
Araballe Clauson, Krisjanis Gale, Bill Holmes,
Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Robin Lapid, Stephen Lin,
Scott Miller, Linda Scott, Rainier Simoneaux, Scott
Slonaker, Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Simon
West, Lang Whitaker
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 |
`------------'
REVIEW: Ian Brown, _Unfinished Monkey Business_ - Tim Kennedy
REVIEW: High Llamas: _Cold and Bouncy_ - Daniel Aloi
REVIEW: Stereophonics, _Word Gets Around_ - Tim Kennedy
REVIEW: Moe Tucker, _GRL-GRUP_ (EP) / "I'm Sticking With
You"/"After Hours" - Daniel Aloi
REVIEW: Soundtrack, _The Wedding Singer_ - Bob Gajarsky
CONCERT REVIEW: The Devlins w/ Exit 159 - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Komputer, _The World Of Tomorrow_ - Krisjanis Gale
REIVEW: Apples in Stereo, _Tone Soul Evolution_ - Joe Silva
REVIEW: Consolidated _Dropped_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Nineteen Wheels, _Six Ways From Sunday_ - Arabella Clauson
REVIEW: Recoil, _Unsound Methods_ - Krisjanis Gale
NEWS: Depeche Mode, Falco, Oasis, Queensryche, Rainmakers,
Rhino Home Video (Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder), James Iha,
Smashing Pumpkins / Nitzer Ebb
TOUR DATES: Blue Mountain, Broadside Electric, Irving Plaza,
Chantal Kreviazuk, Letters To Cleo, Life Of Agony / Far,
Shake Appeal, Third Eye Blind / Smashmouth
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
Back Issues of Consumable
---
REVIEW: Ian Brown, _Unfinished Monkey Business_ (Polydor UK)
- Tim Kennedy
This album has one hell of a history. The Stone Roses
were all set to become the biggest UK band of the 90s
back in 1989. They played great rock music, they had
dance credibility, they looked incredibly cool - like
football 'casuals' with guitars. They came out of
nowhere, when rock music had no credibility and house/
hiphop were the musics of the moment. All of a sudden
a thousand bands got in on the act, then it all turned
sour. Blur actually appeared at this time, apeing the
Roses so embarassingly that their stage show was a Roses
tribute.
The band changed but most surprising of all was that
instead of 'Squire/Brown' on the credits for the most
controversial second album _Second Coming_ only Squire
appeared. The band sounded great, but whispers about
Browney's voice got louder. Now Squire has his own
Indie/Zep rock'n'roll band. Oasis took the glory
that could have been the Roses'.
But instead of disappearing from the scene, Ian
has returned with a very different kind of music. This
album seems to carry on where the Roses left off in
1990. The B side of "One Love" - "Something's
Burning", a mysterious groovy reggae-ish number, and
"Fools Gold" (the song that launched a host of dance/
rock crossovers -none quite so successful as the original)
are the nearest Ian got to these songs with his old band.
The production on this record is very creaky, but
it just makes listening to _Unfinished Monkey Business_
all the more fascinating. When you liste to demos by
your favourite band, or maybe the solo work of Syd Barrett,
you hear the germ of something magical -the excitement isn't
yet driven out by endless retakes and overdubs.
This work features the band that was the Stone Roses
after Squire, with replacement guitarist Aziz Ibrahim
making some great contributions in particular, but most
surprising is to hear Reni drumming on one of these
tracks. "Can't See Me" is the true descendant of "Fools
Gold" - a superb drum loop and great groove. This alone
is worth the price of _Unfinished..._. But there is much
much more. Elsewhere Maddix, who replaced Reni in the
Roses, takes up the sticks.
Much of the lyrics appear to be aimed at John Squire -
and in bad humour, too. Many of the interviews in the
UK press have also seen much badmouthing of his former
henchman too (no doubt some of it exaggerated afterwards
by eager hacks). Other lyrics are merely puzzling (one
"Lions" features the repeated mantra "No lions in England").
The music styles vary from loping funk, to guitar
workouts featuring the oriental patterns of Aziz Ibrahim.
We also get elegaic gloom of Joy Division proportions.
One track is built around riffing heavy guitar and appears
to be satirising his old buddy's penchant for Hendrix -
the title is "Ice Cold Cube" - Squire's band nickname.
