==== ISSUE 62 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [November 28, 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, 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 | `------------' INTERVIEW: Individual Fruit Pie , - John Walker REVIEW: Edwyn Collins _Gorgeous George_ - Scott Byron CONCERT REVIEW: The Charlatans - Tim Mohr REVIEW: Candlebox, _Lucy_ - Mario J. Lia REVIEW: Ferron, _Phantom Center_ - Reto Koradi REVIEW: Eat Static, _Epsylon_ - Tim Mohr REVIEW: Drip, _No More Talkin'_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Fig Dish, _That's What Love Songs Often Do_ - Jason Cahill REVIEW: Charlie Hunter Trio _Bing, Bing, Bing!_ - Ali Sinclair REVIEW: Paw _Death to Traitor_ - Martin Bate REVIEW: Hum, _You'd Prefer An Astronaut_ - Joe D'Angelo REVIEW: Stereolab, _Refried Ectoplasm: Switched On Vol. 2_ - Tim Mohr REVIEW: Soundtrack, _National Lampoon's Senior Trip_ - Daniel Kane REVIEW: Psykosonik, _Unlearn_ - Jamie Roberts NEWS:, Mark Olson/Jayhawks, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Mike Watt/Porno for Pyros TOUR DATES: Anthrax, Banco de Gaia / Emergency Broadcast Network, Barkmarket, Better Than Ezra (With Dambuilders), Boiled In Lead, Neal Casal, Lisa Cerbone, Cravin' Melon, Donovan, Robben Ford & Blue Line Tour, Paris Hampton, Freedy Johnston, Knapsack, Huey Lewis & The News, Natalie Merchant, 134, Phish, Plastic Mikey, Rembrandts Acoustic Radio Performances, Silverchair, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Vinyl Devotion THE READERS WRITE BACK! Back Issues of Consumable --- INTERVIEW: Individual Fruit Pie (dotdotdash) - John Walker One of the most pleasant musical surprises of the year thus far for yours truly has been this hip little 5-song EP by the quirkily named New York band Individual Fruit Pie. The EP was produced by Ultra Vivid Scene wunkerkind Kurt Ralske, and I.F.P. actually share a lyrical obsession with the UVS leader, that being an intense preoccupation with the fetishistic side of sexual experience, and the emotional side effects of intense states of desire. Songs like "Creature of Habit" and "Blatant Sex" detail the simultaneous attraction and repulsion of the romantic outsider in an artily fragile, blackly humourous manner that brings to mind the work of David Bowie on his groundbreaking album, _Low_. British transplant and I.F.P. singer/lyricist J.C. croons like he's on the edge of a nervous collapse, as fellow Brit Gary Thomas punctuates the sentiments with ringing guitars, elevating tunes like "Still-Death" into mini-masterpieces of soaring emotion. I.F.P. understand that irony and emotion can, and indeed must, mix: that being funny doesn't entail a lack of seriousness, a point sadly lost on so many of today's "postmodern" rock bands. Intrigued with this mysteriously monikered bunch, _Consumable_ e-mailed them a list of questions, and here is the result, courtesy of Head Pies J.C. and Gary Thomas. Consumable: First, the band's name: Is it Dadaesque? Or does it actually mean something? JC: That's your one Gary. GARY: Is it mine? Oh, why is it mine? You came up with it. JC: Out of hunger, yeah pure hunger. GARY: No, it was actually the most ludicrous name we could come up with. C: JC was in a band called _Contact Obsession_, and that's a theme I hear in IFP's music, cf. "Creature of Habit," "Blatant Sex," and "My Opportunity, My Foot." Is contact obsession a constant theme in your music? JC: Um, that's actually a good question, I reckon it is, a theme in my whole life. And i'm hoping to get some contact tonight. GARY: That's cause he actually hasn't had much contact (ha, ha). Most of the songs are about sexual inadaquacy. JC: I didnt write any of the songs (ha, ha, ha) GARY: They're just drawn from life experience. JC: Rich experience. C: Kurt Ralske of UVS I think did a great production job in terms of dynamics. What was it like working with him? GARY: Well we're still working with him. We havent fired him. It was very, very easy working with him. He's like another member of the band. He *is* another member of the band. Things just clicked with Kurt. JC: We work very quickly together. GARY: We know everything we're doing when we go in to record. He's particually good with arringing the strings. JC: Yeah, he came up with the string melodys. C: Do you think Ralske is a kindred spirit, in that he writes about fetishistic sex and desire as a kind of basic theme? JC: Yeah, absolutely. GARY: That's what drew you together. JC: I loved his first album and it drew me to him. There was a likeness in what he was experiencing, something in his lyrics, a sort of loneliness that I was attracted to. GARY: JC thought he needed befriending (ha, ha) . I never really heard kurt's music that much. I knew him as a person, but didn't know his music too well. But as a person, I knew it would work. C: Your press release doesn't list him, but I hear echoes of Bowie at his most blackly ironic. True or false? JC: It's interesting cause a few radio stations said some songs reminded them of Bowie. I hadn't actually considered it, but I guess, yeah, maybe from his early music. GARY: I think it's the Englishness of it. We