==== ISSUE 154 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [September 11, 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, Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Franklin Johnson, 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: Nick Heyward (in London) - Joe Silva REVIEW: Shudder To Think, _First Love, Last Rites_ - Chelsea Spear REVIEW: Embrace, _The Good Will Out_ - Sean Eric McGill REVIEW: Saint Etienne _Good Humor_ - Patrick Carmosino CONCERT REVIEW: Pulp, Finsbury Park, London, England - Robin Lapid REVIEW: 1000 Clowns, _Freelance Bubblehead_- Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Beach Boys, _Endless Harmony_ - Tim Kennedy REVIEW: Gearwhore, _Drive_ - Simon West REVIEW: Varnaline, _Sweet Life_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Various Artists, _Funk on Film_ - Joann D. Ball REVIEW: Buddy Guy, _Heavy Love_ - Daniel Aloi REVIEW: Symposium, _On The Outside_ - Reto Koradi REVIEW: Icos, _At The Speed of Life_ - Linda Scott REVIEW: Skinny, _The Weekend_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Brenda Weiler, _Trickle Down_ - Paul Hanson NEWS: Manic Street Preachers, London Suede TOUR DATES: Tori Amos / Devlins, Anthrax / Grinspoon, Beastie Boys, Better Than Ezra, Broadside Electric, Candlebox, Chemical Brothers, The Church, Creed / Fuel / Finger Eleven, Fear Factory, Nanci Griffith, Irving Plaza, Jesus & Mary Chain / Mercury Rev, Korn, Lenny Kravitz, Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers, Massive Attack / Lewis Parker, Metallica / Jerry Cantrell / Days of the New, Bob Mould / Varnaline, Reel Big Fish / Spring Heeled Jack, Sheila Divine, Tripping Daisy / Flick, Unity Fest (Agnostic Front, Dropkick Murphys, U.S. Bombs), Vast, Mike Watt, Wilco, X Back Issues of Consumable --- INTERVIEW: Nick Heyward (in London) - Joe Silva It's one of the few truly pleasant days the heavens have chosen to bestow upon me during my hurried summer trip to the U.K. The temperatures are somewhere in the upper 70's, the cold drizzle has gone off to bother Scotland and the world is actually beginning to resemble something of the July day it actually is. Tucked away down an odd London side street - that's a mix of car repair shops and warehouses is BJG studios. Without even a hint of pop fanfare, you could pass its doors all day and not take too much notice of what might be going on behind its threshold. But it's bigtime stuff to be sure. Dozen of CD sleeves hang in the hallways as testaments to the work that's gone on here. The last Orb record was done here, and from the talk inside the studio, I've just missed Jarvis Cocker by some 24 hours. But as I arrive at the doors, a muscular, bespectacled fellow is right at my heels as I tap the entry buzzer. It turns out not to be security, but somewhat unrecognizably the person I'd come to see. The last time I saw Nick Heyward close-up he was when he was just turning 21 and was the buzz of the pop realm. It was the heyday of Haircut 100's 1982 _Pelican West_ tour, and Nick had just emerged from a limo to sign what autographs he could through the fence that stood between him and a crush of young girls. But the fellow pushing little slips of paper through the chainlink is slighter and seemingly more inhibited than the man before me now who's cheery and packs an ultra-firm handshake. Once we are led to the studio kitchen by Nick's frighteningly amiable manager, we settle down for a chat. Nick, who used the same stylist as Pulp for the publicity shots for his latest LP, _The Apple Bed_ , still bears some of the Cocker demeanor in terms of clothes and squared glasses. Oddly enough the spectre of Jarvis' visit here yesterday lingers on the table by way of a magazine cover he happens to be gracing that month. Consumable: Did you record the new record here? Nick Heyward: NO, no...I wish. I will be doing the next one (here) definitely. But that was Creation really. They wouldn't be in a place like this. It's more like Do it in your mum's house." C.O.: Really?! Aren't they one of the biggest indie labels in the country? N.H.: Precisely. (pauses) Ha ha ha ha!! But that's the indie mentality, innit it? In Britain. Not in America though. In America "alternative" doesn't really mean cheap. And it's actually quite professional. (Shirley Manson-led) Garbage are alternative, aren't they? and I don't see them going in a garage and recording. C.O.: The first time I saw you, you were touring this record (holding up _Pelican West_ ) and playing on a big pier in New York City. N.H.: Oh yes! The pier. I remember. With this enormous battleship. That was a really good night. It was a lot slower than we'd normally done because we couldn't find Blair (Cunningham, drummer) for some reason. We'd found him last minute and he was very relaxed. Whatever he'd been doing, he was very very chilled out. C.O.: That would have been what year? N.H.: 82. C.O.: I think you guys had just done American Bandstand. What did you think of Dick Clark? N.H.: Yeah, American Bandstand and Solid Gold. I thought we were literally the Beatles and this was Ed Sullivan. All those tiny aspects were being lived around that time. You'd stand at the fence and there'd be barbed wire and lots of girls on the other side. Or you're in a limousine with people banging on the windows and you'd think Yep, I've seen this in Help!' It was just a great experience. I'm surprised we'd lived through that. C.O.: Now you were raised in Beckenham, weren't you? Is that a London suburb? N.H.: Yeah, South London really. C.O.: In your videos though, you've always looked the English country gent? N.H.: That's just me wanting to look like that really. My upbringing was really more Get Carter.' I lived in pubs in London with my Mum and Dad. C.O.: Can you tell me about the songwriting process that went into this record? Seems like there's a lot more up front guitar on this one? N.H.: It took me two weeks to record this album. And those two weeks were quite a long time ago. There was loud guitar music everywhere and one thing wrong with being a songwriter is that at any particular time, you're influenced by anything that's going on. I recorded it and I did it that way, and a lot of songs I regretted quite soon after. It was like a photograph of the two weeks during that time. And I've never had to do an album in two weeks before, but that's the Creation thing. When I did it, I said to them that I sort of have to fiddle with it, but they said 'No, that's it. It's finished. We'll put it out next year.' That album reminds me of a Polaroid taken at that particular time. So some of them got the overdubbed guitars and some of them didn't. And I think the ones that benefit definitely are the ones that didn't. C.O.: That's interesting, because I think you're one of the first musicians of your generation that I've talked to in a long time who keeps up with what's current. N.H.: Yeah, I do. I don't watch telly, I listen to music. I listen to everything from the past through to the now and on to the demos of the future. C.O.: A lot of musicians tend to isolate themselves. N.H.: They do and then they get stuck in a year and champion it. Then they end up being that year. It's a shame. Then you have to wait for your time to come around (again) like Echo and the Bunnymen, and wait fifteen years. Simple Minds will have to wait a long time (laughs)!! C.O.: So how have the singles and the album done over here? N.H.: Commercially...terribly. They didn't get