==== ISSUE 150 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [August 5, 1998] Editor: Bob Gajarsky E-mail: editor@consumableonline.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, Krisjanis Gale, Emma Green, Paul Hanson, Eric Hsu, Robin Lapid, Linda Scott, Scott Slonaker, Chelsea Spear, Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Simon West Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann Address all comments to staff@consumableonline.com ; subscription information is given at the end of this issue. ================================================================== All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the editor. ================================================================== .------------. | Contents | `------------' INTERVIEW: Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Al Muzer REVIEW: Squirrel Nut Zippers, _Perennial Favorites_ - Joe Silva REVIEW: Various Artists, _Tribute for the Masses_ - Sean Eric McGill REVIEW: Grant Lee Buffalo, _Jubilee_ - Scott Slonaker REVIEW: Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, _Left of Cool_ - Lang Whitaker REVIEW: Pete Droge, _Spacey And Shakin_ - Bill Holmes INTERVIEW: Bic Runga - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW/CONCERT REVIEW: Brian Setzer Orchestra, _The Dirty Boogie_ - Scott Slonaker CONCERT REVIEW - Loud Family - Chelsea Spear COMPILATION 80s REVIEWS: _Sedated In The 80s No. 5_ / _Wedding Singer Volume 2_ / _Chart Toppers_ series - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Fear Factory, _Obsolete_ - Sean Eric McGill REVIEW: Nils Lofgren, _Acoustic Live_ - Linda Scott REVIEW: Jupiter Coyote, _Here Be Dragons_ - Sean Eric McGill REVIEW: Mr. Henry, _Jackhammer_ - Daniel Aloi NEWS: Reverb (Green Day / Foo Fighters), Sublime, Toad the Wet Sprocket, XTC TOUR DATES: Tori Amos, Bauhaus, Beastie Boys / Tribe Called Quest, B 52's / Pretenders / Royal Crown Revue, Blink 182, Blue Oyster Cult, John Cale / Creatures, Culture Club / Human League / Howard Jones, Dakota Moon, Front 242, Nanci Griffith, HORDE Tour, Irving Plaza, K's Choice, Lilith Fair, Phish, Phunk Junkeez / Clutch, Bonnie Raitt / Jackson Browne, Smokin' Groovies Tour, John Taylor, Verve THE READERS WRITE BACK! Back Issues of Consumable --- INTERVIEW: Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Al Muzer A stylish breath of cool, fresh, reet-petite air in the middle of the blistering, no-holds-barred, mosh 'til ya drop hardcore, punk and ska barrage powering this year's Van's Warped Tour - Eugene, Ore., by way of Binghamton, NY, resident Steve Perry, 34, and his Cherry Poppin' Daddies have been on the cutting edge for so long they've finally become fashionable. A ragtag group of punks with horns when Perry formed the band back in 1989, it's taken 10 years, a few changing faces, lots of patience and three self-released, mostly-ignored albums bursting with huge slabs of Bob Willis-style country-tonk, a raw, punkish, percolated energy, ultra-loud guitars and a swaggering, pre-WWII, ska-based pseudo-swing to get where Cherry Poppin' Daddies are today: Prominently featured covering Harry Belafonte's "Jump In Line" on South Park creators' Matt Stone's and Trey Parker's BASEketball movie soundtrack; in heavy rotation on MTV and VH1; appearing on ABC's In Concert, Jay Leno's late-nite gab fest and MTV's 12 Angry Viewers program; already booked for a September date at England's Reading Festival; and (go ahead, do a quick scan of your FM dial - okay, find it?) playing on a radio station somewhere near you at this very moment. An "overnight success" thanks, in part, to door-opening, ska-friendly acts such as No Doubt, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, Less Than Jake and Sublime, what eventually came out as _Zoot Suit Riot_ (which includes songs recorded in 1990, '94 and '96) was originally put together by Perry as a fan-fueled, swing-based compilation taken from _Kids On The Street_, _Ferociously Stoned_ and _Rapid City Muscle Car_, his band's first three records. Selling an astonishing 10,000-plus copies at shows across the nation, the group's home-made "best of" tape got the attention (thanks to Mighty Mighty Bosstone pal Dickie Barrett) of Mojo president Jake Rifkin and signed, spruced-up and re-released with four brand new tracks ("No Mercy For Swine," "When I Change Your Mind," "Brown Derby Jump" and the title tune) added for good luck, _Zoot Suit Riot_ hit the racks in the summer of 1997. Nothing happened. At first. Years of patiently explaining to metal-fried booking agents what type of music his band played, sitting around talking with enthusiastic new fans hours after the club closed, taking a ton of shit for his choice in band names ("I've had hot coffee thrown on me," Perry notes), dealing with punk, ska and swing purists who refused to accept his wiggy bastardization of all three musical genres and spending (practically) the last year-and-a-half on the road eventually paid off for Perry and his band. "Zoot Suit Riot" somehow managed to jazzbo-jump its way past the Third Eye Blind sound-a-likes and multiple Creeds on Billboard's Modern Rock Airplay chart to land smack-dab in the middle of the Top 20 list a year to the day after its initial release. "I was thinking, 'God, it'd be great if we could sell 100,000 records,' you know?" Perry laughs during a recent phone call. "That was the top number I could conceive of - and it was hard to even allow myself to think that! Uhm, we now have ourselves a platinum record." "We knew that, independently, there was only so much we could do out there on our own," he explains when asked about the Mojo hookup. "We had hit the fuckin' ceiling, you know? We'd call a Mom & Pop store in, like, Richmond and say, 'Hey, we're gonna be playing in your town next month, do you wanna take some CD's from us and sell 'em?' 