==== ISSUE 132 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [December 18, 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 | `------------' Editor's Summary of 1997 / Consumable Online's Top 5. Individual Top 5 Lists Daniel Aloi - Martin Luther Lennon, Whiskeytown, Beat Angels, Saturnhead, Ben Folds Five Joann Ball - Olive, Love Spit Love, Salt-n-Pepa, Prodigy, Catherine Wheel Tracey Bleile - Verve, Dandy Warhols, Whiskeytown, drivin n'cryin, Refreshments Lee Graham Bridges - Howie B, Aphex Twin, Moby, Negativland, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Bob Gajarsky - Space Monkeys, Space, Meredith Brooks, Artificial Joy Club, Monaco Bill Holmes - Montgomery Cliffs, Radiohead, Richard X Heyman, Pursuit Of Happiness, Michael Shelley Tim Hulsizer - Belle & Sebastian, Pavement, Squarepusher, Baby Bird, Grant McLennan / Radiohead Tim Kennedy - Teenage Fanclub, Verve, Oasis, Sundays, Seahorses Reto Koradi - Patent Ochsner, Mark Eitzel, Faith No More, Pat MacDonald, Radiohead David Landgren - Tranquility Bass, Baby Bird, Luscious Jackson, Divine Comedy, Laika Sean McGill - Prodigy, Jane's Addiction, Rollins Band, Deftones, Depeche Mode Scott Miller - Old 97s, Walt Mink, Martin Luther Lennon, Ron Sexsmith, Honeydogs Al Muzer - The Hutchinsons, Birdbrain, World Party, Dots Will Echo, Sloan Linda Scott - Rolling Stones, Paul Rodgers, Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar, Carnival Joe Silva - David Byrne, Bjork, Julian Cope, Belle & Sebastian, Cornershop Scott Slonaker - Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Guided By Voices, Ben Folds Five, Sarah McLachlan Jon Steltenpohl - Ani DiFranco, Frank Sinatra, Devlins, Madeleine Peyroux, "The Artist" Simon West - Verve, Oasis, Prodigy, Charlatans, Space Monkeys Lang Whitaker - Bjork, Ben Folds Five, Rev. Al Green, Radiohead, Victor Wooten Back Issues of Consumable --- Editor's Summary of 1997. In the annals of music history, it is doubtful 1997 will appear as more than a blip on the radar. Most writers for Consumable echoed similar sentiments - the music that landed out there and caught our ear, for the most part, didn't sell gadzillions of albums, and the artists didn't meet with the royal family. Staffer Scott Slonaker may have summed it up best when he noted that 1997 was more carried by singles than albums - not in terms of quantity sold, but in terms of quality. We can look back at 1997 as a year when a band which formerly said "Fuck E.M.I." was signed - outside the United States - to EMI, and landed a worldwide hit with "Tubthumping". Who'd have thunk the anarchists would have a song that would be played right alongside Gary Glitter and KC & The Sunshine Band at sporting events? It also was kiss-up time to major artists such as U2. _Pop_ was released to international acclaim and fanfare by the media, but that quickly fizzled as people realised that it just wasn't anything that spectacular. R.E.M. became a three-legged dog with the departure of their drummer; Prodigy had a huge multi-album signing (due to the media's realization that electronica is 'the next big thing') to Madonna's label, Maverick; a somewhat rushed Oasis record wound up being overshadowed in many circles by the band the Gallaghers helped bring back to life, the Verve; the Wu-Tang Clan dominated clothing racks and record charts without a loss of integrity. Ska gained a much larger fan base due to Reel Big Fish, Buck O'Nine, Sublime and veterans Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and finally, the Jackson 5 were somewhat re-incarnated as a white trio from the Midwest known as Hanson. Those are some of the events which helped shape 1997. But rather than merely skim through the big events, we've included a brief mention by each writer of their top 5 albums of the year - and why those records made their top 5 list. Take a look, see which ones you haven't listened to in 6 months (or those that you haven't heard at all!), and remember...we'll do it all again next year. Thanks to all our loyal readers and staff members for supporting the Internet's oldest music reviews publication, Consumable Online. - Bob Gajarsky, Editor In Chief. --- Consumable Online's Top 5 of 1997: 1) Radiohead, _OK Computer_ 2) Verve, _Urbal Hymns_ 3) Prodigy, _Fat Of The Land 4) Bjork, _Homogenic_ 5) Ben Folds Five, _Whatever And Ever Amen_ --- Top 5 - Daniel Aloi 1) Martin Luther Lennon, _Music for a World Without Limitations_ (NotLame): Insanely great, crazily catchy pure pop from a Southern California madman. Tony Perkins (his real name) leads a crack band and reels out 12 hook-happy tunes as he sings from the point of view of a schoolyard sniper, a gun-happy NRA zealot, a high schooler with a devastating crush, and a guy who badly wants his medication. All in good fun, at least musically. 2) Whiskeytown, _Stranger's Almanac_ (Outpost/Geffen). Signed after No Depression magazine flat-out loved their 1996 indie release _Faithless Street_ and sponsored a national tour, this Raleigh, N.C. band has seen two major lineup changes since that album was recorded. But the ever-popular tortured artist effect is still in place for young twentysomething singer and songwriter, Ryan Adams. His high and lonesome romantic pleas, set to fiddle and pedal steel tears, are born of quiet and cathartic desperation -- from "16 Days" and "Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart" to "Waiting to Derail." Less rock and twang than sturm und drang, but I like it. And somehow, not quite as downcast as Son Volt. 3) Beat Angels, _Red Badge of Discourage_ (Epiphany). The kind of power pop band I could only dream about before it actually existed - in Tempe, Arizona, yet, home of overmatched bar bands like the Gin Blossoms. The Beat Angels' 10-song followup to "Unhappy Hour" quotes liberally