played by any radio stations at all. And I'm not just saying one or two, I mean (absolutely) none. It was just amazingly ignored...completely. Which I found slightly, ironically warming. I thought 'Well if it had come out and not done very well, it would have been okay.' But this came out and didn't do anything. And that had a lot to do with being on Creation. It was such a wrong place for me, that it became very apparent when it was put out because nobody knew, or would listen to the record for its own merit. It's almost like Creation is bigger than the acts on (the label). Everybody has a pre-conceived notion about Creation acts. If not, why are bands like Teenage Fanclub, who I think should be bigger than...uh.. C.O.: Oasis? N.H.: No, than R.E.M. It's like _Grand Prix_ is a really gifted album. And for it to be kind of a cute indie record here is a crying shame. It's just a lovely, beautiful record. And there's lots of things like that on Creation. They can spot things, like Super Furry Animals, but there is this preconceived idea. An the indie market here is really narrow. They've got these kind of Punk ethics. And that was what, twenty years ago. It's like walking around, dressed like a Mod. It's just very odd. And so, I had to be sold through that. And I'm never ever going to go through that (again). The way I look at, I like the word popular as in Pop music, but where the credibility is when it comes to me is when your enormously successful like ABBA. They are credible for me. A band that just sells 20,000 records and then disappears or does some gig at Glastonbury, and is alright one minute and then crap the next, that's not credibility to me. That's shit. Boring. And I was in that market. I'm never going to feel comfortable in that. C.O.: So this was your last record with them? N.H.: Yeah, we're on good terms, but it wasn't probably worth doing again. There does come a time when you think Yeah, is there a point to this?' C.O.: Considering what you said about this being sort of like a snapshot, have you been doing a lot of work since? N.H.: Yeah, I've just started. I don't want to pigeon-hole myself into a singer, songwriter, solo artist in that way. I've started to write and produce with people. I really do find that nurturing. It's a pleasurable experience. Not just with anyone, but I've been working with Mark Owen who used to be in Take That. And he did an album last year called _Green Man_ with (producer) John Leckie. Really good album and I've been working with him. A real juxtaposition of people, and I've been learning from everyone. And I'd like to start up my own record company and really start off from the basics that everybody seems to forget, which is songwriting. I'd like to gather just some really naturally gifted songwriters. C.O.: Isn't that tricky in this day and age? N.H.: What I mean is I'd rather be a Burt Bacharach figure, where if I did gigs there'd be other people there singing the songs. I just don't want to promote myself as an artist if you like. I've been writing loads and loads of songs and I want to feed them out and produce artists. But I have to do that from a center. There has to be a structure. It has to be from a company that has an image, that has a name. C.O.: When do you envision this getting in motion? N.H.: Oh, it's in motion now. C.O.: Now you've been married and have children. Just out of curiosity, do you see anything else that's been an influence on these earlier records that doesn't necessarily hang with you now in terms of the new album? N.H.: Well, I just see those records and they are just snapshots of what you're going through at that time lyrically. Now I've just started the second period of my life. The glorious second half! C.O.: Did you do the arrangements for this record? N.H.: Yeah, I just get the musicians in and sing it to them. I'm not musically trained and I never want to know. I know enough to get by and not get intimidated in the studio. I've always thought that when people get too musically trained, they don't experiment enough. So I'm very wary of that. I want to stay enthusiastic about music the whole time. It's almost like shutting your eyes and letting it travel through you. You're doing something that's creative. You're not doing something that's been done before. I really don't think all the best has gone before. I do see stunning stuff, but I want to be inspired by the past. Up until now I hadn't really seen that and I'd just taken from the past. C.O.: Well what inspirations do you see in the Haircut stuff? At the time it seemed to come very much out of nowhere. N.H.: Well that's good because that's a band. So naturally you have six different influences in that. C.O.: But as far as the songwriting, the influences aren't really obvious. N.H.: I did take in this sort of Beatles/Talking Heads kind of thing. All of us were into what was going on at the time. There was this Brit-funk thing going on. That and Earth, Wind, and Fire. They were the Gods at the moment. More so with Les (Nemes, bass). And he's still really into dance and R&B. And then you had Mark (Fox, percussion), who was into Kraftwerk and Brazilian percussion. Phil (Smith, horns) was into Tower of Power. And Graham (Jones, guitar) was into the Clash. And Blair was into Kool and the Gang and Al Green. So bring it all together...and that's what I do like about bands. I've suddenly realized that left to my own devices I'll try to re-make _Revolver_ every time. But I want to push myself next time. I sort of use _Revolver_ now as a template for songs and not for the sounds. I like many different things and I want to use many different things. You've just got to write the best songs you can possibly write and later think about how you're going to record them. --- REVIEW: Shudder To Think, _First Love, Last Rites_ (Epic) - Chelsea Spear 1998 has been the year of the soundtrack for Shudder to Think. While their dramatic sound might not seem conducive to laying back and helping to develop a scene, their music has provided an eloquent sonic backdrop for some of the most effective and moving scenes in Lisa Cholodenko's examination of the art scene and the role drugs play within it in her moving debut film _High Art_. Another first-time director, former Lemonhead and video mastermind Jesse Peretz, tapped the Think to provide the music for his adaptation of Ian McEwen's _First Love, Last Rites_. Soundtracks requires a normally dramatic band such as Shudder to Think to pull back their grandest flourishes and most drama-queen-ish tendencies to help someone else with their vision. While StT's main stock is found in the high drama of their theatrical live shows and dynamic, crescending power ballads, the band once again puts forth an admirable subtlety. Unlike their work on _High Art_, the concept of the _First Love_ soundtrack allows the Think to use some of the more winsome and effective tricks in their bag. According to the press release, the band and director Peretz conceived of the soundtrack as an all-night oldies radio station playing in the arid apartments and back kitchens that comprise the movie's locations. The soundtrack reveals a host of new tunes by the StT braintrust, their mournful melodies inflenced by the songcraft of 1960s tunes found on old Stax sides or within the walls of the Brill Building. The band's heightened senses mesh well within such styles. The band also bonds well with their guest vocalists, and the vocalists are likewise