'No!' (laughs ruefully) 'Never heard of ya! Sorry.' Click! After awhile it's, like, 'Okay - how many more years like this can I go through? How much longer can I do this?' It sort'a came down to either 'get signed' or 'stop' and so, we did." "Now, how people react to what we do is their own thing," the Louis Prima-, Fletcher Henderson-, Cab Calloway-, Count Basie-, Louis Jordan-, Specials- influenced musician begins. "And, while I can't make people like our music, I'll like it better if I keep trying to make really good records that I like." "We've always tried to make ourselves happy [musically] by doing lots of different things," he says of the stylistic diversity found in abundance on the group's three Space Age Bachelor Pad releases, hinted at on _Zoot Suit Riot_ and trotted out in full, pressed 'n' pleated glory on Warped Tour stages. "And I think we probably made a lot of that [early] music just for ourselves [laughs] because we never thought that we'd ever be signed, or even viewed as marketable enough to be signed!" "Our vision, as a band, is much wider, actually, than what _Zoot Suit Riot_ would indicate," the former University of Oregon chemistry major offers. "We wanted to include more country and soul stuff - which we have on our earlier records, you know? Lots of different stuff. But...", he sighs and tails off as if the word "business" had actually been spoken. "I do wanna do more Western Swing kind'a stuff the next time out," Perry declares as he stops to consider the last few whirlwind months and looks forward to at least two more Mojo releases, "and a couple of ballad-type things, too. I have one ready now that'll, hopefully, be on the next record. Also, I really wanna get into different kinds of harder ska." "The next record'll be mostly swing," he chuckles, "but, you know - there'll be lots of other oddball stuff goin' on." --- REVIEW: Squirrel Nut Zippers, _Perennial Favorites_ (Mammoth) - Joe Silva After traversing the nation on the back of their late-blooming single "Hell," the cajun-cum-swing-cum-jazzy blues outfit that is the Zippers has delivered LP number three, _Perennial Favorites_. And while this record was laid to tape in an old run-down house with borrowed gear, what should have turned out to be a real down-homey sort of production, turns out to be their most expansive sounding work to date. Because of the muted horns and singer/banjo-ist (banjo player??) Katherine Whalen's Betty Boop-era vocals, both _The Inevitable_ and _Hot_ maintained much of the verite of the era that inspired them. But _Perennial Favorites_ has a more of an aura in the music that has always inspired the Squirrels, rather than having its feet firmly grounded in those sensibilities. The opener, "The Suits Are Picking Up The Bill" is a veteran of their live set from the _Hot_ tour, as is the familiar Squirrel Nut romp that is now inate to their character. But immeadiately after, things take a different turn. The textures are deeper, and there are bursts of free-form confusion and firecrackers set up to establish the air of a tune. But then all of this is thrust alongside traditional references to "Camptown Ladies" ("Ghost of Stephen Foster") and elegant pieces like "Evening At Lafitte's." Whatever the underlying emphasis is behind their latest bent, it's clear that while the Squirrel could have continued to traipse around the country cornering the swing revivalist movement, their artistic impetus to challenge themselves sonically is thriving and unmistakeable. Not to be missed, however, for relief to this year's oppressive heat should they come your way. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Tribute for the Masses_ (1500 / A&M) - Sean Eric McGill I would love to see the size of the stick 1500 Records used to beat people away from the door when they announced they were accepting acts for _Tribute for the Masses_, a tribute album dedicated to Depeche Mode. You would be hard pressed to find not only a band more influential, but also so widely loved by not just musicians, but also by the general public. Although it pains me to admit this, Depeche Mode were one of my first forays into the musical world outside of big-haired hard rock, and I still hold _Black Celebration_ and _Some Great Reward_ as two albums I have to immediately replace if they get stolen or have some other fate befall them. They were perhaps the first group to really show me how important songwriting was on the overall level, that good music without good lyrics was about as effective as an earth-shaking documentary on the WB network. And therein lies the reason _Tribute for the Masses_ is such an effective album - even though sixteen different bands get a shot to put their own spin on the music of Depeche Mode, the lyrics stay the same - and still pack the same punch they did when they were first released. But perhaps the greatest credit to _Tribute for the Masses_ is not just the quality of the artists assembled, but the variety. As surprised as I was to see Monster Magnet and Deftones, I must admit the biggest surprise was see The Cure with a fine performance of "World In My Eyes", especially given their status as another of the driving forces behind alternative music in the eighties (and a band deserving of their own tribute album, in my opinion). And while I've heard rumors that Robert Smith and company were planning on employing a more raw sound on their next studio album, there's little evidence of it here, as "World In My Eyes" is one of the more elaborately-produced songs on the album. And unlike other tribute albums, where the goal seems to be to get your version of the song as far away from the original as possible, the majority of the bands never stray too far from the source material, including the bands that you wouldn't suspect like Deftones. Their version of "To Have and To Hold", while being considerably heavier than the original still holds the same dark intensity of the original, much like their version of "The Chauffeur" on last year's Duran Duran tribute album. And speaking of dark intensity, Rammstein's version of "Stripped" takes the award for being the creepiest song on the album; of course, most any Rammstein song would take that award. To name the qualities of all the good songs on the album would take up too much space, but there are a few songs that certainly bear noting. The lounge version of "Master and Servant" by Locust adds a new twist to the song by making it a duet. Monster Magnet actually succeed in somehow keeping the dark aspects of "Black Celebration", but lightening the song up a little at the same time - a trick of Copperfield-esque proportions. Among the contributions by lesser-known acts, Self's version of the relatively unknown (outside of hardcore fan circles, at least) "Shame" is extremely well-done, as is "I Feel You" by Apollo Four Forty. Produced by God Lives Underwater's Jeff Turzo and David Reilly (who, it should be noted, contribute a well-done version of "Fly on the Windscreen"), _Tribute for the Masses_ is a great tribute album. It keeps true to the original concept of the band that it pays honor to by employing a variety of different forms and artists. And even when it doesn't work that well (Veruca Salt's version of "Somebody"), it still works pretty damn fine. Of course, it helps to have great source material to start with. --- REVIEW: Grant Lee Buffalo, _Jubilee_ (Slash/Warner Bros.) - Scott Slonaker After the departure of original bassist and producer Paul Kimble following Grant Lee Buffalo's third album, 1996's _Copperopolis_, I must admit that I was not very optimistic about the band's chances for survival; Kimble seemed to be the master conceptualist behind the band. After the kinks were worked out in 1993's embryonic _Fuzzy_, his vision was largely