== ISSUE 164 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [December 7, 1998] Editor: Bob Gajarsky E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva, Lang Whitaker Correspondents: Christina Apeles, Niles J. Baranowski, Tracey Bleile, Lee Graham Bridges, Jason Cahill, Patrick Carmosino, Krisjanis Gale, Emma Green, Paul Hanson, Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Franklin Johnson, Steve Kandell, Robin Lapid, Linda Scott, Scott Slonaker, Kerwin So, 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 | `------------' REVIEW: Pearl Jam, _Live On Two Legs_ - Steve Kandell REVIEW: The Offspring, _Americana_ - Jason Cahill REVIEW: Fear Of Pop, _Volume 1_ - Daniel Aloi CONCERT REVIEW: A Tribe Called Quest - Lang Whitaker REVIEW: The Cardigans, _Gran Turismo_ - Joe Silva REVIEW: Metallica, _Garage Inc._ - Paul Hanson REVIEW: New Radicals, _Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too_ - Scott Slonaker REVIEW: James Brown, _Say It Live and Loud - Live in Dallas 08/26/98_ / _I'm Back_ - Joann D. Ball REVIEW: Jawbox, _My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents - Steve Kandell CONCERT REVIEW: Miles Hunt, New York City - Bob Gajarsky INTERVIEW: Flat Duo Jets - Al Muzer REVIEW: Residents, _Wormwood_ - Eric Hsu REVIEW: The Long Ryders, _Anthology_ - Bill Holmes MINI REVIEWS: Karate, Lovemongers, Nuggets (Original Artyfacts from Psychedlic Era), Pop Unknown, Snowpony - Dan Aloi / Bob Gajarsky / Scott Slonaker / Kerwin So REVIEW: My Friend Steve, _Hope & Wait _ - Tracey Bleile REVIEW: The Spongetones, _Where-Ever-Land_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Blue Flannel, _XL_ - Linda Scott REVIEW: Big Hello, _Apple Album_ - Bill Holmes NEWS: Wendy Carlos, Charles Manson, Megadeth, Porno For Pyros, Primus, EZCD.com TOUR DATES: Aerosmith / Candlebox, Leah Andreone / Babe The Blue Ox, Black Crowes, Candlebox, Chocolate Genius, Cravin' Melon, Deftones / Pitchshifter / Quicksand, Evelyn Forever, Fatboy Slim (DJing), Irving Plaza, Pat McGuire Band, Miles, Motley Crue, Offspring, Ominous Seapods, Tricky / Whale Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Pearl Jam, _Live On Two Legs_ (Epic) - Steve Kandell Hey, remember the nineties? Sure you do. The way that flannel shirt felt tied around your hips - you told yourself it wasn't a "look," it was just easier to deal with the pit that way, but we can 'fess up now, can't we? The grown-ups called it "grunge." It will not be long before Singles looks like Dazed and Confused, an odd valentine to a particular embarrassing moment in fashion. With the release of their first live album, _Live on Two Legs_, Pearl Jam has become the only big band of that long-lost era (all apologies to Mudhoney) to make it to middle age, withered but wiser. As he explained feebly in his suicide note, Kurt Cobain dramatically (if predictably) chose a) burning out over b) fading away, misconstruing from Neil Young's "Into the Black" that these were the only two options available. So many other bands of that heady time have since had choice b thrust upon them, but Nirvana's crosstown rivals Pearl Jam dared to choose c) none of the above. Not to self-destruct or become irrelevant, but to just become smaller, by design. No doubt Reluctant Rock Star Eddie could have seen himself going the way of Cobain at one point, but he got beaten to the punch and thus had to think up a new ending. Pearl Jam willfully abdicated the rock crown they never really asked for in the first place, all the better to save themselves the humiliation that would come when it was inevitably wrestled from them anyway. No videos, no singles, hell, no shows even - this was no way to be a megasuperrockband. Eddie Vedder and his curmudgeonly bandmates couldn't even bring themselves to admit that being in the biggest rock and roll band in the world might have been sort of fun. They flexed their dubious punk muscles by taking on Ticketmaster and nearly paid with their careers. The crowds are no longer as big, but neither is the criticism as harsh or the responsibility as heavy. The band has softened its hardline no-sellout attitude as of late, even going so far as to do a video for the recent "Do the Evolution," a Todd McFarlane cartoon that really isn't a band video at all. The cynics will say that this is part of a calculated attempt on the band's part to recoup its dominance of the marketplace, but Pearl Jam does not look much more concerned with gaining back popularity than they did with losing it to begin with. And this new live album, a momento from Pearl Jam's first major American tour since its _Vs._ heyday, is hardly a mea culpa, with nary an "Alive" or "Jeremy" to be found. Rather, with its sixteen songs over the course of seventy-one minutes, _Live on Two Legs_ is a portrait of a band perfectly content with its diminished piece of the rock pie. While no longer a commercial powerhouse, Pearl Jam can still crank out a decent song. "MFC," from last year's not-as-impressive-as-the-good- folks-at-Rolling Stone-would-have-you-think _Yield_, is something of a revelation here, although the appeal of "Do the Evolution" and "Better Man" still escapes me. "Corduroy," from Vitalogy, is one of their better songs, although the version that kicks off the live album finds Vedder in strained, even lazy voice. Faring much better are "Given to Fly," anthemic arena rock at its most respectable, and a fitful "Go." Overall, the album is restrained and modest, if not quite lackluster, and this could have much to do with the track selection (this single CD was supposedly pared down from a double-length set). The bland "Off He Goes" makes the cut, while the more spirited "State of Love and Trust" and "Rearviewmirror" are conspicuously AWOL. Gone are the bombast and histrionics of old, replaced instead by a solid, workmanlike musicianship. Vedder even sounds like he's standing still the whole time. Some of the hits you loved as a kid ("Even Flow," "Black") are here just like you remember them, and if you didn't like them then, you won't now. Also on board are not one, but two Neil Young songs - album closer "Fuckin' Up" and a snippet of "Rockin' In the Free World" woven into "Daughter." (If they insist on playing Young tunes live, aren't they at least tempted to do "Into the Black," just to sing that one line that will forever be tied to their own history?) The liner notes are lacking for vital information. Is this all from a single show, or are the songs compiled from various shows? Don't know, couldn't tell you. The most memorable live albums capture a specific moment in a specific place (see: Bob Dylan, _Live 1966_) but that is not a priority here. This album seems to be more about reintroducing a band to those of us who may have drifted away, reminding us that even though Pearl Jam circa 1998 might not be all things to all people, but they are still a credible commercial rock band in a Matchbox 20 world. It also reminds us that burning out is not as romantic as it sounds and even fading away can be done with dignity. --- REVIEW: The Offspring, _Americana_ (Columbia) - Jason Cahill Back in the late eighties and early nineties, The Offspring were at the forefront of the Orange County punk scene. When Epitaph released The Offspring's second full