==== ISSUE 135 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [February 16, 1998] 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, Araballe Clauson, 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. ================================================================== Help rate Consumable! The Ultimate Magazine Database is allowing people rate their favorite online magazines - go to http://www.DOMINIS.com/cgi-bin/ZineQuery?category=Music&src=catpg&name=Consumable&submit=Search and enter the 'music' area, then go to Consumable to rate us! ================================================================== .------------. | Contents | `------------' REVIEW: Ian Brown, _Unfinished Monkey Business_ - Tim Kennedy REVIEW: High Llamas: _Cold and Bouncy_ - Daniel Aloi REVIEW: Stereophonics, _Word Gets Around_ - Tim Kennedy REVIEW: Moe Tucker, _GRL-GRUP_ (EP) / "I'm Sticking With You"/"After Hours" - Daniel Aloi REVIEW: Soundtrack, _The Wedding Singer_ - Bob Gajarsky CONCERT REVIEW: The Devlins w/ Exit 159 - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Komputer, _The World Of Tomorrow_ - Krisjanis Gale REIVEW: Apples in Stereo, _Tone Soul Evolution_ - Joe Silva REVIEW: Consolidated _Dropped_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Nineteen Wheels, _Six Ways From Sunday_ - Arabella Clauson REVIEW: Recoil, _Unsound Methods_ - Krisjanis Gale NEWS: Depeche Mode, Falco, Oasis, Queensryche, Rainmakers, Rhino Home Video (Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder), James Iha, Smashing Pumpkins / Nitzer Ebb TOUR DATES: Blue Mountain, Broadside Electric, Irving Plaza, Chantal Kreviazuk, Letters To Cleo, Life Of Agony / Far, Shake Appeal, Third Eye Blind / Smashmouth THE READERS WRITE BACK! Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Ian Brown, _Unfinished Monkey Business_ (Polydor UK) - Tim Kennedy This album has one hell of a history. The Stone Roses were all set to become the biggest UK band of the 90s back in 1989. They played great rock music, they had dance credibility, they looked incredibly cool - like football 'casuals' with guitars. They came out of nowhere, when rock music had no credibility and house/ hiphop were the musics of the moment. All of a sudden a thousand bands got in on the act, then it all turned sour. Blur actually appeared at this time, apeing the Roses so embarassingly that their stage show was a Roses tribute. The band changed but most surprising of all was that instead of 'Squire/Brown' on the credits for the most controversial second album _Second Coming_ only Squire appeared. The band sounded great, but whispers about Browney's voice got louder. Now Squire has his own Indie/Zep rock'n'roll band. Oasis took the glory that could have been the Roses'. But instead of disappearing from the scene, Ian has returned with a very different kind of music. This album seems to carry on where the Roses left off in 1990. The B side of "One Love" - "Something's Burning", a mysterious groovy reggae-ish number, and "Fools Gold" (the song that launched a host of dance/ rock crossovers -none quite so successful as the original) are the nearest Ian got to these songs with his old band. The production on this record is very creaky, but it just makes listening to _Unfinished Monkey Business_ all the more fascinating. When you liste to demos by your favourite band, or maybe the solo work of Syd Barrett, you hear the germ of something magical -the excitement isn't yet driven out by endless retakes and overdubs. This work features the band that was the Stone Roses after Squire, with replacement guitarist Aziz Ibrahim making some great contributions in particular, but most surprising is to hear Reni drumming on one of these tracks. "Can't See Me" is the true descendant of "Fools Gold" - a superb drum loop and great groove. This alone is worth the price of _Unfinished..._. But there is much much more. Elsewhere Maddix, who replaced Reni in the Roses, takes up the sticks. Much of the lyrics appear to be aimed at John Squire - and in bad humour, too. Many of the interviews in the UK press have also seen much badmouthing of his former henchman too (no doubt some of it exaggerated afterwards by eager hacks). Other lyrics are merely puzzling (one "Lions" features the repeated mantra "No lions in England"). The music styles vary from loping funk, to guitar workouts featuring the oriental patterns of Aziz Ibrahim. We also get elegaic gloom of Joy Division proportions. One