==== ISSUE 106 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [April 21, 1997] Editor: Bob Gajarsky Internet: gajarsky@email.njin.net Sr. Correspondents: Jeremy Ashcroft, Dan Enright, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Jamie Roberts, Joe Silva, John Walker Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Janet Herman, Bill Holmes, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Stephen Lin, Scott Miller, P. Nina Ramos, Linda Scott, Scott Slonaker, Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Courtney Muir Wallner, Simon West, Lang Whitaker Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann Also Contributing: Derek Langsford Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gajarsky@email.njin.net ================================================================== 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: The Gladhands - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: The Chemical Brothers, _Dig Your Own Hole_ - Simon West REVIEW: Ben Folds Five, _Whatever and Ever Amen_ - Joe Silva REVIEW: L7, _The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum_ - Tim Mohr REVIEW: Polara, _C'est La Vie_ - Lang Whitaker REVIEW: Jill Sobule, _Happy Town_ - Reto Koradi REVIEW: Built To Spill, _Perfect From Now On_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Gary Numan/Tubeway Army, _Premier Hits_ - Derek Langsford REVIEW: Space Needle, _The Moray Eels Eat The Space Needle_ - Scott Miller REVIEW: Wammo, _Fat Headed Stranger_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Cibo Matto, _Super Relax_ ep - Tim Mohr REVIEW: Skeptical Cats, _Record Record_ - Scott Slonaker REVIEW: ALX, _I Just Want To Be A Dinosaur_ - Bill Holmes NEWS: New York Downtown Pop Sound '97, Ozzfest/Marilyn Manson TOUR DATES: Aztek Trip, Backsliders, Bloodhound Gang, Bobgoblin, Brilliantine, Cellophane, Chainsuck / Lycia, Chemical Brothers, Crown Heights, Dada, Dots Will Echo, Drain S.T.H., Firewater, Five-Eight, Fluffy, Humble Gods, Jayhawks, Marilyn Manson / Helmet / Rasputina, John Mayall, John Mellencamp / The Why Store, Metallica / Corrosion of Conformity, New Bomb Turks, Professor & Maryann, Samples, Seven Mary Three, Shonen Knife, Silverchair / Automatic, Sister Hazel, Sneaker Pimps / Chimera, Stillsuit / Downset / Earth Crisis, They Might Be Giants, U2, Verve Pipe Back Issues of Consumable --- INTERVIEW: The Gladhands - Bob Gajarsky If a group makes back-to-back standout albums, is there any reason why radio hasn't jumped on their bandwagon? That question could be asked of Chapel Hill, North Carolina's Gladhands. Sounding nothing like the typical "Chapel Hill" sound but closer to Cheap Trick or Matthew Sweet's form of perfect pop, the radio gods that be have doomed us to endless spins of the Spice Girls or Celine Dion. The band's 1995 debut, the unfortunately aptly-named _From Here To Obscurity_, generated an immediate buzz with those who heard it (including this writer, who placed it in his "Top 5" of 1995) - but there were far too people who *did* hear that stunning debut. Drummer and co-lead vocalist Doug Edmunds feels much more confident about the new record on Big Deal, _La Di Da_. "It's always hard to break a new band at radio, but as long as people listen to the songs they're going to recognize that this is good stuff. Flavors of the month will always get airplay...that's why they're flavors of the month, right?!" Guitarist and the other lead vocalist, Jeff Carlson, expresses some frustration about the past. But, "we feel a lot stronger about _La Di Da_. We have a much better (label) team involved with this record." On _La Di Da_, Carlson and Edmunds split the vocal duties equally, with each taking the lead on 6 of the album's 12 tracks. That's Jeff's vocals taking over on the rocking pop throwback leadoff ode to being nice, "Kill 'Em With Kindness", with Doug's vocals (Peter Cetera meshed with Cheap Trick's Robin Zander) rising to the occasion on "Smallsville". "Gore Girls (Gimme More)" alternately splits its musical time between the Beatles' "Penny Lane", Tommy Roe's "Dizzy" and R.E.M.'s "Pop Song 89", while the lyrics ("They're not so untouchable / An average Joe could take one home") take a playful poke at the Vice-President's daughters. R.E.M./Byrds-like guitars also rule on "Kat". And if there was any justice, the Raspberries meets Cheap Trick, harmony-filled "House of Mirrors" would be blaring out of radios around the country. The inclusion of Ben Folds Five bassist Robert Sledge (appearing on 6 tracks, including backing vocals on the title track) is just an added bonus. Carlson and Sledge have known each other for a while, and the appearance on the album wasn't a result of pulling any strings. "Robert was a roommate of mine during a time when Ben Folds Five were just starting to create a buzz," Carlson recalls. "I'd done some demos for the new album (_La Di Da_) and Robert had played on a few of them. He had a 4-track and drums and we laid down an early version of "Kat". When it came time for us to record the album, I asked him if he had a few days available to record and he said 'Yeah, I'd love to.' Ben Folds Five were pretty busy at the time, but he fit it into his schedule. He recorded all six of his bass tracks in one day with us." Edmunds remembers the initial time he checked out the "other" North Carolina piano alterna-pop trio. "I walked in on their sound check at their very first show here in Chapel Hill. I was there to hang a flyer for a Gladhands gig, and when I heard them I flipped. That was in spring of '94. Ever since then I've remained friendly with those guys." And, has the critical praise