length album, _Ignition_ in 1992, the band joined NOFX and Rancid as keepers of the Southern California punk flame. _Ignition_ was then followed by _Smash_ which, thanks in large part to the breakthrough single "Come Out And Play", sold in excess of 9 million copies. Despite their surprising success, The Offspring stuck with the formula that had worked for them and countless other punk bands before them - brief, but explosive songs rich in melodies and smart-ass lyrics, yet lacking in complexity. Things changed with The Offspring's first release on Columbia Records. _Ixnay On The Hombre_ was a departure of sorts for the band - mature, intricate song structures coupled with The Offspring's brand of irony and fast paced energy. The album showcased a band in flux, a band willing to adapt and grow with a changing musical environment. Of course, once a band begins to show promise and maturity, expectations begin to arise. Great bands rise to the occasion and follow up a truly great effort with something even better, a classic - _Paul's Boutique_ as a follow-up to _Licensed To Ill_ quickly comes to mind. But while _Ixnay On The Hombre_ will forever remain a truly great effort, The Offspring's follow-up to that album and their most recent effort, _Americana_, is nothing short of a major disappointment. With _Americana_ the band seems to have taken a step in the wrong direction, having all but forgotten the musical strides they so recently made. Basically, _Americana_ is a one-note album that loses its charm all too quickly. The songs each adhere to The Offspring's old school formula of high velocity, in and out music. But, what worked for The Offspring back in the glory days of the southern California punk scene now seems stale and repetitive. The album's first single, "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)", sounds like a Presidents of the United States of America throwaway, complete with its smug, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and simplistic tone. "Staring At The Sun" is symptomatic of the majority of the album's problems - a generic and overly basic song, blindly adhering to every tenet of the so-called punk music formula. "Why Don't You Just Get A Job?" should be dismissed as nothing more than a carbon copy of "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" and the band's parody of the 70's classic "Feelings" is without humor. When the band breaks from its constrictive formula, however, the results are often exciting. "Have You Ever" and "The Kids Aren't Alright" utilize complex song structures and harmonies, creating a more resonant and mature sound. In fact, the album's brief flashes of brilliance remind us of The Offspring's potential to bring its California punk style to the next level. That said, _Americana_ is nothing more than wasted potential. --- REVIEW: Fear Of Pop, _Volume 1_ (Sony 550 Music) - Daniel Aloi If I ever have the chance to interview Ben Folds, I want to ask him about his record collection. The music he makes live and on record with the Ben Folds Five trio shows an unfashionably unabashed love of melody, drawing from an encyclopedia of accessible MOR pop styles ranging from Tin Pan Alley show tunes to Todd Rundgren, Billy Joel and Joe Jackson. But I never would have guessed one of Folds' favorite albums was William Shatner's _The Transformed Man,_ a set of over-dramatic readings of pop song lyrics. Shatner's take on "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" became the most infamous ham-sandwich example of an actor gone way, way over the top, beyond the point where a listener might think it's actually self-parody. This 25-cent vinyl yard-sale find apparently worked its twisted magic on a 12-year-old Folds, and 18 years later he wrote a fan letter to Capt. Kirk with a request to lend his earnestly misplaced inflections to a track written especially for him. Shatner didn't know Ben Folds from Adam Duritz, but his daughters and assistant talked him into taking the gig. Ironically, "In Love" - the centerpiece with Shatner emoting about love gone bad (and Folds providing the album's only real piano and vocal backing) - is one of the least-odd tracks on this totally oddball album. Collaborating with Shatner is surprise enough, but neither would I have ever imagined Folds doing an album devoid of melody, of songs. Not that _Volume 1_ is unlistenable, mind you - just be forewarned that this is not a Ben Folds Five record. There is none of the lighthearted, AM-radio reference-heavy pop prevalent on Folds' previous three albums, nor anything resembling the subdued balladry of "Fair" or "Brick." _Volume 1_ is, however, very much a product of Folds' fevered musical mind, even if it's not technically a release under his name. The official line explaining it to the public and press is "a collection of instrumental and spoken word songs from Ben Folds." More to the point, it's a solo side project of compositions and improvisations, captured on tape wherever and whenever the piano banger found a studio and the time when he wasn't touring with his band. He basically made most of this up as he went along, laying down tracks and playing a lot of guitar, drums and synthesizer sounds. With regular BFF producer Caleb Southern and John Mark Painter (of Fleming and John) to co-produce his noodlings, Folds set out to subvert the three-minute pop formula - and actually succeeded in making something you can listen to more than once. Maybe not much more, but... "Fear of Pop" opens the disc with an edgy spoken vocal that builds to a paranoid scream as guitars and drums squall for attention, high up in the mix. Folds' playing here isn't bad at all, a revelation for a guy who plays without a guitarist the rest of the time. "Slow Jam '98" is one of a few tracks that layer rap beats with synthesized moods. "I Paid My Money" lays down confused anger. "Rubber Sled" begins with a comic vignette set in a junk shop, with a dialogue intro: a guy looking for a bike and the crusty old backwoods shop owner offering, free, a rubber sled to the protagonist - who then takes off into an instrumental frenzy of adventure and excitement and meets with applause, screaming "Rubber Sled!" "Rubber Sled!" all the while. I am not making this up. This one-man show has a wealth of interesting production ideas, like a nice choral effect built from vocal overdubs, and a gleeful mania that could all conceivably make its way on any full-band release. The musical noodlings he explores here are more suited to a one-off night at New York City's Knitting Factory - or being played on the P.A. at a Combustible Edison show - than as a followup to "Whatever and Ever Amen." --- CONCERT REVIEW: A Tribe Called Quest, Athens - Lang Whitaker When word came down that A Tribe Called Quest was packing it in and becoming a Tribe called quits, the collective heart of hip-hop skipped a beat. After all, the three members of Tribe -- Phife, Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad -- have arguably been the most innovative and creative hip-hop group of the last ten years, pairing jazzy but booty-shakin' beats with socially conscious yet pop-culture referenced rhymes. Even more puzzling was that when the latest and apparently last Tribe album, _The Love Movement_ (Jive), came out a few days after their tragic announcement, it sounded nothing like a band on the run. Though as a whole _The Love Movement_ was less pointed than their previous classics, including _Midnight Marauders_ and _The Low End Theory_, _The Love Movement_ was still head-and-shoulders above the rest of rap's middling class. Songs like "Find a Way" and "Groove Me" showed that when all things are clicking, A Tribe Called Quest can find their holy grail. To end their reign, Tribe decided to take it to the streets and make a concession tour. The closest Tribe came to Atlanta home was Athens, GA. Of course, last respects must be paid, so I had to make a the trip. Surprisingly, security at the Classic Center was tighter than at the '96 Olympics. Apparently local authorities were expecting the Death Row Records crew instead of rap's peaceful princes. A Tribe Called Quest knows better than to come to town and not come correct. The bare stage swathed in solid black held only a small platform that supported DJ Ali Shaheed Mohammed's turntables. Without fanfare, Ali Shaheed strolled out and climbed onto his stand, grabbed his mike and said "Ladies and Gentlemen, the livest act in the history of hip-hop -- A Tribe Called Quest!!" Immediately he slipped into a set of headphones and started arranging and rearranging the wax bullets in his arsenal. Tribe's two MC's, Phife and Q-Tip, strolled out on stage with their frequent live cohort Jerobi in tow. Immediately, it was obvious that strange things are afoot in the state of Tribe. While Phife-dog and Jerobi came dressed identically, resplendent in matching crowd-pleasing Champ Bailey UGA football jerseys, Q-Tip decided to go his own way, opting instead for camoflague overalls, a plain white t-shirt and a khaki canvas safari hat. At other times a similar asymmetry was evident between the Q-Tip and Phife, this one emotional not physical. More than once while Phife and Jerobi went through spirited stage antics -- including pre-planned choreography and vocal give and go's -- Q-Tip stood indifferently at the back of the stage, centered in front of Shaheed's spot, his back to the audience. At one point between songs Phife was delivering a monologue about touring, and Q-Tip randomly inserted, "Y'all didn't know Phife was really Oscar-fuckin'-Madison, did you?" Odd couple, indeed. Musically, Tribe showed they haven't lost a step. Ripping through every song in their arsenal -- from "Bonita Applebum" to "Stressed Out" to "Award Tour" -- Tribe held the Classic Center audience in the palms of their sweaty hands. With every beat and back-beat the capacity crowd swayed back and forth in perfect time. Eventually, Phife announced that the band would be taking requests and asked for the house lights to be illuminated. They honored three requests, the final number being their breakthrough "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo," which they performed with an energy and vigor that seemed unlike anything a band on the verge of a collapse could cobble. While the "official" reason for a break-up being touted is that the band wanted to pursue new and separate projects, it would behoove Tribe fans to look a little deeper. Tribe's been doing separate projects on the said for the last few years, so a break-up would be irrelevant. According to rumors I've heard from a few well-placed sources, and don't quote me on this, the Tribe break-up is only a ruse; a publicity stunt designed to get the band released from their label and free to shop around for a new home. But don't quote me on that. Statements made by Q-Tip during the show would seem to support this theory. At one point Q-Tip noted that it was the last Tribe Called Quest show in Georgia, but then cryptically noted, "We'll be back though, it may not be in this same form, but we'll be back." Also, when Q-Tip delivered the line "Industry rule number 4,080 / Record company people are sha-deeeee," there seemed to be a little more conviction in his voice than usual. Tribe left the stage after nearly an hour of high-energy music, the crowd screamed and begged for more. Ali Shaheed came out and began spinning the Average White Band's "Love Your Life" horn riff that is the core of "Check the Rhime," possibly Tribe's most identifiable hit. Phife and Jerobi began running mock football plays on the stage, and Q-Tip started walking on a railing that extended from the edge of the stage out through the audience. Arms shot up and began grabbing at The Abstract's feet. Q-Tip continued his high-wire act, and the beat grew more insistent. Phife and Jerobi were now sprinting around the stage. The white beanie cap topping Ali Shaheed's head bobbed in time to the music, set off against the all black background. The audience became a collective mass, undulating like an ocean being attacked by El Nino. Q-Tip peacefully walked on the water. And for a few seconds, all was right in the world. --- REVIEW: The Cardigans, _Gran Turismo_ (Mercury) - Joe Silva What the Cardigans started on _Life_, and perfected on _First Band On The Moon_, they have shoved aside like a used cocktail napkin on their latest long player. _Gran Turismo_ plays as if the merry band of Swedes that gave fresh hope to Pop two years ago have swapped out their supply of jelly beans or whatever other confection they've kept in the studio for that handful of 'ludes. To be fair though, the band did much grumbling about being cast in the role of fluff despite the fact that they covered Black Sabbath tunes and held up glam guitar goons like Ace Frehley as their heros. But sonically, the listenership largely had them pegged. For album number four, what they've handed in are eleven tracks of whiplash - deep, murky electronic flavors that sounds like what you'd expect to hear coming off your Portishead records. With _Gran Turismo_, Nina Perrson and her cohorts have set upon launching a massive attack of cold, non-organic vibes that are sure to leave you rethinking the band's identity and what they might be capable of. Once track one ("Paralyzed") escapes its dreary intro and latches onto its groove, it does so only with Nina letting loose something about the "...sweetest way to die.." The melancholia continues, but what you realize over time is that what's subtly woven beneath the grey exterior are actually some very palatable tunes. "Higher" is a ultra-well concocted melody while "Explode" does anything but. On "Erase/Rewind," the laid back acoustic guitar line belies the song's strength. And it continues on in that fashion, swerving between higher points like "My Favourite Game" and lesser moments like "Marvel Hill." And the closer, "Nil," is a grim and wordless piano meandering. Not that all of this is bad or unexpected for a young band that still open to being playful and experimental. It's just that these atmospheres are less of a comfy a thing to slip into when your in the mood for the ebullient fare that we've come to expect from them. Change is "bra", nej? --- REVIEW: Metallica, _Garage Inc._ (Elektra) - Paul Hanson The diehard Metallica fan already has the second disc of this 'new' two-disc CD release. If you know what "Metal Up Your Ass" is all about, then disc 2 will be familiar territory. It compiles the B-sides to singles, _Garage Days