==== ISSUE 142 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [April 27, 1998] Editor: Bob Gajarsky Internet: gaj@westnet.com Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva, Lang Whitaker Correspondents: Tracey Bleile, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Jason Cahill, Patrick Carmosino, Arabella Clauson, Krisjanis Gale, Paul Hanson, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Robin Lapid, Scott Miller, Linda Scott, Scott Slonaker, Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Simon West 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/Zines/ByCategory/Music then go to Consumable to rate us! ================================================================== .------------. | Contents | `------------' REVIEW: Page & Plant, _Walking Into Clarksdale_ - Bill Holmes INTERVIEW: Stabbing Westward - Al Muzer REVIEW: Tones On Tail, _Everything!_ - Joe Silva REVIEW: Marc Cohn, _Burning The Daze_ - Lang Whitaker REVIEW: Danny Wilde & The Rembrandts, _Spin This!_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Jann Arden, _Happy?_ - Tim Kennedy REVIEW: Soulfly, _Soulfly_ - Linda Scott REVIEW: Jolene, _In the Gloaming_ - Arabella Clauson REVIEW: Largo, _Largo_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Pat McGee Band, _Revel_ - Arabella Clauson REVIEW: Alejandro Escovedo, _More Miles Than Money Live 1994-96_ - Tracey Bleile INTERVIEW: Cheri Knight - Al Muzer REVIEW: Destroyed By Anger, _Destroyed By Anger_ - Paul Hanson REVIEW: Both Worlds, _Memory Rendered Visible_ - Sean Eric McGill REVIEW: Dadawa, _Voices From The Sky_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Various, _Mega Hits Dance Party Volume 2_ - Bob Gajarsky NEWS: Beastie Boys, Rhino Musical Aptitude Test, Sidewinders TOUR DATES: Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Cows, Kyle Davis, John Wesley Harding / Steve Wynn, Irving Plaza, Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers, Morcheeba, Gary Numan, Sherry Rich, Slackers, Smart Went Crazy, Trinket THE READERS WRITE BACK! Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Page & Plant, _Walking Into Clarksdale_ (Atlantic) - Bill Holmes During the heyday of Led Zeppelin, an interviewer asked Robert Plant what he thought lie in the band's future. He answered by saying that while he wasn't sure how long the band would continue as a unit, he felt sure that he and Page would always continue to write and play together, even if it was the two of them on stools in a small bar. History has shown that Zeppelin went out with a bang instead of a whimper, and although Page and Plant have survived (and even had success) apart, they are still each other's best foils. There never will be another Led Zeppelin, much to the dismay of their fans, and those looking for a rebirth of the band in _Clarksdale_ will be sorely disappointed. Engineer Steve Albini usually overwhelms whatever act he produces; yet here he probably deferred out of reverence. Instead, as much as they may want it not to be considered one, Page and Plant's production sounds like an attempt to make another Led Zeppelin record. Zep did draw heavily from Eastern influences, especially in their waning days, and parts of _Clarksdale_ sound like they could pick up right where the last releases ended off. But Zep always had strong material and an undeniable flair that is not so consistent here. Whether the record succeeds vocally depends on how you feel about Robert Plant as a singer. You might appreciate his efforts to avoid standard phrasing (and the way he uses his vocal tone as an separate instrument) or you might naturally make comparisons to older days. Fair or not, he just isn't as forceful as he was in his prime. When he stays within his limitations he exhibits the subtleties that veteran pipes can shine with, but when he tries to recapture Marshall stack moments (and these are thankfully few), it just doesn't happen. Likewise, Page doesn't do a whole lot of wailing, preferring to mostly add short bursts of texture. He's played so many licks in his career that he even rips himself off now ("Over The Hills And Far Away" and "The Song Remains The Same" are just two of the signature riffs that the astute listener will pick up on.). Where he once was a very "busy" player, he now waits for his moments to insert a run or jack the volume. This is a good thing, actually - if you have your air guitar handy you'd be better served grabbing the aforementioned _BBC Live_ disk to do the mirror dance with. Moments truly shine - "Upon A Golden Horse" and "Burning Up" do catch a little fire, and Plant's bluesy vocal on "When I Was A Child" does hint that maybe he and Page could fulfill that ancient barstool prophecy. But "Please Read The Letter" sputters and never gets going, and "Blue Train" and "Sons Of Freedom" (a weak closing cut) are padded and indulgent. The best tracks are the opener, "Shining In The Light", whose jangly tone sets an early standard that's quickly eclipsed by the second and best cut, "When The World Was Young". The latter starts slowly and loosely, until the band kicks in for the refrain where Plant's strong vocals, Page's determined blast of sound and (gasp!) a hook all combine to win the listener's ear. This is the one song that not only would fit well on a Zeppelin record, it would probably be the single. In the salad days, the pure energy of the band could take average material up to a higher level. Despite a good rhythm section (and bassist Charlie Jones and drummer Michael Lee actually get writing credit on each track!) the weaker songs are easily exposed. They're not bad per se, but if it weren't two legends involved in the project, they'd never get the focus or attention they will inevitably get by their inclusion here. The fans of both Page and Plant, as well as Zep fans, will naturally savor every second of this release and find value in each sonic warble and plucked note. Those who felt that the band was overrated and bombastic rock at best are going to find nothing here to change their mind. The truth is actually the middle ground. While nowhere near as exciting as 1997's _BBC Live_ was (a