generated towards BFF and success of Matthew Sweet offer hope for the future? Carlson responds: "It certainly helps. Anytime a band with songs as their main focus - rather than attitude or image - succeeds, it's going to point things in a good direction." Both members play coy when asked about their influences, preferring to leave it up to critics and fans to determine those. Edmunds specifically states that "It's impossible to deny the influence of my favorite pop rock artists. I think we do a good job of mixing our influences and creating something fresh and original. I don't think anybody sounds quite like us." The new saviors of pop music might be right about that. Let's see when radio programmers wake up to that fact and start adding some Gladhands songs to their playlists. For those wishing to check out the Gladhands online, their web site is located at http://www.gladhands.com --- REVIEW: The Chemical Brothers, _Dig Your Own Hole_ (Astralwerks) - Simon West Hyped for months now in the States as the official "next big thing," The Chemical Brothers follow-up to their 1995 debut, _Exit Planet Dust_, is worthy of the tag. Kicking off with a Schooly D sample on the current single "Block Rockin' Beats" and ending with an astonishing 9 minute psychedelic trip called "The Private Psychedelic Reel", _Dig Your Own Hole_ is stronger and more varied the debut release. The afore-mentioned "Block Rockin' Beats" gives way to the title track, a funky five minute synthesis of Chemical style - the tempo changes, shouted samples, funky guitar samples and even the odd whistle. "Electrobank" is a chaotic, driving seven minutes that supposedly samples from over 200 different sources, mixing them with trademark Chemical beats. "Piku" slows things down, scratchy loops and ominous sounding samples, while "Setting Sun" speeds things right up again. Heavily played last year, Oasis' Noel Gallagher provides a distorted vocal from Planet Rock as the apocalypse rages and swarms around him. The rest is similarly excellent. "Get Up On It Like This", lifted from an earlier cd single, is like a 70s television theme brutalized into dance. "It Doesn't Matter" begins with a high-hat cymbal and drum beat that sounds like it was sampled from one of those Casio keyboards with the pre-programmed rhythms. "Where Do I Begin?" features vocals by Beth Orton, who sang "Alive Alone" on _Exit Planet Dust_. A slow, dreamy affair, it's not quite as successful as more conventionally structured previous collaboration, but slows the tempo nicely before the stunning finale. "The Private Psychedelic Reel" is a masterpiece. Featuring the assistance of Mercury Rev, the Brothers swirl buzzing keyboards, Indian sitars, harmonica, drum loops, and damn near anything else they could get their hands on, apparently. The tempo shifts all over the place as recurring melody lines wander around an infectious beat. The obvious reference point is The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows," and the trippy feel is similar. Freak-out music for the next millenium - this one needs to be played very loud, preferably in a large place with thousands of other people. It's worth noting that the two 'breakthrough' electronic singles in the States, "Setting Sun" and The Prodigy's "Firestarter" both feature vocals and a fairly structured verse/chorus type arrangement. It remains to be seen whether aggressive instrumental dance music is going to be as successful as these one-off hits. If anything has a chance, it's this album. Dark and brutal, the Chemical Brothers aren't messing around on _Dig Your Own Hole_. Funky, menacing, hardcore and accessible, this is serious music for dancing. Go and dance to it. You'll get the chance soon - the co-headlining tour with The Orb starts April 24th. --- REVIEW: Ben Folds Five, _Whatever and Ever Amen_ (Sony/550 Music) - Joe Silva If you peer just past the scary absence of guitars (the six stringed kind anyway), you'll eventually see what's truly risque about the Ben Folds Five. What's troublesome is not so much that they eschew high-end production environments, or that they are highly revered by the Japanese, or even that they continue to brazenly perform, record, and do photo shoots minus two members. Rather, there are elements to this band that are far more distinct and perilous as we anxiously careen towards Tricky's millennium. What the BF5 continue to dangerously wield in front of their admiring public is a rugged, better-than-unplugged musical vibe that purposely fails to conceal the exposed parts of Ben's particularly human spirit. Having laid all of this down with their living room aesthetics, the listener is drawn far closer to the blue flame. In the midst of what sound like impassioned rehearsals, Ben has taken some frighteningly acute glimpses into the nature of mortal men. There's the gloating "told-you-so" of "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces," the thoroughly pissed dumpee in "Song for the Dumped," and despondent lovers of "Brick." With useless posturing still rampant in dance music and in-house abstract lyricism cluttering the rest of the rock spectrum, the mention of cold morning car seats, prized black t-shirts has loads more relevance to those rooted (for better or worse) in real life. It stands as an amazingly crisp observation and also as something of a humanist's gamble that Folds would possibly try to connect with what is mundane and unadorned in life. But despite any high-wire aspects to the libretto, Folds, Darren Jesse (drums), and Robert Sledge (bass) still come off as the same somewhat musically unhinged trio that can rock