Revisited_, and -Garage Days Re-Revisited_. The only songs I had not heard before were three of the four Motorhead covers. Disc 1, then becomes the major thrust of this collection. It's good to hear Metallica bashing and thrashing again like a fish out of water. Like the bands covered on the earlier Garage recordings, most of the covers are by obscure (well, obscure to the mainstream, but maybe not you) artists like Mercyful Fate, Discharge and Diamond Head. It also tosses in some more common bands such as Black Sabbath, Bob Seger, Blue Oyster Cult, and Thin Lizzy. The logical question, then, becomes, "how do the new covers compare to the old?" Well, "Die Die My Darling" was in my mind from the first day of receiving this disc and opener "Free Speech for the Dumb" is growing on me. Nick Cave's "Loverman" and Diamond Head's "It's Electric" bring out the _Load_ era, while Seger's "Turn the Page" explores the same theme as their own song "Wherever I May Roam." The video, however, for "Turn the Page," is a breakthrough video. Some of the highlights from this immensely-enjoyable disc include finally having the obscenity laced "So What" on the same disc as "Green Hell." The star-studded "Tuesday's Gone" (with John Popper's harmonica) is amazing. Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains, Les Claypool from Primus and Pepper Kenan from Corrosion of Conformity all join in. Black Sabbath's "Sabbra Cadabra" is also strong, while the Motorhead covers on disc 2 are raw-energy. I like it when Metallica doesn't 'produce' their music. "Breadfan" is probably the best 'old' cover, followed closely by "The Wait." I would recommend this disc to anyone looking to expand their musical horizon. Metallica says in their press kit that they wanted to get the 'garage band' feel back for this recording. They have done so successfully! --- REVIEW: New Radicals, _Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too_ (MCA) - Scott Slonaker Hopefully, by now, you've heard it - a soaring, melodious, rocking, radiant, hymnlike James-with-a-beat chant-along, both timeless and topical, simultaneously gentle, fierce, uplifting and stinging. If not, be patient. You will. The song is called "You Get What You Give", and it comes from Gregg Alexander, the primary force behind New Radicals. When's the last time that an actual rock song (not a goopy power ballad) hinged on a chorus verse even remotely like "Don't let go, you've got the music in you/Don't give up, you've got a reason to live/Can't forget, you only get what you give." In these I-wanna-push-you-around-heart-in-a-blender times for rock hits, not often. John Lennon would be proud. And it still finds time to put down Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson, and recall the Clash with Alexander's "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" yelping in the opening. The great surprise is that Alexander has more where that one came from. The disc opens with the chaotic-yet-compelling "Mother We Just Can't Get Enough", which works Axl Rose-ish screeching, David Byrne-like scatting, and prog-rock pacing into one exhilarating 5:30 package. Other gold stars can be awarded for tunes like the sweeping Elton John stylings of "Someday We'll Know", the rambling, Costelloesque confessions of "I Hope I Didn't Just Give Away the Ending", and the anti-drug "I Don't Wanna Die Anymore". Oddly enough, the title track might be the disc's least accessible, a list song submerged beneath a clanking, Devo-like murk. The second half of the disc focuses mainly on wistful, reflective, piano-heavy love ballads such as "Flowers" and "In Need of a Miracle". _Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too_ is thoughtful, passionate, memorable, and one of the flat-out best records of 1998. Perhaps this music fails to resonate as new or radical, but great songs never go out of style. --- REVIEW: James Brown, _Say It Live and Loud - Live in Dallas 08/26/98_ (Polydor/Chronicles) / _I'm Back_ (Private I/Mercury) - Joann D. Ball James Brown has been and continues to be a significant force in popular music and popular culture. Proof of his enduring legacy and continued relevance is revealed on two recent releases, the spectacular _Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 08/26/98_ and the refreshing _I'm Back_ . _Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 08/26/68_ was released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud." One of James Brown's most political and socially influential songs, it was recorded on August 7, 1968, rush released to radio nine days later and performed live for the very first time at the Dallas concert captured on this release. "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" became an instant anthem of Black Pride in the pivotal year of 1968 and throughout the final years of the decade. In the song, Brown captured on wax the cultural transformation then taking place among Americans of African decent in the bleak months after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In a reflective essay which introduces the live release, Public Enemy's Chuck D. eloquently sums up the social impact of "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud," stating that "James Brown single-handedly took a lost and confused nation of people and bonded them with a fix of words, music and attitude." With a running time of just over 77 minutes, _Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 08/26/98_ captures the spirit and energy of a James Brown live show during the most productive period of his musical career. While several of the tracks featured here have been included on previous James Brown compilations, the concert performance has never been released in its original, full length form. Digitally remastered and remixed from the original tapes, the Dallas concert presented here is typical of Brown's spectacular performances of the time. A complete concert revue, the Dallas show features Brown's full band and orchestra performing all the hits and crowd pleasers. _Live in Dallas _ begins with a show introduction from sax player and emcee Maceo Parker Jr. Brown soon starts the first part of the concert with "If I Ruled the World." After thanking the audience for coming to the show, he then comments on the social climate and the mood in America at the end of August 1968. Urging peace and togetherness and suggesting to the Black and White concertgoers that "a little love won't hurt," Brown launches into the first live performance of "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" which is greeted with applause and rousing audience participation on the chorus. After singing "I Guess I'll Have to Cry, Cry, Cry" and "Kansas City," Brown leaves the stage for a short intermission leaving the polished James Brown Orchestra to entertain the crowd with the instrumentals "Suds" and "Soul Pride" and a cover of "Tighten Up." "Star Time" begins in earnest after Emcee Maceo Parker Jr. announces James Brown's return to the stage. The Godfather of Soul gets down to business, kicking things off with "Licking Stick" which had been recently released. An thirteen-minute supersoul version of "Cold Sweat" follows, during which Brown and his orchestra pull out all of the vocal and musical