==== ISSUE 117 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [July 31, 1997] Editor: Bob Gajarsky Internet: gaj@westnet.com Sr. Correspondents: Jeremy Ashcroft, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Jamie Roberts, Joe Silva, John Walker Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Tracey Bleile, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Patrick Carmosino, Janet Herman, Bill Holmes, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Stephen Lin, Scott Miller, P. Nina Ramos, Linda Scott, Scott Slonaker, Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Simon West, Lang Whitaker Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gajarsky@email.njin.net ================================================================== All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the editor. ================================================================== .------------. | Contents | `------------' INTERVIEW: K's Choice - Al Muzer REVIEW: Prodigy, _The Fat Of The Land_ - Simon West REVIEW: Echo & The Bunnymen, _Evergreen_ - Joe Silva REVIEW: Jayhawks, _Sound of Lies_ - Al Muzer REVIEW: Blues Traveler, _Straight On Till Morning_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Various Artists, _Regatta Mondatta_ - Lang Whitaker REVIEW: Mission of Burma, _signals, calls and marches_ / _VS_ / _The Horrible Truth About Burma_ - Al Muzer REVIEW: Del Amitri, _Some Other Sucker's Parade_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Soundtrack, _All of Me_ - Eric Hsu REVIEW: Laurent Garnier, _30_ - David Landgren REVIEW: World Party, _Egyptology_ - Al Muzer REVIEW: Dambuilders, _Against The Stars_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Regurgitator, _Tu-Plang_ - Sean Eric McGill NEWS: Chris Butler, High Llamas, Trio, Mark Olson/Victoria Williams TOUR DATES: Backsliders, Boston, Cravin' Melon, Furthur Festival (Black Crowes and many more), Government Mule / Sweet Vine, Guttermouth, Lollapalooza (Tool/Prodigy/Korn/many more), Lunachicks, Megadeth, Moxy Fruvous, Sinead O'Connor, Radiohead, Sister Hazel / Cowboy Mouth, Spiritualized, Supertramp, The Vents, Warped Tour Dates (Reel Big Fish, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Social Distortion, Sick Of It All, Less Than Jake, many more), The Why Store, World Party Back Issues of Consumable --- INTERVIEW: K's Choice - Al Muzer " I'm not really sure why bands from our part of the world are finally beginning to get noticed," comments guitarist/songwriter Gert Bettens of Belgium-based K's Choice when I mention that Bettie Serveert's drummer asked me to say "hello" to him. "Then again," he offers after a bit of thought, "that whole area of central-Europe ['Serveert is from Holland] has been absorbing the different styles of music and culture surrounding it for years now." "At the same time," adds the K's Choice co-founder (with sister/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Sarah Bettens), "we also grew up completely influenced by American and English music, fashion and culture." "Maybe we've finally figured out how to take only the best of what all those different influences offer," Bettens reasons, "and how to leave out the bad parts?" A reasonable assumption to make if you've heard Serveert's latest effort or _Paradise In Me_, the 14-song, 550 Music/Epic Records debut from K's Choice. Stunning in its graceful simplicity and deeply moving thanks to a moody understatement and lyrics as raw as the pages torn from an ex-lover's diary; the confessions, fears, hopes and observations that burst from the second album by K's Choice (which also features drummer Bart van der Zeeuw and bassist Jan van Sichem, Jr.) are much more personal and heart-on-sleeve than even the exposed nerve of the group's hit, "Not An Addict," would indicate. "Most of the album is very personal," Bettens says as he relaxes in a Houston hotel room and readies himself for yet another show on the group's seemingly never-ending American tour. "We both write about things we feel very deeply about. She tends to write, Sarah's lyrics are more open than mine. We're both, however, very sincere and our songs stem from things that either really bothered one of us - or else made whoever wrote that song very happy." "While they both always seem to come from an extreme emotion," he explains, "Sarah's songs are more 'in your face' while mine are a little more guarded." "It was a bit surprising for us that this album took off the way it has," he adds when the 1995 copyright date on the disc is mentioned. "We were already working on our next record when, all of a sudden, "Not An Addict" started getting airplay in the states and we wound up touring to support an album that we thought, well, let's just say that we were ready to move on to the next stage." Not just touring, but serious touring. Having supported the likes of Bryan Adams, Morphine, the Proclaimers and the Indigo Girls after the release of their first effort, 1994s _The Great Subconscious Club_, a then unknown K's Choice was hand-picked by Alanis Morissette to open a large portion of her 1996 _Jagged Little Pill_ tour - the rest, as they say, is history. "It is a bit weird," Bettens comments on the relatively old age of _Paradise In Me_ and the tour. "At one point, I think we all got a little bit tired of the songs. But, then we got an opportunity to play them for new audiences who were hearing them for the very first time - which made the songs seem really fresh to us as well. We play them now with as much enthusiasm as we did three years ago." "It's very important," he adds, "to have something that motivates you when it's time to play "Not An Addict" for the thousandth time - and it's the audience here, in America, being so wonderful to us and so open to our music that motivates