alongside any of your most celebrated indie Gods. The pop sensibilities of the BF5 still contain emblematic melodies, cool style shifts, and sterling harmonies. Strings have been tossed in here and there and Folds' piano still sounds as if it's being treated more like his significant other (occasionally abused, occasionally stroked) than a means for his virtuosity. Moving to a major may not immediately draw radio's attention away from any of the pseudo-punks in electronica garb out there (yes Firestarter, I'm talking to you), but the smart money will probably ride on true melody hawkers like Ben Folds every time. --- REVIEW: L7, _The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum_ (Slash/Reprise) - Tim Mohr Produced by Rob Cavallo, who garnered recognition through work with Green Day and Bad Religion, the new L7 album captures the band better than their previous two major label records. The muddy, metallic feel of _Hungry For Stink_ has been stripped for a direct, reckless sound that at times comes close to their masterpiece, _Smell the Magic_. Also welcome are the few moments of slightly lighter touches, such as "Moonshine," "Bitter Wine," or "Non-Existent Patricia," where L7 turn down the distortion and slow the tempo a bit. Despite the departure of bassist and occasional song-writer Jennifer Finch, the songs on _The Beauty Process_ are consistent and interesting. Lyrics range from the nearly-trademark sardonic humor ("I Need"), to the wild abandon that also characterizes the band ("Off The Wagon"), and through to the rage that animated much of _Smell the Magic_ ("The Masses Are Asses"). Songs like "Bad Things" show that the gutteral punk approach that the band started with ten years ago remains with them, and continues to provide a workable system even as their career progresses. And the murky, vicious riff of "Must Have More" demonstrates their continuing ability to find solid foundations for their most brutal moments. In many ways, _The Beauty Process_ is their best album to date. By mixing the best elements of their sound - slow burners, punk anthems, and thick, metallic pounders - they manage to put together an album that is able to maintain interest in a way that _Bricks Are Heavy_ failed to do. With this mixture of ideas, lyrical and musical, L7 show that they are one of the few bands to emerge from the grunge period who remain worth following. While most of the post-grunge bands descended into boring self-pity and mock-angst, L7 not only participated in the original creative boom but also, ten years after their beginnings, manage to show how alternative rock should be done. The blueprint for L7 has, of course, never changed. But while accepting the basically static nature of garage rock, _The Beauty Process_ is a highlight by virtue of quality songs and effective production. --- REVIEW: Polara, _C'est La Vie_ (Interscope) - Lang Whitaker After Polara's 1995 self-titled indie debut album, the industry buzz on Polara was almost deafening. Everyone from Rolling Stone ("these tracks coexist beautifully") to USA Today ("a cut above the current Nirvana-bes") has been falling all over themselves praising Polara. After starting out as a solo project for Minneapolis producer/artist Ed Ackerson, Polara eventually developed into a four person group made up of accomplished musicians. Ackerson recruited Peter Anderson to fill the drum chair, Jennifer Jurgens to play keyboards and guitar, and Jason Orris to man the bass. After 180 dates together, the band felt tight and ready to go home to Minneapolis to cut their sophomore release, _C'est La Vie_, which, as far as sophomore releases go, isn't bad. The music sounds remarkably similar to Garbage, but with a male as the lead vocalist. It's hard to pigeonhole Polara because their music brings to mind a wildly disparate group of artists (Smashing Pumpkins, Poison, Matthew Sweet). By utilizing a combination of chopping and wailing guitars with a vast array of keyboard buzzes and whistles, Ackerson has created a soul-filled album while retaining the detached techno/pop feel of the early 80's. Unfortunately, Polara never really stakes out the music as their own. Even after listening to the album twice, I still had trouble discerning what makes it seem so darn familiar. It's hard to tell who is responsible for what instrumentally, since so many of the members of Polara pull double and triple duty. Each song is generally chock full of noise, though none of it seems like overkill. The drumming is rather rudimentary, but it fits well with the music, providing a strong backbone for Ackerson's musical soundscapes. As a vocalist, Ackerson's limited range is hidden by his ability to shift styles with ease. _C'est La Vie_, which incidentally has no connection to the earlier song of the same name by Robbie Nevil, starts off with "Transformation", in which Ackerson's gravelly vocals sound like a techno George Thorogood. "Light The Fuse And Run" and "Quebecois" are also highlights. Polara's strengths and weaknessess are exposed in their songwriting. While almost every song has a chorus that lodges itself in your subconscious, the lyrics are often kind of silly ("don't get me wrong, don't get me wrong, change came along, change came along"). Inexplicibly, Polara hasn't been much of a commercial success. I think it may be because they have all the ingredients of a hit on their hands, but I kind of got a "been there, done that" feeling after listening to the album. It's almost like Polara borrowed a shirt from U2, a pair of pants from Billy Corgin, a sock from Collective Soul, and a pair of boxers from Trent Reznor, which