==== ISSUE 45 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [July 7, 1995] Editor: Bob Gajarsky Internet: gajarsky@pilot.njin.net Sr. Contributors: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Al Crawford, Dan Enright, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Tim Mohr, Joe Silva, John Walker Other Contributors: Dan Birchall, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Kelley Crowley, Tim Hulsizer, Sean Eric McGill, P. Nina Ramos, Jamie Roberts, Linda Scott, Ali Sinclair, Jon Steltenpohl, Jorge Velez, Courtney Muir Wallner, Scott Williams, Britain Woodman 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: Nine Inch Nails _Further Down The Spiral_ - Sean Eric McGill INTERVIEW: The Rake's Progress, _Altitude_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Primus _Tales from the Punchbowl_ - Martin Bate REVIEW: Foetus, _Gash_ - Al Crawford REVIEW: Bad Brains _God of Love_ - Martin Bate REVIEW: Jason & The Scorchers, _A Blazing Grace_ - Scott Byron REVIEW: Lori Lieberman, _A Thousand Dreams_ - Courtney Muir Wallner OPINION: Cashing in on Cobain - Sean Eric McGill CONCERT REVIEW: Dodgy, Cast - Tim Kennedy REVIEW: Noah Stone, _Love That Smile Off Your Face_ - Courtney Muir Wallner NEWS: Breeders/Tammy and the Amps, Nick Cave, Daryll-Ann, Macintosh New York Music Festival, the Prodigy TOUR DATES: Barenaked Ladies / Billy Bragg, Die Warzau / Sister Machine Gun, Foetus, Jayhawks, Freedy Johnston, Huey Lewis And The News Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers - Tribute To Bob Marley, Poster Children Prodigy THE READERS WRITE BACK! Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Nine Inch Nails _Further Down The Spiral_ (Interscope/Nothing) - Sean Eric McGill Back in 1987, when Bon Jovi ruled the charts with _Slippery When Wet_, I joked that they could change the order of the songs, release it again, and go platinum. Fortunately, that never happened, but Trent Reznor has done the next best thing. _Further Down the Spiral_ is an album that consists of nothing more than remixes of songs from _The Downward Spiral_. And while this is the type of album your average NIN junkie will pick up without even questioning the logic behind it, unless you fall into that aforementioned category, you should perhaps think it over. The fact that Reznor chose to do this shouldn't really be a surprise to anyone familiar with his career. After all, this is the guy who released a CD single for "Head Like A Hole" with ten different tracks and only four different songs (four remixes of "Head Like A Hole", three remixes of "Down In It", two remixes of "Terrible Lie" and "You Know What You Are"). Reznor revels in "recreating" his own music and letting others do the same, and this album is an admirable attempt to offer up some of these "recreations" to the public. And while most of the tracks hold their own, some are simply annoying. Reznor and Nine Inch Nails (listed as Chris Vrenna, Robin Finck, Danny Lohner, Charlie Clouser and Reznor) are responsible for the worst entry, "The Art of Self Destruction, Part One". This almost six minute track starts off promising enough, then becomes a cacophony of sound, which isn't a bad thing...unless it's practically incomprehensible. Fortunately, Foetus (Jim Thirlwell) follows with "Self Destruction, Part Two" which is different from the original ("Mr. Self Destruct"), but the essence of the song remains intact. The other NIN entry, Section A of "The Beauty of Being Numb" is simply OK, but doesn't make as much of an impression as Section B, which was created by Aphex Twin. Reznor himself remixes "Hurt", but the differences between the original and Reznor's remix are minor at best. The song plays the same, right down to the thirty seconds of feedback at the end. But it is the guest players who make the biggest impression here, among them Rick Rubin, who leads off the album with "Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)", which features ex-Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and Kim Bullard. This track is one of the best on the album, and is actually good enough to make you give the whole thing the benefit of the doubt. John Balance, Peter Christopherson and Drew McDowall of Coil effectively recreate "The Downward Spiral", but take "Eraser" and make it the second and third most annoying tracks on the album with "Eraser (Denial; Realization)" and "Erased, Over, Out". Oddly enough, their third (!) remix of "Eraser", titled "Eraser (Polite)" is actually quite good. Aphex Twin also create "At the Heart Of It All", a seven-minute track that is a rarity in the techno/ambient/industrial/whatever business: a considerably long track that is fairly repetitious, but is still interesting. Thirwell takes another shot at "Mr. Self Destruct" with "Self Destruction, Final", doing essentially the same things he did earlier on the album, but it's nonetheless interesting. But perhaps what is more interesting about the album are the songs that didn't make it. True, there were remixes of "March of the Pigs" and "Closer" on their respective singles, but it would be intersting to hear them here, as well. Also, songs like "Heresy", "Ruiner", "Big Man With A Gun", and "I Do Not Want This" are