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== ISSUE 191 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [November 1, 1999]
Editor: Bob Gajarsky
E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com
Managing Editor: Lang Whitaker
Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim
Kennedy, Al Muzer, Joe Silva
Correspondents: Michelle Aguilar, Christina Apeles, Niles J.
Baranowski, Mike Bederka, Jason
Cahill, Matthew Carlin, Patrick Carmosino, John
Davidson, Andrew Duncan, Krisjanis Gale, Paul
Hanson, Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Scott Hudson,
Steve Kandell, Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Wes
Long, Iain Kenneth MacLeod, Linda Scott, Don
Share, Scott Slonaker, Kerwin So, Chelsea Spear,
Jon Steltenpohl, Michael Van Gorden, Simon West
Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, David Landgren, Dave Pirmann
Address all comments to staff@consumableonline.com ; subscription
information is given at the end of this issue.
==================================================================
All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s).
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the
editor.
==================================================================
.------------.
| Contents |
`------------'
INTERVIEW: Chuck D. - Lang Whitaker
REVIEW: Stone Temple Pilots, _No. 4_ - Scott Hudson
REVIEW: Iggy Pop, _Avenue B_ - Steve Kandell
REVIEW: The Clash, _From Here To Eternity Live_ - Tim Kennedy
REVIEW: Pet Shop Boys, _Nightlife_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Days of the New, _Days of the New II_ - Linda Scott
REVIEW: Filter, _Title of Record_ - Andrew Duncan
REVIEW: The Scorpions, _Eye II Eye_ - Chris Candreva
REVIEW: Rees Shad, _Little Brown Book_ - Wes Long
REVIEW: The Frank and Walters, _Beauty Becomes More Than
Life_ - Patrick Carmosino
REVIEW: The Dust Brothers, _Fight Club_ Soundtrack_ - Michelle Aguilar
COMPILATION REVIEWS: Yaz, _The Best Of_ / Dennis DeYoung, _The
Ultimate Collection_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Velvet Crush, _Free Expression_ - Wes Long
REVIEW: Various Artists, _International Pop Overthrow
Volume 2_ - John Davidson
REVIEW: Tram, _Heavy Black Frame_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: Patty Larkin, _a gogo_ - Jon Steltenpohl
NEWS: Duran Duran, Korn, Alanis Morissete, Tonic
TOUR DATES: Alaline Trio, Blinker The Star, Buzzcocks / Lunachicks /
Down By Law, Danzig, Del The Funky Homosapien & Casual, Bryan Ferry,
Ben Harper, Ben Lee, Len / Styles of Beyond, Live, Luscious Jackson,
Andrea Parker, Silverchair / Blink 182, Sonia Dada, Joe Strummer &
The Mescaleros, Superchunk, Richard Thompson, Tonic / Goo Goo Dolls,
Watsonville Patio, Josh Wink
Back Issues of Consumable
---
INTERVIEW: Chuck D.
- Lang Whitaker
When I was in seventh grade, I attended my first concert: EPMD,
Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. Though I
had a great time, the thing that stuck out in my mind was the image of
Public Enemy frontman Chuck D. stalking around the stage, spitting
lyrical fury. When rap music was popularized in the '80s, Chuck D. and
PE were right there, providing a socio-political backbone to a music
form that largely celebrated partying and dancing. And as we zoom into
the year 2000, Public Enemy is still there, leading hip-hop's Internet
revolution.
I first interviewed Chuck D. a few years ago. As fellow Atlanta,
Ga., residents, we hit it off, and we now keep in constant contact.
While Chuck is considerably softer and kinder in person than on record
or stage, there is still an edge to his personality, as if at any moment
he could lash out and begin preaching about fighting the power or not
believing the hype. Even while sitting next to him on an overstuffed
couch or gretting him with a hug, Chuck engenders a sense of caution.
After a recent show on PE's fortieth world tour, I recently sat
down with Chuck D. and picked his always-controversial brain.
CONSUMABLE ONLINE: Chuck, I was talking to someone the other
day, and when I told them I knew you they said 'Oh, isn't he an
anti-Semite?'
CHUCK: (laughs) Oh, man. Where was that person from, a cave?
You sure they weren't from a cave?
C.O.: Why would someone say that about you?
CHUCK: (sighs) I don't know. There's a lot of misinformation,
and if they're subjected to only reading the headlines of a situation,
then they're going to pass an opinion that's based on a fallacy or a
non-fact.
C.O.: (laughs) Of course, you were accused of anti-Semitism by
the Anti-Defamation League for your song "Swindler's Lust." I read
somewhere on the Internet where they asked you about that situation,
and if "Swindler's Lust" was anti-Semitic, and you said "They need to
look into it for themselves."
CHUCK: Exactly. Anyone that's listened to the song can clearly
recognize that I'm talking about my relationship with Polygram Records
and Def Jam Records in 1998, and in retrospective, going back to '93
and '92. And 'Swindler's Lust,' if they really think about 'Schindler's
List,' they know that it was Spielberg's take on a guy that was dealing
with the artistry of freedom of people in Nazi Germany. So, why
couldn't I use that as an inspiration. I think it could be considered
highly racist that I wouldn't be able to touch that area and be inspired
by that area without people passing judgement. That's truly American of
somebody to actually put that tag on me by just reading at a headline
and not looking at the story. That's a problem American's have: We're
dumbed down by the fact that we think the headline is the total story.
That's precisely some of the things I like to talk about. I made
'Don't Believe the Hype' twelve years ago to talk about the way
Americans take information in. So I can't help it if someone happens
to be less intelligent than me.
C.O.: (laughs) When you say the way Americans 'take information
in,' I think you're referring more so to the way people misinterpret
what they take in and misuse that interpretation, right?
CHUCK: Exactly! Americans like their food fast, but they like
their info fast, too. Sometimes you have to read the whole, total
picture. We're in a fast food society that wants information to be just
as fast, health care to be just as fast and sex to be just as fast. So
I can't speak for people who want to fuck their brains up and deal with
their ride, and they just want to be satisfied off of a glimpse. the
key to Public Enemy is that when you see us, you understand it's going
to be special because we've been to six continents. And my discussion,
when I deal with other continents, is usually at a higher level than
when I deal with America. Americans, largely, are dumb. Which means
that we're not trained to actually acknowledge the total picture
outside the 2,000-by-3,000 mile box of the United States of America.
C.O.: You were talking about being involved worldwide, and for
you a lot of that comes through the Internet, right?