responsible for the fascinating concept album _Mighty Joe Moon_ (1994). Despite a minor radio hit ("Mockingbirds"), both _Moon_ and the dense if eventually rewarding _Copperopolis_ kept GLB at cult status. So, it was with a heavy heart that I read of Kimble's departure. But Grant Lee Buffalo, thanks to frontman Grant Lee Phillips, soldiered on, and it's a good thing they did. _Jubilee_ manages to retain every iota of the band's unique aesthetic, and the appointment of an outside producer, Paul Fox, results in a finely crafted pop sheen that adds worlds of accessibility. Phillips might be the greatest singer in modern rock today. His voice can soar from a husky Neil Diamond croon to an angelic falsetto in a heartbeat, and the translucent sheets of art-rock guitar that accompany his voice provide many a moment of catharsis. Drummer Joey Peters and new bassist Dan Rothschild (ex-Tonic) are as steady as can be, adding to what almost constitutes a Spectorian wall of sound. The first five tracks are without peer; every last one possesses a drop-dead falsetto vocal hook that would make Brian Wilson smiley smile. "APB" rattles the speakers like any good rock tune can. "Seconds" has a folkish feel. The first single, "Truly, Truly", dispenses with the normal college-literate bent of Phillips' lyrics for a straight-out attempt at seduction. No wonder it's been a perfect fit at the increasingly female-targeted modern rock radio format. The Wallflowers' Rami Jaffee supplies B3 organ on the churchly "Testimony", one of the record's best tracks. From there, _Jubilee_ spreads out a bit. The twangy, country-campfire title track is certainly different from what we usually hear from the band. Singer/songwriter/professional eccentric Robyn Hitchcock adds vocals on "My, My, My" and "The Shallow End".Pop gremlin Jon Brion, late of Jellyfish, shows up all over, adding flavoring ranging from vibraphone to chamberlain to tack piano to the '70s children's toy called the Optigan(!). The album's second half seems content with experimenting with the rustic half of the band's aesthetic. Greg Leisz, who has worked with a variety of acts, adds pedal steel here and there. _Jubilee_'s newfound accessibility makes it the best place to get acquainted with one of America's best and most underrated rock bands. No other band is modern music quite walks the line between "Americana" acts such as Wilco and Whiskeytown and mods in the vein of Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead. Without a doubt, another for the Best of 1998 listings. --- REVIEW: Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, _Left of Cool_ (Warner) - Lang Whitaker Bela Fleck and the Flecktones make jazz music for people who don't like jazz music. Fusing together spare parts and leftover bits of funk, jazz, country, bluegrass, pop, and rock, Fleck and his 'tones have been charming serious music fans for years. Unfortunately (for them), they've never been able to garner much mainstream acclaim. To remedy things, Fleck grabbed his banjo and brought along the Flecktones (who consist of bassist Victor Wooten and drum machine operator Future Man) and went out on tour opening for Dave Matthews Band, even the joining DMB onstage during several shows. Fleck even guests on the latest overblown release from DMB, _Before These Crowded Streets_. Banjoist Fleck and bassist Wooten are each preeminent in their fields. On this album they each play like, well, like only they can play. Wooten provides tundras of room for Fleck to rumble across with his cascading banjo work. Behind it all sits Future Man tapping away on his, "drumitar," a drum machine converted into a guitar-like apparatus that essentially allows Future Man (who is actually the brother of Victor) to play a drum machine like some play a drum kit. What is so surprising about the drumitar is Future Man's nimbleness on it. It's virtually impossible to tell that it's being played live, yet it lacks the canned sap of a programmed loop. The opening track off _Left of Cool_ is, "Throwdown at the Hoedown," a romp built around what sounds like the remnants of the Inspector Gadget theme. Fleck calls on Dave Matthews to contribute the vocal equivalent of loitering on, "Communication," and on, "Trouble and Strife." The latter is possibly the best opportunity for Bela and the 'tones to break through to radio, not only because of Matthews' golden touch, but also because it holds the same innate sense of melody that the most Fleck songs have. Amy Grant also turns up to bolster Royel on, "Step Quiet." Even on the heels of a Grammy win in 1997 (best pop performance for, "The Sinister Minister"), Fleck isn't afraid to tinker with a winning formula. Such is the genius of the master. For the first time, vocals play a major part in the Flecktone recipe. The idiosyncratic Future Man sings or speaks on eight of the fifteen tracks, although he is listed as vocalist under the pseudonym, "Royel." While his singing doesn't measure up to his vocal prowess, neither does he embarrass himself. To aid, "Royel," guest vocalists are entailed. There is also a new Flecktone in the mix, Jeff Coffin, who plays saxophone, saxello, clarinet, and flute. While the Flecktones were initially a 4-piece band, their original keyboardist/harmonica player left the band in 1992, and the band soldiered on as a three piece. Coffin's playing adds a life and sparkle to the band's sound, which was tight yet a tiny bit monotonous as a trio. Unfortunately, there are those that feel a band's musical credibility is predicated upon their commercial success. And George Michael isn't gay, he's just well kept. As long as musicians the caliber of Fleck and the Wooten brothers continue meeting up in recording studios, I'll be happy. --- REVIEW: Pete Droge, _Spacey And Shakin_ (57 Records/Epic) - Bill Holmes Pete Droge continues to shine with his latest release, and although there's nothing here to capture programmer's ears like "If You Don't Love Me I'll Kill Myself", there's southern soul rock a plenty for those of us with two good ones. Droge still sounds uncannily like Tom Petty, and it wouldn't be unfair to compare some of his vibe to early Heartbreakers stuff. Hell, Tom Petty looked no further than The Byrds for inspiration, and if you can't sift "Eight Miles High" out of "Evan's Radio" you're not doing your homework. There's almost a psychedelic flavor to many of the tracks here, keyboards helping to shape the aural essence of the title track and "Eyes On The Ceiling". But the straight ahead rockers like "Motorkid" and the slower, blues-tinged tracks like "I Want To Go Away" and "Walking By My Side" are equally effective. The band is flexible and tasty throughout, with guitarist Pete Stroud's textural work a standout. And you can be sure producer Brendan O'Brien did yeoman work on