Elsewhere there is acoustic guitar/vocals, alone and
stark, seemingly meandering, recalling the solo work of
Syd Barrett in that one wonders if this is greatness or
lunacy - or both.
Other songs are built around primitive beatbox, like
the Flying Lizards. Yet another is a sad Durutti Column
guitar ballad. Even the blues are conjured up briefly, he
uses styles with wild abandon, then dumps them just as
suddenly.
The bewildering array of musical genres employed
here build up a mad collage of sounds, which astound the
ear. This is not an album where you can listen to
one song then predict what the others are like.
This work doesn't relate to much of the music being
played elsewhere in the UK. Ian has his own agenda.
He is a true innovator and this album is greatness
forged from chaos. He could have melted away forever
into Lee Mavers (ex-La's) country, but he returned, and
any fan of the Stone Roses will see the spirit of that
band defiant amongst these strange but wonderful
songs.
---
REVIEW: High Llamas: _Cold and Bouncy_ (Alpaca/V2)
- Daniel Aloi
Here it is, early 1998, and in certain pop-cultural
circles you'd think it was still 1966. Bob Dylan, Neil Young
and the Doors are as popular as ever. Freedom of expression
reigns. And we've hit a high point for '60s musical worship,
with the resurgence of lounge music and a British pop ethic
adopted by many contemporary bands -- Dandy Warhols, Candy
Butchers and the like. You can pin this trend on a) a reaction
to grunge and rap and b) the enduring influence of '60s melody
masters the Beach Boys, Burt Bacharach and the Beatles, all of
whom spun out such memorable candyfloss that their influence is
nearly impossible to deny. These three B's of pop seem to be on
a continuous tape loop inside the skull of head High Llama Sean
O'Hagan. He may have decidedly different musical credentials
with Microdisney and Stereolab, but with this band he
consistently refuses to stray too far from his synths-in-a-sandbox
Brian Wilson obsession.
That's not a criticism -- O'Hagan doesn't plunder the
undeniable past any more than, say, Elvis Costello - and there
are much worse heroes he could emulate. But unfortunately on the
aptly titled "Cold and Bouncy," O'Hagan and his band's pet
sounds don't quite match up to the originals, and he adds little
in original viewpoint to the pure pop feeling he's recreating.
Lacking the layered harmonies and walls of wonderful sound that
Beach Boy Brian built from scratch, songs like "The Sun Beats
Down" and "Tilting Windmills" provide only a surface reading of
an attempt to recreate Wilson's "teenage symphonies to God."
Instead the "cold" electronic gurgles and gleeps
throughout the album take over, to the point that even "warm"
instruments (banjo, vibes) are so deliberately plunked they
sound like samples. The overall effect is distance from the
heart that one thinks should be behind this music. "Over the
River" and "Didball" sound like lost Bacharach scores -- in
fact, these tracks and some of the Llamas' instrumentals play
as if originally written as soundtrack filler for some European
film in the '60s (naturally), perhaps a spy caper-romance set
aboard a submarine cruising off the French Riviera.
Still, "Cold and Bouncy" is enjoyable, not to be taken
too seriously -- and what more could you ask of a pop album? Just
don't get all nostalgic and hold it up to Wilson's now-flickering
but once-bright candle and it's a fine listen, with more than an
hour of melodic whimsy that seems to float by in half that time.
---
REVIEW: Stereophonics, _Word Gets Around_ (V2)
- Tim Kennedy
The Stereophonics actually emerged from rural obscurity
during the previous year and this album has been out in the UK
for some months, but the band have just become the surprise
gatecrashers of the 1998 awards circuit in the UK. These Welsh
veterans of many a record company refusal letter allegedly take
their inspiration from such luminaries as AC/DC.
But, they are no leaden-footed blues metal merchants.
Their guitars are often played with punkoid fury, but the songs
are well-turned instant pop classics. Perhaps only the Teenage
Fanclub in years gone by have managed a similar light touch
conveyed upon heavy guitars.
The lyrics immediately strike the listener with their
intelligence, and thought-provoking couplets leap out constantly;
'it takes one tree/ to make a thousand matches/ but it only takes
one match/ to burn a thousand trees' ("A Thousand Trees").
