==== ISSUE 57 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [October 15, 1995] Editor: Bob Gajarsky Internet: gajarsky@pilot.njin.net Sr. Correspondents: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Al Crawford, Dan Enright, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, 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, Stephen Lin, Sean Eric McGill, P. Nina Ramos, Linda Scott, Ali Sinclair, Jon Steltenpohl, Courtney Muir Wallner, 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 | `------------' SNEAK PREVIEW REVIEW: Therapy? _Infernal Love_ - Martin Bate REVIEW: God Lives Underwater, _Empty_ - Jamie Roberts REVIEW: Various, _Super Fantastic Mega Smash Hits_ - Sean Eric McGill REVIEW: The Twinz / The Dove Shack - Martin Bate REVIEW: Rocket From the Crypt, _Scream, Dracula, Scream!_ - Eric Hsu REVIEW: Moonpools and Caterpillars, _Lucky Dumpling_ - Jason Cahill REVIEW: Nature, _Nature_ - Sean Eric McGill REVIEW: Spookey Ruben, _Modes of Transportation, Vol.1_ - Tim Hulsizer REVIEW: Son Volt, _Trace_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Tugboat Annie, _Superfriends*_ - Eric Hsu REVIEW: Porcupine Tree, _The Sky Moves Sideways_ -Tim Mohr TOUR DATES: Joan Armatrading, Ash/China, Cake, Lisa Cerbone, Cravin' Melon Dance Hall Crashers, For Love Not Lisa, Robben Ford, God Lives Underwater / KMFDM, Kate Jacobs, Letters to Cleo Natalie Merchant, Ian Moore, Red Hot Chili Peppers / Silverchair 7 Mary 3, Shinebox Tour (Mike Watt + Crew of Flying Saucer), Skirt Thirty Ought Six, Urge Overkill (dates subject to change), Widespread Panic Back Issues of Consumable --- SNEAK PREVIEW REVIEW: Therapy? _Infernal Love_ (A&M Import) - Martin Bate Irish trio Therapy? are now a well established part of the UK music scene, having been one of those rare bands to cross the divide between indie and rock in both fan and press acclaim. And this, their fifth album, may see them consolidate their success with inroads into the U.S. Their first two mini-albums _Babyteeth_ and _Pleasure Death_ (packaged together outside the UK as _Caucasian Pyschosis_) found an audience with those who fancied an industrial-edged Big Black noise. The major-label debut _Nurse_ saw them refining and experimenting with their sound inside more traditional song structures. But it was the _Shortsharpshock EP_ which broke them through with its speedy bursts of pop-punk-metal which was continued with a darker edge on their _Troublegum_ album. The odd accusation of "cartoon angst" was tossed at the band as their lyrical matter seemed to jar against their nice-guy real life personalities and T-shirts declaring "IRONY?" but few could deny that Therapy?, as the Americans would say, ROCK! And so to _Infernal Love_, mooted pre-release to be Therapy?'s happy album and patently nothing of the sort. What it is is Therapy? mixing the metallic rock of _Troublegum_ with the more moody introspective down-beat moments on _Nurse_ aided by liberal use of a cello, and chucking in a few surprises along the way. Linked by dark sound-pieces courtesy of Irish electronic composer David Holmes this'll do just nicely. Things kick off with the break-neck "Epilepsy", all full-throttle guitars and speeding off-kilter drums with a jazz break-down in the middle. An instant Therapy? classic. As too is the first single "Stories", a familiar Therapy? pop-punk anthem with added pimp horns and the repeated assertion that "Happy people have no stories". Then comes a huge chunk of what could be called power-ballads - initially worryingly bland it's only after a few listens that the dark lyrics take a hold and the claws start digging in. You get three in a row, "A Moment of Clarity", the more mid-tempo soar of "Jude the Obscene" which could easily take up MTV residence, and the superb Nick Cave/ Tindersticks croon of the latin flavoured "Bowels of Love". "Misery" re-dresses the balance in favour of rocking out although proves to be a little too Therapy?-by-numbers with its "Here comes the misery/Yeah Yeah" hookline. "Bad Mother" is much much better. Reminiscent of their cover of The Police's "Invisible Sun" there's an echoing white reggae riff on the verse and a chorus-line that tugs at the heart strings with Andy Cairn's strong clear voice. "Me Vs You" is another dark tale of love gone wrong, this time with a western feel, but it can't escape the feeling of one-ballad-too-many. *Then* we get the happy song. _Loose_ is a breezy piece of summer-time love with an upbeat Husker Du/Sugar feel. A deserved hit. The fact that it precedes the sick chill of Diane heightens the effect of both. A cover of the Husker Du song which Kurt Cobain *must* have heard before writing "Polly", it's a dark somber love song from a rapist here given a choral feel. Whether or not it's a