== ISSUE 209 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [May 9, 2000] Editor: Bob Gajarsky E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com Managing Editor: Lang Whitaker Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann D. 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, Matt Fink, Krisjanis Gale, Jade Hughes, Paul Hanson, Scott Hudson, Jianda Johnson, Steve Kandell, David J. Klug, Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Wes Long, I.K. MacLeod, Al Muzer, 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 Consumable and their author(s). ================================================================== .------------. | Contents | `------------' INTERVIEW: The Posies - John Davidson REVIEW: The Jayhawks, _Smile_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Macha / Bedhead, _Macha Loved Bedhead_ - Kerwin So REVIEW: Six By Seven, _The Closer You Get_ - Paul Andersen REVIEW: Willard Grant Conspiracy, _Mojave_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Apples In Stereo, _The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone_ - John Davidson REVIEW: Ass Ponys, _Some Stupid With A Flare Gun_ - David J. Klug REVIEW: North Mississippi Allstars, _Shake Hands With Shorty_ - I.K. MacLeod REVIEW: Sven Vath, _Contact_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: The Distillers, _The Distillers_ - David J. Klug REVIEW: Smog, _Dongs of Sevotion_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: Great Big Sea, _Turn_ - Reto Koradi BRIEFS: Bob Lowery, Step Kings, Ray Ashley NEWS: Sean Eric McGill, Promise Ring, Z-100 TOUR DATES: Dope / Primer 65, Korn, Meshell Ndegeocello, Noisepop, Red Hot Chili Peppers / Foo Fighters / Muse, Elliott Smith, The The, Train / Gas Giants, Veruca Salt, Wire, Workhorse Movement / Kittie Back Issues of Consumable --- INTERVIEW: The Posies - John Davidson Power pop purveyors from the grunge-infected environs of Seattle, the Posies maintained an on-the-verge profile over the course of five albums and a smattering of compilation appearances from 1987 to 1998. Though never a huge hit outside of indie circles, founding members Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow nonetheless built a strong worldwide fanbase with their strong songwriting, heavy touring, and high-visibility side projects such as their backing the occasionally re-formed Big Star. However, the Internet has helped in part to keep their catalog alive, and taking a break from his recent work with R.E.M., Ken Stringfellow recently talked to Consumable about the plethora of projects (a live album, a "greatest hits", a boxed set, an acoustic tour) that are appearing from this allegedly defunct band. CO: How did you work that (greatest hits disc) out with Geffen, since on the boxed set there's going to be demos and stuff? KS: The guy approached us about putting it out (from Not Lame Records), and I said that we were happy to assemble everything and find all the masters and stuff, but we're not going to be involved in figuring anything out with Geffen. "You've gotta go talk to them. Any tracks that they own, you work it out," we told him. So whatever he did, he did, and it worked fine. CO: Did you provide him with masters you had, or did he pick up snippets along the way? KS: We put the thing together. There have been things floating around, like live tapes, in varying degrees of quality. There were things that people thought, "Yeah, we wanna hear that!" from this bootleg tape or whatever. We actually have most of the masters for that stuff, and right now I'm kind of in the mastering process. I've got reference CDs of the first four discs that I've been listening to, and making sure the timing and levels and stuff is all good. I don't know what all is out there; it seems like everything gets out there at some point. The advantage is that we've gone through and taken the time to EQ everything with the best possible master we could find and assemble it. It's really good sounding. Some of the sound qualities that we heard originally was pretty atrocious. All our stuff we have now sounds really good. I've listened to half of it on my home stereo now and it sounds really good. There's like, 22 songs that no one's ever heard, which is pretty wild. CO: Demo versions or actual songs? KS: Mostly demos. There are a few studio things, but a lot of four-track things. CO: Is this a Jon & Ken thing that you've been working on together or have you done things separately? Is like the old days in that sense? KS: Well, we're only mastering, so it's not like we're making anything new. We all had a good laugh at stuff, though. Actually, Jon and I played a show in Seattle in February, an acoustic show, that went really well. We recorded that, and we might even put that out. I actually haven't heard the tapes of the show yet, though, but there's a possibility that it might come