notably absent as well. Like the "Head Like A Hole" single, Reznor has given his fans eleven tracks with only five songs represented. And while _Further Down The Spiral_ is well done overall, it's becoming less and less interesting for Reznor to do this sort of thing - let's face it, self-indulgence is only interesting for so long...then it becomes annoying. Perhaps Reznor should just go slap nuts and actually release another album of all new material in the next year...now THAT would be different, and probably a helluvalot better than _Pretty Broken Spiraled Machine_. --- INTERVIEW: The Rake's Progress, _Altitude_ (Almo Sounds/Geffen) - Bob Gajarsky Combining pop sensibilities with an indie punk attitude, The Rake's Progress succeed in releasing irresistible tracks in under 4 minutes. With their roots based firmly in New York City, the group took their name from a series of 18th century etchings created by William Hogarth of a welathy young man squandering his inheritance on wine and women and winding up penniless in an insane asylum. Consumable recently had an opportunity to talk with Bob Donlon, guitarist, and Tim Cloherty, lead singer, prior to the release of their first full length album, _Altitude_. C: You've recently been the subject of a bidding war among record labels, after your six song E.P., _Cheese Food Prostitute_. Why did you choose Almo Records? RP: The people at Almo mattered. They were 100% behind us and our music. C: Did the heads of the label (Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss) make a difference? RP: Yes! When they started A&M records, it was a label for the artists and their development. The history of the two of them - where no one would sign Alpert, so he and Moss started their own label - was definitely important to us. We gravitate towards people who are like minded. One guy from one of the biggest labels in the world took us out to dinner and he brought a list, typed out by his secretary, of comments about our demo tape. He whipped out this list, and while trying to butter us up, starts tearing us to shreds - and telling us all the things that he'll change about us when we sign to his label. It was like "Yeah, sure - we'll sign with you. Can we have another expensive appetizer?" C: KROQ, out of Los Angeles, put "I'll Talk My Way Out Of This One" (from the E.P.) into heavy rotation. Did you expect that kind of initial success? RP: We didn't expect it from any of the songs. It did a lot more than we expected it to - it got commercial radio play. One of the people at Almo said that people at major labels were kicking themselves, asking "Who the hell are the Rake's Progress, what is hifi records {the label which released the _Cheese Food Prostitute_ E.P.}, and why is KROQ playing them and not our bands?" It was a fluke - but through that, it's been spreading to other radio stations around the country. We did the E.P. just to get ready to do our album - like being in the farm leagues. We thought maybe we'd get a little press, a little college airplay, so when the album comes out, we wouldn't be a complete unknown entity. C: What did that change for you? RP: Chicks are after us now, limousines, whipped cream fights! (laugh) Seriously, nothing's really changed. We're still broke, and we're getting deeper and deeper into debt. We're working on new material now (the interview was done several weeks before the album's release) while we have a little downtime, because we'll be on the road for about 5 months, have short break and then go back on the road again. Don't forget, for the first 2 records, we had 7 years to write it all." C: What do you like about playing live? RP: We want to have fun and enjoy ourselves on stage. Part of doing that is getting a positive response from the audience. If they're enjoying themselves, then we're enjoying ourselves. Sometimes it takes a few songs to warm an audience up, if they've never seen us. C: Will you be performing your cover of the Clash's "Magnificent Seven" on tour? RP: I'm sure we will - we usually play it. I don't think a lot of people know it's originally performed by the Clash. My (Bob's) cousin called me up one day and said "Hey, your song is on Z-100! (A New York based top 40/modern rock station)" and they were playing the Clash's original. I had to tell him we weren't the only ones to sing it... We met Joe Strummer on tour in England, and we didn't know what to say to him: "Ahh..we play a cover of one of your songs.."