CHUCK: Well, Public Enemy was the first rap group that planted
our seeds worldwide. We weren't afraid, way back in the '80s, to go
stay in Norway for three or four days, and deal with winters in Europe
and summers in Africa. I think that very worldly experience helped us
plant the seeds for rap music and hip-hop, not just for us, but for
rap music and hip-hop. People like the Roots, Cypress Hill and the
Fugees took advantage of that world sound. But...now we tour twenty
percent of the time as opposed to seventy percent of the time back in
the day, but we make sure that our twenty percent is quality time,
because we got things to handle and businesses to take care of.
C.O.: What do you do the other eighty percent of the time?
CHUCK: The eight other things I do.
C.O.: (laughs) Well, what are they?
CHUCK: I'm not going to tell you everything because you'll
probably end up printing them all in your article. (laughs)
C.O.: C'mon, Chuck (laughs).
CHUCK: We just started Rapstation.com, which is like ESPN for
rap music and hip-hop, and we launched that last week. There's
Bringthenoise.com, which is Internet hip-hop radio. We play more rap
joints than anyone around the world. I have a show where I play
unsigned, independent artists around the planet. We do everything
from movie studios...we've got four studios in operation. We've got
two Atlanta studios and three Long Island studios, where we do
everything from scoring commercials to voice overs. I had to step
down from Fox at the beginning of the year because it was time for
music. I mean, that's about five different things. I'm finishing up
my book, 'Countdown to Armageddon,' which is coming out mid-2000, my
second book. So, there's a lot of different things going on, all the
time. You know, lots of stuff.
C.O.: Understandably. Just now you mentioned the middle man,
and isn't that one of your reasons for getting involved with Internet
stuff, because there is no middle man?
CHUCK: Well, there is a middle man, but you have to create the
middle man. It doesn't eradicate the middle man, but what it does, is
that you create a situation where the middle man has to share more.
Business success depends on the naivete of the artist and the naivete
of the public, right? And who ends up having all the information is
the middle people, in the traditional ways of television, video and
record companies. And usually, everyone ends up looking to the middle
man for answers and money. So, the artist makes the art and gives it
to the middle man, who determines the price and the mechanical
structure that it goes to the public in, and the public doesn't know
anything about the industry, and the artist doesn't know anything
about the process. So, as long as both sides are naive, it kind of
balances things out. What the internet does, is that in order to get
on the internet, you can't go in with a naive state of mind. You've
got to go into it knowing that you could become your own entity and
business, and come up with a parallel world alongside the music
business, as it exists today. I mean, if there's going to 100 million
computers all modemed together around the world, don't you think that
if a person wants to get Nas' latest, unreleased track, drop it to
their hard drive and then drop in onto their CD burner that costs
about $80 and make their own CD, do you really see them not going
through that process, and instead going to the store and paying $17?
C.O.: Right. But how many people, now, have access to that?
CHUCK: More and more as we speak. The price of computers comes
down. The largest ethnic group of people buying computers is black folk.
More Americans have bought computers the last two years than television
sets. Twelve years ago, how many cellular phones could you count in
the black community. my whole thing is that the technology doesn't
look for excuses. They look to set a precedent, and the people follow,
regardless, because it's based on convenience. People are going to get
their entertainment, especially rap music and hip-hop, where eighty-five
percent of the music is underserviced and underexposed.
C.O.: What do you want to be remembered for, Chuck?
CHUCK: I want to be known as someone who actually spoke his
mind, knowing that I could make a change for the benefit of people who
don't think they can make a change. I can actually say, 'Boom, you can
do it,' and you end up doing it, and it makes it better for a
hundred-thousand or a million people to think for themselves. I think
that's the end result -- if I can get somebody to think for themselves.
Whether they agree or disagree, think for yourselves and don't be
programmed. Break the programming. That's why I did 'Don't Believe the
Hype.' Challenge the information.
---
REVIEW: Stone Temple Pilots, _No. 4_ (Atlantic)
- Scott Hudson
When the Stone Temple Pilots entered the studio last May for
the sessions that would yield their fourth album, _No. 4_, frontman
Scott Weiland was 40 days clean of an six-year heroin addiction that
had effectively ended STP three years earlier.
Rejuvenated, Weiland stormed through those sessions with a
renewed sense of purpose. However, by the end of June he had not only
fallen off of the wagon, but had overdosed.
Already on probation for prior drug arrests, Weiland's overdose
constituted a probation violation and on September 3rd he was sentenced
to one year in jail.
With Weiland now behind bars, their reunion tour postponed and
the grunge wave that STP rode in on six years ago all but dead, some
interesting questions remain. Will an everchanging musical climate that
currently rolls out the red carpet to the likes of the Goo Goo Dolls
and Ricky Martin embrace a grunge band that has been MIA for three
years? Will anyone care?
The answers will be forthcoming with the release of _No. 4_,
easily their most complete and consistent offering yet.
Aptly-titled and produced by Brenden O'Brien who has produced
every STP album to date, _No. 4_ effortlessly meshes the white-knuckled
grunge tones found on _Core_ with the psychedelic/pop sounds that grace
_Purple_ and _Tiny Music_...
Songs like "Down", "No Way Out" and "Heaven and Hot Rods" steam
through the speakers like a heavy guitar-driven locomotive a' la Core's
"Sex Type Thing."
"Sex and Violence" is a high velocity Zeppelinesque workout
and "Atlanta" is so eerily reminicent of the Doors that one would be
led to believe the band raided Ray Manzarek's attic for this
Morrisonian jewel.
"Sour Girl" finds Weiland lamenting his recent split with his
wife, while the fluid arrangements of "Church on Tuesday" and "Glide"
give the band two radio-worthy pop tracks that mirror the vibe of
_Purple_'s "Interstate Love Song."
In the past, the Stone Temple Pilots have demonstrated a musical
chemistry that most bands will never possess, nor understand. Guess what?
Nothing has changed!
Despite all of the turmoil, they were able to up the ante of
their previous outings to produce their finest work to date. If winning
back fans and attracting new ones is their aspiration, then _No. 4_ is
the perfect carrot to dangle.
---
REVIEW: Iggy Pop, _Avenue B_ (Virgin)
- Steve Kandell
Tired of the East Village grind, Iggy Pop, now into his
fifties, has left the city and moved to Florida, meaning that the
Godfather of Punk now officially has more in common with my
grandparents than he does with his former drug-addled, peanut
butter-covered self. Of course, Iggy's too smart not to realize or
even embrace this irony, so on his latest album, _Avenue B_, named
for his former address in New York, he warmly welcomes you to his
midlife crisis - a remarkable achievement for someone who was not
expected to survive his thirties. But whether or not you want to
be privy to this crisis is another matter altogether.