sounds like a pretty interesting outfit. The only problem is that no one showed Polara how to sew their own names onto the tags. If you're into the Brit-pop scene or early 80's US pop, I say give Polara a chance. They might just surprise you. --- REVIEW: Jill Sobule, _Happy Town_ (Atlantic) - Reto Koradi Once this decade approaches its end, people will start arguing about the dominating trends. Grunge and techno may be the buzzwords in the media, but in the opinion of many music fans, this could well be considered the decade of women, and Jill Sobule should be viewed as one of their leading figures. While her first two albums did not score very high commercially, she still created a minor stir with the song "I Kissed A Girl" off her last album (some people seem to think that a girl kissing another girl is worse than shooting a dozen people - food for thought). _Happy Town_ looks like a natural progression from her previous work, widening the musical scope without giving up any of her very own qualities. The harder sounds on songs like the title track do not distract from her sometimes fragile, yet clear voice at all; they only seem to underline it even more. The spectrum goes all the way from intimately slow songs like "Little Guy" to the upbeat "Bitter". Also featured is a surprising collaboration with Steve Earle (!) on "Love Is Never Equal". Despite the convincing musical qualities, at the center of the songs are still the lyrics. They are rarely about spectacular events, but mostly about emotions. Sobule has a unique talent to capture feelings in words, she often makes you think like "I recognize this feeling exactly, I could just never express it that well." A remarkable step outside the personal scope is the song "Soldiers Of Christ", which deals with the growing number of people who seem to have completely misunderstood the true meaning of religion, and brings their dangerous attitude precisely on the point ("our Lord hates the liberals, the faggots and their friends"). _Happy Town_ maintains the high level of Jill Sobule's previous two albums, and may even be her best so far. It is a must for all fans of female singer/songwriters, and heartily recommended to all lovers of fine music with some deepness. --- REVIEW: Built To Spill, _Perfect From Now On_ (Warner) - Bill Holmes Amazingly, in this "Spice Girls", what-have-you-done-for-me- lately world of A&R roulette, sometimes an inventive quality band without a prayer of having a hit single actually gets to release a record on a major label. Welcome, with open arms, Built To Spill. Guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Doug Martsch is the force behind this band who have been issuing indie albums at an annual clip since 1993. After years of revolving band members (you've got to like a band with two members named Brett Nelson and Brett Netson) and Martsch at the core, the current lineup includes ex-Spinanes drummer Scott Plouf and bassist Brett Nelson, with whom Martsch has recorded on and off since 1981 when they were classmates. Lord knows you may never hear any of this on your radio, but that's not because it doesn't belong there. With tracks clocking in at a six minute plus average, maybe the closest comparison I can make for BTS's hypnotic guitar driven songs would be Neil Young, although the backing band would more closely resemble Thin White Rope or The Loud Family than Crazy Horse. Martsch floats tempo changes in and out of songs, and the melodies shift often enough that one might assume there are actually fifteen or twenty songs on the disc. With a reedy vocal style that at times resembles Plant, Young or even Perry Farrell (and I mean that in a good way!), Doug's words are counterbalanced by the underscore of moody instruments like mellotron and cello. And then there's that guitar work. Most 90's guitar players should have their wah-wah pedal license revoked for PWI (playing without inspiration), but not Martsch. His haunting guitar work is pure texture, not in-your-face technique. Credibly, the rhythm section doesn't overplay, but feeds the song, as each journeys off to another corner of your mind. Whether melancholy and spare (as on "I Would Hurt A Fly") or jacking up faster (the stunning closing piece "Untrustable Part 2"), each mini-song cycle is a real mood piece that worms its way into your ear and grows stronger with repeated listens. More comparisons? How about a more rhythmic, less punky Television? Great musical chops not tied into a three minute package. Highly recommended for those who enjoy the rewards of musical moods. --- REVIEW: Gary Numan/Tubeway Army, _Premier Hits_ (Beggars Banquet) - Derek Langsford While Gary Numan is an artist that all but his rabidly loyal fans in his British homeland ridicule and pretend to hate, in the USA he has remained an obscure one hit wonder ("Cars" reached the top 10 in 1980). Most US DJs think Numan flew off into the sunset to follow his passion for airplanes, never to be heard from again, musically. But he achieved a string of UK top 20 hits from 79 through 82 and less successful singles almost every year since then. This CD is the worldwide release of his 78-83 UK singles output, the first of his early material in many markets. _Premier Hits_ hit UK stores a year ago after a 1987 remix of "Cars" was used and renamed to promote a British lager. The US edition sports a different cover and back but contains the same tracks. The well illustrated booklet includes an intelligent commentary piece by Steve Malins that reflects more accurately the career of Numan up to the present day than you'll find in any fanzine or the often