== ISSUE 202 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [March 8, 2000] Editor: Bob Gajarsky E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com Managing Editor: Lang Whitaker Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Chris Hill, Bill Holmes, Tim Kennedy, Jon Steltenpohl Correspondents: Michelle Aguilar, Paul Andersen, Christina Apeles, Niles J. Baranowski, Jason Cahill, Matthew Carlin, John Davidson, Andrew Duncan, Krisjanis Gale, Jade Hughes, Paul Hanson, Eric Hsu, Scott Hudson, Steve Kandell, Dave Kemper, Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Wes Long, I.K. MacLeod, Wilson Neate, Mike Pfeiffer, Linda Scott, Don Share, Scott Slonaker, Kerwin So, Chelsea Spear, Michael Van Gorden, Simon West Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, David Landgren, Dave Pirmann Address all comments to staff@consumableonline.com ; subscription information is given at the end of this issue. ================================================================== All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the editor. ================================================================== .------------. | Contents | `------------' REVIEW: Steely Dan, _Two Against Nature_ - Paul Andersen REVIEW: Michael Hutchence, _Michael Hutchence_ - Michelle Aguilar REVIEW: Various Artists, _At Home With the Groovebox_ - Christina Apeles REVIEW: Gov't Mule, _Life Before Insanity_ - Paul Andersen REVIEW: Aimee Mann, _Music From The Motion Picture Magnolia_ - Joann D. Ball REVIEW: Presence, _All Systems Gone_ - Wilson Neate REVIEW: DJ Spooky vs. Scanner, _The Quick and the Dead_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: Gas Giants, _From Beyond The Back Burner_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: The Anniversary, _Designing A Nervous Breakdown_ - Kerwin So REVIEW: Violent Femmes, _Freak Magnet_ - Don Share REVIEW: Ginny Owens, _Without Condition_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Therapy?, _Suicide Pact - You First_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: Phil Coulter, _Highland Cathedral_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Blue Oyster Cult, _Don't Fear The Reaper - The Best Of - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Gran Torino, _Two_ - Paul Andersen REVIEW: Wild Colonials, _Reel Life Vol. 1_ - Chelsea Spear NEWS: Beach Boys, Cult, Grooveradio / Moby, Art Garfunkel, J-Bird / Rockapella 2, TOUR DATES: Beck, Frank Black and the Catholics, Phil Coulter, Enon, Fastbacks, Filter / Chevelle, Gomez, Guster, Ben Harper And The Innocent Criminals, Incubus, Jayhawks, Korn, Aimee Mann / Michael Penn, Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, New Wet Kojak, Papas Fritas, Powerman 5000, Pretenders, Lit / 22 Jacks, Step Kings Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Steely Dan, _Two Against Nature_ (Giant) - Paul Andersen It has been 20 years since Steely Dan last put out a studio album, yet amazingly, for the duo of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, time has stood still. Their new album, the perfectly titled _Two Against Nature_, sounds as if the natural progression of the band from _Gaucho_ to now has seamlessly cut through those two decades, causing a definite deja vu reaction to take place. It's as if they have simply taken an extended vacation. Of course, Steely Dan is not your typical pop band. Adored by a large legion of fans, they traverse a path that is as much rooted in jazz as it is in rock. Combining top production values -- they have always been one of the cleanest-sounding bands in popdom with exceptional virtuosity by a cast of top studio musicians, the duo works in a realm of music shuttered away from any normal connection to what passes for popular music. The Dan has always been ahead of their time; it will be interesting to see if the marketplace has caught up to them, yet. Yet in many ways, Steely Dan has produced an album that is as safe as it is brilliant. Yes, brilliant (you can capitalize it if you want to), but the odd set of songs that make up _Two Against Nature_ sounds as if they could have been part of the sessions that made _Gaucho_. As full of odd characters and elliptical meanings as ever, they have given their fans precisely the album they have clamored for all these years. It wouldn't even be a bone of contention if Fagen hadn't come out with _Kamikiriad_ in 1993. A 'solo' album produced by Becker, it was one of the decade's best. A stunning work that stands as perhaps the best merging ever of pop and jazz into a singular music, it took chances that _Nature_ only hints at. The fact that _Kamikiriad_ could have just as easily been released under the Steely Dan moniker is beside the point. Oh well. At least the boys are back, proving once again that occasionally, time can stand still, even though they're still ahead of it. There's probably a logarithmic equation there somewhere, waiting for a mathematician to work out the Steely Dan theorem. --- REVIEW: Michael Hutchence, _Michael Hutchence_ (V2) - Michelle Aguilar I should probably get this out of the way now: With a decent number of genuinely catchy exceptions ("Devil Inside" "Need You Tonight" "Not Enough Time") I have never been a huge fan of INXS. Having said that, I have the odd luck to have seen one of INXS frontman Michael Hutchence's last shows, a few weeks before he killed himself in a Sydney hotel room. It's one of those blips of an event that takes on unexpected significance in your life only in retrospect. In a fairly intimate Montreal club setting that night, the crowd was packed with teenagers and thirtysomethings alike (including my brother - the huge INXS fan in the family who invited me to drive eight hours from Massachusetts to see this show), who were all pretty damn excited to be there. Nicholas Cage was in the audience, taking a break from shooting "Snake Eyes," and graciously waved to Hutchence and the audience when spotted. All in all, Hutchence should have felt fairly on top of the world, but instead, the whole thing seemed to be ringing very hollow for him. While his bandmates played their songs solidly behind him, Hutchence mostly ignored them and alternately preened and sneered at his audience, constantly pacing, as if he couldn't decide between heaven and hell. He pulled underdressed, underage-looking girl groupies out of the audience seemingly at every turn, spending half the song serenading them, the other getting them to simulate