from the Who, Kinks and a vinyl melting pot of '70s poptopia (their logo even apes Cheap Trick). Guitarist Michael Brooks, singer Brian Smith and their pals are on a mission of retro-awareness in bashing "Saturday Punks" ("dumber than junk/Don't even know about Strummer and Jones") and in other nasty little digs Smith takes in songs like "My Glum Sugar-Plum" ("She looked like Marianne Faithfull in 1967..."). Probably the best album The Figgs never made. 4) Saturnhead, _Introducing... Arizona's Thin Mistake_ (Resolution). Vancouverite Terry Miles (guitarist for Cinnamon / The Kelley Affair) hunkered down all alone with his 4-track in mid-1996, and came up with this -- 43 perfectly realized song snippets that add up to a conceptual spin across a nonexistent AM dial. Miles did it all -- save for one of the songs, from Marq DeSouza's 4-track, and a couple of background vocals. And it's incredible, as a sequence of unvarnished little pop gems that don't sound "lo-fi" at all. Lots of Beatles-Kinks-Big Star touches; listen for the Bowie tribute "The Golden Age of Mars." The newest Minus 5 album almost won this slot in my list, for the same variety, Kinks-like concept and execution -- albeit with studio time, an all-star band and longer and fewer songs. This seemed the more worthy achievement. 5) Ben Folds Five, _Whatever And Ever Amen_ (Sony 550). A Chapel Hill, N.C. songwriter whose young, brash, very '90s attitude rests atop an amalgam of piano-pop influences - Gershwin and Todd Rundgren, Elton John and Joe Jackson, Vince Guaraldi and many more. You won't find too many popular songs that say "Kiss my ass - goodbye" ("One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces") and "Fuck you too -- giveme my money back, give me money back, you bitch" ("Song for the Dumped"). Neither will you find many melodies as achingly beautiful as "Brick," "Fair" and "Smoke." A trio, not a quintet -- and one of my favorite live bands of the past two years. In them I find new hope for pop music being popular again. --- Top 5 - Joann D. Ball 1) Olive, _Extra Virgin_ (RCA). Trip-pop with all the right flavors. Olive's Tom Kellett and Ruth-Ann Boyle are heavily influenced by sweet soul music and it shows as they incorporate dub reggae, drum & bass, and ambient into the grooves. "You're Not Alone" was the only single I heard on the radio this year that sent me into the record store for the full-length release. As a fan of melody and intelligent lyrics, it was a pleasure to find all of this plus great music under the umbrella category "electronica." A must have debut disc that is perfect for all moods and activities. 2) Love Spit Love, _Trysome Eatone_ (Maverick). This stellar sophomore release from Richard Butler's new band Love Spit Love is on par with his finest work with The Psychedelic Furs. Butler's classic rasp is skillfully complemented by collaborator Richard Fortus' fretwork and a tight rhythm section - a combination that produces all the right textures and layers. On _Trysome Eatone_, the quartet delivers a collection that is emotional, mature and poetic. Radio singles "Long Long Time" and "Fall on Tears" are mere samples of this incredible offering. 3) Salt-n-Pepa, _Brand New_ (London/Red Ant). The mike sounds nice indeed! Cheryl "Salt" James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton and DJ Dee Dee "Spinderella" Roper are in full effect on their fifth release. They enjoy a new sense of direction and creative freedom while exploring the diverse territories of rap, R&B, pop, rock and gospel. Salt-n-Pepa continue to express themselves and remain upfront and honest with their demands, needs and desires. Lead single "RU Ready" is only the beginning of this hour long celebration of life, faith, sexuality. 4) Prodigy, _Fat of the Land_ (Maverick/Warner Bros.). Hailed as the electronica record that finally broke the sound barrier in U.S., Prodigy's aggrotechno had the edge that Americans needed to hear. And it didn't hurt that the band had a video poster boy in the form of Keith Flint with his Johnny Rotten-come-lately looks. "Firestarter," with its Art of Noise sample, and "Breathe" were the mega hits here. The new single "Smack My Bitch Up" and its controversial video are currently generating a new wave of attention and publicity for the band and the record. But it's too bad that "Diesel Power" was probably considered too rap-oriented for alternative rock radio because Prodigy owes much of its power and sound to rap pioneers Public Enemy. In fact, there are moments during "Breathe" when I swear I hear Chuck D. shouting "Bring the Noise!" After all, that's what Prodigy is all about. 5) Catherine Wheel,_Adam and Eve_ (Mercury). _Adam and Eve_ is Catherine Wheel's fifth release and the most ambitious one to date. A superbly crafted concept album which explores the range of human experiences and emotions, it features short transitional pieces between songs which provide flow and cohesion. From the sweeping rises and falls of "Future Boy," through the crashing and pulsing of lead single "Delicious," to the atmospheric "Ma Solituda," this record earns its place in the cd changer. Complex and intricate, it's guaranteed that you'll discover something new during every listen. --- Top 5 - Tracey Bleile 1) The Verve, _Urban Hymns_ (Virgin). The Verve are reunited, clean, and sober, and have made this hands down the most emotional release of the year - both in content and the surrounding energy. Despite the flap over the "Bitter Sweet Symphony" sample, these songs are highly original and pack an auditory wallop. More than just beautiful noisemaker shoegazers, the Verve have filled this album with joy and thunder (thank you Mr. Stipe, for saying it better than I can). A must-have. 2) Dandy Warhols, _...the Dandy Warhols come down_ (Capitol). The eerie synths and layers of rhythms haunt you like a white noise daydream you don't want to wake from. Their irony-laden anti-drug single "Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth" was one song I didn't mind coming across on the radio. Play this one loud at a big party, and everyone will be moving, I guarantee it. 3) Whiskeytown, _Strangers Almanac_ (Outpost/Geffen). Highly evocative of Uncle Tupelo. That said, where it lacks originality, it's the strongest Americana offering this year. I was depressed beyond belief - no pun intended - with everything put out by originators; Jayhawks, Son Volt and Wilco all bored the hell out of me. A great many of the songs on this release will conspire to make you wrap your arms around yourself and fight off the corny lump in your throat. 