== ISSUE 211 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [June 1, 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 | `------------' REVIEW: Steve Earle, _Transcendental Blues_ - Matt Fink REVIEW: Olive, _Trickle_ - Joann D. Ball CONCERT REVIEW: Wire at Irving Plaza, New York City - Wilson Neate REVIEW: Various Artists, _VH1 Storytellers_ - Scott Hudson REVIEW: Robert Belfour, _What's Wrong With You_ - David J. Klug REVIEW: King's X, _Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous_ - Scott Hudson REVIEW: Various Artists, _Songs for the Jet Set 2000_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Julie Ritter, _songs of love and empire_ - Paul Andersen REVIEW: Dianogah, _Battle Champions_ - Kerwin So REVIEW: Damon Bramblett, _Damon Bramblett_ - David J. Klug REVIEW: Land of the Loops, _Puttering About a Small Land_ - Wilson Neate REVIEW: pApAs fritAs, _Buildings & Grounds_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: the scoldees, _My Pathetic Life_ - Paul Andersen REVIEW: Various Artists, _Panther - A Tribute to Pantera_ - Paul Hanson REVIEW: Cerulean, _Skylight_ - Paul Andersen NEWS: Joey Waronker / R.E.M. TOUR DATES: Dope / Primer 65 / Pimpadelic, Eels, Foreigner, Indigo Girls / Spearhead, Jayhawks, Korn, Steve Miller / Gov't Mule, Skint (record label) tour - Brassic Beats, Elliott Smith, 3 Doors Down, Sally Taylor, Tonic, Wheat Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Steve Earle, _Transcendental Blues_ (Artemis) - Matt Fink There is a rather well-known quote from Steve Earle in which he claims that the late Townes Van Zandt was the greatest songwriter alive and that he'd stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table and make that proclamation. No doubt, Van Zandt was a tremendous songwriter, but sadly served as an all too real role model for a young Steve Earle, who would follow his lead and spend a good portion of his life fighting chemical vices. Life rarely gives second chances, and in the end Van Zandt paid the price for a life that put a little too much strain on his body, as he died at the age of 52. Earle, however, has made the most of his. To be sure, few artists had a better decade in the 90's than Earle, who kicked heroin, was released from prison, remarried, *and* recorded four fantastic albums in the span of five years. From the pastoral acoustic folk of _Train a Comin'_ to the rambling stoic song cycles of the junkie coming through his struggles a stronger man on _I Feel Alright_ and the spectacularly eclectic _El Corazon_, Earle has been busy making up for lost time. Heck, he even recorded a bluegrass album with 1999's _The Mountain_. No matter how close Earle was to the edge, he managed to turn his experiences into a voice of real-life perspective, and we should be happy that he was inspired to use the musical medium to heal his largely self-inflicted wounds. To this day, Earle seems to be a haunted man. No doubt, very few artists have stared into the void as intently as Earle, who found the allure so strong that he took up residence there for awhile, eventually finding himself a frail 95 pound ghetto junkie who didn't even own a guitar. Earle knows how far he has come, and he's not looking to squander any opportunities. After all, this is a man who pleaded with Woody Guthrie to "come back to us now," but ended up being too impatient and took to personally playing at political rallies whose causes he was interested in, just as the folk legend had done himself. All that being said, the stakes have been raised for _Transcendental Blues_, the more legitimate follow-up to the watershed release of _El Corazon_. Coming off almost as a summary of the four aforementioned recordings, _Transcendental Blues_ sounds somewhat like a collection of unreleased gems from those sessions, as the new effort revisits much of the same territory musically and thematically. Blowing through 15 songs in less than 50 minutes, Earle opens with two rather lumbering guitar tracks, with both the title cut and "Everyone's In Love With You" being somewhat alt. rock friendly. These mid-tempo rockers almost seem to melt into one another with psychedelic Beatles circa-_Magical Mystery Tour_ effects, fuzzed out guitars, crashing drums, backmasked vocals and vaguely Eastern elements. Recalling the Fab Four again, especially McCartney's "Fool on the Hill," "The Boy Who Never Cried" is quite literally unlike anything Earle has done in the past. Being a strange mini-epic with dramatically sweeping orchestration and tempo changes uncharacteristically grandiose for Earle, the ballad shows an amazing extension of his abilities as a songwriter. For all the critical acclaim Earle gets for his startling narratives and intense introspection, he really can write a great tune. The bouncy Cajun-influenced "Steve's Last Ramble" is about as infectious as anything he has ever written, with blissfully blown harmonica and tight accordion lines all wrapped around Earle's ruminations on giving up the wild life. Once again showing his resourcefulness, the high energy "The Galway Girl" is yet another surprise, with Earle incorporating Celtic touches with beautifully soaring penny whistles and the accordion of Irish musician Sharon Shannon. Seeing that he has recorded with both the Del McCoury Band and the Supersuckers in recent memory, you have to wonder if a collaboration with the Chieftains could be too far away. Even as Earle seems to be breaking new ground, the majority of the tracks seem to have musical relatives on his other albums. The driving "I Can Wait" brings to mind "Somewhere Out There" from _El Corazon_; whereas, the gently finger-picked guitar and shuffling drums of "Lonlier Than This" recalls much of the work on _Train a Comin'_. The Byrds-ish chiming guitar and ringing organ of "Wherever I Go" finds Earle again trying to outrun his relentlessly pursuing demons, yet somewhat resolved that he'll just have to deal with them. The striking verse of "Halo 'Round the Moon" recalls Van Zandt's "If I Needed You" as much as anything, as Earle often pays