track is built around riffing heavy guitar and appears to be satirising his old buddy's penchant for Hendrix - the title is "Ice Cold Cube" - Squire's band nickname. Elsewhere there is acoustic guitar/vocals, alone and stark, seemingly meandering, recalling the solo work of Syd Barrett in that one wonders if this is greatness or lunacy - or both. Other songs are built around primitive beatbox, like the Flying Lizards. Yet another is a sad Durutti Column guitar ballad. Even the blues are conjured up briefly, he uses styles with wild abandon, then dumps them just as suddenly. The bewildering array of musical genres employed here build up a mad collage of sounds, which astound the ear. This is not an album where you can listen to one song then predict what the others are like. This work doesn't relate to much of the music being played elsewhere in the UK. Ian has his own agenda. He is a true innovator and this album is greatness forged from chaos. He could have melted away forever into Lee Mavers (ex-La's) country, but he returned, and any fan of the Stone Roses will see the spirit of that band defiant amongst these strange but wonderful songs. --- REVIEW: High Llamas: _Cold and Bouncy_ (Alpaca/V2) - Daniel Aloi Here it is, early 1998, and in certain pop-cultural circles you'd think it was still 1966. Bob Dylan, Neil Young and the Doors are as popular as ever. Freedom of expression reigns. And we've hit a high point for '60s musical worship, with the resurgence of lounge music and a British pop ethic adopted by many contemporary bands -- Dandy Warhols, Candy Butchers and the like. You can pin this trend on a) a reaction to grunge and rap and b) the enduring influence of '60s melody masters the Beach Boys, Burt Bacharach and the Beatles, all of whom spun out such memorable candyfloss that their influence is nearly impossible to deny. These three B's of pop seem to be on a continuous tape loop inside the skull of head High Llama Sean O'Hagan. He may have decidedly different musical credentials with Microdisney and Stereolab, but with this band he consistently refuses to stray too far from his synths-in-a-sandbox Brian Wilson obsession. That's not a criticism -- O'Hagan doesn't plunder the undeniable past any more than, say, Elvis Costello - and there are much worse heroes he could emulate. But unfortunately on the aptly titled "Cold and Bouncy," O'Hagan and his band's pet sounds don't quite match up to the originals, and he adds little in original viewpoint to the pure pop feeling he's recreating. Lacking the layered harmonies and walls of wonderful sound that Beach Boy Brian built from scratch, songs like "The Sun Beats Down" and "Tilting Windmills" provide only a surface reading of an attempt to recreate Wilson's "teenage symphonies to God." Instead the "cold" electronic gurgles and gleeps throughout the album take over, to the point that even "warm" instruments (banjo, vibes) are so deliberately plunked they sound like samples. The overall effect is distance from the heart that one thinks should be behind this music. "Over the River" and "Didball" sound like lost Bacharach scores -- in fact, these tracks and some of the Llamas' instrumentals play as if originally written as soundtrack filler for some European film in the '60s (naturally), perhaps a spy caper-romance set aboard a submarine cruising off the French Riviera. Still, "Cold and Bouncy" is enjoyable, not to be taken too seriously -- and what more could you ask of a pop album? Just don't get all nostalgic and hold it up to Wilson's now-flickering but once-bright candle and it's a fine listen, with more than an hour of melodic whimsy that seems to float by in half that time. --- REVIEW: Stereophonics, _Word Gets Around_ (V2) - Tim Kennedy The Stereophonics actually emerged from rural obscurity during the previous year and this album has been out in the UK for some months, but the band have just become the surprise gatecrashers of the 1998 awards circuit in the UK. These Welsh veterans of many a record company refusal letter allegedly take their inspiration from such luminaries as AC/DC. But, they are no leaden-footed blues metal merchants. Their guitars are often played with punkoid fury, but the songs are well-turned instant pop classics. Perhaps only the Teenage Fanclub in years gone by have managed a similar light touch conveyed upon heavy guitars. The lyrics immediately strike the listener with their intelligence, and thought-provoking couplets