tricks, even dropping in a cover of "Soul Man" for the obviously enthusiastic crowd. Brown then slows things down with "There Was A Time" and a medley of "Try Me/Lost Someone/Bewildered" before firing off the rest of the hits: "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "I Got the Feeling," "Maybe the Last Time, "I Got You (I Feel Good), "Please, Please, Please" and "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me). Bringing the now historic concert to a close, Brown and company do another run through of "Cold Sweat," "I Got the Feeling" and "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" before leaving Dallas Memorial Auditorium. In hindsight, James Brown's August 28, 1968 Dallas performance is a testament to his musical genius, status and popularity as the premiere Black performer of the 1960s. As captured on _Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 08/26/68_ nothing could match the intensity of a James Brown live show, which showcased his unique vocal style and stellar showmanship as well as the skilled musicianship of his band and orchestra. But even more so, this collection is valuable evidence of the critical role James Brown played during the social upheaval of the late 1960s, when his uncompromising brand of funky soul was a source of inspiration in an unprecedented period of change and chaos. In 1968 alone, Soul Brother Number One helped quell unrest in America's burning cities after King's assassination, visited Africa, dined with President Johnson at the White House, toured Vietnam and became the first Black performer selected as the headline act. to entertain troops in the war zone At a time when there was a serious void in social and political leadership in the United States, entertainer-humanitarian-social activist James Brown emerged as a central figure in the fight for racial equality, civil rights and peace. While _Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 08/26/68_ documents James Brown's contribution to the cultural revolution known as Black Pride, _I'm Back_ is a new release which highlights the way in which Brown has influenced the cultural revolution known as hip-hop and rap music. As an innovative and creative musical form, rap music has sampled, borrowed and given tribute to James Brown throughout its twenty year existence. Proving that his is as much the Godfather of Rap as he is the Godfather of Soul, James Brown opens up the door and does it himself on _I'm Back_. The best song on the release is the first single "Funk On Ah Roll," which along with the cut "I Don't Hear No Music" and a reworking of "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" prove that James Brown is still the man with the master plan. Not content to have his work creatively dropped into other artists' songs, Brown grabs the rap music framework and does his thang with it. On "Funk On Ah Roll," Brown serves up a fresh batch of hooks and grooves with a supercharged vocal in which he resurrects some of his most memorable phrases and utterances. Updating his trademark soulful funk with some scratching and other rap techniques, "Funk On Ah Roll" is as fresh for the Nineties as "Payback" was over twenty years ago.. With his status as a living legend universally acknowledged and continually celebrated, James Brown could sit back and rest on his well earned laurels. But that would prove too easy for the The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. In his illustrious career, James Brown has created and redefined musical forms, accented cultural expression, enhanced self and group identities and influence social and political life in the United States. And he's poised to do his trademark slide right into the next century. --- REVIEW: Jawbox, _My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents (DeSoto) - Steve Kandell You are a semi-successful four-piece East Coast indie rock band, starting out in the late eighties honing your aggro but melodic post-punk chops on college radio. While your prematurely balding and oddly monikered lead singer/guitarist may be the nominal focus of the band, your secret weapon might actually be the bassist, a dark-haired spitfire named Kim. After years of toiling away in the indie world, you break up before getting a chance to dip your toes in the mainstream, then put out a posthumous collection of previously unreleased b-sides, John Peel sessions, live tracks, and covers. And you are not the Pixies. But you might be Jawbox, the Washington, D.C. band that broke up in April of 1997 after eight years. _My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents_ is the 22-track post-breakup compilation just out on DeSoto Records. While essentially a collection of castaways, this is actually a fair representation of Jawbox's career and could serve equally well as a fitting farewell to fans or as an introduction to the uninitiated. The closest thing the band ever had to a hit, 1994's "Savory," is included here in a ballsy live version recorded at RFK Stadium in 1996. The band, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist J. Robbins (OK, that name's not so weird) had more in common musically with fellow D.C. band and onetime labelmates Fugazi than the late, lamented Pixies. And come to think of it, bassist Kim Colletta was not really any sort of secret weapon the way Kim Deal was, though it must be said that many of the stronger Jawbox songs were built around her gutteral bass lines. Robbins' singing voice more resembles that of Helmet's Page Hamilton, another loud and recently deceased band, than a distinctive wail like Ian Mackaye or The Artist Formerly Known as Black Francis. The album's structure is interesting, with songs grouped not by chronology but by origin. The first five songs come from a Peel session in 1994, the next six are assorted b-sides, the four after that are from the June '96 RFK show, and final seven are all covers taken from various singles and tribute albums throughout the years. Curiosity-seekers might be attracted to the last bunch, which includes an amped-up, stripped-down version of R.E.M.'s plaintive "Low," The Cure's "Meathook," and even Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin". Other standouts include the BBC recording of "Tongues" and their first-ever single, 1989's "Bullet Park." As a band, Jawbox did not have much to offer in the way of stylistic variety or sonic diveristy. They essentially did one thing - bottom-heavy, discordant, but melodic pop tunes, the sort of thing that might have been called metal had they come around a decade earlier and had feathered hair down to their shoulders - but they did it well. Not the most original band, and they will not likely be remembered as such. But they were solid nonetheless, and this set is a fitting coda. --- CONCERT REVIEW: Miles Hunt, New York City - Bob Gajarsky The Wonder Stuff never achieved the commercial success in the United States as in their native England, but that didn't stop a legion of the group's core fans from seeing the key remnants of that group - former lead singer Miles Hunt and guitarist Malc Treece - on the last legs of the duo's American acoustic tour at New York City's Mercury Lounge. While Hunt lacked the enthusiasm and sneering wit which has become