==== ISSUE 49 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [August 9, 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, Daniel Kane, Sean Eric McGill, P. Nina Ramos, Jamie Roberts, Linda Scott, Ali Sinclair, Jon Steltenpohl, 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: Bjork - _Post_ -Joe Silva REVIEW: Various Artists, _Spirit of '73: Rock For Choice_- Daniel Kane REVIEW: Hagfish _...Rocks Your Lame Ass_ - Scott Byron REVIEW: Shane MacGowan and the Popes - _The Snake_ - Joe Silva REVIEW: P.O.L _Parade of Losers_- Martin Bate REVIEW: The Innocence Mission, _Glow_ - Jon Steltenpohl INTERVIEW: Rippopotamus- Dan Enright FESTIVAL REPORT: Out In The Green '95, Frauenfeld, Switzerland - Reto Koradi REVIEW: Brooklyn Funk Essentials, _Cool and Steady and Easy_ - Jamie Roberts REVIEW: Dambuilders, _Ruby Red_ - Lee Graham Bridges REVIEW: The Justin Warfield Supernaut, _The Justin Warfield Supernaut_ - Martin Bate CONCERT REVIEW: Salad, The Marquee, Berlin - Tim Mohr NEWS:Billy Bragg/Barenaked Ladies, Mercury Rev, Shampoo, Therapy?, WWW Sites TOUR DATES: Better Than Ezra, Buckwheat Zydeco Circle Jerks, Dandelion, Eskimo, Bruce Hornsby, Elton John, Kill Creek, Live/PJ Harvey/Veruca Salt/Buffalo Tom Rev. Horton Heat / Hagfish, Warped Tour (L7, Quicksand, Sublime, Fluf, Use For A Name, Orange 9MM, Civ), Young Dubliners, Young Gods, LIFEBEAT Disco Party ERRATA Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Bjork - _Post_ (Elektra) -Joe Silva For all of her much blabbed about "elfin" charm our lady Bjork, now three years removed from the confines of the Sugarcubes, is as much ripened of a musical article as other, more senior, chanteuses (Annie Lennox, Sinead, etc.) are probably viewed. The edge that her Bjork-ness has in her court though is that her ebullience; although it's filtered through motherhood, a second language, and life on non-native terrain, remains wholly undiminished. Mixed up with her fierce confidence, vocally and otherwise, the tonic Bjork's currently packing on _Post_ is far more potent than Courtney's howl therapy could ever hope to be. Tangible for instances? How about how Bjork sticks a molasses paced verse born out of an almost contrary melody to the heavy, low octave underpinnings of "Army of Me" fashioned by 808 State techno-wizard Graham Massey? While the Led Zep-like drums track kicks underneath, her vocals amble freely on top, seemingly ignorant to what they're treading on. For a moment the two bits appear totally skewed but it's an integral part of her unique vocal chemistry - a topsy turvy approach to construction that makes her so engaging enough to connect across a wide spectrum of listeners. How wide that array is was evidenced by the crowd that packed Atlanta's Masquerade, one of the cities principal alterna-meccas. Everyone from the quirk ridden to the frat tenant stood in the humidity soaked hall drinking in the groove. Flanked by three musicians, a DJ and a lot of industrial tubing, Bjork crooned her way through most of her material from the new record as well as a fair amount of _Debut_. Clad in a bright red frock and recently recovered from a flu serious enough to warrant some cancellations in LA, Bjork sang nothing like someone who's been even remotely ill. Watching her go from a from a whisper to a hollar that arched over the entire room in without any noticeable signs of inhaling, is beyond impressive. After a fantastic intro by her oriental accordian player, her touring troupe seemed a little uncertain in spots. But when they arrived at the absolutely beautiful _Hyper-Ballad_, things jived so well that audience bouncing along made the apparently sturdy wood floor underneath our feet quake and wobble to the point where you were certain something would surely give and we'd all go crashing into the bar below. To this and all other manifestations of appreciation, Bjork would only responded with a simple "Tank choo." Despite the uncleared samples that may wind up into some serious money grubbing litigation on the part of a relatively unknown UK techno- artist, the stories of vocals put to tape via a long mic lead on a midnight darkened beach, and her obvious inlaid charm, Bjork is no light weight contender. The disparate style gears she switches through (from the forthright techno works of "The Modern Things" to the swing of "It's Oh So Quiet" and off to the epic, strings laced moments in "Isobel") so deftly probably make Madonna a touch anxious. Bjork approximates the ambience and exotic gravity of a modern Astrud Gilberto, who set hipsters on fire with during the Samba binges of the early sixties. Having emblazoned all the positive and interesting aspects of what she's done before and welded together anew, she's pieced together second foundation for her career's history. "Zing boom" indeed. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Spirit of '73: Rock For Choice_ (Sony) - Daniel Kane "We believe that women's health and freedom of choice should not be a controversial idea. Each woman should be able to determine her own destiny, creatively and procreatively." - Joy Ray and Julie Hermelin, producers for _Spirit of '73_. Does 1973 evoke similar musical memories? Welcome to the realm of talented musical politics. With the pro-choice premise as the topic of conversation of executive producers Joy Ray and Julie Harmelin in December of 1991, _Spirit of '73: Rock for Choice_ was conceived. With that idea and enormous persistence, the producers, in tandem with Epic Records, 550 Records and Sony Music, watched _Spirit of '73_ become reality three years later. Comprised entirely of female artists of the Nineties performing remakes performed originally by female artists of the Seventies, the collection makes an excellent purchase for enthusiasts of music of the early Seventies period. With the first year of marketing _Spirit_ being the toughest, Ray and Hermelin encountered a number of obstacles. Prior to the 1992 Presidential election, the issue of pro-choice v. pro-life was too controversial to handle; when Mr. Clinton was elected, pro-choice became a non-issue in the eyes of many of Ray and Hermelin's contacts. Thanks to tenacity, a deal was finally signed. The compilation, which includes fourteen remakes of Seventies originals, begins with Babes in Toyland's version of "More, More, More (1)," a heavily instrumented and intriguing version of the original [Ooooh, how do you like your love?", to re-familiarize the song], one which will instantly put the listener in the early Seventies mood. Joan Jett coordinates with L7, cofounders of Rock for Choice, in a raspy, driving remake of The Runaways' "Cherry Bomb." Jett appeared because of her belief that, "A person's right to follow their own conscience and a woman's right to govern her own body is a basic freedom and a principle our country was founded on, and one for which our soldiers have fought and died." Sophie B. Hawkins performs a mellow remake of the Joan Baez classic "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." Says Sophie B.: "This is for Shannon Lowney, Dr. David Gunn, Leanne Nichols, Dr. John B. Britton, Rosie Jimenez, James H. Barrett and Clarabell Duvall, who have been killed in the struggle for individuals to advocate for their own bodies, to define their own values, and to express the divinity of their own unique spirits. Would that all of their voices could resonate within the living, and invigor us to keep creating truth in a world of ignominious standards." The compilation also includes Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams", remade by Letters to Cleo remake. I have mixed reactions to this song. The instrumentation holds sufficient similarity to the original to suspend disbelief within the business of remakes; however, the vocals seem to flow less smoothly in several sections of the song and probably should have remained with Fleetwood Mac. Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song" is temperately and beautifully remade by Cassandra Wilson. Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You" is remade by Eve's Plum. The Nineties version, at approximately 115% the speed and intensity of the original, is an experiment that works. Also included in the compilation are Ebony Vibe Everlasting's version of "We Are Family," Melissa Ferrick's version of "Feel Like Makin' Love," Rosanne Cash's version of Joni Mitchell's "River," a remade "Dancing Barefoot" by Johnette Napolitano, and more. This compilation would be best appreciated by those alternative fans who still can appreciate some of the songs which, for better or worse, are classic songs of the mid 1970's. TRACK LISTING: Babes in Toyland - "More, More, More (Part 1)"; Ebony Vibe Everlasting - "We Are Family"; Letters to Cleo - "Dreams"; Eve's Plum - "If I Can't Have You"; Johnette Napolitano - "Dancing Barefoot"; L7 & Joan Jett - "Cherry Bomb"; that dog. - "Midnight At The Oasis"; Pet - "Have You Never Been Mellow"; Rosanne Cash - "River"; Melissa Ferrick - "Feel Like Makin' Love"; Cassandra Wilson - "Killing Me Softly With His Song"; Sarah McLachlan - "Blue"; Indigo Girls - "It Won't Take Long"; Sophie B. Hawkins - "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" --- REVIEW: Hagfish _...Rocks Your Lame Ass_ (London) - Scott Byron The latest entry in the major label post-Green Day and Offspring punk sweepstakes comes not from California but from Dallas, Texas. Hagfish's wonderfully titled new album (their second, but first for a major label) certainly rocks, has plenty of raw attitude, and thankfully keeps the songs short and to the point. It's all in good fun, which is fine, to a point. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be anything special enough here to separate Hagfish from the punk pack. A few songs in, it all starts to blend together into a blur of crunchy guitars and nasal vocals. It's all probably great fun at a live show, but on CD, it gets a little dull after a while. Still, if all you're looking for is a quick power pop energy boost or an afternoon of pogoing your, uh, lame ass around the living room, Hagfish will fit the bill just fine. --- REVIEW: Shane MacGowan and the Popes - _The Snake_ (ZTT/Warner Bros) - Joe Silva Having admittedly only a mildly knowledgeable feel for his Pogues work, there still doesn't seem to be too much distance between Shane's past and present configurations; it's like he just switched to a different gang. There's still the beer drenched yowl, the attractive grin, and the pub-rock flavourings, but there's also a bare nakedness to Mac's sentiments that seems to hover over the words herein. The lyrics beckon and garner an intimacy that brings the listener much closer to the fiddle whistles and Celtic soused tones of _The Snake_. A fair amount of non-Irish Americans probably only saunter close to this type of sound once a year (and only then with the aid of a lot of "green" beer), but for those who dabble more often than just every St. Patrick's Day this probably holds up considerably. Even if you think him nothing more than a red-nosed lout, which he recently insisted in the pages of Rolling Stone that he isn't