sexual acts on him. While this over-the-top persona could have evoked the bad-boy sexual electricity of Zepplin-era Robert Plant, it came across instead as actions full of numb rage. Not a great way to remember the last time you saw someone. You know that classic moment in most war movies, where a soldier loses his friend in the war and he faces the overwhelming task of writing to his buddy's parents a testament to their son's bravery and goodness? Because he deserves a better final image than a pile of blood and urine on a battlefield? That's a bit what this album is like. Hutchence's producers Andy Gill (Gang of Four) and Danny Saber (Black Grape) pulled out this almost-finished album a year after Hutchence's death, determined to sweep aside the ugliness of that Sydney hotel room, convinced that he deserved a better legacy. As odd luck would have it, they had some pretty decent stuff to work with. While he had turned over to INXS' label a perfectly standard and not all that exciting INXS album in _Elegantly Wasted,_ for his solo work, Hutchence seems in his last year to have been trying to find a way out of the stylistic expectations of INXS. This half-finished album bears hearing, not as a sordid catalog of Hutchence's last year, but as his most honest, most direct, most human album to date. Which is not to say that all these songs succeed. Some can't escape the dull sheen of heavy programming and uninspired melodies, despite the appealing honesty of their lyrics. But there are some genuine winners here, especially for any fans of INXS who may have always secretly wished for something more deep from Michael Hutchence. "Possibilities," a slow reggae number with minor-key string arrangements, gives us Hutchence ruminating on his career-long Jim Morrison pose, and "All I'm Saying," is a pretty, grey rainy-day of a song that recalls and far surpasses INXS' "Beautiful Girl." "Get on the Inside," is more surface and more poppy, but quite catchy, while at the same time, hinting at darker thoughts, the way Bowie did so well in the '70s. You can almost see Hutchence taking a symbolic stand, smack dab between where he had come from with INXS and where he seemed to be trying to land himself. "Baby It's Alright," and "Flesh and Blood" recall U2's _Achtung Baby_ in their swaths of High Production, tons of programming and warm, upfront vocals. (According to Saber and Gill, Hutchence had been fascinated with U2's postmodern self-reinvention) The eerily-titled "Don't Save Me From Myself" is a simple, naked song that makes one wonder what Hutchence might have done with a second or third solo album, once he had exorcised his personal and musical demons. However, the one song with an actual U2 stamp on it, "Slide Away," is a disappointment. Featuring guest vocals by Bono, it frankly sounds less like a loving tribute than filler. My suspicion is that this is the real reason it is the album's last track, not because it was intended as Hutchence's swan song. "She Flirts for England," is also disappointing, with a boring repetitive melody and lyics that seems more like one of INXS' worst indulgences, covered up with lush production by Saber and Gill, still writing that soldier's letter back home. This album won't convert any outright Hutchence-haters, but it is an album that deserves an open-minded listen by INXS fans and those who can appreciate the hidden beauty inside gaudy packages. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _At Home With the Groovebox_ (Grand Royal and Tannis Root) - Christina Apeles What a grand display of electronic ingenuity with the use of a Groovebox from artists like John McEntire of Tortoise, Money Mark, Sonic Youth and Beck. Tannis Root's motivation behind the project was to take a programmable synthesizer with a library of classic and fresh synthesized sounds, or what is referred to as "a band in a box," pass it on to a wide range of artists, and see what happens. The result, in two words, is "absolute fun." A small number of the fourteen artists featured could resist creating the ultimate dance track with their try at the Groovebox. Early pioneers of synthesizer music, Jean Jaques Perry and Gershon Kingsley, whose song "Baroque Hoedown" inspired the Disneyland Main Street Light Parade music, shine in their tunes. Perry throws a little bit from the legendary song, a mix of bells, vocal samplings and traditional Scottish melodies into "Groovy Leprechauns," while Kingsley, dolls up a moog number in true festive fashion with "Popcorn." Air, who are far from foreigners to such technology, created a masterpiece of a ballad with "Planet Vega," an exploration of instrumentals, using tempo variations, moving inflections and dreamlike beats. And Bis gets down and dirty in "Oh My," letting it all hang out with heavy pulsations, sampling and progressive synth playing, for a beat happy dance track. One would expect the clever and funky numbers offered by Money Mark, Cibo Matto and Beck on this release, but the most entertaining aspect of this collection was seeing how acts like Pavement, Buffalo Daughter and Bonnie "Prince" Billy a.k.a. Will Oldham (Palace Brothers) tackled an instrument with such a dance fever surrounding it. Pavement is almost unrecognizable in "Robyn Turns 26," sounding closer to hip-hop than indie pop, and Buffalo Daughter finds familiar ground, with high hats, hypnotic cycles of sound, even that annoying-on-all-but-this-occasion hand clapping sample worked into "303 + 606 = ACID," an obvious homage to underground music. And could anyone fathom Bonnie "Prince" Billy doing a danceable tune? Of course not, he was among the few that did overcome the urge to boogie, presenting his somber penchant atop spare music, probably the most unlikely pairing of true indie vocals with charismatic tempos. How he turned the Groovebox into a low-key instrument in "Today I Started Celebrating Again," just proves his range, or better yet, taste in music. Veteran pianist extraordinaire Dick Hyman closes the disc with "Glass Slipper," a dramatic orchestration of sounds appropriate for a cathedral setting or a ballet. Listening to him will amaze you, as with all the artists on _At Home With the Groovebox_, making you think twice about what can be done with a compact box. --- REVIEW: Gov't Mule, _Life Before Insanity_ (Capricorn) - Paul Andersen The trio has long been an accepted musical format in the jazz world - it seems to be the perfect number of instrumental voices to