==== ISSUE 129 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [November 24, 1997] Editor: Bob Gajarsky Internet: gaj@westnet.com Sr. Correspondents: Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Tracey Bleile, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Patrick Carmosino, Krisjanis Gale, Bill Holmes, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Robin Lapid, Stephen Lin, Scott Miller, Linda Scott, Rainier Simoneaux, Scott Slonaker, Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Simon West, Lang Whitaker Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gaj@westnet.com ================================================================== All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the editor. ================================================================== .------------. | Contents | `------------' REVIEW: Jane's Addiction, _Kettle Whistle_ - Sean Eric McGill REVIEW: Dave Matthews Band, _Live At Red Rocks 8.24.95_ - Lang Whitaker REVIEW: Cornershop, _When I Was Born For The 7th Time_ - Al Muzer REVIEW: Chumbawamba, _Tubthumper_ - Simon West INTERVIEW: Fig Dish - Al Muzer REVIEW: Pat Dinizio, _Songs And Sounds_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Various Artists, _Beats & Rhymes Hip-Hop Music of the '90s_ - Lang Whitaker REVIEW: Tanya Donelly, _Lovesongs for Underdogs_ - Reto Koradi REVIEW: Morphine, _B-Sides and Otherwise_ - Rainier Simoneaux REVIEW: Jonatha Brooke, _10c Wings_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Various Artists, _MTV Buzz Bin Volume 2_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Joan Baez, _Gone From Danger_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Greg Garing, _Alone_ - Lee Graham Bridges REVIEW: Various, _Fuzzy Logic_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Various Artists, _Club NRG Volume 1_ / _Mega Hits Dance Party Vol. 1_ - Bob Gajarsky DOORS CONTEST GIVEAWAY NEWS: Consumable's Searchable Archives, Michael Hutchence, Verve Pipe, Violent Femmes, Chris Vrenna / Rasputina TOUR DATES: Daniel Cartier, Paula Cole / Devlins, Deftones / Limp Bizkit, Dots Will Echo, Dream Theatre , Duran Duran, Everclear / Our Lady Peace / Letters To Cleo , Fly, Irving Plaza (New York City concert hall), Jane's Addiction, Jars of Clay / Plumb, Freedy Johnston, Lords of Acid / Jack Off Jill, Magnolia Thunderfinger, Holly McNarland, Moby, Motley Crue, Moxy Fruvous, Pantera / Anthrax / Coal Chamber , Phish, Promise Ring / Compound Red, Rolling Stones / Third Eye Blind, Jim Rose Circus, Semisonic, Sister Hazel, Stereolab / High Llamas, Subrosa, Superdrag, Third Eye Blind THE READERS WRITE BACK! Back Issues of Consuamble --- REVIEW: Jane's Addiction, _Kettle Whistle_ (Warner) - Sean Eric McGill "We've taken things as far as they can go." These are the words spoken by Perry Farrell in 1991 concerning the breakup of Jane's Addiction, the seminal alternative rock band that helped define a genre. Now, more than six years later, we have _Kettle Whistle_ , the new album from Jane's Addiction. So, maybe things hadn't gone as far as they could have...or maybe they have. With Flea replacing original bassist Eric Avery, the lineup remains the same. And, on the four new tracks, the sound certainly remains the same. While Porno for Pyros did retain some of the original elements of the Jane's Addiction sound, they certainly had their own style. And with Dave Navarro teaming with Flea in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, there seemed little chance for any new music coming from Jane's Addiction. But, if you get technical, _Kettle Whistle_ isn't really a new album from Jane's Addiction. Between bootlegs and singles, all but four of the songs available have been available before. Technicalities aside, _Kettle Whistle_ is a new Jane's Addiction album in that while a good bit of the music has been available in the past, it does mark the first time you can get it all in one widely-available package. Of the newer batch of songs, "Kettle Whistle" is clearly the best. In one song, all the things that I personally always loved about Jane's Addiction is perfectly captured: the soaring vocals of Farrell, the driving rhythm section, and Navarro's guitar work. And while the majority of the older tracks are live versions, the live version of "Whores" (from the debut album) captures the energy of a Jane's Addiction live performance better than any of the others. With a one-song performance on Saturday Night Live under their belt and a mostly sold-out tour underway, it seems like Jane's Addiction is back. And even if it is for just this short while, I'm going to enjoy them while they're around. They changed everything we thought we knew about alternative rock a decade ago, and at a time when the genre they helped create has become increasingly stagnant, perhaps they can do the same again. --- REVIEW: Dave Matthews Band, _Live At Red Rocks 8.24.95_ (RCA) - Lang Whitaker Live/concert albums are often like Saturday Night Live sketches- they seem like a great idea whenever they are hatched into production, but by the time the finished product rolls along, it is often disappointing. It's no surprise, really. Without the luxury of overproducing in the studio and having any number of musicians available to call upon, it is difficult to replicate in a live setting the sound that the public has embraced. As a result, many artists either play live using taped tracks instead of live musicians (common in the R&B genre), or they just don't perform live at all. However, there are some times when it does work. It takes not only the right band but also the right style of music. With the Dave Matthews Band, it works, and it works very well. Playing their own brand of improvisation laced jazz/folk/rock/worldbeat fusion, DMB has sewn their seed all over the U.S. in the past few years through incessant touring, word of mouth, and by allowing their fans to record (and later trade tapes within their thriving underground network) their live shows. The only problem with this