self-absorbed UK music press. These singles include Numan's contrived but successful sound that landed a recording deal in the final throws of punk ("That's Too Bad", "Bombers"), the stunningly successful electronic UK chartbusters ("Are Friends' Electric?", "Cars" - both were UK No. 1s) and the Jazz and funk influenced singles that were released as Numan's career started to wind down ("She's Got Claws", "Music for Chameleons", "Warriors"). Also included are such electronic classics as "I Die: You Die", "We Are Glass" and "Down in the Park". Two of Numan's earlier and more musically successful collaborative singles, with his backing band "Dramatis" and his Tubeway Army bass player, Paul Gardiner, are also featured. While some of this material is showing it's age, it cannot be denied that Numan was the first synthesizer based artist to appeal to the UK masses for more than one release. Bands such as Depeche Mode, Yaz(oo), Ultravox and more recently Pet Shop Boys and Erasure might not have succeeded were it not for Numan's ear for a catchy hook presented without the use of guitars. Numan pioneered the European electropop field with the first number one of its kind (AFE), the first commercial music video release ("The Touring Principle"), and the first successful electronic ballad ("Complex"). Indeed many of today's top bands are acknowledging Numan by providing covers that will be released later this year on a 2CD tribute titled _Random_. But Numan's huge success was relatively short-lived as sales dropped, and Numan's relationship with the media deteriorated. That antagonism even extended to BBC Radio 1 which has unoffically and unfairly boycotted all of Numan's work since 1986. While Numan has continued to make music since then, with some very idiosyncratic and inconstant albums, he has won over new fans with his most recent UK album (_Sacrifice_, 1994), and is actively looking for a record deal for his new one, _Exile_. _Premier Hits_ is a splendid retrospective that allows the listener to relive some of the best electronically based music from the early 80s. The songs, newly remastered for this collection, are an essential addition for anyone who wants to include a broad sample of one of the founding members of the synth revolution in popular music in their collection. This CD will provide an excellent sample of what Numan was all about for people who liked "Cars" but didn't really follow the rest of his early career. TRACK LISTING: Cars (Premier Mix), I Die: You Die, Are 'Friends' Electric?, Down In The Park, We Are Glass, Bombers, We Take Mystery (To Bed), She's Got Claws, Complex, Music For Chameleons, That's Too Bad, This Wreckage, Warriors, Love Needs No Disguise (Dramatis featuring Gary Numan), White Boys And Heroes, Sister Surprise, Stormtrooper In Drag (Paul Gardiner and Gary Numan), Cars (Original version) --- REVIEW: Space Needle, _The Moray Eels Eat The Space Needle_ (Zero Hour) - Scott A. Miller Roger Dean: who can forget his classic album covers for the Yes albums _Fragile_, _Close to the Edge_, _Tales from Topographic Oceans_ and _Relayer_? Apparently the guys in Space Needle can't. They've not only unearthed Dean to produce the some nifty cover art for their sophomore Zero Hour release _The Moray Eels Eat The Space Needle_, they've actually added relevance to the prog-rock genre with 10 songs that make sense. Even the instrumentals. Take the 13-minute opener "Where the Fucks My Wallet." It begins calmly, like your typical day might. But somewhere along the way you realize something has gone horribly wrong. You've lost your most prized possession, the thing that holds your ID, you credit cards, your CASH! Just about then you explode in fit of rage, panic and disbelief. The song does, too. Taking just the slightest hint from the opening guitar line, Jeff Gatland's axe erupts so violently, you'll think someone's twisted your volume all the way right. The song slips jaggedly from progressive to avant garde, and at the 13-minute mark it still hasn't made its way back to that serene beginning. It never does. If you've lost your wallet, listen to this song before you start looking for it. It might be the most cautionary rock instrumental of the '90s. At the very least, you'll be ready when all those emotions boil over. If you've never lost your wallet (trust me, you don't want to), listen to this song so you'll know what your friends are going through. Of course, _The Moray Eels Eat The Space Needle_ is more than one song about lost possessions. For all the opening track's complexities, there's the simple beauty of "Never Lonely Alone," penned by drummer/keyboardist Jud Ehrbar, the King Crimson chops of "Hot For Krishna" and the Led Zeppelin noodling of "Hyapatia Lee." "Krishna" features guest violinist Max Buckholtz sounding a little like late, late night at a spaced out Kansas tribute (the band, not the state). And "Hyapatia Lee" opens with Buckholtz displaying what the opening bars of Zeppelin's "In The Evening" should have sounded like. The song eventually gives a nod to Pink Floyd circa _Umma Gumma_, but David Gilmore never sounded like that on guitar. The true gems on the album are written by Ehrbar, the soundscape designer behind another Zero Hour act known only as _Reservoir_. They have a slightly damaged basement feel, which will keep the fans of Space Needle's low-fi debut happy. But they also take full advantage of newly added guitarist Anders Parker and the sonic possibilities of a real studio. Parker, by the way, contributes another of the album's fine moments (or six moments and 11 seconds, as it were) with the closing track "One Kind