==== ISSUE 68 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [February 14, 1996] Editor: Bob Gajarsky Internet: gajarsky@pilot.njin.net Sr. Correspondents: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Al Crawford,Dan Enright, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr, Jamie Roberts, Joe Silva, John Walker Correspondents: Dan Birchall, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Jason Cahill, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Daniel Kane, Mario Lia, P. Nina Ramos, Linda Scott, Ali Sinclair, Jon Steltenpohl, Courtney Muir Wallner, Britain Woodman Also Contributing: Robin Lapid Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann, Damir Tiljak, Jason Williams Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gajarsky@pilot.njin.net ================================================================== All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). Permission for re-publication in any form other than within this document must be obtained from the editor. ================================================================== .------------. | Contents | `------------' REVIEW: Tori Amos, _Boys For Pele_ - Sean Eric McGill REVIEW: Howard Jones, _Live Acoustic America_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Marion, _This World And Body_/ "Time" -Tim Mohr CONCERT REVIEW: Blur, the Rentals - Robin Lapid REVIEW: Bluetones, "Slight Return" - Tim Mohr REVIEW: Levellers, _Zeitgeist_ - Reto Koradi CONCERT REVIEW: Jazz Passengers feat. Debbie Harry - Tim Mohr REVIEW: Possum Dixon, _Star Maps_ - Eric Hsu REVIEW: Tracy Chapman, _New Beginning_ - Ali Sinclair REVIEW: The Harvest Ministers, _A Feeling Mission_ - Tim Mohr REVIEW: Melting Hopefuls, _Viva La Void_ - Reto Koradi REVIEW: Nine Below Zero, _Ice Station Zebro_ - Ali Sinclair REVIEW: Mark Brodie & the Beaver Patrol,_The Shores of Hell_ - Tim Mohr REVIEW: Devin Hill, _Wayout Lane_ - Ali Sinclair NEWS: Bloodhound Gang, Cypress Hill, Z100 Extreme, Mittageisen, My Little Sister, Pentagon CD/1000 Mona Lisas, Rake's Progress, R&S Records, Sonicnet/Loser's Guide to Boston TOUR DATES: Aunt Bettys, Walter Beasley, Frank Black / Jonny Polonsky, Jackson Browne, Cravin' Melon, Fleming & John, Freewheelers, Gin Blossoms / Dead Hot Workshop / Refreshments, Hum / Mercury Rev, Huey Lewis & The News, Lustre, Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers, Natalie Merchant, Mighty Mighty Bosstones/Dance Hall Crashers, The Mother Hips, Mysteries of Life, Mystery Machine, Nancy Boy, Niamh Parsons and the Loose Connections, Mike Peters, Plastic Mikey, Presidents of the United States of America / Love Jones, Rake's Progress / Nancy Boy, Reeltime, Ruby/Schtum, Bob Seger / John Hiatt, Sister Machine Gun / Gravity Kills, Elliott Smith / The Softies, Spacehog, Tina & The B Side Movement, Velvet Crush / Lustre, Weston, Jane Kelly Williams CONTEST: Free CD from Grass Records THE READERS WRITE BACK! Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Tori Amos, _Boys For Pele_ (Atlantic) - Sean Eric McGill Emotion can go a long way. One of the things that made Freddy Mercury the icon that he is was that no matter how serious or how cheezy the song, Mercury could make us believe that he meant every last syllable of the tune through his delivery - he was what a "rock star" should be...and what a "balladeer" should be...and a couple of other things, as well. And when you talk about women in popular music, nobody holds that same level of emotional intensity as well as Tori Amos. Her songs can strike a chord in your heart, regardless of sex (although most of her songs are much better understood by women). Her heartfelt delivery, with Amos many times playing the role of the gawkish teenager - all grown up and ready to tell everyone what they put her through - gives each song an urgency that cannot be matched. But it's been five years since Amos came on the scene with her sophomore album _Little Earthquakes_ and its single "Silent All These Years," and time has changed Amos - for good and for bad. First, the good part. That urgency is still there, coming though with every note she sings. Songs like "Hey Jupiter" and "Horses" stand out as two of the best works on the album. But, there is also a down side. On her last album, 1994's _Under The Pink_, Amos became more and more attracted to large, orchestral arrangements. For some artists, this works. But most of Amos' strength is in her ability to sit at a piano with minimal effects and instrumentation and tell you a story. Many times, in songs like "Father Lucifer," Amos' writing, while quite accomplished, often relies on subtle lyrical tricks that don't come through too well when placed over a barrage of instrumentation - leaving the songs feeling rather cluttered. Not all of these songs are losses, though. "Putting the Damage On" is quite well done, reminiscent of "Yes, Anastasia" from _Under The Pink_ with its often soaring background score. Likewise, "Caught In A Lite Sneeze," the album's first single, works as well. But it is songs like "Twinkle" and "Doughnut Song" which bring out the best in Amos. Ultimately, if you're not a fan, this album most probably won't turn you into one. But if you are (and judging from her wide fanbase on the World Wide Web, there are plenty of them out there - enough to make the album debut at #2 on Billboard's charts the week of its release), then you'll definitely enjoy _Boys for Pele_. And although the album isn't Amos' strongest work to date by far, it is still superior to the majority of albums released so far this year...and will probably