==== ISSUE 131 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [December 16, 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 | `------------' INTERVIEW: Cause & Effect's Robert Rowe - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars _Live and Kickin'_ - Joann D. Ball CONCERT REVIEW: Midnight Oil - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Lisa Loeb, _Firecracker_ - David Pirmann REVIEW: 2K, "***k The Millenium" - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Various, _We Will Fall - The Iggy Pop Tribute_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Mogwai, _Young Team_ - Simon West REVIEW: Various Artists, _Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the Cheeze_ / _The Hit List_ - Joann D. Ball REVIEW: The Gain, _Ready Steady Smash_ - Bill Holmes CONTEST WINNERS: Doors Box Set giveaway NEWS: Black Crowes, From Good Homes, (hed) p.e. / Motley Crue, Local H / Triple Fast Action, Modified "Chillas", Prodigy, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against The Machine TOUR DATES: Barenaked Ladies / Devlins, Brain Surgeons, Juliana Hatfield / Triple Fast Action, Hed P.E., Moxy Fruvous, Oneida / Be/Non, Oral Groove, Pave The Rocket, Phish, Jane Siberry Back Issues of Consumable --- INTERVIEW: Cause & Effect's Robert Rowe - Bob Gajarsky What happens when your record label calls it a day and abandons nearly all its artist roster? If you're a member of synthpop band Cause & Effect, it means taking a detour and getting your music out to the masses via the Internet. Robert Rowe, lead singer and one of the founding members of the California band, decided to take the band online in 1996 in order to regain control over the band's decisions. The choice has proven to be a fruitful one. "Building our web site has been one of the best decisions we ever made.", Rowe explains. "We don't tour very often so it's been a good way to keep that relationship with the audience that you get while touring and to keep people informed of our progress. When used creatively, the Internet gives power to artists to reach people anywhere in the world without the help of a label and at a very low cost. That just wasn't possible before." That web site - at http://www.causeandeffect.com - serves as a sort of clearinghouse for fans to discuss the band's favorite songs, learn the latest news on Cause & Effect from the band's members, and purchase merchandise - including the band's third album, _Innermost Station_ (Liquefaction). _Innermost Station_ originally started as a 6 song EP to satisfy the fans who had been clamoring for a new release. But when the trio got into the process of recording, songs flowed freely - and soon, ten songs were recorded. The tenth song was dropped, however, because it didn't fit in with the flow of the nine that eventually comprised _Innermost_. With the title taken from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, it should come as no surprise that the songs here are much more mature and revealing than previous C&E releases. Taking a sip from a glass of red wine, Rowe discusses the evolution of _Trip_ and _Innermost_. "_Trip_ was a questioning of things on a spiritual level and through the recording of that album, we came to find a few answers for ourselves. I think a lot of the songs on _Innermost Station_ deal with a breakdown of the physical world around us and the breaking apart of relationships." One of the breakdowns which the band had to deal with after the success of their breakthrough album, _Another Minute_, was the passing of original member Sean Rowley in 1992 when he suffered a severe asthma attack which resulted in heart failure. The memory of Rowley still plays an important part in Cause & Effect's music. "He (Sean) would never settle for whatever came easy," Rowe sadly recalls. "He'd always push until he came up with something better. I think of this every time I write." And while _Another Minute_ may have drawn comparisons to British synth pioneers such as Depeche Mode, the band's evolving sound - including instruments not normally associated with synthpop bands, such as a Fender Stratocaster or Rickenbacher 12 string guitar - have made any of those comparisons moot. Rowe dismisses those hanging on to once-valid analogies. "I think with _Trip_, we managed to prove ourselves and develop something unique. What annoys me are those that refuse to look further than the similarities. Early Gene sounded a lot like the Smiths but that doesn't mean that they (Gene) are invalid." The instrumental "Radiolaria" offers the first chance to hear Cause & Effect skirt the world of ambient music. Rowe first started work on this during a solo weekend, where working on a song without lyrics or vocals proved therapeutic. Fellow bandmates Keith Milo and Richard Shepherd convinced an appreciate Rowe that it would fit with the feel of _Innermost Station_ and made it into a complete song. "We've never released an instrumental before so it was one more