us." On the road meeting new fans for most of 1995, '96 and, so far, for a great deal of 1997, K's Choice has filled the months since the Alanis tour finally ended: filming the video for "Not An Addict" with Peter Kristofferson (Rage Against The Machine's "Bulls On Parade"); headlining at clubs and small venues across the country; opening for the likes of Bob Dylan, Better Than Ezra, Evan Dando, Beck, No Doubt and The Wallflowers at a slew of high-profile radio festivals in major arenas around the nation; and getting acquainted with the fans who spend their hard-earned money for the group's CDs, pay the cost of concert admission, or call those same festival-sponsorin' radio stations at 3 a.m. and beg to hear "Not An Addict" for the 39th time that day. "We really enjoy socializing with the audience after our sets," Bettens says of the group's current opening stint [which runs from July to September] for Tonic and The Verve Pipe. "People are always coming up to our bus after a show. Some ask for autographs and some just like to hang out and talk or be with us for a little while." "I understand, however, that it must be harder - that it does get harder - for some artists to remain that accessible to their fans," he offers. "Take Alanis Morissette, for example. There were just way too many people who wanted to talk to her, shake her hand or give her a hug after one of her performances for her to accommodate all of them." "I mean, she would never have made it to the next show if she met everybody that wanted to meet her," Bettens laughs. "You know, it used to bother me a little, but, I stopped blaming artists for not doing that [meeting and greeting after a show] when they get too big after seeing how out of control things sometimes got during the Alanis tour." On their way (hopefully) to a similar superstar status in America, "Not An Addict" has been added to numerous radio playlists across the country while K's Choice are currently one of the most requested groups in the nation. "When we started the band," reminisces Bettens as he recalls the group's five-year journey to overnight success, "we, of course, dreamed about reaching the highest possible thing you can achieve as a band. But, we were both still going to school [Sarah for photography, Gert for animation art] and weren't even thinking about a musical career." "We didn't even have a demo tape," he chuckles. "Someone accidentally recorded one of our acoustic sets one night and the tape wound up at a small independent label [Double T Music] in Brussels." "We were extremely lucky," Bettens says with a trace of wonder at the set of coincidences that landed two members of the Bettens' family a record contract and a chance to visit America. "We didn't have to go through that phase a lot of my friends [in bands] are going through now where you keep recording and mailing out demo tape after demo tape with the hope that, someday, someone will 'discover' you." "We were, really, incredibly lucky," he adds quietly. --- REVIEW: Prodigy, _The Fat Of The Land_ (Maverick/Mute) - Simon West On reflection, of course, the Prodigy were always the most likely to succeed in the States. Hard beats, rock guitar, and two of the most terrifying looking frontmen in recent history, plus the best video of the last five years in "Firestarter", almost ensured certain success, at least with the 16-year-old pierced MTV crowd. Does the album meet the hype, though? Of course. See, this is the Prodigy. There was never much doubt. They've been pushing the boundaries of hard electronic dance music since scary Keith Flint looked like a fairly friendly hippy. _The Fat Of The Land_, though, is their most accomplished release to date. From the first loops of the guaranteed to offend Wal-Mart "Smack My Bitch Up" to the pure punk John Rotten style-yelping of L7's "Fuel My Fire", this is truly music for the jilted generation, as they say. Something for everyone, from Orb ambient fans to metal-heads. The energy and aggression is palpable throughout. It works so successfully in part due to the man who makes the music, Liam Howlett, and his ability to graft insanely addictive hooks onto some brutal sounding noise. The two standouts here are probably the singles. "Breathe" is magnificent, able to sound menacing even as it lurches into acoustic guitar breaks, and back into bass and drum explosions. "Firestarter" is simply a true classic. It sounds like it was recorded in some frightening otherworld, and having heard Keith Flint's vocal work on several other tracks here, the shouting can be appreciated as wonderfully restrained. The soundtrack to a thousand violent nightmares. It's not all aggressive noise though. A stunningly beautiful Indian vocal weaves in and out of "Smack My Bitch Up". It shouldn't work with the pounding synth and bass, but it does. Elsewhere, the Crispian (Kula Shaker) Mills collaboration "Narayan" blends Mill's usual mystical wailing with some restrained bass and keyboard loops, and sole instrumental track "Climbatize" shows the Prodigy can still kick out the jams with the best of them, while "Mindfields" explores almost Depeche Mode-like synth territory. Chemical Brother's _Dig Your Own Hole_ runs this pretty close, but ultimately brute force wins out. The electronic release of the year, and probably the album of the year across the board so far. Highly recommended - aggression doesn't come much more danceable than this. --- REVIEW: Echo & The Bunnymen, _Evergreen_ (London) - Joe Silva Throughout their career, various stops on the Bunnymen rollercoaster have included cult-like stardom, potential mega-band, born again retro-heroes, and plain dead boring. After having spent a couple of years promoting their brilliant re-incarnation as the horridly-titled Electrafixion, Ian "Mac" McCulloch and Will Sergeant egos have apparently given in to the lack of attention the project received and opted to recoup what's left of their fan base (and their original lineup) and put together a proper comeback album. Despite having made some rather not-so-pleasant comments about bass player Les Pattinson during the Electrafixion era, Mac has talked up much about their combined return to Bunny-form since Les' return to the camp. Outside of McCulloch's hair-teased reality, what the Bunnymen have managed to return to is the lackluster output that comprised much of the initial swan song LP. The U.S. success of their weakest single "Lips Like Sugar," seems to have prompted towards a stylistic return to that bland but lucrative period. Even the Brits themselves (in this case the NME) could not have hit the head of the nail any squarer when they said: '...many more than the few thousand Anglophiles who worshipped them last time round - will probably lap it up, too. McCulloch, Will Sergeant and Les Pattinson may well make, at last, serious money. And the precious artistic reputation of Echo & The Bunnymen will be soiled just a little bit more.' Maybe not a little. Content-wise, the blame could probably be shifted largely to McCulloch himself. While the Edge and/or Johnny Marr will probably tussle it out through history as to who's more deserving of the 80's Guitar God trophy, Sergeant is a massively overlooked contender. And even when he's only in mid-soar as he is here, he still has the ability to come up sounds that passages that shimmer and sounds that have a unique eerie-ness all their own. But McCulloch's art-school literacy has left him virtually wordsworth-less. The melodies that attempt to prop up said-lyrics are even more limp than practically anything he's committed to tape. Yes yes, Liam Gallagher mumbles something into the backdrop of "Nothing Lasts Forever," but not even the aid of a mediocre yet happening rock star can salvage these offerings. While the Electrafixion leftover "Baseball Bill" gets a decent Bunny-fied reworking here, you're left otherwise with only stray hooks here and there and a decided hankering for some of the sonic ferocity and dreamy psychedelic prose they have mastered many times over. This LP combined with the whole PopMart fiasco could drive a generation to drink. --- REVIEW: Jayhawks, _Sound of Lies_ (American) - Al Muzer Returning to the fray after most critics and fans assumed the departure of guitarist/singer/co-songwriter Marc Olson signaled the death knell for this supple, Minneapolis-based quartet; singer/guitarist/songwriter Gary Louris (long considered by many to be the heart of the now six-member group in the first place) has masterfully taken charge on the band's fifth release, _Sound of Lies_. Traveling in a dense, lush, more harmonic, pop-like direction than on previous efforts, the Cowsills harmonies, chiming piano and swirling guitar that drive "The Man Who Loved Life" serves as a perfect introduction to what, for all intents and purposes, marks the rebirth of the Jayhawks. Displaying a welcome authority in his singing style and commanding a very visible presence in the mix, Louris' guitar is a blistering psychedelic wash riding a hypnotic, mantra-like chorus and propulsive beat on "Think About It"; his trademark warble and frayed leads convert "Trouble" into a shimmering thing of beauty; gentle piano and ringing Louris/Karen (keyboards) Grotbeg harmonies turn "It's Up To You" into a classic, late-nite beer-jerker; emotional lyrics coupled with a road-weary delivery cause "Stick In The Mud" to ring with a troubling authority; while a pulsing beat, layered harmonies, sardonic lyrics and maximum jangle mesh perfectly on "Big Star." "Poor Little Fish" begins side-two (there's the very distinct sense of flipping a record over) on a bitter lyrical note brightened by weird violin and e-bow effects floating over ethereal harmonies and an uplifting beat, while "Sixteen Down" projects a dark, brooding, chaotic vibe punctuated by the harmonic choir of vocal-guest Matthew Sweet. Following with "Haywire," which works beautifully thanks to simple instrumentation, outstanding Wurlitzer organ fills and a resigned sense of willing defeat; "Dying On The Vine" (a mellow slab of semi-funk that features a classic chorus); "Bottomless Cup" (written and sung with an endearing Ronnie Lane-like gruffness by drummer Tim O'Reagan); and the reflective, sadly-introspective title track - the Jayhawks not only manage to defy staggering odds by coming back strong, they do so with one of the best albums of the year. --- REVIEW: Blues Traveler, _Straight On Till Morning_ (A&M) - Bob Gajarsky Blues Traveler, with their previous disc _Four_, alienated some longtime fans with their newfound stardom. Just as Deadheads cringed when "Touch of Grey" brought a new breed of fans to their camp - and more recently, when the Spin Doctors went from under-appreciated cultdom to overexposed burnout, thanks to "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" - Blues Traveler's hits "Run Around" and "Hook" brought with them an almost unwelcome level of success. Rather than succumb to the sweet smell of pop radio stardom, or return to their roots, Blues Traveler perform as two nearly distinct bands on their followup disc, _Straight On Til Morning_. On one hand, this disc takes the the band back to their H.O.R.D.E. days and before, when the jams flowed more freely. The leadoff track and first single, "Carolina Blues", knocks out any initial perceptions that Blues Traveler will 'sell out'. Instead of crafting the tune for pop radio, this cut owes more to 1970s ZZ Top and Led Zeppelin than the Barenaked Ladies. Other cuts such as "Great Big World" and the all-too-short "Psycho Joe" leave the impression that John Popper would rather play an extended harmonica solo than tinker with the perfect 3 minute song. However, there's another side to Blues Traveler - the one which notched them a pair of top 40 hits from _Four_. "Canadian Rose" is a softer song, not unlike a more refined "Hook", which could explode on AAA radio. "Most Precarious" represents the upbeat song most likely to make a dent in the pop charts, while another softer ballad, "Yours" also stands a chance at putting Blues Traveller back in the public's eye. It appears clear that the days of lengthy solos may be reduced from Blues Traveler's arsenal, but not completely forgotten. What remains to see is if the band's longtime fans will support such a split personality - and if the 'pop' fans can appreciate the rawer side of Blues Traveler. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Regatta Mondatta_ (Ark 21) - Lang Whitaker Finally. After a spring of nothing but rain, we have a day here in Atlanta that seems like it was imported from the Carribean. Time for an afternoon drive. I got the top down and sunglasses on, now I just have to find the appropriate music. Let's see, I'll give this reggae/Police tribute album, _Regatta Mondatta_, a shot. Not that anyone needs another Police album, but Ark 21 has done a nice job in assembling _Regatta Mondatta_, a 20th anniversary Police album. One reason for the Police's popularity in the 80's was their incredible, genre-inclusive sound. A big part of that sound was Andy Summers' rhythm on the guitar, which was often on the 2 and 4 beats, a reggae hallmark. Out of the driveway. The first track comes booming forth. Chaka Demus and Pliers collaborate on a hip-hopped cover of "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic". Were it not for the dance hall rap from Pliers, this would fit right in on BET and the Box, which is not to say it wouldn't fit in now. Next up is British group Aswad's take on "Roxanne". The Grammy nominated Aswad puts a drum and bass flavor to the tune, while still keeping the orignal version's intensity and drive. Turn right on Peachtree Road. Former Police frontman Sting puts in an appearance on the third song, sharing lead vocals on "Spirits in the Material World" with Pato Banton. Banton appeared on the CD single for Sting's "This Cowboy Song" a few years ago, so I guess this is his payback. The song works just as well as a duet as it ever did for Sting by himself. Traffic. My favorite track on the album is Shinehead's previously-released transformation of "Englishman in New York" (which was a Sting solo number- never a Police song, but I guess it qualifies anyway) into "Jamaican in New York". Think Weird Al meets Cool Runnings. Shinehead even samples Branford Marsalis' lovely saxophone off of the original song and drops it into his version, which sold me on this one. Stop sign. The first stinker of the album is Betty Wright's "Every Breath You Take". Wright's alto reminds me of Toni Braxton's smooth tone, but the music behind her saps all of the original version's scorching throb. Yellow light...floor it. Sting puts in an encore appearance alongside Ziggy Marley on the classic "One World (Not Three)", which was more or less a reggae song anyway. Sting's lack of soul is readily apparent next to Marley's authentic ad libbing at the end of the track. Thinking back to when the Police were in their prime, Sting had enough moxie to go toe to toe with anyone from The Ramones or The Sex Pistols, but his recent retirement from actually making progressive music to VH-1 land must have sapped whatever venom he had left. Right on Piedmont. Maxi Priest turns "Message into a Bottle" into a dance track with a steady rhythm. "Can't Stand Losing You", in the hands of Steel Pulse, sounds a heck of a lot like an Ace of Base song, but the overproduction doesn't detract too much. Home. Eject. Generally, the reggae artists all seem to be having fun with these songs, which is a marked difference from Sting's intensity. Many of the words are updated by the reggae artists. For instance, Sting's "(I see you sent my letters back) and my LP records and they're all scratched" is converted to "...and my CD collection and they're all scratched". The music itself is remarkably similar to the original versions. The cover artists also use a bunch of the signature licks and runs from the original songs, which make all of the new versions instantly recognizable. There's nothing new or groundbreaking on this CD, but if you're a Police fan or a reggae fan, pick this one up. It will at least keep your head nodding and make you feel irie, mon. --- REVIEW: Mission of Burma, _signals, calls and marches_ / _VS_ / _The Horrible Truth About Burma_ (Rykodisc) - Al Muzer This three CD Mission Of Burma reissue series (which includes "Academy Fight Song," "Trem Two," four bonus tracks and four previously unissued cuts) undertaken by Rykodisc finds original Burma producer Rick Harte's remastering job increasing the depth and clarity of this Boston four-piece's groundbreaking sound without sacrificing any of the power, energy or raw, exposed nerve the group committed to wax back in 1980, '81, '82 and '83. Since covered by a veritable "who's who in music" that includes Sugar, Moby, Catherine Wheel, REM, the Spinanes and Soul Asylum; Burma songs such as "Fun World," "This Is Not A Photograph," "Einstein's Day," "Academy Fight Song," "Dirt," "Learn How," "Fame And Fortune," "Go Fun Burn Man," "Peking Spring," "Trem Two," "Mica" and, of course, "That's When I Reach For My Revolver," are the work of musicians, who - much like the Only Ones, Big Black or Big Star - were clearly several years too far ahead of their time to be accepted as anything but frequently-cited future influences. Abrasively poppy, stridently