both sides of the studio glass. Unless you live in an area blessed by wide bandwidth radio, you're probably not going to hear this unless you grab your own copy or catch the band on tour. That's not Pete's fault. Give a listen to an artist who just keeps getting better. (And a bonus for those of you with enhanced CDROM capabilities - videos galore!) --- INTERVIEW: Bic Runga - Bob Gajarsky At the tender age of 19, she was signed to her first recording contract. By the time she had turned 21, she had three top 10 hits in her native New Zealand and had written every song, played an assortment of instruments and produced her debut album _Drive_ (Columbia). Yet through it all, Bic Runga manages to keep an even spin on things. "When I had my first top 10 single ("Drive"), I was still working in a shoe shop," recalls Runga. "The public in New Zealand didn't realise how little money there was in music; when they saw me on the bus (and in the shop), there was some confusion about me. However, the humble start is good for the soul and ego." It's from those simple beginnings that Runga's debut album rings true. In an era of overblown productions, the simplicity of the song "Drive" is truly a welcome delight. Other key tracks such as the lilting first single "Sway", "Suddenly Strange" and "Bursting Through" are nearly acoustic - thus her placing on that set during this summer's Lilith Fair tour - choosing to highlight Runga's voice instead of letting the instruments do the talking. "My instincts told me this album had to be about songwriting," remembers Runga, who confesses that she writes much of her music in the car, "and to achieve that, everything else had to be sparse." A list of her favorite artists - including Radiohead, Portishead, Depeche Mode, the Smiths and Grant Lee Buffalo - isn't too much like Runga's music (except for the Radiohead-influenced "Hey"), which is sort of a Julee Cruise meets Jewel vocals tested to its limits. But there is one common thread from these artists, which Runga herself hopes to emulate - "all those groups have strong songwriters behind them". One of the songs which wasn't a single in New Zealand is "Sorry". Runga comes off as a Michelle Shocked fronting R.E.M. on this surprising upbeat rocker about people who apologise for all their mistakes. "The word sorry is not one that I have mastered; it was not a word I often heard in my household," states Runga in a matter-of-fact fashion. "My mother is of the attitude that the word doesn't make things better. If you do something you have to apologise for, why did you do it in the first place?" Runga's spot on the Lilith Fair could offer her the chance to make some kind of political sentiments. But she shows an attitude far beyond her years, and wisely chooses to leave this bantering to others: "My music is not in the slightest bit political. It is personal and sincere; simple almost to the point of naivete. I have a lot of growing up to do before I start preaching to others about what they should do." And though Runga is sharing the dressing rooms with some of today's top women of rock, Runga is hopeful that the mix which forms today's Lilith Fair can be taken further. "It's brilliant that women are coming to the forefront of music," she notes, "The next step is for these women to be recognized as individuals, and not be lumped together. After all, Eryakh Badu is nothing like Jewel." With an impressive debut record such as _Drive_ and a fair full of fans to whom she can speak, Bic Runga has an opportunity to duplicate the success of her native New Zealand here in the U.S. And with a little luck, those days in the shoe shop can linger as memories of days long gone by... --- REVIEW: Brian Setzer Orchestra, _The Dirty Boogie_ (Interscope) / Live At Bogart's, Cincinnati, OH - Scott Slonaker The Brian Setzer Orchestra is what rock would sound like today if the Beatles and everything after them never happened and the '90s had only the landmarks of '50s rockabilly, jump blues, and WWII-era big band swing from which to draw. Equipped with a 17-piece backing band, ex-Stray Cat Setzer has explored that "what if?" possibility for three albums. The BSO's eponymous 1994 debut was largely laid-back and jazzy, more Sinatra than Cochran. 1996's supercharged _Guitar Slinger_ did a 180 in grand style, positively bursting with Setzer's manic Stray Cats-on-Viagra licks and the Orchestra's ear-splitting brass blasts. _The Dirty Boogie_ falls somewhere between the two extremes in tempo, but producer Peter Collins opts for a more "vintage" feel, toning down the Really Big Horn Rock aspect and making the record sound more like its influences instead of an update of them. As before, Setzer does about half covers and half originals. Usually, the best thing that can be said about his original tunes is that the lyrics' frequent anachronisms make them blend in pretty well with the classics (not a rip). The opener, "This Cat's On a Hot Tin Roof", the title track, and "Let's Live It Up" all hold their own alongside versions of chestnuts such as "This Old House", "Since I Don't Have You", and even a retooling of Brian's own "Rock This Town" (a live staple for years). Setzer paid tribute to one of his prime inspirations, the legendary Louis Prima, quite nicely on _Guitar Slinger_'s "Hey, Louis Prima". Here, though, he and the boys outdo themselves with a flawless, reverent rendition of Prima's "Jump Jive An' Wail", the gem of the record. It may not actually be the original (currently featured in a Gap commercial), but it's damn fine anyway. Unfortunately, _The Dirty Boogie_ seriously loses steam through much of its second half. A duet of Leiber/Stoller's deservedly obscure "You're The Boss" (originally done by Elvis and Ann-Margret- 'nuff said) with No Doubt's Gwen Stefani is cute, even charming, but not much can hide the song's glaring lyrical stupidity. Another Leiber/Stoller tune, "Nosey Joe", should have also remained forgotten. Setzer's own "Hollywood Nocturne" tries vainly to be a loungy torch ballad, but ends up a snore. (Try looking back to the gorgeous "September Skies" from the first album for a good slow tune.) Setzer's shortcomings as a singer all seem to surface simultaneously on the last track, a surprisingly flat version of Bobby Darin's "As Long As I'm Singin'". _The Dirty Boogie_ may be the weakest of the Brian Setzer Orchestra's three albums, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't contain several fine additions to the band's visionary revivalist canon. The Orchestra's recent show at Bogart's in Cincinnati was my second BSO extravaganza. The crowd on hand was much larger and younger than last year's, which goes to show what a difference can be made when a certain style of music hits a spike in popularity. Aside from the addition of much of _The Dirty Boogie_ to the setlist and the corresponding deletion of just about everything from _Brian Setzer Orchestra_ (boo!), the show remained largely unchanged. The Orchestra's fourteen horns (five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones) all have swanky matching purple music stands adorned with the equally swanky BSO logo, which skillfully incorporates a martini glass and olive. (I bought a T-shirt at last year's show because of that logo.) Unfortunately, MTV Beach House-refugee statues ("I am the Mighty Beach House Tiki God!") remained scattered across the stage. Aside from the contradictory stage decor, the Orchestra remains one of the greatest show bands in modern music. Setzer looked and acted as though he was having the time of his life, and took frequent pauses between or during songs to cut loose with solos on a variety of vintage guitars. The songs from _Guitar Slinger_ sounded wonderfully classic, with Setzer's downright possessed lead on "(The Legend Of) Johnny Kool" earning special mention. Regrettably left behind was the version of "Town Without Pity", my personal favorite. "You're The Boss", "Nosey Joe", and "Hollywood Nocturne" were also left out, so that made the omission of "Pity" a fair enough trade. Setzer tossed in "Stray Cat Strut" (complete with a transition to the "Pink Panther" theme in the middle) alongside "Rock This Town", which earned the biggest pop of the evening from the kids. I was disappointed he didn't end the show crooning "My Way" like before, which in this year's context would have been a fitting tribute to the Chairman of the Board himself. Oh, well. For all my quibbling, the world's loudest swing band is without peer in a live club setting, and gives their songs life that is unattainable on record. Don't miss 'em. --- CONCERT REVIEW - Loud Family, TT The Bear's/Boston - Chelsea Spear After producing a challenging musical epic in the form of _Interbabe Concern_, smart popster Scott Miller unleashed a more streamlined pop vision for 1998 in the form of his band - the Loud Family - on their latest album, _Days for Days_ (Alias). The question remained -- how would this vehicle for pop songs that moved your cerebral cortex as surely as they shook your ass translate on stage? The answer beautifully manifested itself on a hot summer night inside a cavernous night club just outside Boston's city limits. Not surprisingly, the new songs acclimated themselves well outside the studio, given the band's more organic, live-in-the-studio approach with _Days_. Even the between-song bits on the album were given new life on stage, coming out from their role of providing the previous track with a new perspective to become full-fledged, if short, tunes. The band instead took its trademark off-kilter approach to reinterpreting their back catalouge, including a drastically reinvented version of "Sword Swallower" from their first album, whose loping beat and call-and-response backup vocals suggested a Pavement influence. The presence of new keyboardist and backup vocalist Alison Faith Levy promised further archival treats, including a souped-up version of "Here It Is Tomorrow" and an energetic rendition of "Room For One More, Honey". Indeed, "energetic" could have been the password for the evening. The band had presence to spare, and their enthusiasm about playing and passion for the music they make was infectious. Miller's nerdy-boy-as-rock-star approach to the role of frontman seemed to be a role many of the earnest indie-boys in the audience would love to play, but he backed up his arena-dude posing with substance and craft to spare. Levy's presence was also welcome -- her go-go dancing behind the keyboard brought a smile to many audience members' faces, and probably launched a thousand crushes. The band as a whole were tight and cohesive, doing justice to the songs' tricky arrangements and bringing them into a glorious new light. Local popsters the Pills opened the show with their retro-melodic thing. Their tunes are catchier than the bubonic plague, their lyrics dumb fun, their stage presence amusing and enthusiastic, and their haircuts cool. Certainly they seem excited about what they do in a very genuine way, as opposed to the smug stage personas of fellow power-pop acts Bunnygrunt and the Push Kings, but their music isn't interesting enough to warrant as more than sonic wallpaper. --- COMPILATION 80s REVIEWS: _Sedated In The 80s No. 5_ / _Wedding Singer Volume 2_ / _Chart Toppers_ series - Bob Gajarsky The latest volume of the _Sedated In The 80s No. 5_ (Capitol) series again returns the focus to singles, rather than B-sides and live versions which graced Volume 4. Represented by most of the cool genres - power pop (The Kings and Dwight Twilley), underground (Josie Cotton, Pato Banton), alternative (Concrete Blonde, Patti Smith), alterna-pop (Tears For Fears, Crowded House) and the tough-on-CD (Russ Ballard's "The Fire Still Burns") - _Sedated_ manages to cover many of the bases in an already crowded field of reissues. Breaking no new ground is _The Wedding Singer Volume 2_. While the first volume of this series focused on the bigger hits from the movie - and thus was probably *not* essential to hardcore 80s fans - it still provided an excellent vehicle for passive music fans to complement their music collection. Volume 2 unfortunately offers up only one 'difficult' track, the Flying Lizards' cover of "Money", which inevitably won't fit the demographics of the probably purchaser. The artists chosen here, for the most part, are fine - but if going for the lowest common denominator 80s hits, why choose 'lesser' big hits? It will still sell well, but doesn't provide the same type of value for your money as volume 1. The Priority label has also joined in the reissues with several individual discs associated by the 'chart toppers' name. These discs, broken down by musical category, offer a mixed bag of readily-available tracks. The Modern Rock volumes (1 and 2) offer a selection of music which best stands the test of time. Common cuts (Culture Club, Robert Palmer) combined with well-known, but more difficult tracks (After The Fire, Bronski Beat) to provide listeners (in anywhere but Los Angeles) the music opportunity to compete with their local radio stations' Flashback lunch hour. The line between modern rock and rock is blurred in many fans' eyes, and indeed is blurred on the Rock Hits collection. Nearly half the acts featured here would be included in many of those flashback 'alternative' hours, and it's interesting to see how many of the cuts included here - including REO Speedwagon's "Keep On Loving You" and Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl" - are among the songs which have lasted the longest in the musical archives. The Priority series is best recommended for passive music collectors