out. Either way, I think that Jon and I are gonna hit the road.at least that's our intention at this point, to do acoustic shows. CO: As you look back on it, since it's been a few years since you sort of officially called it quits, is it something that you have a hard time letting go of? Or do you think you've artistically moved on? KS: Well, I think that we sort of have. But there's no rules. I've thought about things, but not, "Oh, we're definitely gonna do that," or anything. One step at a time. Right now, there's this tour thing, and I've got my own stuff going on and he's got his own stuff going on. That will definitely continue. There's a lot going on. CO: As far as the Geffen _Greatest Hits_ collection, had you been working on your own independent boxed set before they started gathering tracks together or was that a leftover label obligation to you? KS: No, they didn't have an obligation but they have a right to do it. I was kind of surprised, actually. We started working on the boxed set and then we got a call right out of the blue from Mike at Universal, who's been putting together a lot of these reissues, and he was really into doing a "best-of." I thought, "That's great." I thought it was very interesting because it was kind of approached like a "greatest hits", and we didn't really have any hits, but they could still put one out. We kinda helped them. We told them that we were working on this boxed set, and kind of narrowed things down so that they don't overlap. There's just stuff from the albums on the "best-of", plus stuff from compilations and a B-side or two. There's really no B-sides on the boxed set. I think there's one. Essentially, they're totally separate. CO: Have you ever had any desire to re-work your songs? When I think of "greatest hits" I'm reminded back to when the Police broke up, Sting's original idea was to re-work a bunch of their songs, and then release that as their "greatest hits." KS: He's crazy. From the fan point of view, if I ever went out and got a "greatest hits" and got messed up versions, I'd be pretty bummed. CO: Sting's rationale was that songs take on a new meaning after playing them for four or five years. KS: To that I would say, "Live album." CO: Getting back to the boxed set, was it fan input that led you to pick what you're picking for inclusion? KS: A little bit, yeah. There was a couple of people: the guy from the label and then a guy from the Posies mailing list. The guy from the list had a few tapes. The "best-of" thing is all the singles, plus a couple of key "shoulda been" singles, plus a couple of B-sides. The boxed set is just "never coulda been" singles. That's kind of the difference between the two projects. CO: Do you think that the Internet offers a lot of opportunity for things like this to happen with regards to distribution? KS: For sure. The whole thing that really opens it up is the international angle, and then getting this kind of thing publicized outside and even inside of the U.S. It's kind of an obscure thing. --- REVIEW: The Jayhawks, _Smile_ (Columbia) - Bill Holmes Brian Wilson fans, fear not. Despite the record's title (and a track titled "Mr. Wilson"), The Jayhawks are not trying to usurp your leader or ride his coattails. And for god sakes, naming a record _Smile_ is not blasphemous, although it may have taken balls to do so. Allow me to prescribe this simple task. Listen to the title track - the opening cut on this record - and get swept up in its irresistible, anthemic chorus. Smile? Try NOT to. "I love what we used to be, but I'm interested in where else we can go", Gary Louris is quoted in the band's bio. And in fifteen years, the band has bent and turned and changed, but never so dramatically as when Mark Olson left the band and Louris' vision led to the Big Star leanings of 1997's _Sound Of Lies_. That baby step is now a confident gait, and if the last record warmed your heart, _Smile_ is Chapter Two of the new direction. You might be surprised to see Bob Ezrin listed as producer, as his reputation was built on bands like KISS and Alice Cooper. But Ezrin takes no job lightly, and his response to a tape of fifty possible tracks was a three page letter analyzing what each one needed. (Indeed, in an interview last year, Alice Cooper referred to Ezrin as the "sixth member of the band"). The result is a more rhythm-oriented disc, layered with guitars and drums and vocals, but still the essence of the band. "Somewhere In Ohio" starts out like a soft Spring breeze drifting through the window, but then the guitars slam in, and now we're nose-to-nose with Wilco. "What Led Me To This Town" and "A Break In The Clouds" find Louris and new keyboardist Jen Gunderman in a vocal duet that would make Gram and Emmylou fans. er.smile. But "Life Goes By" has Ezrin steering them (and us) into psych-pop territory, more aggressively raucous; wah-wah guitars and