release that truly could convert the non believers), _Clarksdale_ does have its moments. It's no _Physical Graffiti_, but it's still light years better than _No Quarter_ or any Page or Plant solo effort. I imagine that repeated listens will being out more of the charm of the record. But regardless, if I were John Paul Jones, I wouldn't feel threatened at all. --- INTERVIEW: Stabbing Westward - Al Muzer Darkest Days indeed. With a lyrical focus that rarely strays from abject despair, resigned pessimism, wrist-slitting self-loathing, angry recrimination, a keen sense of loss and more what ifs, sighs and if onlys than most folks are forced to endure in one lifetime - Stabbing Westward's third Columbia Records release is a strident reminder that things aren't as peaceful in the real world as they appear to be on the surface. That our _Darkest Days_ are here. Now. An urgent, edgy, edge-of-your-seat piece of work, the frequently-delayed new release from this Chicago-based five-piece addresses the confused, lost, overwhelmed and frightened soul in each of us with songs (including "How Can I Hold On", "Torn Apart", "Drowning", 'When I'm Dead", "Save Yourself", "On The Way Down", "The Thing I Hate" and "Goodbye") that play in stark contrast to the sugar-coated good-time pabulum fouling the FM airwaves these days. "You know - we've been chasing this record for about a year now", begins vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Christopher Hall when he's asked about the oft-changed release date for the long-awaited new album. "We wrote most of the songs about a year ago - rehearsed them for a few weeks - and then went in and recorded everything fairly quickly." "It was just in the mixing process that _Darkest Days_ bogged down and became us forever chasing our tails," he laughs ruefully. "In the end, we wound up mixing it ourselves." "And, you know what? I think we wound up with a great record," he says of the 16-song labor of love he, keyboardist/ guitarist Walter Flakus, guitarist Mark Eliopulos, drummer/ guitarist/programmer/backing vocalist Andy Kubiszewski and bassist/guitarist Jim Sellers recorded in Burbank with producer Dave (Alice In Chains, Janes Addiction) Jerden. "Jerden did a really great job making us sound like a band," Hall says with a trace of pride. "You know, we've never really been able to capture that big, full, powerful rock sound before, but Jerden definitely locked in a vibe for us on this record." Interrupted by a knock on his door, Hall puts the phone down and can be heard talking with someone. Back a moment later, he apologizes by explaining: "I've been away for a few weeks taking care of stuff and came home today to find that all sorts of bad things have been happening here - the worst of which was that the ceiling caved in over my bed; my bed and apartment got soaked; and there's soggy plaster, like, everywhere," he sighs as he surveys what sounds like some fairly extensive, El Nino-related damage. "My personal shit is being held hostage by a bitter young girl at the moment", he snorts, "so, thankfully, none of that got wet." Reminded that it was the thirteenth of the month and a Friday, Hall laughs, "It would be, wouldn't it?" Collapsed ceiling aside, you'd think that world-wide tours with the likes of Prong, Alice Donut, Depeche Mode and Killing Joke, two successful releases (1994s _Ungod_ and 1996s _Wither, Blister, Burn and Peel_) and a couple of chart-topping hits ("What Do I have To Do" and "Shame") would result in more than one semi-uplifting, things aren't so bad track ("Waking Up Beside You") on _Darkest Days_. Instead, there's "Drowning". "Ahhh, now thats a great song," offers Hall. "It makes you feel really sad. And it makes you feel like you're in some sort of sensory deprivation tank. It's got a real weird vibe to it." "We have two lyricists and three songwriters in the band," Hall says by way of explaining the groups less-than-bubbly songwriting tendencies, "and, between the three of us, we just seem to tap into something really kind of," he tails off. "Well, I don't want to call it negative," he continues after a bit of thought, "because I don't think it's negative music. I think it's very cleansing in a weird way; let's just say that we tend to not embrace the happy side of things." "I'm not a particularly angry person," Hall says after another pause. "I just get really depressed sometimes." "We don't hate everyone or anything like that," he laughs as he catches himself heading off on a dark tangent. "We're just trying to deal, not only with the day-to-day problems going on within the band, but with the disintegration of our personal lives and personal relationships because of the band.' "We've been taken away from any regular sort of life for five years now," he adds with a trace of wistfulness, "and, I guess it's finally starting to catch up." --- REVIEW: Tones On Tail, _Everything!_ (Beggars Banquet) - Joe Silva Concocted as a brief stepping stone before settling into Love and Rockets, Tones on Tail was Daniel Ash's first breath of artistic liberation after helping to establish the Goth standard during his four years with Bauhaus. In the two short years of its existence, Ash, brother/Bauhaus drummer Kevin Haskins, and ex-Bauhaus roadie/bassist Glenn Campling flexed their wings over fields of modern psychedelia, left-field minimalistic jazz, and proto-electronica. Collected over two discs are their first and only LP, all the B-sides, and a twisted but fun live reading of "Heartbreak Hotel." There's also a interview piece where a BBC interviewer prods a polite but squirming Ash for the details of Bauhaus' demise ("...it was unforunate that we split up when we did..."). But what the recordings of this episode reveal are that Ash probably wanted more liberty to explore beyond whatever stylistic boundaries eventually engulfed Bauhaus. And when reviewed as a whole, (the first disc) _Pop_ is a reeling pastiche of several convictions. Opening with "Lions," a haunting, electronic piece that not much more than a few delicate pulses and Ash's voice, it's immediately followed by a funky, bass-heavy dance bit with wailing guitars ("War"). And on and on. _Pop_'s multi-planked platform works because virtually all the tracks are carefully laid out and tres tuneful. Tracks like "Performance," which worked when played thundering loud in the clubland of the day may seem a touch cheesy now, but oddball tracks like "Slender Fungus" echoes and improves upon the experimental sensibilities of the Floyd's "Several Species Of Furry Animals Sitting In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict." The bigtime hit "Go!" is also included come disc two and the remaining singles and b-side material besides being quite worthwhile, show our Danny to be severely bent on putting a pop face on his brooding trippyness. As a template for what came after once Campling was booted and bassist David J returned from his own post-Bauhaus excursion, _Everything!