leap out constantly; 'it takes one tree/ to make a thousand matches/ but it only takes one match/ to burn a thousand trees' ("A Thousand Trees"). "Traffic" speaks of searching for a place in life - 'Wait tables for a crook? Write a hard back book? You teach your kids to read? Sell your body on the street?', and is sung superbly by Kelly Jones who must havethe best rock voice to emerge since Liam Gallagher. Jones trades in unstoppable streams of images, tumbling over each other as they pour forth '...as the rumours start to fly/ you can hear them in the school yard/ scrap yard/ chip shop/ phone box/ in the pool hall/ at the shoe stall...' ("A Thousand Trees"). Jones could sing the telephone book and make it sound of desperation, but these lyrics are some of the finest heard for years. This band does not trade in lovelorn laments, nor vague anthemic platitudes, but in the stuff of everyday existence. There is more than one song here about small town suicide (including the title track), and the majority of the lyrics are about battling against everyday life in depressed South Wales, but really it could be anywhere. The songs and the voice speak about real experiences, and there are no platitudes here, only compassion. Musically they are straightahead rock'n'roll, but the Stereophonics more than prove that there are still places to go with this much-maligned genre. The confidence with which they play is thrilling to hear. At one point they even launch into a Madness-style piano solo, and it works superbly as you might expect. Great lyrics are rare enough these days. Allied to a sure songwriting touch and great playing ability and sung with such superb panache, nothing can stop this band except maybe success itself. --- REVIEW: Moe Tucker, _GRL-GRUP_ (EP) / "I'm Sticking With You"/"After Hours" (Lakeshore Drive) - Daniel Aloi Back when she was in the Velvet Underground, drummer Moe Tucker must have kept a close eye - and ear - on Nico. You can hear a bit of the Teutonic chanteuse in Tucker's throaty singing style. But Tucker's most recent solo work doesn't otherwise much resemble the Velvets' art-damaged debut. These two new CDs, released in December on Tucker's own label, pay loving tribute to '60s pop songs - including two from Lou Reed's catalog. Tucker now lives in rural Georgia, where her kids are leaving the nest and she drums with Magnet. Recording in Atlanta, Tucker leads her band (including her onetime Half Japanese cohort John Sluggett) through covers of four Phil Spector-Jeff Barry-Ellie Greenwich love songs on _GRL-GRUP_, a title displayed in big license plate lettering on the CD's cover. Tucker and her supporting cast achieve a scaled-down wall of sound that's low on sheen, big on heart - as she sings such teenage melodramas as "(And) Then He Kissed Me," "Be My Baby," "To Know Him Is To Love Him" and even "Da Doo Ron Ron." Indie-rock types shouldn't be surprised - Moe did a slew of classic rock'n'roll songs on her solo debut, "Playin' Possum." You can tell it's an act of love - one she dedicates to her former bandmate, the late Sterling Morrison. Even Tucker's versions of the two Lou Reed songs on the single (both of which were also covered on the final Velvet Underground tour captured on "Live MCMXCIII") project a sweet backwards glance at the bouncy innocence of '60s AM radio - the kind of thing that was anathema to the Velvets' original artcore audience. Then again, Lou never made any bones about his love for the songs of Doc Pomus. You can order these and other solo releases from Tucker directly (and even have them autographed) by writing to her at PO Box 2357, Douglas, GA 31534. Prices and other details are available on her web site, http://www.spearedpeanut.com/tajmoehal Tucker's site, TajMoehal, is well-illustrated and fan-friendly -- she offers to make tapes (at a discounted price) of her solo CDs and will even autograph them for you if you ask. A monthly newsletter page keeps everyone abreast of not only her recording projects but her family members' latest accomplishments. And she's put out a call for VU bootleg masters for a project Polygram is undertaking. Links to other VU-related sites abound, as do links to other bands she likes or has worked with, including Half Japanese and Olivia Tremor Control. --- REVIEW: Soundtrack, _The Wedding Singer_ (Maverick) - Bob Gajarsky Adam Sandler's latest big-screen effort, as a wedding singer jilted at the altar for his own ring ceremony, serves