percussion driving the song like the Gas Giants or Gin Blossoms might do. Then the brakes are slammed, "Broken Harpoon" centered on the acoustic guitar and the seamless harmony of four vocals fronted by Louris' lilting lead. "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" is probably the first single, a hybrid of Ronnie Lane and latter-day Fleetwood Mac that might just leapfrog the boyband stranglehold on the airwaves. And if it doesn't, that's radio's loss, not yours. Because ten tracks in, after the rocking "Pretty Thing", The Jayhawks seal the deal with four killer tracks. "Mr. Wilson" is as lyrically thoughtful as it is musically stimulating, "In My Wildest Dreams" dabbles in folk psychedelia with great success, "Better Days" beautifully brings the spirit of The Band into the year 2000, and "Baby Baby Baby" forges energetic rock, great vocals and a harrowing story into an unforgettable brew that will have you arguing over the replay button and playing the whole damned thing through again start to finish. Even if you fell on the other side of the fence after the Louris/Olson split, you have to admire this work on its own terms. Olson will no doubt continue to make good music. But the Jayhawks have just hit back-to-back home runs. --- REVIEW: Macha / Bedhead, _Macha Loved Bedhead_ (Jetset) - Kerwin So Bedhead was a quintet from Dallas whose quiet guitar creations rode crests of swelling dynamics to unsheathe the throbbing heart of passion within. If anyone proved a shining example of the sub-subgenre of slowcore, it was Bedhead. Although they never broke out of cult status, their following was intensely loyal, including their friends in the band Macha, who are best recognized for blending Southeast Asian sounds into songs crafted with distinctly indie rock sensibilities. Bedhead's songwriters, the Kadane brothers, were high school friends and bandmates of Macha's McKay brothers; thus, the two bands shared personal as well as musical ties. _Macha Loved Bedhead_ is the result of Bedhead recording skeletal drum and guitar tracks, then sending them over for Macha to complete. Fans of Bedhead will be disappointed to learn that the band has not actually reunited, but heartened to hear that this six-song EP leans heavily towards the Bedhead side of the equation. The languid ride cymbal and relaxed tempos set the stage for Macha to add their signature marimbas, electronic washes, and other minor flourishes, but the song's pace and Joshua McKay's narcoticized vocals evoke Bedhead's spirit in a way that only someone who intimately knew the band could pull off. The only place where Macha takes firm control is at the very end of "Only the Bodies Survive," which transforms a straightforward mellow rock song into a winding journey through a dense forest, populated with digital birds and primates echoing their calls at every turn. If you watch your CD player closely you'll note that this journey takes up tracks 5 through 85 and lasts several minutes. When you emerge from this time warp you land in completely alien territory, where a push-button telephone serves as the melodic base for a very agreeable cover of Cher's mega-hit "Believe." No fooling -- this is straight out of the minds of Sid and Marty Krofft. And that's a good thing. All in all, _Macha Loved Bedhead_ is an enjoyable half-hour, and a must for fans of either band. And if you're one of those people who must hear every version of the Cher song, then delay no longer. --- REVIEW: Six By Seven, _The Closer You Get_ (Mantra/Beggars Banquet) - Paul Andersen If you are looking for soft, seductive candlelight music, steer as far away as you can from this album. It is not for the light-hearted. However, if you want to experience some of Britain's finest angst, awash in a loud, angry mix meant to assault the senses (like the Stooges or the MC5's, this is music best experienced LOUD), juxtaposed with moments of quiet and space thrown in that are every bit as fierce, then you are in luck. Six By Seven, a quintet of lads from Nottingham, England, are pissed off. When Chris Olley rants "if you eat junk/you become junk," he's not talking in allegories. He means it. The allegories arrive in "One Easy Ship Away," when he sings, "I'm not sad now putting a gun to my head. . . I feel hope now with my head down on this track." Here the words take a forked road: is it a song about suicide, or about survival in a messed-up world? Lay your money down on the latter, because hopefulness, however dark things may appear, emerges on a number of tracks. Six By Seven is committed to seeing it through to the end. Throughout, the music is full of scorch-the-paint-off-the-walls guitars and swirling Hammond organisms. Epic in scope, the songs are actually shorter pieces than on their excellent 1998 debut, _The Things We Make_. That album came out on Interscope here in the States, but the band got