_ makes a lot of sense and the songs are the obvious benefactor from Ash being able to call most of the aesthetic shots. What's curious though, beyond the presumed struggle for the alpha male spot in Bauhaus, is the notion that their split occurred along musical lines since Peter Murphy ran off to do equally experimental work in Dalis Car band eventually returned to work dark voodoo over his own ultra-poppy goods. Ultimately this probably turned out to be a thorn in Murphy's hindsight; particularly since the heights of his own solo material didn't match those of the Love and Rockets camp on either the commercial or artistically-credible front. --- REVIEW: Marc Cohn, _Burning The Daze_ (Atlantic) - Lang Whitaker When Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett broke up, Lovett's fans (myself included) secretly rejoiced, because we all thought Lyle was at his best when he was heartbroken. Time has proved my thoughts irrelevant, as Lovett has gone on to record even better love songs than ever before. But when someone like Marc Cohn, one of the greatest love song troubadors around, gets divorced, it makes you worry. Will Cohn ever be able to move us again? From the opening wah-wah guitar lick on _Burning The Daze_, Marc Cohn lets you know you're a long way away from Memphis. After Cohn's self-titled debut, which featured the classic single "Walking in Memphis", ripped through the Billboard charts in 1991, eventually garnering Cohn the Best New Artist Grammy, Cohn has had a mostly uphill climb. Just two years after the skyrocketing success of _Marc Cohn_, Cohn's second record, _The Rainy Season_, peaked on the charts at #64, a largely forgettable follow-up for an artist shouldering such high expectations. In order to rediscover the sparkle that made _Marc Cohn_ so good and that lacked on _The Rainy Season_, Cohn did what most of us wish we could do: he took some time off. More specifically, he took 5 years off. When Cohn was finally able to sit back and look at his life after his back-flip into the celebrity pool, he found his personal life springing leaks. His marriage ended, and his children needed a father, so Cohn sat back and lived. Now, with his personal ship back afloat, Cohn sets sail again on _Burning The Daze_, a great album from one of the lone remaining male American singer/songwriters. Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, and Lovett aside, there really aren't that many male artists around these days, doing what Cohn does best - singing with soul and confidence. _Daze_ is not as introspective an album as you'd expect, what with Cohn's personal problems being so paramount. Instead, Cohn focuses on metaphorically putting things back together. The opening track off of _Daze_, the Al Green colored prodigal son tale "Already Home", preserves Cohn's dusky baritone, perhaps his most memorable chop, and surrounds it with horn stacks, taking Cohn in a totally different direction than anything we've heard from him before. Cohn also hits the target on songs like "Saints Preserve Us" and the haunting "Girl of Mysterious Sorrow". Ballads, always a showcase for Cohn's strong vocals, again prove fertile. The lovely "Healing Hands", already immortalized on the Dawson's Creek episode where Dawson's parents recapitulated, details the reconciliation of a relationship. Also, "Ellis Island" is a beautiful reminiscience on Cohn's ancestors and their travels and travails. But perhaps Cohn's most compelling work is found on "Olana", the true story of 19th century American artist Frederic Church, who upon being stricken with arthritis, turned his creative forces towards building a house for his family, a house that came to be known as "Olana", which means "house filled with treasures". Even without knowing the story behind the song, "Olana" stands tall and solidly. With the story in hand, its masterpiece is even more evident; Church's labor even more back-wrenching. Producer John Leventhal, a frequent Cohn contributor, does an excellent job of shaking things up without spilling anything on the carpet. Leventhal sinks into the background as only he can do, allowing Marc Cohn to be Marc Cohn. While _Daze_ goes heavier on the guitars than past Cohn releases, it retains the piano driven squalor Cohn's music has always sparked from. The only glaring mis-step is the horrid electronic beeping at the beginning of "Lost You in the Canyon", which sounds about as authentic as U2's electronica efforts. Otherwise, Leventhal and Cohn's band do terrific jobs blending into the background and letting Cohn do his multi-instrumental waltz center stage. While Cohn's personal life may never be the same, and his professional life may never return to the place it once was, Marc Cohn still is has a pretty sweet seat at the big dance. Cohn may never again duplicate the commercial success of _Marc Cohn_, but that will not make him a failure. The music industry is currently not set up for your Marc Cohn's to have a place to shine. Until Lillith gets over Frasier and allows men on her tour, Cohn really doesn't fit in anywhere. However, as long as Marc Cohn continues to periodically bless us with albums like _Burning The Daze_, we'll all be just fine. --- REVIEW: Danny Wilde & The Rembrandts, _Spin This!