4) drivin n'cryin, _drivin n' cryin_ (Ichiban). Proof positive that true talent will shine through any set of circumstances. Kevin Kinney is one incredibly talented songwriter/troubador, and this self-produced and released effort is as strong as anything done under the relative safety of the major umbrella. Worth seeking out, as I don't think it's getting a lot of promotion. 5) Refreshments, _The Bottle & Fresh Horses_ (Mercury). I owe Al Muzer an apology. I didn't want to like this album, but the banditos from Tempe snuck up on me and clopped me over the head with the attitude stick on this one. This release didn't so much shake the sophomore jinx as simply danced around it. They don't make huge leaps and bounds from the debut, but they definitely shown they're a lot more than a novelty rock n'roll act. Al, you were right - "Heaven or the Highway Out of Town" is one of the rockingest songs of the year. ---- Top 5 - Lee Graham Bridges 1) Howie B, _Turn The Dark Off_ (Island). What should be said about Howie B first and foremost is that he is reinvigorating a dying scene. While _Turn The Dark Off_ may be less in the burdensome "electronica" category due to its lack of techno cliches, it is this exact originality that breathes life into authentic techno and gives new meaning to the word "progressive". This album is the yin to the yang of _Music For Babies_, his last album, which was an ambient set, and unfortunately, not nearly as representative of Howie's personality in composition, which can be seen through his extensive work with Massive Attack, Bjork, Tricky, U2, and Brian Eno as well as _Turn The Dark Off_. Here the rhythm is set in motion, and it is the beats that make this album such a dazzle. It's only too bad that _Turn The Dark Off_ can't be ranked higher than #1--this one is a must have. Check out http://www.howieb.co.uk for more info. 2) Aphex Twin, _Come To Daddy_ (Warp!). Richard James has developed a routine of one-upping himself on every record he produces. To describe the evolution of the music he has produced would take too long; it suffices to say that _Richard D. James_, the last one, showed an enhancement of the dynamic, frenetic qualities of Aphex Twin repertoire. In addition to this, _Come To Daddy_ supplements the music with a dose of pure insanity, proven by the wild screaming and promises of "I will eat your soul" in the main mix of the title track, and tracks like "Funny Little Man" as a whole (the madness is beyond description here). _Come To Daddy_ demonstrates the creative ingenuity that will ensure James always has an audience without being spoiled by the grubby hands of the mainstream. 3) Voodoo Child/Moby, _The End of Everything_ (Elektra). The widely revered Moby revived an older monicker to present the side of his music that always appears (even on his proto-hardcore guitar oddity _Animal Rights_) but never fully develops on his other records. Most tracks unfold very slowly, reach their climax and fade without creating much fuss. "Reject" is an 18-minute long ambient set comparable in its sparseness only to his _Underwater_ disc included with some copies of _Everything Is Wrong_. "Slow Motion Suicide" is a humbling, unforgettable track. _The End of Everything_, as Moby intended, is a hidden gem in the glut of electronic music on shelves today. 4) Negativland, _Dispepsi_ (Seeland). While Negativland do perform actual _songs_ on the album, it is the sound collages that make _Dispepsi_ one of the best albums of 1997. Clips from commercials, talk radio, promotional voiceovers and the like serve to poke extreme fun at American advertising and commercialism and the ways they interface with everyday life, although most of the joke is on the soft drink industry. Distorted, juxtaposed celebrity voices and other soundbytes repeat to an annoyingly hilarious effect, as background music switches back and forth and continues slightly off-beat underneath it all. An absolutely brilliant album. 5) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, _The Boatman's Call_ (Mute/Reprise). Nick Cave, the prince of darkness from "down under" returned early in the year with the "Bad Seeds" to produce a maturely beautiful album of minimal texture. Simple melodies effortlessly produced from piano, bass, and occasional drums accompany Nick's rich, authentically moving vocals as he sings tales of lust, love, and loss. "Idiot Prayer" is an instant classic. --- Top 5 - Bob Gajarsky 1) Space Monkeys, _The Daddy Of Them All_ (Interscope). If someone fell asleep for the past ten years and wanted to know the history of British music in 1 hour, this is the disc to give them. The amazing part is that while Oasis, Blur and the Prodigy are getting all the hype, Manchester's latest export is the one that deserves all the credit. And if you absolutely need to get your Oasis fix, they periodically have the Gallagher snarl on their songs. 