brave or a stupid move I'm still not sure, leaving them as it does open to misinterpretation but for sure it's the most disturbing 3 minutes you'll endure for quite some time. Things draw to a close with the bitter anger and vicious spaghetti western tremolo of "30 Seconds" but in amongst the bile they offer a life-line with the mantra that "There is a light at the end of the tunnel". And coming from the man who wrote the line "With a face like this I won't break any hearts", the assertion that "I look at myself in a sober light/I'm not Elvis but I'm alright" just makes you want to give him a big hug and a smile. _Infernal Love_ is one of those all too rare albums which *feels* like an album rather than just a collection of songs. It's initially disappointing - too rock, too *normal* - but soon starts digging in its hooks and revealing all its clever touches and dark edges. Certainly their most accomplished album if not their best but definitely one that could yet see them rule the world. Note: This will not be released in the United States until early 1996 with possible extra tracks. --- REVIEW: God Lives Underwater, _Empty_ (American) -Jamie Roberts They've got the proverbial fuzzbox and they certainly put it to good use! Laying it all out comparable to the likes of Machines of Loving Grace or Filter, GLU creates a dark, brooding sonic view of the world. With titles like "No More Love" , "Fool", and "Scared" the thematic collection would be depressing were it not for the well-crafted grooves and faster pace of many of the tracks. Adam Kary, Andrew Mcgee, David Reilly and Jeff Turzo are God Lives Underwater, Turzo and Reilly being the 'brains behind the musical mayhem' (ie. writing the songs). They released a self-titled EP not too long ago that was brilliant. Their performance at the "Sextasy Ball", about a month ago in New York, with Thrill Kill Kult and Lords Of Acid was equally brilliant. Taking this as a hint of what was to come, I braced myself for the full-length effort. The most glaring oversight in the compilation of the aforementioned first full-length release was the omission of the in-your-face opening track to the EP, "Drag Me Down". It seems as if only a couple of the EP songs carried over to the album. It's a shame, because some of the tracks that didn't carry over, moved a bit better than some we got on _Empty_. The EP is worth checking out as an addition to the album, not instead of it. _Empty_'s brightest tracks are "All Wrong" and "No More Love", providing contrast for the dimmer "23" and "Scared". What the dim tracks do provide is a showcase for a technologically augmented band's singing ability. The lead is well taken, and translates to live sound well unlke many of their contemporaries. Talent!? What a concept! --- REVIEW: Various, _Super Fantastic Mega Smash Hits_ (Pravada/Backyard Records) -Sean Eric McGill In one of the latest signs that I'm getting older, eight of the ten people I questioned after listening to _Super Fantastic Mega Smash Hits_ don't remember K-tel Records. Too bad, because not since those fun-filled K-tel albums of the seventies and early eighties has there been a compilation of songs as eclectic as _Super Fantastic Mega Smash Hits_. The concept of the album, alternative artists covering songs that wound up on K-tel and Ronco albums with great regularity, is an intriguing one. But what makes this more than just a gimmick-laden album is that the majority of the tracks are extremely well-done and all of them are likeable. The artists range from alternative favorites like Smashing Pumpkins to lesser-known acts like The New Duncan Imperials - with each providing their own take on the great (and some not-so-great) songs of yesteryear. One of the things that made the K-tel and Ronco albums so cool was that there wasn't any one genre of music represented, but whatever songs were hip at the time wound up on the album. It was quite possible that you would find Kool & The Gang right next to James Taylor, and _Super Fantastic Smash Hits_ follows the same path. For example, Southern Culture on the Skid's blues version of "Venus" runs right before Vic Chestnut's appropriately dark cover of Vicki Lawrence's "The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia" (of course, with the lyrics adapted to fit a man's point of view, now the song is *really* confusing). Like a really cool radio station where you don't know what they're going to play next - but you know it will be good and the album keeps your interest. In one of the finest moments on the album, Rex Daisy remind us that television theme songs were popular long before Friends with a cover of "Welcome Back". Other tracks, like Fig Dish's "Kung-Fu Fighting" and The Slug's "Hooked on a Feeling" instantly pull you in