_ (East West) - Bob Gajarsky How does a #1 record change things for an artist? In the case of the Rembrandts, three albums were exchanged as the answer for the question, 'Who sings the theme song from Friends?' Time passed on, Phil Solem departed the duo, and Danny Wilde continued solo. But Danny Wilde's name didn't attract people during his solo career in the 80s...and the Rembrandts name does...so Wilde & The Rembrandts it is. Fortunately, nothing much has changed from the Rembrandts formulaic lightweight power pop. "Shakespeare's Tragedy" is a prototypical Rembrandts should-be-in-a-perfect-world hit. With the orchestral arrangements being written and conducted on two tracks by Brian Wilson-cohort Van Dyke Parks, it's easy to tell where Wilde's loyalties lie, even if the actual performances don't match up to anything from the _Smile_ era. The first single from _Spin This!_, "Long Walk Back", which was co-written the Gin Blossoms' Jesse Valenzuela, is a dead ringer for the Blossoms' "Follow You Down". However, on most of the remainder of the album, it appears Wilde has tried to mimic (with a fair amount of success) the songwriting developed on _The Rembrandts_. For those unsure of the softer rock in Wilde's arsenal, producer Gavin McKillop's track record (Toad The Wet Sprocket, Goo Goo Dolls) offers a strong glimpse as to what The Rembrandts offer. Not quite measuring up to the high standards of the Rembrandts eponymously titled 1990 debut album, _Spin This!_ will prove to be another fine addition in the Rembrandts - or Danny Wilde - catalog. --- REVIEW: Jann Arden, _Happy?_ (A&M) - Tim Kennedy Your opinion of Jann Arden's latest album, _Happy?_, will depend on whether you like her new idiosyncratic vocal style. She has changed since her last release a couple of years ago - this time round she is querulous, sad-sounding and more nasal. The title implies that she is having a less than happy time. Musically she breaks no new territory, mostly content to coast through late-night MTV easy listening soundtracks. Her voice and lyrics are often miserable yet the backing is laidback and contented which is a little bewildering. Some washes of Byrdsian guitar occasionally brighten things up on "The Sound Of". The sparser arrangements where Jann uses a bit of piano or supplies minimal acoustic guitar work better. In one instance, a tune of sinister menace ("Weeds") momentarily grabs one's attention, but it is not until the final track, a mildly psychedelic cover of cult sixties smash "To Sir With Love" that Jann relieves the boredom of this unsatisfying collection by providing a performance with real personality. To suit the style of the music, she could loosen her voice up a bit. Better still, she could utilize something a tad more imaginative to back up the emotion of her words. --- REVIEW: Soulfly, _Soulfly_ (Roadrunner) - Linda Scott Hard, aggressive, metal riffs with a South American influence, samples, raps, Brazilian tribal rhythms and chants - this is the take-no-prisoners debut album of Soulfly. The vocals are gravelly shouts. While songs may be short on melody and sometimes hard on the ears, they all have a beat made for banging your head or tapping your feet. _Soulfly_ is technically a debut album, but the power behind the release is Max Cavalera, a man with 15 years experience as lead singer for Sepultura. Max, wife and manager Gloria, his brother Igor yanked Sepultura from Brazil and made it a world famous band. Amazingly, Max and Gloria were abruptly fired during a successful Sepultura world tour. Combined with the death of his stepson at around the same time, it's been a tough period for this highly successful singer/songwriter. Cavalera's taken his feelings of anger, misery and frustration and poured them into _Soulfly_. Three experienced musicians with a creative attitude and a metal wavelength were chosen: Jackson Bandeira (guitar - from Brazilian band Chico Science), Marcello Rapp (bass - former Sepultura roadie), and Roy "Rata" Mayorga (drums - from Thorn). With the new band and album, Cavalera draws a line for Sepultura to measure up to. The first key song on _Soulfly_ is the leadoff track, "Eye For An Eye". The lyrics about betrayal and revenge are a message to old bandmates in Sepultura. This is one of the great tracks of the album and could easily have been the first single. Max's voice growls with anger while snarling, dissonant guitars pound the point home. A great introduction! Other highpoints are "The Song Remains Insane", "Bleed" (first single), "Soulfly", and "Prejudice". The title cut, "Soulfly", is so different it almost belongs on another album. It shows off Cavalera's ability to take a softer rock song, add some tropical feelings, and get a wonderful, mellow sounding piece. Cavaleras wanted to take this band to a new level beyond just metallic riffs, and he's done that here. Soulfly looks like a major contender. What they will do to Sepultura in terms of battling for sales, fans, venues is not yet known. But if you like metal and hard rock, Cavaleras hasn't changed his style *that* much - which makes _Soulfly_ a must-get album. For more information on them, you can check out related sites at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com or http://www.sepultribe.com --- REVIEW: Jolene, _In the Gloaming_ (Sire) - Arabella Clauson Rumors circulating about Jolene suggest this North Carolina country-rock band borrows its name from a Dolly Parton song. While the monicker actually derives from a great-great-aunt of first cousins John Crooke and Dave Burris, the tribute is highly appropriate, as Jolene makes no bones about acknowledging those predecessors of the alternative-country circuit. Much more than a straight-up rock band, Jolene seamlessly incorporates subtle qualities of a rickety country porch into a roots-heavy urban rock sound. An unlikely marriage of the city mouse/country mouse variety, the style recognizes similarities while emphasizing the benefits of genre blending. Soon after its inception in 1995, the group quietly bred a grass roots following as the unnanounced opening act for a 1996 Hootie and the Blowfish tour. An eleventh hour signing to Sire Records