formula is one that has arisen in the past two or three years. As the technology level of the fans has progressed, CD's of live shows were being mass produced and sold at Mom and Pop record shops all around the country. In order to fight this burgeoning industry, DMB recently announced plans to release a CD series of old concerts from their archives on RCA, which not only puts more music out there for the hardcore DMB fans that had refused to buy the bootleg CD's, but the CD series will also begin drawing milk from a cash cow just now being milked by the cluster of granola bands known for their live shows and intensly loyal, bong-addled fans (Phish, Widespread Panic, DMB). Releasing the concert they chose for the first CD is somewhat of a dubious choice. Not that it isn't a good collection, because it is an excellent CD. It is curious because there are many other shows surviving on tape that are much more phenomenal. Maybe DMB was simply trying not to set the bar too high for themselves right off the bat. The two discs of _Live at Red Rock_ contain material that encompasses not only most of DMB's studio work, but also several fan favorites never before released. The vertical jam of "#36", a tribute to slain South African apartheid activist Chris Hani, and the elderly love song "Granny" both make their official debut, although both have been passed around from taper to taper too many times to be counted. Also included is the encore standard of "All Along the Watchtower", which DMB reworks into a cover that ranges from plaintive to powerful. Dave Matthews also contributes a solo, acoustic version of "Typical Situation", on which his fantastic guitar playing is featured. It's rare that a rhythm guitar player is so universally hailed, but once you hear Matthews' inflections and interpretations, it makes sense. Part of the Dave Matthews legend is that he never learned any chords on the guitar, instead figuring out for himself which notes sounded good together. It's that self-taught rawness that rings loud, clear, and sweet in the echo of Matthews' guitar. Providing counterpoint and melodies to Matthews' guitar are the violin playing of Boyd Tinsley and the reed work of Leroi Moore, two completely contrasting styles that go in the same direction. Tinsley is probably the only 6'2", dreadlocked, black violin player in modern rock and roll. His lively playing is complemented in a live setting by his happy feet. He doesn't so much play music as he seems to channel it - his body flailing and swinging around in time to the rhythms. His electricity translates well, as you can hear the crowd responding to Tinsley's antics. His solos on songs like "Ants Marching" and "Tripping Billies" are tight. On the other hand, Moore is a sedentary figure that stays planted in place during the live shows. It's kind of surprising, because the level of his saxaphone and flute work is often below the levels that Tinsley and Matthews generate. On slower songs, like "Lover Lay Down", Moore seems very much at home. The unifying force behind DMB is the drumming of Carter Beauford. Blessed with ambidexterity beyond reproach, Beauford's jazz origins allow him to interpret the basic rock rhythms of some songs ("Too Much", "Tripping Billies") in new and nuclear ways. Other songs that are more complex really allow Beauford to glow from behind his kit. For example, the 6/4 lope of "Proudest Monkey" provides plenty of room for Beauford to run all over the place, while always being back at home by the downbeat. Also, check out Beauford's two-minute drum solo that kicks off "#36". Bassist Stefan Lessard's reserved groove is the perfect complement to Beauford's electric style. Lessard is always in the pocket and never gets in the way of the myriad of things going on in between all of the instruments. The show from _Live at Red Rocks_ is atypical from most DMB shows in several ways. To begin with, Dave Matthews has always had a penchant for what his fans have come to call Dave-speak, a nervous, unintelligible stream of consciousness that would spew forth with the regularity of Old Faithful from Matthews between songs. Curiously, there is very little, if any, of that. I don't know if it was edited out or whether Matthews was just off kilter that night, but for whatever reason, the Dave-speak is missing. Another surprise about the _LARR_ disc is that the wee Tim Reynolds, the studio guitarist who contributes to all of the DMB albums, plays with the band that night. His presence infuriates many fans, who point out that he is not officially in the band. However, who cares. Reynolds is a virtuostic guitarist, and he doesn't clog up the sound at all. All in all, _Live At Red Rocks_ is a wonderful testament to everything that makes DMB so great, as well as a good stepping stone towards the next live release. --- REVIEW: Cornershop, _When I Was Born For The 7th Time_ (Luaka Bop/Warner) - Al Muzer Fueled by the propulsive acoustic beat and simplistic chant ("everybody needs a bosom for a pillow") of the surprise radio hit, "Brimful Of Asha," vocalist/guitarist Tjinder Singh and his multi national four-piece come close to delivering the artistic revelation hinted at on 1995s uneven (yet interesting) _Woman's Gotta Have It_. While it does boast more than enough potential hits and Beck-friendly beats to attract your average, flavor-of-the-minute alterna-diletante; _When I Was Born For The 7th Time_ is still enough of a stylistic melange to captivate - and frequently delight - even the most jaded music fan. Kicking things off with the smooth, swaying pulse and harmonium-driven hypno-groove of "Sleep On The Left Side," Cornershop establishes a loose, straight-outta-left-field playfulness driven by sitar, percussion, acoustic guitar, deft scratching, Dholki, Tamboura, an occasionally breathtaking weirdness and a sly Punjabi folk-funk shuffle that makes _When I Was Born For The 7th Time_ a perfect addition to a five-disc CD player already loaded with Cibo Matto's _Viva! La Woman_ , Beck's _Odelay_ , the Beasties' _Paul's Boutique_ and an Esquivel compilation. --- REVIEW: Chumbawamba, _Tubthumper_ (Republic/Universal) - Simon West That's right - that song. One of the most unlikely hits in recent months comes from one of the most unlikely sources. Chumbawamba have been around for more than ten years, but chart success has eluded them up until now. They'll need another hit now, of course. Unfortunately, _Tubthumper_ seems to be equipped with just the one. _Tubthumper_ kicks off with "Tubthumping" - that song. The success is thoroughly deserved - an absolutely classic chorus, and overall the best lager-related chant since Underworld's "Born Slippy". The stated definition of Chumba's Tubthumping is "... stumbling home from your local bar, when the world is ready to be PUT RIGHT...", and the music and lyrics convey this attitude well. As every article about the band has pointed out, as "England's Favorite Anarchists", Chumbawamba's lyrics tend to deal with social and political issues, and _Tubthumper_ continues the tradition. The usual activist topics are all represented, from homelessness and exploitation of the workers, to Britain's new government in the rather good next single, "Amnesia". Perhaps the biggest disappointment with _Tubthumper_ is the mood overall. The music is pleasant - good hooks, nice bit of brass here and there, very tuneful, but largely forgettable. A couple of songs beside the single stand out - "One By One", dedicated to "to all workers who take on bosses", and the anti-racist "Scapegoat", but by and large it's all rather uneventful. Perhaps amiable catchiness is the best way to put your point across, but I like a little more aggression with my social commentary, whether it's the punk snarl and bile of Carter USM, the rage of the Manics, or even the hip-hop/Clash style of The 25th Of May (no, seriously, does _anyone_ remember?) Chumbawamba hit this groove occasionally, notably on "I Want More" with its attack on the "tearoom England" of the upper classes, but elsewhere the lyrics are less effective because the music just won't let you get riled up enough. By and large though, _Tubthumper_ is a success - not least because of the lyrical content currently infiltrating even the dullest record collections around the world. A little more aggression might have made for a truly memorable album, rather than simply a good one. A final note - the album is significantly poorer without the booklet's accompanying set of quotes and comments. These had to be excised for legal reasons Stateside, but can be found in their entirety at The First Church Of Chumbawamba - http://www.chumba.com . Well worth checking out, which applies to the album as well. --- REVIEW: Pat DiNizio, _Songs and Sounds_ (Velvel) - Bill Holmes I'll admit, I was nervous when I saw the press release claiming that Smithereens songwriter and vocalist DiNizio was recording with a different group of people to capture a new sound. And the record's introductory track, the drifting "Where Am I Going", threw a scare into me. But once the opening notes of "Nobody But Me" cranked out of my speakers, all was right with the world again - this great pop mine still had a thick gold vein. I wouldn't blame DiNizio if he did try something new. The Smithereens have crafted some of the catchiest pop songs of the past fifteen years, yet flirt with cult status at best. So after the last record (the disappointing _A Date With The Smithereens_ ) didn't set the world on fire, rumors flew that Pat would try a new band while the rest of the Smithereens backed up Kink Dave Davies. Hearing that the band included a jazz horn player didn't make my day - I love jazz, but I love Pat's pop songs much, much more. With _Songs And Sounds_ , DiNizio seems to have satisfied his muse while preserving the pop sensibilities of his former band. Ironically, this record sounds more like earlier work like _Green Thoughts_ than a departure! "124 MPH", "Running Jumping Standing Still" and especially "Today It's You" are the best songs he's written in five years. Had this disc come out under The Smithereens banner, most people (myself included) would have thought it to be a great comeback record. Bassist J J Burnel (ex-Stranglers!) and Tony Smith are a formidable rhythm section, and Sonny Fortune contributes some excellent sax work on the haunting intro to "No Love Lost" and especially the smoky cafi closer, "I'd Rather Have The Blues". Producer Don Dixon aptly mixes the flavor of the disc accordingly - ballads like "Lisa" smooth and graceful; pop-rockers like "Everyday World" have that updated 1960's slap. Smithereens fans will be encouraged that the band recently played as a unit at the New York "Cave Stomp" festival, and the new rumors are that the reformed band will be recording and releasing a record in 1998. Until then, _Songs And Sounds_ will keep fans more than satisfied, and hopefully bring some long-overdue recognition to the fold. --- INTERVIEW: Fig Dish - Al Muzer "Things do get a little strange here and there, don't they," chuckles guitarist/vocalist Blake Smith when a few of the more creative lyrical moments on Figdish's second Polydor Records release, _When Shove Goes Back To Push_ , are mentioned. "We had most of the lyrics written down before we showed up at the studio," he continues. "As soon as we got there, however, we started drinking - basically, all day long. We wound up in the vocal booth at some point but nobody could remember any of the words! So, we just kind'a made shit up as we went along," he laughs. "You know, 'Hey! Now that sounds pretty cool!' That's why things on the record may seem a little, uhm, obtuse at times." One of the brightest-sounding records of 1997, the latest offering from the Chicago-based four-piece picks up the crunchy, Raspberries-flavored, guitar-pop torch their critically-acclaimed 1995 debut, _That's What Love Songs Often Do_ , carried while it adds even more hooks, harmonies, glockenspiel, pseudo-metal riffs, techno-churn chaos, smart-ass lyrics, jangling