and serve as either a interesting bit of history or a journey back to your youth - depending on your age. Now, some of the songs take a little while to grab your ear. bo bud greene's version of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" seems to have more in common with Yoko Ono than Elton John and Kiki Dee on first listen. Likewise, Poster Children's take on Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" is rather annoying, but eventually grows on you, supported mostly by the strength of the entire album. _Super Fantastic Mega Smash Hits_ could have been a horrible attempt at camp. But, by not falling into campiness so deep that it would impossible to get out without platform shoes and polyester pants, it makes for a great group of songs that you probably haven't heard in awhile...unless, of course, you think "K-tel" are the call letters for your local AM talk radio station. --- REVIEW : The Twinz _Conversation_ (Rush Associated Labels) The Dove Shack _This is the Shack_ (Rush Associated Labels) - Martin Bate Two albums from Warren G protogees here, both of which featured on Warren G's _Regulate...The G Funk Era_ last summer. You *all* know what G Funk sounds like by now, so lets cut to the chase. Nobody produces G Funk better than Warren G, so The Twinz are off to a good start with the deepest bass, sweetest soul background vocals and lushest funk guitar and needling synths that money can buy. The Twinz are more yer straight G Funksters - the lyrics little more than a series of slint-eyed threats with a straight flow that sacrifices show-off skills for calm, chilled clarity. If anything, it's all a little bit too familiar - G Funk, by definition, being a self-limiting genre. But whilst there's crystalline beauty like "Eastside LB" with its poignancy above and beyond the call of duty which reeks of end-of-summer nights, the inspired female rap of The Five Footahs' Neb and Jah Skillz who trade lines with the boys and win hands down, and the lush orchestration and paranoid synth whine of "1st Draft Pick", there isn't too much to complain about. The Dove Shack aren't (with the exception of the one track) produced by Warren G, but the variety of people that get their hands on the beats give this one a more varied feel and move it away from G Funk on several occasions, throwing up a few surprises with a nice dark edge. The band claim they're coming from a freestyling background but it sounds a little like a grasp at extra credibility rather than 100% truth. Still, they can flow when they try and there's a handful of top stuff like the west-coast meets horror-core vibe of "Bomb Drop", the pleasantly upbeat "East Side Party", and pleasantly dark "Rollin Wit a Gang". What spoils the overall vibe though is enough mysoginistic bullshit to make Dr Dre sound like Germaine Greer with songs such as "Fuck Ya Mouth", and a surfeit of skits such as the advert for a device called "Slap-a-Hoe". Worst of all though is supposedly humorous "The Train" skit which basically amounts to gang rape of an unsuspecting girlfriend and for which we can only hope the lads themselves get raped in jail one day. The G Funk sound is still lush, and for fans of the West Coast this'll be like a birthday, but its hard not to think of G Funk as last year's sound. I know that, personally, the blunted paranoia of the East Coast - people like Mobb Deep, The Wu-Tang Collective, The Gravediggaz, Nas, and Jeru the Damaja and the rest of the Gang Starr clique - say far more to me about the city I live in than this low-ride malevolent sunshine. But that's just me. If G-Funk's your thing, prepare to bob your head. --- REVIEW: Rocket From the Crypt, _Scream, Dracula, Scream!_ (Interscope) - Eric Hsu This disc has a tremendous number of things going for it (sound, performance, hooks galore), so many that I'm not quite sure why I don't like it more. RFTC is the most popular band out of the San Diego scene, and _Scream_ is their second major label release (third overall). _Circa Now!_, their major label debut, showed off an R&B-tinged loud semi-punk sound developed in reaction to the violent hardcore of the late 80's San Diego punk scene. Their big guitar attack was supplemented with a small but excellent horn section, and the album was a college radio hit. _Scream_ takes each aspect of _Circa_ and magnifies it. The songs are even hookier. The singing is bigger and more confident. The playing is tighter. The guitars and horns are bigger and fatter and fit beautifully in the mix. The backup harmonies and sing-alongs come more often and louder. And the R&B tinge has become the dominant color. Without exaggeration, it's easy to imagine almost any of the 14 songs on _Scream_ being a commercial breakthrough mainstream hit. Listening to the record, you