? He was really cool, and is looking forward to coming to see us next time we're in London. He did know what the Rake's Progress was a reference to, as well, which impressed us. C: What were your impressions of Europe? RP: People in Britain will tell you exactly what they think, even if it might hurt your feelings. One of the bands that opened for us came backstage after our show and said "That was a really great set! I got your E.P. and thought it stank, but I liked your live show." Most people here will sugarcoat things. We're planning on going back to Europe in early September for a six week tour. When we record, we stay pretty true to how we play live. We might beef up a guitar part here and there, but that's about it. C: The songs from _Altitude_ give a different view of city life, such as New York City - especially "Howard Is A Drag" and "Two Eggs Any Style". How much is written from personal experience? RP: It's 100% experience from living in New York City! Going to drag queen shows, or hanging out at S&M bars (laughing). In "Two Eggs", there was this old man who lived downstairs from me who would get these hookers all the time. You would hear them screaming at him, "Give me my twenty bucks!" and hitting him and shit. I (Tim) of course exaggerate here and there, but that's part of being a writer. C: How come there's only one song from the 6 song E.P. on the first full length release? RP: We had a lot of new material we wanted to put on the record and there are some mellower songs. The E.P. was all upbeat songs, but the full length is a lot more varied, and shows our mushy side. We redid "I'll Talk My Way Out Of This One" because of the airplay, after the album was in the can. You won't notice much of a difference in it. C: What bands influenced you, other than the Clash? RP: It would be cliche to mention the Velvet Underground, but they did. A lot of influences from bands such as the Pixies to the Rolling Stones and everything in between. Good pop songs like from those bands. The one thing we can't stand is the self indulgent, 9 minute exploration. We're not a jam band. The crowd favorite "When I Kiss Her" has been chosen as the first single from _Altitude_; fans who want to hear what the band sounds like in their natural habitat, live, should check out for future B-sides from The Rake's Progress, culled from an early 1995 show at New York's Irving Plaza. But, in the meantime, check out _Altitude_ - rock and roll the way it was meant to be. --- REVIEW: Primus _Tales from the Punchbowl_ (Interscope/Atlantic) - Martin Bate That last Primus album, _Pork Soda_ is almost platinum and that they enjoyed a perch at the top of the Lollapalooza tree is one of the most pleasantly surprising success stories of the 90's so far. That so many people would latch on to their skewed sense of humour, timing, musicianship and song-writing just seemed pretty unlikely. What's even more amazing is that despite their success, the usual slew of imitators have failed to appear. To all intents and purposes, Primus are still one of a kind. Recorded after a break to indulge in each other's own thing to stop themselves going insane (like, how would anyone be able to tell !?) the quaintly named _Tales from the Punchbowl_ is Primus following up their most successful album to date by, well, just carrying on as normal - basically looking at the world through cartoon eyes so that everything becomes alternately funny and eerie. So there's the now familiar Primus brittle-funk of "Del Davis Tree Farm" and "Year of the Parrot" - the latter of which takes a dig at plagarism with lines like "I've seen the likes of Kate Bush/And Van Morrison/Teaching the parrots to sing". Yep, I think we know who you're talking about. Not that Primus reference points are any less obvious - their Residents, Tom Waits and Frank Zappa influences are plain for all to see - but it's the way they blend them together, throwing in anything else that comes to hand that makes them so unique. So we've got our Primus funk, along with a moody one, "On the Tweek Again", all stalking bass and deserted streets, and the usual dose of irreverent humour with "Space Farm" (90 seconds of animal and ray-gun noises over a Looney Tunes bass line) and the little sea-shanty instrumental "Captain Shiner". What else we got ? Well, there's the first single "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver", which throws Country and Western into the calculus and is a story about a girl called Wynona and her unusual pet (You were expecting something else ?) ; there's "Southbound Pachyderm", an ominous, at times almost soulful, brood; we've got "Hellbound 17 1/2 (Theme from)", a jaunty theme waiting for a movie to happen; "De Anza Jig", the natural successor to _Pork Soda_'s "The Air is Getting Slippery", a banjo-led oompah telling us of the likes of "Julie Tolentino, the dancing Filipino" and "Ol' Flouncin' Freddy"; the pure Residents of _Glass Sandwich_; the pummeling "Professor Nutbutter's House of Treats" with the eerie refrain of "It's alright to fear the worm" making you feel uneasy even if you're not sure why; and "Mrs Blaileen" which is a similar tale to Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" except where the latter was an overblown rock anthem, Primus' understated funk lends the whole thing a much more unsettling air. All of course, performed with the usual impeccable musicianship, where you don't have to be a music afficionado to appreciate the spiralling, clattering rhythm the three of them knock out effortlessly. So, business as usual then! This is Primus stream-lining their sound rather than adding a great deal to it. Conscious of this, bassist/singer Les Claypool states that "Seriously, we gotta get some horns and back-up singers in their soon!". But until then, there's a new episode of Primus's world to get lost in. --- REVIEW: Foetus, _Gash_ (Columbia) - Al Crawford It must be interesting to live inside Jim Thirlwell's head, as his creative yet decidedly