"Traffic" speaks of searching for a place in life - 'Wait tables
for a crook? Write a hard back book? You teach your kids to
read? Sell your body on the street?', and is sung superbly by
Kelly Jones who must havethe best rock voice to emerge since Liam
Gallagher. Jones trades in unstoppable streams of images,
tumbling over each other as they pour forth '...as the rumours
start to fly/ you can hear them in the school yard/ scrap yard/
chip shop/ phone box/ in the pool hall/ at the shoe stall...' ("A
Thousand Trees"). Jones could sing the telephone book and make
it sound of desperation, but these lyrics are some of the finest
heard for years. This band does not trade in lovelorn laments,
nor vague anthemic platitudes, but in the stuff of everyday
existence.
There is more than one song here about small town suicide
(including the title track), and the majority of the lyrics are
about battling against everyday life in depressed South Wales,
but really it could be anywhere. The songs and the voice speak
about real experiences, and there are no platitudes here, only
compassion.
Musically they are straightahead rock'n'roll, but the
Stereophonics more than prove that there are still places to go
with this much-maligned genre. The confidence with which they
play is thrilling to hear. At one point they even launch into
a Madness-style piano solo, and it works superbly as you might
expect.
Great lyrics are rare enough these days. Allied to a
sure songwriting touch and great playing ability and sung with
such superb panache, nothing can stop this band except maybe
success itself.
---
REVIEW: Moe Tucker, _GRL-GRUP_ (EP) / "I'm Sticking With
You"/"After Hours" (Lakeshore Drive)
- Daniel Aloi
Back when she was in the Velvet Underground, drummer Moe
Tucker must have kept a close eye - and ear - on Nico. You can hear
a bit of the Teutonic chanteuse in Tucker's throaty singing style.
But Tucker's most recent solo work doesn't otherwise much
resemble the Velvets' art-damaged debut. These two new CDs, released
in December on Tucker's own label, pay loving tribute to '60s pop
songs - including two from Lou Reed's catalog.
Tucker now lives in rural Georgia, where her kids are
leaving the nest and she drums with Magnet. Recording in Atlanta,
Tucker leads her band (including her onetime Half Japanese cohort
John Sluggett) through covers of four Phil Spector-Jeff Barry-Ellie
Greenwich love songs on _GRL-GRUP_, a title displayed in big license
plate lettering on the CD's cover.
Tucker and her supporting cast achieve a scaled-down wall
of sound that's low on sheen, big on heart - as she sings such
teenage melodramas as "(And) Then He Kissed Me," "Be My Baby," "To
Know Him Is To Love Him" and even "Da Doo Ron Ron." Indie-rock
types shouldn't be surprised - Moe did a slew of classic rock'n'roll
songs on her solo debut, "Playin' Possum." You can tell it's an act
of love - one she dedicates to her former bandmate, the late
Sterling Morrison.
Even Tucker's versions of the two Lou Reed songs on the
single (both of which were also covered on the final Velvet
Underground tour captured on "Live MCMXCIII") project a sweet
backwards glance at the bouncy innocence of '60s AM radio - the
kind of thing that was anathema to the Velvets' original artcore
audience. Then again, Lou never made any bones about his love for
the songs of Doc Pomus.
You can order these and other solo releases from Tucker
directly (and even have them autographed) by writing to her at PO
Box 2357, Douglas, GA 31534. Prices and other details are available
on her web site, http://www.spearedpeanut.com/tajmoehal
Tucker's site, TajMoehal, is well-illustrated and
fan-friendly -- she offers to make tapes (at a discounted price)
of her solo CDs and will even autograph them for you if you ask.
A monthly newsletter page keeps everyone abreast of not only her
recording projects but her family members' latest
accomplishments. And she's put out a call for VU bootleg
masters for a project Polygram is undertaking. Links to other
VU-related sites abound, as do links to other bands she likes
or has worked with, including Half Japanese and Olivia Tremor
Control.
---
REVIEW: Soundtrack, _The Wedding Singer_ (Maverick)
- Bob Gajarsky
Adam Sandler's latest big-screen effort, as a wedding singer
jilted at the altar for his own ring ceremony, serves as an
opportunity to rehash some of modern rock's most successful
songs during the mid 1980s.