way we could do something different from what we've done in the past. I think with this genre of music (synthpop) there is a tendency to not go outside of the boundries that were created by the bands that started it all. We don't believe in not doing something just because it doesn't fit the mold. If we feel like using a Gibson and a Marshall stack, we'll do it if it works for the song." Longtime C&E fans need not fear that the band have abandoned their roots. Many of the tracks contained on _Innermost Station_ would fit nicely in with the flowing work which was released on _Trip_, where the songs weren't aimed at creating dance club fads, but at lasting songs with honest-to-goodness intelligent hooks. That trait continues here on cuts such as "Eclipse" and "She's So Gone". "The World Is Ours" opens with ninety seconds of introspection and mildly haunting music before bursting into a traditional keyboard chorus, as Rowe implores his lover to 'Get up on the rooftop and scream out our desires / They can keep their heaven, I'll stay down near the fire / The world is ours.' Meanwhile, "Real?" musically recalls "Another Minute", but with more mature lyrics. 'The older I get, the less I feel / I don't know what I want / I don't know what is real', Rowe realizes, as the younger boy from the aforementioned cut has grown into a man. There are no standout, top 10 singles here, but in establishing a band's long-term success, the quality of albums is key. Cause & Effect have produced another album which will tug at the hearts of synthpop fans without having them run to hear an 'original' Erasure or Depeche Mode disc. What does the future hold for Cause & Effect? A tour in support of _Innermost Station_ (with video projectsion) is in the cards for 1998, but the band hasn't committed to anything. And just as Todd Rundgren is doing, the band is looking into downloadable audio as an alternative to discs - in order to distribute remixes or one-off songs to their fans. As for whether the band will return to the major label distribution that Zoo (and BMG) offered, that bridge will be crossed at a later date. According to Rowe, "Maybe we'll go back (to a major) after we've proven to ourselves that we don't need them so it feels more like a choice than a neccessity." But for now, Cause & Effect are experiencing first-hand the power of the Internet to bypass traditional music outlets, and achieve the goal of most performers - allow their music to be heard by the people. --- REVIEW: George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars, _Live and Kickin'_ (Intersound) - Joann D. Ball "Free your mind and your ass will follow." With these words of truth and wisdom, funk philosopher and mastermind George Clinton introduces himself, the P-Funk All Stars and two-and-a-half hours of righteous funk on _Live and Kickin'_. The otherworldly experience that is a live P-Funk concert is captured here in 15 classic tracks performed live in a number of cities between 1972 and 1997. The only official live record from George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars, this double disc offers a rare look into the evolution of one of the major forces in contemporary popular music. P-Funk live is always a lively, spirited, intense and sweaty experience designed for maximum audience participation. And even without the visual antics and costumes, you still get the feeling that there's about 20 people on stage funking it up just for you. The production job on this release puts the funk right in yo' ears and into your soul, completely capturing the party vibe on the stage and in the audience. Disc one opens with "Cosmic Slop," title song from the classic 1973 release. The perfect introduction to Funk 101, "Cosmic Slop," combines blues and rock guitar solos, soulful vocals and jazz horns with P-Funk's own extraterrestrial bass, drums and keyboards. The funk continues to roll through extended versions of the futuristic "Bop Gun" and "Funkentelechy (Where'd You Get That Funk From), with the latter clocking in at slightly over 24-minutes. And the live version of "Standing on the Verge" is the missing blueprint for the style and sound of the Artist Formerly Known As Prince. Listen to the tinkling ivories, the call and response, and the extended jams and you can almost see The Artist dancing around the stage in his platform heels. After a rousing "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off)" and "Let's Take it to the Stage," you get a few minutes to cool off during the new studio recording "Good Love (Instrumental)." The epic "Maggot Brain" opens part two of the P-funk fest. This track, with its amazing 8 minute electric guitar solo, gives dark side of the moon a completely new meaning. It leads right into the seminal anthem "Make My Funk the P-Funk," on which George Clinton promises to do "whatever it takes, whatever the party calls for." Always one to deliver what he promises, Clinton then shines the spotlight on 70s R&B