dropped amongst all the fallout from Universal consolidating their new labels into a corporate mess. Dusting themselves off after taking it on the chin, _The Closer You Get_ shows a band standing strong, thumbing their noses at the world. It will take more than record company tomfoolery to knock them off their track. --- REVIEW: Willard Grant Conspiracy, _Mojave_ (Slow River) - Chris Hill Love isn't a panacea in the Willard Grant world. Rather than curing all ills, love's more likely found causing them on _Mojave_, an album as starkly beautiful as its namesake desert. Couples, burned by the sun and emotion, whirl about each other in narrow confines and echoing houses, their decaying orbits leading to claustrophobic misery and regret. Not the most appropriate cd to play during the daylight hours, but at night, when the bedroom candles burn low and accentuate the shadows they once kept at bay, you'll find _Mojave_ makes a fitting soundtrack. "I guess that I should have seen/We were far from a perfect fit/Whatever it was you needed/I just couldn't give": a conclusion that reoccurs throughout the album. "Another Lonely Night", "How to Get to Heaven", "Love Has No Meaning", "Front Porch", "Color of the Sun": all songs that explain and extend the melancountry reputation of WGC. Not a condemnation of love on the whole, but tales of individuals and intentions gone awry, spun with dense, brutal imagery in rich, well-chosen words: "I can still feel your body/Like a bruise/Against my side", "I've seen every tear/You've ever shed/I can count them on one hand/ Have five fingers left", "You say everything/I don't want to hear/ I'll pretend I don't mind/As long as you're near". Like Lambchop, WGC is a collective: sixteen musicians are listed in the cd credits, with the humorous "Anyone else who tells you they play on this probably does" attached to avoid hurt feelings. Only six are given specific mention on their website; the rest enter as part of a revolving cast that changes from cd to cd. Unidentified on their first two cds, the band wished the attention focused on the songs before the players. Having proven their qualifications with two albums and two EPs, the album now includes credits, and the cast steps forth to deserved applause. Robert Fisher, vocalist and lyricist, stands under the brightest spotlight, being the frontman. His vocals manage to simultaneously express the weariness and optimism of his words. Edith Frost (with an impressive history all her own) provides a counterpoint to his male heartache, echoing Fisher on a number of the tracks. Guitarists: when three are named (Sean O'Brien, James Apt, Paul Austin), crediting favorite passages is near impossible. (Austin, however, merits a personal thank-you for beginning the fine American Music Club/Mark Eitzel mailing list.) Eric Groat on mandolin and David Curry on violin/viola both work on the sidelines to add distinctly noticeable, yet somehow unobtrusive, touches. For example, "Catnap in the Boom Boom Room" has Groat adding a gentle strumming layer to contrast Mr. Curry's edgy, subterranean bowing. To namedrop, the remainder of the crew includes players from Come, the Silos, and Sugar. But singling out players is like praising one peacock feather over another - the strength and the beauty of _Mojave_ lies in the group and their interaction. The band mentions this on their homepage, relishing that the songs don't remain the same, but evolve and morph with the changing of the membership. One bright part about a fanbase stronger outside their native shores: the band is currently working on the follow-up to _Mojave_, projected for a fall European release. (_Mojave_ also saw prior release in Europe.) Keep up with the latest Conspiracy developments at either the band's homegrown website (point your browser to http://world.std.com/~dahlia) or their label website (found at http://www.slowriver.com). --- REVIEW: Apples In Stereo, _The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone_ (Spin Art) - John Davidson Going where many indie snobs refuse to acknowledge, the Elephant Six Recording Company has never hidden their love of melody; they've simply found ways to make it more interesting. It's a modernized time warp where the Beatles, Brian Wilson, the Zombies, and others never need cower to the appeal of Korn, Kid Rock, or the Backstreet Boys. Rather, Elephant Six provides a forum for groups to stretch the limits of pop music without becoming cloyingly artistic, without losing the sunny appeal that comes with a memorable hook. And to that, all things Elephant Six seem to branch out from Robert Schneider and his main project, The Apples In Stereo. While other bands in the stable may be more colorfully ambitious (see Olivia Tremor Control) or more folk than pop (see Neutral Milk Hotel), the Apples have always had the closest bloodline to _Revolver_ and _Pet Sounds_, thus