poetic, aggressively artistic and stunningly loud - frequently within the confines of the same song; Clint Conley (bass/vocals) and guitarist/vocalist Roger Miller (who disbanded the group when his hearing began to go in 1983) combined a rough, Jam/Plimsouls-like pop/punk squalor with the tense edginess of a less "out there" David Byrne and the wigged guitar 'n' noize weirdness of a deep-fried Television for three albums crammed with early-'80s energy and angst-frazzled anthems that sound as immediate and vital now as they did when they first hit the 'It's not REO Speedwagon or Survivor' cut out bins back in the days when Hall & Oates ruled and dinosaurs still roamed the earth. --- REVIEW: Del Amitri, _Some Other Sucker's Parade_ (A&M) - Bob Gajarsky Glasgow's Del Amitri has returned to their familiar landscape of pop music on their fifth album, _Some Other Sucker's Parade_. Although 1995's _Twisted_ included the big hit "Roll To Me", its inconsistency yielded less than satisfactory results. _Some Other Sucker's Parade_ reverts back to the formula used on "Always The Last To Know" - saracstic lyrics and straight-ahead hooks - to keep the listener's attention throughout this 14 song effort. The best example of these hooks comes on the first Byrds-like single "Not Where It's At". The singer doesn't get the girl (do pop singers ever?), because he's not hip enough or in the right scene. This could be the story of Del Amitri's career - pop music's critical popularity has been waning throughout the course of their album, but the Scottish group has remained true to their musical beliefs. Any band that claims to play pop music will inevitably point towards the Beatles as influences, and cuts such as "Mother Nature's Writing" and "Cruel Light of Day" (circa "She's So Heavy") verify this statement. And speaking of the lads from Liverpool, the latest so-called fifth Beatle, Jeff Lynne, could almost be singing on the sarcastic "High Times", which mocks the hippie movement and all associated with it. "I loathe this neo-hippie revival of mysticism," says lead singer Justin Currie. "I believe the world's problems can only be solved by people getting off their asses and doing some work; the original hippie movement was about action as much as it was about introspection." It doesn't take much thought to determine the target audience for this release. Fans of Teenage Fanclub and their ilk, or the classic groups such as the Byrds and the Beatles, should take part in this parade. --- REVIEW: Soundtrack, _All of Me_ (TVT) - Eric Hsu Often the only appeal of a soundtrack is either of its one single, usually flogged relentlessly on music video, or as a collection of b-sides and outtakes and unused dribble from well-known artists. Many of the songs here have been pulled from the regular studio releases of the artists, so in this case the appeal of the collection won't be to completists, but to people looking for a sampler introduction to some of the new women in rock today. The compilers (the direcftors Alex and Sylvia Sichel) try for more, attempting to provide, more than a coherent soudtrack, nothing less than a collective manifesto of female empowerment and self-awareness. I can't address the success or failure of the bigger goal, but it's not a bad collection of music. There are a number of highlights, backed up by a few better than average songs and no song is worse than average. The standout track here is the dynamite "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" by Sleater-Kinney. In a time when grunge has made screaming dull, this song leaps out of the speakers and mates melody with noise in one big blast of fresh air. This is an album track, though, so by itself it's not a convincing argument to by this record. Also memorable are Helium's "Hole in the Ground" (with some surprisingly memorable and beautiful wailing to complement the Lou Reed type vocals), and Patti Smith's "Pissing in a River" from 1976. It's interesting to hear how up to date this song sounds twenty years later, compared to, say, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils' "Jackie Blue", also on this record, and even compared to the Geraldine Fibbers' "Dragon Lady". his song has a kind of charisma to it, especially the passionate vocals, but its average grunge stylings distract and instantly date this song in a way that the rave-up rock backing of the Patti Smith Group doesn't. Michelle Malone and Ani DiFranco have impressive voices and supply what sound to me to be totally average songs for them, "Dimming Soul" and "Shy". Somehow neither of them have ever particularly moved me, but I think their fans will be pleased by these selections, and the curious will find these songs to be pretty representative of their work. On the list of average to above-average songs are the Murmurs' moody "Squeezebox Days" and the Amps' "Empty Glasses" (the Breeders' Kim Deal's new band), Alison Piptone's "Dynamite", and Tuscadero supplies the perfectly serviceable "Game Song", and 12 Rounds offers the strangely compelling "Something's Burning", muttering over a grumpy guitar line. "Hello" by Babes in Toyland is unfortunately the first track, but fans of their out-of-tune and lurching style might not mind, and Drugstore supply what sounds like a Mazzy Starr single (not a compliment in my book). Miki Navazio contributes moody film score music scattered throughout. Nothing exciting, but nothing horrible either. Most indulgent moment: the secret track containing the director's band 6 Foot Hero. This soundtrack really gives you your money's worth of time and songs (sixteen tracks). This is a decent introduction to a number of these bands, a number of which I'd never heard before. As a coherent musical statement, it makes less sense to me, but this is an unusually