homage to the songwriter's legacy. Earle returns to bluegrass on "Until The Day I Die," which must be at least in part semi-autobiographical, as a country boy is bewitched by the city and ends up longing for the familiar fields of home while behind prison bars. No doubt the most powerful statement on the album, Earle creates a character who laments his wandering ways and wearily looks forward to the release of death in "Over Yonder (Jonathan's Song)," as he makes a list of who he'd like to receive his earthly possessions. Saying "I hurt everyone I loved" and "I'm goin' over yonder where no ghost can follow me" is about as moving as anything to spring from Earle's pen and probably sums up a good deal of what he has been through. All in all, _Transcendental Blues_ seems to lack the urgency and cohesiveness of _El Corazon_ or _I Feel Alright_. Still, adding all the elements reveals an album that is a nearly note perfect country rock album, being equal parts Gram Parsons and the Beatles. So, even if it isn't Earle's most dizzyingly fantastic album, it might be the best album you hear all year. If, as Earle would have us believe, Townes Van Zandt's death left a void at the head of the singer-songwriter movement, he's obviously doing everything he can to make sure he can put a claim on that distinction. --- REVIEW: Olive, _Trickle_ (Maverick) - Joann D. Ball _Trickle_ is the much anticipated sophomore release from Northern England's electronic duo Olive. Building on a solid foundation established in 1997 with the excellent debut _Extra Virgin_, keyboardist Tim Kellett and vocalist Ruth-Ann Boyle once again experiment with an adventurous mix of drum 'n' bass, jungle and reggae dub. And this time out, Olive add yet another amazing twist to their signature trip-pop sound. Olive have a new record label, and the duo's relationship with Maverick Records has everything to do with impressing the right people. Super fans Madonna and her Maverick co-partner Guy Oseary initially contacted Kellett and Ruth-Ann about contributing to the _Next Best Thing_ soundtrack. Since Olive had just ended an agreement with RCA Records, Maverick was well ahead in the recruitment game. Not only did Olive produce an exciting dance cover of the 10cc classic "I'm Not In Love" for the soundtrack, the duo also signed a long term deal with the label. And _Trickle_ is the fantastic result. "I'm Not In Love," which is included on the new release, is connecting with audiences in dance clubs and is receiving significant airplay on dance/hits-oriented radio stations across the country. But that cover is just a mere hint of what fills the long player. Olive once again casts that signature ethereal hypnotic spell from the first sounds of the opening track "Love Affair" through the last note of the secret bonus track "Take My Hand." While the grooves on _Trickle_ are more subtle, the sound remains melodic, textured and multi-layered. The songwriting is still brutally honest and straightforward as it addresses the various emotions and moods evoked by love and loss. Kellett, who writes from a distinctly feminine point of view, penned half of the tracks solo and collaborated with Ruth Ann on four songs. The heartfelt and soulful "Smile," however, was written by the duo with partner Peter Vettesse. Ruth-Ann's captivating and soothing vocals, which made "You're Not Alone" an international hit for Olive three years ago, work similar magic on "All You Ever Needed" and "Speak to Me." The most outstanding track here, though, is "Push" which enhances an electronic ambient sound with classical orchestration. Olive are scheduled to perform a series of live dates in the U.S. this Summer to support _Trickle_. With a new record label, a new record and tour, Olive will once again deliver trip-pop to the masses. --- CONCERT REVIEW: Wire at Irving Plaza, New York City - Wilson Neate All right, here it is . . . again . . . the return of Wire nearly quarter of a century after their inception and 12 years after their last US gig. While Finnish electro noodlers Pan sonic did their best to hold the audience's attention, they offered only a minor distraction from the more pressing concern on most people's minds: namely, could Wire still be the fly in the ointment or would Wire 2000 be a load of kidney bingos? It's a worrying question given the many circa '76-'77 acts who've become the very dinosaurs against which they once railed, wheeling out aged, zimmer-frame punk and playing gigs that often consist of 40-something blokes with beer bellies playing to 30-something blokes with beer bellies, stage-diving and pogoing. In other words, one of the deeper circles of rock hell -- an evening of sad pantomime nostalgia in pursuit of a past authenticity delivered by has-beens and never-weres, long deprived of the context in which they might have been relevant for a fleeting moment. But last night, as the first layers of sound coalesced gloriously into 1977's "Pink Flag," we were reminded of what we already knew. To ask if Wire are still relevant misses the point. Wire's relevance has never had anything to do with a context exterior to them as they've always constructed their own context and have routinely reinvented it. Wire have constantly rewritten the rules of the game -- live and on record -- often defying comparison. Even to measure Wire in terms of how authentic they sound compared to one of their previous incarnations is a red herring. They were never authentic and have never kept it real, opting instead to be the ideal copy and to emphasize a performed identity and an ironic distance. Although they were never fully part of the punk scene, they were the consummate punk band. By mid '77, punk's fleeting creativity and spontaneity had stagnated into homogeneity and caricature, yet Wire's "40 Versions" of themselves would offer a postmodern antidote to the fixed identity that punk quickly assumed. With their first album in 1977, Wire were already offering a metacommentary on the scene, pushing songwriting and performance in new directions with a degree of