The songs here, many of which are backed by the neo-jazz
trio Medeski, Martin and Wood, are largely on the mellow side,
broken up by spoken word interludes about troubled relationships
past and present. While the idea of Iggy Pop hooking up with Medeski,
Martin, and Wood seems like an odd combination on paper, their
percussive backing arrangements actually prove to be an interesting
fit on songs like "Felt the Luxury" and the title track. Some may
cry foul, but there's a dignity in not pretending he's a teenager
anymore.
The rougher-edged songs, like the first single, "Corruption,"
and a remake of "Shakin' All Over" tend to work because there is some
restraint at work, as opposed to the hard rock that marked recent
efforts _Naughty Little Doggie_ and _American Caesar_.
This is not to say that _Avenue B_ is a successful album by
any means. The songwriting is on the flaccid side and the earnest
spoken word interludes tend to be a little embarrassing more often
than not. But the record's saving grace, if there is one, has to
be Iggy's self-effacing sense of humor, and his intimidating legacy.
He can get away with things that would destroy the career of less
established artists, although this should not be used as a blanket
excuse for pretension. But at the end of the day, he's Iggy Pop -
who the hell am I to criticize?
---
REVIEW: The Clash, _From Here To Eternity Live_ (Epic)
- Tim Kennedy
_From Here To Eternity Live_ is a collection of live versions
of Clash songs ranging from very early songs such as "London's Burning"
and "What's My Name" through to later classics like "Straight To Hell"
and "Should I Stay or Should I Go".
The logo and design of the cover is reminiscent of the last
couple of Manics albums and this must be no accident as the Manics
borrowed heavily from the Clash. No doubt the label has their eye on
the wallets of young Manics fans who may not be aware of their heroes
nascent influences. Scenes of the Westway flyover feature on the cover
in a reference to the area of London where the band squatted early on
and held their early rehearsals.
The performances are from 1978 and 1982. Clash fans familiar
with their bootlegs from 1977 will note the quality of playing shows
much improvement over that era. However the greatness of the early
Clash was in the very chaos of those performances - punk was all about
spontaneity.
Moreover in the new documentary 'Westway To The World' guitarist
Mick Jones even extols the virtues of the first album over all the
others because of its very rawness. That the early tapes - of which
there are many - are left out, likely points to the commercial nature
of this release. Whilst punks at the time celebrated their heroes'
amateurishness, the buying public today would probably not be impressed
by what is in essence a cacophonous tuneless racket.
By late 1978 when the earliest of these versions were recorded,
punk was dead, and to the bands who had taken part their prowess posed
a dilemma. The Clash released a punk/reggae single - "White Man In
Hammersmith Palais", the Kinks-riffing "Clash City Rockers" and another
innovative song represented here which was the b-side of that track -
"City Of The Dead", which featured an unusual sax riff and other soul
influences.
Then in 1979 the band reissued the legendary "Capital Radio"
(their first record which was given away free with NME in 1976) this time
with a joke ending, backed with a cover of Bobby Fuller's "I Fought The
Law". Both are here from the '78 London shows, and both are good
versions - "Capitol Radio" featuring a different adlib ending.
Later in 1979 they released "London Calling", this time clad
in suits and hats like 1930s gangsters, deliberately affronting their
punk audience and challenging them to recognise that they must accept
change. The music was rock, pop, ska, reggae and rockabilly, a
kaleidoscope of styles more truly reflecting the band's personal musical
tastes. A hard rocking rendering of the title track appears here as does
their superb cover of Willi Williams' "Armagideon Time", their finest
reggae song which was on the b-side of "London Calling" the single.
What makes this version stand out is the wonderful toasting of dub
reggae dj legend Mikey Dread who accompanied the band on their 1979 UK
tour. Another reggae/punk track from that album "Guns Of Brixton" is
also here, a song written by Paul Simenon which was of course borrowed
more recently by Beats International aka Norman Cook.
1980 saw their three LP set _Sandinista_ which covered most
musical styles and eras and caused total consternation amongst their
audience. What was also punk about the Clash was their musical
adventurism. Featured here from that album is "The Magnificent Seven"
which was loosely based on The Sugarhill Gang's "Rappers' Delight" - a
lively version containing more ad-libbing from Strummer.
The final (i.e. with Topper and Mick) Clash album _Combat Rock_
(1982) is represented here by "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" and
"Straight To Hell". The latter doesn't quite work as a live track,
missing the atmospheric strings and the backmasking which is such a
striking feature of the album track but the former is just as you would
expect - one of the great 'good time' rock songs of the 80s.
Live, the Clash always remained a hot raunchy rock and roll
band. In their day they created an atmosphere which left audiences
stunned and ecstatic but what they were like live bears little comparison
with any band since then - except possibly the early Manics. They were
in the true tradition of their mentors the Rolling Stones except they
went so much further than Jagger and company with basic rhythm and blues
and totally transcended the punk indeed any genre. The crucial early
element of chaos is not here though, and will always be elusive to us
now, in an age where music is defined by 'pure' digital sound.
---
REVIEW: Pet Shop Boys, _Nightlife_ (Sire / London)
- Bob Gajarsky
Through a bevy of U.S. music labels - Bobcat, EMI, Atlantic
and now Sire / London, the Pet Shop Boys have never lost their
core audience. It might have to do with the fact that, despite
their lack of American radio airplay, the Boys consistently write
and record danceable synth-pop that owes a debt to not only where
the genres have been, but where they are going.
This quality work continues on the Boys' latest effort,
_Nightilfe_. With assistance from top production / remixing names
such as Rollo, David Morales and Craig Armstrong, Neil Tennant and
Chris Lowe have crafted an album which stands up with some of
the duo's best efforts.
The first single "New York City Boy", with its Village
People-like backing vocals (and ode to "YMCA") has a driving disco
beat not unlike that on parts of _Bilingual_. "Closer To Heaven"
could be a 1999 version of "Suburbia", while "You Only Tell Me
You Love Me When You're Drunk" is emblematic of the long
titles / ironic love lyrics PSB are known for.
A duet with Kylie Minogue on "In Denial" is one of the
Boys' most sensitive storylines yet; a father and daughter singing
to each other; she knowing he's gay, and both wanting to be loved
by the other person.
Although _Nightlife_ isn't likely to win over new converts
to the Pet Shop Boys camp, longtime fans of the English duo will
be extremely satisfied by the latest album.