power chords and revved-up guitar madness to the group's arsenal. "We're all huge fans of good pop music," Smith says of his bandmates. "The great thing about being in Figdish is that the four of us all share a common pop vocabulary. We've all known each other since high school and we all come from the same place musically, so we don't have to consciously try to effect any particular pose. We just play what comes naturally to us." "One of my favorite comments that I hear about the band when people see us live is that our gigs are more like watching a gang than a band," he adds. "We get out there and we're all, like, totally tuned in to each other and completely into putting on a great show." "It's all, you know, about delivering 'the rock' to the people," Smith laughs. "And, while that might sound kind'a corny and may even border on Spinal Tap, the thing is, we all love music so much that our pure love for playing and making music sometimes makes us come off as a little bit weird on stage." "We almost seem like a put-on or like we're goofing on the audience when we're really goin' at it up there," he chuckles. "We jump around all over the place and like to strike these really dramatic, Ted Nugent-as-guitar-God poses. The thing is, though, as much as we love having fun, we're more than half-serious about what we're doing." "You know, we've tossed a few television sets out of a few windows and gotten ourselves into a bit of trouble every now and then," Smith laughs when asked just how far he and his band were willing to take their quest for rock 'n' roll fun." "Which makes a lot of the people we know ask us stuff like, 'What the hell are you guys doin'? Don't you want this?' [a career as a musician] And I'm, like, 'Well, yeah! This is what this is to me.' Partying. Getting loose. Having fun, man, when I was a kid growing up in the '80s, that was what rock was all about, you know? People really enjoying what they were doing." "Rock has just gotten so damn tight-assed over the last few years," he says with a mixture of frustration and genuine disgust. "You turn on the radio anymore and everyone you hear is so damn serious and so damn straight-faced - it's fuckin' rock, man! Lighten up, have some fun! Throw a party!" --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Beats & Rhymes Hip-Hop Music of the '90s_ (Rhino) - Lang Whitaker Even though I love rap music, I often find myself switching it off these days. Nothing against Puffy or Master P, but there is a definite lack of creativity today in the Hip-Hop Nation. I get tired of hearing every song from the 80's being re-done with some monotone soliloquoy spoken on top of it in which the phrase "around the world" is rhymed with "pearls". Even more discouraging than the lack of creativity is the lack of of subject matter out there. It's almost a shame that N.W.A. and The Geto Boys ever hit it big, because everyone else has been busy trying to "keep it real" ever since, even if they were never real to begin with (witness Hammer, Vanilla Ice, Kris Kross). _Beats and Rhymes: Hip-Hop Music of the '90s_ , is a new three record collection from Rhino Records that recalls the earlier days of rap music, back when weekends meant two-turntables and a microphone, not two glocks and a 40. A well planned compilation effort, on the whole it is an extremely upliting and satisfying listen, despite the reality of the topics that are often confronted. There are many highlights between the three discs, which makes it hard to single out only a few. On the first disc, A Tribe Called Quest shows their visionary genius on "Bonita Applebum", a ghetto love song that features not one, but two samples the Fugees eventually stole and turned into millions of greenbacks. KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions warn of the controlling power of money on "Love's Gonna Get 'Cha (Material Love)". A young but funk-filled Teddy Riley produces a fading star in Big Daddy Kane on "I Get the Job Done". On Disc Two, Brand Nubian, featuring Grand Puba and Sadat X, slows down Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians' "What I Am" on the track "Slow Down", an amazing tale of a life lost to substance abuse. The Leaders Of The New School, with a pre-Whoo-ha! Busta Rhymes, contribute the comical "Case of the PTA". DJ Quik describes in accurate detail a night in California on "Tonite". The final disc is full of jams; from Del, the Funkee Homosapien's biting social critique of the hip-hop style biters on "Mistadobalina", to "Ya Mama", The Pharcyde's recreation of lunchroom snaps. Also worth checking out is the amazing Chip-Fu of Fu Schnickens, who dances all over the track on "La Schmoove". As I listened to the discs, several things stood out at me. One of the primary things I noticed was the lost art of scratching. Nowadays scratching appears in every genre on the radio (Hanson's "HmmBop!"), and even then it only gets a cursory shot. On the discs of this collection, scratching is often one of the key elements, if not the main ingredient, in the songs. For example, on Heavy D. & The Boyz's "Who's The Man (Jeep Bass)", a version of Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle" is scratched in throughout the songs. Another seemingly lost art form is the proper use of samples. In the songs of this collection, samples are used sparingly, usually arriving in two and three beat loops. There are usually seperate bass lines running underneath them, so that when the samples play over the bass parts they add to the song, not totally comprise it. Even the samples that are longer in length (Brickell on "Slow Down") are sped up or slowed down enough to be almost unrecognizable. This is a sharp contrast to the "sample" of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" in Janet Jackson's "Got 'Til It's Gone", or Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out", which essentially is the entire song "More Money, More Problems". As the violent content of rap music has increased through the 