as an opportunity to rehash some of modern rock's most successful songs during the mid 1980s. The leadoff track from this collection is the Presidents of the United States of America's cover of the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star". Formerly a nearly impossible-to-obtain B-side, "Video" is not only the sole 'new' track, but also a prized collectible for fans of the now defunct group. Some of the 'flashback' soundtracks (_Grease_, _Romy and Michele's High School Reunion_) focus on music appropriate to the aura portrayed in the movie - a high school prom, for example. But rather than being reflective of the 'pop' culture of the 80s, _Wedding Singer_ instead focuses on what should have been; a dozen songs which can still be listened to (at least passively) by today's modern rock fan. A wedding singer performing the Smiths in 1985 might have been thought of as cool by 2 people, and weird by the rest... Most of these tracks are already in the collections of many modern rock fans; it seems inconceivable that a big fan wouldn't already have the Smiths' longest-lasting hit ("How Soon Is Now?") or the track which catapulted New Order to international dance club fame ("Blue Monday"). Still, it remains likely that fans of the 80s 'cool scene' will purchase this to fill in a couple missing gaps in those collections. And with at least three songs included on the promotional trailers which are NOT included on this volume ("Der Kommessar", "Always Something There To Remind Me", "Boys Don't Cry"), it's equally likely we'll see a _More Music from The Wedding Singer_ album later in 1998. TRACK LISTING: Presidents of the United States of America - Video Killed The Radio Star; Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me; Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic; Smiths - How Soon Is Now?; Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way; Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now; Elvis Costello - Every Day I Write The Book; Billy Idol - White Wedding; David Bowie - China Girl; New Order - Blue Monday; Musical Youth - Pass The Dutchie; Dialogue Have You Written Anything Lately?; Adam Sandler - Somebody Kill Me; Ellen Dow / Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight (Medley) --- CONCERT REVIEW: The Devlins w/ Exit 159 Kansas City, MO - Jon Steltenpohl Braving the experience of a real "cowtown", The Devlins travelled to Kansas City to give a healthy dose of support of their new album, _Waiting_. While the tiny university towns of Lawrence, KS and Columbia, MO sport progressive music scenes within a stone's throw, Kansas City seems hell bent on ignoring everything but generic stadium concerts. Even the incredible jazz and blues that Kansas City is famous for takes a back seat to bar-b-que joints. The horrors of the KC club scene aside, the music at The Hurricance was unquestionably good. The Devlins' pensive, melodic pop sparkled despite a half filled club of noisy newcomers, and the opening act, refreshingly, didn't suck. Local band Exit 159 (http://godot.simplenet.com/exit159) wowed the crowd with their opening slot. Band leader Kristie Stremel (formerly of Midwest darlings Frogpond) blazed through an alterna-pop set that was reminiscent of Joan Jett and Chrissie Hynde mixed in with a little Cars. Originals like "Cigarette Kiss" seemed to impress the crowd, and one by one, they actually got off their lame "parked at the bar" asses and danced. A too short set of supercharged originals and a cover of Prince's Little Red Corvette left the crowd hungry for more, but Exit 159 had already run over and couldn't be coaxed back for an encore. A few minutes later, The Devlins took the stage. A lighted sign with the word "waiting" on it along with a few red "stop" lights provided their entire stage decor. Bassist Peter Devlin and drummer Sean Deavitt were attired in simple jeans and t-shirts, and Colin wore shimmy slacks and red aligator shoes. It was immediately apparent that here was a band with no need for pretty boy pretensions. They opened out with a few acoustic tracks including an immaculate, stripped down version of "Surrender" that featured Peter's chiming satellite tones on guitar. Like the version on their current album _Waiting_, the song quietly mesmerized the audience. Or, at least, it mesmerized a good portion of the audience. For every fan of the Devlins who had travelled over hill and dale to get a glimpse at this treasure, there was