The leadoff track from this collection is the Presidents of
the United States of America's cover of the Buggles' "Video Killed
the Radio Star". Formerly a nearly impossible-to-obtain B-side,
"Video" is not only the sole 'new' track, but also a prized
collectible for fans of the now defunct group.
Some of the 'flashback' soundtracks (_Grease_, _Romy and
Michele's High School Reunion_) focus on music appropriate to the
aura portrayed in the movie - a high school prom, for example.
But rather than being reflective of the 'pop' culture of the 80s,
_Wedding Singer_ instead focuses on what should have been;
a dozen songs which can still be listened to (at least passively)
by today's modern rock fan. A wedding singer performing the Smiths
in 1985 might have been thought of as cool by 2 people, and weird
by the rest...
Most of these tracks are already in the collections of
many modern rock fans; it seems inconceivable that a big fan
wouldn't already have the Smiths' longest-lasting hit ("How Soon
Is Now?") or the track which catapulted New Order to international
dance club fame ("Blue Monday"). Still, it remains likely that
fans of the 80s 'cool scene' will purchase this to fill in a
couple missing gaps in those collections.
And with at least three songs included on the promotional
trailers which are NOT included on this volume ("Der Kommessar",
"Always Something There To Remind Me", "Boys Don't Cry"), it's
equally likely we'll see a _More Music from The Wedding Singer_
album later in 1998.
TRACK LISTING: Presidents of the United States of America - Video
Killed The Radio Star; Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me;
Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic; Smiths - How Soon Is Now?;
Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way; Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now; Elvis
Costello - Every Day I Write The Book; Billy Idol - White Wedding;
David Bowie - China Girl; New Order - Blue Monday; Musical Youth -
Pass The Dutchie; Dialogue Have You Written Anything Lately?;
Adam Sandler - Somebody Kill Me; Ellen Dow / Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's
Delight (Medley)
---
CONCERT REVIEW: The Devlins w/ Exit 159 Kansas City, MO
- Jon Steltenpohl
Braving the experience of a real "cowtown", The Devlins
travelled to Kansas City to give a healthy dose of support of
their new album, _Waiting_. While the tiny university towns of
Lawrence, KS and Columbia, MO sport progressive music scenes
within a stone's throw, Kansas City seems hell bent on ignoring
everything but generic stadium concerts. Even the incredible
jazz and blues that Kansas City is famous for takes a back seat
to bar-b-que joints. The horrors of the KC club scene aside,
the music at The Hurricance was unquestionably good. The Devlins'
pensive, melodic pop sparkled despite a half filled club of noisy
newcomers, and the opening act, refreshingly, didn't suck.
Local band Exit 159 (http://godot.simplenet.com/exit159)
wowed the crowd with their opening slot. Band leader Kristie
Stremel (formerly of Midwest darlings Frogpond) blazed through an
alterna-pop set that was reminiscent of Joan Jett and Chrissie
Hynde mixed in with a little Cars. Originals like "Cigarette
Kiss" seemed to impress the crowd, and one by one, they actually
got off their lame "parked at the bar" asses and danced. A too
short set of supercharged originals and a cover of Prince's Little
Red Corvette left the crowd hungry for more, but Exit 159 had
already run over and couldn't be coaxed back for an encore.
A few minutes later, The Devlins took the stage. A
lighted sign with the word "waiting" on it along with a few red
"stop" lights provided their entire stage decor. Bassist Peter
Devlin and drummer Sean Deavitt were attired in simple jeans and
t-shirts, and Colin wore shimmy slacks and red aligator shoes.
It was immediately apparent that here was a band with no need
for pretty boy pretensions. They opened out with a few acoustic
tracks including an immaculate, stripped down version of
"Surrender" that featured Peter's chiming satellite tones on
guitar. Like the version on their current album _Waiting_, the
song quietly mesmerized the audience.
Or, at least, it mesmerized a good portion of the audience.
For every fan of the Devlins who had travelled over hill and dale
to get a glimpse at this treasure, there was some half drunk bozo
who dropped in while bar-hopping or some Friends wannabe with a
free ticket they won on the radio who refused to shut the hell up.