may have drawn upon similar life experiences. I think people find it hard to pin our sound down. It runs from Joy Division to Rex Harrision, it's there. I suppose if that's what people are hearing I guess its there. We don't want to be pidgeon-holed or part of a scene. JC: No scene would want us. GARY: We've been sort of picked up with this easy listening sound. I guess anything without a guitar is being lumped with lounge music. C: In "Blatant Sex" you sing, "I'm in a sense of bliss right now/ Cause I don't know who you are." What's more important: desire itself (and imagination), or its actualization? JC: I wouldn't know about actualizing. You must have listened very carefully to that line. Someone thought that was "I'm innocent in bliss right now" - it could have a double meaning. And by the way, it's encouraging that an interviewer would actually listen to the lyrics. GARY: Yeah, it's quite flattering. JC: I think imagination is important, but it can be rewarding to have it actualized sometimes. GARY: And sometimes it can be a disappointment. Sometimes the fantasy is better. C: So what about sucking toes (detailed in "My Opportunity, My Foot")? Is this a 90s trend? JC: Ha, ha, ha! Well, i wont mention names... GARY: That was based on reality. Sucking toes has been a trend, but it goes back futher than the 90's. JC: But in our circle I don't think there are many toes that would be good to suck. GARY: What was that film, a surrealist film with a woman sucking the toes of a statue? That could be an unconscious influence in that song. JC: If anyone is interested in the "toes sucking revival".... GARY: Yeah, just come to our shows! (ha, ha) --- REVIEW: Edwyn Collins _Gorgeous George_ (Bar/None) - Scott Byron Students of indie-pop pre-history will recognize Edwyn Collins as the singer in Orange Juice, one of the most heralded bands on the seminal Postcard Records label in the late '70s. The Scottish label and band were pioneers of a then-fledgling indie scene, but, like so many respected and important labels and bands of the time (as in this time), they couldn't survive with limited success, and were forced to fold. Orange Juice continued on with a major label for a while, and Edwyn released a handful of solo albums after they broke up. Despite this long career and recognition (among the pop cognoscenti, at least), it's remarkable to find out that this is the very first of Collins' works to be released in the U.S., and at that, not until after significant sales had already been racked up all over Europe, including a few number ones. And lo and behold, America seems to be digging it, too. As well we should - _Gorgeous George_ is one of the most enjoyable albums of the year. It's a well-crafted record that never loses its emotional core: an album that respects and honors its soulful predecessors but which is still very contemporary; a fine balance of precision and recklessness, of romance and hard reality. You've probably heard the brilliant single "A Girl Like You" already, and reacted the same way most of did, with an initial "Wow! What the hell is that!" giving way quickly to hip-shaking grooving. It's like a record out of time, both old and new. It's one of the most instantly likable records in ages, and certainly one of the singles of the year. Much of the album (like much of his earlier work) seems most directly inspired by the soul hits of the '60s and '70s, reveling in light, funky grooves, Collins' creamy-smooth voice riding above, crisply enunciating each "t" and "s," but allowing a slight brogue to sneak in here and there. At its best, as on "If You Could Love Me" and the title track, it's downright intoxicating stuff. _Gorgeous George_ is also, at lease in part, a concept album about not having a record deal. Counterbalancing the love songs are a handful which dwell on what must have been happening in Edwyn's life while he was making this album. We're clued into this early, as the album title itself refers to a British slang for a certain kind of stylish, annoying scenester, and the opening track is non-too-subtly titled "The Campaign For Real Rock." Later on, "North Of Heaven" seems to bite the hand that's rejected him, with lines like "Don't assume you can ignore me/You best bite your lip in case I/Make it after all" and memorably rips the then band-of-the-moment (who he must not have fit in very well next to): "Some mother's talking 'bout Guns 'n' Roses/As if I give a fuck/At best I think they suck/I'm too occupied with my memories/Not nonentities." Normally, I react badly to people writing music about the music business -- I just don't think most of us care much about how you hate doing promotion or touring or interviews or whatever. But Collins makes it work here, carefully not overdoing it and keeping his sense of humor about it all. Ultimately, _Gorgeous George_ falls together as a vivid picture of his life and feelings. --- CONCERT REVIEW: The Charlatans (UK) at The Loft, Berlin - Tim Mohr Few bands on the current British circuit have four albums and years of touring under their belts. An extensive repertoire and understanding of professional live performance