interact evenly. Each has an equal part in the overall sound, blending together in unity while leaving enough room to fully explore the nuances, crooks and crannies contained in the framework of a song. In rock and roll, there is also a tradition held forth in threes. Give me a good power trio, and we'll take no prisoners; give me a great one, and we'll take over the world. Gov't Mule is one badass great trio of musicians. In the muscular style of bands like Cream and Hendrix's Experience, yet coming from a decidedly Southern point of view (guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody first saw the light together in the Allman Brothers Band), the Mule is perhaps the best power trio currently in rock. Together with drummer Matt Abts (as propulsive a drummer as you'll find), the three musicians concoct some tightly wound jams. Haynes' specialty is slide guitar and a bluesy growl of a voice, absolutely perfect for their music, dripping with grits and grease, while Abts and Woody keep it all tethered to the ground through a freight train of a rhythmic machine. _Life Before Insanity_ is the third studio effort by the group, and it features a bit more structure in terms of the songwriting. With five of the songs clocking in at less than six minutes, the jam-sodden nature of their music has been somewhat curbed, though they do kick it out elsewhere on the disc. This one may actually get some airplay, especially "Lay Your Burden Down," which features special guest Ben Harper. But the good news, especially for old fans, is that their penchant for odd time signatures and sudden melodic changes remains intact. Think of it as a Mule for all tastes. --- REVIEW: Aimee Mann, _Music From The Motion Picture Magnolia_ (Reprise) - Joann D. Ball Eight Aimee Mann originals and her superior cover of Harry Nilsson's "One" make _Music From The Motion Picture Magnolia_ a quality soundtrack worthy of commercial and critical recognition. And Aimee Mann's songs are also the central element which makes the film Magnolia a uniquely crafted cinematic experience. That singer/songwriter Aimee Mann is capable of accomplishing so much with her music is perhaps only surprising to record company naysayers who passed on some of the very same songs that inspired film director Paul Thomas Anderson. An ardent Aimee Mann fan and close friend, Anderson listened to Mann's music constantly while writing the incredible film which has received Golden Globe and Academy Award recognition. Mann's tenderly honest "Deathly" was Anderson's original inspiration for the film's central character Claudia. And he used her simple and straightforward introspective number "Wise Up" to connect all of the movie's main characters in an unforgettable sing along film sequence. And yes, "Wise Up," an emotionally rich, piano and strings crafted masterpiece, has also received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. Another friend, fellow musician and producer Jon Brion, also figures prominently in Aimee Mann's solo success-at-last story that is _Music From The Motion Picture Magnolia_. Brion liberally contributes his musicianship, sound sensibilities and production skills on the soundtrack opener "One" and also on "Momentum." Both songs echo the fresh and innovative approach he displayed on Mann's critically acclaimed 1996 effort _I'm With Stupid_. In addition to his work on these tracks, Brion also plays a variety of instruments on "Build That Wall" which he co-wrote with Mann, the aforementioned "Deathly" which he also produced, and "Wise Up" which was produced by Mann's husband Michael Penn. Mann works just as well without the studio wizard as suggested on "You Do," the instrumental "Nothing Is Good Enough" and the rollicking "Driving Sideways." In addition to "You Do," Mann also self-produced "Save Me," a trademark vulnerable plea of longing which completes her contributions to the soundtrack. Driven by her acoustic guitar and bass over a simple drum beat and lightly accented with accordion, "Save Me" especially suggests that _Bachelor No. 2_, Mann's full-length third solo release, will be her best to date. Supertramp's classics "Goodbye Stranger" and "Logical Song," Gabrielle's dance smash "Dreams" and an original instrumental title track from Jon Brion round out _Music From The Motion Picture Magnolia_. These songs also appear at key moments in the film, but it is clear that without Mann's nine offerings Magnolia and its soundtrack would be simply status quo. And that is exactly why director Paul Thomas Anderson completely gives Mann the compliment and credit she has long deserved by suggesting that "you can look at the movie as the perfect memento to remember the songs that Aimee has made." Available in stores nationwide, _Music From The Motion Picture Magnolia_.can be purchased also from the Aimee Mann Direct store on her website http://www.aimeemann.com along with the initial Internet exclusive release of _Bachelor No. 2_. The online Aimee Mann Direct store also carries Mann's first two solo efforts, the three '80s records from her band 'til Tuesday, as well as other non-musical merchandise. Tour dates, lyrics and other information can also be found on the website. -- REVIEW: Presence, _All Systems Gone_ (Ark 21) - Wilson Neate Presence is a collaborative project helmed by Nottingham-based producer Charles Webster and featuring a clutch of vocalists and musicians, including Sara Jay, Shara Nelson, Steve Edwards, Mathew Herbert and PK Joyce. This collective may borrow its name from the title of the seventh Led Zeppelin album, but the seamless melding of smooth soul, techno and house effected by Webster and friends is about as far from the sound of Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones as you could get. Although he may not be a household name, Webster has certainly been known to fans of house music for some time. Not only did the Presence singles "Better Day" and "Sense of Danger" precede this album, but Webster had already established a reputation as a versatile house and garage DJ, and as the man behind the aliases Sine, Symetrics, Lo:Rise, Furry Phreaks and Love From San Francisco. Presence have been labeled Britain's answer to Air, owing to their shared penchant for drifting, melodic textures. But on _All Systems Gone_, Webster occasionally creates a heavier and sharper sound suffused with breakbeats -- particularly on tracks like "Favour Nothing." And while Presence take a leaf out of Massive