anything of the sort, there's still an audible and impassioned honesty to his whiskey broken caroling that makes you buy into it all. On tunes like "The Song With No Name" you can hear the battered paramour's spirit as it staggers along in mournful regret for his lost love. And there's also MacGowan's spouting off his advocacy of traditional worship in "The Church of The Holy Spook," where he shouts aloud in brisk, rocking 4/4 time about "the sacred blood of the Holy Ghost" boiling in his veins. At the very least, this all doesn't paint itself as posturing on the surface. And even if you wind up disinterested or doubting the sincerity in MacGowan's raspy rant, there's still fistfuls of good playing about. "Victoria" is a frills free rocker that goes down well again and again, as does the aforementioned "Spook." Sinead drops in on "Haunted" to join Shane in a Springsteen-like rock ballad that nicks a bit of The Who's Baba O'Reilly along the way. But even that contrary pairing of voices is framed well enough in MacGowan's pop smart melodies that it works just fine. For the indoctrinated _The Snake_ probably serves faithfully and for the yet to be indoctrinated it's probably a sound entry point. Personally looking to the live version for an even bigger kick. --- REVIEW : P.O.L _Parade of Losers_ (Giant) - Martin Bate P.O.L look like one of the slew of rock/punk bands being signed in the wake of the Green Day and Offspring successes in that record company manner we're now all accustomed to. You know, one of those bands who you're sure were probably wearing make-up in the late 80's and flannel a couple of years back. Imagine the surprise then that this is really pretty good. In fact the first 5 tracks or so are *excellent*! "Gutter" stomps out the starting gate with two clenched fists; "Attitude Check" has a healthy dose of UK style punk nice to see in an American band; "Stupid" has the almost touching chorus of "I think I'm stupid/And I can't help it"; "Sux 2 B U" operates along the same metal-punk-pop lines as current UK faves The Wildhearts and Terrorvision, with a cool happy-sad chorus melody; and "She's Dead" is a masterstroke, combining a Talking Heads funky spoken word verse with a Green Day power-chord anthem of a chorus. Then there's a hiccup. "Hemphead" adds weight to the argument that, unless you're Cypress Hill, songs about smoking dope are invariably crap. "S.T.D" would be dismissed by Beavis and Butthead as a bit childish. And their cover of "White Punks on Dope" sounds more like "White 80's Poodle Rockers on Dope". "In Me I Trust" gets things back on form by getting the middle finger back into action and "I Hate Myself" sees another fine self- deprecating chorus on a happy-sad harmony. And the remainder of the album flips the bird and pops, punks and rocks into the distance in fine style. Given the right exposure, these tunes will appeal to hundreds of thousands of mall-kids across the US so prepare to be irritated. To compare the so-called punk explosion with the grunge thing of a few years back - if Green Day and Offspring are Nirvana and Pearl Jam then P.O.L could well be in line to be the Stone Temple Pilots (ie. nothing original) but good enough to warrant their existence. And that's better than being Bush anyday. --- REVIEW: The Innocence Mission, _Glow_ (A&M) - Jon Steltenpohl It's been a long wait since 1991's _Umbrella_, but The Innocence Mission has finally returned with their third album, _Glow_. Like their first two albums, _Glow_ is a quiet collection of hauntingly beautiful songs. Fans who feared the demise of this precious band will be glad to note that Karen Peris and the rest of the band have simply been taking their time until the right songs developed for a new album. And even though the past four years have been hard on their fans, _Glow_ is certainly worth the wait. The Innocence Mission shares a musical bed with 10,000 Maniacs, The Cowboy Junkies, Shelleyan Orphan, and The Katydids. Like their peers, the band sets itself apart with personal lyrics, engrossing vocals, and music that is both subdued and passionate. Karen Peris' vocals are truly unique. They have a soft, atmospheric quality that gently embraces as if you were resting on a cloud. Sonically, Peris adds her trademark keyboards and some acoustic guitar to the chiming guitar of her husband, Don Peris, and the fluid bass and percussion of Mike Bitts and Steve Brown. The sonic mix they produce softly lifts and swirls in gentle musical eddies. And while the music alone is moving and vibrant, the lyrics take you a step further. Karen Peris' songs unfold themselves like dusty, faded letters recovered from an attic box. They are swirling, blurred snapshots of years past. A picture may tell a thousand words, but each short lyric offers much more than a simple picture could ever contain. Like the best of poets, Peris' verses are an economy of words which reveal a wealth of history and emotions. It is this depth which catapults The Innocence Mission beyond their peers. The only unfortunate twist to The Innocence Mission's music is that it isn't very radio ready, and similar bands like 10,000 Maniacs have had to wait many years to get any airplay. Still, that doesn't change the quality of _Glow_. It is a quiet, simple daydream of melodies which fall around you like a warm blanket on a cold night. One listen to Peris' vocals and you'll fall in love with The Innocence Mission. So, don't worry if you haven't heard about the band yet, go and give The Innocence Mission a try. It will be worth it. --- INTERVIEW: Rippopotamus - Dan Enright Using the Internet as a tool has made it possible to contact some very talented "local - to somewhere else..." musicians - bands I'd never have the opportunity to learn about. Rippopotumus, which hails from Boston, is one such band. The drummer, Richard Gordon and I crossed paths on one of the many Usenet music newsgroups and started corresponding. After he sent the band's album I wanted to interview him about their eclectic style. Based in funk and flavored with everything else, it's one of the most impressive indie recordings I've heard in a couple years. This very groovin' band features the talents of: Dainis - guitar/vocals [co-founder], Michael Stevens - vocals, Allyn Martin - bass, Russell Bogartz - trombone/vocals, Michael Alberici - saxophone, John Frazee - trumpet/vocals, John Fouracre - trumpet/vocals, and co-founder Richard Gordon - drums/vocals/samples. When I mentioned I'd like to conduct an interview, Richard agreed. I'd like to share his recollection of the band's beginning and discussion of the new album, _Butter_. Consumable: When did you start your career.. Richard: At 13 I got my first drum set - and annoyed all the neighbors [chuckle]. At the same time, the guitar player in the band [Dainis] had been taking spanish-style guitar lessons for years as a kid and had just switched to electric guitar. So we started playing in all the inevitable, terrible jr. high school bands together. We actually met in the seventh grade in... I think it was drafting class or something like that. At the time we were also into comic books and comic book art. We both were collectors and amateur artists. He almost went professional. I'd given up long before that. C: Did you take classes in school or play in the school bands? R: I did eventually take lessons. I never took any classes through the academic institutions I attended. I was essentially self taught until I got out of college. At which point I realized, if I was going to be professional, I really ought to take some lessons [chuckle]. I had some fairly major technique problems. C: So, you and he played together... R: Yeah, all the way through high school... we went to college at separate locations. I went to Allegheny College, in Meadville PA, and he went to U Mass. in Amherst. Which is where we're originally from. When I got out of college I moved back home and he was still there. He had a double degree, so he took an extra year to finish college. When he graduated in 1986, he and I started playing together again. In cover bands at that point. C: Did you still play drums in college? R: I didn't do anything professionally. I played them pretty much every day, my roommate was a drummer as well and we used to sit around and have Grateful Dead style jam sessions. I was relatively focused on academics. I was doing a lot of other musical stuff, 'cause I was involved in the choir and minoring in music. So I was taking a lot of composition courses, that sort of stuff. C: So the band really began when you and the guitarist rejoined after college. R: Pretty much. He and I went through 80 million personnel changes in the various bands we put together. We eventually started playing consistently with the same people and decided we wanted to start doing our own stuff. 'Cause we were pretty sick and tired of doing other peoples stuff. That's where this started, although it took a couple of years - and more personnel changes - before it became Rippopotamus. The band, as it stands now, dates from around 1990, when the singer and bass player joined. We had, in the meantime, picked-up the trombone player and added the rest of the horn section in early '91. C: So it started out stripped down... R: The original instrumentation was the trombone - who also played some keyboards, a singer, bass player, guitar, drums. Very, very different from what we do now. From the beginning - when we started trying to write our own stuff - we wanted to do funky music, because we really liked it and nobody in our area was doing anything even remotely like it. We always said that was what we were doing, but the music we were writing just didn't sound like it. I realized, after we'd been doing it a couple years, "What do I really know about funk?" I looked at my record collection and went, "Ya know... I don't even own a funk record. This is not a good thing..." One of the things that really turned me on was listening to a Thomas Dolby album called, _Aliens Ate My Buick_. There was one song he collaborated with George Clinton on called, "Dolby's Cube" or "May the Cube be With You" - I can't remember - but the song was absolutely fantastic. It was so funky, I was, "I gotta find out where this came from." So I started going out and buying all this stuff; Sly and the Family Stone, George Clinton, Parliament/Funkadelic, all of that stuff, and started really listening to it. Then going, "Well, no wonder what we do doesn't sound anything like it!" We had no idea what we were trying to do. I started doing my homework, really listening to this stuff. That's when it first started to really sound like funk music. That was also the same time we got our current bass player and singer. So, it all sort of jelled, right around 1990. C: I detected the Parliament influence and thought you had a similar attitude about incorporating different genres/styles into the songs. R: That was a very conscious decision on our part. As much as we love the old school funk, we were like, "Well... music has to grow and the only way to really create anything new, is to combine elements that haven't