radio megahit "Flashlight" and 80s crossover smash "Atomic Dog." But it's the quarter of an hour version of "The Mothership Connection" that proves that funk is a religion in its own right. Here Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars preach to the converted and transform the concert into a funky religious revival. Midway through the service, Minister Clinton slows things down for a deep meditation with an update of the spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Encouraging the audience to sing in solidarity through call and response, Clinton and his followers unite to bring the spirit of the Mothership into the room and then take in flight when the trumpets sound. After the loungy "Pepe the Pill Popper" and the hip-hop inspired "Let's Get Satisfied/Dope Dog," _Live and Kickin'_ comes to an end with studio tracks "Ain't Nuthin' But A Jam Y'all" and "State of the Nation." On "Ain't Nuthin' But A Jam Y'all," the first single and video from record, fellow funkateers the Dazz Band join Clinton and company on this slick and laid back groove. Through the live cuts and studio tracks, _Live and Kickin'_ clearly demonstrates just how innovative and creative Clinton's musical vision and genius has been during the past 25 years. Like the Grateful Dead, Clinton and his All Stars turn concerts into experiences and happenings where the music unites fans spiritually and takes them to a higher level While the musical mainstream has only recently provided a space for the magic of P-Funk, Clinton's influence can be heard in the diverse sounds of The Artist, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Living Colour just to name a few, and the P-Funk groove has been sampled by a host of rap and R&B artists. Recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars continue to tour, delivering the funk and nothing but the funk to audiences around the world. TRACK LISTING: Cosmic Slop, Bop Gun, Standing On The Verge, Funk Gettin' Ready To Roll, Funkentelechy (Where'd You Get That Funk From), Give Up the Funk (Tear The Roof Off), Let's Take It To The Stage, Good Love (Instrumental) Maggot Brain, Make My Funk The P-Funk, Flashlight, Aquaboogie, Atomic Dog, The Mothership Connection, Pepe The Pill Popper, Let's Get Satisfied/Dope Dog, Ain't Nuthin' But A Jam Y'all, State Of The Nation --- CONCERT REVIEW: Midnight Oil - Bob Gajarsky A certain level of excitement can be expected when a major music act plays at a tiny venue. And when international superstars Midnight Oil played at the 200-person capacity Mercury Lounge in one of three sold out New York City dates, the energy level could have provided enough power to service the entire Big Apple. The five piece Australian outfit clicked on a level few could possibly hope of achieving. Best known in the States for their top 20 1988 hit "Beds Are Burning", this song actually incited the least excitement in both the crowd and the band. Lesser hits such as 1993s "Truganini", 1990s "Blue Sky Mining" and "Forgotten Years" and 1984s "Power And The Passion" were what drove the crowd wild, and lead vocalist Peter Garrett seemed to feed off the crowd's energy and excitement. The audience at the Oil show was much different than at the traditional concert. Although packed in a tight area, there was no moshing - people were dancing and stomping in place, literally making the entire Mercury Lounge shake. And when Garrett would have a monologue in between some songs ("I don't have too much to say tonight," he first said, "which makes our drummer quite happy"), the crowd immediately dropped any conversation, enabling Garrett's imposing presence and voice to tower over everyone. But although Garrett the orator was a welcome change from the "Hi New York, do you want to rock?", most fans came to hear the music. The track selection consisted of songs from the band's recently issued 'hits' compilation, _20000 Watt R.S.L._, along with four selections from a forthcoming 1998 album - two of which have been included on _20000_. One of the new tracks, "What Goes On", was dedicated to the recently-departed Michael Hutchence. The chemistry, raw power and enthusiasm of all the band's members astounded even this jaded concert-goer, and re-inforced my faith in successful groups retaining their love of live performances. It's a rare group that can generate the same level of enthusiasm for their songs after 20 years - and even more difficult to find acts that can produce new, robust songs after that time. Tonight, Midnight Oil placed themselves in that class. --- REVIEW: Lisa Loeb, _Firecracker_ (Geffen) - David Pirmann Admittedly, I've been a fan of Lisa Loeb and her bookworm cat-like glasses since "Stay (I Missed You)" appeared on the soundtrack to the film _Reality Bites_ more than a year before her first album was released. With their first album, Lisa Loeb and her backup band Nine Stories needed to overcome the instant popularity that "Stay" brought them, and although it