Here's this quiet Irish band with probing, inciteful lyrics
playing to a bipolar crowd of diehard fans and boistrous drunks.
Were it not for the quality of the music and The Devlins'
devil-may-care attitude, it might have been a wasted night. A
great acoustic version of Prince's "I could Never Take the Place
of Your Man" was their answer to Exit 159, and for a while, even
the drunk losers took notice.
But for those who cared, the Devlins did deliver. They
performed nearly all of the songs off their current album
including their current single, "Heaven's Wall", the title track
"Waiting", and such excellent cuts as "Where are You Tonight?",
"Years Could Go By", "Reckless", "Disappear", and "Kill With Me
Tonight". A few tracks such as "I Knew That" and "I Almost Made
You Smile" from their first album, _Drift_, made it in, and
throughout the night, a wall of fans could be seen dancing in
place with their eyes either closed or fixated on Colin's heavy
gaze.
As sex symbols go, Colin wouldn't be your obvious choice.
He rarely danced, never showed off, and often looked a little
nervous up there. But in a Shelley-esque sort of way, he was
captivating. Here was a tragic, underfed poet with a slight
grin that switched to a slight wince in a single lyric. Somehow,
without a hint of irony, he sang smart lines like "You never
should look back, experience has taught us that" from "Reckless".
And then, with a toss of his brown, curly hair, he'd gaze back
out to the crowd and let you in on a little more of his soul.
When they got around to doing "Heaven's Wall", the song
almost seemed out of place. Against a field of disaffected
stories of troubled love, here you have a bonafide love song
with hope! Colin appeared to break a grin while singing it, but
you wouldn't want to swear on it. It's almost like he was a bit
embarrassed to sing something that wasn't depressing. I
commented to a fan who had driven 4 hours to see them play that,
"Well, I guess all of their songs can't be sad", and she said,
"They aren't sad, they're beautiful."
And I guess, really, she was right. Despite all of the
distractions from the crowd and the misery of being stuck in the
midwest, the Devlins put together a show that can truly be
described as beautiful. Here was a band that seemed wholly
innocent as to what was expected of them as a rock band and of
the audience they were faced with. Didn't they know they were
playing in Kansas City? Didn't they know they had a bar crowd?
Didn't they know they were supposed to break a few guitar
strings? Apparently not. The Devlins simply played beautiful,
haunting music. They were gracious and unflinching. Even when
someone in the midst of conversation shouted out "Fuck you!"
during a quiet point in a song, they were undaunted.
Near the end of the show, they did "Surrender" again.
Only this time, it was electric and a little louder. Still
spellbinding, it was a deja vu moment that seemed a tacit
reminder to those captivated by this low key band that they had
indeed given in.
As the band left the stage at the end of the set, it
became apparent that they must have had some effect on the entire
crowd given the strength of the applause that called them back on
the stage. They closed out the night as gracious hosts by playing
a request of the girl who drove 4 hours to see them, and then
faded slowly off the stage as subtly as they came on.
The Devlins are currently on tour through February opening
for Paula Cole.
---
REVIEW: Komputer, _The World Of Tomorrow_ (Mute)
- Krisjanis Gale
Sometimes you have to look back in order to look far ahead...this
perspective makes listening to Komputer's new release "The World of
Tomorrow" much more profound.
Komputer is simple and repetitive, clinically structured, and also
deeply captivating... but only to fans of Kraftwerk and their countless
descendents. Komputer is NOT about throwing a dozen effects on a guitar
and supplementing it with a badly reconstructed sampled breakbeat to issue
some ill-conceived vision of the future; they are NOT here to give some
dark political view warning of the effects of mass technological evolution;
and they are certainly NOT here to emulate natural soundscapes through
synthesis - quite the opposite.
Komputer has embraced the power of machines, have learned to adapt
cold binary digits to human expression, and are offering a beautifully
refreshing, totally artificial insight into the next stage of human
evolution, as we grow beyond the flesh and deeper into the mind.
"Underwater cities / giant upper craft / automated factories /
trips to the stars. Hydroponic farms /moving walkways / picture
telephones / colonies on Mars"
This is precisely the vision once portrayed by Kraftwerk. I
can think of no more qualified group than Komputer to carry their
tradition of fearless technological worship, begun many a year ago.