---
REVIEW: Days of the New, _Days of the New II_ (Outpost Recordings)
- Linda Scott
With their eponymous first album, the Days of the New band
jumped into the world of platinum rock success. The young quartet,
headed by the intense Travis Meeks, seemed to have it made with
appearances on Letterman, opening for Aerosmith and the mighty
Metallica. They sounded like Alice in Chains, with Meeks' voice a young
echo of Eddie Vedder. The acknowledged super-talent, Meeks was feeling
impulses to fly beyond where he could go with this band.
After some firings and reconciliations, one day the band
dismissal took effect for good. Three original members were chucked out,
and Meeks declared that he would keep the band name filling slots with
possibly short-term musicians. He declared himself to be Days of the
New (just as Axl Rose did to Guns N' Roses) and produced _Days of the
New II_ as evidence that the times and Meeks had changed for good.
This album is more a concept album to be listened to and judged
more as a unit than as individual tracks. Meeks wrote all but one of the
songs himself and surrounds his vocals with an orchestral sound. Guitars
are still here, but cellos and violins underlie them, and oboes and brass
accent bass and melody. The ex-rocker says he has moved closer to where
he is going. More depth within arrangements and a wide range of melodies
from all kinds of instruments is where Days of the New is going. With
this vision on the one hand and the rock band idea on the other, is it
any wonder this band split apart?
New band members have been imported, but ultimately Days of the
New's success or failure belongs to Travis Meeks. Like Jim Morrison,
Meeks is becoming more of a visionary. For example, _Days of the New
II_ opens with the sound of horses hooves charging. There's a scream,
and a voice says, "Pain is my pill." The beginning leads through
mystical, sometimes interesting sections like this. The musical
orchestration is often delightful, sometimes overblown. The listener
hears fiddle solos, guitars, loops, American Indian chants and other
mixtures that are strange to the ear. This is an album to be listened
to carefully, with no interruptions.
But this is not to say that all of it is worth that attention.
Sometimes the lyrics cause some eyerolling or laughing, but it's all
worth a listen. This little album is an odd one in today's rock world.
Back in the days of Led Zep and Pink Floyd and Morrison, Meeks would have
fit into that scene very well. It remains to be seen if today's listeners
want to be so involved in the lyrics and music. Travis Meeks has something
else in mind for his next album as he evolves toward the musical state he
wants to live in. _Days of the New II_, if nothing else, is the statement
of a talented musician in transit.
---
REVIEW: Filter, _Title of Record_ (Reprise)
- Andrew Duncan
It's been a wild and bumpy road for Richard Patrick. A rock star
in its true definition and frontman for the mainstream aggro-metal
outfit Filter, Patrick has been through a lot in the four years that
separated the band's debut release _Short Bus_, and the new album
_Title Of Record_. Beyond all of the guitars and glitz -- the sex,
drugs and rock-and-roll -- is a man simply trying to find himself.
In the four years that passed between albums, two were focused
on touring. The other two were more complicated. There were crumbling
relationships with females, a close call to the band's extinction when
Filter's second half, Brian Liesegang, left, and then there was the
drug use that led Patrick aboard an unknown commercial airplane only
to dissolve into a violent rage. All of these incidents caused
strenuous delays, and the album that was on Alternative Press' "Most
Anticipated Albums of the Year" for two years in a row has finally
become a reality.
With all of the expectations and anticipation, is _Title of
Record_ exactly what the public was hoping for? Yes, and, well, no.
When the band broke away from being a part of the Nine Inch
Nails touring force, Filter surprised many and astonished more when
they released the loud and heavy _Short Bus_. With _Title of Record_,
there is little change -- the reason Liesegang left in the first place.
The album does pack a punch in the first minutes with the song "Sand."
The band quickly takes a relapse with territory they know best. In
"Welcome To The Fold," the band brings back the muddled bass lines
that is identified their prestigious single "Hey Man, Nice Shot,"
from anything else in radio land. The album dives off into a valley
of monotonous power chords and song structures that are afraid to
take a step forward.
This time around there is some acoustic diversions from the
powerful power-chord exhaust fumes that stereotype the band. "Take A
Picture" recalls the story of the uncharted flight experience, while
"Miss Blue" remembers the crumpled relationship.
The most experimental point in Title of Record is "Cancer,"
where the bass line creeps and crawls around punching drumbeats,
creating a foggy atmosphere for Patrick to venture in, a great moment
in the album.
In the lengthy 70 minutes that passes from the distant hum of
the introduction to the last pluck of an acoustic guitar, one will
find moments of clarity and excitement, while others will go by
unnoticed; not as anticipated as the hype portrays.
---
REVIEW: The Scorpions, _Eye II Eye_ (Koch)
- Chris Candreva
What a difference three years can make.
As recently as, 1996's _Pure Instinct_, The Scorpions were
still using the sound that had served them well since their days of
_Love At First Sting_. I love that album. With everyone else jumping
on the grunge bandwagon, it was refreshing to hear a band stick to its
roots. Using bagpipes to open the record didn't hurt either.
On _Eye To Eye_, the Scorpions are branching out, merging their
trademark sound with some techno and dance influences. I will admit, it
was disconcerting for this long time Scorps fan when I first heard the
single "Mysterious". The first few times through, I wasn't sure what to
make of the album. I had to listen to it a few more times, just to be
sure.
Eventually, I realized this was a good sign in and of itself.
It's a different album, but it's fun. "Mysterious" is a kicking
rock number with a beat you can dance to and lyrics that don't make you
want to slit your wrists. Wild, mysterious women -- now THAT'S rock and
roll. "To Be No. 1", the European single and video, is a lighthearted
song about a second banana who aspires to be top dog. While the
character is nameless, references to 'Got no Monica to go to' give a
hint as to who's being talked about.
Not ones ever to keep one type of music on an album, The
Scorpions give us a light ballad in "10 Light Years Away", and what
might have once been called Adult Contemporary in "Obsession". (It
might be called that -- except for the guitar kick midway through.)
This album is different. Different from what's generally being
done now, and different from what the Scorpions have done before.
Die-hard Scorps fans may need some time to get used to it, and may
want to start with the already mentioned "Mysterious", and "Mind Like
A Tree". This album is good for anyone though who like a little more
than three chords and a scream in their rock and roll.
---
REVIEW: Rees Shad, _Little Brown Book_ (Sweetfish)
- Wes Long
If it were possible to clone a musician from bits and pieces
of genetic information obtained from various sources, I'd likely
point to artists like Freedy Johnston, Peter Case, Graham Parker, Lyle
Lovett and James McMurtry as possible donors for the lab creation
known as Rees Shad. Okay...that's a scientific impossibility, so let's
just say that Shad was influenced by singer-songwriters of that ilk,
and that he's as good as any of 'em.