had some good pop tunes, there was an equal number of forgettable, bland songs in which it was obvious that as a band they had not found their sound. In places, the indie-rock electric guitar of Nine Stories' backup clashed with Lisa Loeb's intellectual pop songwriting. On _Firecracker_, Lisa Loeb's second full album, the band and Lisa's lyrics and singing have fallen more into place, with the result being, for the most part, smooth and harmonious "intelli-pop". In the past two years, many women singer-songwriters have appeared, many of whom are filled with angst and anger (Alanis Morissette, Jewel, Liz Phair, etc.) but Lisa Loeb continues to work against that trend. The pink bubblegum album cover is the first indication, and the first single, "I Do", is the second indication that there are other ways to write about spoiled relationships: uptempo, good beat, and Lisa's easy-to-listen-to voice (compare Ms. Morissette's "You Oughta Know" to see the other end of the spectrum!). However, even without a strong dose of black angst, it seems that every song is about spoiled relationships in one way or another. In literature classes, one is taught that it is a mistake to assume that the "I" in a poem is the voice of the poet, but the songwriting here, and Lisa's expressive voice, makes it hard to seperate the song from the singer, leading to a very personal experience as a listener. There are some places where the songwriting suffers from Lisa Loeb's attempt to intellectualize, but this too contributes to a feeling of being there with the "I" in the songs. Almost every song is written in the first person - a little glimpse into some "I"'s life. Nine Stories, the band, has matured, losing the rock band sound that marred some of the first album's tracks. The electric guitars have been replaced by acoustic, and many of the tracks are arranged with a string quartet or orchestra, for instance on _Firecracker_'s second track "Falling in Love". The strings combined with acoustic guitar and harmony vocals by guest Shawn Colvin has a decidedly non-rock and yet non-folk sound which works well. The second single, "Truthfully", uses the strings and a very nice harmony vocal on the chorus, looped in by Lisa herself. As a sophomore effort, I think Lisa Loeb has matured and worked out a sound that fits the songwriting well. The songwriting still needs to mature a little. I'd like to hear Lisa's voice and talent for personalizing the songs to be used for something other than failed relationships. None of the tracks here will be as powerful as "Stay (I Missed You)". But, they've got the sound right, so I'll be waiting, hoping the next album reaches the next level. --- REVIEW: 2K, "***k The Millenium" (Mute) - Bob Gajarsky The Jams. The Timelords. Disco 2000. The KLF. The K Foundation. No matter what name you know them as, the duo of Bill Drummound and Jimmy Cauty have returned to the musical arena. This time, the enigmatic pair have taken the name 2K, and released the single "***k The Millenium". As a medley taken from some of their previous songs (most notably "Don't Take Five Take What You Want" and the 1988 version of "What Time Is Love"), this hodge-podge may initially seem unrecognizable to most American fans, but devoted K fans will pick and choose the samples. No threats from Abba lawyers will derail this song, however. The four track single includes two 4 minute versions of the title track, a 'brass' version of it, and a 14 minute extended version which explores the many musical paths which Drummound/Cauty have taken throughout the years. With a video reminiscent of Frankie's "Two Tribes", Drummound and Cauty take their 'artistic pursuits' to a newer, stranger level. Scenes shift quickly from dockers screaming 'Fuck the millenium, we want it now' to a theatrical setting with two older gentlemen in wheelchairs (our heroes) racing around the stage with rhino horns strapped to their heads and axes in their hands. A strange video, to be sure, but Drummound and Cauty have burned 1 million pounds before, on a lark. Not quite the return which was expected when the KLF announced their departure from the music industry five years back, but it's still nice to see Msrs. Drummond and Cauty return to shake things up a bit. --- REVIEW: Various, _We Will Fall - The Iggy Pop Tribute_ (Royalty) - Bill Holmes Many Americans measure time by how many years it's been since a life-changing moment like the Kennedy assassination (that's 34 years and counting, for you math-deficient readers). For the more musically inclined, chew on this - _Raw Power_ turns twenty-five next year! As a companion to the recently remastered classic, Royalty Records has assembled a twenty-track, seventy three minute tour through Iggy Pop's career, the third such collection I've seen but easily the most high profile. Reading the artists and track listing on the back cover would be enough inspiration for even a fringe fan to grab the disc, but the contents may surprise