led Jolene quickly into a Montreal studio to record this relaxing, Neil Young hand-me-down brand of wash-and-wear rock and roll. Spending an hour with _In the Gloaming_, the band's major label debut, is like taking a relaxing stroll down a rural interstate highway. Every time the flat electric sound meanders dangerously close to the white grunge line, singer John Crooke yanks it back with his nasal, deep hickory-smoked vocals. He repeatedly sqeezes another drop of country out of almost every track, even the Hootie and the Blowfish sound resonating from the depths of "So Sleepless You" and "Two Sisters and the Laureate." Like a mop of tangled hair, the bleeding electric guitar is everpresent, lending a sometimes pleasing, sometimes highly irritating thematic unity to an otherwise disheveled surface. Just when the listener might have a break from the flat, surging sound, the electric reclaims its place in yet another power chord. Suffice to say the guitar dominates instrumentally, as do Crooke's distinctive vocals, leaving percussion and bass in a sort of irrelevant struggle to break through the suffocating layers of humid noise. High points include first track "Pensacola, " and the jangly "Exhibit (World Disturbance) No.2" where Crooke wafts around in tribute to something with quite incomprehensible lyrics, "I just want to live this life forever." "Recline and Sensible" and "Begin 1000" boast guitar riffs derivative of R.E.M.'s _Monster_ and vocals which seem to channel a soaring Jeff Buckley (albeit rather slurred). Chock full of fairly typical chord progressions, none of the tracks can really spread the radio disease, but overall Jolene puts forth an interesting cross-genre appeal. --- REVIEW: Largo, _Largo_ (Blue Gorilla / Mercury) - Bob Gajarsky When Antonin Dvorak composed "Symphony No. 9 (From The New World)", he became the first European composer to pay homage to American music by writing in the spirit of National American melodies. Nearly 100 years later, a lineup of musicians brought together by Rob Hyman and Rick Chertoff have furthered the spirit which Dvorak pioneered. Hyman and Chertoff are best known for their work with the Hooters; Hyman as a performer, Chertoff for his production work. Rather than merely serving as a renaming of the Hooters, Largo truly becomes a project bigger than that band. Some of the Hooters' earlier work foreshadowed _Largo_. An updated version of Hedy West's traditional folk ballad "500 Miles", with Peter Paul & Mary, and one of the oldest songs known to man, "Greensleeves", was used as their introduction to the live version of "Johnny B". Having graduated from simply the hooter, Hyman and the man of a million sounds and languages, Eric Bazilian, bring out a cornucopia of musical instruments (nyckelharpa, tremolo guitar, mandolin, harp, milk drum, peckhorn and more) for this collection. "Freedom Ride" has all the hooks of any Bazilian/Hyman collaboration, with Taj Mahal taking the lead on this Harlem meets the Underground Railroad setting; "Gimme A Stone" pairs David Forman up with the Dylan-like Levon Helm as an unlikely co-lead vocalist, but the team works well on this hummable, addictive, David vs Goliath track. "Before The Mountains" has a 50s doo-wop feel in the church setting, as Hyman's organ contrasts nicely with Little Isidore's oldtime vocals. Finger snapping is simulated with the bass pedals and washboard and takes the listener back to another era. Irish group the Chieftains bookend this album with their version and reprise of Dvorak's "Largo", and perform on the all-star collaboration of Carole King and Joan Osborne on "An Uncommon Love", where the woman who brought us _Tapestry_ produces another writing gem. While listening to _Largo_, I could not help but imagine a time gone by, where the citizens would gather in the center of town, performing their musical crafts. No outsiders would be present, but a diverse group of people offering reminders of their past would entertain the townsfolk with an assortment of music including folk, gospel, and whatever else caught someone's fancy. It wasn't to be chic, it wasn't to be hip - it would come from the heart. In this age of self-pity, trend-setting, and electronica, it takes guts to produce a record such as _Largo_. --- REVIEW: Pat McGee Band, _Revel_ (McGee) - Arabella Clauson The problem with independent music is the insurmountable challenge of widespread distribution. Without the luxury of excessive budget record label publicity departments, promotion workers getting the word out to the media, and a small army of dedicated staff members to champion a single artist, independents often find themselves grasping at the fringes of a modern industrial machine. Enter Pat Mcgee, a young singer/songwriter who has made quite a name for himself on the mid-Atlantic East Coast five years of constant touring. A master storyteller, McGee is the bleeding-heart sensitive guy big enough to channel his feminine side, and his earnest songs and striking good-looks have swept many a female undergraduate off her feet. Billboard calls him the "East Coast college darling," which is entirely accurate as the young band delivers an exciting set of infectious, roots-rock grooves on McGee's second independent release, _Revel_. Recalling a more subdued Dave Matthews and the fluid acoustic grooves of the Freddy Jones Band, _Revel_ is either a great collection of driving tunes, or relaxing background music for a perfect first date. Raucous college boys should take notes and learn how to woo those women from Pat Mcgee, who seems to have a firm grip on everything: the smooth bedroom voice, the steady subtle rhythm section, twisting three-part harmonies. He's a high-class, easy on the ears roots-rocking stylish smooth-talking salesman without the polyester suit, connecting people to their stories through ultra-smooth, polished songwriting far beyond his years. If he were a car salesman, he could probably have even the most reluctant customer driving out of that lot in a '76 Duster. Passion lauches the album with a toe-tapping upbeat saxophone intro before McGee practically throws an