2) Space, _Spiders_ (Universal). Included in some writers' 1996 list by virtue of its early release in Europe, the category-defying _Spiders_ saw a 1997 issue in the States. Space appeared in the Austin Powers movie ("Female of the Species"), and could have been just at home in Jackal. Absolutely underrated. 3) Meredith Brooks, _Blurring The Edges_ (Capitol). Sure, she sometimes sounds like Alanis. But more often than not, Brooks establishes her own identity in a world where female singer/songwriter/guitar-players are becoming a more common occurrence. 4) Artificial Joy Club, _Melt_ (Interscope). "Sick and Beautiful" was the warped single, but lead singer Sal hits all the right chords on tracks like "Skywriting" while the line between pop and alterna-rock is blurred even further. 5) Monaco, _Music For Pleasure_ (A&M). Peter Hook gets his revenge on those who thought he couldn't do anything significant outside the shadow of New Order. The leadoff single "What Do You Want From Me" is brilliantly derivative New Order, while "Buzz Gum" is more traditional Britpop. New Order afficionados are probably still worshipping this disc. --- Top 5 - Bill Holmes 1) Montgomery Cliffs, _Andiamo_ (115). A low-budget, high voltage masterpiece from a three-piece NYC band, The Cliffs parlay the guitar-bass-drum formula into something much greater. Great songs, whip-crack musicianship and a sense of humor that rocks your world and still makes you think. And the best part? They're better live. This disc kept getting back in the player all year long, and how better to measure your favorite? 2) Radiohead, _OK Computer_ (EMI/Capitol). I thought last year's record was a bold statement but this one tops that. Call it a rock opera or a concept record or just an amazingly intense piece of music, but NO ONE else is making records like this in 1997. Thom Yorke's vocals are mesmerizing, and the guitar work takes each song into another dimension. If you haven't, let this one grow on you, and you will be richly rewarded. 3) Richard X Heyman, _Cornerstone_ (Turn-Up). This will come out in 1998 on Permanent Press Records with an additional track, and I considered holding off until then, but I've had this version for almost the entire year. Pop genius Heyman was sorely missed but has returned with his strongest and most complete work to date. A song cycle about love, loss, and our place in time, Heyman again takes his place among our greatest songwriters. 4) The Pursuit Of Happiness, _The Wonderful Word Of The Pursuit Of Happiness_ (Iron Music). No one writes about unrequited love like Moe Berg! Fourteen brief snips of wonder that segue together into a thirty minute tour through angst, heartbreak, love and bitterness. Rocks hard, smiles sweetly, and shines with the most unique harmony vocals in rock. Canada's treasure should be everybody's baby. 5) Michael Shelley, _Half Empty_ (Big Deal). Imagine Jonathan Richman fronting the Fountains of Wayne and you can get an idea of the wry and wonderful Shelley. Took me completely by surprise, but his knack for a hook combined with the acoustic garage pop flavor of the music makes this a big winner at my house. "Think With Your Heart" is one of the best pop songs of the 1990's and worth the price of the record alone. --- Top 5 - Tim Hulsizer 1) Belle & Sebastian, _If You're Feeling Sinister_ (The Enclave). This Glaswegian septet defines their own sound and simultaneously saves pop music as we know it. Every review of the album called it "fey" and that is absolutely true. High voice, strings, honey-dripping melodies and thoroughly intellectual lyrics. Hell, it's almost poetry! Amazing! 2) Pavement, _Brighten the Corners_ (Capitol/Matador). My personal favorite Pavement LP to date, this one is definitely a keeper. Steve Malkmus keeps writing these songs that stick in my head, even though I can't figure out what the hell he's singing about. Still, if you listen close there are worlds to discover here. Type slowly, indeed. 3) Squarepusher, _Hard Normal Daddy_ (Warp - import). Tom Jenkinson is the mastermind behind this crazed drum'n'bass music. He has inked a deal with Nothing Records in the USA, so be on the lookout for the Squarepusher ouvre in your favorite record shop. Scratchy, swirly, bassy and experimental. The album preceding this one is just as good, as are the EPs that have followed it recently. 4) Babybird, _Ugly Beautiful_ (Atlantic). In the immortal words of a British music reviewer, "Who knew there were this many great pop songs left to be written..and that one man would write them?!" At first I was skeptical about this disc, as I thought the production was a bit slick for my taste. Then I listened to his brilliantly cynical love-lyrics. I believe, baby. You will too. 5) TIE Grant McLennan, _In Your Bright Ray_ (Beggars Banquet) / Radiohead, _OK Computer_, (Capitol). What a copout, huh? I guess you can see that I like pop music, preferably from the British Isles and/or former-British penal colonies. So be it, because this stuff is fantastic. Radiohead delivers an album that deserves all of the critical praise heaped on it. Exploratory yet melodic, holding up to repeated listens. And what can I say about Grant McLennan? He's still one of the best pop songwriters around, as evidenced by the new album. Love and life, just the way I dig it. --- Top 5 - Tim Kennedy 1) Teenage Fanclub, _Songs From Northern Britain_ (Creation/Sony). This is joyful guitar music in the tradition of Beatles, Byrds, Neil Young, The Eagles. A finely crafted work from a happy yet thoughtful bunch of chaps. 