been combined before." There isn't an inherently new style of music - and hasn't been for quite some time. There's been a lot of great stuff within popular music, but look at what the Beatles did. They incorporated elements of music into popular music that people just didn't do. Having a rock band do a song where there was a string quartet playing the accompaniment. Or having brass sections and all this other stuff on straight ahead pop music, had not been combined before. That was the approach we were taking. We were staying with the idea we want to play funky dance music, but if we're going to be relatively fresh, we're going to have to incorporate elements into it that are different. One of the things was metal. That was the whole idea behind "Whole Lotta Love." C: I liked the reggae twist on the Curtis Mayfield tune "Fred is Dread". R: That came from our live show. We used to do this very fast, double-time, nearly metal-thrash thing. When it was originally recorded, it was a very mid-tempo thing, with a rap over the verses, and then a hard rock chorus. So, as the introduction, we started goofin' around with this reggae feel. It was one of the inside jokes that nobody in the band really liked reggae, so we just started goofin' around with it. Then the singer started singing parts of "Freddie's Dead" over it. We thought that was so hysterical, that we had to record it. We were actually just in our basement doing a rehearsal and we had our sound man record it for us. One of the things we wanted to avoid was... when I was 21, angst-ridden stuff meant a lot to me, but now it's like, "Uuuhhhhhhh... No!" We wanted to make sure we weren't coming across too serious. Because part of what makes us stand-out as a live band, is we're havin' a ball. We wanted as much of that as possible to come across on the record. That was the idea of the really silly, little interjections we had on the record. Richard Gordon and the band can be reached through email at rippo@world.std.com or Huge Production at 617-254-2478. --- FESTIVAL REPORT: Out In The Green '95, Frauenfeld, Switzerland - Reto Koradi Many people going to festivals don't seem to be very interested in the music, but they were guaranteed to have a great time: the weather was sunny and hot, there were plenty of entertainment possibilities, and there was plenty of (expensive) beer. The lineup looked less attractive to me than in previous years, and it seemed like I wasn't the only one. Only 45,000 people came, the organizers had expected up to 70,000 or more. With 30 acts I can obviously only give a very short account on each one. There was a lot of blues rock, but I'll just focus on a few of the artists with whom I was more familiar. Friday, July 7 -------------- Belly: Little known here, so not too many people assembled in front of the stage, and only very few were fans (like me). They only got to play a very short set (40 minutes), but it was excellent. Tanya looks very tiny in reality, but she sings even better than on record. As expected, the sound is harder live. The Beautiful South: The melodic style with the soulful vocals that we know from the Housemartins. Nice, but not really live music. Paul Weller: It's nice to see a legend and long-time favorite alive and in good shape. He was smiling a lot and looked happy. His current music is solid and very well performed (excellent band, too) but it doesn't do as much to me as the old Jam and especially Style Council stuff, which he didn't play unfortunately. Some British girls beside me kept shouting "Paul, take your trousers off" between songs, which was cute. Sheryl Crow: I don't know, her music is basically good and nice, but it just doesn't touch me. The live performance bored me, too. Oasis: Unlike the people that see the new Beatles in them, I think that they're a good, but overrated band. The live performance even lost the bit of characteristic profile that they have on record, everything was just a wall of guitar noise. So I managed to get my opinion confirmed and retreated. R.E.M.: I knew that they would mostly play new stuff. But while most bands play harder live, it was surprising that the songs from Monster sounded tamer and less energetic than on album. Stipe also seemed to be a bit bored, he just said "hello" a few dozen times, and announced most songs with "here's another song". There were a few highlights, like a wonderful version of "Everybody Hurts", and emotional moments when he mentioned the event in Lausanne and thanked the doctors (who were in the audience) having operated on Berry's head. They played one new (post-Monster) song that didn't impress me very much. All in all a good, but not outstanding concert. Saturday, July 8 --------------- Inner Circle: I love to see reggae concerts, also for the great atmosphere, and open air festivals are the perfect place for reggae. So there was a lot of dancing and singing along. A La La La La Long... Shane MacGowan + The Popes: The big question about MacGowan is always: how drunk will he be? The answer was (as always): very drunk. It looks like being kicked out of the Pogues didn't impress him much, the whiskey level was so high that he could hardly talk. But most surprisingly, this didn't result in a lousy concert this time. His singing was brilliant, and backed up by an excellent band his set was a full success musical-wise. He scored especially high with some Pogues classics like "Sally MacLennane". It's just questionable how long he will be able to continue this way, it's a real pity to see such a talent drowning. The Kelly Family: A year ago they were nobodies, and now probably the biggest selling band on the continent. I had only heard about how bad they are, so I wanted to see for myself. It was even worse than expected, this is an insult for the ear of every music lover. But who cares? The kids love them, some older people like them, and they milk the cash cow as long as they can. The Neville Brothers: What a contrast! A stage full of highly skilled musicians, every note and every beat perfectly at its place. And this Aaron Neville looks like a heavy weight champion, but sings like an angel. His performance of "Like A Bird" is certainly one of the most impressive vocal performances I ever heard, breathtaking. Elton John: I didn't expect much, but I wondered how he would do. Strong start with "Made In England", "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" (my favorite of his songs), and "Sacrifice". He even makes a nice impression in his weird way. "Honky Cat" starts good, but he makes it much too long, until if falls apart. And that's the end of it for me. He plays some new songs, proving that he lost it many years ago, and it's time to escape. The Nathan Cavaleri Band: 13 year old blues guitarist from Australia. Sounds like a "big one", certainly an outstanding talent. Sunday, July 9 --------------- The Dubliners: Nice, almost traditional, Irish music. Almost too quiet for my taste, I like it more with a blend of rock a la Pogues. Chuck Berry: Still plays his songs quite well, but I heard too much about his questionable personality to appreciate it. I think it's time to let the history be history and leave the field. George Thorogood and The Destroyers: Lived up to their reputation as a live band, powerful and full of energy. Slash's Snakepit: I had promised to cheer for a friend who's his biggest fan, so I was close to the stage. It's not really my thing, but I enjoyed it more than expected. Slash uses "fuck" as every second word, but that seems to be part of the required hard rock image. Not much response from the audience, though, nobody wanted an encore. Status Quo: They're still fun, but not as good as they used to be. Or maybe I've just seen them too often. Vanessa Mae: Strongly hyped, the "Violin Player" from England. But the audience is excited. I'm not sure what makes it work so well. It's certainly great to see something completely different. And the fact that she's cuter than allowed by any law certainly plays a role, too. Last but not least, she can really play that violin extremely well, and the program goes from "Cotton Eye Joe" over Michael Jackson to classical pieces. We're furiously trying to get an encore, and people throw (of course empty) beer cans and (of course PET) bottles at the roadies on stage. It doesn't help, time is over. Rod Stewart: Another big one that I like to listen to, but where I didn't expect much from a live performance. I give him a chance for a few songs, am not overly excited, and decide to head home avoiding a possible traffic jam. All in all the festival wasn't a really great event from a musical point of view, the real highlights (like Marillion in '87 or Midnight Oil in '93) were missing. My biggest disappointment was that Soul Asylum didn't come; I really wanted to see them, and the organizers didn't even give an explanation why they cancelled. --- REVIEW: Brooklyn Funk Essentials, _Cool and Steady and Easy_ (RCA) - Jamie Roberts The Brooklyn Funk Essentials are the all-star session players of urban music. Their collective work has created a masterpiece melting-pot of spicy sound. This funky, jazzy, super-cool music soaks into your consciousness, while the clever lyrical content holds your unwavering attention. "The Revolution Was Postponed Because of Rain" is a great example of the BFE' lyrical dexterity. This self-effacing ditty could even bring a smile to those who have been taking our world's tensions too seriously. Adding this to the smooth horn section, the grooving beat, and the raga-delivery, every track comes up aces. This group has the skills where it counts - in making soothing, flavorful music that is the ultimate in entertainment with a sense of humor. It sure is 'cool', and the album does have that 'steadiness' ( you know...continuity), but 'easy'? It's not easy to be this good! --- REVIEW: Dambuilders, _Ruby Red_ (EastWest) - Lee Graham Bridges There are many bands who have scored big hits on top 40 stations across the U.S. after scoring big with "modern rock" stations, or in some cases, "alternative rock" stations. Too many, in fact. _Ruby Red_ is a good fix for alternative fans who have grown weary of the many mundane grunge/alternative rock bands bordering on pop status. Dambuilders front-man Dave Derby, guitarist Eric Masunaga, violinist Joan Wasser, and drummer Kevin March met in Hawaii. They formed the band in their garage, moved to Boston, and recorded their debut, _Encendedor_, which sold moderately in the U.S. due to the success of the single "Shrine". Yet most of _Ruby Red_ is more depressing, more urgent, and more invigorating than the first album. _Ruby Red_ "suggests a more rustic version of the Pixies", according to Rolling Stone. However, the album really depicts the new Dambuilders as an enticing melange of Smiths-style pessimism (on a more personal level), a bit of X's vocal style, punky cranked guitars, energetic percussion, and a spectacular fiddle. Derby's vocals are not the band's strong point, but the music itself is enough to allow the listener to forget this, more or less. Wasser's violin work such as that present on "Bending Machine" is absolutely mesmerizing. Lyrics are exceptionally witty on "Teenage Loser Anthem" ("Teenage Loser USA / Not much to lose but even less to say") and the discordant "Lazy Eye" ("You're right -- I'm an idiot / And I'm a joke, but you're not getting it"), more free-style on "Rocket To the Moon", and leave something to be desired on "Smooth Control" and "Cosmonaut". Generally speaking, theDambuilders have succeeded in making an album that rejects the current standard in alternative rock of writing songs that go nowhere musically or lyrically, in addition to maintaining a dignified uniqueness throught the new release. It's easy to see how they got invited to play on Lollapalooza's second stage for two weeks this time 'round, isn't it? --- REVIEW : The Justin Warfield Supernaut _The Justin Warfield Supernaut_ (Qwest/Reprise) - Martin Bate Rapper Justin Warfield's _My Field Trip to Planet 9_ debut was hailed as a minor classic a year or two back - a weird and wonderful mix of psychedelia and hip-hop which was in a field of its own. His profile was raised still further when he provided the insane William Burroughs inspired rap on Bomb the Bass' _Bug Powder Dust_ single last year. So what does this promising young hip-hop artist do next ? He forms a four-piece guitar band and comes out with a 60's and 70's influenced rock album. Obviously. Now, while taking chances is to be roundly encouraged among our musicians, someone should have taken him aside and told him that this really isn't very good. The world *always* needs something fresh and a little different in the field of hip-hop but is definitely *not* crying out for a third-rate Lenny Kravitz clogging up its CD players. Especially given that Lenny himself is now a second rate pastiche of the artists he admires. It's all that feigned lazy-hazy drippy hippy retro BOLLOCKS rock, nicely executed but ultimately tiresomely predictable after only a few songs. Except "Alice". It's just fucking *awful*. And so is "Come Back Again" come to think of it. Good bits ? Well the 'hidden' track at the end at least has a bit of energy in it, and the sort of punky Aerosmith vocal on "Moontower" and the sub-Soundgarden riff on "In a Mirrored Ladybong" are OK, although definite points off for the title of that last one! Yes, I'm being a bit harsh on this ultimately inoffensive pile of fluff but when an artist who is genuinely exciting and fore-thinking abandons his forte to produce something so downright retro and bland as this, then it's a crime. And if no one else is brave enough to tell him then gimme his phone number and I'll have a word with him. --- CONCERT REVIEW: Salad (Island), The Marquee, Berlin Tim Mohr Opening with the new single, "Drink the Elixir," Salad managed to get a more than packed crowd to dance right from the onset. The band remained extremely tight throughout the next hour, touching on material from both the _Singles Bar_ album and the just-released second effort. Lead singer and occasional keyboardist Marijne dominates the show, her confidence and showmanship abetted by her other (more lucrative) job, being an Euro-MTV VJ. Somewhat surprisingly, in concert her voice sounds like a real instrument, allowing the audience to drop any cynical preconceptions that might have accompanied her day-job. Salad's mainstream sound hitched to her coy smiles, bewitched glares, and obtuse stage banter, is what makes them an attractive act for Island. Musically, it is difficult to figure out just how Salad see themselves, as they seem to straddle a fence: wishing not only to be a standard English Indie-pop band, but also making motions, live at least, in the direction of more aggressive bands. Of course, none of this would much matter if the songs could all sustain the combined melody and energy of highlights such as their first single "Kent." But the songs are anything but spectacular. Any distinguishing factors in the music are rare - a rather grave problem for a guitar band aiming not for some underground niche but for the musical mainstream. Since Marijne is Dutch, the annoyingly banal lyrics on both records would be excusable - if she had written them. Instead, the songs for the most part are written by the native English speakers in the group, who certainly have no such excuse. A rather strange impression is left by the Salad show, after the second encore closes with "Kent." This is a band that plays very well together, has a charismatic and full-voiced singer, and which seems ready to follow its instincts. On the other hand, the songs that the band so deftly reels off, the lyrics that Marijne so winningly sings, and the instincts of the band as a whole are so stolidly mediocre that it is difficult to imagine them ever amounting to anything. People probably said the same thing about INXS, who regardless have had an extremely successful run with their brand of studied mediocrity. And - come to think of it - the guitar player in Salad even looks a bit like that chubby guy in INXS. --- NEWS: Billy Bragg is no longer touring with the Barenaked Ladies. Mercury Rev's _See You On The Other Side_ has been scheduled for a September 19 release date on the WORK label. Shampoo's debut album, _We Are Shampoo_, has also been issued in the United States. The American release includes two songs not available on the other versions - "We Don't Care" and an extended remix of "Viva La Megababes". In addition, the art has been changed because of copyright problems over the Superman logo which previously appeared. This review appeared in a February, 1995 issue