Attack's book, offering a downbeat counterpoint to big beat euphoria, Webster achieves that effect by taking a deep house and soulful techno approach, as opposed to the dub and trip/hip-hop route of 3D and company. _All Systems Gone_ is best described as dance music that you can chill to. But then, although its sound is inevitably rooted in house and dance, it isn't a house album or even a dance album per se. Rather, it draws from a rich palette of forms, rhythms and moods to serve up some stylish pop music doused in melodies -- often of the melancholy variant -- that move effortlessly between and beyond all the labels and terms. Above all, this album comprises memorable, textured songs created out of the leitmotifs of house, much in the spirit of Everything But the Girl's _Temperamental_ or Deep Dish's _Junk Science_. Indeed, it's intriguing that a veteran practitioner of a dance form in which traditional song structure and narrative have never figured highly on the agenda should draw so much influence from what he calls "proper songs" -- he cites artists as diverse as Rickie Lee Jones and Kraftwerk -- and sculpt an album of varied tracks, almost all of which stand up on their own as hit material. One of the keys to the success of this album is Webster's rotation of vocalists who enhance the uniqueness of each track -- and he's assembled quite an impressive line-up here. Acclaimed for her work on the first Massive Attack album and her subsequent solo ventures _What Silence Knows_ and _Friendly Fire_, Shara Nelson impresses on the soulful deep house numbers "Sense of Danger" and "Matter of Fact." Sara Jay, whose breathy vocals graced Massive's _Mezzanine_, is equally effective on the slow, gospel-evoking "Far Far Away From My Heart" and the techno-based "This is You." But the highest praise here is reserved for Steve Edwards. Perhaps best known for providing the falsetto on Finley Quaye's "Even After All," Edwards shines through all of his contributions on _All Systems Gone_. Whether it's on the techno garage of "Future Love" and "Better Day" or the breakbeat-laced, Detroit sound of "Been 2 Long," Edwards's Curtis Mayfield-style vocals add a very special ingredient to Webster's ecumenical mix. --- REVIEW: DJ Spooky vs. Scanner, _The Quick and the Dead_ (Sulfur/Beggars Banquet) - Andrew Duncan DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid, aka Paul D. Miller, has teamed up with Sulfur Records' top dog, Scanner, to create an anti-musical statement that brings forth a more intellectual form of pop culture. _The Quick and the Dead_ is classified as a part of the Meld Series. The CD defines it as "a union of one artist with another, breaking the mould, dissolving expectations, in the hope of opening up a fresh wound in the sound." DJ Spooky and Scanner have stuck the knife in the wound and twisted the concept beyond repair. With Scanner's exceptional debut for Sulfur, _Lauwarm Instrumentals_, DJ Spooky has taken the initial landscapes of Scanner's haunting minimalist landscape he has defined and chips away at the creative boundaries. DJ Spooky adds depth and movement with the inspiration of his experiences in Africa, as well as the sounds of New York's urban landscapes. The first track, "Journey" takes the sounds of cloudy, urban industrialism and adds ambient-dub that emotionally builds in volume and substance, eventually receding into the second track, "Edison," and further with "Uncanny," an experimental approach to hip-hop sampling that tweaks the effects to the extreme. DJ Spooky leads you on a roller coaster ride with quick scenery of urbanism to Scanner's apocalyptic minimalism that boil down to just plain creepy. "NGUGI" can be conveyed as theatrical horror that bleeds into "Dialogic," fueled by African tribalism, burning down to just a lull in "Channel Float." Turn down the lights and you might just feel frightened or poetically inspired. Scanner's presence leaves a spine-chilling effect only intensified by DJ Spooky's talents. _The Quick and the Dead_ is truly a godsend that will hold its presence well into the 21st century. --- REVIEW: Gas Giants, _From Beyond The Back Burner_ (Atomic Pop) - Bill Holmes The ironic title attests the fact that this record survived a label merger, an almost old-band reunion, and an almost new-band break-up. But ex-Gin Blossom Robin Wilson's determination to finally have a band with his buddies paid off in spades. Gin Blossoms fans mourning the break-up of their heroes will rejoice when they hear this record, while the harder sound might even attract a bigger audience. The Gin Blossoms seemed to break up just when they were ready to enjoy the rewards of hard work, but this was a tense, haunted band. Founder and songwriter Doug Hopkins' tragic suicide lingered over the band's success, and following up a debut album that spawned six radio staples, _Congratulations I'm Sorry_ had nowhere to go but down. So, Wilson grabbed drummer Philip Rhodes and old friend guitarist Dan Henzerling and started over, leaving guitarist Jesse Valenzuela and the rest of the band to regroup in some other format. When they became a casualty of the label wars, they incredibly walked away with a studio full of gear, their master recordings, and no debt. To better control their creative destiny, the Gas Giants hooked up with Internet record company Atomic Pop, who first released the record as a digital download before conventional brick and mortar stores got theirs. And the result? Sometimes more power trio than power pop, but _Burner_ is loaded with three minute winners. Robin Wilson is a great singer, case closed, and Henzerling's inventive guitar playing adds a lot of sparks to what could be seen as the third Gin Blossoms record. Retaining producer John Hampton was a smart move, as he obviously knows the players well and maximizes their strengths of vocal harmony, strong melodic attack, and Wilson's comically pessimistic lyrics. "Quitter" is a killer single, as memorable as anything the Gin Blossoms ever did, as is the bouncy "I Hope My Kids Like Marilyn Manson" and "In Between Two Worlds." So much for the thought that Robin Wilson can't write good songs. Although some tracks on the disc's latter half are not as memorable, they're not filler either, and they pack enough of a wallop that you know these guys must kick ass live. Anyone who ever saw Rhodes play knows he was the glue that held the Gin Blossoms together on stage, and Henzerling's gurgling guitar break