well matched with their material. In his last recorded performance, Jeff Buckley's voice soars and induces goosebumps on the doo-wop opening track "I Want Someone Badly", and Liz Phair's limited range and lived-in voice works well within the glammy "Erecting A Movie Star". Acharacteristic punk raveup "When I Was Born, I Was Bored" is aided by Billy Corgan's pouting delivery, and even a hype-ruined singer like Nina Persson of the Cardigans, whose previous output suggested a cross between Andrea True Connection and the worst possible traits of Astrud Gilberto, acquits herself hauntingly on "Appalaichan Lullabye". The only missteps occur when regular Shudder to Think vocalist Craig Wedren steps up to the microphone; within the stylistic limitations of the songs on the album, his unflappable air comes filtered through a dreadful accent and arid white-trash personality that suggests what Cheez Wiz-era mid-period Elvis Presley might have sounded like had he been born in the body of Satanic Church high priest and part-time musician Anton Szandor LaVey. One wishes that Wedren would have chosen a better vocal role model for these tracks, like, say, _All This Useless Beauty_-era Elvis Costello, though his mocking treatment of his vocals on "Just Really Wanna See You" makes for a delicious coda to his previous musical torture. All in all, the soundtrack is a worthwhile soundtrack, especially to fans of the band and the individual vocalist. After hearing a band that's so resolutely itself on their other albums hide under others' manses for these two soundtracks, I'm very curious to hear the Think's contributions to the forthcoming soundtrack for _Velvet Goldmine_, Todd (_Safe_) Haynes' tribute to the glam rock of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and the like. Since the dramatic approach of such bands is much closer to StT's music than much of their present work, I can only imagine that this experiment in glitter rock will find the trio sounding like themselves in spades. --- REVIEW: Embrace, _The Good Will Out_ (Geffen) - Sean Eric McGill It's easy to draw comparisons between Embrace and Oasis. They're both British, and have a very similar sound in a lot of ways. But to make that comparison would be a mistake, not to mention an incredible disservice, to Embrace. If you have to make a comparison to Embrace, might I suggest Queen. That's right, Queen. Which isn't to say that Embrace's vocalist Danny McNamara has the same sort of soaring voice that Freddy Mercury had, or that Embrace even writes the same types of songs that Queen does. But there is a comparison to be made between the two, and it's this: like Queen, Embrace writes finely crafted rock/pop songs that can only be described as "huge". Like their frontman, Queen seemed to write songs that were larger than life. Songs like "Hammer to Fall" and "Who Wants to Live Forever" didn't seem like they could be contained by a mere album, or a mere arena show. And many of the songs from Embrace's debut album _The Good Will Out- have the same epic quality about them. And while Embrace does write great toe-tapping, get-off-your-ass and-dance rock songs like "All Your Good Good People" and "One Big Family", their true strength seems to be when they turn down the dial on the guitar a notch and let their horns and strings take a vital role in the song. Tracks like "Higher Sights" and "My Weakness Is None of Your Business" do what so few slower pop songs have the ability to do - actually lift the soul of the listener and stir something inside of them. And that, in essence is the key to the brilliance of _The Good Will Out_ - it's such a beautiful sounding album that you don't want to turn it off. With a bevy of different producers, including the band themselves, Youth, and first-time producer Dave Creffield, _The Good Will Out_ maintains a uniform sound, at its core, but isn't afraid to make changes around the edges. Other highlights include "Retread", which opens with the great line of "My girl is just a retread/I lost her when I hit the brakes" and proceeds to tell the story of a relationship slowly approaching collapse. And to make the Queen comparison even more logical, the album closer is the seven-minute title track, which takes every element of the album and brings them all together for one last time. It is rare in this line of work to actually find an album that you instantly fall in love with. The sheer volume of music that comes across your desk doesn't really afford you the luxury of spending hours with a single album and simply enjoying it. For Embrace, I'll gladly make that time. _The Good Will Out_ is quite simply the most incredibly debut I've heard in the past five years, and if their shot at success is hampered by quick comparisons to other current British pop bands, then we should all be ashamed. --- REVIEW: Saint Etienne _Good Humor_ (Sub Pop/Creation) - Patrick Carmosino Jon Savage's inspiring liner notes of Saint Etienne's 1991 debut _Fox Base Alpha_ ended with the coda "Stay busy, out of phase, in love." The threesome have been just that since. _Good Humor_ may be their first proper full-length since 1994, but between Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs introducing the likes of Denim and Kenickie to the world via their Emidisc label and Sarah Cracknell putting the Kylie Minogue's of the world to shame with the shameless import-only solo effort _Lipslide_ plus repackages, remixes yada yada, it's been a non stop chaotic cabaret! _Good Humor_ shows Saint Etienne in a darker humor, actually. Well not that dark, but compared to the 60's pop meets Euro-disco sounds that graced _Fox Base Alpha_ and 1993's _So Tough_ , _Good Humor_ moves towards soul pop sleekness (hinted by their last, "Tiger Bay") and dry production that comes across as an impossibly refreshing wake-up call. Sounding more like a band than ever (with the help of Swedish musicians led by Cardigans producer Tore Johansson), the album has a definite 'in-the-studio' feel to it rather than a 'Bob-and-Pete-in-the-bedsit' one. It is a quality foreign to the Saint Etienne catalog up 'til now. The band though, pull it off in fine fashion with great melodies, smart arrangements (electric piano galore! horn sections! wah wah guitar!), their usual northern kitchen sink drama feel without the kitchen sink soundbites. All this and Johansson's dry, slightly compressed techniques that have given the Cardie's records that cozy, winter morning feel, add up to essentially the Saint's version of _Rubber Soul_ . Out of phase...yes indeed...Saint Etienne's take on soul, club and pop music does not herald back to an era long gone as much as it hits heights that very few top 40 records of the day hit. A string of tracks here, "Split Screen", "Lose That Girl" and "Erica America" virtually...um...