2) Verve, _Urban Hymns_ (Virgin). Verve have made 76 minutes of some of the most vital songs of many a year. Vocalist Richard Ashcroft is a man of passion, conveying desolation but with a glint of glory in his eye. 3) Oasis, _Be Here Now_ (Creation/Epic). Not the most original music you'll hear or the best lyrics, but the songs remain excellent, and this contains some of their best performances to date. 4) Sundays, _Static And Silence_ (Geffen). A thing of beauty and a joy forever. Harriet's singing is as uplifting as ever and the gentle arrangements are a worthy update on the great first album of seven years past. 5) Seahorses, _Do It Yourself_ (Geffen). A good solid first album from the plucky youngsters, and they are not overpowered by the presence of guitar God Squire. --- Top 5 - Reto Koradi 1) Patent Ochsner, _Stella Nera_ (Ariola - Europe). Clearly the best album so far from one of the most popular Swiss rock bands. Not musically innovative, but great songs with some of the best lyrics ever written in our language, with "Los" being a love song of premier class. 2) Mark Eitzel, _West_ (Warner). One of the very few CDs that does not only contain sonic waves, but also emotions. It is dark and sad, but more touching than most. Peter Buck only adds to Eitzel's qualities known from AMC. 3) Faith No More, _Album Of The Year_ (Warner). The mass public seems to show less and less interest in crossover, but Faith No More stay completely unimpressed and just get better. In a fairer world, a single like "Ashes To Ashes" would take all charts in storm. 4) Pat MacDonald, _Sleeps With His Guitar_ (Ark21). Unspectacular at first listen, but it gets better and better with each listen. Pat MacDonald proves that he is a much more gifted musician than most people expected from his work with Timbuk 3. 5) Radiohead, _OK Computer_ (Capitol). Not quite as amazing as _The Bends_ was, but Radiohead are not standing still and confirm themselves as one of the essential bands of our decade. --- Top 5 - David Landgren 1) Tranquility Bass _Let The Freak Flag Fly_ (Caroline/Astralwerks). I came across this sometime in July and it has never been far from the player ever since. A blend of 60s vibe with 90s technology. Despite a couple of track oddities, this has been by far the most frequently played CD this year. 2) Baby Bird _Dying Happy_ (Baby Bird Recordings UK). After being bitterly disappointed by _Ugly Beautiful_, his studio effort, I was overjoyed to pick up _Dying Happy_, another selection of 4-track recordings from the archives of Mr. Baby Bird. This is his most coherent work to date, a dark album full of melancholy and despair. The last four tracks are simply brilliant. 3) Luscious Jackson _Fever In, Fever Out_ (Capitol /Grand Royal). It's a pity the world insisted, yet again this year, on paying attention to another completely manufactured group of five scantily clad women with no musical ability or artistic merit. Because it meant that a lot of people deserving recognition simply disappeared from the map. Luscious Jackson are four girls who play their own instruments, and write their own songs of love, sex and nudity, are produced by Daniel Lanois and have honed some delicious pop. This is an album that grows on you. 4) Divine Comedy _A Short Album About Love_ (Setanta). The French call Neil Hannon "The pope of pop". It's a pretty good assessment. Here then, are 7 songs, all about love, performed with strings, woodwinds, brass, the whole bit. Where most people would stumble before the pitfalls in such a genre, Mr. Hannon pulls it off with remarkable aplomb. I play this to cheer myself up. 5) Laika _Sounds Of The Satellites_ (Too Pure/Virgin). At times, this sounds a lot like Single Gun Theory; breathy vocals, quiet grooves and keyboard riffs that snag you in. Lots of excellent tracks on this one, although there are a couple of things in here that need tightening up. Points lost for having one of those ghastly "mystery tracks" at the end of the CD. People who do this obviously have never used a shuffling multi-CD player. Just say no. --- Top 5 - Sean McGill 1) Prodigy, _The Fat of the Land_ (Maverick/Warner). It was loud, it was abrasive, I couldn't get it out of my CD player. 2) Jane's Addiction, _Kettle Whistle_ (Warner). Sure there were only four new tracks, but _Kettle Whistle_ was like visiting with old friends - they're not getting any younger, but it was damn nice to hear from them again. 3) Rollins Band, _Come In And Burn_ (Dreamworks). A worthy successor to _Weight_, the latest Rollins Band album is more personal than the rest, but still retained the hard edge that defines the group. 4) Deftones, _Around the Fur_ (Maverick/Warner). If this album had come out at the beginning or middle of the year, it would have made its way to number one. It hasn't left my stack in three months, and probably won't for three more. Heavy, intense, but suprisingly melodic in parts, this is the album Korn will never put out - and that's their loss. 5) Depeche Mode, _Ultra_ (Warner). It's been a few years and a couple of bouts with recovery, but _Ultra_ is a throwback to the great Depeche Mode music of the past: slow, depressing, and recommended by four out of five potential suicide victims in the world...but in comparison to the rest of this list, I found it uplifting. --- Top 5 - Scott Miller 1) Old 97s, _Too Far to Care_ (Elektra). The opening song "Time Bomb" is a near dead ringer for The Clash's "Police On My Back" and it'll put you in a party mood right from the start. But Rhett Miller and the rest of the band keep up the attack throughout with songs that run from heartbreak ("Salome") to hilarious tongue-in-cheek irony ("Niteclub"). This album has everything every great rock album ever had, from hook-a-minute guitar lines to barroom sing-along choruses so don't be put off by the band's alternative country label. This is rock and you'll have a great time listening to it. 2) Walt Mink, _Colossus_ (Deep Elm). There is not a stadium in the world big enough to hold this band's talent, let alone the songs on this, its best full-length release. John Kimbrough (guitar and vocals), Candace Belanoff (bass) and Orestes Morphin (drums) whipped up mix of musical references that could keep you discussing pop theory for the next week. Consider "She Can Smile." It sounds like a twisted acoustic Beatles tune to start but has a Hendrix riff in the chorus and a near-Yes guitar solo. And it blends seamlessly. All 10 songs sound better turned up way loud, so there's a definite 70s stadium rock quality to it all. Kimbrough is a major guitar talent, on the level with rock's greatest. He writes pop songs that challenge his technical abilities but never become self-indulgent note fests. His lyrics include topics like alien invasions and models who want to break up with their boyfriends but can't afford to unless they land another modeling job. This is one wild ride of an album. 