of Lullaby." There are plenty of 1970s progressive influences here, so naming Dean captain of the design team is a smart move. But what really sets Space Needle apart is its way of making progressive music that people who have been through the punk revolution and everything that came its wake, including low-fi, can understand. I never understood a single Yes song completely and after hearing _The Moray Eels Eat The Space Needle_ I'm a little upset I tried for so long. --- REVIEW: Wammo, _Fat Headed Stranger_ (Mouth Almighty/Mercury) - Bill Holmes Onomatopoeia at it's finest - Wammo is nothing if not a big slap upside your head. An ex- radio jock (ironically fired from a radio station for playing Ice T's "Freedom Of Speech"), a chunky guy in a bad Batman costume, a "real gone guy with a six pack and a frozen pizza just lookin' for love", Austin, Texas' Wammo wants your attention. I don't think that will be a problem. Produced and recorded by Barbara K (Timbuk3), Wammo is all over the spoken word map. Stream-of-consciousness rants like "Do I Look Fat In This" bunk with eavesdropped conversations like "Open Letter '92". "Too Much Light In This Bar", complete with lurid Billy Idol impressions and poseur slams, is possibly the most intense four and a half minutes you're likely to spend all year. God knows what kind of Waring blender is in Wammo's head - most good poets are tuned to a different frequency than the rest of us - but the results aren't likely to be heard on any radio station you know. But you knew that when you grabbed a record with song titles like "Cat Head Biscuits" and "Unprotected Menage A Trois". "Homage To The Ramones" aptly uses just three chords, stops on a dime for a rant, and continues on only after bassist Katie Morrison's Dee Dee like "2! 3! 4!!". Along with "Batman" and "There Is Too Much Light In This Bar", "Ramones was co-written by labelmate and ex-Austinite Ed Hamell, whose jackhammer guitar riffs propel all three at about 150MPH. (If Hamell got paid by the strum he could buy and sell Bill Gates with a day's pay). Instrumentation on this record is unbelievable - everything from trash can drums to gospel scat to bar fights. Not that he isn't funny. Throughout the record Wammo slams "hip alternative" music, even taking a nice swipe at an alternative goddess ("So Kim/What's the Deal....we don't have to Breed"). Ditto the nine second long closing piece, whose entire lyric is "Charles Bukowski's Dead...finally, there's enough beer...for the rest of us!". "I was flannel/when flannel wasn't cool", says Wammo in "Children Of The Corn Nuts", which despite its "Take This Job And Shove It" melody is undoubtedly a live standard of his. I've seen Hamell On Trial live, the true medium for artists like these whose humor and riveting presence can't be fully realized on a recording. I can only imagine that Wammo must have a similar electric connection to his audience. You want truly "alternative" music? _Fat Headed Stranger_ is forty-five minutes of poetry, self-analysis, rants, primal screams, confessions and songs that will command your attention. Hell, if Wammo ever writes a screenplay I'll bet it's amazing, but for now an uninterrupted hour in a dark room will have to do. Art-house movie fans, poets and open minds will devour this oral soundtrack - Hootie fans need not apply. --- REVIEW: Cibo Matto, _Super Relax_ ep (Warner Brothers) - Tim Mohr Cibo Matto's _Super Relax_ ep is built around four versions of the single, "Sugar Water," which is a good example of the Cibo Matto style: slow, hypnotic Mo' Wax-style hip-hop beats and dreamy half-sung, half-rapped female vocals (with fairly obvious Japanese accents). But Cibo Matto are much more eccentric than that simple description indicates: the fact that they work with members of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and the Beastie Boys, and have toured with Beck, may hint at their unigue brand of mellow mayhem. Among the five other tracks, highlights include their largely acoustic cover of the Rolling Stones' psychedelic oddity, "Sing This All Together," and the new track, "Spoon." Their diverse influences are evident through their cover of easy-latin-jazz legend Antonio Carloos Jobim's "Aguas de Marco." Also of particular interest is the acoustic version of "Sugar Water" where the lilting melody of the song comes across with piano, guitar, bass, and live drums instead of samplers. Through this experiment, the inherent quality of the band is recognizable. Of the "Sugar Water" remixes, the one worked up by Mike D. (Beastie Boys), Russel Simins (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion), and Mario Caldato Jr (Beasties producer) is probably the best, though it is also quite faithful to the original single mix with an altered percussion line. If the self-titled debut ep and _Viva La Woman_ albums are unfamiliar, this ep makes a good (and inexpensive) introduction to the band. The material will be of most interest to people with a taste for eccentricity in the field of dance music; that is, people who prefer Bjork, Pizzicato Five, or Beck to the stuff clogging up the R&B charts. Their laid-back vocal style keeps some distance from the likes of the Beasties, though occasionally ranted choruses move in that direction. The beats are more electronic than Luscious Jackson, though on this ep they do pick up guitars for several tracks, as detailed above. The overall package is an enjoyable mix between trip-hop-ish and indie styles, comparable to the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's experimental remix ep that featured beats from Mo' Wax's U.N.K.L.E., the