representing a great hope for life above the underground. First was the slightly spacey _Fun Trick Noisemaker_, (1995) sort of a paen to Syd Barrett fronting the Byrds. Next was the astounding _Tone Soul Evolution_ (1998), an album that more or less threw the best of Yo La Tengo and Pavement into a Beatles party with Phil Spector at the boards. Along the way, there have been the requisite singles, comp appearances, last year's nifty psychedelic EP, and a lot of touring to tighten the sound so if you add in the various side groups and Schneider's heavy production duties with the other E6 bands, it's a wonder there was time to even consider another album. Yet 2000 brings in the finest Apples album yet. _The Discovery of a World Inside the Moon_ confronts our lives through kaleidoscope eyes without ever leaving the masses behind. Not a lot of dots, loops, or dream sequences, just a lot of accessible fun with enough edge to keep the college kids interested. It's got the soul flair of Beck ("The Bird That You Can't See") and none of the drippy baggage. It's got nods to the Flaming Lips ("20 Cases Running Over.") but never wanders unchecked. It's clever ("Allright / Not Quite") without being smarmy. Most of all, with songs like "Go", _Discovery_ isn't radio ready, but radio friendly. If anything, the Apples are restrained somewhat by a strong 70s vibe, one that leads more in the Sly direction than ever before. Schneider has a rather weak, reedy voice and despite the comely melodies, this kind of music gets routinely lumped as more nostalgic than visionary. Still, kids of today were raised more by Nirvana than the Strawberries or the Kinks, so hopefully _Discovery_ won't seem moldy with familiarity--an album this good hurdles its influences to become something altogether timeless anyhow. Here's to hoping that alternative can slip into the mainstream once again. --- REVIEW: Ass Ponys, _Some Stupid With A Flare Gun_ (Checkered Past) - David J. Klug One year ago, as the A&R guy for Tar Hut Records, I came in receipt of a demo record titled Radio Pals In The Hands Of The Mau Mau, by the Ass Ponys. It was an amazing whirlwind of quirky and trippy pop rock that I described to my label mates as "fantastic new stuff." I was the big Ass Ponys fan at the label, having followed the band since their debut on Okra in 1990. (Incidentally, that debut, Mr. Superlove, is reportedly the only record ever released in vinyl, cassette and CD format.) The band's third effort, 1994's _Electric Rock Music_ (A&M), played on my stereo as much as anything that year. After receiving the Mau Mau demos I toiled over the fact that Tar Hut couldn't afford to consider a release of the music (such is life at a struggling indie label). Time drifted by and I dragged my blanket around for months, and enjoyed the record as best and as often as I could. What a thrill it is to see this album surface. _Some Stupid With A Flare Gun_ is Mau Mau mixed, mastered, re-sequenced, and released by one of today's best indie labels, Checkered Past. The Ass Ponys have been accurately compared to Pere Ubu and Pavement, and despite some MTV airplay of videos from Electric Rock Music never captured the wide attention of the post-Nevermind audience they truly deserved. _Some Stupid_ is also the band's first record since A&M released and immediately forgot The Known Universe in 1996, a near deathblow action for the band. What it has in common with Electric Rock Music is the band at their very best. Producer Brad Jones (Marshall Crenshaw, Steve Forbert) steers them straight and the Ass Ponys sound completely invigorated. At least one song, "Astronaut," should top the college radio charts if targeted. Fantastic new stuff indeed! For more information, check out http://www.checkeredpast.com --- REVIEW: North Mississippi Allstars, _Shake Hands With Shorty_ (Tone-CoolRecords) - I.K. MacLeod Much like describing something as being of world-class caliber, the term allstar sends shivers down my spine. All you need to do is to listen to Smash Mouth to be considered one or turn on ESPN to see one. They key to this band's name is all in its location. North Mississippi is home to an entire railway car load of blues travelers that have helped to craft some of the best indigenous music around. They may not be purists, but when you boil this album down you are left with an authentic example of a tradition handed down through decades of musicians and families in the Delta region. This attempt to rejuvenate and revitalize the blues works because they what this two young men lack in hard livin', drinkin', and smokin' experience, they make-up for in determination and genuine love for the music. Even though this only is their debut offering, the brothers Dickinson are far from being new to the scene. They have been working things out on the road since 1996 and have a direct link to producer Jim Dickinson (The