humor, experimentation and unpredictability that, while allegedly central to the punk ethos, was sorely lacking from most of their peers in anything but posture and pose. Wire prefer the path of most resistance, especially live. Infamous for choosing to play unrecorded, new tracks in place of "the hits" -- sometimes in an almost confrontational fashion, as evidenced on the _Document and Eyewitness_ CD -- they often managed to out-punk audiences who wanted to hear familiar material. In view of their modus operandi, it might seem unthinkable then, not only that the original four members of Wire have come together once more but also that they're touring and playing old material in a "proper" concert format. But of course, in the Wire scheme of things it makes perfect sense, given that it's so unexpected. As drummer Robert Gotobed explained recently, "For Wire, this is radical." In an hour-long set featuring tracks from the '77-'79 albums _Pink Flag_, _Chairs Missing_ and _154_, '80s material from _The Ideal Copy_ and _A Bell is A Cup_ and a new song ("He Knows"), Wire didn't falter for an instant. Just four blokes grafting away on a bare stage, with basic lighting, no-frills instrumentation and no special effects, they managed to generate and maintain a compelling level of intensity and energy. With his trademark sneering delivery fixed somewhere between irony and sarcasm, Colin Newman took care of lead vocal duties as well as one half of the guitar onslaught. The other half was provided by Bruce Gilbert, who stood characteristically motionless for the duration, focused on the job at hand and proving that -- while he might look like your high school geography teacher -- he's undoubtedly the hippest 55-year-old punk around. Although Graham Lewis took a back seat vocally, occasionally joining with Newman on choruses, his bass sounded fuller than ever. But the star of the evening was drummer Gotobed. Eyes closed and hammering away on the sparsest of kits with the insistence and consistency of a human metronome, he didn't miss a beat. From the older material through mid-period fare like "Advantage in Height," "Silk Skin Paws" and "The Boiling Boy" and even on the new track, his performance proved that he has always brought a crucial dimension to Wire. It's ironic that the man who made himself redundant in 1990 on the verge of the band's fuller exploration of computer technology should now return as the pivotal member. Despite their metamorphoses over the years, last night's gig foregrounded the common denominators of their sound that have remained recognizable: namely, an inimitable ability to craft unique, textured songs out of the juxtaposition and layering of minimal, individual elements and a lyrical repertoire that comes and goes between the twin -- often overlapping -- poles of snapshot observation and surreal abstraction. Among the highlights were a chunkier rendering -- thanks to Lewis's bass -- of their paean to postmodern identity, "40 Versions," and "Mercy," a track that somehow brings together the shipping forecast and cross-dressing. "Mercy" was particularly impressive as Wire edged it through its menacing build up, put it through its varying paces and rhythms and finally pushed it onto its crashing climax. Punk's two initial challenges with regard to duration and speed -- "How short?" and "How fast?" -- were revisited with blistering renderings of "Another the Letter" and the inevitable "12XU," which provided the respective answers, "still under a minute" and "faster than Fear." The taut, pared-down funk of "Lowdown" witnessed the hitherto unthinkable prospect of a Wire sing-a-long (of sorts) as a smiling Newman briefly yielded to the audience. During the performance of "12XU," Wire's ludic side openly declared itself in full-on comedy as Newman engaged in a deliberately camp rendition of what appeared to be a snake dance. With Robert Poss of the Band of Susans adding to the guitar arsenal, Wire came back for an encore, a 10-minute version of "Drill." Last night's rendition was rough and raucous, shot through with feedback and shorn of almost all its lyrics. It was the ideal coda. "Drill" is a track whose myriad incarnations have stood as the perfect embodiment of Wire's own trajectory of continuities and discontinuities. Ultimately, last night's mutation of "Drill" underscored the point made by the gig as a whole -- that Wire continue to reinvent themselves in ways that demand our attention. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _VH1 Storytellers_ (Interscope) - Scott Hudson VH1's Storytellers series has been enormously successful, so it was certainly no surprise when the fine folks at VH1 released _VH1 Storytellers_, a compilation CD extracting best-of performances from the show. What was a huge surprise, if not a downright disappointment, was that the disc contains no stories. Let's face it, the allure of the show are the stories that inspired the songs, told by the artists in their own words, in their own voices. So if it's stories you want, you'll have to pull out the booklet that accompanies the disc and read them. The disc does feature some fine performances from artists such as David Bowie, James Taylor, Stevie Nicks, The Bee Gees, The Pretenders, Counting Crows and Elvis Costello. But without the stories, there is nothing that sets this disc apart from any other big-time compilation disc you may find in your local record store. To VH1's credit, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of _VH1 Storytellers_ will benefit City Of Hope programs in pediatric oncology, as well as other forms of cancer. One can only hope that VH1 will learn from its mistake. And with recent installments to the show featuring such artists as The Stone Temple Pilots, Pete Townshend and Steely Dan, a second compilation disc could be rather interesting not only because of the great music, but the inspiring stories behind them. As for this disc, the only story that was told, was the one VH1 told you when they packaged this disc and stamped _VH1 Storytellers_ on the cover. --- REVIEW: Robert Belfour, _What's Wrong With You_ (Fat Possum) - David J. Klug The Fat Possum label has been heralded for unearthing electrified North Mississippi juke-joint blues by R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and T-Model Ford, in addition to offering the stirring music of Mississippi natives Asie Payton and Super Chikan. Robert Belfour is a striking addition to the Fat Possum catalog, as he makes music that's genuinely difficult to distinguish from vintage blues recordings of the 20s and 30s. Any familiarity with that era's country blues serves as excellent reference, because with the exception of two songs _What's Wrong With You_ is a solo acoustic recording. It may also be the finest blues record I'll hear all year. What astounds as much as the music on record is that this is Belfour's first full-length release. Now 60, he's recorded only once before -- in 1995 he contributed eight songs to an obscure German anthology titled _The Spirit Of Blues Lives On._ Belfour's vocals at times recall John Lee Hooker in utilization and tonal range but as remarkable as his singing is, his guitar playing is outstanding (it's notable too that he's entirely self-taught). The power of Belfour's music is undeniable, and at least comes from the tradition of Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, and Muddy Waters. What's Wrong With You gets my highest recommendation, and makes for an essential addition to any serious blues music enthusiast's collection. In 1982 John Swenson (Crawdaddy editor and frequent contributor to Rolling Stone and Village Voice) wrote that Lightnin' Hopkins was the last of the great country-blues singers. Had Belfour been recording then, that statement would never have been written. --- REVIEW: King's X, _Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous_ (Metal Blade) - Scott Hudson King's X eighth studio release _Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous_ could have easily been titled _Crime Of The Century_ , and for good reason. When the Houston trio consisting of Ty Tabor (Guitar), Doug Pinnick (Bass) and the underrated Jerry Gaskill (Drums) released their debut album, _Out Of The Silent Planet_ in 1988, they brought to the table a unique blend of seamless Beatlesque harmonies amidst a wall of heavy-rock riffs, Revolver-era psychedelia and driving prog/metal rhythms. The result was sheer musical magic. There was every reason to believe, at that time, that King's X were mega-stars in-waiting. But that didn't happen! While the world bandwagon-jumped from fad-to-fad, King's X unceremoniously released five brilliant records that went largely unnoticed by the record-buying public. As a matter of fact, the albums that followed, _Gretchen Goes To Nebraska_, _Faith Hope Love_, _King's X_ and _Dogman_ sold just under 500,000 units, combined. Despite the lack of mainstream support, _Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous_ proves the band's unwillingness to alter their direction or to conform for the sake of commercial success. If there is a weak song on this set, it is the record's opening track "Fish Bowl Man" with its chaotic intro. Although not a bad song, actually the chorus is rather catchy, it does contain a lengthy, meaningless spoken dialogue about two-thirds of the way through. The tracks that follow, "Julia," "She's Gone Away" and the trippy-smooth "Marsh Mellow Field" are outstanding tunes and prove, once again, that the band has lost absolutely nothing. "When You're Scared" harkens back to the _Dogman_ album and is reminiscent of "Flies and Blue Skies", although a bit darker. The song captures Pinnick's knack for creating a vocally haunting atmosphere. And there's "Charlie Sheen" which features a classic Ty Tabor intro, melodic and flowing with an almost Dickey Betts feel, but your guess is as good as mine as to where the title comes from. The disc is also graced by one of the most beautiful King's X tunes ever written in "Bitter Sweet." The song features the band's excellent three-part harmony, with Tabor's atmospheric guitar lines carefully carrying the song to the heavenlies. _Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous_ is an excellent disc, worthy of any collection. After 12 years and eight amazing albums, these guys ought to be mega-stars, but they're not. And that, my friend, is a crime. Perhaps we should take this disc and the rest of the King's X collection and put it into a time capsule, not to be unearthed for 100 years. No doubt that those listening several generations from now would wonder what kind of fools we were for not allowing this band the success they so richly and justly deserve. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Songs for the Jet Set 2000_ (Jetset) - Chris Hill Perfectly engineered for mid-afternoon autumn drives in the country, the third volume in the "Songs for the Jet Set" series is filled with breezy, sun-drenched tunes. Their guiding aesthetic is '60s soundtracks: movies of experimentation (with or without the aid of pharmaceuticals), romantic expression, and personal exploration: movies which are quaintly dated by modern standards, yet still boldly visionary given today's restrictive, politically-correct, "just say no" environment. Dubbing this aesthetic "Cinema Pop", the artists involved have managed the supremely rare feat of three compilations which please from start to finish, while firmly adhering to their initial vision. This installment begins with the playfully flirtatious "El Graphic" by Tomorrow's World - retro-chic keyboards, rhythm guitar, and harmonized "ba ba ba" syllables reintroducing the band and atmosphere to their initiates. Responsible for one of the high watermarks in the series ("Kites are Fun" on the first volume), Tomorrow's World deliver a powerful one-two punch here, following their blissful, love-struck "On A Saturday" with the Sandra Dee, crying-in-the-windowbox "I Realised You". Leading the first with male vox, and the second with female, the band clothe their romantic sentiment ("Visions of someone special/ appearing to be just daydreams of love/...All I ask's for someone who cares/who understands and just needs me") in unisex, one- size-fits-all garb. _Songs..._ continues the previous releases' seamless placement of the naive and the worldly side by side. "Day Out" by Daisies ("Oh, what a hand in glove day!