make for a rewarding concert experience, as the Charlatans prove on their latest tour. Though their last two records have shown continual growth and maturation, in concert the Charlatans still harken back to the heyday of Manchester's rave scene of the late 80s, back when rave meant bands with live instruments whose music was danceable - Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets, and the Charlatans. The band emerges amidst a haze of dry-ice fog, singer Tim Burgess already possessed by the beat that has yet to kick in. The newest material takes on an intensified, wobbly infectiousness as the band digs in, and audience dancing peaks for the latest single, "Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over" as much as for classics like "The Only One I Know" and "Weirdo." Burgess sings confidently and writhes with a beat that bodily animates him throughout the show, a rhythmic parasite that contorts his arms and his elastic Mick Jagger lips. The band sounds muscular and thick, like on the last two records, but has not relinquished the ability to groove and to knead bass and organ into a potent loaf of dance-inspiring noise. And happily, the band touches every period of their career, playing "The Only One," "Then," and "Sproston Green" from their debut as well as "Weirdo" from the second lp, revitalizing the underappreciated "Can't Get Out of Bed," "Jesus Hairdo" and "I Never Want an Easy Life" from _Up to Our Hips_, and solidifying their vision with most of the songs from the new album. The Charlatans continue to make a good case for themselves, and continue to comfound the doubters who still claim for the Stone Roses a position of artificial prominence above other contemporaries. Unfortunately for these people, the Charlatans have produced a far superior album this year and continue to put on better concerts. --- REVIEW: Candlebox, _Lucy_ (Maverick) - Mario J. Lia Candlebox was formed in 1991 by Kevin Martin(singer/guitarist) and Scott Mercado(drummer). The band, which also includes Peter Klett(guitarist) and bassist Bardi Martin(no relation to Kevin), released their album _Candlebox_ in 1993. After touring for almost two years solid, Candlebox is back with a new album called _Lucy_. There are some truly rocking songs on this album. One of the best is called "Best Friend". This song starts out with guitar and some police siren feedback. When the drums come in, they kick the song into high gear, definitely a great single. Also another notable mention is "Butterfly" the song so good they had to do it twice. The only thing in common between "Butterfly" and "Butterfly (Reprise)" is the title. "Butterfly" is slow, and almost dirge-like. It builds and builds this wall of sound and feedback and then comes back down again. "Butterfly (Reprise)" is more melodic and less of a change between verse and chorus. Then again, this album could be considered a "sophomore slump" album. They have the same band members, and the same people producing it. Songs like "Drowned" and "Lucy" are very similer in style and structure to their first album. Don't get me wrong, they aren't bad songs, just nothing new or different. If you loved the first album then _Lucy_ is a must have - you won't be at all disappointed. If you were turned off by the first album's sound there still might be hope; this album has a lot more energy and is more natural sounding. This time around they just plugged in and played, and for that we are rewarded with a really good album. --- REVIEW: Ferron, _Phantom Center_ (EarthBeat!/Warner) - Reto Koradi Ferron is far from being a young talent, having released 6 albums in the last 20 years. But her major label debut makes this Canadian a new player in the premier league of female singers/songwriters. Tori Amos and The Indigo Girls have to content themselves with backing vocals here, and rightly so, because Ferron has plenty to offer herself. What is striking about this album is the stylistic diversity. From the powerful and energetic opening track "Stand Up", over the groovy "Indian Dreams", to the beautiful and romantic "Harmless Love". She also plays with African influences in "The Cart", and "Heart Of Destruction" has an irresistable calypso rhythm. Despite this wide scope, there is still enough consistency, which is mainly given by Ferron's dark, warm and expressive voice, and by the sheer quality of both the songs and the musical performance. There are also a bunch of tracks that are more in the "traditional" singer/songwriter style, mainly focusing on vocals and Ferron's acoustic guitar. "My, My" and "Higher Wisdom" are first class songs in this category. Ferron's _Phantom Center_ is a must for all fans of female artists like Sarah McLachlan or Jane Siberry and still a very worthwile buy for anybody with ears for excellent music in the best singer/songwriter tradition, plus more. --- REVIEW: Eat Static, _Epsylon_ (Planet Dog/Mammoth) - Tim Mohr It is sometimes difficult to say exactly what makes some techno interesting. Eat Static's U.S. debut is certainly one of those interesting techno projects, but the difficulty of explanation remains. Eat Static started