Replacements, Big Star). Luther Dickinson remixed the last couple of tracks on the Blues Explosion's _Extra Acme USA_ album and has more than his own share of kick-ass guitar tricks up his sleeve. Cody Dickinson hits the skins while Chris Chew grabs the bottom end with his bass. Unlike most of the Fat Possum roster, the production is smoother and slicker yet raw and soulful. "Shake'em on Down" is four minutes that of head-spinning boogie blues that will reveals the bands winning formula right out of the gate. The North Mississippi Allstars will have the juke joint jolting to the sounds of "Drop Down Mama" and "Po' Black Maddie." "Drinkin' Muddy Water" will have you sleeping in a hollow log while "Goin' Down South" fuses a disco edge to its blues rock core. _Shake Hands With Shorty_ comes to a close with a magnificent jam of "All Night Long." Don't take this the wrong way, but this is a fresh dose of fertilizer for the much neglected roots of American music. Mississippi Fred McDowell would be proud. --- REVIEW: Sven Vath, _Contact_ (Ultra Records/Virgin) - Chris Hill A time portal connecting the early '80s electronic releases of Kraftwerk and Yello with modern house and trip-hop rhythms, _Contact_ is anachronistic, synthetic fun, courtesy of German dance club veteran Sven Vath. If the leadoff track, "Pathfinder", loses something in the linguistic translation ("Things are always changing/I feel that is all right/I like to discover/All different things"), the song gains a Chauncey Gardener innocent profundity from the sincere delivery. A pseudo-Casio drum machine bumps and burbles against spectral atmospherics reminiscent of Rockwell's '80s hit, "Somebody's Watching Me". The song is Vath's "follow your bliss" declaration: quoted from the press release, "The path is the goal, go and make the most of it." To accomplish this lofty ideal, Vath recruited a roster of up and coming producers to push his boundaries, digging into past favorite artists like the Human League and Thomas Dolby for stylistic inspiration. "Your Sweat (Dein Schweiss)", the first single, pulsates with electric playfulness, fitting thick slabs of beat against simple mechanical keyboard tones. The track invokes images of Ross Geller - but cool - doing his "Robot" dance moves. Vath's curt, inflected vocals appear and disappear like Hogan's Alley targets. The song was inspired by the perspiration Vath's music generated from its audience. Quoting Vath again - "For a lot of people, sweat is something quite unsavory. I find dancing sweat very erotic. It means intensity and it's the perfect image for letting go, for succumbing to the mood." This image is targeted with an extended instrumental run during the middle third of the twelve tracks: "Smuggler", "Contact", "Once More", and "Strahlemann & Sohne". Each track encourages the primitive impulse to surrender one's consciousness to the repetitive beats and swift, hypnotic rhythms. "Once More" has a wistful, subcutaneous romanticism, while "Strahlemann and Söhne" stretches edgy, metallic notes over various percussive noises and samples, their different beats per minute clashing against, yet complimenting, each other. When "Apricot" breaks the streak, bringing the music back into the vocal arena, it's in a nonsensical direction. "I've lost my senses/...Apricot/balla, balla!/...Who cares about flying sausages?" Quirky and fun, it's this song in particular that recalls Yello. Quick associations come to mind throughout the album - "Ydolem" has a '60's spy theme air, "Privado" has a Tangerine Dream benevolent ambience, and "Agent P.", the album closer, has an Art of Noise coffeehouse flavor. A bit like stumbling into an old school reunion, the familiar faces put one instantly at ease, and this album, initially new, could soon become a friend. Surfing turf: http://www.ultrarecords.com for Vath's label and http://www.cocoon.net/ for Vath's homepage. --- REVIEW: The Distillers, _The Distillers_ (Epitaph) - David J. Klug The Distillers are possessed with the original spirit of punk rock, and take energy and aggression to levels far beyond what most like-minded bands display on record today. This self-titled debut is a blowtorch of enthusiasm as the band cranks off 14 songs that never relent, including a blistering cover of Patti Smith's "Ask The Angels" and the standout original "Oldscratch." I suspect that the Hepcat label didn't ask that the band tone down their balls-to-the-wall two-guitar, bass and drums assault -- the tracks shoot from speakers with a spontaneity that much label or studio tweaking would have surrendered to anyway. Like the Lunachicks, who are an obvious reference point, the Distillers are loud, fast, rude and very talented. Fronted by singer/screamer Brody, an Australian formerly of Sourpuss, the band is rounded out by Rose "Casper" on guitar, Kim Chi on bass, and Mat Young (formerly of ADZ and CH3) on