feel like you are hearing a band hitting its stride, achieving exactly the sounds it wants. So the curious thing is that I feel strangely unsatisfied with the record. I'm not usually one to turn down pure pop pleasures and I can't argue with the pleasantness of the hooks, but these are hooks that don't bring me back for more. Here are two possible complementary reasons: One possible reason? When you take R&B tinged punk and rev up the rhythm and blues, and try for a Phil Spector-like bigness of sound, you end up with Bruce Springsteen songs sung by Elvis Costello. When you throw the fact that this is a self-proclaimed party band and _every_ chorus on this CD is a (potential) sing-along, you get a formula for getting frat boy party band sounds out of an independent band with genuine punk scene roots. Another possible explanation: ultimately, the hooks hook by familiarity, not surprise. This is party music and this party is not an adventure because only your close friends are there. Singer Speedo openly said that he saves his experimenting for his other band Drive Like Jehu (also on Interscope...a package deal) and "wimpy pop songs" for RFTC, and it shows. Drive Like Jehu songs provoke twisty thought and insights, and RFTC songs offer fat-bottomed comfort and warmth. I can imagine their live show being quite fun, what with the crowd singing along with every song. If you want hooky R&B/Punk songs that are skillfully written, played, and arranged, you should definitely check out this disc. Just be warned that if your tastes are like mine, you will admire this record but not ever _need_ to hear it. And in the absence of adventure and discovery, and in the absence of addiction, music can only offer familiarity and comfort, which may be just what you need right now - but then again may not. --- REVIEW: Moonpools and Caterpillars, _Lucky Dumpling_ (EastWest) - Jason Cahill Every time I re-listen to a great album, I wish I could re-live the moment when I heard it for the first time. The emotion it elicits, the wonder it inspires and the absolute excitement of knowing you are listening to greatness cannot be replicated. The feeling diminishes with each subsequent playing, but it's the first listen that one never forgets. It's a rare reaction, one where the emotional response is unforgettable and, unfortunately, sometimes unrepeatable. _Lucky Dumpling_, the major label debut by the California quartet Moonpools and Caterpillars, elicits such a reaction. The moment this album begins you realize you are listening to something very special, very unique. So much so, in fact, that to describe this band as eclectic might be a tremendous understatement. Moonpools and Caterpillars display a range and maturity so rare in fledgling bands, experimenting with both vocal and musical styles such that each song is fresh and inventive while never seeming out of place. In terms of current bands, Moonpools and Caterpillars seem to be heavily influenced by the ethereal and wistful sounds of both Edie Brickell and The Sundays, with vocalist Kimi Ward Encarnacion emulating both the imagination and honesty of the former and the simple beauty of the latter. Unlike many young bands, however, Moonpools and Caterpillars are not reduced into being merely an extension of the bands which have influenced them. Instead, the band seems to thrive where their predecessors have been held back by musical limitations. The songs on _Lucky Dumpling_ range from energetic and pulsating to gentle and rhythmic without losing any momentum. The album opens full-throttle with the catchy and infectious "Hear", a song which could easily be one of the finest singles to be released this year. From there, the album changes gears a bit, as Kimi's sweet textured vocals blend with intricate and soulful sounds on "Ren". Rather than disrupt the album's flow, however, the band's juxtaposition between soft and hard is what makes _Lucky Dumpling_ such an amazing record, at times grabbing the listener with rapid fire guitars and strong melodies and at others bringing things down a notch to reveal resplendent and delicate melodies, a mix of quiet twists and expressive turns. There are no throwaways here, just a fifty minute package of miniature pop gems. If one were to attempt to find a theme running through each of _Lucky Dumpling_'s thirteen tracks, it would be that of a journey. The band's lyrics describe the journey one takes through life, love and sorrow, always poignant, yet never bordering on the generic, a mistake many other songwriters fall into far too often. Moonpools and Caterpillars show how ideas can be expressed in vivid and original fashion with brilliant use of metaphors and imagery. This is never more apparent than on "Crazy Old World", the beautiful and