his trademark, the songs still sounded as fresh as ever. And on an evening where artists were being rolled up onstage one after another, the only regret was that Hunt and Treece only had time for a set of less than 40 minutes. Other than those issues - which were out of the artist's hands - Hunt gave the crowd what they wanted. Mixing Stuffies tracks such as the opening crowd-requested "Circlesquare" and "Piece of Sky", along with new cuts such as "Manna From Heaven" and the catchy-as-ever "Immortalizing Chase", and finally closing with one of the tracks which helped break the Wonder Stuff, "A Wish Away", Hunt and Treece left the audience feeling as if they had eaten at a Chinese restaurant one hour prior - totally satisifed with the performance they had just heard, but wanting more. Much more. For more information on Hunt's activities, purchasing an acoustic live show (_Common Threads Live_) CD from 1998, or catching samples from 3 of the songs which may appear on Hunt's forthcoming 1999 album, check out the Gig Records website at http://www.gigrecords.com --- INTERVIEW: Flat Duo Jets - Al Muzer Plying pretty much the same blues-informed, hillbilly-fueled, moonshine runnin', grunt 'n' grease guitar and drums caterwaul they've resolutely stuck to since _In Stereo_, Flat Duo Jets' guitarist/pianist/vocalist Dexter Romweber and his drum-bashing pal, Crow, have squirted a few new colors onto the palette for _Lucky Eye_ their ninth official effort and first for Geffen-backed, Scott (R.E.M., Days Of The New and Nirvana, among others, producer) Litt-founded Outpost Recordings. "I've always missed not having more instruments on our other records," Romweber said during a recent interview. " I like 'duo' stuff. I like it 'live' a lot and there are certain songs that are great to play as a duo - the blues and rock-a-billy tunes - but I've always heard more instruments on our songs - strings, saxes, pianos, all that stuff, than what eventually wound up on the records. The difference with this record is that now, everybody else can finally hear 'em, too!" Marrying a Santo & Johnny-like instrumental subtlety (check out "New York Studio 1959"), an unobtrusive, but effective horn section (courtesy of the Squirrel Nut Zippers), a swingin' bassist (former dB's leader Chris Stamey), and a lush, 12-piece string section ("I really love strings," Romweber chuckles. "I've been listening to Jackie Gleason records for years.") to the gruff, soulful, rough-hewn minimalism and Brylcream-billy back-ally blasts of classic retro-roots that has come to define the Flat Duo Jets over the years - _Lucky Eye_ co-producers Litt and Stamey have helped Dexter and Crow craft the finest album of the Chapel Hill, North Carolina duo's 14-year career. "Scott produced all my favorite R.E.M. songs," Romweber said of his new label president. "So I was pretty amazed when he started coming to our shows about two years ago. Pete Buck [R.E.M.] introduced us and said he wanted Scott to meet us because he thought we'd work well together." "We really wanted to come up with something great for this album because Scott, you know, Scott gave us a chance - besides," he laughs, "I was getting tired of people asking me why we weren't signed [the duo has recorded for Sky, Norton and Dolphin Records while Romweber's 1996 solo effort, _Folk Songs_, was on Permanent] after all these years. That was frustrating. Anyway, when this opportunity presented itself Crow and I were like, 'Man, we gotta do this and we gotta do it right!' " "I listened to the album just the other day and it made me pretty happy," Romweber says of -Lucky Eye_. "I'm real into it. I really like this record, ya' know? We were just trying to play some real rock 'n' roll." Featuring 17 loose, warm, relaxed and radiant tracks that ring with an open, authentic, timeless honesty that has absolutely nothing to do with today's pop charts and everything to do with the freedom that comes from playing what feels right, _Lucky Eye_ is just that - "real rock 'n' roll". "I was thinking just the other night," offers the guitarist when he's asked if life on the road is different now that there's more money behind him, "that, although I thought we'd been around long enough and put out enough records so the promotion behind this album wouldn't need to be much different from what we'd done for the others - it seems that perhaps not as many people as I'd like to think actually got a chance to hear those other records." "I just wish that after 13 years of doing this I sort'a wish I was a little bit younger now - or, that we were signed to a bigger label earlier on. [sighs] Although this really isn't, ultimately, much different from what we've been doing all along," he adds of the major media push he, Crow, Litt and the label are giving _Lucky Eye_, "well, except maybe a few more people will hear it this time around." --- REVIEW: Residents, _Wormwood_ (East Side Digital) - Eric Hsu There is a great scene in _Night of the Hunter_, where a brave but frail and old Lillian Gish guards her children from a psychotic Robert Mitchum, rocking in a chair and holding a shotgun. As they sit around her deep in the night, she tells them, in plain and inspiring words, stories from the Bible. The Residents' _Wormwood_ is not going to provide much in the way of hearty inspiration from the Bible. But the Bible is a collection of _stories_ and, no matter how boring modern religions try to make it, a good story can still inspire or amuse or shock if told right. "Though much of it is abysmal and boring, much of it is entertaining and important reading," say the Residents. "Today, many narrow-minded people wield the Bible as some sort of razor with which to slash their enemies. Allowing those people to decide what is important in the Bible is dangerous to the freedom of individual thought." The Residents then proceed to serve up 20 tracks, mostly sung by characters in rather nasty stories from the Bible with a couple of soundtracks thrown in. They include thorough liner notes with very witty summaries of the relevant Bible stories, each ending with the challenge "Look it up" and a reference. Their stories are interesting / appalling / capricious enough (several child sacrifices, incestuous rape, genocide, mass murder) that I did find myself looking some up stories just to check, which is precisely the point. There is an outstanding accompanying resource at http://www.residents.com/albums/wormwood.html with all the words and hyperlinks to an online version of the Bible stories in question. The Residents have always been at their best creating atmospheric soundscapes (like their previous release _Eskimo_ , a hypnotic/sleepy instrumental evocation of Eskimo life), and the strongest feature of this disc is indeed the atmospherics (best displayed in the instrumental soundtracks to The Creation and Revelation). But as they showed on the best tracks of _Commercial Album_ (a brilliant idea: forty pop songs exactly one minute long (some cut off abruptly)) they can sometimes produce some pretty catchy and demented nursery-rhyme pop. Here "Burn Baby Burn" is probably the single here (heh - radio playing the Residents?), a maniacally happy song by a girl about to be burned alive by her father as thanks to the Hebrew