warped mind careers headlong through a maelstrom of styles and ideas. _Gash_, his first full length release on Columbia is perhaps not Thirlwell's best effort ever, but this particular twisted grab-bag of material rarely drops below `pretty good' and, as the Thirlwell brain bounces around inside his cranium, he throws out some truly exceptional material. _Gash_ is dark, synth industrial, grinding guitars, the distinctive Thirlwell `industrial big band' sound, borrowed Indian melodies, and grandiose orchestral sequences, both sequentially and concurrently. I was particularly impressed by "Take It Outside Godboy", a 2-in-1 combination of haunting strings and driving aggressive rock, the big-band "Slung", the grandeur and sick strings of "They Are Not So True", the list goes on. Maybe it's about time Jim got the same level of recognition as those he's remixed recently (NIN, F242, EMF, Megadeth). _Gash_ certainly possesses just the right combination of accessibility and the Foetus sound of old to bridge that gap. --- REVIEW: Bad Brains _God of Love_ (Maverick/Warner Brothers) - Martin Bate It's impossible to talk about Bad Brains without mentioning their hugely important history. Their '82 debut, the self titled Roir cassette (later tarted up with the aid of The Cars' Ric Ocasek and put out as _Rock for Light_) is the best DC hardcore album of all time. All the more startling was that it was the product of four Rastafarians and featured a couple of fluid reggae songs in amongst the precision punk. The legend was born. Their second album arrived in 1986 and blew people away yet again. _I Against I_ pretty much single-handedly invented the whole collision- rock thing, with funk, reggae, blues, hardcore and metal all mixed into one whole several years before Living Colour et al brought their wares into the mainstream. By all rights, Bad Brains should have gone on to conquer the world. But the band moved in fits and starts as charismatic but unpredictable frontman HR periodically would decide he was fed up with loud guitars and would leave the band, heading off to work in a more traditional reggae vein with drummer, brother Earl Hudson, only to return months later. The third album in 1990, _Quickness_ was a little disappointing by their own standards, re-affirming their strengths with little forward movement. Then HR walked away for the umpteenth time - this time, seemingly for good. The band's surprise replacement was ex-Faith No More singer Chuck Mosely. This partnership split amicably after a year or so of touring with Chuck stating that they wanted "If not HR, then *an* HR". And indeed, his successor Josef Israel I was on first appearances an HR clone a little too close for comfort. But a decent, varied (if a little too polished and redolent of the bands *they* influenced in places) major-label debut _Rise_, coupled with heavy touring saw Josef stake his claim, gradually stamping his own personality on the live shows and at last providing the band with a sense of stability. Most people were surprised then, and a little disappointed, to hear that HR was back in the fold late last year. All the fears and suspicions were upheld in mid-May when, on their first night of an arena tour supporting the Beastie Boys, HR decided he didn't want to play and beat-up Bad Brains manager and then brother Earl before disappearing, only to be found next day when he tried to cross the Canadian border in posession of a large supply of marijuana. The band announced they were not just parting with HR but splitting..... Only to then say 3 weeks later that they're putting the incident behind them and re-joining the Beasties tour. _God of Love_ their fifth studio album, and fourth with HR entered the Billboard charts at number 20 on release. Bad Brains day may finally be arriving if HR can keep his head. And so finally to the new album. The first thing that old fans will notice is that there's way more reggae offered than before, the album being split more or less 50/50 between reggae and rock. Whether this is a concession to HR or not isn't clear, but it doesn't really matter because in the tradition of Bad Brains reggae exploits, it's all top stuff. In particular, "Long Time" moves on a wicked, dirty skank and "Big Fun" is a languid summer vibe with both featuring horns. In addition, "To the Heavens" is nicely off-kilter, its groove being offset by ambient effects bouncing about the place, and the closing "How I Love Thee" just floats *beautifully* for six minutes. But then there's the rock stuff.... Admittedly the production is a huge problem. Ric Ocasek re-joins for the first time since _Rock for Light_ and turns in an erratic performance in the producer's chair. Where the reggae stuff has meaty bass, clean drums and shimmering guitar, the rock stuff has only muddy instruments thudding away in the mix. It gives the album a disjonted feel, but Bad Brains themselves aren't without blame. The songs themselves are far from strong. The title-track is too much bluster and not enough song, "Thank Jah" gains little from a falsetto vocal and "Tongue Tee Tie" is just plain unexciting. Where the lack of structure in the reggae material is fine, allowing things to groove along at their own