still be ten months from now. --- REVIEW: Howard Jones, _Live Acoustic America_ (Plump) - Bob Gajarsky If you're not a hard-core Howard Jones fan, and never saw him on his 1993 acoustic tour, the thought of the author of hits such as "New Song" or "No One Is To Blame" playing without the keyboard may seem a bit frightening. Don't get scared off, however: although there was no electricity connecting the instruments, this performance has plenty of it in the air. Consisting of just two people on stage - Howard on piano and vocals, and renowned percussionist Carole Steele - Jones wows not only the Los Angeles crowd where the show was recorded, but this reviewer as well. His songs gain a new depth when taken away from the synth wall which has surrounded Jones since 1984, and highlight the songwriter and performer behind the songs. _Live Acoustic America_ doesn't focus on all his hits, nor is that the collection's purpose; however, of the 17 tracks, 11 of them are well known to his fans. It comes across more as a "thank-you" to his fans, and a unique way to bend the rules. Don't forget, when Jones first burst on to the scene with his UK #1 hit "New Song", the possibility of a keyboard player touring, much less giving an entertaining evening, was laughed at. Howard broke those rules as well; this time, he succeeds in bringing his fans one step closer to his songs. The songs do work; "You Know I Love You" takes on a new breath of life and "No One Is To Blame" was meant to be heard in close quarters. And, Howard's version of the Beatles' "Come Together" sounds not only more distinct, but *better*, than the recent cover from The Smokin' Mojo Filters (Paul Weller, Paul McCartney and Oasis' Noel Gallagher) from the Bosnian relief effort _Help!_. The crowd interaction - which is a mandatory part of most intimate shows, but usually fails to impresss on record - doesn't come across well on this album either. But this small blemish should not stop one from stepping back and taking another look at this talented performer. Sometime in 1996, Jones will be releasing his next album, _Angels and Lovers_. However, until then, the time is right to rediscover Howard Jones in an intimate setting on _Live Acoustic America_. World Wide Web surfers: Howard has become involved with the site at: http://www.amug.ord/~hojoinfo/index.html TRACK LISTING: Intro / Pearl In The Shell, Don't Always Look At The Rain, Fallin' Away, Exodus / Come Together, You Know I Love You Don't You, Out Of Thin Air, One Last Try, Like To Get To Know You Well, City Song, Lift Me Up, Tape to Tape Rag, Everlasting Love, Life in One Day, Things Can Only Get Better, What Is Love, New Song, No One Is To Blame --- REVIEW: Marion, _This World And Body_/ "Time" (London) -Tim Mohr In their initial burst of publicity, Marion's bleak lyrics, driving sound, prominent bass, and Manchester home brought comparisons, somewhat exaggerated, to Joy Division. "Sleep," their gripping London debut, had a racing heart and, in the harmonica, a stylistic nod to 60s classics. The desperate feel of "Sleep," and its dark b-side, "Father's Day," earned the band immediate attention, and their emotional writing, quite at odds with the studied eccentricity and intellectualism of bigger bands like Blur, Menswear, or Pulp, gave them a directness that has remained through their subsequent releases. "Toys for Boys," Marion's next European single, lacked the inescapable hook of "Sleep," but continued the sharp, detailed guitar work and emotional approach. The third London release, "Let's All Go Together," marked a new stage in Marion's growth. The tempo slowed and the guitars became more open, lacey, and less cutting; an anthemic chorus assumed a central role. With "Let's All Go Together," a better comparison than Joy Division started to emerge: the passionate immediacy and gasping spitfire delivery of early U2. Aside from the striking but unintentional vocal similarity, the earnestness and unabashed sentimentality of Marion's songs also present corollaries to songs on _Boy_, _October_, and _War_. The newly released "Time," the third European single from _This World This Body_, is once again reminiscent of seminal U2 songs, but the lyrics and music are more complex and less maudlin than "Let's All Go Together." As U2 can attest, having eventually rejected the style, writing based on emotion has as a downside a tendency towards melodrama and self- parody, particularly when the musical backdrop is slowed to accomodate the pathos evoked by the lyrics. But on "Time," Marion manage to sidestep this pitfall as U2 frequently did on early albums. The b-side of "Time," like that of "Let's All Go Together," returns to the fast riffing of "Sleep" and "Toys for Boys," but now that the image of U2 has been established, it is easy to remember that U2 had punky roots, too. _This World This Body_ is one of the most interesting releases of the Britpop era, if for no other reason than in Marion we have an English pop band not afraid to lay itself bare, to take off its party mask and reveal a wide range of deeply-rooted human emotion. The few sombre songs by big contemporary bands, ie. Oasis' "Wonderwall", are really about redemption or epiphany, and offer an uplifting resolution. Even morose bands like Gene camoflauge gut feeling with elaborate language and poetic imagery. Marion bring a note of dissent to the Britpop party, and by exhibiting some naked working class misery they make the whole scene broader in scope and ambition. --- CONCERT REVIEW: Blur, the Rentals at the Fillmore, San Francisco January 29, 1996 - Robin Lapid So, are Blur really intent on "breaking America" and beating out Oasis in the woefully misguided and overhyped battle of the "Britpop" bands? An answer to this question would be merely gratuitous. But if the public really wants one, they need only listen to Blur bang out a few schmaltzy, Blur-ified bars of Oasis' "Roll With It" during their performance at San Francisco's legendary Fillmore Theater (in the U.K. last year, it was Blur's "Country House" single which beat out "Roll With It" when both were released on the same day). With lead singer Damon Albarn on organ, they then briefly launched into the Knacks' "My Sharona." Roughly translated, the boys just wanna have fun, a concept which was successfully conveyed to this sold-out crowd. The pop indie princelings of Britain tread some strange waters in America these days. As fellow U.K. acts like Oasis and Bush garner their fair share of stateside success with radio-friendly alterna-rock, Blur continue to play distinctly British-flavored pop tunes. As a live band, however, it doesn't much matter that they clearly love the Kinks and the Jam more than the Rolling Stones. They are still, according to stellar guitarist Graham Coxon, "a pop band that can rock." The "fast" songs ("Advert," "Globe Alone") were frenetic and bounce-around pop, and the "slow" songs ("The Universal," "This Is A Low") were haltingly anthemic weep-alongs. The fact that Blur sing about the oddities of the British working class and occassionally play waltz-y instrumentals becomes a moot point when the whole crowd begins singing louder than the singer himself, or when you somehow find yourself amongst a mass of people giddily shouting out "Parklife!" every fifteen seconds. An occassionally dazed Albarn dabbled in climbing the P.A. and knocking down equipment while a cheerful Coxon provided some appropriate rockstar acrobatics. As the crowd writhed in time to the music and belted out lyrics, an endless stream of groupies periodically rushed the stage to kiss and/or embrace poster idols Albarn, Coxon, and bassist Alex James (the haughty, still one with the hair and cigarette permanently dangling from the face). Despite the vocals starting out a bit too low in the mix, the band were relaxed and limber enough to provide some crowd-pleasing antics (Albarn risked life and limb jumping dead center into a pit of young groupies eager for the flesh of a bona fide British popstar); and Albarn conversed freely with the fans between songs while Coxon graciously handed someone a towel of his sweat at her request. Backed by the steady rhythm of drummer Dave Rowntree and the embellishments of a two-man horn section, Blur dove into a steady stream of pop-pleasing numbers, performing long-lost favorites from all four of their albums - the grateful crowd were treated to the rarely-heard "There's No Other Way," their first major hit from their debut album _Leisure_ and to a crackling version of "Stereotypes," the band's next U.K. single from their current album _The Great Escape_. The Rentals provided a subdued, pleasant opener to the evening. Frontman (and Weezer bassist) Matt Sharp led an affable set of "nerd-rock" that was a moog-synth lover's dream. The band offered a unique brand of rough pop smoothed out by cheesy electronic effects. Even better, they also had the harmonizing backing vocals of two women intent on displaying their karate-kicking dance moves between synth playing. Although a slightly annoyed Sharp ignored repeated requests for "Buddy Holly," the band temporarily appeased the anxious crowd with their alternative hit, "Friends of P." Blur provided the audience (largely a mixture of Anglophile fashion-followers and swooning girls) a lesson in the art of a good show - keep the audience jumping up and down in time and play songs as if you actually _like_ them (Oasis please take note). Afterwards, a contented Coxon smiled amiably, aptly summing up the point of the whole evening: "I had a lot of fun tonight." Anyone who wonders if the band are stressed out with selling as many records in America as Oasis need not worry. According to Coxon, "[Making music] is not about making money. It's about integrity." --- REVIEW: Bluetones, "Slight Return" (Blue UK) - Tim Mohr The third single from the Bluetones proves that their magnificent synthesis of British pop on "Are You Blue Or Are You Blind?" and "Bluetonic" was no fluke. The voice of the Bluetones adds to the theory that the singers in Oasis, the Charlatans (UK), and the Stone Roses are all the same person; in fact, he seems to have been holding out his best material for his latest project, the Bluetones. Musically the Bluetones throw out big melodies like Oasis, but without the ponderous wall of sound that forms the trademark sound of Oasis (and hides the melodic failings of other Oasis imitators like Northern Uproar). The lightness of touch on all three Bluetones singles allows the instruments to reach the listener's ears intact, so that the lush acoustic and electric guitars are distinguishable from the easy-rolling bass, and the perfect 60s vocal harmonies aren't lost in a swath of distorted guitar (see Ride). This distinctive sound is successful only because the songs are so well constructed. "Slight Return" is brief and sweet. There is a 60s inflection to the music, perhaps taking pointers from the shimmering early pop of the Hollies and the light-hearted hits of Herman's Hermits, but the affinity is never displayed in the heavy-handed manner of the La's or, more recently, the Weekenders. Assuming that the evolution of the