drums. Here the Distillers present some of the freshest and rawest sounds I've heard in recent times, and this record is the kind of dirty rock monster that should crush just about anything waving a punk flag this year. The band has toured with X, The Dwarves, L.E.S. Stitches, and Rocket From The Crypt, among others and are on the national Punk-O-Rama tour now through June with Bouncing Souls, Dropkick Murphys, and the Dwarves. --- REVIEW: Smog, _Dongs of Sevotion_ (Drag City) - Andrew Duncan Coming from a peculiar man, Bill Callahan - better known to most as Smog - has picked a strange name for an album title or is it the other way around? _Dongs Of Sevotion_ is simply Smog as we know it - no new gimmicks and no tricks up his sleeve, just a solid selection of songs that range from quirky four-on-the-floor '70s references to '90s alt-country and obscure R&B. Callahan's talent comes from his voice and the words he writes, blending dark humor and sincere humanity within the same sentence. The opener "Justice Aversion" takes a stab at the justice system and society as a guitar squeals in the background, sounding like something that came out of a Miami Vice episode. Callahan subtly transforms into "Dress Sexy At My Funeral," a sleepy-eyed country tune that is almost strange to admit, a catchy song to say the least. His use of twisted perverseness makes for one of the more creative songs in the music industry. Singing in a deadpan Lou-Reed imitation, the words revolve around the concept of Callahan laying in his casket and pondering about all of the places him and his wife did "it" - a concept that compares to Nick Cave's imagery if Cave was more fascinated with sex rather than murder. The darkness continues as Callahan travels down "The Hard Road," passing by uniquely creative songs like the sober piano-and-acoustic renderings of "Easily Led" and "Devotion" - picture a younger Tom Waits with a smoother voice who has been browsing through his Leonard Cohen collection. The final destination is "Permanent Smile," revisiting the concept of death. He sings, "And when your shadow covers me from head to toe / And curonevrae flies tell me it's my time to go - and then I will have earned my permanent smile." With songs of such a deep and morbid subject matter, Callahan may inadvertently teach us more about life through the simplicity of his music. --- REVIEW: Great Big Sea, _Turn_ (Sire) - Reto Koradi While the world seems to be getting smaller each day, there are still music cultures that many of us have probably hardly even heard of. And at leat for this reviewer, Newfoundland, a maritime province of Canada, was one of them until this CD by Great Big Sea showed up in the mail. And since curiosity was always one of the strongest human instincts, of course we wanted to know what kind of music these Newfoundland people make. _Turn_ starts out with some folky pop tunes like "Consequence Free" and "Can't Stop Falling" which have immediate appeal, plenty of hooks, and are solidly written and performed. Most of the rest of the album is filled with adaptations of traditional numbers from Newfoundland, songs that have been sung there for hundreds of years, while the island was isolated from the rest of North America, and more influenced by Europe. They sing about sailors going to sea, leaving their loved ones behind, about men that are drinking ("I'm a rover, seldom sober"), and about childhood memories ("I remember days of sunlight, with my father by my side"). Not topics that we hear a lot about these days, but maybe that's exactly what makes this music so different and interesting. The tunes are infectious with their multi-part vocals, and often have a Celtic feel to them. With a little imagination, you sometimes feel like you're standing in a crowded Irish bar, with a Guiness in your hand. This album can definitely be recommended to anybody with an affinity to folk from different parts of the world. If you like the Pogues (in a more traditional incarnation), Los Lobos (whose member Steve Berlin actually co-produced _Turn_), or Les Negresses Vertes (for our francophone friends), Great Big Sea is a band worth checking out. --- Briefs - Not Boxers Sometimes, there's some new music which deserves at least a quick mention. Here's a look at some of those - Bob Lowery, Step Kings and Ray Ashley - from Al Muzer. Bob Lowery, _Yellow Light_ . A warm-voiced singer / songwriter in the Freedy Johnston, Paul Thorn, John Hiatt, J.C. Mellencamp, Steve Earle vein; Jersey-based, Philly-raised, many-strings instrumentalist Bob Lowery checks in with an outstanding batch of sharp-eyed observations and pithy confessions topped off by the moving, dobro-riddled "Sad Stories" and an accordion-fueled Cajun alt. stomp titled "Dashboard Elvis." Check out http://www.caymanrecords.com for more information. Step Kings, _Let's Get It On_ . Kicking solid ass in the New York area for more than a few years, The Step Kings have taken it national with the recent re-release of 1999s 15-song _Let's Get It On_ by New York-based Roadrunner Records. A Newark, N.J.