On his third release, following the much acclaimed _Anderson,
Ohio_ and _The Riggley Road Stories_, Rees continues to pack plenty of
oomph into his compelling and obviously heartfelt song stories. Shad
shifts points of view from third person to first on this outing,
culling songs originally penned with the intention of being covered
by other musicians from his _Little Brown Book_. Used as a diary
during her college years, Rees' late adoptive mother gave the book to
her son knowing he'd keep his lyrics in it. "Its first few pages are
packed tightly with her neat cursive descriptions of Massachusetts from t
he point of view of a small town Arkansas girl," says Shad. "Some time
into her diary she met my father and the notes tapered off only to be
followed by the scribblings of their adopted son years later." This
personal diary is befitting of the introspective and honestly insightful
lyrics that unconsciously doubled as Shad's diary entries.
The title of the CD is not only the introduction to Rees'
compelling song cycle, but also the strongest track. "Would you read
these lyrics, tell me what you think," Shad asks, "are they worth the
wood that they're on, are they worth their ink, they're in a crazy pen
style, there's probably a spelling mistake, but this is about how I
feel, expression is a chance I take." The remainder of the song
foreshadows the nine to follow. "This is a love song for you," he
sings regarding the eternally buoyant "Star," a song about the loving
wife around whom planet Shad revolves. "This one protests a gun" refers
to his "All Fall Down" which is a "little adventure into the mind of a
man more in love with his gun than his humanity," held together with
a _Reckoning_ era REM-ish guitar riff. From the haunting "Man Of The
Sea" to the happy-go-lucky gospel inflected, yet never preachy,
"Everybody Knows," Rees' proves himself an exquisite lyricist and a
master of mood.
These infectious songs are bound neatly within the cover of
Shad's _Little Brown Book_, reprised as the final track in slight
return fashion. Combining the tastier elements of folk with all the
hooks and urgency of pop and rock, Rees Shad invites us to partake in
his ultra-heady collection of engaging material. "Here in my Little
Brown Book, please won't you take a look," Rees urges, as do I.
---
REVIEW: The Frank and Walters, _Beauty Becomes More Than Life_
(Setanta)
- Patrick Carmosino
Earnestness is a virtue with The Frank And Walters. Thrown into
an alternative rock world filled with faux grunge, faux rap and faux
angst hep, earnestness has given an ironic hipness to the Irish trio's
boring, straight ahead rock. But for their third effort, there is no
jazzing up the fact that their earnestness is truly, purely boring, with
The F & W's going over their own familiar territory with no good residual
effect. It's too bad as well, because earnestness needs to be applauded
and rewarded these days. But if the result is music like this, there is
no hope.
_Beauty Becomes More Than Life_ comes off more like a bar band's
demo tape. Perhaps putting 3 guys from Cork in Brooklyn for 2 years and
working with Black 47's producer is bound to produce such results.
Consistent with the general flaws, vocalist Paul Linehan is coming off
way too pleading and whining too often when a couple of the album's
tastier riffs demand a cool croon. And someone needs to give the guitar
player, Niall Linehan, an effects box - anything but the dry dry
guitar sounds that nail the album's way too dry atmosphere. I don't
really enjoy tearing this album apart, mind you; the F &W's seem to
be likable blokes and all. However _Beauty Becomes More Than Life_ all
too quickly becomes little more than tedium.
Someone needs to give The Frank And Walters a Foo Fighters
album to demonstrate how ernestness is done nowadays.
---
REVIEW: The Dust Brothers, _Fight Club_ Soundtrack_ (Restless)
- Michelle Aguilar
I've not yet seen the much-talked-about movie _Fight Club,_ but
I bet it takes place in a city; at least, it better take place in a city,
because if there's anything that the Dust Brothers' instrumental
soundtrack to this movie suggests, it's urban grit and grime. Even when
they're looping in the sound of Gregorian monks singing in a cathedral
("Homework"), the feel is not Old Europe but the depths of an American
city, a city trapped in an unconscious mechanical repetition of movement
so routinized that the inhabitants don't know that they are caught in
the throes of an irreversible decay.
Much of this soundtrack would also be very conducive to a long,
stormy night drive on a superhighway. Its constant movement, coupled
with a complete lack of warmth, feels at times like being hermetically
sealed in a fast, expensive car, wondering idly about the ugly locales
hurtling by that are too dangerous and too decrepit to tempt one into
disembarking from the sealed environment within.
Despite the wide expanses sonically suggested by the Brothers'
sizzling keyboard swells (including warm bits of a Fender Rhodes keyboard
here and there), electric sitar, harpsichord, carillon and harp, nothing
on this soundtrack (and this includes the Gregorian monks) sounds
remotely lush, natural, or pastoral.
In interviews, John King and Ed Simpson said that they and
director David Fincher wanted to create a soundtrack in which the
listener can not rely on cues in the music itself to interpret the
movie characters' intentions or anticipate the plot's movement. Their
aim was to create music that instilled comfort, fear, transcendence and
distress at any given moment, with little rhyme or reason.
At first, this would seem to make _Fight Club_ an anti-soundtrack,
counter-intuitive to the traditional purpose of the genre. After all,
where would we be without "Psycho"'s screeching violins to heighten our
fear of what's coming? Or, how would "Star Wars" fare without its blaring
symphonies to let us know when it's time to root for the home team? But
in fact, the Dust Brothers' approach here does work to create a mood --
one of confusion and paranoia. It is a vision of a dark hellhole of a
world in which there is no one and nothing to rely on except oneself.
Take for example, the track "Corporate World," an excellent and
somewhat disturbing representation of its title. The song begins with
a wonderful '50s samba clave, punctuated by delicious scratching and
layers of quirky, pitched-down flute, brass and high scale piano,
evoking a slightly twisted Brasil '66 or Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass.
This musical sendup of the anachronistic corporate culture could at
first have easily been the backing track to the next Beck hit.
Given the eerie, stripped-down dystopian beats and eerie
keyboards the Dust Brothers have been offering up to this point,
"Corporate World" at first feels like stumbling onto a welcome, albeit
slightly strange, respite of brightness and light in this dark world.