you. A couple of the brightest moments come from the most unlikely artists. Nada Surf always struck me as a one-hit MTV band, but their great version of "Sick Of You" is reminiscent of _Love It To Death_ era Alice Cooper! Sugar Ray, another band-of-the-moment, torches "Cold Metal" so thoroughly that not even the insipid turntable scratching during the solo can take it down. Pansy Division shows that they have balls after all with a great rip on "Loose". The Lunachicks make "Passenger" an aural treat all over again, and Extra Fancy's shuffle version of "Sell Your Love" is one of the two or three best cuts on the record. Some artists do exactly what you'd expect. Joey Ramone (backed by the Misfits) turns in a Ramones-cum-Bo-Diddley version of "1969", and Joan Jett barks out a typical snarly-grrrl cover of "Real Wild Child". The Red Hot Chili Peppers do a credible version of "Search And Destroy", but it's licensed from seven years ago, not newly recorded. If they were going to rob the vaults, I would have much preferred the Dictators' classic flame-thrower interpretation, but perhaps the producers were afraid that Handsome Dick would use the opportunity to punch out Jayne County. You also get what you expect from bands like The Misfits, 7 Year Bitch and Bush Tetras, but Lenny Kaye's heroin take on "We Will Fall" was a surprise. Not everyone shines, however. While it's a given that Ig and the boys sometimes tried to squeeze four pounds of notes out of a three pound bag, they at least did it with personality. If the music was sometimes simplistic, they more made up for it with energy. Here an almost-unrecognizable Superdrag drones their way through "1970". Blondie, here reformed as a four piece under the pseudonym Adolph's Dog, schmooze their way through "Ordinary Bummer" (what a waste of a Clem Burke sighting!). NY Loose sounds like processed cheese, and Blanks 77 are just...well....blank. With tribute projects you take your chances, and the percentages are good on this one. Song selections are scattered throughout the Stooges/Pop canon, although some classics like "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "Raw Power" were not included (then again, would YOU want to try those?). Amazingly, I've seen this compilation for sale at some music stores that have traditionally been too nervous to stock actual Iggy product! The times, they are a changin'..... --- REVIEW: Mogwai, _Young Team_ (JetSet) - Simon West If you're one of those people who can't understand why a nice bit of atmospheric indie guitar rock is always spoilt by some bugger singing all over it, we've got yer band here. _Young Team_, the full-length debut from Scotland's Mogwai, has a few voices, swirling in and out of the mix in conversation and mutterings. There's one actual vocal on "R U Still In 2 It", but that's it. What Mogwai concentrates on is atmospheric instrumentals, with some of the most affecting melodies I've heard recently. The tempo is pretty slow throughout, but the volume is apt to change in a heartbeat, sending layers of angry guitar over the listener where previously there was calm. Driven by a clean, minimalist rhythm section and augmented on this release by the keyboards of ex-Teenage Fanclubber Brendan O'Hare, Mogwai make music for dark nights and violent storms. The ten tracks here are not traditional four minute rock songs. Stretching anywhere from two to 15 minutes, they move from driving riffs to ambient breaks, fractured pieces of melody weaving in and out of the piece. Snatches of sound and style on _Young Team_ occasionally remind you of someone else - Joy Division here and there, a touch of _Disintegration_ -era Cure on "Yes I Am A Long Way From Home", but the whole is entirely original - dense, layered melodies and moods - particularly on the standout "Summer (Priority Version)" and the drifting, swirling 15 minute finale "Mogwai Fear Satan". An excellent debut - the soundtrack to a film no one's written yet. Highly recommended. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the Cheeze_ / _The Hit List_ (Intersound) - Joann D. Ball Multi-artist compilations make perfect gifts and excellent party soundtracks. This holiday season, check out _Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the Cheeze_ and _The Hit List_ from the Atlanta-based record label, Intersound. Fans of more accessible 80s New Wave pop music will enjoy _Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the Cheeze_. This collection includes some well-known Top 40 and MTV hits, some of them cheezier than others, and a few other treats. The _Retro Lunchbox_ opens with Wang Chung's "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" and is followed by the Escape Club's "Wild, Wild West." Not only is the fun and humor of this 15 song collection evident in the song titles of the selections, but it also guides the track placement. Why else would The Waitresses' cheeky "I Know What Boys Like" come just before Berlin's "Sex (I'm A ...)