delicate track which closes out the album with lyrical maturity and unusual depth. Intricate records like this are all too rare, which makes a band like Moonpools and Caterpillars all the more special. _Lucky Dumpling_, in lyrical fashion, takes the listener on an odyssey of sorts, being both dynamic and pulsating, contemplative and brooding, infectious and fun. --- REVIEW: Nature, _Nature_ (Zoo Records) - Sean Eric McGill I love a good sub-reference. So when I looked at Nature's self-titled debut and found songs entitled "Z-Man's Party" and "Z-Man's Lounge," I was very intrigued. "Z-Man" was one of the characters from _Beyond the Valley of the Dolls_ perhaps the most critically acclaimed X-rated movie this side of _Midnight Cowboy_. As for the music itself, Nature could be best classified as "post-industrial" in the vein of Filter and My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. The album opens with "You Only Live 2X," a much better remake of a James Bond theme than Guns 'n Roses did a few years back with "Live and Let Die." Nature's version - while still being similar to the original - manages to have the band's distinctive mark on it. Songs like "Justine" (which finally bridges the gap between the Marquis De Sade and Justine Bateman) and "Zodiac '99" both go all over the map in terms of music and lyrical content, proving that Nature are accomplished in not only being able to do the songs of others, but write their own material, as well. Mr. Bolton, are you paying attention?. And as intriguing as Nature is in their use of sub-references and song topics, the most intriguing thing about Nature is the band itself. Brian Threatt (guitars, vocals), Hugh Bonar (bass), Andrew Parsons (guitar) and Brendan Etter (drums) mesh together perfectly. Many of the songs go from one hundred miles an hour to a dead stop, and their musical ability is undeniable. _Nature_ is one of the most entertaining albums of the year, and one of the best new bands to come around in some time. --- REVIEW: Spookey Ruben, _Modes of Transportation, Vol.1_ (TVT) - Tim Hulsizer So who the Hell is Spookey Ruben? Good question. I've been told it's his real name, but who is he really? He lives in Canada, but has grown up in the USA and parts of Europe as well.His artistic talent manifested itself as a youth when he took up the guitar and started opening for some well-known rock bands with his group at the time. However, he started to gain an interest in different pursuits, and now Spookey has a solo career, and a debut album on TVT Records. I think the best way to get in touch with the Spookey Mindset is to view the brilliant video he made some years back for the song, "These Days Are Old." He was given a grant by MuchMusic, the Canadian equivalent of MTV, and he used it to make what turned out to be a bizarre statement about life in general. Indeed, the entire album is a series of statements, Spookey-style, about everything he finds himself thinking about. The video combines footage of him being beaten up and slamming his face through a sheet of glass with lyrics about how pointless yet important life can be. I'm doing a poor job of explaining, but the video itself is pretty indescribable. The album is equally offbeat, as Spookey creates individual bizarre pop nuggets of musical originality. The songs are usually miniature epics, performed all by Spookey, using genuine and synthesized sounds to obtain a unique sound that is...well, in a world all its own. To compare Spookey Ruben's sound to another band or person's would be doing him a disservice. It literally has to be heard to be believed. My favorite songs include the song from the video, "These Days Are Old," as well as "Wendy McDonald," which dissects the fastfood industry quite nicely. I also grooved on "Welcome to the House of Food," a song with a meaning that still escapes me, though I love the tune. In fact, the tunes are my favorite part about the album, weaving original-sounding melodies with Spookey's voice, which can be a high-pitched falsetto one moment, and a low rumble the next. The songs may not hit you at first, and in fact you might dislike some of them. But a few listens later, you'll be humming along and trying to figure them out, just like I did (and still am). Finally, an album that doesn't rely on a carbon-copy sound of feedback to get its message across. Even the album artwork is cool, with a little picture to go along with each song. My favorite, the picture for Wendy McDonald, appears on TVT's promo Spookey shirts, and if you happen to see one of these bright yellow attack shirts, grab it quick. The picture is the Wendy's logo, with that little Pippi Longstocking girl, but Ronald McDonald's face has been pasted nicely over little Wendy's ugly mug, creating a