pace, when the big riffs start it leaves the songs floundering for three minutes going nowhere. The exceptions are the soul- metal of "Justice Keepers" and the opening "Cool Mountaineer" where HR's smooth croon glides over trademark Bad Brains sledge-hammer guitars which shift between a groove and a thrash. In fact HR's singing throughout is what keeps the whole thing afloat even when the riffs and sound are lacking. His soulful wailing and crooning is distinctive to say the least, often setting up heart tugging dischordances within the music. In addition, his lyrics and delivery have a spiritual energy and passion - as with _Quickness_ almost everything here has a link to God/Jah - that's refreshing. Ultimately, though far from bad, this is a bit disappointing. But the live shows will split heads as always with their core of classic material. There's enough good stuff here to justify Bad Brain's existence in 1995 but their highly influential past is still proving a little hard to live up to. --- REVIEW: Jason & The Scorchers, _A Blazing Grace_ (Mammoth) - Scott Byron It's likely that most of the people reading this have never heard of Jason & The Scorchers, and that's a cryin' shame. Among a small circle of devotees, this band's power is the stuff of legend. An unholy union of reckless punk energy and twangin' country soul, they burned brightly through endless numbers of overwhelming live shows and a handful of albums in the late '80s. Admittedly a hard band to capture on record, they nevertheless came close to breaking through, but without a hit and dragged down by the excesses of the rock life, they crashed and burned at the end of the decade. This reunion came about for the best of all possible reasons -- it was motivated by a desire to just _play_, without thought given to making a record or a career of it. Those who saw the band on that first reunion tour in 1993-4 (myself included) could feel the joy and energy in the renewal of these old ties. Jason Ringenberg is a frenetic singer, shouting as much as singing; Warner Hodges is one of the most amazing lead guitar players anywhere, fully deserving "guitar hero" status; and the rhythm section of Perry Baggs' drums and Jeff Johnson's bass is as solid as they come. Once the tour fell together as gloriously (and painlessly) as it did, the recording of an album followed just as naturally. _A Blazing Grace_ is a straightforward document of the band's sound, ripping through such torrid rockers as "Why Baby Why," "Cry By Night Operator," "Hell's Gates" and a revved up cover of "Take Me Home, Country Roads." Self-produced (and nicely done at that), these ten tracks lack the pretensions that bogged down some of the band's earlier albums -- they just smoke. And while there are a few tender tracks thrown in as well, it's the rockers that ignite _A Blazing Grace_. Forever may they burn. --- REVIEW: Lori Lieberman, _A Thousand Dreams_ (Pope Music) - Courtney Muir Wallner _A Thousand Dreams_, Lori Lieberman's latest album, was recorded live at the John Raitt Theatre of Pepperdine University. With a system called Dynamic Fidelity, designed by the founder of PopeMusic, Gene Pope, Lieberman and her band were captured doing what they do best - performing live. This album is a collection of all that Lori Lieberman has to offer as a musician and artist. Lori Lieberman has a long history producing fine music. In 1971, Lieberman came out with her self-titled debut album, and sang alongside such artists as Linda Rondstadt, Melissa Manchester, Wendy Waldman, and Karla Bonoff. The grammy-winning hit "Killing Me Softly With His Song" sung br Roberta Flack, was written by Lieberman, and was originally included on her debut album. Lieberman explains, "I saw Don Mclean play the Troubadour in L.A. one night and I was so moved by his lyrics and melodies that I went home and wrote a poem about it." From there, Lieberman completed a five-record deal with Capitol Records, including a greatest hits album, and then went on to record "Letting Go" under Millenium. _A Thousand Dreams_ is Lieberman's newest creation. The album begins with an exquisite remake of Paul Simon's "Song For the Asking". Here the quiet beauty of Lieberman's voice is showcased and is a wonderful introduction to the album. "Switzerland" is a personal tribute to the fond memories Lieberman has of her home away from home. From the tender age of nine until she turned eighteen and settled in L.A. permanently to begin her musical career, Lieberman spent every six months out of the year in Switzerland. "I'd fly back...and literally change my clothes in the bathroom of LAX," she recalls, "I had to go from looking like Heidi to a typical 60's teenager in a matter of minutes - and change my personality to suit as well." Songs such as "One Thing", "He's a Leaver", and "Women Like Me" profile the various ways love can wound and be treacherously dangerous to all involved. The ballad "Loves Takes Time" is so beautifully crafted your heart will stir as you shiver with goose-bumps. By far the most remarkable feature of the recording is Lieberman's superb voice. Soft and delicate, then strong and passionate, Lieberman's voice rises above the pure tones of acoustic guitar and gentle melodies