*rock* in their "Drive My Car" and "You Won't See Me"-esque groove (ah! the _Rubber Soul_ references!). To see the difference (with no apparent drop in quality mind you) between the 'old' Etienne and 'new' Etienne, compare these tracks to "You're In A Bad Way" ("So Tough") and you'll see an extreme variation on a theme. "Erica America" is an absolute highlight, unravelling out of a slinky beat into a gorgeous, world-is-all-yours type reverie... something to get you out of bed and into the club! Also note the galloping on "The Bad Photographer" for further new, interesting things in St.E's sound. On "Goodnight Jack", the Saints reach back for some of their unpredictability; with spacious horns, Shaft-style flutes and a chorus sporting a heavy, slow breakbeat and synth wash that lurks back to a rave anthem about to take off into dawn. Alas, Wiggs', Stanley's and Cracknell's disco passions are still very much alive too in the LP's first single "Sylvie", which like "Lose That Girl", focuses on relationship forebodings and the like. DRAMA QUEENS ALIVE! There are many other nice little surprises in here for both long time followers of Saint Etienne and people looking for alternatives to the alternatives. Certainly Creation snapping them off of sister label (Heavenly in the UK) hints at the slightly crestfallen 'indie' giant looking to expand its music palette further (in the perfect form of old friends). Sub Pop merely continue presenting a sound that, like its compadres Up! and K, looks forever forward, far away from the Northwest grunge ethic. In love?...Well, after four years _Good Humor_ sounds like the work of people in such a state! --- CONCERT REVIEW: Pulp, Finsbury Park, London, England - Robin Lapid It seems as though Pulp might have finally been catching the whole backlash virus that's been wiping out so many of those one-word "Britpop" bands. Everyone pretty much knew that Pulp stayed around because they transcended that media tag, but it felt as though the band's Finsbury Park gig was a sort of welcome-back and "we still love you" performance. The audience's cheers declared that they weren't really there for Catatonia or Bernard Butler, but for Pulp alone. Frontman Jarvis Cocker filled up the mammoth video screens on either side of the stage. He is charismatic and lithe, and his consummate finger-pointing poses and punctuated dance moves serve him well even in his mid-thirties. Beginning with "The Fear," from their latest release, _This Is Hardcore_, the band filled the set with properly dramatic renderings of new album tracks, mixed in with long-loved favorites. Cocker introduced a song which he said was about a woman on the outside pretending to be someone else. The crowd cheered wildly, to which Jarvis quickly added, "No, well, it's not the song you're thinking of..." as he began strumming "Sylvia." But he played "Common People" later, anyway, the pop anthem from _Different Class_. The Hardcore tracks were certainly well-received, but the older tracks sounded more triumphant, including a bristlingly refreshing "Do You Remember the First Time?" that did justice to Jarvis's emotive stage presence. The rained-on festivals this summer were more like endurance tests, but who couldn't resist a warm London evening with the stars in the sky and onstage, bungee jumpers in the back, and the song "Sorted for E's and Whizz" as music festival commentary? Then Jarvis, seemingly enchanted with the warm reception, came back out and played an encore to the encore, leaving crowd members who were heading out for the tube going "d'oh!" and scurrying back to hear "Something Changed." It was a modest capper to an enjoyable evening, but at least it proves Pulp always leave you coming back for more. --- REVIEW: 1000 Clowns, _Freelance Bubblehead_ (Capitol) - Bob Gajarsky The four members of 1000 Clowns - Los Angeles club DJ Mr. Pao, backup singers and California collegiates Anita and Michelle, and lead freestyle vocalist Kevi - prove to be the antithesis of gangsta rap with their debut happy-go-lucky, De La Soul daisy-era album, _Freelance Bubblehead_. The first single "Kitty Kat Max" might initially sound like a nonsensical novelty track about a lost cat ("Looking around all over the town / looking round for my kitty kat max"), but try and get the hook out of your head on a second or third listen. It's impossible... There's another side to 1000 Clowns, and that one deals with a harsher reality. "Pretty Liar" details Kevi's father's bout with AIDS in a folk-meets-freestyle rap world that's both hauntingly beautiful and painfully emotional. Possibly the standout track - and one which ought to be played to anyone filled with their own ego - is "(Not The) Greatest Rapper". A plea to Kevi's girlfriend to be his steady without the self-absorbed braggadicio too often present in rap songs, "Rapper" succeeds in showing the kinder, gentler side of 1000 Clowns. Raised in Philadelphia and honed on rap from Run-D.M.C. to Schooly D, Kevi decided to spurn the trendy gangsta elements in recording _Freestyle Bubblehead_ and stick with what he believed. "I wanted the album to be an amalgamation of all the music that influenced me growing up," he recalls "and rap and hip-hop were definitely in my world." But others tried discouraging him, by saying that "they either found the music too fun or they found me too happy-go-lucky. I was always told, 'If you're gonna use elements of rap, you have to be tough.' Basically, everyone was telling me to not be myself. And all I wanted to do was be myself." Kevi already has a connection to greater success, albeit indirectly; that's his voice rapping on the Forest for the Trees single, "Dream". And, the man behind Forest for the Trees (Carl Stephenson) is the person who co-wrote Beck's first record and the hit single "Loser". Let's see if, in 1998, radio can open its arms to a rapper who doesn't promote killing and violence with a softer message. Listeners' ears will be graced with the sounds of 1000 Clowns if they can. --- REVIEW: Beach Boys, _Endless Harmony_ (Capitol) - Tim Kennedy The Beach Boys 'latest' release is a soundtrack album, according to the notes, to accompany a documentary about the band. However it is really an appendix to the stunning _Good Vibrations_ box set of 1993. The liner notes give a potted history of the band but evidently this is not a set for the uninitiated. It is a veritable curate's egg, good in parts, with some great moments and also some disappointments. The first disappointment is what is missing. There are huge gaps amongst the released works of the Beach Boys where material of superb quality has been suppressed, either because it would upset Brian's supposedly fragile state of mind or more likely because it doesn't fit in with the image of the band desired by other surviving members. The _Smile_ (1966) album was virtually completed and anyone who has heard the bootlegs will testify to the masterpiece that it is. The item relating to _Smile_ on this CD is a demo "Heroes And Villains" (to me) unheard, and slyly hints that _Smile_ is mere bits and pieces - untrue. (Brian himself has even been quoted as saying that Smile is merely fragments which is bizarre as his cohort Mark Linett compiled all the _Smile_ material ready for release a few years back - which never came.) Drummer Dennis Wilson's death left a large body of still unreleased work- fascinating relics of sessions and finished work of the finest quality. Indeed Dennis' solo album _Pacific Ocean Blue_ (1977) remains deleted which is a shame as it is superb. The two songs here by Dennis- "All Alone" and Barbara" are some of the best on offer. Dennis was master of the ballad in the manner of Harry Nilsson but he sang with greater sensitivity. For now, bootlegs keep his memory alive, despite his erstwhile colleagues' disinterest in his musical legacy. What we get instead is a scattering of items from through the years, with plenty of live versions (naturally most without Brian as he shunned the stage after 1965). Some are good, such as Carl's great _Surf's Up_ (1971) song "Long Promised Road". The opener, "Soulful Old