3) Martin Luther Lennon, _Music for a World Without Limitations_ (Not Lame). Pop goes everything, even the songs about guns. If you've ever heard the term "post-punk pop" thrown around and wondered what it meant, check this out. Singer-songwriter Tony Perkins has a gift for bouncy yet crunchy pop tunes that seem to get it all done in three minutes or less. The opening track, "Kill Kill Kill," is a "Dancing in the Street" (Martha and the Vandellas) for the 90s. "Gun Heaven" is as snide as anything the Sex Pistols or Elvis Costello ever concocted, but it has a good beat and you can dance to it -- if you don't mind getting out of breath. "Tabernacle o' Clay" sounds silly when you first hear it, but it's a complete heartbreaker reminiscent of the 50s-era hit "Teen Angel." If you like your power pop mostly fast and slightly furious, you could do no better than this. 4) Ron Sexsmith, _Other Songs_ (Interscope). Canadian Ron Sexsmith's pure voice and songs of everyday life serve not only as a reminder of why singer-songwriters first grabbed our attention, but also as a challenge to performers to, pardon the expression, "keep it real." Throughout his second full-length release, Sexsmith challenges the notion that a pretty voice and pretty acoustic-based melodies equal clean-cut emotions and cookie-cutter songs. In fact, the emotional range runs the gamut, from uneasiness ("Pretty Little Cemetery") and poignancy ("Honest Mistake" and "So Young") to buoyant comedy ("Clown in Broad Daylight"), outright sadness ("Strawberry Blonde" and "Child Star") and self-deprecation ("Average Joe"). Ultra-confessional, deeply serious, overly well-intentioned, falsely angry singer-songwriters turned the singer-songwriter genre into that Dana Carvey "Saturday Night Live" caricature, singing songs about his girlfriend "choppin' brocc-o-li." Thank goodness for Sexsmith. 5) The Honeydogs, _Seen A Ghost_ (Debris/Mercury). Oh, sure! Throw in a little pedal steel guitar, a few two-part harmonies and some two-step shuffle beats and you've got alternative country, right? Well, I say not necessarily. On its third album, this Minneapolis band mines some of the same 1970s rock and pop ground that Wilco went for with "Being There." True to their name, though, The Honeydogs have a smoother, easier-listening sound that makes romantic songs like "I Miss You" more romantic and the borderline country heartbreakers like "Those Things are Hers" more heartbreaking. The album even includes elements of psychedelic rock ("Into Thin Air") and full-bore Replacements garage rock ("Cut Me Loose, Napoleon"). Instantly enjoyable, this album leaves a lasting impression. --- Top 5 - Al Muzer 1) The Hutchinsons, _Plastic Fruit & Popcorn_ (RTG). A loud, abrasive, melodic, hook-filled amalgamation of Ramones 'n' Raspberries garage-buzz power-pop packed with more crunch than Westerberg ever managed and boasting bigger cajones than the Romantics in their prime. 2) Birdbrain, _Let's Be Nice_ (TVT). A rich, diverse, sweeping effort that defied radio and commercial pigeonholing, Birdbrain's second full-length disc was an edgy blend of pop, grunge, angst, anger, despair and suicidal darkness that also featured the semi-hit, "Youth Of America." 3) World Party, _Egyptology_ (Enclave). Karl Wallinger artfully pillages and plunders the best of the mid-'60s British Invasion for divine inspiration on World Party's fourth release. 4) Dots Will Echo, _Get Your Hands Off My Modem, You Weasel_ (DWE). While the record is a dazzling pop masterpiece in its conception, scope, execution and overall feel, track No. 99 -- a dark, solemn, thoughtful, torchy, piano and tears version of The Flintstones theme -- was what guaranteed this group a spot on my Top 10 list a mere three weeks into the new year. 5. Sloan, _One Chord To Another_ (Enclave). The four very distinct singer/songwriter/anglophiles that make Sloan one of the few working democracies in existence continue to carve out a distinct pop niche for themselves with this brilliant release. --- Top 5 - Linda Scott 1) Rolling Stones, _Bridges To Babylon_ (Virgin). I loved the album first time through, and if you haven't heard the big single "Has Anybody Seen My Baby?", you're missing something Stone special. Stones are on tour now and groove out on stage just like always. They are so good. 2) Paul Rodgers, _Now_ (Velvel). This is Rodgers first solo album in 12 years, and he can still do it alone. What a voice! The man has been the voice of rock for 30 years, and he still has it. 3) Alice Cooper, _A Fistful Of Alice_ (EMD/Angel). This album is mostly live, recorded in Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo Club in Mexico. Other rockers guesting on _A Fistful of Alice_ include Hagar, Slash, and Rob Zombie. Alice brings out old hits, and the guests give them some new zing. 4) Sammy Hagar, _Marching To Mars_ (MCA). The big hit single off this album is "Little White Lie" with Hagar and Slash on guitars - a lightning combination. This is a total rock album. Makes you feel good just listening. Get up and dance. 