as a sideproject of two members of England's Ozric Tentacles. If you know Ozric Tentacles, a band for whose music even the term jazz odyssey would be woefully inadequate, you might be able to surmise a few things about Eat Static: they will be weird, expansive, and indifferent to general trends in their genre. And it's true. Take the second track, "Dionysiac," for example: jungle breakbeats, mysterious Bulgarian voices, and a wildly careening string arrangement stolen from Middle Eastern chart hits. The sounds and samples on all the tracks are lovingly bent and shaped into a neo-60s-sci-fi-atmosphere even while pulsating across a 90s dance floor. The use of outer-space imagery, occasional spoken-word samples from sci-fi films, and the implicitly spacey sonics add a deep-space hush to the album, making it listenable at home. _Epsylon_ is not the sleepy ambient of Orb or Skylab, but the trance-ish beats are not too agitated and frenetic for non-club listening. This versatility is lacking from less interesting techno and house, and makes Eat Static's _Epsylon_ well worth checking out. --- REVIEW: Drip, _No More Talkin'_ (Ghostmeat Records) - Jon Steltenpohl Is their anything more tasty than good quality music with a DIY punk attitude? I don't think so. "New Rock" radio stations are starting to get the idea, but they're still stuck on pop bands with a bit of punk. The truth is that a lot of people are looking for a little more substance and strength. If you agree, do not pass go, do not collect $200, and head directly to Drip. They take a little power from Fugazi, a smidgen of intensity from Tool, add a slight whiff of playfulness from Violent Femmes and mix it an oddly original concoction called Drip. Hailing from Toccoa, Georgia, this young group oozes all of the signs of greatness. Lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Andy LeMaster and drummer and back-up vocalist Clay Leverett have been together since junior high school and put out a few records on their own as The Remedy. Now that they've reached their 20's, LeMaster and Leverett have added bassist Casey Scott and formed Drip. Much like the under appreciated Redd Kross, Drip has obviously had a head start on their music by starting young, and they successfully merge the angst of youth with incredible sonic force. LeMaster sings with an angry, powerful voice that grates and pummels just like any good punk, but, just wait, there's more. Sometimes he backs off into a frailed whisper that shakes and shimmies. Then, just like a beat down Hulk Hogan getting ready to recover and body slam Andre the Giant, LeMaster surges with life and lays out the crunching onslaught you've been waiting for. When they quit giving pile drivers, Drip reminds me of a punk version of the Violent Femmes, and LeMaster sings with a tortured, whiny voice that exposes a smarmy twang and sad irony. But it isn't just LeMaster's vocals that make Drip a great little band. The music behind his voice is solid. Drip doesn't follow the punk tradition of copping out with fast chords and noisy drums to hide a lack of music ability and songwriting skills. Instead, Drip has the skills to speed up and slow down and launch off again without a pause. Scott never misses a beat on bass, and LeMaster's guitar is playful and powerful. However, the anchor of the band has to be Leverett. While it's crucial to have great songs and vocals, a band of this type is never great unless it has a driving rhythm. Leverett is, thankfully, an incredible drummer. Like Led Zeppelin's John Bohnam or Nirvana's Dave Grohl, Leverett takes Drip to a higher level and makes complicated rhythms fit seamlessly with even the simplest songs. The fact that he adds back-up vocals makes his contribution to Drip even more valuable. Now, unless you have a damn fine radio station, you probably won't get a chance to hear Drip's _No More Talkin'_. If you do, call and request to hear any song on the album. "Wilt", "Chopped", and "Enemy" are good places to start for the general public. Fans of Uncle Tupelo's heavier songs should also ask for "The Cradle". If you're in a hostile radio environment, then go ahead and contact Ghostmeat Records directly. Those who worship Fugazi's Dischord label should get acquainted with Drip and Ghostmeat Records. It will be worth your while. Mail order from the label is cheap, they offer many compilations of southeastern U.S. bands, and their catalog is available by e-mail or SASE. To reach Ghostmeat Records and Drip, write to Russ Hallauer by e-mail at RLHallauer@aol.com or by snail mail at P.O. Box 54693, Atlanta, GA 30308 --- REVIEW: Fig Dish, _That's What Love Songs Often Do_ (A&M Records) - Jason Cahill Before _Grave Dancers Union_, Soul Asylum was a balls to the wall garage band; pure, unfiltered and raw. No countrified garbage, no "Runaway Train" and no Winona Ryder. Fig Dish remembers. _That's What Love Songs Often Do_, the band's debut effort, manages to reignite the sparks created by such 80's pioneers as Husker Du and early Soul Aslyum, while still creating a fresh, aggressive and multitextual sound. Hailing from Chicago, Fig Dish can look forward to being