who have already purchased _The Wedding Singer_, part 1... SEDATED ARTISTS: Bow Wow Wow, Fine Young Cannibals, The Kings, Dwight Twilley, Concrete Blonde, Patti Smith Group, Russ Ballard, Motels, Divinyls, Josie Cotton, Dead or Alive, Pato Banton, Billy Idol, Tears For Fears, Crowded House WEDDING ARTISTS: Kajagoogoo, Cars, Spandau Ballet, B-52's, Flying Lizards, Dead Or Alive, Depeche Mode, J. Geils Band, Hall & Oates, Madonna, Adam Sandler CHART TOPPERS: Modern Rock Volume 1 - INXS, Flock of Seagulls, Bow Wow Wow, Psychedelic Furs, Culture Club, Men At Work, Fixx, Church, Bangles, After The Fire, Living Colour, Nena, XTC, Til Tuesday, Something About You Modern Rock Volume 2 - Modern English, Plimsouls, Big Country, Icicle Works, Bronski Beat, Bananarama, ABC, Power Station, Tears For Fears, Romeo Void, Robert Palmer, Oingo Boingo, Timbuk 3, World Party, Michael Penn Rock Hits - Eurythmics, Tears For Fears, Fixx, Madness, Wang Chung, Stray Cats, Eddie Money / Ronnie Spector, Hooters, Gary Numan, Crowded House, Hall & Oates, REO Speedwagon, Rick Springfield, The Call, Styx --- REVIEW: Fear Factory, _Obsolete_ (RoadRunner) - Sean Eric McGill I like being surprised by the new music I hear. I like it when something completely throws me and goes places I didn't think it would. Obsolete, the third full-length album from Fear Factory does that in a number of ways. The album alternates between full-froth head-banging to smooth grooves, and yes - even a full eleven-piece orchestra - usually within one song. Fear Factory is one of a handful of bands that truly has its own distinctive sound. When you hear a Fear Factory song, you know it, and that's probably the biggest key to the success of Obsolete. While songs like "Hi-Tech Hate" are fairly straightforward cranium-banging fests, and "Timelessness" (which features the eleven-piece Vancouver Chamber Ensemble) are both distinctively Fear Factory. Part of it is the lyrical delivery of Burton C. Bell, who can be smooth and melodic one moment, and delivering lines with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer the next. More than any other track, "Resurrection" sums up the album better than any other. After working on smooth melodies for about the first minute, the song kicks in - and if you're not ready for it, it'll throw you hard. Before long, Bell and the remainder of the band are not just switching the sound from soft to hard between verses, it's between measures. And that's the Fear Factory sound. Just when you think it's going in one direction, it goes in another, while never straying away from the core, which is fairly straight-forward heavy rock. "The concept of this record is that man is obsolete," says Bell, so who better to produce the album than Rhys Fulber, whose past resume includes previous stints with Front Line Assembly and now with Delirium, Intermix, and Will? Fulber, who also produced the band's 1992 remix album, _Fear Is the Mind-Killer_ , once again shows his ability to bridge the gap between hard rock and industrial. The album really does have a predominately mechanical sound to it, especially from the drums of Raymond Herrera, which at times resemble loops with their speed. At a time when a lot of bands and artists either dabble in one genre or the other (I fully expect a techo Puff Daddy song by the end of the year), it's truly interesting to hear when a group nails it dead on and still manages to put their own distinctive stamp to it. This isn't a Ministry album, nor a Nine Inch Nails album - it's a Fear Factory album. --- REVIEW: Nils Lofgren, _Acoustic Live_ (Right Stuff) - Linda Scott Rock guitarist Nils Lofgren has been working professionally for just over thirty years. He's performed solo and at other times as an amazing sideman for rock kings like Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, and Ringo Starr. His reputation and real genius are generally accepted as being a key guitarist for other artists rather than his solo forays. Still, Lofgren likes the role of singer-songwriter-guitarist, and he gives solo work another shot on _Acoustic Live_. _Acoustic Live_ was recorded at Barnes of Wolftrap in Vienna, Virginia on January 18, 1997. This sound recording is exceptional. Lofgren is accompanied by brother Tom on piano and synth, guitar, vocals. Paul Bell also does guitar work and backing vocals. Two more Lofgren brothers, Michael and Mark, make backing vocal and guitar contributions as well. Lofgren fans will recognize quite a few of the 17 tracks including his classic "Keith Don't Go" which was written for Keith Richards. Six new songs are included, and all 17 were written by Lofgren. He's a gifted songwriter, and the acoustic musical setting makes it possible to hear and enjoy every line. The lyrics have a heartfelt, universal appeal similar to Springsteen's and Young's. There are some rockers and some ballads - and there are some real jewels. The music is sweet and tender and complements Lofgren's strong tenor. In short, _Acoustic Live_ is for the longtime Lofgren fan and those looking for an excellent acoustic rock guitar album. Nils Lofgren had his big break when Neil Young picked him up for a couple of albums and tours, has since gone on to play in Springsteen's E Street Band and was one of Ringo's All Starr Band and is now known as a flash guitarist who even played jumping on a trampoline. But between these gigs, he has always gone back to solo work even though this overall has not be a very successful area for him. _Acoustic Live_ is his latest solo, and it's one he can be proud of. Lofgren has launched a tour in support of the album, and the tour schedule is available on his web site: http://www.rockhouse.com/nils/ --- REVIEW: Jupiter Coyote, _Here Be Dragons_ (Autonomous/Roadrunner) - Sean Eric McGill Ten years ago, the concept of a band selling 100,000 copies of their album without a major record company contract was virtually unheard of. But as technology (most notably the Internet) has advanced, it's become easier for a band to find ways to sell their product. Of course, playing live doesn't hurt, either, and that seems to be the preferred method for Jupiter Coyote. The Macon, GA-based five-piece has (according to their press materials) been on the road for the past five years, selling albums and forming "a legion of staunch supporters and a doggedly loyal fanbase". It's not hard to see how. With a sound that falls somewhere between Hootie and the Blowfish and the Dave Matthews Band, Jupiter Coyote play a form of infectious beer-drinking guitar rock that makes it impossible for you not to at least bob your head in time with the music. This is music that was designed with live performance in mind, with most of the best tracks clocking in at over six minute each, giving the album a sort of recorded jam feeling. And