/Oh, what an 'I'm in love!' day!") is sassy and innocent, yet fits perfectly against the hazy, Vaseline-smeared-lens psychedelia of Milky's "Willow's Song". For my money, the most cinematic of the twelve tracks, Milky's soft female vocals and Spanish guitar create a palpably dreamy setting. Bolstering this visual quality, the aptly-named Wallpaper ante in with three instrumentals ("At the Art Museum", "Sun", "Dreams That Money Can Buy") which serve as both stand- alone pieces and intermissions between vocal tracks. Death by Chocolate offer two quirky tunes, delivering on the promise shown in volume two's gleefully kittenish "Zap the World". The first is a cover of the cheerful, druggy "My Friend Jack": "My friend Jack eats sugar lumps/Sugar man hasn't got a care/He's been travelling everywhere." Their second, "Bears", springs from a child's inventive imagination: "When you're walking between the lines and the squares/be careful that you don't step on the bears/...There's a bear in the gutter/so be careful not to utter/a sound that will disturb". Bowery bums or bears, there's no judgment implied. A girlish whisper of "Ssssh, there's a bear!" and a growl finish the song with its amusing reality intact. Like this track, _Songs for the Jet Set 2000_ maintains its humor tongue-in-cheek, convincingly sincere in its love for the genre, while avoiding any hints of kitsch or mockery. This devotion ensures that the next volume will be as eagerly awaited. See http://jetset.sinner.com for further info on this series. --- REVIEW: Julie Ritter, _songs of love and empire_ (Luxstar) - Paul Andersen Mary's Danish was one of the most underrated, most talented bands ever to grace the Los Angeles music scene. They were verged on the big things that everyone predicted for them, only to have the proverbial rug pulled out from under them by an unscrupulous record label. They eventually splintered up, disillusioned, tired, with members going various ways, some to other bands, some to real estate lives in suburbia. Julie Ritter co-founded the band with kindred spirit Gretchen Seager, and the two vocalists forged a give-and-take style that still sounds better than 99 per cent of the bands out there today. But out of the ashes sometimes phoenixes arise, as this album verifies. Quite simply, Ritter has crafted a set piece that is stunning from the rave-up opening chords of "Bed" to the bell-ringing close of "And What Were Roses," with all facets of emotion and textures caught within the grooves echoing ever so forcefully. Even when she drops to a whisper, the gale force is ever at hand, threatening to burst forth like a biblical storm. Ritter's voice is not one of operatic range, and she has a tendency to modulate her notes in a yelp-like style, but it is signature sound so personal and so full of the depths that it absolutely grabs you by the ears and makes you notice it. Stylistically, the songs run the gamut from jump-up ravers to blue-tinged ballads to a mollish version of the only cover here, Lennon/McCartney's "Cry Baby Cry," that uses a noirish trumpet to set a Marlowe-like mood that would sound right at home on the jukebox down at your corner dive. As a music writer, listening time is always at a premium, but when I'm relaxing and listening for myself, this is the first disc I grab. A tour de force, well worth finding (try Amazon, or her own site, http://www.julieritter.com ). --- REVIEW: Dianogah, _Battle Champions_ (Southern) - Kerwin So Chicago's Dianogah has always stood out among underground rock bands for its unconventional lineup: two bass guitars -- one "sharp," one "round"-- and a drummer. That's it. They claimed the reason for this arrangement was because nobody in the band could play guitar. Once you hear the soft acoustic guitar tones of "Kaisakunin", the vignette which opens Dianogah's latest album _Battle Champions_, you'll realize that this has changed. And that's not all that's changed. Dianogah's previous recordings generally tended to be muddy and plodding, favoring a more "math- rock" type of sound, replete with mechanical and sometimes sterile progressions. But hints of brilliance shone underneath, particularly the gentle tenderness that Dianogah has the unique capability to evoke. _Battle Champions_ takes this potential-- realized last year in the band's stunning contribution to the _Reach the Rock_ soundtrack -- and stretches it into the gorgeous expanse of a full album. In fact, _Battle Champions_ is less a rock album than a modern symphony composed of eleven movements. Warm, melodic basslines wrap around surging rhythms that unravel from looping syncopation into expansive, meditative passages, occasionally accompanied by just the right amount of piano (as in the epic "Indie Rock Spock Ears"). These elements together command an air of such innocence, quiet, and vulnerability, that you almost feel ashamed to do anything else while listening to it. In this sense, Dianogah bears an aesthetic resemblance to '70s troubador Nick Drake. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect is that Dianogah very ably tugs at your heartstrings with very little use of vocals. And, while the imperfect voice of frontman Jay Ryan remains by far the weakest point of an otherwise astounding band, Ryan sings with enough quiet conviction to carry the two voiced songs through, diminishing Dianogah's power not a whit. Sample lyrics: "I pull my head inside my shirt/ I've had to cover up and hide/ Because I know that it's going to hurt/ It's going to hurt this time." But if Dianogah has proven anything, it's that you don't need words to evoke deep emotion and get your message across. In saying that, I think I've already used too many words attempting to describe this album-- it's just something you have to experience for yourself. Me, I've been listening to _Battle Champions_ repeatedly for weeks now, to the point where it has weaved its way inextricably into the dark passageways of my consciousnessness. Credit another masterpiece to producer Steve Albini, and hope that _Battle Champions_ finally gains Dianogah the recognition they deserve. --- REVIEW: Damon Bramblett, _Damon Bramblett_ (Munich) - David J. Klug I saw Damon Bramblett perform at this year's SXSW, having gone out of my way to hear the singer/songwriter tagged as sounding like the Man in Black. For about a month prior to that show I'd inquired about Bramblett's music and always got the same response: he sounds like Johnny Cash. Hey, that's not bad company but it nevertheless made me wonder if most of the people with whom I spoke ever heard a lick of Bramblett's music. Yet even I took the bait and found myself telling others before the show that I was off to see this guy, Damon Bramblett: "sounds like Johnny Cash." With or without the Cash comparison Bramblett's music has been labeled alternative country -- flag waving that is sure to make plenty of prospective listeners turn up their collective noses and run from the hills. Too bad, because his self-titled debut is alternative country only because Nashville has yet to embrace its kind (and probably never will). It's alternative country for lack of a better description, just like the "hillbilly" and "rockabilly" music of the 50s from Johnny Cash and Orville Couch to Carl Perkins and Warren Smith. Those artists and dozens more like them were equally important contributors to early rock 'n' roll as much as country and would today, just like Bramblett, arguably be branded as alternative country artists. Which all means that this record is intelligent and sassy and of the purest form of country music, flavored with honky tonk passion and performed rock solid. Bramblett's an ace songwriter -- his characters come to life in story songs -- and real country music endears itself to him. He penned all eleven tracks and stand-outs include the opener "Tear Him Down," which bite's hard about a critic's darling, "Nobody Wants To Go To The Moon Anymore," about disgust for complacency and status-quo (and recorded by Sara Hickman on her Misfits album), "Heaven Bound," an exceptionally tuneful song (and recorded by Kelly Willis on What I Deserve), "Falling Apart," a bopper about the selfish sorrowness of love lost, and "Waiting For The Mail," the record's best, and most haunting, track. Pedal and lap steel, harmonica, and upright bass figure prominently throughout Bramblett's songs, as do his vocals that recall none other than Mr. Cash. Produced by Lloyd Maines (Robert Earl Keen, Wayne Hancock, Richard Buckner), who also plays on the record, the songcycle offers continuity not often found in recordings from the current slew of "alternative country" bands and couldn't be farther from the sounds of the Wilcos and Son Volts. Beyond the tags it's also a record, like the very best of what's ignored by Music Row, that will stand the test of time and be as enjoyable now as in years to come. --- REVIEW: Land of the Loops, _Puttering About a Small Land_ (Up) - Wilson Neate Apparently, Land of the Loops mastermind Alan Sutherland grew up consuming snacks and television in equal measure, so it's not surprising that _Puttering About a Small Land_ should sound like the residual memory of childhood sci-fi cartoon animation translated into lo-fi electronica, filled to the brim with countless tasty, bite-sized samples. Possibly (mis)named after the Philip K. Dick novel, _Puttering_ recalls the Young Marble Giants and a less dense and less fluid Cocteau Twins by way of a stripped down Stereolab. With the help of vocalists Heather Lewis (of Beat Happening), Takako Minekawa (a Cornelius collaborator), Jovita Carpenter (aka Lady Mallard of Volume All Star) and DJ Trouble, _Puttering_ serves up a delicious collage of sonic morsels, complete with intra-song movie dialogue snippets. This follow up to 1999's _Bundle of Joy_ is a similarly intriguing sonic rattlebag that never strays far from its basic coordinates: largely unchanging, circular rhythmic patterns filled out with bass and beats, and topped with fragile vocals and miscellaneous layered sounds that loop in and out of the overall musical buffet. While tracks like "Knee Deep in Packasandra" and the bubbling, aquatic "How to Feed a Sea Monkey" take a Cocteau Twins approach with melodic, swirling, ethereal vocals whose words are barely discernible, cuts like "Slumber Party," "Automotive High School" and "Marshmellow Pillows" reduce the vocal component to sampled fragments and inflections that come and go, weaving their way through the textured sound. The real winners are the sleeker numbers like "Drive Safely (and Hurry Back)" with its dubby driving flavor and slight vocals -- sounding not unlike a low-key St. Etienne -- and "Party Pooper" (which is anything but). Starting out with hovering vocal fragments and a vaguely menacing Aphex Twin feel, it morphs into a mesmerizing, dub-inflected mid-section before looping back to its point of departure. _Puttering_ is a quirkily hypnotic, addictive aural experience fashioned from a smorgasbord of samples. While Sutherland's approach may not be as seamless and polished as higher-end electronica, neither does it jar nor is it pedestrian -- despite a tendency to "plod" rather than "putter" on occasion. Rather, it retains a deceptively simple, almost minimalist charm. --- REVIEW: pApAs fritAs, _Buildings & Grounds_ (Minty Fresh) - Chris Hill The third time must be the charm, as album number three from pApAs fritAs is embarrassingly rich with sugar-coated pop tunes. Drummer/vocalist Shivika Asthana's graceful poise and guitarist/vocalist Tony Goddess' light yet masculine tones make a yin and yang of formidable power. With bassist Keith Gendel adding to the singing duties, lush harmonies pervade the album, equaling 13 tracks with nary a throwaway among them. "He said/she said" songs being personal favorites, "Way You Walk" smote like a thunderbolt on first listen. The Human League's "Don't You Want Me", Lush's "Ciao!", and now this song: perfect examples of the moments when love and blame intermingle, and the different perspectives give air to their grievances. He: "I can tell by the way you walk/You wanna be alone with him." She: "Why do you make up all these stories?