lumped together with such windy city alterna-legends as Smashing Pumpkins, Urge Overkill and Catherine, and to do so would not be entirely inaccurate. Fig Dish's sound, while containing many of the core elements of the Minneapolis music scene, does inherit one key attribute from its Chicago lineage, that being an extremely complex and layered song structure. Songwriters Blake Smith and Rick Ness succeed in creating songs which ellicit varying emotions, change tempos frequently and fluctuate between the gentle and the heavy all within the confines of a four minute parameter. Like the songs of Billy Corgan, _That's What Love Songs Often Do_ lacks nothing but simplicity. The music on _That's What Love Songs Often Do_ ranges from guitar heavy garage rock to gentle and foreboding laments, frequently deviating between the two extremes. The album opens feverishly with "Bury me", a quick shot of adrenaline which sets the mood for things to come. Next up is "Weak and mean", a well crafted, angst ridden tirade which conjures up images of a troubled and one-sided relationship told with just a touch of necessary punk pride. The vocal duties on the album are shared by Smith and Ness, each having a raw and gruff sound eerily similar to that of Paul Westerberg, managing to be downright beautiful and haunting in spite of its dominating graininess. The true gems on the album are the anthemic and blistering "Seeds" and the seductive and brooding "Quiet storm king", both containing elements of maturity and intelligence noticeably absent from more auspicious debut efforts. "Seeds" is a multilayered epic which overflows with raw energy, heartfelt emotion and fuzzy guitars. "Quiet storm king" begins in much the same fashion, but its chorus is stripped of all excess, leaving just the drums and the interspersed vocals of Smith and Veruca Salt's Nina Gordon, in an uncredited, yet memorable turn. The problem with making such a mature and complete debut effort is that expectations will naturally be raised to all but unattainable levels upon the release of Fig Dish's sophomore album. Judging by their current release, however, Fig Dish seems capable of rising to the challenge of following up one great effort with another and yet another. While most fledgling bands seem content with just getting their foot in the proverbial industry door, _That's What Love Songs Often Do_ is the kind of debut album which rips the door off its hinges and sends the industry running for cover. --- REVIEW: Charlie Hunter Trio _Bing, Bing, Bing!_ (Blue Note) - Ali Sinclair The trio is Dave Ellis, playing sax, Jay Lane on drums, and Charlie Hunter himself, who plays a custom-made eight-string guitar, on which he picks out both basslines and rhythm. And not forgetting lead guitar, too! More smooth new jazz from the San Francisco Bay Area's cooking-pot of musical styles and cultures. The music is simply-rhythmic, jazzy harmonic, and 70s-funky. Charlie Hunter's apprenticeship was played in alternative rock and rap bands--one of the tracks on _Bing, Bing, Bing_ is Cobain's "Come As You Are", which is spiced with a touch of "Smells Like Teen Spirit". It's recognisable but only just so! (a Nirvana fan heard this, grimaced, and then laughed)--and there is a fun feel to this jazz CD. (With tracks with names such as "Greasy Granny", "Fistful of Haggis" and "Wornell's Yorkies", and comments like "We've already used all music labels up in the last forty years. Now we should be using numbers. We're 43.", Charlie might appear to be poking fun at the music industry: but the sounds are sure, pure and serious music. Worth a listen. --- REVIEW : Paw _Death to Traitors_ (A&M) - Martin Bate Paw's 93 debut _Dragline_ was incredible. With a sound welded together from Helmet's clipped hardcore/metal riffs and early Bruce Springsteen-style classic rock (!) they turned in one of the most fiercely passionate albums of all time with a dozen tales of small-town life overdosed on melancholy and romance. You don't believe me ? Then go listen. It's now 1995. Paw are back, and it feels good. "Everyone is boring boring/But not me I am drunk and roaring" is the statement of intent over the galloping riff of opener "No Such Luck". Mark Hennessy's full-throated roar and Grant Fitch's serrated guitar something akin to standing at the end of a wind-tunnel. But that's only half the story as _Dragline_ saw them switching between a scream and a whisper, Hennessy switching effotlessly into a melancholic croon when Fitch's guitar drops to a delicate strum. The album's surprise is revealed as the album slips into "Seasoned Glove" (dedicated by Hennessy as "This one is for my Daddy") and the hopelessly beautiful love song "Hope I Die Tonight". This is Paw turning to more traditional country-rock structures while, essentially, keeping every single ounce of passion and power intact. Paw understand that love *hurts* ("These perfect moments never last") and both of these songs put a lump in my throat when I saw them performed live the other night. And it's a trick that Paw repeat throughout the album with a more relaxed, friendly sound than their debut. Grant Fitch takes vocals