90's, the mainsteam popularity and financial lucrativity have also ballooned. However, with the growing fame and fortune that find rap artists, there eventually comes a point where the music loses its connection to the man on the street, and as a result, the credibility goes out the window too. Many artists nowadays are doing cover tunes of old rap songs (Eric Sermon's "Rapper's Delight"; Snoop Doggy Dogg's "The Vapors"). Until rap music returns to its roots, thank God for compilation albums like this. --- REVIEW: Tanya Donelly, _Lovesongs for Underdogs_ (Reprise) - Reto Koradi She may be a member of the 20-something set, yet Tanya Donelly can almost be considered a veteran in female alternative rock: Throwing Muses, Breeders, Belly - her band list looks like the who's who of the genre. And while fans were sad about the split of Belly, this was not an end to seeing Tanya's face in the spotlight. Donelly just found that the time has now come to put her own name and face on a record cover. The first few tracks of _Lovesongs for Underdogs_ do not show a huge difference to past efforts. Songs like the single "Pretty Deep" or "The Bright Light" could just as well have been on a next Belly album. But the longer the album runs, the more variation comes into play. There is a whole number of beautiful, slowly paced songs like "Acrobat", and Donelly widens her territory even further. "Goat Girl" is a playful, slightly folky tune, and "Bum" is atmospheric with somewhat muddy instrumentation. Even though some of the songs show a slight tendency in that direction, Donelly has not joined the league of female singer/songwriters, as is shown by her vocals soaring over a noisy background in "Breathe Around You". While presenting herself as a solo artist, Donelly takes support from prominent members of the Boston scene, with (former) members of the Pixies, Throwing Muses, Letters To Cleo, Veruca Salt and Juliana Hatfield Three, the latter being nobody else than her husband Dean Fisher on bass. Most lyrics circle around relations, and are, as expected, much more personal than the ones from her previous band projects. _Lovesongs for Underdogs_ is certainly the most versatile and mature effort of Tanya Donelly so far. In this natural development she might have lost some of the charming freshness that made Belly's _Star_ so outstanding, but new qualities are added. And the most important talents will probably always be with her. Despite its remarkable range, her voice has a fragile touch that you can hardly get enough of once you are hooked. And most of all, she has the capability of writing one great song after the other. --- REVIEW: Morphine, _B-Sides and Otherwise_ (Rykodisc) - Rainier Simoneaux A vintage illustration on the cover of this collection of rare live cuts, soundtrack efforts, and other songs mined from Morphine's past portrays a woman spiking a dish of pasta with poisonous ingredients. Unfortunately, such a noxious blend is not too far from the usual result when a band purges its vaults and issues their findings within a single volume - a few cuts of remarkable quality debased by others which are so uninspired so as to make one question why they were recorded in the first place. Morphine's _B-Sides and Otherwise_ , though, is at least derived from some quality stock. Since forming in 1992, this Boston-based band has nurtured a distinctive sound based on the smokey, brooding saxophone of Dana Colley and the visceral voice and Beat lyrics of Mark Sandman to create what may be the most uniquely potent music of this decade. Of the twelve tracks amassed here, however, only the first three capture the minimalist three-piece's craft at its sharpest, perhaps because they are recordings of live radio broadcasts of previously released material. Each of these embody the cool intensity which Morphine brings to a live show and are engineered to perfection (making one wonder about the power a live collection might contain). The remainder of the tracks vary from ambient instrumental soundtrack material to "Pulled over the Car", a quirky, angular song from the Yes sessions which has become a staple of their live sets over the past few years. Other songs, such as "Sundayafternoonweightlessness", give glimpses into Morphine's more improvisational experiments. Ironically, it's during these attempts at the avant-garde ("Kerouac", "My Brain") that they become almost innocuous and banal - one can appreciate the light of day without having to stare directly into the sun. Though hardly as consistent and solid as their previous albums, _B-Sides and Otherwise_ should be a welcomed addition to the collection of devoted fans. Those who have yet to discover the emotionally explosive sounds of Morphine would be doing themselves a disservice by not checking into their previous studio material. --- REVIEW: Jonatha Brooke, _10c Wings_ (Refuge/MCA) - Jon Steltenpohl _10c Wings_ is the second album by The Story's Jonatha Brooke since she stopped performing with her partner Jennifer Kimball. Brooke wrote all of the songs, and Kimball sang backup. But, even after a few albums, it still feels like something's missing. There was an innocent feel to the first album by The Story that Brooke has never been able to match, and the lack of Kimball's harmonies only seem to highlight that fact. Sure, Brooke's writing is still there, and when she gets a song right, it really hits its mark. "Because I Told You" is one of those great songs. It's quiet, personal, and touching. Brooke's voice is whispered and insistent. Later in the song, she layers some warm harmonies at just the right spots. Acoustic guitar and a hand drum set a background with atmospheric touches by a guitar and synthesizer. "Annie" follows the same pattern. The song is a personal message to a messed up girl that really gets your emotional attention. "Blood From a Stone" starts out with the same promise that "Because I Told You" and "Annie" have, but after the first verse, a cymbal and a few other sounds rumbles up that take