But then of course, there is something morbid and unsettling just below
the surface here. The Brothers quickly go south and the song suddenly
shifts into low gear, as all the tasty instrumentation dissolves into a
low keyboard-driven drone stuck inside a web of reverb. Enter a brief
cut of horror movie violins (ok, so they do fall back on these old
tricks sometimes) that greet us for a moment. Then, we are soon thrust
back into our dark hole, into the numb coldness of drum machines and
what seems like a sitar riff stuck in permanent, trance-like repeat.
The lesson? Appearances are deceiving. Underneath all the
gleaming faces you meet is rotting flesh in the process of dying. Do
not believe in them. Only believe in yourself and your own senses.
Ironically, some of the tricks King and Simpson use to glue
this disturbing collection of songs together are the same ones they
have used to much warmer effect on their albums for other artists,
particularly Beck and the Beastie Boys. The Dust Brothers' characteristic
beat drops, sudden bursts of looped noise, abrupt cut-and-paste shifts in
instrumentation and unexpected mood changes, especially in tracks like
"Single Serving Jack," and "Space Monkeys," are like ghostly bits and
pieces from 1989's _Paul's Boutique_ and 1996's _Odelay._ Here there
are used masterfully to create tension and a general distress. For
trip-hop and trance fans whose tastes run towards the darker edges,
this is a great body of songs in which to lose oneself.
But this is not the kind of album that's going to drag your
typical clubber out onto the dance floor. While the _Fight Club_
soundtrack mixes equal elements of 808 simplicity, Trance, Jungle and
Trip-Hop, weaving in and out between tracks seamlessly, this is not a
traditional dance album. It's more the kind of album you want to lie
in the dark listening to at top volume, letting its eerie, unfamiliar
sonic landscape get inside your head until it feels like an organic
part of your thoughts.
---
COMPILATION REVIEWS: Yaz, _The Best Of_ (Mute / Reprise) /
Dennis DeYoung, _The Ultimate Collection_ (Hip-O)
- Bob Gajarsky
Synth-pop pioneer Vince Clarke may have been the driving
force behind Depeche Mode and Erasure, but in between the two
alterna-hit makers, Clarke took some time for a two-album foray
with Alison Moyet on vocals. Yaz (or, as known on the other side
of the pond, Yazoo) was the result of this pairing.
Yaz may not have had many hits, but the three key songs
are still staples on modern rock stations and still make
appearances in some dance clubs. The sweet "Only You", and
aggressive "Don't Go" and "Situation" may not have lit up
American phone lines, but club DJs were no fools; Francois
Kavorkian's remix of the latter song, with its "Move out
(Don't mess around)" chorus, showcased the dominance
that Clarke would have - and still maintain - on dancefloors
even today.
Moyet's deep soulful voice combined with Clarke's
irresistible keyboard wizardry provided an elusive hook which
is beautifully captured on _Best Of_. Two versions of the big
three songs appear here - the original 1980s versions, along with
1999 remixes by Todd Terry, Club 69 and Richard Stannard
with Julian Gallagher. Definitely a palatable treat for
synthpop fans everywhere.
Former Styx lead singer Dennis DeYoung has finally seen
a collection of his greatest solo recordings hit the record
stores. Although his solo career in the States pales in
comparison to that of the Chicago-based rock group which
catapulted him to stardrom, devoted fans made his rare Japanese
hits collection a rarity worth several hundred dollars.
After his Styx days, the solo DeYoung - who authored
the classic "Lady" - escaped from the louder Styx to a
quieter, simpler sound. Now, _The Ultimate Collection_ keeps
track of fifteen of his non-theatrical works.
His few eighties hits - the Karate Kid 2's "This Is The
Time", "Don't Wait For Heroes", "Call Me" and the near-classic
"Desert Moon" - are all present and accounted for, as is the
political Styx sound-alike, "Black Wall". Styx (and DeYoung)
devotees may be more interested in the 'extra' tracks which
appear here; three B-sides and a symphonic reworking of
"Grand Illusion", which now appears in the Siegfried and Roy
Magic Box film. With the rest of DeYoung's solo material being
near-impossible to find on compact disc, _Ultimate Collection_
serves as an excellent primer to re-introduce DeYoung to
Styx fans.
---
REVIEW: Velvet Crush, _Free Expression_ (Bobsled)
- Wes Long
Any meaty hooked properly carved slab of melodic pop must bare
comparisons to the ever-reigning rulers of that realm, The Beatles.
While Velvet Crush rarely sounds much like the lads from Liverpool,
they too are capable of churning out short bursts of no-cure-for-it
infectious material seemingly at will.
Matthew Sweet, no stranger to concise well-crafted retro-ish
pop, assists the Crush here in both performance and a bit of knob
twisting from his home recording studio. Songs like "Kill Me Now" and
"Worst Enemy" are tattooed with Sweet's pop sensibilities and with the
exception of the vocals are nearly indiscernible from his own recordings.
The sumptuous and all too brief "Things Get Better," a
Blackbird inspired ship with Simon & Garfunkle at its' helm, is
quite magical. The country tinged "Heaven Knows" is reminiscent of
Traveling Wilbury's era Tom Petty and features a handsome middle
eight similar to the one in _Rubber Soul_'s "I'm Looking Through You"
in all the right ways. "Roman Candle" is Elliott Smith fine, cleverly
written with breathy understated vocals not too dissimilar to the
songs on last years gem XO. If those songs don't time warp you back
to 1967 the incessantly throbbing chords of "Ballad of Yesteryear" will.
_Free Expression_, the band's fourth release, finds Velvet
Crush in fine form. With contributions from Matthew Sweet and Gigolo
Aunts' David Gibbs they effortlessly breathe fresh air into the
classic sounds of rock's past. Part Byrds, part Big Star, all good.
---
REVIEW: Various Artists, _International Pop Overthrow Volume 2_
(Del-Fi)
- John Davidson
True pop fanatics seem few and far between anymore. Oh sure,
you've got plenty of screaming teens who get bleary-eyed for the boy
groups and Britney Spears, but that's not the kind of pop Del-Fi is
supporting with their second compendium of rising stars. Here, they're
more concerned with talented musicians, not pinup-styled dancing kids
who wouldn't dream of writing their own music or (gasp!) play an
instrument.
The International Pop Overthrow festival was conceived by
contemporary pop enthusiast David Bash to show the world that there
are piles of great bands out there who aren't in it for the product
tie-ins or million dollar videos. Held over a week in various L.A.
venues, the shows drew packed crowds and inspired the successful
compilation _Volume 1_. Thus, _Volume 2_ isn't much of a surprise,
unless you consider the fact that now there are two discs showcasing
over forty acts! That amounts to gallons of ice cream for even the
biggest fan of sugary hooks.