of Consumable Online. The new Therapy? full length CD _Infernal Love_ has been released (and its review will appear in an upcoming issue of Consumable) but will not be released by A&M U.S. until next year. World Wide Web surfers may be interested in two new sites which have cropped up: Home of Russian Blues, located at: http://www.interport.net/~yuriblus/ naumov and Dick & Bert's Boston Music Home Page at http://www.mw3.com/ima/fantastica/boston/d&b_home.htm --- TOUR DATES Better Than Ezra Aug. 18 Lawrence, KS Liberty Hall Aug. 19 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre Aug. 20 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl Aug. 23 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Aug. 24 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre Aug. 25 Chicago, IL Cabaret Metro Aug. 26 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall Aug. 28 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall Aug. 29 Cincinnati, OH The Garage Aug. 30 Cleveland, OH Odeon Concert Club Buckwheat Zydeco Aug. 16 Westport, CT Levitt Pavillion Aug. 17 Dewey Beach, DE Bottle & Cork Aug. 18 Chicago, IL Navy Pier Circle Jerks Aug. 17 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall Aug. 18 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Music Hall Aug. 19 Cleveland, OH Agora Ballroom Aug. 20 Toronto, ON Opera House Aug. 22 Montreal, QC Le Spectrum Aug. 23 Providence, RI Lupo's Aug. 24 Boston, MA Axis Aug. 25 Long Island, NY Roxy Music Hall Aug. 26 New York, NY Irving Plaza Aug. 27 Philadelphia, PA Theatre Of Living Arts Aug. 28 Washington, DC Black Cat Dandelion Aug. 16 Dayton, OH McGuffy's Aug. 26 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Aug. 28 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl Entertainment Sept. 3 Englewood, CO Fiddler's Green Eskimo Aug. 11 San Francisco, CA Nightbreak Aug. 12 Oakland, CA Stork Club Aug. 16 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland Aug. 17 San Diego, CA Dream Street Aug. 18 Phoenix, AZ Haden Square Aug. 19 Tucson, AZ O'malley's Aug. 23 New Orleans, LA Howlin' Wolf Aug. 24 Pensacola, FL Sluggos Aug. 25 Atlanta, GA Midtown Music Hall Aug. 28 Philadelphia, PA Jc Dobbs Aug. 29 New York City, NY Knitting Factory Aug. 30 Boston, MA Middle East Bruce Hornsby Aug. 21 Hagerstown, MD Maryland Theatre Aug. 22 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Aug. 24 Hyannis, MA Cape Cod Melody Tent Aug. 25 Cohasset, MA South Shore Music Circus Aug. 26 Wallingford, CT Oakdale, Theatre Aug. 27 Beverly, MA North Shore Music Theatre Aug. 29 North Towanda, NY Melody Fair Wurlitzer Park Aug. 30 Latham, NY Starlite Music Theatre Aug. 31 Devon, PA Valley Forge Music Fair Sept. 1 Westbury, NY Westbury Music Fair Elton John Aug. 16,18,19 Boston, MA Great Woods Aug. 20 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Aug. 24-25 Chicago, IL United Center Aug. 26 Columbus, OH Polaris Amphitheatre Aug. 29 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Amphitheatre Aug. 30 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre Kill Creek Aug. 18 Lawrence, KS Campus Residence Hall Show LIFEBEAT Disco Party (promoting EMI's _Mighty Real Dance Classics Vol. 1, helping LIFEBEAT) Aug. 10 South Beach, FL Groove Jet Aug. 11 Miami, FL (Ozone and Glam Slam) Aug. 12 Fort Lauderdale, FL Stud Live/PJ Harvey/Veruca Salt Aug. 17 Vancouver, BC PNE Coliseum (Tentative) Aug. 18 George, WA The Gorge Aug. 19 Salem, OR LB Day Amphitheatre Aug. 21 Park City, UT Wolf Mountain (Tentative) Aug. 23 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre Aug. 25 Kansas City, MO Sandstone Amphitheatre Aug. 26 St. Louis, MO Riverport Amphitheatre Aug. 28 Summerset, WI River's Edge Aug. 29 Milwaukee, WI Marcus Amphitheatre Aug. 31 Chicago, IL World Music Theatre Sept. 1 Indianapolis, IN Deer Creek Music Theatre Sept. 8-9 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach Sept. 10 Hartford, CT Meadows (Tentative) Sept. 12 Toronto, ON Molson Amphitheatre Sept. 14 Holmdel, NJ Garden State Arts Center Sept. 15 Mansfield, MA Great Woods PAC Sept. 16 Allentown, PA Allentown Fairgrounds (Tentative) Sept. 17 Pittsburgh, PA Starlake Amphitheatre (Tentative) Sept. 19 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavillion Live/PJ Harvey/Buffalo Tom Sept. 2 Columbus, OH Polaris Amphitheatre Sept. 3 Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre Sept. 4 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Theatre Rev. Horton Heat / Hagfish Aug. 29 Salt Lake City, UT DV8 Aug. 30 Missoula, MT Bucks Aug. 31 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom Warped Tour (L7, Quicksand, Sublime, Fluf, Use For A Name, Orange 9MM, Civ) Aug. 17 Camden, NJ Sony Entertainment Center Aug. 18 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony Festival Area Aug. 19 Northampton, MA Northampton Airport Aug. 20 Towanda, NY Melody Fair Field Aug. 21 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum Aug. 23 Toronto, ON CNE Grandstand Aug. 24 Cleveland, OH Nautica Stage Aug. 25 Pontiac, MI Phoenix Plaza Amphitheatre Aug. 26 Rosemont, IL Horizon Parking Lot Young Dubliners Aug. 16 Kansas City, MO The Hurricane Aug. 18 Des Moines, IA The Love Shack Young Gods Aug. 17 San Francisco, CA Trocadero Transfer Aug. 18 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour --- ERRATA Some of the tour dates from last week's issue for Drivin' N' Cryin' were erroneously listed. Because of the volatile nature of touring, it is always suggested to confirm any shows with the local club. --- 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 ===