well-considered and well-intentioned soundtrack. --- REVIEW: Laurent Garnier, _30_ (F Communications/Never Records) - David Landgren I had to laugh the other day at something I read in the mainstream press. Or, to be more precise, something I read in the alternative press about the mainstream press. For it seems that America has, at long last, "discovered" techno music. In all modesty, it seems to me that Consumable has been reviewing since its inception in 1993 the best of the European techno scene. The really amusing part about the whole story is that 'Techno' per se is already dead, or at least, it has splintered into so many different currents as to be impossible to map entirely. Take _30_, from Laurent Garnier, one of the European paramount grandmasters in the DJ/house/dance scene. His second album (and his age), _30_ documents Garnier's flight from the dancefloor to something a little more thoughtful and experimental. Before serious clubbers and ravers dismiss it outright, there is some hardcore dance material in the shape of "Flashback" (what's the sample? "acid is a state of mind", yeah ri-i-ight). But that's all there is like that. The subtext being to have one, and one only, of everything; if you want an album all alike, you'll have to go elsewhere. Garnier chooses to cast his net wide, trying his hand at different things. Sometimes the experiments don't quite work out, but I don't think he'll be offended if you skip over to the next track. It's a challenging and rewarding slice of electronica. Laurent Garnier adheres to what might be termed the boostrap or constructionist approach; that is, a song is built from the ground up by starting the merest shred of melody or beat, and then progressively bringing more samples and sequences online and weaving them into the groove. The effect of which, when well done, creates an uplifting feeling of anticipation. The album opens up with an elegant little Eno number, "Deep Sea Diving", a restless yet calming ambient passage, before moving into a "Sweet Mellow D", a long synthetic meandering landscape, the only sound from the real world being a heavily distorted handclap. The former is brilliant, yet far too short, and the second starts out well, but too bad it doesn't stay short. The jewel of the disc is "For Max", an infectious slow-acting dub; a curious track that benefits from repeated listens. I keep thrashing this track. There are three things going on, a bluesy groove, a harsh, scraping industrial interjection and finally an aerien wash weaving in and out. Yeah, a brilliant track that benefits from repeated listens. Max is lucky. Garnier following his bluesy instincts also gives rise to "Feel the Fire", another slow burner. The "Crispy Bacon", the album's single (a pun of all the cyber blah blah dance tracks doing the rounds), is a more upfront hi-NRG piece. The difficulty of the exercise is to know when to stop. Here's where you can participate at home. All you have to do is the skillful DJ bit and fade into something else about three minutes before the end of the song. The one you don't even want to program in at all is "The Hoe". "Yo man, 'zat yo woman over there dancin' with that brother? -- Yeah man, she ain't nothin' but a whore". Ha ha ha, but he thought they said "hoe", see? Hence the title of the song. But I digress. Apart from that it's an awful melody. Zap. Also on the subject of Let's Really Piss Off The Listener is "La Minute Du Repondeur Le Plus Casse-Couilles", which loosely translates to "My Answering Machine Is A Pain In The Ass". Answering machines are passe. That, and, "*?*", some kind of in-joke, (and it's not MS-DOS). But that's about it as far as songs that don't work out. "Mid Summer Night" is fine, coming across as a modern-day minimalist Mike Oldfield. I'd almost swear one of the samples was lifted from _Tubular Bells_. There is also "Theme From Larry's Dub": an African groove, a flute solo, a dash of Henry Mancini's "The Elephants' Walk" and even The Clash's "Junko Partner". In other words, it's pretty berserk. Magnificent in closing, Garnier finishes with the majestic "Le Voyage de Simone". In listening to Tricky a while ago I remembered that I had forgotten about Yazoo's _Upstairs at Eric's_. This track also evokes that feeling. If my stylus wasn't dangerously worn I'd think about digging that vinyl up and seeking out some of its gloomier tracks. It's that good. --- REVIEW: World Party, _Egyptology_ (Enclave) - Al Muzer Karl Wallinger artfully pillages and plunders the mid-'60s British Invasion (in addition to a slew of other artists) for inspiration on the 15 amazing tracks that make up World Party's fourth release, _Egyptology_. Working as a one-man-band, Wallinger incorporates a blast of Keith Moonish drums on the tail end of the enthusiastically bubbling opening track, "It Is Time"; calls on the Troggs and Small Faces for a bit of help with the gorgeous "Beautiful Dream"; recalls the Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra on the effervescent "Call Me Up"; summons the ghost of the Walker Brothers, Neil Diamond, Love and Paul Revere on "Vanity Fair"; 10CC in ballad mode for "She's The One"; the Beach Boys for a quick harmony interlude called, appropriately enough, "Interlude"; the Fab Four in psychedelic overdrive for "Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb"; and Traffic jamming blissfully with John Lennon on a spiffy groove known as "Hercules." Continuing his finely-tuned aural assault with a Ten Years After-type ballad awash in a moody opulence worthy of Barclay James Harvest ("Love Is Best)," Wallinger hits a creative peak on a lonely, closing-credits ballad called "Rolling Off A Log" that segues nicely into a Traffic/Sly Stone/mid-Eastern Beck jam tagged "Strange Groove" that mutates into a Todd Rundgren/Beatles ditty titled "The Whole Of The Night" that, in turn, shifts into a funky bit of groove-fluff ("Piece Of Mind") reminiscent of a Ben Folds Five/Stones studio workout. "This World" and "Always" close out Wallinger's best work since he saved "The Whole Of The Moon" for The Waterboys with a spaced-out bit of dream pop and a dreamy bit of space-pop that finds you hitting the replay/shuffle buttons while you feverishly begin searching stacks of CDs for _Goodbye Jumbo_, _Private Revolution_ and _Bang!