Beasties, and others. For the converted, a worthwhile addition to the collection, with some extra appeal because of the acoustic numbers. --- REVIEW: Skeptical Cats, _Record Record_ (Skeptical Cat) - Scott Slonaker Hailing from the mythological town of Dayton, Ohio, the Skeptical Cats purvey a patchwork quilt of influences ranging from the Beatles to the blues into interesting and off-kilter pop songs. _Record Record_ is the quintet's second album, released on the band's own record label. Different members sing at different times, and a variety of instruments (saxophone, sampled orchestra, dobro, etc.) creep into the arrangements. This eclecticism does keep the pot simmering, albeit at the expense of a consistent vibe. The two opening tracks, "Upside Down" and "Slight of Hands", both blend Doors-y keyboards and jumpy rhythm sections into lilting, They Might Be Giants-ish cabaret-pop. Guitars make their presence felt in track three, "Whiskey Breakfast", a tale of "two years in college of not to gain a damn thing/But 10k tossed in the wind." "Do Well" is a blissful piano-guitar singalong, and sure to be a high point of the band's live act. Conversely, "Sour Grapes" is a vitriolic indictment of the music industry that wouldn't have sounded out of place on the current Ben Folds Five album. The Fab Four are all over "Opaque", a gentle slice of melancholia with an unexpectedly Van Morrison-jazzy clarinet/sax break. "Soup for One" too scarily recalls the Carpenters. "Starting Over" features some very cool dobro and funky bass, and "Moon Rise on Bombay" could be an early-'70s hippy-dippy Crosby, Stills, and Nash track (minus some of the omnipresent vocal harmony). Perhaps a tad too progressively patchwork musically to completely cohere, _Record Record_ is nevertheless a very interesting and likable pop album, managing to be pop without making the Cats come off as if they're just after a potentially big single. Should you like your plucky-pop with an instruction manual, by all means check out _Record Record_. And to think that the only reason I originally listened to the disc is because I had been giggle-snorting about the thought of the Stray Cats going Sebadoh. --- REVIEW: ALX, _I Just Want To Be A Dinosaur_ (ALX, self-released) - Bill Holmes Judging by the sound of this disk, it was a pretty dangerous choice for a title. In other words, ALX, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. The bombastic opener, "Mister Relations Man", shows promise despite sounding like Tears For Fears with Trent Reznor on vocals. With a repetitive chorus (the first of many on this CD) chanting that "love is like a rainbow/all elusive, multicolored, changing all the time", I hoped I was headed more towards the Jellyfish or Queen side of seventies pomp. No such luck. Buried beneath this wall of synthesized music there probably lies the beating of a pop heart. "I Won't Tell A Soul" sounds like an INXS knockoff, has some nice vocals and could probably rip with a real band sound. Here it's buried by the wall of synth noodling. "The Meaning Of Life", despite the title, is another pop melody rotting on the vine. A third attempt, "That Is Immortal", is a by-product of listening to Harrison's "The Inner Light" once too often -a misdirected homage. Mid-record we are graced with the title track followed by "Cybergenic Silo", a one-two punch even Spinal Tap would run from. Sample lyrics: "Yet one more century passes by/bye-bye/Let me out of the box/Let me out of the box...". No, let me out of the box! I understand that the lyrics in music like this are secondary (cue Jon Anderson and Yes) but the lyrics throughout this CD are sophomoric at best. ALX, whomever he is (the cover drawing looks like Ron Perlman in "Beauty And The Beast"), certainly has musical talent, a decent voice and an ability to arrange vocal harmonies. That's not enough, though. There's thirty minutes of sound here but no cohesive musical statement, no lasting melodies, no message to remember. ALX sings in the closing track "I'd like to tell you all about the things in my head, but they're so far away". For me, even after thirty minutes, they still are. --- NEWS: > The New York Downtown Pop Sound '97, a three day festival of New York City pop bands, will be held at the Luna Lounge from April 24 through April 26. Organizers Joe McGinty and Ed Rogers have adopted a "no seminars, no panels, no badges" approach to these shows, which are free on a first come, first served basis. Eleven bands will be performing, including Cardinal Woolsey, Debby Schwartz, Jenifer Jackson, Red Betty, Primrose Hill, Travis Pickle, Lotion, Individual Fruit Pie and Baby Steps. For additional information, contact the Luna Lounge at 212-260-2323. > The state of New Jersey has demanded the withdrawal of Marilyn Manson from the "Ozzfest" show, scheduled on June 15, or have the show banned. Osbourne is now suing the state for the right to perform, and issued a prepared statement in which he said, "I will not be putting any limits on any of the Ozzfests. These shows are all about having a good time, I don't believe that anyone, regardless of age, should be prohibited by law from enjoying themselves at a rock show. This is not an issue of taste. It is an issue of civil liberty and freedom." --- TOUR DATES: Aztek Trip Apr. 21 New York, NY Brownies Automatic Apr. 28 New York, NY CBGB's Backsliders Apr. 24 Greenville, NC East Carolina University Apr. 25 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle Apr. 26 Atlanta, GA Smith's Olde Bar Bloodhound Gang Apr. 22 New Orleans, LA House of Blues Apr. 24 Murfeesboro, TN Main Street Apr. 25 Columbus, OH