of the piano, creating a harmony that will cause your heart to be still one minute and fill with emotion the next. --- OPINION: Cashing in on Cobain - Sean Eric McGill I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for my own eyes. Jerry Harrison, father of Courtney Love, sitting on an "expert" panel of celebrity gossip columnists on _Geraldo_. I had seen him before, of course, when the tabloid press was after him like Rush Limbaugh on a steak following Kurt Cobain's suicide. He seemed polite enough, eager to answer any questions they had about the effect all this was having on his daughter. Now, a year later, he joins the ranks of those who have taken the memory of Kurt Cobain and used it as a vehicle for their own purposes. Let me say, though, that this isn't a column about people who defiled the memory of Kurt Cobain and how terrible they are for doing that to such a musical genius. Cobain did enough to defile his memory during his own lifetime, and I for one never saw him as a "musical genius". But nothing else elevates somelike from "rock star" to "idol" like death, and unfortunately, Cobain's isn't the only case where others profitted after the performer was gone. Before the death of Elvis, all we knew of Priscilla Presley was that she was Elvis' sweetheart-turned-bride. After his death, she became an actress - always trying to distance herself from her former husband, but only as far as keeping the last name would allow. The same goes for Lisa Marie, who could have married a dozen cabana boys and been ignored, but marries Michael Jackson and gets on prime-time television and the cover of every tabloid in the supermarket. You could also argue that the current members of Lynyrd Skynard are simply cashing in on the nostalgia of their audience for the pre-crash days when they perpetually tour. I think it's interesting to note, though, that Yoko Ono's career fell apart after the death of John Lennon - probably because he was not only her cash cow, but the only person who really thought she was talented to begin with. Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison live on through t-shirts, posters, and countless re-masterings of their albums (or my personal favorite, the "lost tapes" trick). But they weren't cashed in on by those who loved them for the most part, and the cashing in is what I find inexcusable. I have no problem with someone wearing a Kurt Cobain t-shirt in memory of his music and his life. That's capitalism in action. There's a demand for a product, suppliers provide that product and make a couple of million dollars. But when I can't turn on the television without seeing Courtney Love or hearing the latest gossip about her, then I have a problem. Before she married Cobain, Hole was just another grrrll band, more apt to be confused with L7 and Babes In Toyland then to play on Saturday Night Live. Even during their marriage, she was only seen in his company for the most part, and if interviewers asked her ten questions, five of them were about Cobain. Now, she's omnipresent, appearing at every party possible, looking like Mr. Blackwell's acid-induced nightmare. To her credit, she's doing nothing different now then she was eighteen months ago. She's still offensive, has occasional bouts with drugs, and is generally living her life the same way she always has. The only difference is now somebody cares. If she looks tired on stage, or goes to the hospital, then it was the grief, the pills or something that got her down, and you can read all about in Rolling Stone, see it on _Hard Copy_ or get her own personal "views" on the Internet. I know the fault for some of this lay at my doorstep and those in this profession. She's the hottest story in the rock world at the moment, and the media can't resist that. After all, this is Kurt Cobain's wife we're talking about! And that's what Courtney Love is: Kurt Cobain's wife. Regardless of how many awards _Live Through This_ recieves and regardless of how much the music media dotes over her, few of them cared until April, 1994. Love, her father, and Hole owe much of their newfound fame to Cobain, and it's time they acknowledge it. Of course, Drew Barrymore is dating the bassist in Hole. If she kills herself, then they'll be the biggest band in the world...and _Geraldo_ will have another guest. --- CONCERT REVIEW: Dodgy, Cast (Cheshire, England June 8) - Tim Kennedy These days, it seems there are two different types of crowd at a gig - you get the frenzied partying drinkers and dancers, or you get the somber goatee beard crowd who sit cross legged on the floor between bands - boring bastards. The sort of people who would scowl through a Bugs Bunny cartoon. They stand like puddings during the most energetic shows and look as if they're at a school assembly. The Liam Gallagher school, evidently. Warrington Parr Hall was host to a mixture of the two groups, come to see the newly charted Dodgy, supported by a bunch of young hopefuls Northern Uproar (whom I arrived too late to see) and Cast. Cast have just signed to Polydor, home of the Who, Jimi Hendrix and the Jam. They are fine inheritors of the mantle. I couldn't tell you any of the titles from the set except that one sounded like an extremely