God YHWH for a victory in battle. "I'm ready to die but it seems to be odd that bleeding is better than breathing to God but soon I will be burning for my, soon I will be burning for my daddy. God digs my daddy!" Very catchy. Other highlights include a revisionist look at the beheading of John the Baptist, emphasizing the sexual jealousy between Salome and her mother, Judas's lament that he is called by God to betray Jesus (also see the movie/book _The Last Temptation of Christ_) and the stuttering Moses in "Bridegroom of Blood". _Wormwood_ is not the kind of record you keep playing on your CD player, with some song on auto-repeat in a fruitless attempt to exorcise a hit from your mind's ear. The songs go from weirdly compelling to annoying and I wish they'd take a bit more care to sing in tune, but for now there aren't too many hybrids of performance art, garage rock, and humanizing humor. And in this day before corporations find a way to make megabucks out of this niche, I'm glad the Residents exist and I'm glad they're producing genuinely interesting art like _Wormwood_, art with a brain, a funny bone, and heart. --- REVIEW: The Long Ryders, _Anthology_ (Chronicles) - Bill Holmes Sid Griffin's musical essence can be best summed up in his own words from "Looking For Lewis And Clark": "When Tim got to heaven / hope he told Gram / about the Long Ryders / and just who I am". Griffin and bandmates Steven McCarthy, Tom Stevens and Greg Sowders were nothing if not respectful of their Americana predecessors. Their unique vision picked up Gram Parson's banner and created a melting pot sound of country, pop, rock and punk that is as influential upon today's y'alternative scene as the publicly revered Uncle Tupelo. And - surprise, surprise - radio just didn't get it. Like Tupelo, the Ryders featured two strong songwriters (Griffin and McCarthy) who were each able to mine a different vein in the band's quarry of skills. McCarthy leaned more towards the melody, whether a classic pop rock sound like "Lights Of Downtown" or the George Jones shadings of "I'll Get Out Somehow". Griffin was the more intense lyricist ("Harriet Tubman" was the song least likely to get airplay, like he cared) but also brought the Chuck Berry via Iggy Pop muscle to the arrangements with "State Of Our Union" and "Run Dusty Run". That leaves Tom Stevens as the George Harrison of the band, for "17 Ways" and "A Stitch In Time" are solid songs that are as good as anything on the record. This release culls several tracks from each of the three full releases plus cuts from the _5x5_ and _10-5-60_ sessions - forty tracks in all. The Ryders also had a knack for great covers - besides the released versions of NRBQ's "I Want You Bad" and their "Jason lite" version of Mel Tillis' "Sweet Mental Revenge" this collection includes Dylan's "Masters Of War", the Flaming Groovies' "I Can't Hide" and, ironically, a live version of what could have been their theme song - Neil's "Prisoners Of Rock and Roll". Today Sowders has traded the sticks for the other side of the desk but Stevens enjoys a successful solo career, McCarthy has had success with Gutterball and Steve Wynn, and Griffin is still rocking with The Coal Porters (is there a better band name than that!). Griffin quotes an anonymous London acquaintance who called the Ryders "the right band at the perfectly wrong time", and that's a pretty good assessment. When you consider the era of the Byrds and Burritos before them and the current No Depression movement, they could have been huge either time. Instead, they were fated to be the necessary link between the decades, proudly carrying that banner so that younger pups could grab the baton and move on. And maybe to Sid and the boys, that stellar rep is worth all the money they never made. _Anthology_ is vital music and a fitting testament to a band that did it their way. --- MINI REVIEWS: Karate, Lovemongers, Nuggets (Original Artyfacts from Psychedlic Era), Pop Unknown, Snowpony There's something about the lead-off track on Karate's third LP, _The Bed is in the Ocean_ (Southern) that just grabbed me. Much of it lies in the way singer Geoff Farina says, "So quiet I can hear that the refrigerator is on" half talking, half singing, with an irregular rhythmic feel and a sense of vague angst, almost like he's not sure whether he should be upset about this or not. The music swells at just the right points in this song, melding indie rock and jazzy guitar fills into an interesting amalgam that actually works. Unfortunately, the rest of _The Bed is in the Ocean_ is ultimately forgettable. After a deluge of repetitively jazzy guitar parts and Farina's bland vocals, you may not care anymore when Farina moans, "There is hard rain where I'm walking." Karate sounds like they are trying to do too many different things at once -- straight-up indie rock, emo-core, jazz improvisation -- and end up not succeeding at any of them. - Kerwin So This Christmas, there's a little more love around the heart - or in this case, Heart. The Wilson sisters (Ann and Nancy) have engaged in their favorite side project - the Lovemongers - and released a holiday album based on traditional holiday music as well as some originals. On _Here Is Christmas_ (2B Music), the guitars have been left at home, as these carolers serenade the listener with a combination of timeless classics and original music. And since the Wilsons have always had exceptional voices, songs such as "Ave Maria" and "O Holy Night" fall within the traditions expected by the relatives on Christmas Day, while "The Last Noel" and "William and Rose" are newer cuts destined for playing at next Christmas, as well. One more disc for the stocking. - Bob Gajarsky While there's been plenty of ink spent raving about the four-disc collection of '60s garage and psychedelic rock _Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968_ (Rhino), it's for good reason. _Nuggets_ captures a period of history like no other boxed set in a long, long, time. And no other collection on the market was pieced together with more love and care. Don't be turned off when you pick up the brightly colored box in a store and recognize maybe ten of the 118 tracks. While hits such as "Wooly Bully" and "Incense and Peppermints" pop up throughout, buried within are dozens of lost classics, the original punk rock, if you will. And remember- punk rock and oldies have one major thing in common. If you don't like the song that's playing, just wait two minutes for the next one. - Scott Slonaker The five-song debut EP _Summer Season Kills_ (Deep Elm) from Austin's Pop Unknown is a fully realized musical work, a minor masterpiece. From singer Tim Lasater's co-dependent mantra on the opening song "Follow You" ('I will follow you, follow you, oh anywhere'), to the heartbreaking refrain of the closer, "Tipping the Scale" ('Bye bye, my love'), you can almost musically trace the birth and death of an intimate relationship. Not surprising, considering that Pop Unknown's lineup includes ex-members of Austin favorite Feed Lucy and the influential emo-core band Mineral. Yes, yes, the lyrics here are nothing entirely original - this is still emo-rock after all - but the music (and Lasater's non-castrato voice) more than make up for it. The