Man Sunshine" from 1969 features in demo and 'finished' state (though it was never released). The demo is delightful and light in feel - pure mid 60s Brian. The final cut is in total contrast, it is terrible, with jazz musicians and over the top harmonies. The song was completed largely without Brian, by a friend -Rick Henn. It has an arrangement which has you visualising dancing girls coming on stage left doing high kicks - which makes no wonder we never heard from Henn as a collaborator again. A pointless live medley of their surf hits dating from 1966 points the way to the cabaret Beach Boys of the future which the fans have had to suffer for the past twenty-odd years. Better from the early period is an alternate mix of "Help Me Rhonda", a much loved song but also highly innovative in its time. Also of note is a live "God Only Knows" (1967) which showcases Carl's gorgeous voice. Not so great is the lacklustre live "Good Vibrations", but then it was foolhardy to attempt that studio classic with stage sound technology as it was then. Stereo "Kiss Me Baby" and "California Girls" mixes are fine here, though not so different from the mono version. The Mike Love composition "Brian Is Back" from 1975 is equally faithful to the cabaret band image. It is a very poor song that cannot be rescued by Carl's backing vocal. Mike of course is on record as being infuriated by the widespread view of the band as "Brian and the four assholes". Bruce Johnston (who took Brian's place in the band when they were touring) contributes the title track which is a lovely tune. It survives a typical saccharine 1990s production with its soul intact. There are various versions of _Smile_ songs done live which are of interest to the fans. "Heroes and Villains" and "Wonderful" are good versions. "Darlin" and "Break Away" are here too, two of the best of the late sixties material in live and demo form. One track of real interest is an unusual mix of Brian's classic "Til I Die" from _Surf's Up_ which features a heavy bass, instrumental intro and lush harmonies. This version actually appeared on the re-released "Stack O Tracks" CD not so long ago but it is still a fine version. Fans will love the oddments of radio promos including one featuring Dennis. Another treat is "Sail Plane Song" which has all the feel of _Smile_ about it, despite being written in 1968 long after the big come-down. The notes bizarrely claim this to be Brian's only attempt at 'acid rock'. Clearly the writer never heard "Mrs O' Leary's Cow" (aka "Fire"), or even "Good Vibrations"! The remix of "Sail Plane Song" from 1969 renamed "Loop De Loop" adds more silly noises and apparently Al Jardine laid down a lead vocal for this track in 1998. It is more busy but still retains the charm of the original. I can not imagine a casual observer getting excited about this CD, but fans will find much of value despite the omissions and disappointments, along with a handful of real treats that even the most avid bootleg collectors may not have heard. --- REVIEW: Gearwhore, _Drive_ (Astralwerks) - Simon West Leading electronic label Astralwerks has maintained consistent quality of late, and the debut album from Gearwhore, while not of the Chemical Brothers/Photek/Fluke caliber, is nonetheless a promising first release. This one-man band is one Brian Natonski, who started out in Chicago's Trax Studio and earned his current moniker due to his relentless collection of equipment. He's apparently not using all of it, or you'd assume he would have come up with a little more variety in his guitar samples, but nevertheless has delivered a set of rocking, metallic dance, heavy on the guitars, analog synths and industrial samples along with the breakbeats and loops. The excellent debut single "Passion" appears twice here, opening the album with the Harley Mix - a sampled motorbike and an insistent, driving beat, and closing with the dub version, a rather more minimal affair, mixing the rhythm with analog bleeps and loops. The nine tracks in-between are pretty strong too. "M'Lion" features a distorted vocal partially buried behind a fuzzbox guitar riff and and a brisk beat. The scratching, squeaking introduction of "Love" fades into a slow, atmospheric piano melody. "Ghost By Day" has a rather derivative but effective moaning vocal over a rapid beat. The straightforward beat of "Brain Fusion" has strands weaving in and out that sound variously like a John Carpenter film soundtrack and some of Depeche Mode's earlier instrumental b-sides. Much of _Drive_ shows excellent promise - the organic style sets it above many of its peers. Brian Clark Ebert's funky bass guitar is particularly effective on a number of tracks, some acoustic percussion is a weclome break from the usual electronic loops, and the mechanical samples lend the album an aggressive, industrial edge. A touch generic and somewhat repetitive in places, but Natonski will hopefully continue to develop his own style as he progresses. As usual with Astralwerks, you can try before you buy - several tracks from the album and the "Passion" single are available in Real Audio format at the label's superb web site: http://www.astralwerks.com/gearwhore/default.html --- REVIEW: Varnaline, _Sweet Life_ (Zero Hour) - Chris Hill The varied richness of alt-country continually amazes this newbie: the '60s-tinged Pernice Brothers, the rootsy Waco Brothers, the No Depression mainstays Wilco, Son Volt, and the Jayhawks, to name the few artists I've heard. Now added to the list - Varnaline, whose _Sweet Life_ has haunted me since its arrival. Before I heard a note, from hearsay and conversations, I'd formed a lo-fi four-piece band expectation of bad booze/ women/truck songs. Instead, I was inundated with Pink Floyd/ Moody Blues lushness, contemplative lyrics, and a melding of styles that pay an homage to the past with feet planted firmly in the now. All this from a trio, to boot. Varnaline's Anders Parker is a creative tsunami, writing all twelve of _Sweet Life_'s songs. He's also solely responsible for two of Varnaline's three previous efforts, '96's _Man of Sin_ and '97's _A Shot and a Beer_ EP. The rest of the band - brother John Parker (bass/etc.) and Jud Ehrbar (drums/vocals/ etc.), plus guest musicians - are indispensable here, however. They flesh out Anders' vision, whether on the transcendent album opener, "Gulf of Mexico" (Anders must love "Dark Side of the Moon"), The Band-esque romp-and-stomp of "Saviours", or the gutsy rocker "Underneath the Mountain". Parker's paganistic lyrics celebrate the wonder ("Northern Lights", "Mare Imbrium") and healing quality ("Gulf of Mexico", "This is the River") of nature, using subtle metaphors to link man and his environment in a holistic relationship. Not to say it's all touchy-feely. "Now You're Dirt" is a grimly humorous adieu to an estranged parent and a vow not to continue the cycle his dad begun: "I want you to know/ I'm not the same man/that put you in the ground/without a word/ You were the father/Well, now you're dirt." Parker also shines with love themes. "All about Love" is a song Justin Hayward would envy, where eerily echoing layered singing honors the Catskills church where _Sweet Life_ was recorded. "While You Were Sleeping" - "I wandered around the house/What were you dreaming?...The whole world shut down/I watched you breathing" - is a tender observation of lovers temporarily separated by Morpheus. Be wary when "Fuck and Fight", a playful XTC song wrapped in country swaddling, finishes. "Mare Imbrium", the next song, is so achingly beautiful that the psyche opened by the toe- tapping previous tune is caught unprepared & vulnerable to an uppercut of a love ballad (to the moon's Sea of Rains). "I've watched your face so many times/You give off so much light/When I'm walking home/Can see if I look straight/Shining under you/No time for this earth/No time at all". Why doesn't every band incorporate the glockenspiel's transitory notes of beauty? Ah, bliss. But it's the title opus that turns _Sweet Life_ into mead. Viola steps into a pulsing cello, an upright bass runs a simple riff, then a violin plaintively sets its own melody. Cross-fade to drums and electric guitars. Three and a half minutes in, Parker starts to sing of finding satisfaction where the day takes him. "I travel to far shores/To scrounge for change/But count your luck/Watch it all light up/It's a sweet life...You had your chance/And all you got was this sweet life." The gift is more than sufficient. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Funk on Film_ (PolyGram) - Joann D. Ball _Funk on Film_ (PolyGram) is a right-on collection of some of the best cuts featured in that genre of 1970s films often labelled Blaxploitation. Aimed primarily at African-Americans who longed to see themselves and their experiences represented on the movie screen, Blackploitation films were shown at inner-city movie houses across the country during the first half of that decade. As Black Power on film, these movies featured Black celluloid heroes and heroines who didn't take no mess and went up against The System to the sounds of a soulful and funky soundtrack. With twelve baaaadassss cuts, _Funk on Film_ is indeed "Super Bad '70s Cinematic Soul The Hard Way!" _Funk on Film_ gets on the case with Isaac Hayes' "Theme From 'Shaft,'" the title track from the 1971 tour de force starring Richard Roundtree. Decades before becoming the voice of the soul singing Chef on the animated hit show "South Park," Hayes secured his position as a soul institution with this signature song. Without a doubt, Pam Grier was the toughest sistah on the urban big screen in the early 1970s. As Foxy Brown Grier didn't play around, a trait plain for all to see in the 1974 movie bearing that character's name and celebrated in "Theme of Foxy Brown/Overture of Foxy Brown" performed by Willie Hutch. And over 20 years later as Jackie Brown, Grier rides off into the sunset singing along with Bobby Womack and Peace to "Across 110th Street." Originally the theme for the 1972 hit movie of the same name, "Across 110th Street" is included here along with another gritty big city tale, James Brown's "Down and Out in New York City" from the flick "Black Caesar." Long before she brought some color and class to television's "Dynasty," Diahann Carroll gave a memorable performance as Claudine, a working class mom trying to keep her family intact in the movie of the same name. The Curtis Mayfield-penned "On and On" featured in "Claudine" was a hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips. Although it is included here, the music social commentaries sung by Mayfield on the soundtrack for "Super Fly" are notably absent. Any one of the three hits from this movie, the title song, "Pusherman," or "Freddie's Dead," would have made _Funk on Film_ a much more complete collection. The Staple Singers' slow-burner "Let's Do It Again" from the movie of the same name which starred Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier is featured here along with the Four Tops' soulful "Are You Man Enough" from "Shaft in Africa," the 1973 sequal to the genre blockbuster "Shaft." Of the twelve tracks on this CD, "Car Wash" by Rose Royce has probably enjoyed the most mainstream success given its disco-friendly beat. But oddly enough, the instrumental track "Theme From Together Brothers" by the Love Unlimited Orchestra has provided the basis for a 1990s dance hit, "C'mon Ride It (The Train)" by the Quad City DJ's. The twelve tracks on _Funk on Film_ capture an important phase in both musical and cinematic history. The combination of music and film represented here was built on the essence of soul, and which was a central part of Seventies' popular culture. _Funk on Film_ has hit record stores at the perfect time, given the renewed interest in all things from that decade. So, groove to these soundtrack cuts and be sure to keep an eye open for the films in which they appear the next time you visit the video store. TRACK LISTING [artist in brackets]: Theme From 'Shaft' [Isaac Hayes], Across 110th Street [Bobby Womack and Peace], Down and Out in New York City [James Brown], Theme From Together Brothers [Love Unlimited Orchestra], Car Wash [Rose Royce], Theme From Foxy Brown/Overture of Foxy Brown [Willie Hutch], Let's Do It Again [Staple Singers], Little Ghetto Boy [Donny Hathaway], Are You Man Enough [Four Tops], On and On [Gladys Knight & The Pips], No Way Back [The Dells], It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday [G.C. Cameron] --- REVIEW: Buddy Guy, _Heavy Love_ (Silvertone) - Daniel Aloi Buddy Guy does not fake it. It's not all show. The moves are not down pat, ready to be repeated night after night, album after album. He knows he was there first, playing the blues licks picked up on by Hendrix and Clapton; he once even thought he was learning a thing or two from Stevie Ray until he realized they were his, and Stevie had learned 'em from Jimi...the blues comes full circle in Guy's meaty hands, whenever they're wrapped around one of his polka-dot Fenders. So another great album from Buddy Guy is no great shakes, if you've been following him over the past 10 years or more. It's the sheer newness of _Heavy Love_ that grabs me. It wouldn't sound dated next to Jonny Lang or Kenny Wayne Shepherd, nor would it scare the Blues Traveler crowd out of a club if it came on the jukebox. But it's also heavy with love for blues tradition, without belaboring any of its cliches. Chicago blues is such a tired, shopworn and bar-bland-massacred style by now that it's fantastic to see one of its pioneers and seminal stars still on top as an innovator, 40 years after he started as a hot side- and session man. The funky title track establishes the album's badass promise flat out at the beginning, and introduces the band -- Reese Wynans' organ swirls; Richie Hayward, in control as he flails at his sprawling drum kit; Steve Cropper's precise guitar counterpoint to Guy's massive wah-wah. There. Wait. Dig this lineup, and where they've been -- the axeman for all of Stax/Volt land, Booker T. and the Blues Brothers, with the key player for Joe Ely, Lee Roy Parnell, and Double Trouble, and the timekeeper for Little Feat. If Guy took this band on the road he could knock B.B. King off the top of the blues festival circuit. Or at least have a damn good time trying. On the second track, Lang duets on a powerful "Midnight Train," answering Guy on every chorus of the lost-gone-can't-get-her-back song. Lang's voice is strong, not as seasoned or flexible, obviously, as Guy's -- but the Kid and the Guy work very well together, even if it's in a Jerry Lewis Telethon matchup sort of way. (It's one of those blues traditions, teaming old and young -- witness B.B. King's "Deuces Wild" or, some years ago, Johnny Winter with Muddy Waters.) The middle section of the album is all Chicago, with some deep memories of the South thrown in (like "Saturday