some half drunk bozo who dropped in while bar-hopping or some Friends wannabe with a free ticket they won on the radio who refused to shut the hell up. Here's this quiet Irish band with probing, inciteful lyrics playing to a bipolar crowd of diehard fans and boistrous drunks. Were it not for the quality of the music and The Devlins' devil-may-care attitude, it might have been a wasted night. A great acoustic version of Prince's "I could Never Take the Place of Your Man" was their answer to Exit 159, and for a while, even the drunk losers took notice. But for those who cared, the Devlins did deliver. They performed nearly all of the songs off their current album including their current single, "Heaven's Wall", the title track "Waiting", and such excellent cuts as "Where are You Tonight?", "Years Could Go By", "Reckless", "Disappear", and "Kill With Me Tonight". A few tracks such as "I Knew That" and "I Almost Made You Smile" from their first album, _Drift_, made it in, and throughout the night, a wall of fans could be seen dancing in place with their eyes either closed or fixated on Colin's heavy gaze. As sex symbols go, Colin wouldn't be your obvious choice. He rarely danced, never showed off, and often looked a little nervous up there. But in a Shelley-esque sort of way, he was captivating. Here was a tragic, underfed poet with a slight grin that switched to a slight wince in a single lyric. Somehow, without a hint of irony, he sang smart lines like "You never should look back, experience has taught us that" from "Reckless". And then, with a toss of his brown, curly hair, he'd gaze back out to the crowd and let you in on a little more of his soul. When they got around to doing "Heaven's Wall", the song almost seemed out of place. Against a field of disaffected stories of troubled love, here you have a bonafide love song with hope! Colin appeared to break a grin while singing it, but you wouldn't want to swear on it. It's almost like he was a bit embarrassed to sing something that wasn't depressing. I commented to a fan who had driven 4 hours to see them play that, "Well, I guess all of their songs can't be sad", and she said, "They aren't sad, they're beautiful." And I guess, really, she was right. Despite all of the distractions from the crowd and the misery of being stuck in the midwest, the Devlins put together a show that can truly be described as beautiful. Here was a band that seemed wholly innocent as to what was expected of them as a rock band and of the audience they were faced with. Didn't they know they were playing in Kansas City? Didn't they know they had a bar crowd? Didn't they know they were supposed to break a few guitar strings? Apparently not. The Devlins simply played beautiful, haunting music. They were gracious and unflinching. Even when someone in the midst of conversation shouted out "Fuck you!" during a quiet point in a song, they were undaunted. Near the end of the show, they did "Surrender" again. Only this time, it was electric and a little louder. Still spellbinding, it was a deja vu moment that seemed a tacit reminder to those captivated by this low key band that they had indeed given in. As the band left the stage at the end of the set, it became apparent that they must have had some effect on the entire crowd given the strength of the applause that called them back on the stage. They closed out the night as gracious hosts by playing a request of the girl who drove 4 hours to see them, and then faded slowly off the stage as subtly as they came on. The Devlins are currently on tour through February opening for Paula Cole. --- REVIEW: Komputer, _The World Of Tomorrow_ (Mute) - Krisjanis Gale Sometimes you have to look back in order to look far ahead...this perspective makes listening to Komputer's new release "The World of Tomorrow" much more profound. Komputer is simple and repetitive, clinically structured, and also deeply captivating... but only to fans of Kraftwerk and their countless descendents. Komputer is NOT about throwing a dozen effects on a guitar and supplementing it with a badly reconstructed sampled breakbeat to issue some ill-conceived vision of the future; they are NOT here to give some dark political view warning of the effects of mass technological evolution; and they are certainly NOT here to emulate natural soundscapes through synthesis - quite the opposite. Komputer has embraced the power of machines, have learned to adapt cold binary digits to human