invitation through the speakers: "I'm trying to ask you to open up your senses/To all the fine things that tear down your fences/Put up by, and kept by those who don't always listen." Well, once those senses are open, the disc just gets better, sometimes recalling an extremely upbeat James Taylor ("Passion" and "All Around Us") as the band explores different sounds and styles through acoustic instruments and occasional bongo percussions. McGee proves himself adept at writing everything from danceable foot shuffling boogie to the hearfelt ballad on "Rebecca" and "On Your Way Out of Here" before ending with the extremely touching memorial, "Elegy for Amy." Fans of the Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor, and Freddy Jones Band should take note, as some of them clearly play a stylistically influential role on Revel. Merchandise and sound samples are readily available through the website http://www.patmcgeeband.com or by calling (703) 941-1496. --- REVIEW: Alejandro Escovedo, _More Miles Than Money Live 1994-96_ (Bloodshot) - Tracey Bleile I recently had the opportunity to see this elder statesman of the Austin music scene play here in my town, but as the rest of you working stiffs with a day job knows, live shows on a weeknight wreaks all kinds of havoc on you when you gotta get up at 5:30 the next day. So, regretfully I passed. I figured I would console myself with _More Miles Than Money_, a collection of Alejandro Escovedo performances taken right off the sound board from five different shows spanning about three years of his endless touring. Well, it half-worked. It really only made me wish I had taken the trouble to see the live show. The sound board recordings retain the warmth and immediacy of the music's presentation, which, when coupled with the performance consistency and flexibility that is Escovedo's trademark, makes this recording a joy to hear. The material covers all the ground of his solo career with a couple of staple cover tunes - including a snarly shouted Iggy Pop's "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - that date back to his True Believers days. Songs that were originally heavier rockers, as in "One More Time" from _Gravity_ take on a new force when slowed way down, and with a backdrop of steel guitar and cello, becomes an exercise in hearing a confession set to music, painful and beautiful at the same time. The disc closes with a medley, if you will, of a song that exists in two versions, "Gravity/Falling Down", quiet on _Gravity_, noisy on the Buick MacKane album. Escovedo starts out at the quiet end, builds it up, and then seamlessly flows into Lou Reed's "Street Hassle" back down again to the last quiet verses, bringing the command performance for you to a shimmering end. So you better believe this is a live show worth seeing (yes, even suffering for if it happens to be on a night where you gotta be somewhere too early the next day). I won't make that mistake twice. For more information, check out Bloodshot's web site at http://www.narl.com/bloodshot --- INTERVIEW: Cheri Knight - Al Muzer More than a little bit country and the unmistakable owner of a rock n roll soul, former Blood Oranges bassist and present-day yall-ternative chart hopeful Cheri Knight comes up Aces with her second solo shot, _The Northeast Kingdom_. One of the richest, fullest, most emotionally grounded, genuinely felt collections of real-life stories set to melodically-compelling hooks since her own contributions (All The Way Down, Shine, Hells Half Acre, Crying Tree, Shadow Of You) to the Blood Oranges catalog or her 1996 solo debut, _The Knitter_ Knight's latest song cycle (recorded for country music outlaw Steve Earle's E-Squared Records) twangs when you think it should, soothes when it needs to, shouts when you want it to, hooks when it has to and hits you where you hurt each and every time you smack the play button. A Massachusetts (Hatfield, population 3,390) flower farmer and, with Blood Oranges, a genuine No Depression architect and next generation inspiration, Knight's new release comes hard on the heels of years of bad luck (1996s _The Knitter_ and all three Blood Oranges efforts were on the no-longer-in-existence East Side Digital imprint) and bad breaks (radio barely recognized alterna-twang until just a few years ago) that left a lot of truly great music pretty much unheard. Recorded in two whirlwind weeks in Nashville with contributions from Earle (on harmonium, guitar and bouzouki), Emmylou Harris (vocals on two tracks), former E Street bassist Gary Tallent, fiddle wizard Tammy Rogers, one-time dBs drummer Will Rigby and former Blood Oranges members Jimmy Ryan (mandolin) and Mark Spencer (guitar) throughout; _The Northeast Kingdom_ and E-Squared should be able to do for Knight what four previous releases couldn't do - get brilliant songs such as "All Blue", "Rose In The Vine", "If Wishes Were Horses", "Black Eyed Susie" and "White Lies" played on the radio. Although that, in turn, presents Knight and the amazingly eclectic _The Northeast Kingdom_ with yet another dilemma. What radio station? What radio format? Rock? AAA? College? Pop? AOR? Country? "I don't really get much action on the college stations or anything like that," Knight says during a phone call on a recent day off ("I was out on the road for six weeks and I just got home the night before now I have to go out, buy a van and somehow get it on the road before Tuesday.") between East and West Coast tours. But, "It's not a country record," she adds quickly. "It's a songwriters' record. I think that, basically, is the direction, in terms of marketing, they're [E-Squared] going with. Triple AAA, Americana and public radio," Knight laughs. "Wherever the market for, say a Lucinda Williams or a Steve Earle is is where they're trying to take my record. "I'm really surprised, I have to say, at the response the album's gotten so far," Knight ventures somewhat awkwardly. "The reaction to _The Northeast Kingdom_ is just so beyond anything I imagined." "I'm just so glad that people get it," she adds with a hint of pride mixed with genuine relief, "that they enjoy