_ --- REVIEW: Dambuilders, _Against The Stars_ (East West) - Bob Gajarsky There are instances when a band, despite being on a 'major label', record an album which embodies all the freedom and spirit supposedly represented by independent labels. Possibly the best - and definitely the most recent - example of this comes in the Dambuilders 3rd release on the East-West (a subsidiary of Elektra) label, _Against The Stars_. On _Stars_, lead vocalist Dave Derby, working with drummer Kevin March, guitarist Eric Massunaga and violinist/guitarist/keyboardist Joan Wasser, have taken all the configurations of the musical beast known as 'pop' music and thrown it into a huge blender and let the resultant effort land where it may. Want some early 70's pop? "Burn This Bridge" straddles the line between falsetto pop (a la Raspberries) and the Replacements, with some early nineties underground indie pop sprinkled in for good measure. Progressing later through the decades, "New Wave" playfully steals part of its backing riff from Blondie's "Rapture", while "Discopolis" takes the idea that U2 barely touched on with "Discotheque" - making an alternative disco song - and brings it to fruition, with an indie sensibility that the Irish foursome haven't seen in 15 years. It's rap, guitars, and keyboards with a touch of that glitter ball. How about an 80s version of college pop? Check out "Might Want Me Around", with its Westerberg-like vocals, one guitar playing like mellower early R.E.M., - and Wasser's backing vocals just to shake things up a bit more. Finally, check out "I Was Wrong", which lands squarely between grunge and 80s arena rock without ever losing its cool. The poignant "You'll Never Know" also deftly avoids the trap of being a cliched, lighters-in-the-air, slow track and instead is transposed into a meaningful piece of music. The Dambuilders blend distinct vocal arrangements with musical riffs that we've nearly heard before in a brand new delivery. Just when you're ready to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes them different, the band turn just slightly off-center to dispel any monickers which might get attached to them. One of the most diverse releases of the year. --- REVIEW: Regurgitator, _Tu-Plang_ (Reprise) - Sean Eric McGill When you listen to the amount of music that your average music critic listens to in this day and age, the little things are no longer shocking - take song titles, for instance. After two years of being exposed to grindcore and seeing song titles from bands like Cannibal Corpse and Carcass, not much surprised me - seeing song titles that read like answers to a anatomy mid-term have that effect. But, I must admit, I did a double take when I saw the first track from _Tu-Plang_ by Regurgitator, "I Sucked A Lot of Cock To Get Where I Am". And you can only imagine my surprise to hear the first lyric from the album, which is exactly the same as the title. I was intrigued, to say the least. Unfortunately, this sense of intrigue was replaced by something akin to dismay as I realized that musically and lyrically this song is little more than a retread through the Weezer school of rock and roll songwriting: simple chords, persuasive lyrics, and a catchy hook. I was about to dismiss Regurgitator as being another band that sounded good the first couple of times out of the gate, but then lost their appeal. I'm glad I didn't. The remainder of Regurgitator, while drawing from a variety of sources in terms of styles and other bands, covers such a broad spectrum of musical styles that it left me incredibly impressed. Where songs like "Kong Foo Sing" and "Social Disaster" both have the same sort of rock/rap hybrid sound that bands like 311 have made us familiar with (just without the reggae influence), a song like "Music Is Sport" takes the rock pretty much out of the equation - this song is rap, plain and simple, and sounds like the best song Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy never wrote. One of the best two tracks on the album, "Music Is Sport" is exactly what the title suggests, making an analogy that hasnt crossed my own mind ever - and I wrote sports for years. The second best track on the album, "Pop Porn" also features the same type of lyrical delivery, and doesnt as much attack the music industry as it does the attitudes of some individuals in the industry. The first line, dripping with sarcasm, sums it up: "I'm a sexist mutherfucker on the microphone/with my yo ho, suck my dick, ho" drone". It's no secret that in many areas of popular music, the attitude towards women is disrespectful at best, and outright disgusting in many instances, and "Pop Porn" is a direct attack on that. The chorus puts it perfectly: "No matter what your colour/no matter what your sex/respect". With a musical sound that mixes samples, simple instrumentals, punk rock, and basically anything else you can think of, there's something here for pretty much everyone. Of course, there's little question that if Regurgitator go anywhere with _Tu-Plang_, then songs like "Pop Porn" will be mistakenly interpreted as being sexist - I'm of the opinion that it is not of course, but God only knows what people will read into the first track. --- NEWS: > Chris Butler's "The Devil Glitch" song, which