Night Fish Fry"), working up to a cover of "I Just Want to Make Love to You," on which Guy changes the tempo to put some polish on the well-known tune, one almost synonymous with Chicago blues. So far, aside from that funky opener, it's been pretty standard, enjoyable stuff, on a par with Guy's previous, always carefully laid out productions. But as in his live shows, surprise awaits at every tune. "Did Someone Make a Fool Out of You" is emotional, no shock there, and...acoustic! This is honest, pained restraint; it's nice to hear Guy's always-underrated vocal talent given a moment to shine, as it does on this song; with all the effusive praise given his guitar playing, not enough can be said about his voice. There is as much heartbreak and sorrow and joy and wisdom there, in one chorus, as in a thousand guitar solos. At the end, we're let down easy, and warmly -- "Let Me Show You" is a nice New Orleans love song, accented with piano trills and loping bass. It's like a graceful last dance at the end of a heady evening, when you make all the right moves fully aware that the woman you're holding in your arms is THE ONE. Man, this is heavy love. --- REVIEW: Symposium, _On The Outside_ (Red Ant) - Reto Koradi Tired of the smooth and perfectly crafted sounds that radio stations try to sell you? Looking for some noisy, fresh and fun music to turn up loud and scare your neighbors? Symposium, a young band hailing from the UK, may be just what the doctor ordered. "Punk-pop" is probably the best one word description of Symposium's style, but it is far from the commercially polished output of Green Day. This band does not take any prisoners and stretches of sweet melody are quickly drowned by blasts of rough guitar riffs. If you can imagine the Buzzcocks transformed to the 90s, or the Toy Dolls getting somewhat more serious, you may get a good idea of how Symposium sound. Names of producers can also give interesting clues: Killing Joke bassist Youth was playing with the knobs, as well as Alan Winstanley and Clive Langer, known for their work with Madness. Some ska influence is clearly recognizable on a few tracks (like "Puddles"), but these sound like Madness on steroids. The press information highly praises Symposium's live qualities. While you should generally read press releases with more than just a bit of skepticism, this claim sounds credible. Even though the music is preserved on a silver disc, _On The Outside_ makes you want to crank up the stereo and jump around in your living room. --- REVIEW: Icos, _At The Speed of Life_ (Slipdisc/Mercury) - Linda Scott Icos is a four man, Chicago based band that can rock hard yet still has the versatility to play blues and pop. Depending on which track you listen to, you can hear a band that sounds like Metallica or has a Beatles soft-rock style. Singer/songwriter Danny McGuinness readily admits to influences that are all over the musical map. Tom Waits is cited along with U2, The Beatles, Springsteen, The Clash, and Stevie Wonder. The well-read songwriter has eye-opening literary influences; his doom-laden but thoughtful lyrics explore McGuinness' own obsessions while his literary tastes for Jung, Huxley, Camuc, Leary, Clarke, and others have helped him express these thoughts. McGuinness sounds like he is not going to fit well in the brainless rocker mold. An unusual man, McGuinness also plays rhythm and acoustic guitars in Icos. He and drummer Kyle Woodring founded the band about four years ago, while lead guitarist Scott Bond and bassist Gordon Patrarca round out the group. Together they make some beautiful melodies. _At The Speed Of Light_ is a good rocking album. From the first couple of notes on the self titled first track, you know someone out there besides you is rocking hard. The whole album is put together well. The pop sounds are in the middle with rockers around them. The album's track arrangement has a focus and purpose, and this shows Icos' maturity. These guys know how to play raw power rock, but they also have very good musicianship with strong rhythms and melodic hooks. For more information on Icos, check out their label's site at http://www.slipdisk.com . --- REVIEW: Skinny, _The Weekend_ (Cheeky/Phase 4 Records) - Chris Hill A trip-hop concept album, Skinny's _The Weekend_ works gloriously. The theme isn't overbearing - the songs stand on their own, but sprinkled liberally throughout the record are time references to relate the song's position within the cycle, or reemphasize the title. Bookended by "Intro" and "Outro", pastiches of the album's musical themes, the concept follows a character through his bus ride home ("The Bus Song"), a night on the town ("London Tonight", "Friday Part 2"), an early-morning walk home ("Come Down"), a coupling (the dreamy "Getting In", "Sex"), to a sated resolution ("In God's Hands"). "Failure", the single which kicked it off for the duo of Paul Herman (guitars/vocals) and Matt Benbrook (programming/ keyboards/drums) is the most independent of the set. Cousin to Beck's "Loser", a crooning "Why have I always been a failure?" lounge-lizard vocal blends with lost love lyrics - "lying in my bed for hours/rolling up and feeling down". It's an addictive tune, justifiably a dance floor filler, the vocals perkily counterpointing the heartache. Paul Herman's voice is a chameleon. There's a lazy sensuality to his drifting vocals that recalls Michael Hutchence in his prime ("Come Down", "Mr. Goodstuff"). On others, his voice is a hand tracing the contours of a cheek, a tongue licking a neck, or a nudge in the ribs with a sly wink. "Getting In" - "I hardly know you/but you look good/go on/ give in/it's early morning/we can sleep in/I like it when you laugh/& pretend to look surprised...I can't keep from wondering/ how you'd look in my bed" - is sung with a randy charisma that is pure bliss. And who can't identify with night-after lyrics like "Every step I'm taking/is taking me a lifetime/The darkness is disturbing, but I'm finding it peaceful/It's 6 a.m./ All the ghosts are on the street now" ("Come Down")? A familiar experience, when morning arrives and one is making his or her way home with the rising sun. The meticulous production is a joy - songs blend using ambient street noise, footsteps, people laughing, rain, and so on, to tie the journey together. Listen closely and you'll hear fireworks (shades of _To Catch a Thief_'s metaphor) during "Sex". The sly touch is appreciated. At 7:40, figure out your own Bo Derek accompaniment - the shifting, rise and fall rhythms had me recalculating my bookmark several times. Think of it as a snapshot for the spirit of the 90s - a soundtrack for those who wring enjoyment out of the working week respite. There's pleasure in following every stage from the mundane observations on "The Bus Song" to the stunning closer "In God's Hands", with its gospel singer chorus. It's a jubilation-inducing journey. --- REVIEW: Brenda Weiler, _Trickle Down_ (Barking Dog) - Paul Hanson In this pitiful era of dime a dozen female solo acts, Natalie Imbruglia being the latest with chart success for her single/video "Torn," it's refreshing to these ears to finally hear a soul-driven vocalist strumming an acoustic guitar that demands you listen. Brenda Weiler is the breath of fresh air pop music needs to inhale again and again. Her release _Trickle Down_ is brilliant. Many of the songs here are just Weiler strumming her acoustic guitar and providing soulful and soul-searching vocals. In "Drag," for example, Weiler sings, "You can play the fool/ You can try to keep score/ But if you wrestle with the devil, you can fight your own war." Her lyrics also search the plains of the human psyche, questioning religion. In "Tight," she sings, 'Jesus, can you come?' or will you make me do/ all those things that I shouldn't do." Later, she sings, "Who ever got the idea that beauty is right?