expression, and are offering a beautifully refreshing, totally artificial insight into the next stage of human evolution, as we grow beyond the flesh and deeper into the mind. "Underwater cities / giant upper craft / automated factories / trips to the stars. Hydroponic farms /moving walkways / picture telephones / colonies on Mars" This is precisely the vision once portrayed by Kraftwerk. I can think of no more qualified group than Komputer to carry their tradition of fearless technological worship, begun many a year ago. --- REIVEW: Apples in Stereo, _Tone Soul Evolution_ (Spin Art/Sire) - Joe Silva One of the principal brigades from the potentially legendary Elephant Six collective, the Apples second LP is an intentional step away from all the electronic psychedelia of their debut. By shedding their analog synth-coats for bare-chested organs and straight up guitar work, the Apples hoped to recover their pop aspirations from orbit, and bring them to ground in kinder, gentler pastures. That said and that accomplished, the great promise of this collection collapses somewhat beneath it's own raison d'etre after a time. The Apples eventually devolve into a blurred, moving target in a game of spot the vibe. For all the careful harmonies and gentle postures, the Apples riffs and pleasant melodies are still not quite up to the task of becoming terribly catchy - which would appear to be their principal motive. With "Seems So," the lead off track that's laden with Rubber Soul-ish backing vocals, one of their most resonant choruses, and its Fab-like ending, one of their peak moments is served up straight away. But by the time we get past the sweet "About Your Fame," the chords start to resemble bland indie-isms and Robert Schneider's lyrics move from pleasant simplicities to trite chin-wagging. When you arrive at "Tin Pan Alley," with its intro blatantly lifted from Buddy Holly's "Words of Love" there seems to be not much substance left to sustain the Apples' good intentions. But just when their prospects seem exhausted, Schneider delivers the doozy that is "Find Our Way" - a mellow construction of organ, vocal harmonies, and ringing guitars that's at once wonderfully listenable and the correct balance of all that Schneider draws upon and aims for. Coupled with the ultra-nifty coda that follows, the Apples still manage to maintain a certain amount of hope for themselves until the ripening is complete. --- REVIEW: Consolidated _Dropped_ (Sol 3 Records) - Jon Steltenpohl Well, as the title of the album says, Adam Sherburne's Consolidated has finally been _Dropped_ . Given his moral conflicts with being part of the music industry, it's amazing that he lasted for 4 major label albums before seeking indie refuge. On _Dropped_ , Sherburne goes farther towards the 'band' sound of _Business of Punishment_ and drifts farther from the dance sound that made their debut, _The Myth of Rock_ , a success. _Business of Punishment_, while not a strict dancefest, was at least groove-able, but _Dropped_ is dark and festering. Somewhere along the line, Sherburne decided to cop a few chords from Jimi Hendrix and Muddy Waters, and the result is that _Dropped_ is an attempt at retro hardcore that only sporadically finds its groove. Not that the music has ever really been Sherburne's focus. Instead, Consolidated has been and remains a force for political action and for venting whatever else is on Sherburne's mind. Pro-woman, vegetarian, pro-abortion, anti-war, pro-gay, anti-racist, pro-environment, and anti-music industry have been just a few of the labels Sherburne has chosen for himself. Their web page (http://www.sol3records.com) links you to the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, the Animal Rights Resource Site, and a site of links called "Working for Justice...Ending Violence." On this album, the focus is on male domination and abuse and apparently, a break-up of Sherburne's marriage. The result is a slightly confusing mix of songs that swing from a lovesick guy with "a hole in his heart" to an incest perpetrator. In other words, there's not a lot of love on this album. Sherburne excels when he focuses directly on abuse. In "Recovered Memory (the perp pt.1)" and "Why doesn't he stop (the perp pt.2)", incest and domestic violence get dissected in the trademark Consolidated way. Sherburne personifies the abused and then angrily lambastes the perpetrator. In "Recovered Memory", Gloria Steinam adds spoken word ("one in three girls and one in four boys will be sexually assaulted before they reach the age of eighteen"), and, in "Why doesn't he stop", an abused woman speaks candidly about her experiences and fear. The song ends with another woman stating, "the question is not 'Why doesn't she just leave?', the question is, 'Why doesn't he just stop?'