away all of the intimacy. "Genius or a Fool" is buried in sad sounding horns and a weird chorus of male voices at the end. "Crumbs" starts out good, but ends in some sort of homage to The Beatles "Golden Slumbers". What gives? There's not much in the basic lyrics and melodies of these songs that's any different than the quiet, tender songs on the album. Brooke just seems drawn to the flame of "radio ready" sounds that singe her charming, innocent style into a run-of-the-mill faux Sheryl Crow. Not that this is new. Brooke started the transformation on the second The Story album, _The Angel in the House_, and unfortunately, the style still doesn't work for her. Still, _10c Wings_ gives us enough to like on this album. "Because I Told You" and "Annie" along with the title track and "Shame On Us" are all such good songs that they make up for the shortcomings of the rest of the album. Listening to a track like "10 cent Wings" is a beautiful experience. Brooke is singing about a flight on angel wings, and her song takes you right along. This is the musician who made that first album such a success, partner or not. Clearly, she recognized the strength of the song in making it the title cut. _10c Wings_ has some gems on it, but as an album, it isn't the masterpiece those gems would suggest. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _MTV Buzz Bin Volume 2_ (Mammoth) - Bob Gajarsky Another alterna-compilation, this twelve song collection from Mammoth consists of songs from MTV's 'Buzz Bin' which broke over into widespread acceptance in the modern rock circles. Some of these songs aren't entirely indicative of their albums - see Nada Surf, Primitive Radio Gods, and Flaming Lips - while others offer a brief glimpse into the artists' repertoire (such as the Cardigans). The Goo Goo Dolls still sound like Paul Westerberg, the Counting Crows still sound like Van Morrison, and the Chemical Brothers still sound like...the Chemical Brothers. Most hearty fans of the genre will have several of the artist's accompanying full length albums, but for the modern rock fan's holiday goodie bag, you could do far worse than a copy of _MTV Buzz Bin Volume 2_ . TRACK LISTING: 311 - Down, Cardigans - Lovefool, Nada Surf - Popular, Folk Implosion - Natural One, Counting Crows - Mr. Jones, Primitive Radio Gods - Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth, Cake - The Distance, Goo Goo Dolls - Naked, Live - Pain Lies On The Riverside, Flaming Lips - She Don't Use Jelly, Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun (Instrumental), D'Angelo - Brown Sugar --- REVIEW: Joan Baez, _Gone From Danger_ (Guardian) - Jon Steltenpohl It's hard not to think of Joan Baez as a hippie folk singer. The image is just too strong. But, a quick listen to her latest album, _Gone From Danger_, and your mental image might start to change. Even before you get a chance to pop in the CD, there's a mature Baez on the cover smiling at you with a huge grin. Open the booklet and you'll find about 10 pictures of Baez at complete ease with herself with that huge beaming good. And Baez has a reason to smile. Press play, and you'll hear a great modern folk album. _Gone From Danger_ is as accessible to the current folk music community as it is to fans of "pop" folk artists like Shawn Colvin and The Indigo Girls. Like most of her recordings, Baez is at ease covering other people's songs. This time around, she focuses on the new crop of young folk singers. Inspired by her recent tour with "folkie du jour" Dar Williams, Baez has chosen 9 songs by such artists as Richard Shindell, Betty Elders, and Williams herself. These are all up and coming stars of the current folk scene (yes, there is a thriving folk scene), and Baez put a lot of work into choosing songs that touched her in some way. Baez chose 3 Shindell songs for this album, and with good reason. Hew fills his songs with down to earth lyrics and rustic melodies. Elders' "Crack in the Mirror" is a chilling account of a molester's self delusions that packs the strongest emotional punch on the album. There are two songs by Williams, "February" and "If I Wrote You". "If I Wrote You" is the better of the two, and it's an intimate portrait of the self-doubt of someone secretly in love. But, perhaps the best song on the album is the only one co-written by Baez herself. "Lily" is a bittersweet song about a second grade friend who cuts her hair and leaves a Mennonite community. Baez came from such a background, and she sings with such conviction that it's likely that the girl in the song was one of her friends. "Lily" starts with what sounds like a sampled drum beat, but it still features acoustic guitar and beautiful harmonies. Baez brings to all of these songs the skills of a veteran musician who's not afraid to keep herself up to date. With the help of the producers from her last studio album , _Play Me Backwards_, Baez gives _Gone From Danger_ a distinctively modern sound without sacrificing the emotion or style of her earlier work. All told, _Gone From Danger_ is an album that reestablishes Baez for a new generation. She hasn't evolved enough to lose her fans, but _Gone From Danger_ is such a good album that she's bound to attract new ones. For more information, lyrics, and samples, visit the Joan Baez Web Page at http://baez.woz.org . To hear samples, call 1-800-890-0800 and use artist code 1061. --- REVIEW: Greg Garing, _Alone_ (Revolution) - Lee Graham Bridges To say, as the press release does, that Greg Garing's new album _Alone_ represents a mixture of country-western rock and techno comparable to a melding of "Orbison with Orbital" would be grossly inaccurate. Garing is a country boy at heart, and his music follows suit: part bluesy rock, part country-western, and a pinch of modern beats and an occasional technoism, a drone in the background or a beep or whistle or click. The end result is not a blend of country and techno elements (such as certain moments on The KLF's _Chill Out_ ), but rather a modern rendition of certain