Stone Roses left a vacuum in the hearts of many music enthusiasts, the Bluetones could truly be the second coming. Their control is unassailable; like the Stone Roses (circa 1989), their synthesis of material roots them in historical tradition while making each single sound original and vital. --- REVIEW: Levellers, _Zeitgeist_ (Elektra) - Reto Koradi The Levellers 4th album was released in Europe a few months ago, and now has made its way over the pond. Besides a very nice German title, which can't be translated to English, what's new about the Levellers latest offering? Not much, really. Whether this consistency is a good or a bad thing depends on the perspective of the listener. Fans will certainly still enjoy their catchy celt-folk-rock style, and the beautiful ballads that they're used to are also here, such as "Maid Of The River". But it's hard to see how this release should change their status as an underrated band with an avid fan base that is much smaller than it could (and should) be. The sound is a bit harder than on previous releases, most notably on the single "Hope St.", but the quality of the songs doesn't quite reach the level of their break-through album _Levelling The Land_. Maybe the Levellers just need time to gain more popularity, and their excellent albums and great live shows (e. g. supporting Neil Young on his European tour last year) will finally bring them to the top. But more likely, they will just remain the way they are. Which would not be a bad thing at all. --- CONCERT REVIEW: Jazz Passengers feat. Debbie Harry, Franz Club, Berlin - Tim Mohr The magical recollection of Blondie insured that this New York-based jazz combo would sell out the medium-sized venue. But in order to stake their ground, they opened with a dizzying instrumental cavort while Ms. Harry sat on the side, just in front of the vibraphone or xylophone rig. Jazz Passengers consist of a sax player, trombone player, drummer, xylophone player, violinist, and upright bass player, and alternated between bopping groove-outs and more traditional balladeering. All the instrumentalists received frequent time for solos, and the bassist, Jones, anchored the proceedings with alternatively acrobatic and chugging bass lines. The cartoon-soundtrack opening sequence segued into a ballad and Ms. Harry, clad in a long black skirt and dark sweater, stepped up to the mic to a burst of enthusiasm and then hushed reverence. Her voice unsurprisingly has matured, filled out and become more precise, and was well suited to the material. Between numbers the band and Harry clowned around, making cryptic references to imagined history, talking about Harry's salad days several centuries before as Baroness of Heidelberg. At the end of the first hour-long set, the band launched into "a popular folk song from the Baroness's time in Heidelberg," a jumpy version of "One Way or Another," during which Harry recalled some of her stadium antics with winks, big smiles, and mic-stand shaking. The second set opened like the first, the Jazz Passengers stressing that the Baroness has wider tastes than those for which the audience seems willing to give her credit. The band frequently worked from sheet-music and scripts, and Harry repeatedly put on her wire-rimmed glasses to sing along. Still, the band seemed effortlessly fluid, and Harry kept up in a way that points to extensive collective rehearsals. Debbie Harry as middle-aged librarian is an odd sight, but the musical combination glosses any pangs of nostalgia by providing a new and successful context for her vocals. The middle of the second set was taken up by a rambling musical skit that included musical references to the Wizard of Oz, and climaxed in a song that pit Harry against the sax player as she compared him to a pork chop. Echoes of earlier songs from the set added cohesion to the musical progression throughout, with intertwined melodies and snippets of horn riffs. The second set finishesd with an extended version of "The Tide is High," which far outshone the original with an exceptional slide bass line, winning chorus harmonies, and scat background vocals. The intimate setting and successful redefinition of Harry's voice left the audience begging for more, and the band indulged them with two lengthy encores. --- REVIEW: Possum Dixon, _Star Maps_ (Interscope) - Eric Hsu It's easy to get on a band for trying to exploit some hip new music trend (e.g. glam-metal, grunge, metal-rap, punk), but it is understandable. Given the fact that record companies think in such categories and (more to the point for a beginning band) live audiences think that way, that's a lot of pressure to aim for well-established measures of musical quality. Possum Dixon is a playful and likable L.A. band which manages (thankfully) to be difficult to pigeonhole, but they've somehow made a relatively quick jump to the major labels. Their songs may have odd surfaces or moods, but at the center of each one is a chewy pop center. The songs are the catchy love rants of twenty-something clerks and runners delivered with convincing earnestness and urgency. The lyrics veer from a talky casual ("from the bathroom she came out and made an order/ two HUEVOS RANCHEROS") to a playful artyness ("love story senseless"). Listening to _Star Maps_, I'm constantly hearing other bands but the references shift and have no glaring chunks of derivativeness. They have a guitars-bass-drums lineup plus keyboard and their songs are all tastefully arranged and throughout there are touches of extraterrestrial noises. They have managed to blend their