. Like most of Sherburne's statements, they are powerful and evoke strong emotions. Unfortunately, on _Dropped_, these two tracks are the exception. Instead, there are clunkly lines like, "You know it's funny when the A.C.L.U. can be confused with Operation Rescue. / Don't get me wrong I'm real happy for all of the pimps and klansmen they're saving / but that system is caving in." Ultimately, this is what makes _Dropped_ weaker than previous Consolidated albums. The change from dance band to music band is nothing compared to Sherburne's lack of focus on his own agendas. When he's focused on a target (wife beaters and child abusers), he really gets in your head and forces you to consider your own morality, but when he drifts from that, Consolidated just becomes another band. --- REVIEW: Nineteen Wheels, _Six Ways From Sunday_ (Aware) - Arabella Clauson The music industry has felt a constant rumble rolling out of that big state called Michigan, and it has nothing to do with El Nino. The young band Nineteen Wheels has recently garnered national attention after signing as the first grassroots act on the new AWARE/Columbia label. In recent years, AWARE Music has released compilations featuring then-independent bands such as Hootie & the Blowfish, Edwin McCain, Matchbox 20, The Verve Pipe, and Better Than Ezra. Judging from _Six Ways From Sunday_, the band is right on track. Drawing from the recent insurgent country movement so pervasive on the airwaves these days, the sound falls somewhere between Grant Lee Buffalo and Son Volt, with a dash of Pearl Jam on a couple of tracks like "Colorado" for good measure. Frontman Chris Johnson's vocals evoke Son Volt's Jay Farrar, pleasantly gritty, like the tasty charred bits on a barbecued steak. He consistently delivers emotionally driven vocals backed by a band that could have defined Midwesten country-rock if it was still uncharted territory. Intelligent structured tunes are the norm for this band, ranging from the infectious upbeat "13 Seconds to Burn" about the inherent restrictions in the life of a prison inmate, to "Make it on the Warm," an introspective glimpse into the meaning of truth. The first single, "Colorado," is marked with driving guitars and pounding rhythms, reminiscent of the Pearl Jam sound, though the Eddie Vedder fan club may disagree. The disc is refreshing because every track seems balanced with another one. For every electric guitar screaming, baseline thumping tune, there is a calm, hummable acoustic piece to match. This is an album for the those who still mourn the passing of Uncle Tupelo, but like the new offerings from Wilco and Son Volt. If an eighteen wheeler rumbles through your CD player, look for the Michigan plates and the extra tire. --- REVIEW: Recoil, _Unsound Methods_ (Reprise) - Krisjanis Gale Ingredients present on _Unsound Methods_: Adam Wilder - former Depeche Mode producer; Douglas McCarthy - former Nitzer Ebb singer Maggie Estep - spoken word artist from New York Siobhan Lynch - independent songwriter and performer Hildia Campbell - gospel and blues singer for Depeche Mode's _Songs of Faith and Devotion_ LP Loosely constructed riffs and musical framework Cooking Instructions: Motivate collaboration between songwriter-lyricists and producer Tweak for months, infusing the entire work with dark, infectious Ambient dub grooves Mix Release to the public Servings: 9 Adam Wilder has stayed true to the original feel and purpose of Recoil, while also exploring far more provocative creative worlds then he did for _Bloodline_. Why is _Unsound Methods_ radically different? No longer working with Depeche Mode, Adam has freed more time to allow Recoil to develop into far more than a side project - it has grown into a ferocious and righteous monster with a heart of darkness that clearly understands the most morbid aspects of the human condition, crushing the weak in spirit and uplifting the strong-willed and deserving heirs to the Future. Who knows where this monster will roam next. It has already forged so many new paths... --- NEWS: > Depeche Mode is in the studio recording new songs for a forthcoming double