traditional music. Among the album's real strengths is the exposition of Garing's ability to create solid music. Each song is efficiently crafted and well packaged. "Safe Within Your Arms" starts up fairly plainly, then moves into a cute, mellow instrumental. "Dream Too Real To Hold", between its oddly dark calliope sounds, ambient drones, and Garing's vocals' uncanny likeness to that of Tim Booth of James, sounds like it could be an outtake from the Tim Booth/Angelo Badalamenti collaboration _Booth and the Bad Angel_ . On the flipside, Garing's vocals can often sound whiny and strained instead of strong and moving. The lyrics are not too outstanding either; themes of lost love, found love, and the like abound. _Alone_ is a solid performance on Greg Garing's part, but despite his skills, the listener is still left wondering what exactly Garing was striving to create. --- REVIEW: Various, _Fuzzy Logic_ (RPM USA) - Bill Holmes The world is full of bad compilation records. Hell, the used bins are full of bad compilation records! As an incessant bin-browser, I recognize that labels are constantly creating hodgepodges of songs by their acts and flooding radio stations with them. The jocks, of course, take them to the used record store when the shrink wrap is still warm, where they wallow through the depreciation process until they settle in at that under-$3 level. That's when people like me figure that for a price the worst that can happen is that I get a small piece of firewood, a Frisbee and a jewel case along with my major-label-only potpourri. On the other hand, some labels issue compilations simply because they love the music. Greg Colburn's RPM USA label previously issued the you-gotta-get-it _Three Minute Revolution_ , a collection of pop songs. This time Colburn has tuned his radio dial way to the left and gathered up some great garage, fuzz and trash rock for your dining and dancing pleasure. BOMP and SUNDAZED fans will want to rush right out and grab this one - twenty six stacks o'wax that will get you a speeding ticket in no time. Kicking off with the growling "Full Grown Man" by Dragline, _Fuzzy Logic_ doesn't stop cranking until 70 minutes later. Familiar names doing yeoman work include The Montgomery Cliffs (killer!), The Rockinghams (Jagger sings early Mott) and Love Nut's Max Mueller. There are few clunkers here -standouts include the Botswanas' funky "Soul Kiss", the Ramones-like "Beauty" by Adam West (you wish!) and the scorching instrumental "Crown, Cork & Stomp" by The Walkers. Perhaps my favorite cuts are The Piersons' "She's The Kind Of Girl" (a song that belongs on radio right now) and the white trash opus "Double Wide" by Big Bad John. The bands are mostly from the USA, with others from as far away as Greece and Australia. Who says rock is dead? What's as impressive as the music is the unselfish and altruistic nature of the label and its owner. Music lover that he is, Colburn includes contact addresses and phone numbers for the bands so that you can follow up directly with those who push your pedal to the metal. His aim with the compilations and the label, is to spread the word about great music that doesn't get the attention that it deserves. At $10 postpaid in the US and $14 for the rest of our world, I highly recommend that you invest in the cause (contact RPM USA at PO Box 10216, Baltimore MD, USA 21234 or email Greg Colburn at link@sun-link.com for more information). --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Club NRG Volume 1_ / Various Artists, _Mega Hits Dance Party Vol. 1_ (Interhit) - Bob Gajarsky Taking off where ZYX left off several years ago, Interhit has firmly established itself in the dance community as one of the leaders in the (American) Eurodance market. _Club NRG Volume 1_ and _Mega Hits Dance Party Volume 1_ only serve to cement that well-deserved reputation. _Club NRG_ is a 16 track compilation of songs from the past several years is packed with songs that, either in their current or original format, will be familiar to most city clubgoers. And, DJs will be happy to know that the beats-per-minute ranges from 120 to 140. The Madonna sound-alike Blonde Ambition appear with two Hi-NRG covers from the Material Girl's catalog ("Live To Tell" and the classic Evita tune "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"). Lost turns "Because You Loved Me" from a hideously boring ballad into a listenable dance song, and Jimmy James' "Who Wants To Be Your Lover" offers the potential to be a hit in the same clubs that broke Erasure and Jimmy Somerville. Original songs by Interhit artists Culture Beat ("Take Me Away") and Sonic Dream Collective ("Don't Go Breaking My Heart") have shown up on other Interhit compilations and fit right at home here. The eminently popular cover of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Nikki French makes yet another appearance, this time in its 5 minute version. A couple tracks miss the mark; even the most 'popular' dance cover of No Doubt's "Don't Speak", this time by Cynthiana, fails to spark this listener. And even with new vocals, the Barry Harris (Kon Kan) / Kimberly Wetmore "Together In Electric Dreams" falls short of the original Moroder/Oakey version from the mid 80s. In a similar vein, _Mega Hits_ focuses on cover versions of top 10 pop songs. Many unbearable ballads are turned into listenable dance songs; witness the transformation of the Spice Girls' "2 Become 1", in which Wildside do their best Stacey Q imitation, and Linda Imperial's reworking of "Unbreak My Heart". Some of the tracks have appeared on other Interhit compilations, but as always, enough 'new' songs make the collection fulfilling. And the bonus track "No Tengo Dinero" could be the latest song to capture American hearts with Spanish lyrics. These Euro-discofied covers of pop songs will be a welcome addition for anyone who purchased any of the early 90s ZYX series of _Do It Again_ or lovers of the new Eurodance trend. --- DOORS CONTEST GIVEAWAY > In conjunction with C Notes