influences very skillfully and finely, ending up with an expressive voice that still sounds very familiar. Rob Zabrecky's vocals come from Lou Reed/Frank Black territory: often talkative and even when tuneful he'll still swerve into talking as if the melodies couldn't carry the proper insistence. This album has a pleasant and compassionate party atmosphere, like drunks who sit around your place radiating joy and occasionally throw in killer one-liners and be sober by the end of the party - unlike Rocket From the Crypt, their party-happy label mates, who are musically the drunks who scream for everyone's attention, tattoo your dog and then vomit on your rug. Some of the highlights of this album are the ZZ-Top groove "Go West", "Emergency's About to End" which is propelled by a one-finger new-wave keyboard part, "Crashing On Your Planet" and the unexpected "Reds", which would be right at home on Pink Floyd's "The Final Cut" or any Roger Waters solo album. So all in all, an intelligent, likable and talented band. Not essential yet, but when they stretch out past pop pleasures they could well make a splash. And the story is that they have chaotically enjoyable live shows, so you may want to catch them at that local club. --- REVIEW: Tracy Chapman, _New Beginning_ (Elektra) - Ali Sinclair I was looking forward to the latest recording from Tracy Chapman, but I have to admit to initially feeling slightly disappointed on hearing _New Beginning_: I suppose I was still hoping to refind that personal feeling of discovery, shared with so many people the world over, the first time that I heard Tracy singing "Fast Car". But that was then, this is now: several years later, several years more mature, and after a few listenings I realized that there is a new calmness and safety in _New Beginning_ that I hadn't heard in her songs before. Tracy's songs still carry the same strong message, but express more subtlety. "We can break the cycle. We can break the chain. We can start all over. In the new beginning..." and "Mother of us all. Place of our birth. How can we stand aside and watch the rape of the world..." Tracy's voice is like honey and iron. Her guitar becomes part of her voice and the music blends smooth. I think the most important song on _New beginning_ is "Say It Like It Is"; "And tell it like it is / But say you'll never close your eyes. / Or pretend that it's a rosy world. / Say you'll never try to paint what is rotten with a sugarcoat.../ Say you'll never cover your ears and close your mouth / And live in a silent world. / Say you'll only run as far or as fast as you need to be secure... --- REVIEW: The Harvest Ministers, _A Feeling Mission_ (Setanta) - Tim Mohr The Harvest Ministers are an Irish band, based now in Britain, who have recorded for Sarah records and have a new album out on Setanta. They offer a mixture of several folk traditions: pub music of Ireland, the sophistocated but low-key albums of Van Morrison, and the more angular neo- folk of Americans such as Bob Dylan or more recent purveyors of the genre. _A Feeling Mission_ has, in fact, a distinctly Dylan-esque quality to it, from the timbre of William Merriman's voice, to the gentle folky tempos, and through the interesting and vaguely intellectual lyrics. Consider a few lines from "A Drowning Man," for instance: "...and by your own omission [sic], you bear a slight resemblance to a drowning man who is soured by vengeance..." and so forth. Other songs show a working familiarity with Biblical and hymnal imagery. On some tracks, female vocals are added to good effect by Maeve Roche. "Temple of Love," for example, with plaintive violin, piano, and acoustic guitars, begins to evoke comparisons to early 10,000 Maniacs recordings, or Beautiful South songs with female lead vocals. The band and album are not as gritty as Souled American, Uncle Tupelo and its later incarnations, or early Jayhawks, but the production on _A Feeling Mission_ allows a lively interplay between the guitars, violin, piano, restrained percussion, and vocal harmonies. Only on a few tracks do they seem to make an obvious mistake, like on "She's Buried," where the synthetic keyboards ruin the organic, acoustic atmosphere thats elsewhere pervades the album. --- REVIEW: Melting Hopefuls, _Viva La Void_ (EP) (Big Pop) - Reto Koradi The Melting Hopefuls released their debut album _Space Flyer_ in 1994, and now the five piece (three women, two men) band from the East Coast is back with a 26 minute EP, featuring 7 new songs and a remix of their alternative hit "Pulling An Allnighter On Myself". Even though, like most other artists, they despise comparisons, names like Breeders or Throwing Muses come to mind when listening to this disc. During the more quiet moments of _Viva La Void_, there are also associations with girl pop band like the Go-Go's, but crunching guitars soon lead back to the indie rock road. Beyond the generally solid musicianship, the breathy, sweet voice of lead singer Renee LoBue and the groovy bass lines are worth special mentioning. The songs were recorded live in the basement studio of the band, the simple production gives them a very fresh and immediate touch. The song writing is far above average, as well as the interesting lyrics. While not being ground-breaking, this entertaining release is heartily recommended to lovers of the alternative female rock genre. The Melting Hopefuls are a band with potential, you shouldn't be surprised to see their van called Spongey carrying them much farther in the future. Big Pop is on the web at http://www.bigpop.com/~bigpop. --- REVIEW: Nine Below Zero, _Ice Station Zebro_ (Pangaea) - Ali Sinclair Want something to liven up a boring evening? To put some fire and feeling into that party? To get everyone moving and shaking? _Ice Station Zebro_ will do it, with a blatant, bluesy, bass-and-beery British beat. The music is pure and raw but by no means unfinished: years and years of practice and performance have gone into this (as every) recording from Nine Below Zero. It's wonderful to hear Nine Below Zero still slamming out those excellent sounds and gutsy power so many years after fellow R&B'ers Dr. Feelgood seemed to fade away... And there is nothing dated here: this music is as timeless as its own energy. The rhythms are tight and secure. The bass hits you somewhere between the breastbone and the pelvis. Try keeping still to "Down By The River". Impossible. Try not moving to "The Blues Moved In When You Moved Out". You'll never do it. And try keeping a straight face to "Shut Up". (It's like Saturday night down the pub in working England...) "She's A Loaded Gun" slows the tempo to ballad level, but it's a Clint-Eastwood-spitting- tobacco-type ballad: gentle yet tough... "See Which Way The Wind Blows" is one of those songs that you've always known but never heard before. "A viable alternative to Alternative" says the press release. "A must for your record collection" say I. And for the dance floor. And the next party. And really good for when you're feeling devilish and want to wake up the neighbours... --- REVIEW: Mark Brodie & the Beaver Patrol,_The Shores of Hell_ (Shredder) - Tim Mohr Opening with the sectionalist anthem "Frogs Can't Surf," Canada's Mark Brodie & the Beaver Patrol go on to double-pick their way through a varied, authentic, and fun instrumental surf album. Captured with a bare minimum of studio effects, Mark Brodie et al come across with the spontaneous energy of a live show, but with a clarity of sound not often heard live or on old surf records. The packaging is very 60s, and borrows from the "Living Stereo" logos used on classical and experimental electronic recordings at that time, offering an interesting speculation about what those Chantays records could have sounded like if they, too, had been utilizing the breakthrough stereophonic technology of the early 60s. The Beaver Patrol make no attempt to update the surf sound, and attack the genre with reverence rather than modernist irony used by other contemporary surfers like Man or Astroman. Still, even with the trademark reverb, double-picking, and guitaar runs used as break beats, the the album is remarkably good: a wide variety of tempos differentiates the 16 songs, the occasional toy organ brings other 60s garage styles to mind (the Pacific Northwest's Kingsmen and Wailers, in particular), and all the musicians display great talent for surf music. The percussion on tracks like "Theme From the Old West" is especially deft and original. For fans of Dick Dale et al, _The Shores of Hell_ sits very comfortably next to the original masters of the genre. It is a rare piece of nostalgia that manages to transcend its derivative origins and add flesh to old bones. --- REVIEW: Devin Hill, _Wayout Lane_ (Big Deal) - Ali Sinclair _Wayout Lane_ is a delight: a sweet, gentle collection of songs which are no doubt being labeled 'pop' but being more than just sweet and fizzy, each song gets bigger the more you listen to it. Reminiscent of the Byrds and the Beatles and other late-sixties British bands, Devin Hill's sound is none the less unique. His music has a refreshing innocence, a happy springtime sound in a musical world that is too-often struck with autumnal doom. --- NEWS: > The Bloodhound Gang have finished up preproduction to their followup to _Use Your Fingers_, which is slated for a spring 1996 release. A Philadelphia/New Jersey/New York mini-tour is planned at the end of April, with a full U.S. tour (with live instruments) planned later in the year. > Cypress Hill will be giving an in-store appearance and signing autographs at Tower Records (4th and Broadway) in New York City on February 16 at 4:30 pm. In addition, they will be "appearing" in an episode of the Simpsons due to air in May. > New York City's Z100's Extreme is a high adrenaline sports & music festival that will take place Saturday March 9th at Action Park in Vernon Valley, New Jersey. Confirmed bands performing include Oasis and Garbage, with more to be announced; also included in the package are a lift ticket, free snowboard clinics, mountain bike trials, a human slingshot and much more. Tickets for the entire event, which are available through Ticketmaster, cost $36. >The Swiss dark-wave band Mittageisen has some beautiful web pages at http://www.centralnet.ch/userpages/mital_U/welcome.html. A CD titled _alles ist anders ... nichts hat sich geaendert_ with much of their material, including the legendary "Automaten" from '85, was finally released last year. The web pages have more information and sound files. > The band My Little Sister has its own webpage, and links to other musical sites, at http://www.solution.nl/~dejong/mls/. > Pentagon CD's (http:///www.pentagon.net) has teamed up with BMG and 1000 Mona Lisas; customers are able to purchase the upcoming 1000 Mona Lisas album only through Pentagon (on the net) before it is available in stores, at the end of February. In addition, there are soundbites of other releases which are for sale at the site. > The Rake's Progress are currently working on their new album which is slated to be released this fall. In addition, the band were recently interviewed