raunchy version of The La's "Way Out". John Power, formerly of the La's, is Cast's guitarist and singer - it was a pleasant surprise. Each song betrayed an unmistakable hallmark of quality. Hard rocking scousers, they produced a string of melodies that were irresistible. I shall look forward to the upcoming album. Anyone who has been reading Consumable over the past year or so will have followed my love affair with Dodgy, although they might wonder how I can keep praising them so highly when they seem to be dodging the charts with each release. Wonder no more for the pop messiahs have finally got themselves a (U.K.) top twenty hit. The band that have been so widely admired amongst their peers but ignored by the public have begun to cash in at long last. Naturally enough they wear the mantle of fame with ease. Nigel, the long curly coiffed vocalist, recalled the young Daltrey in his gold lame shirt with wide, hanging cuffs. Andy the guitarist grinned impishly behind his sci-fi wraparounds. Matt the drummer immediately kicked off with his repertoire of Moon-esque looning on stage-right. The epic lights and music entry still seems a bit odd though for a band that are by their own definition extremely silly. As ever though, the daft humour is accompanied by astonishing virtuosity. When I caught them last year at the tiny Wheatsheaf in Stoke (in what I guess were the bad old days for them), the clever bits from tracks on both albums were reproduced without breaking a sweat. These days the precise playing has given way to raunch and swagger that goes with the bigger crowds and wilder atmosphere. A spot of good-humoured crowd baiting ensued, including an attempt to arouse the simmering Manchester vs Liverpool feud (Warrington being the geographical midpoint between the two cities and inhabited by people of both). Then, the other two picked on the guitarist for being a Londoner (Nigel and Matthew are from the Midlands). They were 'buzzing' as the saying goes. "Stand By Yourself", from the first album led off the proceedings- which comprised virtually all the second album this time. Despite my making some requests to Andy prior to the gig (in between his doling out kisses to the excited young ladies bustling round the Dodgy Tee shirt stall) concerning the Dodgy songs displaying an array of interesting guitar pedal effects, there was little room for electric guitar finesse tonight - this was good time rock'n'roll. At one point they spontaneously burst into Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now", merging into "Waiting For The Day" - the boys were out for fun. The band were joined midway by a small brass section who added their zest to the general festivities. There was a considerable reggae element too, with some new material of this sort, as well as (for this writer very poignant, having been at the Ruts' first gig after singer Malcolm Owen died in 1980) The Ruts "Love in Vein" making a short appearance before merging into the blues-referencing "Crossroads". This material was more 70s dub-influenced than pop reggae. After about three quarters of an hour the band settled down for an acoustic spot - the Plastic Ono Band-esque "What Have I Done Wrong?", the Stonesy "This Is Ours" featured as well as a couple of fine new numbers which were in the CSNY mold. "Grand Old Oak Tree" restarted the rock'n'roll show and another brace of favourites from both CDs followed, concluding with the single currently doing business "Staying Out For The Summer" which looks like it may become the anthem for this years Glastonbury festival, where of course Dodgy are set to play. It was at this stage of the show that Nigel put on a black bra that had been thoughtfully donated by one of the ladies in the crowd, and it did look rather fetching beneath the gold lame top. Encores were trotted out - and the high point of the entire show, "Get Off Your High Horse" with it's amphetamine drive, and almost Zeppelinesque guitar hooks. "Grassman" was accompanied by a pair of female singers, recalling _Dark Side Of The Moon_ from Floyd in it's gross prog rock ambition. The song is a bit of an anomaly (amongst their admittedly very varied repertoire) but no less compelling for that. And with that the band were off, leaving a hot, sticky and thoroughly entertained audience to stroll off into the night, happy little ones all. --- REVIEW: Noah Stone, _Love That Smile Off Your Face_ (World Domination) - Courtney Muir Wallner Noah Stone really let loose when he wrote his debut album, _Love That Smile off Your Face_. An alternate mixture of heavy, brooding lyrics and furious guitar, _Love That Smile Off Your Face_ seems to stem from a personal power struggle with the world. You can feel Stone's metamorphosis, his coming of age, as you listen closely to the obscure, wiry music. This album springs from a reality we all must face, when we begin to see the world for what it really is and not for what we thought it was or should have been. There is a raw openness with which he writes, expressing such obsessive-compulsive behavior found deep within and rarely acknowledged, like the need to possess or own a loved one in "Once Mine". Obsession that rages out of control and the manipulative ways this