-formed post-grunge, hardcore-friendly, powerhouse power-trio, Let's Get It On was produced and mixed by Machine (White Zombie) and mines bassist/vocalist Bob McLynn's, guitarist/vocalist Mike Fernbacher's and drummer Mike Watt's love for louder-harder-faster-heavier influences such as Ozzy, Bad Brains, NWA, Sabbath, Jane's Addiction, Korn, Slayer, Monster Magnet, Bad Religion and Motorhead. "Do It Again" and "Eleven" peel paint, "Right Is Wrong" smokes, and the group thoughtfully examines the many uses of the word fuck throughout the album while adding playful snatches of funk, rap, thrash, soul, metal, pop, punk, the Police and, on "One And One," enough melody, power and swaggering, Grand Funk-worthy hooks to sneak into the upper reaches of the Top 100 if given half a chance. For more Step Kings information, go to: http://www.stepkings.com . Ray Ashley, _Cinema Inferno_ . This leads off with a reflective oboe/clarinet duet that launches into a classically-structured near-hour of moving, hypnotic, emotionally performed, challenging, inventive, frequently transcendent Return To Forever/King Crimson/Santana/Esquivel/ Arto Lindsay/Mahavishnu Orchestra/Nektar-inspired prog-rock buzz performed with genuine heart and a genius soul. The combined forces of Dema San Tuna (organ), Jim Speer (clarinet), Amy Ksir (oboe/flute), drummer Freedom Electric and touch-guitarist/composer Ray Ashley climax nicely on a 23-minute, Fripp-fried acid-wash called "Crazy Legs." Check out http://mars.superlink.net/~rayash/inferno.htm for more information. NEWS: > Consumable regrets to inform that one of our staffers, Sean Eric McGill, passed away from a heart attack. With a wall of computers and fiber networks keeping much of our staff at length away from each other, the temporary disappearance of people for periods of time comes to be expected. Sean was an integral part of the Consumable staff and his presence will be missed by his family, fiance, and friends around the globe. > The Promise Ring will be releasing a four track single of new material entitled "Electric Pink" on May 16. The four songs include the title track, Strictly Television, American Girl (v.01) and Make Me A Mix Tape. > New York City's Z-100 has announced the lineup for its annual Zootopia concert, scheduled on Friday June 2 at 6 pm at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Along with the traditional teeny-bop artists, featured performers include Sugar Ray, Macy Gray, Vitamin C and Goo Goo Dolls. Tickets are on sale only at Ticketmaster outlets. --- TOUR DATES: Dope / Primer 65 May 11 Chicago, IL House of Blues May 12 Indianapolis, IN Emerson Theater with Pimpadelic May 13 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall with Pimpadelic May 14 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room with Pimpadelic May 16 Cleveland, OH The Odeon with Pimpadelic May 17 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol with Pimpadelic Korn May 12 Milan, Italy Filaforum May 13 Lyon, France Palais de Sport May 15 Stuttgart, Germany Boblingen Sporthalle May 16 Paris, France Bercy May 17 Rennes, France La Liberte Meshell Ndegeocello May 11 Washington, DC 9:30 Club May 12 Boston, MA Axis May 13 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Noisepop May 11-13 Chicago, IL Various Venues Red Hot Chili Peppers / Foo Fighters / Muse May 13 Providence, RI CIvic Center May 14 Portland, ME Cumberland County Center Elliott Smith May 12 Washington, DC 9:30 Club May 13 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero May 15 Boston, MA The Roxy May 16 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel May 17-19 New York, NY Irving Plaza The The May 12 Seattle, WA Showbox May 13 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom May 14 Portland, OR Roseland May 16 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore May 17 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre Train / Gas Giants May 11 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory May 12 Norfolk, VA Town Point Park May 14 Greenville, NC Attic May 16 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room May 17 Cincinnati, OH P&G Pavillion Veruca Salt May 11 Providence, RiI The Met Cafe May 12 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of the Living Arts May 13 Washington, DC Black Cat May 17 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Wire May 12 Boston, MA The Roxy May 13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club May 15 New York, NY Irving Plaza Workhorse Movement / Kittie May 13 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom May 14 Oak Bridge, NJ Birch Hill Nite Club --- 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 ===