on the nationally syndicated radio show "Listen Up hosted by Jaeneane Garafalo". > R & S Records has joined the WWW pool; To get access on any of their artists, their label divisions (such as Apollo, Generations, Satori, Global Cuts, etc.) and links around the global dance village, check out http://www.rsrecords.com >Sonicnet has put up their Loser's Guide To Boston on the Web; check it out at: http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/lgboston/ --- TOUR DATES Aunt Bettys Feb. 26 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour Walter Beasley Feb. 18 Richmond, VA Carpenter Center Feb. 19 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall Feb. 20 New York, NY S.O.B.'s Frank Black / Jonny Polonsky Feb. 19 Phoenix, AZ Gibson's Feb. 20 Albuquerque, NM The Zone Feb. 22 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live Feb. 23 Austin, TX Liberty Lunch Feb. 24 Houston, TX Urban Art Bar Feb. 26 New Orleans, LA Howling Wolf Feb. 28 Tampa, FL Rubb Feb. 29 Orlando, FL Renaissance Jackson Browne Feb. 16-18 Lake Tahoe, NV Caesar's Feb. 20 Salt Lake City, UT Abravenal Hall Feb. 22-23 Seattle, WA Opera House Feb. 24 Spokane, WA Opera House Feb. 26,28 Portland, OR Schitzer Auditorium Feb. 27 Eugene, OR Hult Center Cravin' Melon Feb. 14 Columbia, SC Elbow Room Feb. 15 Greenville, SC Characters Teen Show Feb. 16 Charlotte, NC Amos' Feb. 21 Elon College, NC LightHouse Tavern Feb. 22 Spartanburg, SC Magnolia's Feb. 23 Greenwood, SC The Griffin Feb. 24 Athens, GA Georgia Theater Fleming & John Feb. 15 Spartanburg, SC Magnolia Street Pub Feb. 16 Columbia, SC Elbow Room Feb. 17 Raleigh, NC Brewery Feb. 18 Charleston, WV Empty Glass Feb. 21 Radord, VA Highlander Feb. 22 Greenville, NC Peasants Feb. 23 Greensboro, NC Blind Tiger Feb. 24 Johnson City, TN The Casbah Feb. 28 Charlotte, NC Jack Straw's Feb. 29 Augusta, GA Red Lion Freewheelers Feb. 18 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall Feb. 20 Santa Barbara, CA Underground Feb. 21 San Juan Capistrano, CA Coach House Feb. 22 San Diego, CA Brick By Brick Feb. 23 Tempe, AZ Gibson's Gin Blossoms / Dead Hot Workshop / Refreshments Feb. 15-16 Ashland, OR Southern Oregon State Feb. 18 Bozeman, MT Montana State University Feb. 19 Missoula, MT University of Montana Feb. 20 Salt Lake City, UT University of Utah Feb. 21 Boulder, CO University of Colorado Feb. 26 Albuquerque, NM University of New Mexico Feb. 29 San Diego, CA San Diego State University Hum / Mercury Rev Feb. 18 Columbia, SC Rockafella's Feb. 19 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle Feb. 20 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Feb. 21 Nashville, TN Exit/Inn Feb. 22 Cincinnati, OH Sudsy Malone's Feb. 23 Columbus, OH Stache's Feb. 24 Champagne, IL Blind Pig Huey Lewis & The News Feb. 15-18 Las Vegas, NV Caesar's Palace Lustre Feb. 20 Richmond, CA Twister's Feb. 21 Raleigh, NC Brewery Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers Feb. 18-19 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom Feb. 20-21 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre Feb. 23 San Francisco, CA Warfield Feb. 24 Santa Cruz, CA Civic Feb. 25 Las Vegas, NV Joint Feb. 26 Anaheim, CA Celebrity Theatre Feb. 28-29 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues Natalie Merchant Feb. 14 Portland, ME City Hall Feb. 16 Albany, NY Palace Theatre Feb. 17 Syracuse, NY Landmark Theatre Feb. 20 Hempstead, NY Tilles Center Feb. 21 Amherst, MA Mullins Center Feb. 23 East Lansing, MI MSU Auditorium Feb. 24 Muncie, IN Emmons Hall Feb. 26 Grand Rapids, MI Devos Hall Feb. 27 Bloomington, IN I.U. Auditorium Feb. 28 Louisville, KY Palace Theatre Mighty Mighty Bosstones/Dance Hall Crashers Feb. 19 Atlanta, GA Masquerade Feb. 20 Orlando, FL Club at Firestone Feb. 21 St Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing Feb. 22 Ft Lauderdale, FL The Edge Feb. 24 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club Feb. 25 Charleston, SC The Music Farm Feb. 26 Virginia Beach, VA Abyss Feb. 27 State College, PA Crowbar Feb. 28 Harrisburg, PA The Metron The Mother Hips Feb. 14 Winter Park, CO Slope Feb. 15 Breckenridge, CO Johsha's Feb. 16-17 Fort Collins, CO Tony's Feb. 18 Dylan, CO Pioneer Saloon Feb. 19-20 Telluride, CO Fly Me To The Moon Saloon Feb. 22 Grand Junction, CO Pour House Feb. 23-24 Salt Lake City, UT Zephyr Club Feb. 26 Seattle, WA Backstage Feb. 27 Portland, OR Belmont's Feb. 28 Eugene, OR Good Times Mysteries of Life Feb. 21 Bloomington, IN Second Story Feb. 22 Indianapolis, IN Patio Feb. 23 Louisville, KY Phoenix Hill Tavern Feb. 24 Cincinnati, OH Sudsy Malone's Mystery Machine Feb. 13 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill Feb. 14 Hollywood, CA Dragonfly Feb. 16 San Diego, CA Casbah Feb. 17 Fullerton, CA Club 369 Feb. 18 Phoenix, AZ Mason Jar Feb. 20 Denver, CO Mercury Cafe Feb. 22 Kansas City, MO Hurricane Feb. 23 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry Feb. 24 Chicago, IL Lounge Ax Feb. 25 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop Feb. 26 Detroit, MI Shelter Feb. 27 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern Feb. 29 Cambridge, MA Middle East Nancy Boy Feb. 14 New York, NY Don Hill's Niamh Parsons and the Loose Connections Feb. 14 Alexandria, VA Birchmere Feb. 15 Washington, DC Folk Alliance Feb. 16 Hartford, CT Univ. of Hartford Feb. 17 Nashville, TN Nashville Extravaganza Feb. 18 Riverdale, NY Sam McGuire's Feb. 20 Ojai, CA Women's Club Feb. 21 Santa Cruz, CA Kuumbwa Feb. 22 Berkeley, CA Freight and Salvage Feb. 23 Edmonton, AB Irish Society Feb. 24 Calgary, AB Irish