on "Quitter" (an acoustic version of which is available on the band's website as an MP3, by the way) is just one gem in his bag of tricks. The band even designed the comic-book packaging, although you'll need 20/10 vision to read the four-point "Rollerball" font they unwisely printed the lyrics with. Jesse Valenzuela? Your serve, sir. --- REVIEW: The Anniversary, _Designing A Nervous Breakdown_ (Heroes and Villains / Vagrant) - Kerwin So Well kids, spring is approaching soon. Greet the coming sunshine with the gleeful tidings of this debut album from Lawrence, KS, band The Anniversary. If you took smooth power chords and New Wave-inspired synthesizers, and melted them together into the visceral mold of post-hardcore, you would get this band. They don't recall the Pixies or Devo so much as the Rentals and Velocity Girl, and believe me, those are high compliments. Perhaps I was being a tad glib -- although The Anniversary's music could certainly be described as sunny and sweet, a closer inspection of the lyrics sheet reveals themes of yearning, nostalgia, and forbidden love. Take, for instance, the song "All Things Ordinary" (which in a truly just world would be a commercial radio smash), whose ultra-catchy chorus goes, "Will you stay near me now, don't leave this town, until we've figured out, between the two of us we're strong enough -- I feel that in your touch." Or how about this line from the rocking "Emma Discovery": "And how can I possibly describe the way we looked back then? Because falling in love, whether or not it lasts, there's truth in that." Yes, it's lyrics like these (and the band's Midwestern roots) that undeniably point to The Anniversary's roots in emo, but I'd like to think they're one of a few bands really testing the bounds of the genre. No member of the band is over 23 years in age, quite surprising considering the amount of talent they've managed to pack into this debut. I look forward to more great things from them. In the meantime, relive the longing and romance of youth with this album, and be glad that the '80s could still have a hand in creating music this good. --- REVIEW: Violent Femmes, _Freak Magnet_ (Beyond) - Don Share Their first new album since 1994's bewildering _New Times_ and last year's live _Viva Wisconsin_, _Freak Magnet_ finds the Violent Femmes as bouncily crisp as ever, which means since their justly revered 1983 debut. Original members Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie are joined again by new drummer, Guy Hoffman, once of the BoDeans, and again we are treated to a combination of familiar sounds and hit-or-miss experiments, a combination of, er, high and low points. The album kicks off with "Hollywood Is High," one of several instantly likeable and energetic electric tunes; its ambivalence is characteristic: "And I don't wanna have fun / Fun always lets me down / And I don't wanna stay young / And always be just hangin' round." The Femmes aren't all that young anymore, of course, and they and their fans have likely felt let down since the band's early, freshly twisted days. Still, as the title tune puts it, "Some magnets attract / Some magnets repel / Some magnets say: hey, hey what the hell / I'll take it both ways." If I quote a lot of lyrics, it's because Gano is memorably quotable - even when he's being silly, he's not just trying to be fun. "Sleepwalker," for instance, the album's single, says it all: "Am I too late / Am I too far estranged... / Is the singer / singing badly / Or is he trying to sing the wrong song?" Well, on balance, the "right" songs are either those that crackle with added electric guitar-punch, but don't suffer from mere punk-predictability - as does "All I Want," which is merely rote, and "Mosh Pit," which is something only a Bart Simpson would love ("What's for breakfast / What's for lunch / What's for dinner / Captain Crunch!") - or the ones that are freshly experimental. "New Generation," for instance, sounds like a toss-off, yet it's as succinct and funny as the Ramones, a kind of "My Generation" in reverse; similarly exhilirating is "In the Dark," which combines the punning punk-ness of "He has more women than you'll ever know / Hey daddy hey daddy hi daddy ho" with a Martin Denny-esque snake-charming flute solo. As for the experiments, "Forbidden" is as strange and wonderful as Gano gets: "Come with us and play! / See, we have breasts as women." "I Danced" is quirky and vivid. "Rejoice and be Happy" is an actual hymn, sped up and kicked in the seat of its robes.. and why not? "We are the salt of the earth / If we're not salty / What are we worth?" A Brian Ritchie bass solo worthy of John Entwhistle, to boot. "Happiness Is" is Zen-like in its repetitions, and also positively illuminating: "Happiness is a word for amateurs." But "I'm Bad" is, indeed bad - listless, perhaps unintentionally unsatisfying. "At Your Feet" is just a love song. And, of the failed experiments, the closing "A Story" is a tedious epic about a "monster of the interstate ... / Who eats teenagers." It ends with Gano's claim that "The moral of this story / Is clear for all to see / And if clearly all can see / Then it isn't clear to me." Typically ambivalent from beginning to end, _Freak Magnet_ is a handful of tunes shy of being a Femmes masterwork, but it nicely bookends the band's long and in fact distinguished career. --- REVIEW: Ginny Owens, _Without Condition_ (Word/Epic) - Jon Steltenpohl We'd all like to think it was Amy Grant who brought Christian rock to the mainstream, but in all honesty, it might have been Stryper. Still, Christian rock these days is much better than it used to be. Groups such as DC Talk and Jars of Clay are actually as good as some non-Christian artists, and the Christian rock community seems willing to accept artists who don't quote a Bible verse in every song. Ginny Owens is one of this latest breed of Christian artists. Regardless of her lyrical content, her musical strength is just incredible. She falls somewhere between Sarah McLachlan, Tracy Bonham, and Tori Amos. Only, Owens is like the good girl of the bunch. In fact, had Tori Amos stayed the sweet church girl of her childhood, she probably would have sounded much like Ginny Owens. _Without Condition_ is full of singer/songwriter pop goodness. Granted, the number of artists making this sort of music can be overwhelming. But a good album is a good album, and Owens deserves credit. _Without Condition_ is a collection of upbeat