Kicking off with a previously unreleased Jason Faulkner gem was
wise, since he's easily the biggest "name" involved. "She's Not the
Enemy" is typical of the modern, Posie-esque smarts that came from
this year's stellar _Can You Still Feel?_. From there, though, the
collection is long on '60s pop and short on modern stuff in the mode
of XTC or even festival namesake Material Issue. The Hollies, in
particular, cast the longest shadow of influence, with songs like
"Where Do I Go When You Dream" by the Outrageous Cherry, "Big Man In
Town" by the Liquor Giants, and "Zen Gazzara" by IGMO. Elsewhere,
there's a dose of '70s-inspired saccharine a la the Raspberries
("December Song" by Helium Angel or "Forever and a Day" by Single
Bullet Theory) but thankfully, the icky strings representing the
Carpenter's legacy are absent.
_Volume Two_ falls a little short in two areas. One, the retro
vibe sort of ends somewhere around Big Star territory. The daring pop
that put Alex Chilton and company on a pedestal rarely makes an
appearance, and thus the homogenous, sunny-day tunes seem unbroken.
Quirkier bands mining the pop vein, such the Ladybug Transistor or
Olivia Tremor Control, seem given short thrift. Secondly, two full
discs of bands you hardly know performing original material can be
taxing to listen to, despite the surplus of great songs. The "give
everyone a shot" concept is good in theory, but harder to execute over
the course of two hours.
Still, the album's concept -- an outlet for little-known power
pop bands to show off their formidable songwriting goods -- works. The
International Pop Overthrow has proven that this kind of music is not
only a viable alternative to whatever trend SPIN/Rolling Stone/Details
is serving up, but it's one of the few places that you can reliably
find a hummable, happy tune.
---
REVIEW: Tram, _Heavy Black Frame_ (Jetset)
- Chris Hill
If Low and Paul Williams birthed a child, Tram would be its
name, with Nick Drake and Red House Painters honored as the godparents.
Tram's slow and minimal songs don't climax; they break, swirl, recede,
then cease; waves of musical emotion that die at the feet of a person
staring out from the shoreline to a cold, dark, and lonely ocean.
This isn't just imagery. Paul Anderson's lyrics are gray and
bleak, the cathartic product, one would assume, of a badly broken
heart. Several rays of sun come through the clouds, but their rarity,
and the barren splendor of the music, combine to make an irrestible
undertow from start to finish.
The first track, "Nothing Left to Say," focuses on the sorrow
of soured romance ("that numbing feeling, the sadness underneath/who's
gonna catch me the way you used to?") with an undulating harmonium
sighing in resignation against a strummed electric guitar. "Don't
prolong the agony, the knowing when to go/Cut out the cancer, before
it grows." Thibault De Montford's oboe gently closes the door, only to
fittingly appear again on "I've Been Here Before," a bookend to this
song. "It's all right/I know just what to do/Leave behind those things
that pull me down/...I'll be fine/I've been here once before."
"Expectations" meditates on the same emotions found in "Nothing
Left to Say" ("your eyes have lost their shine now/ expression changed,
your interest waned/...I can tell you're disappointed/you're trying hard
to hide it"). The interplay of Anderson's sensitive, trembling voice,
Martine Roberts' light vocals and the measured pace, recall the best
moments of Low's debut, _I Could Live in Hope_. "Reason Why" also uses
male/female counterpointing well, adding depth and perspective to the
emotionally resolved lyrics ("My mind's working overtime/to find a
reason why/I'd walk 500 miles/to find a place to hide/...You won't see
the best of me").
(If Roberts' name rings a bell, Tram boasts both her and Broken
Dog partner, Clive Painter, among its five members.)
The instrumentals "Like Clockwork" and "You Can Go Now (if you
want)" give the players a chance to stretch their legs without the
distractions of lyrics. The latter is a moody, Western-tinged piece
reminiscent of the wondrous Canadian band Godspeed You Black Emperor!,
though free of the strings which catapult that band to another realm.
Tram's debut isn't a disc for a sunny day. In much the way
that Low is best appreciated at night or during an overcast day, this
cd requires proper atmospheric accompaniment. Though, if your mood is
gray, it won't really matter when you play this, will it? Just close
your eyes and put on the headphones. It's working for me now.
---
REVIEW: Patty Larkin, _a gogo_ (Vanguard Records)
- Jon Steltenpohl
Outside the confines of VH-1, there lives an underground
culture of singer/songwriters who, for lack of a better word, are
lumped into a category of "folk," and, despite legions of dedicated
fans, seem to escape the notice of the world at large. In that world,
Patty Larkin is one of the superstars, and her current album, _a gogo_
is an album that keeps her solidly at the top.
These singer songwriters usually travel and play alone with just
their guitar, and Larkin is no exception. _a gogo_ is a greatest hits
collection of in-concert recordings that truly capture the essence of
the perfect, intimate folk concert. It is an album to be treasured by
folk fans because it's like being there at the performance. Unlike most
rock bands who can't even play their own hits, today's singer songwriters
tour first and record albums later. It is an all too common occurrence
to have a singer songwriter absolutely amaze you in concert and bore
you to tears on CD. Often, they bring in studio musicians and have a
producer do hurried arrangements in the few days they've rented the studio.
When it's done right, you get a Shawn Colvin album that wins a
Grammy. But, more often than not, the incredible electricity of the live
performer is completely lost in the sterile confines of the studio. _a
gogo_ captures the essence of Patty Larkin's concert sound so well that,
if you close your eyes, you are sitting right there with her playing next
to you. You can feel the strings vibrate and resonate as they're being
struck, and you can hear all of the little nuances in Larkin's voice and
breath. The multiple layers of rhythms and melodies she produces from a
single acoustic guitar make it sound as if she's got at least two or
three musicians behind her. And her smart lyrics and attitude make it a
thoroughly uninhibited experience.
Simply put, _a gogo_ is everything you could want in a modern
folk album. It is energetic, intimate, complex, and unpretentious.
Larkin simply recorded her concerts at every stop on her tour, and the
result is a collection of the best performances from an incredible
performer. The only way to go wrong with a plan like that is to have
bad sound equipment, and _a gogo_ is recorded flawlessly. Quite simply,
Patty Larkin's _a gogo_ is a must have for fans of acoustic music.
---
NEWS: > Duran Duran recently taped a performance to
be shown on VH1's Hard Rock Live. At the concert, the band
previewed two new songs, "Hallucinating Elvis" and "Somebody
Else Not Me", from their forthcoming year 2000 release, _Pop
Trash_.