/ That my butt and belly are meant to be tight/ cause I think what we have here is fucking insane/ and I don't care what my hair looks like after the rain." Confrontational with powerful lyrics and an even stronger acoustic guitar strum, Weiler deserves, like few other female solo artists, wide-spread success and national prominence. Madonna is 40; Weiler looks and sounds like she has 40 more years of wisdom and maturity to flow through her compelling voice. For more information on Brenda Weiler, check out the label's website at http://www.barkingdogrecords.com --- NEWS: > The Manic Street Preachers were recently threatened with legal action by the Stranglers' publishing company the other day for alleged similarities between the new single "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" and "Duchess" from the Meninblack's 1980 album _The Raven_ . However, the Stranglers have said they won't allow the company to sue and even invited the Manics to their release party for the upcoming Stranglers album. > The London Suede are in the studio working on their next studio album with producer Steve Osborne at various studios in London. The yet untitled album is planned for a Spring '99 release. --- TOUR DATES: Tori Amos / Devlins Sep. 11 Seattle, WA Key Arena Sep. 12 Portland, OR Rose Garden Arena Sep. 13 Eugene, OR Cuthbert Amphitheater Sep. 15 Oakland, CA Oakland Coliseum Sep. 16 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena Sep. 18 Anaheim, CA Arrowhead Pond Sep. 19 San Jose, CA Event Center Arena Sep. 20 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl Sep. 22-23 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre Anthrax / Grinspoon Sep. 11 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall Sep. 13 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room Sep. 15 Scranton, PA Tink's Sep. 16 Providence, RI Lupo's Sep. 17 Port Chester, NY 7 Willow Street Sep. 18 Old Bridge, NJ Birch Hill Beastie Boys Sep. 11 Los Angeles, CA The Forum Sep. 13 Oakland, CA Oakland Coliseum Better Than Ezra Sep. 18 Stillwater, OK Tumbleweed Arena Sep. 19 Kirksville, MO Truman State Univ. Broadside Electric Sep. 19 New Britain Township, PA Our Lady of Czestochowa Candlebox Sep. 11 Milwaukee, WI Modjeska Sep. 12 Chicago, IL World Music Theatre Sep. 13 Dayton, OH UD Arena Sep. 15 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol Sep. 17 Scranton, PA Tinks Sep. 19 Hampton Beach, NH Casino Sep. 20 Worcester, MA Green Hill Park Sep. 22 Wilmington, DE Big Kahuna Chemical Brothers Sep. 12 Seattle, WA Showbox Sep. 13 San Francisco, CA Spundae Sep. 15 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Athletic Club Sep. 18-19 New York, NY Bowery The Church Sept. 18 San Diego, CA Belly Up Tavern Sept. 19 Dana Point, CA Doheny Days Festival Sept. 20 West Hollywood, CA House Of Blues Sept. 21 Palo Alto, CA The Edge Sept. 22 Sacramento, CA 815 L Street Sept. 23 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore Creed / Fuel / Finger Eleven Sep. 13 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Fear Factory Sep. 11 New York, NY Roseland Sep. 12 Norfolk, VA Boathouse Sep. 13 Charlotte, NC Grady Cole Center Sep. 15 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues Sep. 16 Tampa, FL Fairgrounds Sep. 17 Miami, FL Cameo Theatre Sep. 19 New Orleans, LA Tripatina's Nanci Griffith (Newport Folk Festival) Sep. 19 San Francisco, CA Concord Sep. 20 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theater Irving Plaza (http://www.irvingplaza.com - New York concert hall) Sep. 11 Crystal Method Sep. 12 Gov't Mule Sep. 18 From Good Homes Sep. 22 Nick Cave Sep. 23 Keb Mo' Jesus & Mary Chain / Mercury Rev Sep. 17 Austin, TX Stubb's Bar-B-Q Sep. 18 New Orleans, LA House of Blues Sep. 19 Houston, TX Fitzgeralds Sep. 20 Ft. Worth, TX Caravan of Dreams Sep. 22 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade Korn Sep. 22 Rochester, NY Blue Cross Arena Sep. 23 Boston, MA Centrum Lenny Kravitz Sep. 13 Seattle, WA Paramount Sep. 15 Berkeley, CA Community Sep. 16 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre Sep. 18 San Diego, CA Remack Sep. 19 Phoenix, AZ Sports Complex Sep. 20 Las Vegas, NV The Joint Sep. 23 Dallas, TX Bronco Bowl Ziggy Marley & Melody Makers Sep. 11 Orono, ME Univ. of Maine Sep. 12 Oneonta, NY SUNY Univ. - Chase Gym Sep. 13 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel Sep. 14 Winooski, VT Higher Ground Sep. 16 Ft. Wayne, IN Piere's Sep. 17 Urbana, IL Univ. of IL - Foellinger Aud. Sep. 18 Bloomington, IN Univ. of IN - Jordan Field Theater Sep. 19 Chicago, IL Outdoor Tent Sep. 20 Minneapolis, MN The Quest Sep. 22 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater Sep. 23 Grand Rapids, MI Calvin College Fine Arts Aud. Massive Attack / Lewis Parker Sep. 11 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Sep. 12 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom Sep. 14 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom Sep. 15 Montreal, QC Metropolis Sep. 16 Toronto, ON Warehouse Sep. 18 Detroit, MI Clutch Cargo's Sep. 19 Chicago, IL Vic Theater Sep. 22 Denver, CO Ogden Theater Metallica / Jerry Cantrell / Days of the New Sep. 11 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Pavilion Sep. 12 Las Vegas, NV Cashman Field Baseball Stadium Sep. 13 Chula Vista, CA Chula Vista Amph. Bob Mould / Varnaline Sep. 11 Sioux Falls, SD Jeschke Theatre Sep. 13-14 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Sep. 20 Toronto, CAN Phoenix Reel Big Fish / Spring Heeled Jack Sep. 15 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre Sep. 16 Jacksonville , FL Milk Bar Sep. 17 Ft. Lauderdale , FL Fu Bar Sep. 18 Tampa, FL State Theater Sep. 19 Orlando, FL House of Blues Sep. 20 Atlanta, GA The Point Sep. 22 Chapel Hill, NC Cat's Cradle Sep. 23 Charlottesville, VA Trax Sheila Divine Sep. 11 Boston, MA The Middle East Sep. 15 Chicago, IL Fireside Bowl Sep. 16 Madison, WI O'Cayz Corral Sep. 17 Lansing, MI Mac's Bar Sep. 18 Athens, OH The Dugout Sep. 19 Ames, IA Maintenance Shop Sep. 22 Huntington, WV Stoned Monkey Tripping Daisy / Flick Sep. 11 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall Sep. 12 Washington DC Black Cat Sep. 13 Baltimore, MD Fletcher's Sep. 15 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Sep. 17 New York, NY Westbeth Theatre Sep. 18 Boston, MA Karma Sep. 22 Detroit, MI Shelter Sep. 23 Chicago, IL Cabaret Metro Unity Fest (Agnostic Front, Dropkick Murphys, U.S. Bombs) Sep. 18 New York, NY Wetlands Sep. 19 Moosic, PA Sea-Seas Vast Sep. 11 San Francisco, CA Maritime Hall Sep. 12 Roseville, CA Big Shots Sep. 14 W. Hollywood, CA Troubadour Mike Watt Sep. 21 Tucson, AZ Club Congress Sep. 22 Flagstaff, AZ Monte Vista Sep. 23 Albuquerque, NM The Launch Pad Wilco Sep. 12 Lawrence, KS Jayhawk Music Festival Sep. 19 San Francisco, CA Concord Sep. 20 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theater X Sep. 12 San Diego, CA Southern Comfort/HOB Fest. Stg. --- 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". 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 ===