---
REIVEW: Apples in Stereo, _Tone Soul Evolution_ (Spin Art/Sire)
- Joe Silva
One of the principal brigades from the potentially legendary
Elephant Six collective, the Apples second LP is an intentional step
away from all the electronic psychedelia of their debut. By shedding
their analog synth-coats for bare-chested organs and straight up
guitar work, the Apples hoped to recover their pop aspirations from
orbit, and bring them to ground in kinder, gentler pastures. That
said and that accomplished, the great promise of this collection
collapses somewhat beneath it's own raison d'etre after a time. The
Apples eventually devolve into a blurred, moving target in a game of
spot the vibe.
For all the careful harmonies and gentle postures, the Apples
riffs and pleasant melodies are still not quite up to the task of
becoming terribly catchy - which would appear to be their principal
motive. With "Seems So," the lead off track that's laden with Rubber
Soul-ish backing vocals, one of their most resonant choruses, and
its Fab-like ending, one of their peak moments is served up straight
away. But by the time we get past the sweet "About Your Fame," the
chords start to resemble bland indie-isms and Robert Schneider's
lyrics move from pleasant simplicities to trite chin-wagging. When
you arrive at "Tin Pan Alley," with its intro blatantly lifted from
Buddy Holly's "Words of Love" there seems to be not much substance
left to sustain the Apples' good intentions. But just when their
prospects seem exhausted, Schneider delivers the doozy that is "Find
Our Way" - a mellow construction of organ, vocal harmonies, and
ringing guitars that's at once wonderfully listenable and the correct
balance of all that Schneider draws upon and aims for. Coupled with
the ultra-nifty coda that follows, the Apples still manage to
maintain a certain amount of hope for themselves until the ripening
is complete.
---
REVIEW: Consolidated _Dropped_ (Sol 3 Records)
- Jon Steltenpohl
Well, as the title of the album says, Adam Sherburne's
Consolidated has finally been _Dropped_ . Given his moral conflicts
with being part of the music industry, it's amazing that he lasted
for 4 major label albums before seeking indie refuge. On _Dropped_ ,
Sherburne goes farther towards the 'band' sound of _Business of
Punishment_ and drifts farther from the dance sound that made their
debut, _The Myth of Rock_ , a success. _Business of Punishment_,
while not a strict dancefest, was at least groove-able, but
_Dropped_ is dark and festering. Somewhere along the line,
Sherburne decided to cop a few chords from Jimi Hendrix and Muddy
Waters, and the result is that _Dropped_ is an attempt at retro
hardcore that only sporadically finds its groove.
Not that the music has ever really been Sherburne's focus.
Instead, Consolidated has been and remains a force for political
action and for venting whatever else is on Sherburne's mind.
Pro-woman, vegetarian, pro-abortion, anti-war, pro-gay, anti-racist,
pro-environment, and anti-music industry have been just a few of the
labels Sherburne has chosen for himself. Their web page
(http://www.sol3records.com) links you to the National Abortion and
Reproductive Rights Action League, the Animal Rights Resource Site,
and a site of links called "Working for Justice...Ending Violence."
On this album, the focus is on male domination and abuse
and apparently, a break-up of Sherburne's marriage. The result
is a slightly confusing mix of songs that swing from a lovesick
guy with "a hole in his heart" to an incest perpetrator. In other
words, there's not a lot of love on this album. Sherburne excels
when he focuses directly on abuse.
In "Recovered Memory (the perp pt.1)" and "Why doesn't he
stop (the perp pt.2)", incest and domestic violence get dissected
in the trademark Consolidated way. Sherburne personifies the
abused and then angrily lambastes the perpetrator. In "Recovered
Memory", Gloria Steinam adds spoken word ("one in three girls and
one in four boys will be sexually assaulted before they reach the
age of eighteen"), and, in "Why doesn't he stop", an abused woman
speaks candidly about her experiences and fear. The song ends
with another woman stating, "the question is not 'Why doesn't she
just leave?', the question is, 'Why doesn't he just stop?'.
Like most of Sherburne's statements, they are powerful and
evoke strong emotions. Unfortunately, on _Dropped_, these two
tracks are the exception. Instead, there are clunkly lines like,
"You know it's funny when the A.C.L.U. can be confused with
Operation Rescue. / Don't get me wrong I'm real happy for all of
the pimps and klansmen they're saving / but that system is caving
in."