Interactive and Elektra Entertainment, Consumable Online is giving away five copies of the Doors 4 disc box set. Reviewed in the November 6th issue of Consumable ( http://www.westnet.com/consumable/1997/11.06/revla.html ), this collection includes some of their greatest hits, live performances, and a never-before-completed track, "Orange County Suite". To enter the contest, send an e-mail containing your name, address, and phone number to contest@westnet.com before December 5. Further information on the Doors and this box set can be found at http://www.cnotes.com/cnotes.artists/doors.html --- NEWS: > Consumable is now being archived through the site reference.com - searchable archives for the list are available at http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/listarch?list=Consumable@westnet.com This is in addition to Consumable's existing search engine, located at http://www.westnet.com/consumable/search.html > INXS' Michael Hutchence was found dead from a self-induced hanging in a Sydney, Australia hotel on Saturday morning. The band's 20th anniversary tour Down Under has been cancelled, and mourning fans around the world are uncertain as to the band's future. > A previously unreleased version of the Verve's Pipe "Reverend Girl" will be offered over the Internet using AT&T's distribution. The dree download will be available for one month via the band's web site, located at http://www.thevervepipe.com . > The Violent Femmes have gone on the web with their own interactive site located at http://www.vfemmes.com > The forthcoming album from cello trio Rasputina will be produced by Chris Vrenna. Previously, Vrenna's work includes projects with Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica and Marilyn Manson. --- TOUR DATES (Please confirm with site before travelling): Daniel Cartier Nov. 26 New York, NY Fez Nov. 27 Boston, MA Kendall Cafe Paula Cole / Devlins Nov. 28 Portland, ME State Theatre Nov. 29 Providence, RI Lupos Nov. 30 New Haven, CT Toads Place Deftones / Limp Bizkit Nov. 26 Clinton, MA St. Johns Nov. 28 Providence, RI Lupos Nov. 29 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony Nov. 30 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Dots Will Echo Nov. 26 New York, NY Brownies Dream Theatre Nov. 25 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance Duran Duran Nov. 26 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Sunrise Music Theatre Nov. 28 Tampa, FL TPAC Everclear / Our Lady Peace / Letters To Cleo Nov. 26 San Francisco, CA Fillmore Nov. 28-29 Portland, OR La Luna Dec. 1 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre Fly Nov. 26 Fullerton, CA Club 369 Nov. 28 Santa Barbara, CA Yucatan Nov. 29 Costa Mesa, CA Club Mesa Irving Plaza (New York City concert hall: http://www.irvingplaza.com) Nov. 26 Todd Rundgren Nov. 28 Guster Jane's Addiction Nov. 28, Dec. 1 Los Angeles, CA Universal Amp. Jars of Clay / Plumb Nov. 28 Peoria, IL Madison Theatre Nov. 29 Little Rock, AR Robinson Auditorium Nov. 30 Kansas City, KS Memorial Hall Freedy Johnston Nov. 25 New York, NY Fez Lords of Acid / Jack Off Jill Nov. 24 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Nov. 25 Boston, MA Axis Nov. 26 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol Nov. 28 New York, NY Roxy Nov. 29 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Magnolia Thunderfinger Nov. 28 Long Beach, CA Clipper (W/ Wayne Kramer) Holly McNarland Nov. 25 Cincinnati, OH Top Cats Nov. 26 Cleveland, OH Odeon Nov. 27 Chicago, IL House of Blues Nov. 28 Detroit, MI Shelter Moby Nov. 26 Phoenix, AZ Icehouse Nov. 28 Boulder, CO Theater Nov. 30 Minneapolis, MN 1st Avenue Motley Crue Nov. 25 Las Vegas, NV Aladdin Theatre Nov. 26 San Bernadino, CA Orange Pavilion Nov. 28 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena Nov. 30 Denver, CO McNichols Sports Arena Moxy Fruvous Nov. 27-28 Chicago, IL Shuba's Nov. 29 Cincinnati, OH Top Cats Pantera / Anthrax / Coal Chamber Nov. 24 Salt Lake City, UT Saltair Pavillion Nov. 26 El Paso, TX County Coliseum Nov. 28 Dallas, TX Fair Park Coliseum Nov. 29 Houston, TX Westpark Ent. Ctr. Nov. 30 Austin, TX Austin Music Hall Phish Nov. 26 Hartford, CT Harford Civic Ctr. Nov. 28-30 Worcester, MA Centrum Promise Ring / Compound Red Nov. 26 Salt Lake City, UT The Moracan Nov. 27 Denver, CO 15th St Bar Nov. 28 St Louis, MO Side Door Nov. 29 Omaha, NE The Cog Factory Nov. 30 Chicago, IL Fireside Bowl Rolling Stones / Third Eye Blind Nov. 25 Minneapolis, MN HHH Metronome Nov. 28 Seattle, WA Kingdome Jim Rose Circus Nov. 26 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live Nov. 29 Albuquerque, NM Elrey Theatre Nov. 30 Las Vegas, NV Huntridge Theatre Semisonic Nov. 28 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Sister Hazel Nov. 24 Milwaukee, WI Modjeska Theatre Nov. 25 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Stereolab / High Llamas Nov. 24 San Francisco, CA Grt. Amer. Music Hall Nov. 26 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre Nov. 28 Tempe, AZ Gibson's Nov. 29 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad Subrosa Nov. 30 Chicago, IL House of Blues Superdrag Nov. 24 Chicago, IL Riviera Nov. 25 Milwaukee, WI Rave Nov. 26 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Third Eye Blind Nov. 29 Vancouver, BC Graceland Nov. 30 Portland, OR La Luna --- THE READERS WRITE BACK! > I love your electronic magazine. Hooked since I read the back issues with the Andy Partridge interview (I'm an XTC diehard). Sitting here in my office in the central interior of wild British Columbia, Canada, there's nothing better than having a cuppa and reading about the latest musical happenings. And you know what? My boss could walk right on by and think I was reading my work e-mail. Try sitting at your desk reading a jumbo-sized Rolling Stone mag and not getting caught - ain't gonna happen. Keep up the good work! A.S., British Columbia --- 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 (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 ===