disc greatest hits package, expected to be in stores in late 1998. This collection will include all of their hits since their last studio compilation, in 1986. In addition, a tribute album _For The Masses_ is undergoing construction; potential bands to appear on this include Smashing Pumpkins, Dishwalla, Apollo 440, Deftones and more on 1500 Records. > Austrian pop star Falco, who achieved monumental fame in Europe with "Jeanny" and hit #1 in the United States with an English remix of "Rock Me Amadeus", recently passed away in a car accident in the Dominican Republic at the age of 40. > Oasis is considering the release of a compilation album - whose contents will be determined by fans - towards the end of 1998. Rather than being a true compilation of all their B-sides, this effort will include only twelve songs. Fans can choose among 31 tracks (excluding live and demo versions of songs already appearing on albums) to decide the actual track listing by emailing their list to oasis@oasisinet.com with name, email address, and a subject header of "Compilation LP" before April 30, 1998. For further information on this and other Oasis news, go to http://www.oasisinet.com . > Guitarist Chris DeGarmo has left Queensryche to pursue other projects. The band's new album is reportedly at least half finished; no word on whether they'll try to make do with 1 guitarist instead of 2, but they're reportedly looking for a replacement. > Mercury Records has tentatively set June, 1998, for the American release of a greatest hits packages of the Rainmakers. A 'best of' disc was issued six years ago for the band in Norway. > Rhino Home Video will be releasing documentaries on the making of Paul Simon's _Graceland_ and Stevie Wonder's _Songs In The Key Of Life_ featuring outtakes, demos, live performances and some previously unreleased footage. These videos will be avilable on March 17, 1998. > James Iha will be appearing on America Online at 9pm EST on February 26 for an online chat; keyword VIRGIN. > The founder of Nitzer Ebb, Bon Harris, has been enlisted by Billy Corgan to add an electronic edge to the new Smashing Pumpkins album. According to Harris, "This is a very different record for Smashing Pumpkins, with probably 50% of it being electronic-oriented. Billy gives me free reign with what Im doing. He gives me the songs, I go work on them, bring them back, and it works." Harris is also working on material for his new project, Maven. Flood and Billy Corgan are expected to be involved with Maven in some capacity. --- TOUR DATES: Blue Mountain Feb. 20 New York, NY Mercury Lounge Feb. 21 Cambridge, MA T.T. The Bear's Feb. 23 Northhampton, MA Iron Horse Feb. 25 Albany,NY Bogie's Feb. 27 Washington, DC Bayou Broadside Electric Feb. 21 Philadelphia, PA The Mermaid Inn Irving Plaza (NYC concert hall - www.irvingplaza.com) Feb. 27 Hum / Swervedriver Chantal Kreviazuk Feb. 26 Chicago, IL Wtmx Radio Show @ House Of Blues Feb. 27 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Feb. 28 Cleveland, OH Odeon Letters To Cleo Feb. 19 New York, NY Mercury Lounge Feb. 20 Asbury Park, NJ Saint Feb. 21 Northampton, MA Pearl Street Life Of Agony / Far Feb. 16 Providence, RI Met Cafe Feb. 17 Washington DC 9:30 Club Feb. 18 Albany, NY Bogies Feb. 22 Grand Rapids, MI Intersection Feb. 23 Cleveland, OH Odeon Feb. 24 Detroit, MI Shelter Feb. 26 Kansas City, KS Roadhouse Rubys Feb. 27 Sioux Falls, SD Pomp Room Feb. 28 Lincoln, NE Royal Grove Shake Appeal Feb. 18 Philadelphia, PA Upstairs At Nick's Feb. 19 Baltimore, MD Otto Bar Feb. 20 New York, NY Brownies Feb. 27 Springfield, MA Fat Cat Third Eye Blind / Smashmouth Feb. 20 Norfolk, VA Boathouse Feb. 21 Baltimore, MD Loyola College Feb. 22 Scranton, PA Cultural Center Feb. 24 Poughkeepsie, NY Mid-Hudson Civic Center Feb. 25 New Brunswick, NJ Rutgers University Feb. 26 Hartford, CT Univ. of Hartford Feb. 27 New York, NY Roseland Feb. 28 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory --- THE READERS WRITE BACK! > After reading nothing but negative reviews for Goldie's latest, I'm very glad to see someone has finally seen the light and recognized an album that is, in my opinion, ahead of its time. After experiencing (and being completely blown away by) _Mother_, I can honestly say that Goldie is a genuine artist in every sense of the word. Bravo. - T.Q. --- Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest music reviews 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 ===