cool little image that will have people walking up to you all day going, "Hey, nice shirt. What's a 'Spookey Ruben'?" Also, the cover of the album portrays Spookey in a spacesuit, exactly like the movie, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. I highly recommend this album. It's adventurous, gorgeous to look at and hear, and won't leave the CD player after 2 listens like some other stuff. Check it out. --- REVIEW: Son Volt, _Trace_ (Warner Bros.) - Jon Steltenpohl When Uncle Tupelo broke up in 1994, fans felt as if they had lost one of the few decent bands to come across the alternative countryside in recent years. But, just a year later, Uncle Tupelo fans have a pleasant surprise. Just like twin phoenixes rising from the ashes, both Wilco and Son Volt have spread their wings and are soaring as high as Uncle Tupelo ever did. Jay Farrar fronts Son Volt along with help from Tupelo drummer Mike Heidorn, and _Trace_ might as well be another Uncle Tupelo album. Like Farrar's previous work, _Trace_ is an impeccable collection of country ballads, quiet folk songs, and straight-forward midwest rock. Brothers Jim and Dave Boquist fill out the band with bass, backing vocals, fiddle, banjo, and dobro, and they fit in with Farrar and Heidorn as if Son Volt had been around for years. Farrar wrote most of the songs for _Trace_ on his road travels through the midwest up and down the Mississippi River "Tear Stained Eye" is a reflection on the floods that threatened St. Genevieve, and "Ten Second News" is a slow, melancholy song that captures the emotions of driving past the dioxin poisoned remains of a town that was once Times Beach, Missouri. In other songs, the cheesy cliche's of country music are boiled down to direct truisms like "Too much livin' is no way to die." from "Loose String" and "You'd better find your focus or you'll find yourself out of the picture" from "Out of the Picture." Even without the lyrics, the music of Son Volt is a reflection of the Midwest itself. The essence of the songs is a fundamental simplicity that is engaging and vital. Farrar's voice has a slight Illinois twang to it which is as captivating as Michael Stipe's southern drawl. In the acoustic tracks, six-string guitar and lap steel play off the drum set in a simple two-step that would have made Hank Williams proud. When Son Volt turns up their amps, the laid back feel of the quieter songs gives way to a driving determinism. The remarkable thing about Son Volt is that the tracks go from soft to loud with any break in pace or mood. That proper combination of country and rock is hard to find. Bob Mould came close with his first solo album, _Workbook_, and The Eagles made it big with their L.A. version. Matthew Sweet made it work with his breakthrough album, _Girlfriend_, and R.E.M. rode it until they got bored and famous. But, although, Jay Farrar has perfected the incredibly enticing mix of sweet harmonies and chiming guitars, he hasn't gone on to other things. Son Volt continues where Uncle Tupelo left off, and Farrar's ability to capture the feeling and mood of the Midwest makes one wonder if the title, _Trace_, refers to a fleeting glimpse or a perfectly painted portrait. --- REVIEW: Tugboat Annie, _Superfriends*_ (Sonic Bubblegum) - Eric Hsu Now that all the distortion and flannel is settling, there are enough bands with a "grunge" sound to see the outlines of factions. Roughly speaking, there is that grunge faction characterized by an interchangeability with Pearl Jam, and hence also characterized by guitar soloing and a distinct Led Zeppelin cock-rock aura (e.g. Silverchair). This faction tends to dominate the "alternative" part of the new hybrid classic-rock/modern-rock station playlists. Buffalo's Tugboat Annie does NOT fall into this category (which I personally consider a point in their favor); instead, they fall into the camp of grunge rockers that use three-note (at most) guitar parts and four chord grooves for verse and chorus. This faction tends to sound a lot like _Doolittle_-era Pixies, and Tugboat Annie is no real exception. This is the kind of record you might love after seeing a band put on a great live show as some kind of memento, but in itself it's unremarkable though it suggests untapped potential. Your best bet would be somehow sampling their single "Jack-Knife", or their album cuts "Circus" or "Adaptor" before buying. If these songs stick in your head, buy the album. Most of the songs are mellow and quite accessible. The songs are produced cleanly and the guitars ring with a distortion that soothes rather than provokes. Singer Mike Bethmann sings with a pleasant rasp, a grungy Peter Gabriel who uses his limited range well and with conviction. The band plays with a certain integrity and the production of