on _Last One_ and the beautiful shimmer of homesickness that is "Texas" where the world goes quiet for a moment when Fitch's pure clear voice is met by Hennessy's weary croon of "Tell everybody I said hey/And please make sure my dog's bowl is kept full" and my eyes sting every damn time. But Paw still know how to devastate. Witness the centerpiece of the album, "Death to Traitors", about departed bassist Charles Bryan. With lines like "Left the band/ Slashed the tyres/On the van/You're the kind of person that I would go to jail for" rendered as a distorted roar over a driving riff, switching to "We took you in/Made you part of our family/ You took our trust/Made it part of your credentials/The world would be better off without you" sung quietly over delicate accoustic picking its fair to bet that 'musical differences' didn't come into it. And the anthemic chorus of "Death to Traitors/Death to every single one/It hurts to be let down" will have your heart soaring. Even the album's most upbeat moment, the seemingly cheery "Glue Mouth Kid" with it's "Sun comes up yeah" chorus, is stained by tears with the opening statement that "I'd like to think that I'm important/I'd like to think I count for something/Please tell me it's not vanity". All those that want to give Mark Hennessy a big hug, join the back of the queue. The only slight hiccups among the 15 tracks are the over-complex "Built Low" and "Sweet Sally Brown", their only lapse into rock cliche. Please take Paw into your hearts. They're one of the few bands that realise there's no point in turning up to play live unless you're going to leave people's legs shaking, and they will give you back every ounce of love that you give to them. (Paw's shows traditionally start with the band sharing out their beer and whisky with the audience and Hennessy's plea for people not to break the glasses/bottles 'cause he'll get into trouble. And the glasses are always passed back to him at the end of the next song. Intact.) Worth dying for ? Of course not. But the only band for whom I'd hesitate for a second before answering. --- REVIEW: Hum, _You'd Prefer An Astronaut_ (RCA) - Joe D'Angelo "She thinks she missed the train to Mars, she's out back counting stars," sang (I use the term loosely) the latest wanna-be indie rocker Howard Stern over my radio a few months back while driving into work one morning. Incessantly, he repeated the same line over and over, not knowing the rest of the lyrics, never mind the name of the band, until I seriously developed a hatred for this nameless, faceless band whom I knew nothing about. A hasty judgment on my part, maybe, but I'm not one to take Howard's musical tastes to heart, love him as I do. After all, he once hailed E'nuff Z'nuff as the next Led Zeppelin. E'nuff said. Upon receiving the Hum disc my curiosity got the better of me so I had to play it. "Maybe Howard's tastes have gotten better?" I asked myself, sliding the disc into the machine and gently pressing play. "Little Dipper" the opening track of _You'd Prefer An Astronaut_ both answered my question and set the pace for the rest of the album. While his hair still screams 80's, Howard's musical tastes have most assuredly moved into the 90's. Hum plays the spacey, new-age pop once found only on indie labels in the 80's, although their sound is neither retro nor dated. Trade marking their songs with soft, hypnotizing intros, Hum jolts the listener back into orbit as slamming, distorted guitars break through the seemingly tranquil veneer. Singer/guitarist Matt Talbot plays with a omnipresent gentle rocking motion, his voice dreary and bleak, the perfect alterna-pop combination. The last track, "Songs Of Farewell And Departure," which incidentally should have been the title track of the album, sums up the take he has on _You'd Prefer An Astronaut_, that being of a broken-hearted narrator left out in the rain, alone, reporting on incidents he's either witnessed first-hand or been in himself. Togetherness is a word synonymous with Hum's style. Exemplified by drummer Bryan St. Pere's tight, unobtrusive beat, never once do they seem to be awry in their playing. Hum just may be the vibration needed to spark a flame in RCA's otherwise smoldering stable of artists. --- REVIEW: Stereolab, _Refried Ectoplasm: Switched On Vol. 2_ (Flying Nun) - Tim Mohr Stereolab is a highly idiosynchratic band whose musical output has varied from droning post-Velvet Underground excursions to experimentations along the lines of early stereophonic sound tests, to organ-based easy listening, to last year's rather accessible _Mars Audio Quintet_ album. Their latest, _Refried Ectoplasm_, collects obscure singles from the period following their first singles collection, _Switched On_. No track appeared on any of their albums, and many are impossible to find anywhere else since they came out on flexi-discs, through collector's clubs, or on limited edition vinyl. Since the material parrallels their recent career, it also varies a great deal. The riveting bubblegum organ of "lo boob oscillator," accompanied by easy listening-esque backing vocals is set against sluggish b-sides that ramble along on a single chord for ages. "French Disko" fits well alongside the best material on the first _Switched On_ or the _Peng!