Cultural Society Feb. 25 Vancouver, BC WISE Hall Feb. 26 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern Mike Peters Feb. 19 San Francisco, CA Hotel Utah Feb. 20 Santa Cruz, CA Palookaville Feb. 21 West Hollywood, CA Luna Park Feb. 22 San Juan Capastrano, CA Coach House Feb. 23 San Diego, CA Brick By Brick Feb. 24 Tempe, AZ Gibson's Feb. 28 Philadelphia, PA Grape Street Pub Feb. 29 New Haven, CT Toad's Place Plastic Mikey Feb. 17 Batavia, IL Daily Grind Presidents of the United States of America / Love Jones Feb. 14 San Francisco, CA DNA Lounge (only Love Jones) Feb. 18 San Francisco, CA The Warfield Feb. 19 San Jose, CA The Edge Feb. 22-23 Los Angeles, CA American Legion Hall Feb. 24 San Diego, CA Soma Feb. 26 Phoenix, AZ Electric Ballroom Feb. 29 Austin, TX Liberty Lunch Rake's Progress / Nancy Boy Feb. 17 New York, NY Irving Plaza Reeltime Feb. 16 Ann Arbor, MI Ark Feb. 17 Chicago, IL Irish Heritage Center Feb. 18 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Feb. 22 Philadelphia, PA Old St. Patrick's School Feb. 23 New York, NY Blarney Star Feb. 24 Norwood, MA Norwood Theatre Feb. 25 Central Falls, RI Blackstone River Theatre Feb. 26 Altamont, NY Masonic Temple Feb. 29 San Antonio, TX Kennedy's Irish Pub Ruby/Schtum Feb. 22 New York, NY Mercury Lounge Feb. 24 Atlanta, GA The Point Feb. 26 Chicago, IL Double Door Feb. 28 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill Bob Seger / John Hiatt Feb. 19 Hartford, CT Civic Center Feb. 21 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Feb. 22 East Rutherford, NJ Byrne Arena Feb. 24 Pittsburgh, PA Civic Center Feb. 26 Cincinnati, OH Riverfront Coliseum Feb. 29 Boston, MA Fleet Center Sister Machine Gun / Gravity Kills Feb. 19 Baton Rouge, LA AAA Feb. 21 Biloxi, MS America Live Feb. 23 Lafayette, LA Grant Street Feb. 24 New Orleans, LA Kenny's Key West Feb. 25 Memphis, TN 616 Feb. 28 Little Rock, AR Juanita's Elliott Smith / The Softies Feb. 18 Monroe, LA Loose Caboose Feb. 19 New Orleans, LA House Party Feb. 20 Tallahassee, FL Grand Central Cafe Feb. 21 Gainesville, FL Hardback Cafe Feb. 22 Columbia, SC Courtyard Coffee House Feb. 23 Chapel Hill, NC Lizard & Snake Feb. 24 Princeton, NJ Terrace Club Feb. 25 Washington, DC The Basement Feb. 27 Providence, RI Mill House Feb. 28 Philadelphia, PA Khyber Pass Feb. 29 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's Spacehog Feb. 14 Ottawa, ON Zaphod Beeblebrox Feb. 15 London, ON Call The Office Feb. 16 Toronto, ON Lee's Palace Tina & The B Side Movement Feb. 29 New York, NY Mercury Lounge Velvet Crush / Lustre Feb. 27 Portland, ME Granny Killam's Feb. 28 Boston, MA TT The Bear's Feb. 29 Providence, RI Met Cafe Weston Feb. 24 Stroudsburg, PA Spanky's 4th Dimension Feb. 25 New York, NY Wetlands Jane Kelly Williams Feb. 19 San Diego, CA Cafe Japengo Feb. 20 Santa Monica, CA Borders Books Feb. 22 Piermont, NY Turning Point --- CONTEST: Consumable will again be offering its readers the opportunity to win free music in 1996. The first contest of the year is with Grass Records. Five people will be chosen at random to receive _Score Some Grass_, Grass Records' 1996 sampler, which includes two songs each from seven Grass artists such as Wasted Time, Omatic, and A Ten O'Clock Scholar and the #1 added song on CMJ charts, the Wrens' "Rest Your Head". To enter, drop an email with the subject header "Grass Contest" before February 23 to nina@theonline.com E-mails sent directly to Consumable will *not* be eligible to win. --- THE READERS WRITE BACK! Thanks for the Dan Baird review. "Younger Face" is getting airplay here. You know what is funny? My wife said she thought that song sounded like something off of Matthew Sweet's _100% Fun_. Brendan O'Brien's touch, I guess. - Ray F., New Brunswick, Canada As an American now living in Taiwan and receiving Consumable in Taiwan, I wanted to let you know how much Consumable is appreciated here. Music has taken a heightened importance since living here. The reviews help guide us in our monthly haul from the island's Tower Records. Even the Tour Date info is dandy. We can scan and see what we're *not* going to be able to see. Somehow, it's alright. - Jeff D. Taiwan I just wanted to express friendly disagreement with Sean Eric McGill, who in his review of the _Heat_ soundtrack back in Issue 66 comes down pretty hard on Einsturzende Neubauten's "Armenia" - claiming it doesn't work in the movie and calling it "annoying." Personally, I thought that it represented one of the most effective uses of music in the entire film - on the several occasions it came up, it sent a creeping chill along my spine and underscored the ominous emotional substance of the scene very effectively. I can see how the complete track, divorced from the movie and with all of the screaming intact, could be off-putting to non-industrial fans. But Michael Mann racked up a lot of extra points with me by taking such an old, obscure piece and employing it very effectively indeed. - Peter S., Ithaca, N.Y. --- To get back issues of Consumable, check out: FTP: eetsg22.bd.psu.edu in the directory /pub/Consumable ftp.etext.org in the directory /pub/Zines/Consumable Gopher: diana.zems.etf.hr Engleski Jezik/Music/Consumable or Hrvastki Jezik/Glazbena Rubrika/Consumable (URL) gopher://diana.zems.etf.hr:70/11/eng/Music/Consumable http://www.westnet.com/consumable/Consumable.html (WWW) http://www.westnet.com (CIS) on Compuserve Notes: GO FORUM (Delphi) Music Fandom forum; GO ENT MUSIC 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. #294, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 ===