while the title refers to a nautical designation for uncharted land, Jupiter Coyote don't really chart any new territory themselves, but that's not a detriment to the album by a long shot. But that isn't to say there's nothing original going on here, either. Matt Mayes' "guijo" - what seems to be a Stratacaster body with a banjo neck invented by Mayes - does give the album a unique sound in the guitar department. And anyone who has read their fair share of my reviews in Consumable knows what a stickler I am for songwriting - which is something that Jupiter Coyote does a damn good job of doing. Songs like "Words" and "Better" are finely crafted rock songs, as are the remainder of the songs on the album. _Here Be Dragons_ is a well-made rock 'n roll album, and perhaps the perfect album to start off the summer with. Unless, of course, you plan on spending your summer dressed in black or locked in your room playing whatever new videogame comes down the pike this summer. As for me, I'll be at the ballpark having a beer. --- REVIEW: Mr. Henry, _Jackhammer_ (Mighty Hudson Music) - Daniel Aloi New York City has, believe it or not, a thriving country rock scene, anchored by folks like Greg Garing, Y'All (soon heading for Nashville, alas) and The Hangdogs. A recent Twangcore II festival (July 10-11 at Coney Island High) showcased some of the city's best as well as out-of-towners like Cheri Knight, Tim Carroll and Drive By Truckers. Playing in a handful of their regular clubs and putting out music on their own indie labels, a number of these NYC acts weld rural musical traditions with more modern forms like punk (Lancaster County Prison immediately pogos to mind) and Southern rock. The latter is one of the pistons that drives Mr. Henry's engine, although the band is closer to the pop roots of Big Star than it is to either the Allmans or R.E.M. New York-based Mr. Henry has raised its profile with its second album, _Jackhammer,_ taking out full-page ads in No Depression magazine ("12 songs, 64,244 miles later") reflecting heavy touring and showcases from Austin to Toronto. Moving and jangly and melodic, Mr. Henry walks a tightrope between alt-country and modern rock, filtered through roots rock akin to that of The Badlees and Hootie and the Blowfish. They might work with a net -- the songs have hooks aplenty -- but they don't fall. The songs on _Jackhammer,_ accessible as they are, run deeper than mere FM radio fodder. The songs are honest on an emotional level few acts in modern rock can attain -- that's a large part of the band's appeal to the No Depression crowd. The four-piece band is also tight, integrating pop and roots influences into something unmistakably contemporary, and in many ways all their own. "Lonesome Bus" and "Mess" exemplify main songwriter Dave Slomin's talent for conciseness, crystallizing critical moments in hit-and-miss relationships. He practically has a genre unto himself, reluctant rocking on the edge of leaving. Slomin is recently married, but I don't think he'll lose that edge. From what I know of him he's quite a happy guy -- and in person, offstage, he almost belies his songwriter's persona, that of a romantic dwelling in love's shadowy corners. His best song here may "Valentino Dancing," about a woman cataloging the qualities of her ideal man, with a very seductive arrangement that underscores her emotional wanting, needing, hoping. It's one of four songs here produced by Niko Bolas. And in "Herkimer," Slomin sings about the other New York, the rural upstate region "a hundred miles from in between," mostly unknown to the city and the rest of the country. And like any home, it's difficult to leave. He's itching to go, but he's torn too, playing off the image of spinning out of a driveway on a snowy March day: "There's no traction in this town/Don't know what keeps me here." Guitarist Steve Conte takes the lead on his two songs, "Big Fat Stars and Glue" and "Rock & Rye Queen," cowritten with Karen Zusman (Slomin and Conte also share music credits on several songs). Both tracks convey damaged romance with poetic images -- "cicada songs in your hair," "In her eyes were fadin' stars" -- and they neatly complement Slomin's more compact narratives. The only thing possibly keeping Mr. Henry off of commercial radio may be their lack of a major label deal (provided they even want one -- if so, it should be the RIGHT deal). They have the goods, as much as any of their heroes or contemporaries. Here's a concept -- America needs a real roots rock tour. How about a "No Last Names" package with Mr. Henry, Parlor James, Sister Hazel, Moonshine Willy, Lonesome Bob, Oh Susanna and Farmer Not So John, etc. It could be the next semi-big thing, a real y'all-a-palooza, giving a fair shake to these acts (the criminally underrated Bonepony, who have kicked this idea around themselves, could have benefited bigtime) and doing what Lilith Fair and HORDE have done for others. Mr. Henry's albums are available on the Internet (go to http://mrhenry.com, or e-mail hank@mrhenry.com) or from Miles of Music (888/766-8742 orMilesOMusc@aol.com). --- NEWS: > The 90 minute season-ending episode of Reverb, HBO's late-night concert/music show, will air on August 7 at 1230 EST/PST. Taped at Vancouver's Thunderbird Stadium, the concert includes one hour of Green Day playing their hits including "Welcome To Paradise", "Geek Stink Breath", "When I Come Around" and "Good Riddance"; brief interviews with Billie Joe, and even bringing a fan up to play guitar during the set and then having him dive back into the crowd. The Foo Fighters are also featured in a half hour set. For further information on the Reverb series, check out the cable channel's web page at http://www.hbo.com > Sublime's lead singer Brad may no longer be with us, but the band's histry has been explored by director Joshua Fischel on the two hour videotape, _Stories Tales Lies and Exaggerations_, which features interviews with numerous friends and associates of Sublime, rare live footage, and behind-the scenes footage of the Sublime recording process. > Toad the Wet Sprocket have officially called it a day. Citing emerging differences among their four members, lead singer Glen Phillips stated that "We came together as kids but have grown in different directions as adults. By ending the band now we can look back on our career together with a sense of pride and pleasure." Expect all four members of Toad to continue making music in future projects. > Legendary English band XTC has recently signed with TVT Records. The band's first studio album since 1992's _Nonesuch_, a mixture of orchestral and acoustic melodies along with the band's special lyrical content, is slated to be issued in the first quarter of 1999. A second album, more in the tradition of XTC pop, will be issued in the fall. --- TOUR DATES: Tori Amos Aug. 6 Canandaigua, NY Finger Lakes P.A.C. Aug. 8 Washington, DC MCI Center Aug. 11 Richmond, VA Landmark Theatre Aug. 12 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium Aug. 14 Birmingham, AL Birm.