_ album: driving, throbbing, barely contained but for the sultry vocal chords of Laetitia Sadier, whose French pipes also have graced recent albums by Blur and Luna. But since _Refried Ectoplasm_ is a compilation of material that in some cases must have been selected because the release would be so limited, it can be difficult. B-sides from this material are things that would never see the light of day on one of their albums, and makes the new collection something for the converted fan rather than the curious newcomer. Despite some fantastic songs, _Refried Ectoplasm_ should probably follow the purchase of another Stereolab record, probably the first _Switched On_ album released by Too Pure, or the easier-to-find _Mars Audio Quintet_ album. --- REVIEW: Soundtrack, _National Lampoon's Senior Trip_ (Capricorn) - Daniel Kane What do you get when you combine the talents of Soundtrack Executive Producers Dana Sano and Kelly Makin, Soundtrack Producer Harvey Schwartz and the talents of thirteen bands? The cover of _National Lampoon's Senior Trip_ gives a lucid idea of the attitude one can expect of the Capricorn Records soundtrack. A beverage-clutching Abraham Lincoln, in statue pose and complete with shades and political insignia, sits in his monumental chair with the logo displayed above his marble hair - Four score and seven beers ago..." In the tradition of National Lampoon, _Senior Trip_ features a talented array of performers, including Tommy Chong and Matt Frewer of the fame of Cheech and Chong and Max Headroom, respectively. The comedy of the cast's adventures in the nation's capitol is reinforced by thirteen tracks, including three previously unreleased songs. The tracks span twenty-six years with the inclusion of "Magic Bus" by Ian Moore, who performs a 1969 remake of The Who's classic. "Ultrasuede", written and performed by Matthew Sweet, is a previously unreleased 1993 track. The song is worth the wait. And, the Jayhawks are on _Senior Trip,_ with "Tomorrow the Green Grass," displaying a continuity and style characteristic of the songs on their recent album with the same name. As with soundtracks in general, the music does not quickly classify to one genre or category or another; the irreverence and calculated nonchalance of _Senior Trip_ is evident in the soundtrack and translates primarily into funk, high-energy and straightforward rock. To those of us who love the antics of _Animal House_ and the creativity of National Lampoon, the _Senior Trip_ soundtrack becomes an exciting addition by Capricorn Records. Track Listing: Our Lady Peace - Starseed; The Muffs - Red Eyed Troll; Matthew Sweet - Ultrasuede; 311 - Outside; God Lives Underwater - Tortoise; Ian Moore - Magic Bus; Daisyhaze - Brickface; Shoveljerk - Killing My Buzz Phunk Junkeez - B-Boy Hard; Morphine - Yes; Hayride - A Hard Deer's Night Seven Day Diary - Flounder; The Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass --- REVIEW: Psykosonik, _Unlearn_ (Wax Trax/TVT Records) - Jamie Roberts Daniel Lenz and Paul Sebastian have done a few things differently on their group's second full-length release. Once dubbed "Cyberpopsters" by their label, Psykosonik has changed the rules and definitions in their Cyberpop game. Shrugging off their heavy 80's-style effects-laden work of the past , they have ventured into the realm of the truly Ambient. They also have the distinction of being the first group to compose an album over the Internet. Vocal work does not dominate _Unlearn_. The vocals are, in most cases, lower in the mix than the strong backbeats and soft melodies. It is truly the music that takes the driver's seat, as shown by their instrumental opener "Secret Life", and their inspired track "Breathing Room". Sebastien did well by not letting his ego (and good voice - don't get me wrong) get in the way of what his music had to say for itself. "Dreaming Real" being the best of _Unlearn_'s tracks with vocals conjures up a restored "Papua New Guinea". Psykosonik's softer, poppier style was never quite what one would expect from Wax Trax. The rub here is that the band is as innovative as their labelmates, but in a clever, subtle way (read: don't call them wimpy). Their use of technology to make the music, and their sampling-flavor added to an often danceable pop has a wider appeal than that of clanging Industrial, thus (hopefully) helping to change the face, and marketability of the 'alternative' styles of music. --- NEWS: > Mark Olson has recently decided to leave The Jayhawks. At this time, there has been no decision made as to the future of the band or any future performances or solo projects. > Toad the Wet Sprocket Internet mailing list. To join, send a message to listproc@sprocket.silverplatter.com. Do not use a subject line. The body of the message should be "subscribe TOAD yourfirstname yourlastname". > Mike Watt will be sitting in with Perry Farrell's band Porno for Pyros during a series of December performances. Watt played with the band during Lollapalooza this past summer