Chelsie's Apr. 26 Baltimore, MD UMBC-Quad (w/ George Clinton, Toasters, Solution AD) Apr. 27 Farmville, VA Longwood College-Lancer Gym (w/Phunk Junkees) Apr. 29 State College, PA Crow Bar Apr. 30 Scranton, PA Tinks Bobgoblin Apr. 22 Wichita, KS Big Fish Club Apr. 23 Norman, OK Tip's Tavern Apr. 28 K.C, MO Grand Emporium Apr. 29 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl Apr. 30 Minneapolis, MN The Great Whole Brilliantine Apr. 25 Cambridge, MA Middle East (w/Archers of Loaf) Cellophane Apr. 23 Murfreesboro, TN Mainstreet Apr. 24 St. Louis, MO Side Door Apr. 25 Detroit, MI Shelter Apr. 26 Cleveland, OH Grog / Peabody's (tbc) Apr. 27 Atlanta, GA ESPN EXTREME GAMES -Georgia Tech Apr. 30 Milwaukee, WI Rave Bar Chainsuck / Lycia Apr. 22 Boston, MA The Rat Apr. 25 Philadelphia, PA Jack Rabbit Slims Chemical Brothers Apr. 24 Dallas, TX Bomb Factory (w/Orb) Apr. 26 Chicago, IL Aragon (w/Orb) Apr. 27 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Apr. 29 Denver, CO Ogden Crown Heights Apr. 22 Bozeman, MT Filling Station Apr. 26 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill Dada Apr. 25 Tempe, AZ Electric Ballroom Apr. 26 Colorado Springs, CO Manhattans Apr. 29 Milwaukee, WI Rave Apr. 30 Minneapolis, MN Univ of Minnesota Dots Will Echo Apr. 24 Lancaster, PA Chameleon Apr. 25 New York, NY Arlene's Grocery Apr. 26 New York, NY Nightingale's Apr. 30 Philadelphia, PA Dr. Watson's Drain S.T.H. Apr. 22 Lincoln, NE The Royal Grove Apr. 23 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry Apr. 24 Milwaukee, WI The Rave Apr. 25 Toledo, OH Carol's Apr. 26 Detroit, MI I-Rock Apr. 27 Clinton, IA Pigpen Firewater Apr. 24 Cleveland, OH Euclid Tavern Apr. 25 Chicago, IL Metro Apr. 26 Detroit, MI Shelter Five-Eight Apr. 23 Tuscaloosa, AL Ivory Tusk Apr. 24 Nashville, TN Exit Inn Apr. 25 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club Apr. 26 August, GA Caffeine Fluffy Apr. 22 Jacksonville, FL Moto Lounge Apr. 23 Atlanta, GA The Point Apr. 24 Nashville, TN Exit/In Apr. 25 Florence, SC The Edge Apr. 27 Atlanta, GA X Games Humble Gods Apr. 22 Denver, CO Aztlan Theatre Apr. 23 Lawrence, KS Granada Apr. 26 Toledo, OH Sport's Hall Apr. 27 Kalamazoo, MI Warehouse Apr. 29-30 Flint, MI Metropolis Jayhawks Apr. 24-25 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern Apr. 28 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig Apr. 29 Columbus, OH Ludlow's Apr. 30 State College, PA Crowbar Marilyn Manson / Helmet / Rasputina Apr. 22 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium Apr. 23 Louisville, KY Louisville Gardens Apr. 25 Saginaw, MI Wendler Arena Apr. 26 Cleveland, OH CSU Convocation Ctr. Apr. 29 Ft. Wayne, IN Ft. Wayne Coliseum Apr. 30 Kalamazoo, MI Wings Stadium John Mayall Apr. 30 Rochester, NY Winter Street John Mellencamp / The Why Store April 22-24 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theater Metallica / Corrosion of Conformity Apr. 22-23 Atlanta, GA The Omni Apr. 25 Biloxi, MS Mississippi Coast Col. Apr. 26 Lafayette, LA Cajundome Apr. 28 Houston, TX The Summit New Bomb Turks Apr. 22 Portsmouth, NH Fabulous Elvis Room Apr. 23 Boston, MA Middle East Apr. 26 Washington, DC Black Cat Professor & Maryann Apr. 28 New York, NY Fez Under Time Cafe Samples Apr. 22 Cleveland, OH Odeon Theater Apr. 23-24 Chicago, IL The Vic Theatre Apr. 25 St. Louis, MO Washington Univ. Apr. 26 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theatre Apr. 29 Indianapolis, IN The Vogue Apr. 30 Bloomington, IN Mars Seven Mary Three Apr. 24 Thibodaux, LA Civic Center Apr. 25 Mississippi State, MS MSU Ampitheater Shonen Knife Apr. 22 Calgary, AB The Republik Apr. 24 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe Apr. 25 Chicago,IL House of Blues Apr. 26 Detroit,MI Majestic Theatre Apr. 27 Toronto. ONT Opera House Apr. 29 Ottawa ONT. Barrymore's Apr. 30 Montreal, PQ Foufounes Electriques Silverchair / Automatic Apr. 30 Asbury Park, NJ Convention Hall Sister Hazel Apr. 22 Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsley Apr. 23 Knoxville, TN Mercury Theater Apr. 24 Chapel Hill, NC Lizard & Snake Apr. 25 Columbia, SC Rockafellas Apr. 26 Charlotte, NC Amos Sneaker Pimps / Chimera Apr. 21 Philadelphia, PA Five Spot Apr. 23 New York, NY Irving Plaza Apr. 24 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's Apr. 26 Boston, MA Axis Apr. 30 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall Stillsuit / Downset / Earth Crisis Apr. 28 New York, NY CBGB's They Might Be Giants Apr. 26 Gambire, OH Kenyon College U2 Apr. 25 Las Vegas, NV Sam Boyd Stadium Apr. 28 San Diego, CA Jack Murphy Stadium Verve Pipe Apr. 22 East Lansing, MI Michigan State University Apr. 25 North Andover, MA Volpe Gymnasium Apr. 26 Boston, MA Hatch Shell Apr. 27 Poughkeepsie, NY Chance Apr. 29 Manchester, NH Dana Center Apr. 30 Newark, DE University of Delaware --- Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest continuous collaborative music publication on the Internet. To get back issues of Consumable, check out: WWW: http://www.westnet.com/consumable FTP: ftp.quuxuum.org in the directory /pub/consumable ftp.prouser.org (URL) http://www.westnet.com/consumable/Consumable.html (Delphi) Music Fandom forum; GO ENT MUSIC Web access contributed by WestNet Internet Services (westnet.com), serving Westchester County, NY. Consumable Online is featured in the Best Of The Internet Showcase, through FastLink: The Best Of The Internet... And Lightning Fast http://www.symgroup.com/showcase Address any written correspondence to Bob Gajarsky, Consumable Online, 409 Washington St. #294, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 ===