? The real pleasures here, though, are Haircut 100's "Love Plus One," Soho's "Hippychick" and Scritti Politti's "Perfect Way." When compared to "Our House" by Madness and "I Ran (So Far Away) by A Flock of Seagulls, these three tracks are less likely to be heard on your local alternative radio station's flasback program. If commercial rap and hip-hop is your flavor, then check out _The Hit List_. This twleve-song collection is Intersound's first rap effort, and it features a range of styles and grooves. Topping off the list is the jazz-sampled stylings of "Ya'll Ain't Ready Yet" by Mystical, and it rolls right into Shaggy's smash hit "Bombastic." 2Pac's 1993 collaboration with MC Breed, "Gotta Get Mine," is probably the roughest and rawest of the tracks here. It is certainly a contrast to the slick 70s soul-inspired "I Wish" by Skee-Lo, and the light and breezy "Summertime" by D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The absolutely hillarious "I Got a Man" by Positive K turns up here, too,. and MC Breed's "Ain't No Future in Yo Frontin" closes out the line-up. _Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the Cheeze_ and _The Hit List_ are both fun, upbeat collections. Because they are not intended as an historical overviews of the respective music formats, they don't include obscure or underground songs. Rather, the cds are perfect for friends who enjoy laughing about their teenage years and for that retro or hip-hop happenin' New Year's Eve party. TRACK LISTING _Retro Lunchbox: Squeeze the Cheeze_ - Everybody Have Fun Tonight [Wang Chung], Wild, Wild West [The Escape Club], I Wanna Be A Cowboy [Boys Don't Cry], I Know What Boys Like [The Waitresses], Sex (I'm A ...) [Berlin], Love Plus One [Haircut 100], Our House [Madness], Hippychick [Soho], Perfect Way [Scritti Politti], Whirly Girl [OXO], Pass The Dutchie [Musical Youth], I Ran (So Far Away) [A Flock of Seagulls], One Night In Bangkok [Murray Head], Saved By Zero [The Fixx], Dancing In Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop) [Q-Feel]. TRACK LISTING _The Hit List_ - Ya'll Ain't Ready Yet [Mystikal], Boombastic [Shaggy], Neva Go Back [Special Ed], Gotta Get Mine [MC Breed & 2Pac], Tonite [DJ Quck], I Wish [Skee-lo], People Everyday [Arrested Development], Down With the King [Run D.M.C.], Summertime [D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince], Back to the Hotel [N2Deep], I Got A Man [Positive K], Ain't No Future in Yo Frontin [MC Breed]. --- REVIEW: The Gain, _Ready Steady Smash_ (Mighty) - Bill Holmes Somebody set the clocks back twenty years at a lot of the record companies. Plenty of ska-pop-punk-wave releases coming out of the woodwork could easily be mistaken for their forefathers, albeit with better production. Some pay tribute, some add a new twist, and some....well, some just aren't as good. Where twenty years ago there certainly were enough bands with limited musical and/or vocal abilities, it was also a revolution of sorts - a backlash to complacency in music that literally erupted. Now, twenty years too late, record companies are tossing the wide net once again in search of that "new/old sound". Steve Pilace writes all the two and three minute songs here (thirteen songs clock in at just over thirty six minutes). Musically there's a lot of adrenaline here, and the songs have more of a harmonic sense that fellow bangers Offspring, for example, but I don't know how to say this any other way than the blunt truth - Pilace is incapable of singing on key. I know a lot of people who are not technically great vocalists (Ron Wood, Bob Dylan, John Lydon/Rotten) who make up for any shortcomings through pure emotion. These vocals have nothing to offer - vapid, claws on the blackboard screeches - but if you read the lyrics you'll know that you're not missing anything. Not that moshers could care about such things anyway. It's too bad, too. His guitar playing is rapid-fire Ramones riffing, and the rhythm section of Corky Pigeon and Joey Travers is solid. In better hands I'd enjoy hearing "Song For Saturday" (Corky sings this one, and he's off-key too!) or the title track. I wish there were some way to strip the vocals right off the record and play it as an instrumental disc. Like The Ventures on crack. If you're looking for a soundtrack for a skateboarding movie, you've got the perfect sonic assault with no lyrical content to get in the way. They bang, they bash, hell, they even yell "Oi!" at the top of their lungs. But even their best songs, like "Month Of Mondays" and "So Low" are just Green Day without the charm and without the wit. If you're looking for punky pop and rock music worth your dollars, there are far better places to drop your wallet. --- CONTEST WINNERS: > Congratulations to Ryan Dunn, Brad Friess, Barbara Pashkoff, Ben Wern and Molly Wilson. Each person will win one copy of the Doors Box Set. Thanks to Elektra Records and C Notes Interactive for their sponsorship of the