and contributed to recording sessions for their upcoming album, _Good Gods' Urge_. There are still no details on the personnel or track listing for Watt's upcoming live album, due to be released in February. --- TOUR DATES Anthrax Dec. 2 Cleveland, OH Agora Dec. 3 Toronto, ON NRPM Dec. 5 Detroit, MI Palladium Dec. 6 Chicago, IL Riviera Dec. 7 St. Louis, MO Mississippi Nights Dec. 9 Minneapolis, MN Mirage Dec. 10 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl Banco de Gaia / Emergency Broadcast Network Dec. 1 Los Angeles, CA American Legion Hall Dec. 2 San Francisco, CA Trocadero Barkmarket Dec. 1 Austin, TX Emo's Dec. 2 Houston, TX Fitzgerald's Dec. 4 Atlanta, GA Midtown Music Hall Dec. 6 Richmond, VA Twisters Dec. 8 Baltimore, MD Memory Lane Dec. 9 New Brunswick, NJ Court Tavern Better Than Ezra (With Dambuilders) Dec. 1 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre Dec. 2 East Stroudsburg, PA E. Stroudsburg University Dec. 3 Kingston, RI Edwards Gym (U. of Rhode Island) Dec. 5 Albany, NY Saratoga Winrs Dec. 6 Burlington, VT Metronome Dec. 7 Manchester, NH New Hampshire College Dec. 8 Montreal, QC Foufounes Dec. 9 Babson, MA Knight Auditorium Boiled In Lead Dec. 1 Minneapolis MN Cedar Cultural Center (acoustic, all-ages) Dec. 2 Duluth MN University of MN, Duluth Neal Casal Dec. 1 Washington, DC American University Dec. 2 New York, NY Wetlands (with Mothersound) Dec. 3 Springfield, MA (WRNX Radio Show) Dec. 4 Baltimore, MD Bohager's (with Lowen & Navarro) Dec. 5 Charlottesville, VA Trax Dec. 6 Winston-Salem, NC Ziggy's Dec. 7 Spartanburg, SC Magnolia Street Dec. 8 Statesboro, GA Blind Willie's Dec. 9 Gainesville, FL Covered Dish Dec. 10 Fort Myers, FL Indigo Room Lisa Cerbone Dec 7 Washington, DC Bayou Cravin' Melon Dec. 2 Greensboro, NC Zoo Dec. 7 Asheville, NC Be Here Now Dec. 8 Spartanburg, SC Magnolia's Dec. 9 Atlanta, GA Chameleon Donovan Dec. 8 Portland, OR La Luna Dec. 9 Vancouver, BC Town Pump Dec. 10 Seattle, WA Backstage Robben Ford & Blue Line Tour Dec. 9 San Francisco, CA Fillmore Paris Hampton Dec. 2 New York, NY CB's Gallery Freedy Johnston Dec. 1 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Dec. 2 Brooklyn, NY St. Anne's Center Knapsack Dec. 1 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle Dec. 2 Kansas City, MO Daily Grind Dec. 3 Columbia, MO University of Missouri Dec. 4 Lawrence, KS Replay Lounge Dec. 5 Boulder, CO Club 156 Dec. 7 Salt Lake City, UT Cinema Bar Huey Lewis & The News Dec. 2 Brooklyn, NY St. Anne's Center Natalie Merchant Dec. 3 Champaign, IL Foellinger Auditorium Dec. 4 Merriville, IL Star Plaza Theatre Dec. 6 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre Dec. 7 Columbus, OH Palace Theatre Dec. 9 Cleveland, OH Music Hall Dec. 10 Ann Arbor, MI Hill Auditorium 134 Dec. 7 Clemson, SC Edgar's Dec. 8 Columbia, SC Clyde's Dec. 9 Atlanta, GA Dottie's Phish Dec. 1 Hershey, PA Hershey Park Arena Dec. 2 New Haven, CT New Haven Coliseum Dec. 4-5 Amherst, MA Mullins Center Dec. 7 Niagara Falls, NY Convention Center Dec. 8 Cleveland, OH CSU Convocation Center Dec. 9 Albany, NY Knickerbocker Arena Plastic Mikey Dec. 1 Glen Ellyn, IL Blue Sky Coffee House Dec. 2 Schaumburg, IL Barnes & Noble Rembrandts Acoustic Radio Performances Dec. 7 Providence, RI WPRO Dec. 8 Boston, MA WXKS Silverchair Dec. 1 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall Dec. 3 Cincinnati, OH Garage Dec. 4 Cleveland, OH Agora Dec. 6 Boston, MA Avalon Dec. 8 Chicago, IL Rosemount Horizon Dec. 10 New York, NY Roseland Squirrel Nut Zippers Dec. 6 Deland, FL Stetson College Dec. 7 Orlando, FL Sapphire Supper Club Dec. 9 Tallahassee, FL Florida State Univ. Vinyl Devotion Dec. 15 San Francisco, CA Edinburgh Castle --- THE READERS WRITE BACK! I just read your review of Vince Neils' new album and I strongly disagree with your review. I think it is a great cd. I think that one has to realize that the Crue will never be the same and neither will the members. I feel that the Crue needs a lot more work than Vince. I give _Carved in Stone_ 4 stars. Each song is unique and his voice says it all. - Stacy T. Thanks for reviewing the new Toad the Wet Sprocket album -- it was interesting to see what other people thought of it as I am a big Toad fan and got their album the day it came out. If you like Toad, you should get this album as some of their B-sides are better than what they actually release (as singles). - S.Y., Pennsylvania --- To get back issues of Consumable, check out: FTP: eetsg22.bd.psu.edu in the directory /pub/Consumable ftp.etext.org in the directory /pub/Zines/Consumable Gopher: diana.zems.etf.hr Engleski Jezik/Music/Consumable or Hrvastki Jezik/Glazbena Rubrika/Consumable (URL) gopher://diana.zems.etf.hr:70/11/eng/Music/Consumable http://www.westnet.com/consumable/Consumable.html (WWW) http://www.westnet.com (CIS) on Compuserve Notes: GO FORUM (Delphi) Music Fandom forum; GO ENT MUSIC Web access contributed by WestNet Internet Services (westnet.com), serving Westchester County, NY. Address any written correspondence to Bob Gajarsky, Consumable Online, 409 Washington St. #294, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 ===