pop songs which are mainly light and easy on the ears. The title track is an Amos like song with piano and strings which is broken and segmented into a compelling mix. Like Amos' work, this method results in a song which seems fragmented on the surface, but is actually easy to fall into. The other focus track is called "I Wanna Be Moved," and it shares more with McLachlan's beat-driven sound. "Free," a nice, easy-going track, has already charted in some areas on the Adult Contemporary arena. "Springs of Life" attempts to be a bit soulful, but is something of a letdown. The background vocals and organ don't really click together. Similarly, "Symbol of a Lost Cause" attempts to be a bit harsher than the rest of the album, but Owens gets a little lost when venturing beyond sweetness. Fortunately, she ends the album on the sweetest note with "Own Me." The song is only piano and soft voice, and is as good as anything by any of Owens' piano playing peers. _Without Condition_ is a nice debut for Ginny Owens. She has the unfortunate, yet common problem of being one of many talented female singer/songwriters out there. As a result, comparisons to other artists come quickly and easily, and there isn't a lot to distinguish Owens from the crowd except for her emphasis on her faith. Although _Without Condition_ wouldn't be a bad choice for non-believers, Christian rock fans should definitely check this album out. --- REVIEW: Therapy?, _Suicide Pact - You First_ (Ark 21) - Andrew Duncan Therapy? has always been known to break the boundaries of the hard rock community, treating the music more as art than as gyration. The Irish group invaded the States with a brilliant, schizophrenic noise-rock introduction (_Caucasian Psychosis_) that would make Charles Manson grin. The album had a punk-rock edge with frightening lyrics, mostly about introspection gone wrong, love lost and serial killers. They packed such a punch that A&M Records signed them, releasing _Nurse_ and _Troublegum_. Both albums cleaned up their grittiness and added a poppy edge, while vocalist Andy Cairns wrote some of the catchiest lyrics around ("Screw that, forget about that, I don't want to think about anything like that," later ending with, "I've got nothing to do, but to get screwed up on you.") Their style of lyricism wrapped around guitar hooks that would leave an imprint in the mind. As the band progressed, each album would take a slight turn. Even with their trademark sound, they were hard to pinpoint and became unpredictable. _Infernal Love_ proved this best as the band introduced electronics to their sound. It was like Christmas and not knowing what was in the presents under the tree. It's Christmas again and Therapy? is back with yet another knot to their twisted journey. This time the band relapses back to their noisy days. The concept sounds promising, as _Caucasian Psychosis_ proved to be their best work. However, the album was recorded too quickly (a mere two-and-a half weeks), and Cairns's voice unfortunately falls through. "He's Not That Kind Of Girl" sounds like Van Halen's "Ice Cream Man" sung by a burnt-out blues singer. "Wall Of Mouths" demonstrates the Therapy? we all know and love. Cairns wails, "Got nothing to say, I'm not talking to you," in an attitude that resembles early Iggy Pop. Disappointingly, "Hate Kill Destroy," based on Nietzche's writings, and "Jam Jar Jail" are annoying. Like always, the musicianship is above par and the instrumental "Big Cave In" is eerily exciting, filled with offbeat timing and powerful dynamics. "Little Tongues First" is the hit maker of the album with a video to follow (an enhanced version is included with the CD). The band ends on a positive note with the destructively bouncy "Sister." _Suicide Pact_ is shaky and unstable. The band has more potential, as they have proved it in the past, even without the commercial-pop aspect. Unfortunately, they were not able to maintain it this time around. --- REVIEW: Phil Coulter, _Highland Cathedral_ (RCA Victor) - Jon Steltenpohl Call me crazy, or maybe call me uniformed, but for atmospheric, new age, Celtic music, my world has typically started and ended with Enya. I've always been aware of other artist such as Clannad, Loreena Mckennitt, and the Chieftains, but none of them have ever really captured the "mellow" mood like Enya did. Well, now I've got another artist who fits the, uh, Enya genre. Despite a history that goes back some 30 years, this is the first I've heard of Phil Coulter. And that's too bad, because Coulter is very talented. The fact that this album is released on RCA Victor would make you think that this is an album strictly for the crusty "Howard's End" and Emma Thompson crowd. Yet, although it can be a slow paced album, _Highland Cathedral_ is filled with impeccable sound and simple, subtle melodies that will appeal to everyone. It is engaging enough to sit snug alongside of your Enya collection. Coulter's work with James Galway and Roma Downey are dubious resume entries for modern rock lovers, but regardless of whether or not those artists appeal to you, _Highland Cathedral_ might. Coulter has a good feel for constructing music which is New Age yet full of substance. Despite the common perception of what "New Age" entails, there are no pan flutes, no effeminent saxophones, no whale songs and not even a hint of John Tesh. The only New Age cliches employed are the use of wind noises along with the bag pipes on one track. But, this is done well, and, when set against the litany of New Age atrocities, is somewhat forgiveable. The only distraction will come for those who manage to be fans of both New Age Celtic music and Spinal Tap. Unfortunately, "The Gathering -- Bealtaine" shares a spoken intro similar to Spinal Tap's fateful "Stonehenge," and visions of dwarfs dancing around 18-inch-tall monoliths are regrettable. Fortunately, the intro is over quickly, and the compelling drum beats quickly erase any visages of Harry Shearer in a fu manchu. Coulter is being sold to us as a New Age artist on a label that rarely releases albums to the Modern Rock crowd, yet _Highland Cathedral_ is an album which fits the modern listener very well. So, forget about demographics. If you're looking for a new "mellow" entry into your CD collection, Phil Coulter's _Highland Cathedral_ is an excellent candidate. --- REVIEW: Blue Oyster Cult, _Don't Fear The Reaper - The Best Of_ (Legacy) - Bill Holmes To some, Blue Oyster Cult's (ahem) legacy