it. Because this record is so much more me than any project I've ever done before. When you put that much of yourself out, and that much of yourself in, to something - let's just say that it's nice to get a little feedback for a change. I'm someone who has to really believe in what they're doing - so it's kind of reassuring to know that I followed the right track." "I've spent my entire life trying to get to the point where I can do cool things, have those things be something I could use to support myself and have those things be what I love doing," Knight says when the second half of her tour is mentioned, "I love playing live. We're in a van. Touring around. Four musicians and a tour manager. Town to town. The old fashioned way. [laughs] What more could I possibly want? Look for Knight on the road with guitarist Eric Lewis, guitarist/vocalist Marlee MacLeod, Rigby and, if the night and location are just right Jimmy Ryan sitting in on the mandolin ("Jimmy's coming out on the road with us again!," Knight insists. "We did a bunch of East Coast dates - New York, Boston, North Hampton - and he's gonna hook up with us again in the Southwest for a bunch of shows.") on tour at a large, but not too darn large, club near you later this summer. For more information, check out E-Squared Records on the web at http://www.e2records.com --- REVIEW: Destroyed By Anger, _Destroyed By Anger_ (Vulture) - Paul Hanson Amid the anger Destroyed By Anger's vocalist Jay (no last name) conveys through his hardcore gruff lyrics, DBA establish themselves as a band to keep an eye on as their (hopefully long) career unfolds. I am often captivated by a band's urgency and DBA is urgently racing through their songs with conviction. DBA's sound is physical. Their recent self-titled release pumps you up. While other hardcore bands have let the chug-chugging guitars dominate their sound, DBA doesn't. Their sound is a flat EQ, with no instrument overpowering the others. The brief acoustic interludes between the aggression serve as just enough of a breather. Jay (who wrote all the lyrics) is constantly in your face. In "Fistful of Daisies," he demands an answer to the question "Can you feel my fuckin' pain?" Undoubtedly, anyone that hears this disc will answer "Yes!" That pain is examined closer in a track called "Minus One," which I think is probably the best song on the disc. Jay growls, "I am going to die/ and I am so alone/ Like an eleven without a one/ I am nothing!" Not even half-way through this year, and I have at least one (this disc) on my Best of 1998 list. --- REVIEW: Both Worlds, _Memory Rendered Visible_ (Roadrunner) - Sean Eric McGill When I first took a look at Both World's _Memory Rendered Visible_, visions of Rage Against the Machine danced in my head. I don't know why, really - they just did. Perhaps it was the song titles, catchy little phrases like "Free Speech (Will Cost You)" and "Hate Mantra". So I sat down and gave it a listen...which leads to the good news and the bad news... First, the good news: Both Worlds are nothing like Rage Against the Machine. You know this from the first bars of the album opener "Cornered". Sure, it's got that thick bass groove through the verse and the lyrics are delivered in more of a shout than anything else - but Both Worlds bring something different to what looks to be a tired execution on paper - true heart. _Memory Rendered Visible_ isn't an album based on following whatever trend is hot right now, it about doing what the band members believe in. And while a song like "Hate Mantra" does recall Soundgarden to a certain extent (and not just any Soundgarden, but pre-Badmotorfinger Soundgarden), it still carries the heart of Both Worlds with it. And the same goes for every song on the album. Even "Militant", which isn't one of my personal favorites is as good as any other hard rock song I've heard this year. Oh yeah...the bad news. One can only assume listening to _Memory Rendered Visible_ that Both Worlds puts on one helluva live show. But, if you don't happen to live around the upper east coast of the U.S., you might not see it for awhile. This is where I could do a shameless plug for the magazine and tell you to keep reading Consumable and we'll have the dates for you as soon as they're available...but I'm above that - really, I am... --- REVIEW: Dadawa, _Voices From The Sky_ (Sire) - Jon Steltenpohl Tibetan artist Dadawa uses a unique blend of eastern harmonies, western mixing to create a completely exotic and echoed sound. _Voices From The Sky_ is a more mature and engaging album than her previous release, _Sister Drum_. Once again, she comes close to attaining the crown of the Asian Enya, but, unlike Enya, Dadawa doesn't force her album into a single sonic dreamscape. Instead, she allows herself to punctuate silent moments with mind-bending vocal leaps. At times, Dadawa is quiet and demur. At other times, she is striking and rampant. "The Sixth Dalai Lama's Love Song" is a perfect example. Her voice sounds like fine porcelain. It glistens and dazzles despite being precariously fragile. Slowly though, it transforms into something more beautiful and bold. Like a peacock spreading its tail, Dadawa emerges with a brilliant, shattering voice that is strong and blinding. Thunderbolts strike across the musical landscape, and Dadawa is unleashed. Even without a translation, this is a song befitting of its title. It's the Dalai Lama's love song indeed. "Ballad of Lhasa" is a pretty, acoustic song with traditional Chinese instruments done in a very modern style. It features haunting background vocals and an interesting overlay of spoken voices that ends with a throng of people singing the chorus in what sounds like a large auditorium. Lhasa is the region of Tibet where Dadawa and her collaborator He Xuntian are from, and the track conveys a sense of broad community and harmony. "The Believer" features a flute and Enyaesque layering of voices, instruments, percussion that flows in and out like overlapping waves caressing a beach in the moonlight. "Question From The Other Shore" borrows its tone from "The Believer", and it echoes and resonates