this record is very clean and clear. They display a good ear for a simple guitar lines and a few catchy hooks. Their songs generally have an genuinely downtrodden air, although they sometimes undercut it with oddball lyrics sung completely deadpan (the title comes from a song comparing the League of Nations to the Justice League). Their songs manage to avoid sounding identifiably derivative, which is also a plus, but they never transcend their side of the grunge genre. --- REVIEW: Porcupine Tree, _The Sky Moves Sideways_ (Delirium/C & S Records) -Tim Mohr It is difficult to start a description of Porcupine Tree without the words pink and floyd. But it would also be unfair to leave it at that, as the band's musical milkshake is blended with ambient beats, spacey samples, lush new wave keyboards, and - unlike latter day Pink Floyd - decent songs. Porcupine Tree's third and latest release, their first American release, is pastoral and serene while hinting at underlying melancholy. Building from sparse synthesizers into a Pink Floyd billow in the opening track, the album then progresses largely uninterrupted through lengthy chill- out excursions, organic jams, and shorter meditative songs. An other-worldly space capsule aesthetic pervades the album, derived from the open-ended guitar work, gurgling keyboards, and inter-steller lyrics and samples. _The Sky Moves Sideways_ could in fact become a favorite of planetarium owners, bridging the musical gap between Pink Floyd laser shows and the intentionally spacey music that accompanies normal programs. The sample of Richard Nixon's call to the Apollo 11 crew even has pseudo- documentary value in such a context. Relaying on live instrumentation, this English band occupies stages in a way that most current ambient bands can never aspire to; fortunately, they don't descend into epic soloing and art-wank experimentation that generally plagues progressive rock acts. The result is an interesting combination of British shoe-gazing, the neo-prog rock of bands like Levitation, electronic atmospherics of early 80s groups like Ultravox or Visage, and contemporary post-Orb ambient. Head Porcupine Steve Wison obviously loves middle-period Pink Floyd, but thankfully shies from other sections of the prog rock canon, with no traces of Yes, Marillion, etc. The experimental edges of Pink Floyd have also been shaved away; Porcupine Tree keeps the unmistakably Gilmore guitars, sultry background singers, and layers of keyboards but ditches the wobbly Syd Barret material and angular elements Roger Waters might have added. Porcupine Tree's take on Pink Floyd is shimmering, comfortable, etherial. Wison vows he'll bring progressive rock into the 90s. Porcupine Tree is more engaging than earlier attempts at this task, such as the Darkside or Levitation. The use of some modern equipment makes the album actually progressive, while the live instruments give the album more substance than prog-rock-influenced purveyors of ambient house. Wison's deep space probes are more stimulating than the infinitely looped beats and samples of your wholly electronic ambient group, but he also jettisons the dub influence and therefore situates himself in rock territory. The result is worth hearing - though if you absolutely hate Pink Floyd the album is probably too far from the Orb, Global Communications, et al to appeal to you. --- TOUR DATES Joan Armatrading Oct. 31 Portland, ME state Theatre Nov. 1 Burlington, VT Flynn Theatre Nov. 2 Rochester, NY Water Street Music Hall Nov. 4 Boston, MA Orpheum Nov. 5 Portmouth, NH Portmouth Music Hall Nov. 6 Washington, DC Lincoln Theatre Nov. 7 West Long Branch, NJ Pollak Auditorium Nov. 8 New York, NY Beacon Theatre Nov. 9 Philadelphia, PA Keswick Theatre Nov. 10 Buffalo, NY Riviera Theatre Ash/China Nov. 4 Boulder, CO Club 156 Nov. 8 Phoenix, AZ Mason Jar Nov. 9 San Diego, CA Casbah Cake Oct. 21 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre Oct. 24 Salt Lake City, UT University of Utah Oct. 27-28 Sacramento, CA Cattle Club Oct. 31 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall Lisa Cerbone Oct 26 Richmond, VA Flood Zone Oct 27 Richmond, VA Border's Oct 28 Atlanta, GA Scrap Bar Nov 2 Carlisle, PA Dickinson College Nov 9 Dayton, OH Canal St. Tavern Cravin' Melon Oct. 24 Chapel Hill, NC UNC Oct. 26 Wilmington, NC Mad Monk Oct. 27 Raleigh, NC NC State Oct. 28 Boone, NC ASU (Legend's) Oct. 31 Columbia, SC Elbow Room Dance Hall Crashers Oct. 21 Milwaukee, WI Globe Oct. 22 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry Oct. 23 Grand Rapids, MI Intersection Oct. 24 Detroit, MI The Shelter Oct. 26 Cincinnati, OH Garage Oct. 29 Cleveland, OH Agora Ballroom Oct. 31 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (with All) Nov. 1 Boston, MA Axis (with All) Nov. 2 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero (with All) Nov. 4 Washington, DC Black Cat (with All) Nov. 5 New York, NY Coney Island High Nov. 7 Atlanta, GA Masquerade Nov. 9 Orlando, FL Junkyard Nov. 10 Pompano Beach, FL Club Impact For Love Not Lisa Oct. 30 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Oct. 31 Old Bridge, NJ Birch Hill Nov. 1 Cambridge, MA TT The Bear's Nov. 2 New York, NY Wetlands Nov. 3 Philadelphia, PA JC Dobbs Nov. 4 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop Nov. 6 Dayton, OH McGuffy's Nov. 7 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Nov. 8 Chicago, IL Metro Nov. 9 Milwaukee, WI University of Milwaukee Robben Ford & Blue Line Tour Oct. 17 New Orleans, LA Howlin' Wolf Oct. 18 Houston, TX Rockefeller's Oct. 19 Austin, TX Steamboat Oct. 20 Bryant, TX Third Floor Cantina Oct. 21 Fort Worth, TX Caravan of Dreams Oct. 23 Kansas City, MO Grand Emporium Oct. 25 Minneapolis, MN Cabooze on West Bank Oct. 26 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre Oct .27 Chicago, IL Legends Oct. 28 Pittsburgh, PA Graffitti Oct. 29 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig Oct. 31 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre Nov. 1 Ottawa, ON Barrymore Music Hall Nov. 3 Montreal, QC Spectrum Nov. 4 Burlington, VT Club Metronome Nov. 5 Boston, MA Mama Kin Music Hall Nov. 6 Northampton, MA Pearl Street Nov. 7 Portland, ME Morganfield's Nov. 9-10 New York, NY Bottom Line God Lives Underwater / KMFDM Oct. 22 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Oct. 24 Raleigh, NC Ritz Theatre Oct. 25 Knoxville, TN Electric Ballroom Oct. 26 Atlanta, GA Masquerade Oct. 27 Orlando, FL Embassy Oct. 28 Miami Beach, FL Cameo Theatre Oct. 29 Tampa, FL Masquerade Oct. 31 New Orleans, LA House of Blues Nov. 1 Houston, TX Abyss Nov. 2 Dallas, TX Bomb Factory Nov. 3 Albuqerque, NM El Rey Theatre Nov. 4 Phoenix, AZ Party Garden Nov. 5 Hollywood, CA The Palace Kate Jacobs Oct. 19 Bellmore, NY Brokerage Oct. 25 Princeton, NJ Bucks County Coffee Nov. 7 Atlanta, GA Eddie's Attic Nov. 9 Charlotte, NC Moon Room Letters to Cleo Oct. 22 Denver, CO Bluebeard Theatre Oct. 24 Larence, KS The Bottleneck Oct. 25 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Oct. 31 New York, NY Irving Plaza Natalie Merchant Oct. 21 Cleveland, OH Music Hall Oct. 22 Detroit, MI Fox Theater Oct. 24 Milwaukee Riverside Theater Oct. 25 W. Lafayette, IN Purdue University Oct. 27 St. Louis, MO Fox Theater Oct. 28 Chicago, IL Rosemon Horizon Oct. 29 Minneapolis, MN Northrup Auditorium Ian Moore Oct. 21-22 Syracuse, NY Lost Horizon Oct. 27 Burlington, VT Club Toast Red Hot Chili Peppers / Silverchair Nov. 13 Denver, CO McNichols Arena Nov. 15 Kansas City, KS Municipal Auditorium Nov. 17 St. Louis, MO Kiel Center Nov. 18 Chicago, IL United Center Nov. 21 Minneapolis, MN Target Center Nov. 22 Milwaukee, WI Mecca Arena Nov. 25 Detroit, MI The Palace Nov. 26 Cleveland, OH Gund Arena Nov. 28 Cincinnati, OH Riverfront Coliseum 7 Mary 3 Oct. 22 Austin, TX Liberty Lunch Oct. 23 Houston, TX KLOL Show Oct. 24 Dallas, TX Trees Oct. 25 Tulsa, OK Ikon Oct. 27 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre Oct. 28 Atlanta, GA 99X Halloween Show Oct. 29 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle Oct. 31 Wilmington, NC Mad Monk Nov. 1 Winston-Salem, NC Ziggy's Nov. 3 Melbourne, FL Brevard County Fair Shinebox Tour (Mike Watt + Crew of Flying Saucer) Oct. 22 Atlanta, GA Masquerade Oct. 23 Birmingham, AL Zydeco Oct. 24 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre Oct. 25 New Orleans, LA Tipitina's Oct. 27 Dallas, TX Trees Oct. 28 Austin, TX Liberty Lunch Oct. 30 Santa Fe, NM Club Alegria Oct. 31 Tempe, AZ Gibson's Skirt Nov. 2 Auburn, AL Litle Ireland's Nov. 4 Chattanooga, TN Metro Nov. 8 Washintgon, DC 9:30 Thirty Ought Six Oct. 20 Seattle, WA Weathered Wall Oct. 21 Pullman, WA Wash. State University Urge Overkill (dates subject to change) Oct. 20 Kalamazoo MI State Theatre Oct. 21 Toledo OH The Asylum Oct. 22 Pittsburgh PA Metropol Oct. 24 Guelph, Ont Univ of Guelph Oct. 25 Toronto, Ont Phoenix Concert Theatre Oct. 26 Providence RI The Strand Oct. 27 Rochester NY Harro East Theatre Oct. 28 Montreal, QC Le Spectrum Oct. 31 Boston, MA Avalon Nov. 2 New York, NY Roseland Nov. 3 Washington, DC Capitol Ballroom Nov. 4 Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero Nov. 5 Norfolk, VA The Abyss Nov. 7 Raleigh, NC The Ritz Nov. 8 Charleston, SC The Acme Nov. 10 Atlanta, GA Roxy Theater Widespread Panic Oct. 21 Little Rock, AR Riverfront Amphitheatre Oct. 26 New Orleans, LA State Palace Theatre Oct. 30-31 Athens, GA Classic Center --- 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. 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