is that of a thunderous, ponderous rock band firmly locked into the '70s. And the same people will claim that your appreciation for their dense lyrics and guitar pyrotechnics might have been proportional to just how stoned you were at the time. If you're guilty as charged, this remastered single-disc collection might surprise you. With a tight rhythm section, two dynamic guitarists and a charismatic vocalist, BOC was already a well-oiled live band by the time they broke onto the scene in 1972. Their first three albums boasted songs with aggressive titles like "Flaming Telepaths" and "Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll"; not quite your average love songs. Each album charted higher than the previous one, and the band toured relentlessly. Finally, with the release of their fourth record, _Agents Of Fortune_, "Reaper" became a top twenty hit and launched the group into the stratosphere. Admittedly, the sinister pose was a bit of a put-on, and tracks like "Joan Crawford Has Risen From The Grave" and "Marshall Plan" prove BOC to be Black Sabbath with better chops and a sense of humor, a trick that label mates The Dictators would take a step further. But BOC could rock with anybody, especially when underrated guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser would cut loose on tracks like "Take Me Away" and "Flaming Telepaths." This collection is the first to include material from every album; strong but lesser known cuts fit well alongside hits like "Burning For You," "(Don't Fear The) Reaper," and "In Thee." The two and a half minute garage rocker "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" is a forgotten gem, and you might be surprised to know that "Godzilla" was NOT a single, considering it is one of their best known songs. Obviously Nirvana liked it so much that Kurt ripped it off for "Smells Like Teen Spirit." And the Farfisa-driven, glam-tinged "Goin' Through The Motions" (co-written with Ian Hunter), should have been a smash hit. The sound is crisp and clear - drums snap, bass pounds and guitars rip. If you're a fan, indulge yourself. And if you're new to BOC, well - for those about to rock, I salute you. --- REVIEW: Gran Torino, _Two_ (26.2 Music) - Paul Andersen A nine-piece band aptly named after the classic Ford muscle car, Gran Torino will get your feet hummin' as they blaze forth on their sophomore album, simply titled _Two_. Featuring a stylized take on 70s funk mixed with touches of hip-hop, Gran Torino comes at you with all pistons churning. Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, the band chews up and spits out influences like so much Southern Comfort. You'll find traces of everything from Earth, Wind and Fire and Tower of Power to Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder in the mix, but it is done in a retro/modern gumbo that sounds surprisingly fresh, especially if this is your first go-round with this kind of music. They've listened well, and have furnished themselves with a 'Gran' sound of their own. The three horn players first met in the marching band at the University of Tennessee, and there is a martial feel to the ensemble passages. GT is definitely a good-time party group, and the 200 plus dates they play annually has given them a really tight sound. The album starts off with "Coup d'etat," an instrumental that sets the mood with the horns riffing against a fuzzed-out guitar. They then go through a program of tunes that surge and ebb with the feel of a late night roadhouse set. Vocalist Chris Ford has a soulful voice perfectly suited for the songs at hand, and by the time the checkered flag drops on this dance party, you'll be converted. If Gran Torino comes roaring down your two-lane highway, this disc is proof that missing them would be a sin. --- REVIEW: Wild Colonials, _Reel Life Vol. 1_ (Chromatic) - Chelsea Spear Common principle in film-scoring dictates that all music, no matter how striking, original, or evocative in its own right, must play a supporting role to the images on screen. Sure, with the upswing of marketing there have been some exceptions to this rule, from the sinister-sounding collection of oldies that populated the _Pulp Fiction_ and _Reservoir Dogs_ soundtracks to the aesthetic snake-oil that punctuated the ready-for-MTV action in such Gen-X cinematic marvels as _Reality Bites_ and _Empire Records_. If the Wild Colonials' recent compilation of film music is any indication, however, the pendulum is swinging back and films are starting to seek a more understated vibe to their musical leanings. Unfortunately, the Colonials have taken this need for understatement and evocation to its logical extreme, since much of this album is rather banal-sounding. If the original tracks included here are any indication, the Wild Colonials are exactly the kind of band you'd expect to see playing on the second stage at Lilith Fair. While their music can take on a pendulous, propulsive drive, most of the time it lingers in neutral, attempting to weave a spell with pretty melodies, slow, swaying tempos, and the occasional augmentation of an unusual instrument like didgeridoo, tambura or octigon to fill their sound. With their full, Celtic-influenced sound, the Colonials want most to sound like the Pogues, but their sanded-down edges and soft sounds instead end up emulating another soft quintet with a misleadingly raucous name, 10,000 Maniacs. Lead singer Angela McCluskey has a strong, sure voice that tonally resembles a more assured Natalie Merchant or more understated Dolores O'Riordan. All over, the sound is very *nice* -- while it has its moments of swaying beauty, it doesn't push the envelope enough. To be fair, _Reel Life Vol. 1_ might not be the most representative work for this band. After all, most of the songs were written and performed for films, and might be places where the band either fails on greater risks or plays it safe like hired hands. And from perusing the liner notes it seems like the players are more interested in providing an appropriate sonic background for the action unfolding on-screen. Perhaps hearing these songs in their cinematic context would make for a greater effect. The musicians are clearly good at what they do, and with such a gem as a lead singer, one would hope they'd do more. I'm curious to hear if these Colonials truly get Wild when they are the center of attention. --- NEWS: > Beach Boys fans will want to check out http://www.luxuriamusic.com -- where every Saturday afternoon, from 5 pm - 7 pm EST, Chuck Kelley will present Heroes and Villains. The Internet broadcast features music from The Beach Boys' well-known recordings as well as rarities and fringe recordings, as well as related music from the likes of Marilyn Wilson's band The Honeys, Glen Campbell and Van Dyke Parks and even such items as the infamous recording of the Wilson brothers' father, Murry Wilson, coaching his boys in the studio. > Beggars Banquet has re-released five titles from the Cult catalog. Three albums -- _Love_, _Electric_ and _Sonic Temple_ -- have been remasterd and are being released with new expanded packaging. The remaining two albums being re-released are _Ceremony_ and _The Cult_. > Grooveradio.com will be offering a free music download of Moby's "Natural Blues" (Perfecto Mix), remixed by Paul Oakenfold. This will only be available for a limited time. > Art Garfunkel is working on a new solo album, his first since 1997's Grammy-nominated _Songs From A Parent To A Child_. In related news, _Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits_ has been certified diamond, for sales of more than 10 million copies -- and is the best ever selling album by a duo. > J-Bird Records will be offering music consumers the opportunity to download four new tracks from Rockapella 2 via the Internet sites of Tower Records http://www.towerrecords.com, Trans World Entertainment http://www.twec.com, Wherehouse Music http://www.CheckOutMusic.com and the Musicland Group sites, including http://www.SamGoody.com, until March 27. The full CD will be available in stores March 28. --- TOUR DATES: Beck Mar. 9 Milan, Italy Alcatraz Mar. 10 Zurich, Switzerland Volkshaus Mar. 11 Munich, Germany Colosseum Mar. 13 Cologne, Germany E-Werk Mar. 14 Berlin, Germany Columbiahalle Mar. 15 Hamburg, Germany Grosse Freiheit 36 Frank Black and the Catholics Mar. 8-10 Los Angeles, CA The Mint Phil Coulter Mar. 10 Boston, MA Boston Symphony Mar. 11 New Haven, CT Palace Theatre Mar. 12 Philadelphia, PA Keswick Theatre Mar. 13 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Mar. 15 Long Island, NY Tilles Center Enon Mar. 9 Morgantown, WV 123 Pleasant Street Mar. 10 Lexington, KY Yat's Restaurant Mar. 11 Nashville, TN The End Mar. 12 Memphis, TN Last Place on Ear Mar. 14 Houston, TX Rudyard's Mar. 15 Denton, TX Rubber Glove Fastbacks Mar. 11 Seattle, WA Graceland Mar. 16 Austin, TX Waterloo Brewpub (SXSW) Filter / Chevelle Mar. 8 Seattle, WA Showbox Mar. 10 Salt Lake City, UT Salt Air Mar. 11 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre Mar. 13 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre Mar. 15 Milwaukee, WI Modjeska Theatre Gomez Mar. 9 New York, NY Roseland Mar. 10 Philadelphia, PA TLA Mar. 11 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Mar. 13 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club Mar. 15 Dallas, TX Trees Mar. 16 Austin, TX SXSW Mar. 18 New Orleans, LA House of Blues Guster Mar. 9 Vancouver, BC Richard's on Richards Mar. 10 Portland, OR Alladin Theater Mar. 11 Seattle, WA Fenix Ben Harper And The Innocent Criminals: Mar. 14 Porto, Portugal Coliseum Mar. 15 Lisbon, Portugal Coliseum Incubus Mar. 8 Birmingham, AL Five Points Music Hall Mar. 9 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre Mar. 10 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live Mar. 11 Tulsa, OK Cain's Mar. 13 Knoxville, TN Moose's Mar. 14 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall Jayhawks Mar. 13 Columbia, MO The Blue Note Mar. 14 Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck Mar. 18 St. Paul, MN Gabes By The Park Korn Mar. 10 Fargo, ND Fargo Dome Mar. 11 Madison, WI Dane County Arena Mar. 13 Moline, IL Mark of the Quads Mar. 14 Minneapolis, MN Target Center Aimee Mann / Michael Penn Mar. 8 Los Angeles, CA Cafe Largo Mar. 13 Minneapolis, MN Guthrie Theater Mar. 14 Chicago, IL Park West Neko Case & Her Boyfriends Mar. 8 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill Mar. 9 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland Mar. 10 San Diego, CA Casbah Mar. 11 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Roadhouse Mar. 12 Las Cruces, NM The Club Mar. 15 Dallas, TX Gypsy Tea Room New Wet Kojak Mar. 8 New York, NY Cbgb / Underground Film Mar. 11 Charlottesville, VA Tokyo Rose Mar. 12 Atlanta, GA Echo Lounge Mar. 13 New Orleans, LA Mermaid Lounge Mar. 14 Houston, TX Rudyards Mar. 15 Denton, TX Rubber Gloves Papas Fritas Mar. 9 New York City, NY Brownies w/ Team USA Mar. 10 Philadelphia, PA w/ Team USA Mar. 11 Washington, DCBlack Cat Mar. 12 Chapel Hill, NC Room 4/Go Lounge Mar. 13 Athens, GA 40 Watt w/ Of Montreal, Team USA Mar. 14 Atlanta, GA The Earl Mar. 15 New Orleans, LA w/ Man or Astroman Powerman 5000 Mar. 10 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing Mar. 11 Lake Buena Vista, FL House Of Blues Mar. 12 Fort Lauderdale, FL Chili Pepper Mar. 14 Spartanburg, SC Ground Zero Mar. 15 Birmingham, AL Five Points Music Hall Pretenders Mar. 8 Morristown, NJ Community Theatre Mar. 10 New York, NY Roseland Ballroom Mar. 11 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre Mar. 12 Pittsburgh, PA Palumbo Theatre Lit / 22 Jacks Mar. 8 Old Bridge, NJ Birch Hill Nite Club Mar. 9 Scranton, PA Tisk's Mar. 10 Cleveland, OH The Odeon Mar. 11 Pittsburgh, PA TBA Mar. 13 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's Mar. 14 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall Mar. 15 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Step Kings Mar. 8 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle Mar. 9 Pasadena, MD Daytona's Mar. 13 Wilkes-Barre, PA Metropolis Mar. 15 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Mar. 16 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts Mar. 17 New Haven, CT Toads --- Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest music reviews publication on the Internet. To get back issues of Consumable, check out: WWW: http://www.consumableonline.com To subscribe to Consumable, send an e-mail message to consumable-request@westnet.com with the body of the message stating "subscribe consumable". To unsubscribe, send a message to the same address stating "unsubscribe consumable". Web access contributed by WestNet Internet Services (westnet.com), serving Westchester County, NY. Address any written correspondence to Bob Gajarsky, Consumable Online, 409 Washington St. PMB 294, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 ===