/Made up your mind, decided for me". He: "Will you tell him all the special things/ You told me you could never say?" She: "If I go, I won't be lonely/If I stay now you don't own me." Sheer heaven, by words alone. Add a sweet acoustic guitar solo, hand claps, and an insanely boppy keyboard riff and the confection improves. An album destined for summer road music, _Buildings and Grounds_ radiates sunshine. "There's shots to take and plans to make/There's candy bars and pizza to chew", Goddess sings in "Another Day", a bouncy urging of "carpe diem" conviction. This feeling springs up again on the waltzing "Girl", a devotional dedication of love. Even the melancholy "I'll Be Gone" looks at the brighter side of breaking up: "Draw the blinds/Let the sunshine find a way.../We're not walking together/And now I'm feeling alright." "It's Over Now" is a momentary squall, as Asthana sifts the ashes of love for answers: "Every time I think of you, I stop and wonder why/It's over now, it's time to say goodbye". Rainstorms pass, and brighter climes reappear: R. Buckminster Fuller would be pleased with Gendel's contribution to the album, "Vertical Lives". Its assertion that "Only geodesic domes can save us now" is made structurally sound by a stomping drum beat and clapping hands. The band, with Goddess being the primary songwriter, has an ability to mix in familiar elements that get the song's foot in the aural door: be it the Brady Bunch lollipop bliss of "Questions", the Rentals' sing-song of "Vertical Lives", the Fleetwood Mac background vocal/guitar/keyboard ambience of "People Say", or the Scud Mountain Boys' croon of the closer "Lost in a Dream". Familiarity breeds instant welcome here, not contempt. It's rare that a male and female singer match up as well as Asthana and Goddess. Prop Asthana's "You were always quiet/I was always cold/Walking there beside you/Promises were gold" against Goddess' "But now you say you've grown/So tired of being alone/Ask me did I wait/I believe in fate" and the vulnerability is equally conveyed by both sexes. Listen particularly to Goddess in the above lines from "I Believe in Fate", as his voice progressively strains on each line to impart the emotion, with fantastic success. As the seasons change, summer will always be close, thanks to discs like this. "Pop has freed us", indeed. Surf warning: http://www.mintyfresh.com and http://www.papasfritas.com --- REVIEW: the scoldees, _My Pathetic Life_ (Spinning Plates) - Paul Andersen Like a breeze blowing into Manhattan from Long Island, the music of the scoldees will pick you up and take you away from your cares, the way an old friend you haven't talked to in awhile might cheer you up. In fact, the scoldees -- Nancy Sirianni, Jack Hoffmann, John Collis and Ted Rydzewski -- are four self-described best friends whose musical paths have finally coalesced into a whole. The result is an organic sound and feel that is the 180 degree opposite of the standard industry-manufactured slickness that permeates much of the airwaves. If Sirianni's name strikes a bell, it is because she has been an irregular feature on the Howard Stern show, doing musical parodies and suffering Stern insults. Here, however, she displays a voice that some may initially compare to Natalie Merchant, yet about three songs in, its timbre and phrasing become hers solely. Yet the nice thing about this album is that no one scoldee predominates. Some songs ("Cellophane Man" and others) feature Hoffman's lead vocals, and the harmonies are always dead on - in fact, the four initially got together to work on choral arrangements of Christmas carols! Throughout this album, the melodies and lyrics match up in such a way as to reverberate in the brain, with a catchiness amongst the hooks that just screams 'radio airplay.' In fact, this disc is doing amazingly well with programmers, who have latched onto "All I Want" as the chosen first single, making them stars in such places as Hot Springs, Arkansas and Roswell, New Mexico. It's a momentum that just might cause _My Pathetic Life_ to come out of left field in the larger markets, also. With their simple adult acoustic-rock sound and superb songwriting abilities, the scoldees are the antithesis to rap/metal, boy bands, teen girl angst and all those other entities that make up millennial radio. Hopefully, there will be a place in the scheme of things for four old friends making honest music, too. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Panther - A Tribute to Pantera_ (Eclipse) - Paul Hanson "Does Pantera really DESERVE a tribute CD?" is a reasonable question. Bands like the Led Zeppelin, KISS, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Van Halen, and AC/DC certainly do. Can Pantera be added to that list? After all, the band is only about 10 years past a little-known glam metal phase, which critics used as fodder to criticize vocalist Phil Anselmo's anti-Metallica tirades during their 1996 tour. Are they really that good? Perhaps that question would be better answered in a review of their latest release _Reinventing the Steel._ For this CD, you get 12 fairly familiar names, none of them as popular or with as much success as Pantera in touring to sold-out arenas. The 12 bands here are signs of metal to come. Pissing Razors, a Noise recording artist, kicks the CD off with a turbo-charged version of "Domination." Like their own releases, drummer Ed Garcia is a master of the double bass drums, combining aggressive chops with precision. Vocalist Joe Rodriquez bellows his part with conviction. Boiler follows with "Mouth for War" which demonstrates the band that made "The New Professionals" still have the fire that made that CD heavy. Step Kings follow with "Good Friends & A Bottle of Pills" which falls short of the original. Drummer Mike Watt fakes the double bass part of this song. Murder 1 come next with "I'm Broken" which is then followed with Ill Nino's version of "Five Minutes Alone." The CD comes to a screeching halt with A.C.'s version of "The Great Southern Trendkill." Those that might have thought "Picnic of Love" was that band's swan song can rest assured that Seth and Josh are in fine form. Disarray, from the Volunteer State, and one of my personal favorite bands, kick out "Cowboys from Hell" with their trademark heaviness. Vocalist/guitarist Chuck Bonnett, drummer Shane Harmon and bassist Chris Looney have been slugging out the metal since 1996's classic "Widespread Human Disaster." FINALLY, they're with Eclipse Records and getting some attention. Another band in Disarray's league of not previously getting their due recognition is Crush Efekt from Columbus, OH. CE burst through "Use My Third Arm" with a ferocious intensity that made their "Real" release so brutal. NOK rounds out this release with the worst mixed track, "Fucking Hostile." Vocalist Jeremy Jenkins is shoved to the front of the mix, which covers the faking of the riff by guitarists Mike Marchand and Frank Busshaus. Drummer John Keane attempts to hold this chaos together, but isn't very successful with sloppy fills. This is definitely a mixed bag. On one hand, you get rising stars like Pissing Razors, Boiler, Step Kings, Disarray, and Crush Efekt playing songs that Pantera has bashed out previously. On the other hand, though, you get A.C. screeching like a banshee, Hollow's decent (but not outstanding contribution) and the ugly rendition by NOK. --- REVIEW: Cerulean, _Skylight_ (Spinwheel) - Paul Andersen Cerulean is an L.A.-based trio consisting of guitarist/vocalist Rick Bolander, drummer Mike McCabe and bassist Roger Marinelli. Bolander and McCabe, childhood friends from New York, had lost contact over the years until a chance meeting in Los Angeles in the summer of 1997. They began writing music together, and _Skylight_ is the first fruit of their labors. It is swirling guitar-driven melodic pop music that is as azure as the group's name. The music contained here swirls with an ebb and flow similar to the waves pictured on the front cover. Pulsing one minute, driven by an edgy fuzzed-out guitar, the next might find it touched by light drum work not often found in this kind of music. Cerulean knows the beauty that openness and lightness can create, and they're not afraid to let it shine through. The poetic lyrics touch on themes of optimism, lust, regret and other human traits, buoyed by Bolander's rich voice that is equal parts hope and angst, one never overtaking the other. It is an encounter of imagery and sound that makes you sit up and take notice. A band definitely worth checking out - and not for 'locals only.' You can find Cerulean on the web at http://www.ceruleanmusic.com. --- NEWS: > Former Beck drummer Joey Waronker will continue his role as drummer and collaborator for R.E.M. on their upcoming LP and tour. --- TOUR DATES: Dope / Primer 65 / Pimpadelic Jun. 1 New Haven, CT Toad's Place Jun. 3 Norfolk, VA The Boathouse Jun. 4 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall Eels Jun. 12 Washington, DC Garage Jun. 13 Philadelphia, PA The Upstage Jun. 14 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Foreigner Jun. 9 El Paso, TX Biggs Park Jun. 10 Sierra Vista, AZ Libby Army Field Jun. 15 Burlington, IA "Steamboat Days" Festival Indigo Girls / Spearhead Jun. 2-3 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Jun. 4 Raleigh, NC Alltell Pavillion at Walnut Creek Jun. 7-8 Vienna, VA Wolf Trap Amp. Jun. 9 Philadelphia, PA Mann Music Center Jun. 10-11 Boston, MA Fleet Boston Pavillion Jun. 13 New York, NY Summerstage / Central Park Jun. 15 Lewiston, NY Art Park Jayhawks Jun. 3 Petaluma, CA Mystic Theatre Jun. 4 San Francisco, CA Slim's Jun. 6 Portland, OR Aladdin Theatre Jun. 7 Vancouver, BC Richards on Richards Jun. 8 Seattle, WA The Showbox Jun. 10 Santa Monica, CA Arcadia Jun. 12 Los Angeles, CA Troubador Jun. 13 San Diego, CA Belly Up Tavern Korn Jun. 2 Dusseldorf, Germany Philipshalle Jun. 3 Eindhoven, Holland Dynamo Festival Jun. 5 Hamburg, Germany Stadtpark Jun. 6 Berlin, Germany Arena Jun. 8 Katowice, Poland Spodek Jun. 10-11 Germany Rock Am Park Festival Steve Miller / Gov't Mule Jun. 9 Lewiston, NY Art Park Jun. 10 Pittsburgh, PA Starlake Amphitheatre Jun. 11 Vienna, VA Wolf Trap Jun. 15 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Art Center Skint (record label) tour - Brassic Beats Jun. 1 New York, NY Twilo (2K Lounge) Jun. 3 Chicago, IL Smat Bar the Metro Jun. 6 Los Angeles, CA Atmosmphere the Viper Room Jun. 7 San Francisco, CA Backflip Jun. 8 Portland, OR The Cobalt Lounge Jun. 10 Seattle, WA Nation Elliott Smith Jun. 1 Seattle, WA Showbox Jun. 2 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom Jun. 3 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom Jun. 5-6 San Francisco, CA Fillmore Jun. 7-8 Los Angeles, CA Palace 3 Doors Down Jun. 2 Oklahoma City, OK All Sports Stadium Jun. 3 Kansas City, MO Sandstone Amphitheater Jun. 4 Omaha, NE Westfair Amphitheater Jun. 6 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room Jun. 7 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall Jun. 8 Cleveland, OH Odeon Jun. 9 Pittsburgh, PA Club Laga Jun. 10 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Sally Taylor Jun. 2 McAllister, OK Icehouse Jun. 9 Aspen, CO Double Diamond Jun. 13 San Diego, CA Casbah Jun. 14 San Juan Capistrano, CA Coachouse Jun. 15 Hollywood, CA Vynyl Tonic Jun. 1 Houston, TX Hard Rock Cafe Jun. 2 Norfolk, VA Town Point Park Jun. 3 Wilmington, DE WSTW Show Wheat Jun. 3 Cambridge, MA TT the Bear's Place Jun. 13 Chicago, IL Scuba's Jun. 14 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry Jun. 15 Iowa City, IA Gabe's Oasis --- Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest music reviews publication on the Internet. 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