Ultimately, this is what makes _Dropped_ weaker than
previous Consolidated albums. The change from dance band to music
band is nothing compared to Sherburne's lack of focus on his own
agendas. When he's focused on a target (wife beaters and child
abusers), he really gets in your head and forces you to consider
your own morality, but when he drifts from that, Consolidated
just becomes another band.
---
REVIEW: Nineteen Wheels, _Six Ways From Sunday_ (Aware)
- Arabella Clauson
The music industry has felt a constant rumble rolling out
of that big state called Michigan, and it has nothing to do with
El Nino. The young band Nineteen Wheels has recently garnered
national attention after signing as the first grassroots act on
the new AWARE/Columbia label. In recent years, AWARE Music has
released compilations featuring then-independent bands such as
Hootie & the Blowfish, Edwin McCain, Matchbox 20, The Verve Pipe,
and Better Than Ezra.
Judging from _Six Ways From Sunday_, the band is right on
track. Drawing from the recent insurgent country movement so
pervasive on the airwaves these days, the sound falls somewhere
between Grant Lee Buffalo and Son Volt, with a dash of Pearl Jam
on a couple of tracks like "Colorado" for good measure. Frontman
Chris Johnson's vocals evoke Son Volt's Jay Farrar, pleasantly
gritty, like the tasty charred bits on a barbecued steak. He
consistently delivers emotionally driven vocals backed by a band
that could have defined Midwesten country-rock if it was still
uncharted territory.
Intelligent structured tunes are the norm for this band,
ranging from the infectious upbeat "13 Seconds to Burn" about the
inherent restrictions in the life of a prison inmate, to "Make it
on the Warm," an introspective glimpse into the meaning of truth.
The first single, "Colorado," is marked with driving guitars and
pounding rhythms, reminiscent of the Pearl Jam sound, though the
Eddie Vedder fan club may disagree. The disc is refreshing
because every track seems balanced with another one. For every
electric guitar screaming, baseline thumping tune, there is a
calm, hummable acoustic piece to match.
This is an album for the those who still mourn the passing
of Uncle Tupelo, but like the new offerings from Wilco and Son
Volt. If an eighteen wheeler rumbles through your CD player, look
for the Michigan plates and the extra tire.
---
REVIEW: Recoil, _Unsound Methods_ (Reprise)
- Krisjanis Gale
Ingredients present on _Unsound Methods_:
Adam Wilder - former Depeche Mode producer;
Douglas McCarthy - former Nitzer Ebb singer
Maggie Estep - spoken word artist from New York
Siobhan Lynch - independent songwriter and performer
Hildia Campbell - gospel and blues singer for Depeche Mode's
_Songs of Faith and Devotion_ LP
Loosely constructed riffs and musical framework
Cooking Instructions:
Motivate collaboration between songwriter-lyricists and producer
Tweak for months, infusing the entire work with dark, infectious
Ambient dub grooves
Mix
Release to the public
Servings: 9
Adam Wilder has stayed true to the original feel and purpose of
Recoil, while also exploring far more provocative creative worlds then
he did for _Bloodline_. Why is _Unsound Methods_ radically different?
No longer working with Depeche Mode, Adam has freed more time to allow
Recoil to develop into far more than a side project - it has grown into
a ferocious and righteous monster with a heart of darkness that clearly
understands the most morbid aspects of the human condition, crushing the
weak in spirit and uplifting the strong-willed and deserving heirs to
the Future.
Who knows where this monster will roam next. It has already forged
so many new paths...
---
NEWS: > Depeche Mode is in the studio recording new songs
for a forthcoming double disc greatest hits package,
expected to be in stores in late 1998. This collection
will include all of their hits since their last studio
compilation, in 1986. In addition, a tribute album _For
The Masses_ is undergoing construction; potential bands
to appear on this include Smashing Pumpkins, Dishwalla,
Apollo 440, Deftones and more on 1500 Records.
> Austrian pop star Falco, who achieved monumental
fame in Europe with "Jeanny" and hit #1 in the United States
with an English remix of "Rock Me Amadeus", recently passed
away in a car accident in the Dominican Republic at the age
of 40.