power is obtained is detailed in "Burn Down the Compound", a song about David Koresh and his need to dominate his following in Waco, Texas. Stone's voice sounds eerily like the Violent Femmes' lead singer, Gordon Gano, only to be contrasted by music that is as agressive as it is loud. There is an energy that flows through Stone that can not be duplicated and which cannot be harnessed. The underlying current of this energy feels critical and demanding at times, remarkably like the cynic who sees the world in all its stark reality and predicts the coming failures, only to feel hateful that his pessimistic predictions are true. Noah Stone has the courage to express the sentiments of many in a way few would. This personal metamorphosis that has Stone by the grip has years and years to go before it is nearly done, although this type of artistic introversion is rarely finished. The cycle of personal revelation just keeps going and going, which is why Noah Stone looks to have the potential to be around a long time to come. --- NEWS The Breeders' Kim Deal has recently been performing live in small clubs with three other (non-Breeders) under the pseudonym "Tammy and the Amps". Nick Cave is in the studio working on his next album, which will include guest appearances from PJ Harvey, Shane MacGowan, Kylie Minogue and Henry Rollins. It is slated for a 1996 release. Fans of Daryll-Ann will be happy to know that _Seaborne West_ will be released on Vernon Yard later this year, in the United States. And, for those interested in the band's newsletter, send a mail message to (P.O. Box 10175, 1001 ED Amsterdam) or via the net at skylge@netland.nl. The Macintosh Music Festival will take place in and about New York City the week of July 17. In the spirit of the now-defunct New Music Seminar, more than 100 bands will be performing at various area clubs and concert halls. However, the festival takes technology to the next level: users can not only find out who will play where, on the World Wide Web, but can use the Web at designated locations around New York City that week to check the goings on at other clubs. Currently, the only way to access the site is on the Web at http://www.inch.com/~festival/Home.html because, at press time, the "official" site (http://www.quicktime.apple.com/nymusic) was having some difficulties. They are expected to be fixed before the start of the festival. Liam Howlett of the Prodigy will be appearing live in the SPINonline AOL Lounge/Coliseum on Monday, July 10 at 8:00 pm ET In addition, there are soundsamples in the same forum from Liam. Remix them into your own song - if the Prodigy decides yours is the best, they'll record it as a future B-side and you'll win stuff. --- TOUR DATES Barenaked Ladies / Billy Bragg July 7 Chatauqua, NY Chatauqua Amphitheatre July 8 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post July 9 Camden, NJ Blockbuster-Sony Center July 10 New York, NY Beacon Theatre July 11 Boston, MA Harborlights Pavilion July 13 Providence, RI Strand Theatre July 14 New Haven, CT Taste Of New Haven July 15 Mt. Rolland, QC Bourbon Street Die Warzau / Sister Machine Gun July 13 Grand Rapids, MI Reptile House July 14 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's July 15 Kalamazoo, MI Club Soda July 16 Toronto, ON Opera House July 17 Providence, RI Lupo's July 18 New York, NY Limelight Foetus July 7 Washington, DC 9:30 Club July 9 Richmond, VA Flood Zone July 10 Atlanta, GA The Point July 12 New Orleans, LA Howling Wolf July 13 Houston, TX Abyss July 14 Austin, TX The Back Room July 15 Dallas, TX Galaxy Club July 17 Tempe, AZ Boston's Jayhawks (Wilco joins them as of July 15) July 7-9 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue July 12 St. Louis, MO Mississippi Nights July 14 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre July 15 Crown Point, IN Sunshine Music Festival July 16 Cincinnati, OH Zoo Freedy Johnston July 15 New York, NY Central Park Summerstage July 16 Philadelphia, PA Penns Landing Huey Lewis And The News July 8 Maple, ON Kingswood Music Theater July 10 Hershey Park, PA Hershey Lodge Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers - Tribute To Bob Marley July 11 Eugene, OR Cuthbert Amphitheater July 12 Portland, OR Rosegarden Amphitheater July 13 Vancouver, BC Thunderbird Stadium July 14 Seattle, WA Pier 62/63 July 15 Calgary, AB Rocky Mountain Ranch July 17 Regina, CAN Craven Festival Site July 18 Winnipeg, CAN Assiniboia Downs Poster Children July 8 Denver, CO Fiddler's Green July 10 Kansas City, MO Sandstone Amphitheatre July 11 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre July 12 Indianapolis, IN Deer Creek Amphitheatre Prodigy July 10 New York City, NY Irving Plaza July 11 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live July 13 Tampa, FL. The Parthenon July 14 San Francisco, CA Trocadero Transfer July 15 Los Angeles, CA American Legion Hall --- THE READERS WRITE BACK! You know, I find myself getting more useful info (for buying music) from _Consumable_ than I do from, say Rolling Stone. - Chris K., Minneapolis --- 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) Compuserve, Lotus Notes users only: 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 ===