5) Various Artists, _Carnival_ (RCA). This album was put together by Sting and his wife to benefit the rainforest. Sting's involvement insures that other high powered artists will perform. These include, in part, Bette Midler, Madonna, Ruben Blades, Elton John, Annie Lennox. The album is a good length at 77 minutes. The cover is very attractive as is the cd itself. Just a pleasing disk to look at and listen to. --- Top 5 - Joe Silva 1) David Byrne, _Feelings_ (Luaka Bop/Warner). While he may be a pace or two off the cutting edge, his instincts are still tack-sharp. The bounty of quality stuff here proves that, while most of his contemporaries hopes now rest in reissues, Byrnes songwriting ability is far from slipping. 2) Bjork, _Homogenic_ (Elektra). Now that U2s bubble has largely burst, the future may rest squarely on Icelandic shoulders. Simply stunning. 3) Julian Cope, _Interpreter_ (Cooking Vinyl). Finally given a U.S. release, straight-up kosmiche pop for alien people. 4) Belle and Sebastian, _If You're Feeling Sinister_ (Enclave). Not content waiting for him to die, Ray Davies soul is prematurely born again in Scotland. You can now toss away your Alma Mater. 5) Cornershop, _When I Was Born For The 7th Time_ (Luaka Bop/WB). Tjinder Singh cuts, pastes, drones, and generally scares Lou Reed with how underground and velvety the new millenium could be. --- Top 5 - Scott Slonaker 1) Radiohead, _OK Computer_ (Capitol). Running wild with the ideas toyed with on _The Bends_, Radiohead fashioned a (semi-) concept album far more futuristic than a whole hard drive full of techno. Aggressive, harsh, bleak, mechanical, and pessimistic, but somehow also languid, relaxed, pastoral, organic, and hopeful, _OK Computer_ outdistanced the field by several lengths. 2) Foo Fighters, _The Colour and the Shape_ (Roswell/Capitol). To quote CMJ New Music Monthly, "At a time when we needed it, this is a moment to keep believing in rock." Expanding Dave Grohl's post-Nirvana project to a full-band effort, _The Colour and the Shape_ expertly pummels the ears with implements of imposition such as the torrid "Monkey Wrench", the now-classic dynamics of "Wind Up", and the industrial-strength Fab Four-isms of "Hey, Johnny Park!" Best of all, this record should finally end the relentless and annoying Nirvana comparisons that have plagued the band from the start. 3) Guided By Voices, _Mag Earwhig_ (Capitol/Matador). Lo-fi British Invasion-esque pop auteur Robert Pollard heads in the opposite direction from both labels. Enlisting the able backing of Cleveland's Cobra Verde, Pollard sheds the Beatles basement-tapes vibe for chunky rock 'n roll (classic in the best sense of the word) while still retaining the whimsical and idiosyncratic lyrical matter. Interspersed throughout the record are occasional sonic reminders of the band's Luddite past, which is a nice touch. "I Am A Tree" is the usually-concise GBV's five-minute epic, and "Bulldog Skin" should have been an up-from-the-underground radio hit. 4) Ben Folds Five, _Whatever and Ever Amen_ (550 Music). Rocking the 88s like few others in this decade can, Ben Folds and his crack rhythm section made their major-label debut a dandy. As aggressive at times as any punk band (see "Song for the Dumped" as example numero uno), the Five (actually three) also have quite the Eltonesque touch for power balladry ("Brick"). In between, Folds dabbles in everything from Bee Gees harmonies ("Fair") to cutting, quirky pop with the attitude and bite of Elvis Costello ("Battle of Who Could Care Less"). Like all great talents, Folds simultaneously keeps his roots in the past while reshaping the present. _Whatever and Ever Amen_ is a treat. 5) Sarah McLachlan, _Surfacing_ (Arista). A reliable oasis from the ever-growing army of pissy, angst-ridden bleaters and cloying, precious folkies, Sarah McLachlan's fourth album manages to display both strength and grace. While it isn't exactly a grand departure from her previous effort, _Fumbling Towards Ecstasy_, songs such as the pulsating "Sweet Surrender", the gorgeous "Adia", and the solemn "Do What You Have to Do" more than compensate. The incredible achievement of the Lilith Fair aside, _Surfacing_ cements McLachlan's position among the paragons of not just women in music, but music, period. --- Top 5 - Jon Steltenpohl 1) Ani DiFranco, _Living in Clip_ (Righteous Babe). _Living in Clip_ proves a truth that the music industry has forgotten: If you make excellent music, you'll sell records. Ani DiFranco has sold over 750,000 copies of her supercharged albums with limited air play and without a major label. _Living in Clip_ is a fan's delight containing 2 CD's chock full of intense live tracks and a full color tour book. On the stage is where DiFranco shines, and _Living in Clip_ never fails to deliver. 2) Frank Sinatra with the Red Norvo Quintet, _Live in Australia, 1959_ (Blue Note/Capitol). Your impression of Frank Sinatra might be of an aging crooner with ties to the mob, but this album unearths a younger, hipper Sinatra. (Norvo introduces him as their new "boy vocalist".) This is a jazzy, carefree Sinatra who makes funny quips and plays to the audience any chance he can get. A phenomenal recording. 3) The Devlins, _Waiting_ (Radiouniverse). No sophomore slump here. _Waiting_ is one of those moody, moving albums that manages to skirt the fine line between pop and alternative with ease. Touring with Sarah McLachlan got them producer Pierre Marchand and his friend Tom Lord-Alge. The end result is mesmerizing. 