> Oasis is considering the release of a compilation
album - whose contents will be determined by fans - towards
the end of 1998.
Rather than being a true compilation of all their
B-sides, this effort will include only twelve songs. Fans
can choose among 31 tracks (excluding live and demo versions
of songs already appearing on albums) to decide the actual
track listing by emailing their list to oasis@oasisinet.com
with name, email address, and a subject header of "Compilation
LP" before April 30, 1998.
For further information on this and other Oasis news,
go to http://www.oasisinet.com .
> Guitarist Chris DeGarmo has left Queensryche to
pursue other projects. The band's new album is reportedly
at least half finished; no word on whether they'll try to
make do with 1 guitarist instead of 2, but they're
reportedly looking for a replacement.
> Mercury Records has tentatively set June, 1998,
for the American release of a greatest hits packages of the
Rainmakers. A 'best of' disc was issued six years ago
for the band in Norway.
> Rhino Home Video will be releasing documentaries
on the making of Paul Simon's _Graceland_ and Stevie Wonder's
_Songs In The Key Of Life_ featuring outtakes, demos, live
performances and some previously unreleased footage. These
videos will be avilable on March 17, 1998.
> James Iha will be appearing on America Online at 9pm
EST on February 26 for an online chat; keyword VIRGIN.
> The founder of Nitzer Ebb, Bon Harris, has been
enlisted by Billy Corgan to add an electronic edge to the
new Smashing Pumpkins album. According to Harris, "This is
a very different record for Smashing Pumpkins, with
probably 50% of it being electronic-oriented. Billy gives
me free reign with what Im doing. He gives me the
songs, I go work on them, bring them back, and it works."
Harris is also working on material for his new
project, Maven. Flood and Billy Corgan are expected to
be involved with Maven in some capacity.
---
TOUR DATES:
Blue Mountain
Feb. 20 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Feb. 21 Cambridge, MA T.T. The Bear's
Feb. 23 Northhampton, MA Iron Horse
Feb. 25 Albany,NY Bogie's
Feb. 27 Washington, DC Bayou
Broadside Electric
Feb. 21 Philadelphia, PA The Mermaid Inn
Irving Plaza (NYC concert hall - www.irvingplaza.com)
Feb. 27 Hum / Swervedriver
Chantal Kreviazuk
Feb. 26 Chicago, IL Wtmx Radio Show @ House Of Blues
Feb. 27 Detroit, MI Royal Oak
Feb. 28 Cleveland, OH Odeon
Letters To Cleo
Feb. 19 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Feb. 20 Asbury Park, NJ Saint
Feb. 21 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
Life Of Agony / Far
Feb. 16 Providence, RI Met Cafe
Feb. 17 Washington DC 9:30 Club
Feb. 18 Albany, NY Bogies
Feb. 22 Grand Rapids, MI Intersection
Feb. 23 Cleveland, OH Odeon
Feb. 24 Detroit, MI Shelter
Feb. 26 Kansas City, KS Roadhouse Rubys
Feb. 27 Sioux Falls, SD Pomp Room
Feb. 28 Lincoln, NE Royal Grove
Shake Appeal
Feb. 18 Philadelphia, PA Upstairs At Nick's
Feb. 19 Baltimore, MD Otto Bar
Feb. 20 New York, NY Brownies
Feb. 27 Springfield, MA Fat Cat
Third Eye Blind / Smashmouth
Feb. 20 Norfolk, VA Boathouse
Feb. 21 Baltimore, MD Loyola College
Feb. 22 Scranton, PA Cultural Center
Feb. 24 Poughkeepsie, NY Mid-Hudson Civic Center
Feb. 25 New Brunswick, NJ Rutgers University
Feb. 26 Hartford, CT Univ. of Hartford
Feb. 27 New York, NY Roseland
Feb. 28 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
> After reading nothing but negative reviews for Goldie's latest,
I'm very glad to see someone has finally seen the light and recognized
an album that is, in my opinion, ahead of its time. After experiencing
(and being completely blown away by) _Mother_, I can honestly say that
Goldie is a genuine artist in every sense of the word. Bravo. - T.Q.
---
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