contest. --- NEWS: > Members of the Black Crowes fan club have recently been sent holiday cassettes from the band. It includes the Crowes' cover of the Beatles "Do You Want To Know A Secret" as well as holiday greetings in English, Spanish, French, German and Ukranian. > From Good Homes has recently issued a four song EP, _Live At Waterloo_, which was taped near the band's home in Stanhope, New Jersey. Further information on the release can be obtained at http://members.aol.com/raind727/main/fghindex.htm The band's forthcoming self-titled album will be released in spring 1998. > Motley Crue may have been one the ones featured on the news, but the real source of Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx's arrest at the Crue's December 10 concert in Phoenix was opening act (hed) p.e. Apparently, Lee invited the band to join him onstage at the end of the Crue's concert. Guitarist Chizad was the first one onstage, and a security guard mistook him for a fan - and tried to restrain Chizad. Other members of (hed) p.e. joined in to help out their bandmate, and Lee and Sixx joined in the scuffle, which culminated with Lee kicking the security guard in the back and subsequent arrest. > Local H's Scott Lucas is now also playing guitar on the road with Triple Fast Action. > Modified, one of the leaders in the 'create your own sounds' field, have recently released _Chillas Net Sounds Vol. 1_. The CD-Rom for this product, with over 600 samples in 600 MB of sounds and video, offers up the ultimate combination of user-mixable drum 'n' bass, techno, ambient, hip hop and jungle music. This disc will immediately capture the interest of any club fan because of the ability to mix, match and save countless audio and video combinations to create any type of club atmosphere without leaving your house - or computer. The disc is available in the UK at major software and music retailers, or interested international home DJs can check out the company's website at http://www.modified.demon.co.uk > Never one to shy away from controversy, the latest Prodigy single is "Smack My Bitch Up". The song, which is primarily an instrumental which samples from the Ultramagnetic MCs, has drawn the wrath of various women's groups in the United States. In addition to this, a video filled with topless dancers and violence - with an interesting twist late in the video - has been banned from many music programs. The maxi-single includes two versions of the title track, a dub remix of "Mindfields", and a re-working of _Spawn_'s "One Man Army", here retitled "No Man Army". > The holiday season has presented video treats for fans of two of alterna-rocks louder acts. Rage Against the Machine's self-titled home video comprises 70 minutes of live performances from 1996's Reading Festival in England and several other concert locations, uncensored versions of several Rage videos (including a previously unreleased spoken-word performance of "Memory of the Dead"), and a cover of the Bruce Springsteen song, "The Ghost of Tom Joad". In addition, a bonus single of "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" is included in the package. Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails has released a long awaited double video set. _Closure_ captures the raw and unabated furor which transcends Nine Inch Nails' music. The first part of this collection consists of live versions of eleven of Reznor's songs, while the second half of this set includes (for the first time) the complete collection of 13 uncut NIN music videos, fused together by Coil member Peter Christopherson. --- TOUR DATES (Please confirm with site before travelling): Barenaked Ladies / Devlins Dec. 27 Rochester, NY War Memorial Dec. 28 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre Dec. 29 Chicago, IL Riviera Dec. 30 Cleveland, OH CSU Center Dec. 31 Detroit, MI Palace Brain Surgeons Dec. 26 Ithaca, NY Haunt Juliana Hatfield / Triple Fast Action Dec. 16 Pittsburgh, PA Rosebud Dec. 17 Baltimore, MD Fletcher's Dec. 18 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Dec. 19 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Dec. 20 New York, NY CBGB Hed P.E. Dec. 17 Seattle, WA Subzero Dec. 19 Fremont, CA Club Kaos Dec. 20 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill (with Incubus) Moxy Fruvous Dec. 31 New York, NY Bottom Line Cabaret Theatre Oneida / Be/Non Dec. 17 Atlanta The Point Dec. 21 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop Oral Groove Dec. 19 New York, NY Sidewalk Cafe Pave The Rocket Dec. 18 Kansas City, MO Hurricane w/Rocket Fuel is The Key Dec. 19 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry w/ Lifter-Puller, Freedm Fghtr Dec. 27 Springfield, IL Atrium w/ N.I.L.8., Fragile Porcelin Mice Phish Dec. 28 Landover, MD USAir Arena Dec. 29-31 New York , NY Madison Square Garden Arena Jane Siberry Dec. 17 Ontario, CA Trinity Church Dec. 19 Cincinnati, OH Emery Theater --- 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 ===