4) Madeleine Peyroux, _Dreamland_ (Atlantic). Harry Connick Jr. proved that classic music never goes out of style, and Peyroux captures the same nostalgia. _Dreamland_ is a brilliant collection of covers and originals in the style of Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith. Each song is a little gem. 5) "The Artist" (Prince), _Emancipation_ (NPG Records/EMI-Capitol). Out of 3 bulging CD's, there's at least a CD and a half of incredible material on _Emancipation_. Prince, despite his indulgences (mainly love songs to Mayte), proves himself to still be one of the world's best producers and performers. A little judicious editing would have put a 2 CD _Emancipation_ on the same level as _Purple Rain_ or _Sign o' the Times_. --- Top 5 - Simon West 1) The Verve, _Urban Hymns_ (Virgin). An absolute classic, from the opening strings on "Bitter Sweet Symphony" to the final 'Fuck You!' of "Come On". _Urban Hymns_ has offended some long-time Verve purists as too commercial, but it's hard to find fault when the songs are as good as this. Every track is a winner, particularly the moving "The Drugs Don't Work" and the wonderful "Velvet Morning". "I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me," sings Richard Ashcroft, and The Verve have provided those sounds for the rest of us. 2) Oasis, _Be Here Now_ (Epic). Every song on this third effort is rock-solid Oasis, and for the first month after it was released, I was convinced it was the best album of the decade. The glow faded rather more quickly than with the previous two albums, but _Be Here Now_ is still a bloody good album, suffering only from several otherwise brilliant songs that simply go on too long, and a tendency toward overproduction. Still nothing here that quite matches the attitude and excitement of their debut, _Definitely Maybe_, but the Oasis juggernaut continues an amazingly consistent run of high quality songs - their B-sides still put most A-sides to shame. With Noel Gallagher publicly demanding change from himself and his band, the next album should be an interesting one... 3) The Prodigy, _The Fat Of The Land_ (XL/Maverick). Two of the best singles in recent years in "Firestarter" and "Breathe" and not inconsiderable hype meant The Prodigy's third album had a lot to live up too. It did. The previously mentioned singles justify the purchase alone, and most of the rest of the album matches that quality. Musical bloke Liam Howlett effortlessly blends hard guitar, slamming beats, hip hop breaks and samples, and in Maxim and Keith, two of the most alarming "vocalists" in memory. A near masterpiece. 4. The Charlatans, _Tellin' Stories_ (Universal/MCA). The Charlatans return from yet another tragedy - this time the death of keyboardist Rob Collins, and release their most consistent album to date. Chemical Brother Tom Rowlands supplies beats and loops here and there, the Hammond Organ swirls, and the band knock out some of the best tunes of the year. "How High", "North Country Boy", "With No Shoes" and the title track are brilliant, joyous tunes, and the final track, the instrumental "Rob's Theme", is a poignant moment indeed. A glorious album. 5) Space Monkeys, _The Daddy Of Them All_ (Interscope). Refer to the 12/4 issue of Consumable. Find Bob Gajarsky's review. Insert it here. Great stuff. Britpop, chemical beats, hip hop samples. The most variety in a single album I've heard this year. All of it's excellent, one hell of a debut. Check out especially "We Are The Supercool", the heavy "Ready For The Rampage" and the surprisingly charming ballad, "Sweetest Dream". This would probably be higher on my list, had I had it longer than 48 hours. --- Top 5 - Lang Whitaker 1) Bjork, _Homogenic_ (Elektra). Bjork is one of the few artists that have grown up on her own in plain view to all of us. On _Homogenic_, Bjork matures to a higher plane than most people thought imaginable. She takes oddly synthesized and shockingly syncopated beats, wraps them in lush strings, stirs in sweet melodies, and then liberally sprinkles her Icelandic pixie dust all over it. The song "Jsga" splits my vote for song of the year... 2. Ben Folds Five, _Whatever And Ever Amen_ (Sony/550). ...with "Song For The Dumped", the greatest break-up song ever recorded. Besides "Dumped", Ben Folds Five's sophomore album is a tight throwback to piano-driven rock and roll. It sounds like what would have happened if George Gershwin had grown up with an amp and distortion pedal lying around the house. 3. Rev. Al Green, _Anthology_ (The Right Stuff). Four CD's of the coolest man ever to walk the earth. This comprehensive collection chronicles Green's rise from his Memphis roots to his current legendary status. Starts with "Pack Up Your Train" and even has the gospel music that his career has evolved into. There are also several wonderfully bizarre covers ("I Wanna Hold Your Hand"; "Light My Fire"; "We've Only Just Begun"). It's the bomb. 4. Radiohead, _OK Computer_ (Capitol). I know it might seem like I'm trying to jump on the critical bandwagon, but I thought this record was an amazing leap for Radiohead. It's hard to believe these were the same guys who did "Creep" a few years ago. Thom Yorke's vocals and lyrics are brilliant, and I also find "Let Down" more beautiful every time I hear it. 5. Victor Wooten, _What Did He Say?_ (Compass). As a member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Victor Wooten had shocked musicians and fans worldwide with his numbing genius on the bass guitar. On _What_, his second solo album, Wooten again proves why he's the best player walking our planet, tapping out melodies and bass lines simultaneously, while remaining so deeply immersed within the groove that he could strike oil at any moment. If you are a musician that has never heard Victor Wooten play, enlightenment awaits. --- Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest continuous collaborative music publication on the Internet. 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