with soothing fundamental harmonies. The only drawback to _Voices From The Sky_ is when a little Yoko Ono appears on "Seven Drums". Amidst beautiful chorus's are the discordant cacophony often employed in Asian music. This is actually a stunning and engaging track, but it breaks the Enya-esque mood. True fans of world music will find their ears challenged and invigorated, but casual fans may find their musical sensibilities assaulted. You can't relax to music like this in the sense that you can with an Enya album. This is captivating music, and it pulls your attention toward it rather than allowing complete relaxation. As an album, _Voices From The Sky_ is arranged superbly. "Seven Drums" is included as the middle track, and acts as the emotional peak of the album. By the time the album finishes with the subdued "Question From The Other Shore", you have taken a journey. Those looking for a mystical experience that exposes new levels of emotions might find that _Voices From The Sky_ provides the path they are looking for. --- REVIEW: Various, _Mega Hits Dance Party Volume 2_ (Interhit) - Bob Gajarsky Interhit continues their domination of the Hi-NRG and Eurodisco formats with the second in their series of dance versions of today's hits, _Mega Hits Dance Party Volume 2_. Not as strong as volume 1, the latest offering in this series still offers up some interesting tracks with dancified covers of Ben Folds Five's "Brick", Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and Savage Garden's "Truly Madly Deeply". Covers of "Torn" (sung by Natalie Browne) and "How Do I Live" (by Linda Imperial) are highlights here, and the two versions of Deja Vu's "My Heart Will Go On" are infinitely more pleasing to this set of ears than Kenny G's horn, or the warbling of Celine Dion. Normally, Interhit's collections are packed with interesting interpretations of songs which wouldn't necessarily make the leap to Eurodance. However, the cover of Janet Jackson's "Together Again" lacks imagination or distinction. And, the major question here...who decided covering Aqua's "Barbie Girl" was a good idea? After all, you can't "Eurodisco"-ize a song which already is the epitomy of that genre. More hit than miss, this is best for DJs looking to mix in the periodic dance cover version of today's hits than casual listening at home. --- NEWS: > Pittsburgh, PA promoters for the Ghetto Booty Battle have been swindled for $10,000 by someone fraudulently claiming to book the Beastie Boys under the auspices of the band's Grand Royal label. > Music trivia experts can show their mettle at 1998's Second Annual Rhino Musical Aptitude Test (RMAT), set to take place simultaneously at live locations in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and over the Internet. The RMAT (held Sunday May 17 at 3 pm EST) is an annual 300-question, open-book trivia test covering all genres of music with the exception of classical. This year two new categories are being added: Test takers will be asked to "name that tune" and "identify that album-cover artwork." For more information and entry instructions, check out the web site at http://www.rmat.rhino.com > On June 2, 1998 Contingency Records will release a CD containing 15 tracks (including one unreleased track) hand-picked by David Slutes & Rich Hopkins from their two, long out-of-print Sidewinders albums, _Witchdoctor_ and _Auntie Ramos' Pool Hall_. Check out Contingency's website ( http://www.contingency.com ) for details on how fans can order this item in advance as well as a chance to win a limited edition print celebrating this release. The Sand Rubies are in the final stages of picking out artwork and taking photos for their fifth studio release, the first in nearly five years, tentatively titled _Cinco_, set for a late June / early July release. --- TOUR DATES: Cherry Poppin' Daddies May 1 Eugene, OR Univ. of Oregon Cows Apr. 28 Los Angeles, CA Dragon Fly Apr. 29 San Francisco, CA Slim's May 1 Portland, OR La Luna May 2 Seattle, WA Crodile Kyle Davis Apr. 27 Annapolis, MD Rams Head Apr. 28 Virginia Beach, VA Rogues John Wesley Harding / Steve Wynn May 1 Seattle, WA The Crocodile May 2 Portland, OR Aladdin Theatre May 3 Eugene, OR Wow Hall Irving Plaza (NYC concert hall - www.irvingplaza.com) Apr. 27 Indigo Girls / Michelle Malone May 1 Pietasters May 2 Gary Numan Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers Apr. 27 Austin, TX La Zona Rosa Apr. 29 Shrevesport, LA The Malibu Apr. 30 New Orleans, LA Fairgrounds Racecourse May 1 New Orleans, LA UNO Lakefront Arena May 2 Nashville, TN Nashville River Stages May 3 Memphis, TN Beale Street Music Festival Morcheeba Apr. 27 Toronto, Canada Lee's Palace Apr. 28 Montreal, Canada Cabaret Music Hall Apr. 29 Boston, MA Axis May 1 New York, NY El Flamingo May 2 Washington D.C. The 9:30 Club May 3 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Gary Numan May 1 Philadelphia, PA TLA May 2 New York, NY Irving Plaza May 3 Cambridge, MA Middle East Sherry Rich Apr. 29 Nashville, TN Cafe Milano Slackers Apr. 28 New Orleans, LA Maple Leaf Smart Went Crazy Apr. 27 Cleveland, OH Speak In Tongues Apr. 28 Springfield, MA Daddio's Apr. 29 Cambridge, MA Middle East Apr. 30 Portsmouth, NH Elvis Room May 1 Providence, RI Tap Room - Rhode Island School of Design May 2 Middletown, CT Wesleyan University Trinket Apr. 29 Valdosta, GA Valdosta State Apr. 30 Pensacola, FL Sluggo's May 1 Baton Rouge, LA Bayou May 2-3 New Orleans, LA Aquarium of the Americas --- THE READERS WRITE BACK! > What is Mr. O'Hagan's problem? I've got _Hawaii_ - nice album. But it's really just a passing piece of ear candy designed to make some of us think "boy, they don't make 'em like Brian Wilson used to anymore". And that includes the High Llamas. Talk about disingenuous...that's exactly what separates the High Llamas music from actual *original* song writing - Passion. Listening to their tunes is nice. Kinda 'hey look! I can do this, too!' - Brian, Orlando, FL PS: I don't think _OK Computer_ saved the world either, but at least it was a stretch far, far away from Puffy. === 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 ===