clocks in at 69 minutes and contains more than 500 verses, has just been acknowledged by the Guiness Book of World Records as the "World's Longest Pop Song". > The High Llamas _Hawaii_, reviewed in the June 5, 1996 issue of Consumable, has finally seen the light of day in the States. The release, on V2 Records, also includes six previously unreleased tracks. > Trio's 1982 underground hit, "Da Da Da", has received a new life courtesy of a Volkswagen commercial. Because of this, a 14 track "greatest hits" compilation has just been rush-released in the United States. > Former Jayhawks member Mark Olson, who left the nest last year, a nd his wife, Victoria Williams, have recorded a new album and are shopping for a label - "or we may put it out," Olson said. "It's gonna be called 'The Original Harmony Rich Creek Dippers.' Musically it's a lot like the 'Blue Earth' record," Olson said, referring to the Jayhawks' first, independent release. "People that liked the Jayhawks for that element will like this - it's kinda country." Olson backed up Williams on bass, harmony vocals and percussion for a few dates recently on the second stage of the Lilith Fair tour. Williams, who has multiple sclerosis, said she still has good days and bad with the disease, but she looked healthy during and after a spirited half-hour set on July 20 in Canandaigua, N.Y. --- TOUR DATES (Please confirm with site before travelling): Backsliders Aug. 1 Birmingham, AL The Nick Aug. 2 Atlanta, GA Star Bar Boston Aug. 1 San Antonio, TX Alamodome Aug. 2 Woodlands, TX Woodlands Pavillion Aug. 3 Dallas, TX Starplex Aug. 5 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Aug. 6 Paso Robles, CA Mid State Fair Aug. 8 Universal City, CA Universal Amp. Aug. 9 Devore, CA Blockbuster Pavillion Aug. 10 Las Vegas, NV Aladdin Cravin' Melon Aug. 8 Atlanta, GA The Cotton Club Aug. 9 Florence, SC Shooter's Furthur Festival (incl. Black Crowes and many more) Aug. 2 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre Aug. 3 Irvine, CA Irvine Meadows Government Mule / Sweet Vine Aug. 1 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony Aug. 2 Boston, MA Mama Kin Aug. 4 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Aug. 5 New Haven, CT Toad's Place Aug. 6 Portland, ME Stone Coast Brewery Aug. 7 Burlington, VT Club Toast Aug. 8 Burlington, VT Blues Cruise Guttermouth Aug. 1 Caringbah, AU Coyotes Aug. 2 Sydney, AU Manning Bar Aug. 3 Narrabeen, AU The Sands Aug. 6 Melbourne, AU Punters Club Aug. 7 Geelong, AU Barwon Club Aug. 8-9 Melbourne, AU Lava Lounge Aug. 10 Adelaide, AU Flinders University Lollapalooza (Tool/Prodigy/Korn/many more) Aug. 2 Dallas, TXStarplex Aug. 6 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Aug. 8 Salt Lake City, UT Wolf Mountain Aug. 10 Denver, CO Fiddler's Green Lunachicks Aug. 2 Portland, ME Zootz Aug. 10 Rochester, NY The Bug Jar Megadeth Aug. 1 Denver, CO Red Rocks Aug. 3 Kansas City, KS Memorial Hall Aug. 4 St. Louis, MO American Theater Aug. 6 St. Paul, MN Wilkens Auditorium Aug. 7 Milwaukee, WI Eagle's Ballroom Aug. 8 Chicago, IL Aragon Aug. 9 Columbus, OH Air Center Aug. 10 Cleveland, OH Agora Parking Lot Moxy Fruvous Aug. 2 Decatur, IL Decatur Celebration Aug. 4 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall Aug. 8 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Aug. 9 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival Aug. 10 Toronto, ON Taste of the Danforth Sinead O'Connor Aug. 9 Seattle, WA Peri 62/63 Waterfront Aug. 10 Portland, OR Champeog Park Radiohead Aug. 2 Seattle, WA Kitsap Bowl Aug. 3 Portland, OR Timberbowl Aug. 6 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Aug. 7 Chicago, IL Riviera Aug. 8 St. Louis, MO Galaxy Aug. 10 Atlanta, GA Masquerade Sister Hazel / Cowboy Mouth Aug. 1 Birmingham, AL 5 Points Music Hall Aug. 2 Ft. Walton Beach, FL Ocaloosa Co. Fairgrounds Aug. 3 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center Spiritualized Aug. 6 Milwaukee, WI Rave Bar Aug. 7 Minnesota, MN First Avenue Aug. 8 Chicago, IL Double Door Aug. 9 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall Aug. 10 Toronto, ON Opera House Supertramp Aug. 2 St. Paul, MN St. Paul Civic Center Aug. 3 Winnipeg, MN Winnipeg Arena Aug. 5 Edmonton, AB Coliseum Aug. 6 Calgary, AB Saddledome Aug. 8 Vancouver, BC General Motors Palace Aug. 9 Ellensburg, WA Gorge The Vents Aug. 1 Eugene, OR KNRQ Festival Aug. 3 Portland, OR KNRK Festival Aug. 9 Indianapolis, IN Deer Creek WRZX X Fest Warped Tour Dates (Reel Big Fish, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Social Distortion, Sick Of It All, Less Than Jake, many more) Aug. 1 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville State Fair Aug. 2 Miami, FL Pompano Grounds Aug. 3 Orlando, FL Tsunami Complex Aug. 4 Panama City, FL Club La Vela Complex Aug. 5 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Fairgrounds The Why Store Aug. 9 Indianapolis, IN Deer Creek WRZX X Fest World Party Aug. 6 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall Aug. 7 Cleveland, OH Odeon Aug. 8 Chicago, IL Metro Aug. 9 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue --- Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest continuous collaborative music publication on the Internet. To get back issues of Consumable, check out: WWW: http://www.westnet.com/consumable FTP: ftp.quuxuum.org in the directory /pub/consumable ftp.prouser.org (URL) http://www.westnet.com/consumable/Consumable.html (Delphi) Music Fandom forum; GO ENT MUSIC To subscribe to Consumable, send an e-mail message to consumable-request@westnet.com with the body of the message stating "subscribe consumable". To unsubscribe, send a message to the same address stating "unsubscribe consumable". 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 ===