> Korn will be offering "Falling Away From Me",
the first single from their forthcoming _Issues_ album,
to fans via their website at http://www.korn.com . Korn will
donate 25c (up to $250,000) for each person who signs the
guestbook to Childhelp USA and Children of the Night.
> Alanis Morissette will be contributing a track,
"Still", to the soundtrack to _Dogma_. The remainder of the
_Dogma_ disc includes Howard Shore numbers scored for the film.
> Tonic fans can get a sneak preview of part of their new
album, _Sugar_. Liquid Audio versions of "Knock Down Walls" (the
first single from the album) and "Mean To Me" were added to the
digital download section of http://www.amazon.com on October
21st, more than two weeks before the album hits the shelves on
November 9th. The download promotion will run through
December 9th, and fans will be able to listen to the downloaded
songs until December 30th, when the downloaded versions will
expire.
---
TOUR DATES:
Alaline Trio
Nov. 3 Iowa City, IA Gabe's Oasis
Nov. 4 Milwaukee, WI Globe Theatre
Nov. 5 Minneapolis, MN Foxfire
Nov. 8 Missoula, MT Jay's
Nov. 9 Seattle, WA Crocodile
Blinker The Star
Nov. 2 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Nov. 3 Philadelphia, PA Pontiac Grille
Nov. 4 Boston, MA Bill's Bar
Nov. 5 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Nov. 7 Cleveland, OH Peabody's
Nov. 8 Detroit, MI Shelter
Nov. 10 Toronto, ON Opera House
Nov. 11 Chicago, IL Double Door
Buzzcocks / Lunachicks / Down By Law
Nov. 2 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Nov. 3 Milwaukee, WI Rave Bar
Nov. 4 Chicago, IL Metro
Nov. 6 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Danzig
Nov. 1 Los Angeles, CA Palladium
Nov. 2 Portland, OR Roseland
Nov. 4 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
Nov. 6 San Antonio, TX Live Oak Civic Center
Nov. 7 Corpus Christi, TX Center Theatre
Nov. 9 Atlanta, GA Roxy Theatre
Nov. 10 Spartanburg, SC Ground Zero
Nov. 12 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Del The Funky Homosapien & Casual
Nov. 1 New Orleans, LA Tiptina's
Nov. 3 Talahassee, FL The Moon
Nov. 4 Tampa, FL Masquerade
Nov. 5 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
Nov. 6 Charlotte, NC Cat's Cradle
Nov. 7 Nofolk, VA Rogues
Bryan Ferry
Nov. 4 Philadelphia, PA Gershwin Auditorium
Nov. 5 New York, NY Beacon Theater
Nov. 7 Boston, MA Berklee Perf. Center
Nov. 9 Toronto, ON Massey Hall
Nov. 10 Detroit, MI Opera House
Nov. 11 Chicago, IL Riviera Theater
Ben Harper
Nov. 2 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom
Nov. 4 New York, NY Roseland Ballroom
Nov. 6 Northampton, MA Greene Hall/Smith College
Nov. 7 Washington, DC Bender Arena
Nov. 9 Raleigh, NC Ritz
Nov. 10 Charlotte, NC Grady Cole Ctr.
Ben Lee
Nov. 1 Portland, OR Roseland
Nov. 2 Seattle, WA King Carl Theater
Nov. 3 Vancouver, BC The Rage
Len / Styles of Beyond
Nov. 1 Tempe, AZ Green Room
Nov. 4 Austin, TX La Zona Rosa
Nov. 5 Houston, TX Engine Room
Live
Nov. 1 College Station, TX Rudder Auditorium
Nov. 3 St Louis, MO American Theater
Nov. 4 Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee Riverside Theatre
Nov. 5 Chicago, IL Riviera Theater
Nov. 6 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theater
Nov. 8 Normal, IL Braden Auditorium
Nov. 9 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theater/Egyptian Room
Nov. 10 Detroit, MI Detroit State Theatre
Luscious Jackson
Nov. 1 Portland, OR Roseland
Nov. 2 Seattle, WA Kit Cat Theater
Nov. 3 Vancouver, BC Rage
Andrea Parker
Nov. 3 New York, NY Baktun @ The Cooler
Nov. 5 Montreal, QC Sona
Nov. 6 Toronto, ON B-Side
Silverchair / Blink 182
Nov. 2 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amp.
Nov. 3 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly Event Center
Nov. 4 San Francisco, CA Graham Aud.
Nov. 5 Los Angeles, CA Universal Amp.
Nov. 8 Minneapolis, MN Wilkins Aud.
Nov. 10 Toronto, ON Maple Leaf Gardens
Sonia Dada
Nov. 2 Boise, ID Joe's @ 6th & Main
Nov. 3 Seattle, WA Fenix
Nov. 4 Portland, OR Roseland Grill
Nov. 5 Reno, NV Hilton Theatre
Nov. 6 Sacramento, CA Harlow�s
Nov. 10 Solano Beach, CA Belly Up
Nov. 11 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Nov. 1 Seattle, WA Moore Theater
Nov. 2 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
Nov. 4 San Francisco, CA Warfield
Nov. 5 Anaheim, CA The Sun Theater
Nov. 6 Los Angeles, CA House Of Blues
Nov. 7 Las Vegas, NV The Joint
Nov. 9 Denver , CO Ogden Theater
Nov. 11 Minneapolis, MN The Quest
Superchunk
Nov. 1 London, ONT the Embassy
Nov. 3 Milwaukee, WI Rave Bar
Nov. 5 Columbia, MO Blue Note
Nov. 6 Memphis, TN Last Place On Earth
Nov. 7 Nashville, TN Exit In
Nov. 9 Birmingham, AL Five Points Music Hall
Nov. 10 New Orleans, LA Howlin' Wolf
Richard Thompson
Nov. 2 Princeton, NJ McCarter
Nov, 5 Glensice, PA Keswick Theatre
Nov. 6 Pittsburgh, PA Rosebud
Nov. 7 Cleveland, OH Odeon
Tonic / Goo Goo Dolls
Nov. 2 Tallahassee, FL Florida State University
Nov. 3 Gainesville, FL University of Florida
Nov. 4 Orlando, FL Hard Rock
Nov. 6 Columbia, SC Carolina Coliseum
Watsonville Patio
Nov. 6 Laramie, WY Buckhorn
Nov. 11 Missoula, MT Buck's
Josh Wink
Nov. 4 Baltimore, MD Fever
---
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