-Jefferson Coliseum Aug. 15 Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boling Arena Bauhaus Aug. 13-14 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre Aug. 15 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Theatre Beastie Boys / Tribe Called Quest Aug. 7 Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena Aug. 8 St. Louis, MO Kiel Arena Aug. 10 Minneapolis, MN Target Center Aug. 11 Milwaukee, WI Mecca Arena Aug. 12 Chicago, IL Rosemont Horizon Aug. 14 Cleveland, OH Convocation Center Aug. 15 Toronto, ONT Molson Park B 52's / Pretenders / Royal Crown Revue Aug. 7 Chula Vista, CA Coors Amphitheatre Aug. 8 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Aug. 9 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre Aug. 10 Reno, NV Reno Hilton Amph. Aug. 14 George, WA Gorge Aug. 15 Portland, OR River Queen Showplace Blink 182 Aug. 6 Boise, ID Skateworld Aug. 7 Spokane, WA Playfair Race Track Aug. 9 Pocatello, ID Bannock Fairgrounds Aug. 11 Salt Lake City, UT Wasatech Events Center Aug. 12 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre Aug. 13 Boulder, CO Boulder Theatre Aug. 14 Lawrence, KS Liberty Hall Aug. 15 St. Louis, MO Galaxy Blue Oyster Cult Aug. 6 Medina, MN Medina Entertainment Center Aug. 7 Chicago, IL Skyline Stage Aug. 8 Maryland Heights, MO Riverport Amphitheatre Aug. 9 Bonner Springs, KS Sandstone Amphitheatre Aug. 11 Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre John Cale / Creatures Aug. 5-6 New York, NY LIFE Culture Club / Human League / Howard Jones Aug. 6 Wallingford, CT Oakdale Theater Aug. 7 Mansfield, MA Harborlights Aug. 8 Port Jervis, NY New Hope Farms Aug. 10 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Springs Arts Center Aug. 12 Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theater Aug. 13 Indianapolis, IN Market Square Arena Aug. 14 Burgettstown, PA Coca Cola Star Lake Amph Aug. 15 Rosemont, IL Rosemont Horizon Dakota Moon Aug. 6 Arlington, VA Fashion Ctr @Pentagon City Aug. 8 Knoxville, TN West Town Mall Aug. 9 Jacksonville, FL The Avenues Aug. 11 Orange Park, FL Orange Park Mall Aug. 12 Orlando, FL Florida Mall Aug. 13 Clearwater, FL Countryside Mall Aug. 14 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Centre Aug. 15 San Antonio, TX Ingram Park Mall Front 242 Aug. 6 Jacksonville, FL Milk Bar Aug. 7 Atlanta, GA Roxy Aug. 8 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall Aug. 9 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Aug. 11 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Aug. 12 New York City, Irving Plaza Nanci Griffith Aug. 8 Newport, RI Fort Adams State Park Aug. 9 Saratoga Springs, NY Performing Arts Ctr. Aug. 15 Raleigh, NC Walnut Creek Amph. HORDE Tour (Blues Traveler, Barenaked Ladies, Alana Davis, Ben Harper, and many others) Aug. 7 Buffalo, NY Darien Lakes Aug. 8 Camden, NJ Blockbuster Pav. Aug. 11 Virginia Beach, VA GTE Amph. Aug. 12 Raleigh, NC Walnut Creek Amph. Aug. 14 Antioch, TN Starwood Amph. Aug. 15 Charlotte, NC Blockbuster Pav. Irving Plaza (http://www.irvingplaza.com - New York concert hall) Aug. 11 Grant Lee Buffalo Aug. 12 Front 242 K's Choice Aug. 6 Chicago, IL Metro Aug. 7 Indianapolis, IN World Mardi Gras Aug. 8 Pontiac, MI 7th House Aug. 10 Columbus, OH Ludlows Aug. 11 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's Aug. 12 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol Aug. 15 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts Lilith Fair Tour Aug. 6 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Ctr. Aug. 8 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Ctr. Aug. 9 Pittsburgh, PA Coca-Cola Star Lake Amph. Aug. 10 Hershey, PA Hershey Park Aug. 11 Mansfield, MA Great Woods Ctr. Phish Aug. 6 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amph. Aug. 7 Raleigh, NC Walnut Creek Aug. 8 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pav. Aug. 9 Virginia Beach, VA GTE Amph. Aug. 11 Burgettstown, PA Star Lake Amph. Aug. 12 Vernon, NY Vernon Downs Phunk Junkeez / Clutch Aug. 6 Pontiac, MI Clutch Cargos Aug. 7 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Amphitheatre Aug. 8 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall Aug. 9 Cleveland, OH Odeon Bonnie Raitt / Jackson Browne Aug. 9 Columbus, OH Polaris Amph. Aug. 10 Noblesville, IN Deer Creek Music Ctr. Aug. 11 Pittsburgh, PA I.C. Light Amph. Aug. 13 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Ctr. Aug. 14 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach Amph. Smokin' Groovies Tour (Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, Wyclef Jean, Busta Rhymes, Gangstarr and more). Aug. 6 Houston, TX Astro Arena Aug. 7 Dallas, TX Starplex Aug. 8 Sandstone, KS Sandstone Amp. Aug. 9 Denver, CO Red Rocks Aug. 11 El Paso, TX County Coliseum Aug. 12 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Aug. 13-14 Universal City, CA Universal Amp. Aug. 15 San Diego, CA Coors Amp. John Taylor Aug. 6 Seattle, WA Fenix Aug. 8 San Francisco, CA Slim's Aug. 14 Hollywood, CA Hollywood Athletic Club Aug. 15 Scottsdale, AZ Cajun House Verve Aug. 5-6 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom Aug. 9 Houston, TX Aerial Theatere Aug. 11 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Aug. 14 Los Angeles, CA Arrowhead Pond Aug. 15 San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic Auditorium --- THE READERS WRITE BACK! > While I agree entirely with your criticisms of Catatonia in the July 27 edition, the conclusion that "more than anything, the success of _International Velvet_ amplifies the dearth of good independent British groups" seems more than a little bizarre. Catatonia are a second-rate student indie band, no more and no less. I saw them opening for Pulp they looked very, very ordinary - particularly in comparison with Jarvis and co. Their success over here seems to be based on a couple of user-friendly tunes plus lead singer Cerys' status as media flavour of the month. Reading any more into it than that is a bit risky - since when has the Top 40 been an accurate reflection of the level of musical creativity in the country at large, either here or in the US? I reckon your UK correspondent should maybe get with the programme and send your way recent albums by the likes of Arnold, Hefner, Gomez, The Delgados, Six By Seven, Santa Cruz and, well, you get the picture. Some dearth. Still and all, nice magazine. - Regards, Andy B. --- 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.consumableonline.com (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". 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