aforementioned "Follow You" takes things nice and easy a la Red Stars Theory, dripping chiming guitar lines like so many teardrops. Pulsing keyboards give way to a power chord workout that conveys passion without going over the toptheres real patience and craft in this song and it shows. "This Guy's Ready for Bed" is a no-frills mid-tempo affair, giving way to "Your Own Personal Wedding" which rocks out like early Sunny Day Real Estate - enough said. "Ink and Paper" slowly builds a straight-ahead four-chord rocker into an all-out Archers of Loaf frenzy. And finally of course, there's "Tipping the Scale", replete with the standard whisper-to-a-scream dynamics and a lingering outro to remind us how hard it really is to say goodbye. Fortunately for the listener, you can always hit the repeat button. _Summer Season Kills_ shows a band ready to take the world by storm, with the musical guts and know-how to pull it off. Look for a full length coming out hopefully in 1999. - Kerwin So Snowpony features members of two Irish-British collectives famed for stretching musical boundaries: Stereolab and My Bloody Valentine. While _The Slow Motion World of Snowpony_ (Relativity) bears some of the electronically layered dots and loops of the former and the barely sublimated aggressive tendencies of the latter, the surface similarities end there. Instead, this album is more like an entree to a gloriously appointed postmodern cabaret. A laconic female singer who sounds like an Irish Liz Phair gives up sinuous torch songs -- "3 Can Keep a Secret (If 2 are Dead)," "Titanic," "Snow White" -- all filled with dark secrets and longing. The album's title may suggest the vocals, like a thick honey compared to the speed-demon bee behind the drum kit, propelling every track as if it were the lead instrument. This is no guitar band, then, but the album has a fascinatingly rich soundstage and sparkling production throughout. Every track is laced with the unexpected, in a sonic backdrop containing dozens of electronic quavers and blips and more judiciously placed interjections of brass sounds, plus a variety of deep, fluid bass lines. Snowpony has made one of the most unique sounding - and accessible -- anti-pop albums in recent memory. - Dan Aloi --- REVIEW: My Friend Steve, _Hope & Wait _ (Mammoth) - Tracey Bleile On a recent foray to rummage for music, I came across no fewer than three copies of My Friend Steve's _Hope & Wait_ in one store's used bins. And I thought, damn, isn't it amazing that just because you might not recognize what you've got in your hands, what people will dump 'ASAFP' (you translate for yourself; as soon as * possible). You want the life lesson again? Okay, I've learned the hard way that sometime you don't know you got till you sell it off for three lousy dollars. Gainesville's thoughtful popsters My Friend Steve is one of those earnest, radio-ready talents who will probably get shoved aside by many after only a listen or two, but they genuinely deserve a chance to wend their way in. Yes, they sound like a less frenetic Counting Crows - or is it a more energetic (um, talented) Verve Pipe? Check out the lead track "The Schooling" and you'll get a much more interesting lesson than "Freshmen". To these still not too jaded ears, it's a lot more honest and a lot less irritating than some fodder currently clogging radio waves. Not to mention startlingly tight and polished, for a band that literally fell together and released _Hope & Wait_ in a matter of months. _Hope & Wait_ features a pile of sweetly painful songs where the tempo and the emotion are 180 degrees from another. Songs like the bouncy country-flavored "Better Left Behind", the gentle Crowded House-influenced keyboards and harmonies of "Lessening Mercies", or the playful parade-march of "Always The Way" have stingingly introspective lyrics that belie the unbelievably pretty arrangements. No sense doing open-heart surgery if you don't have the keenest blade you can find, right? There is no heavy-handedness to be found in _Hope & Wait_; a little introspection with your music is *good* for you! Eat up, kids. --- REVIEW: The Spongetones, _Where-Ever-Land_ (Permanent Press) - Bill Holmes If you're familiar with the Mersey-pop of The Spongetones, don't let the leadoff track scare you. "Forget About May" could be the closest Jamie Hoover ever gets to The Sex Pistols, and to these ears it's not a path I want to visit often. But the following tracks reaffirm my (and anyone's) theory that this great North Carolina band is still the poster child for underappreciated artists. Perhaps with this release (and the forthcoming new record on Permanent Press) things will change. As the name would indicate, the band soaked up every pop and rock lick playing as a cover band in the early days and honed those influences into solid song writing and playing. Their first two records _Beat Music_ and _Beat And Torn_), but this third release on their own label fell through the cracks in most areas. No more! The bouncy hook of "Anna" is as radio-ready as they come and sports a tasty guitar break. You can hear some classic Raspberries/Beatles hybrid sound here as well - check the vocals on the title track or the guitar break on "Since You Said". They can rock out too, sounding much like their Carolina soul mates The Woods on guitarist Patrick Walters' "Baby Boomer" (featuring some great barrelhouse piano as well). "Images" is very Todd Rundgren influenced, from the vocal method to the backwards guitar and production techniques. _Where-Ever_Land_ found the band stretching out and experimenting beyond the sixties pop sound of their prior releases, and the results are usually very good. This release combines the original album with two bonus studio demos ("Don't Talk Too Loud" and the Dylan/Byrds sounding "Woodstock II") along with three live tracks recorded for the World Cafe radio show where they sound like a very hip folk group. A solid addition to their catalogue and a must for fans. --- REVIEW: Blue Flannel, _XL_ (Universal) - Linda Scott Blue Flannel's debut album, _XL_, shows such promise that the recommendation from here is that you go out and purchase a copy. There are some minor problems, but it's a debut album that just needs a little more polish and a little more production help. The core of talent and the band's approach is something special. If you're from the Southeast US, you've probably seen them already. Blue Flannel is a four-piece band from Georgia fronted by lead singer, guitarist, lyricist Derek Coile. Coile and drummer pal Eric Talbott started the band and added bassist John Barry and guitarist David Montgomery. The name Blue Flannel is a laugh at the grunge movement. Just so you understand their feelings, the CD booklet says "We Are Not Alternative!". The band plays in a real mixture of styles from rock to folk-rock to funk to punk with influences from Prince, Michael Jackson to the Sex Pistols. Blue Flannel says they are playing to have fun so they try all these styles and seem to do them all well. Most of the lyrics are playful or just outright funny, but there is another set of songs about relationships breaking down, and Coile wrote these when he faced that in his own life. The more lighthearted ones must be from when he was on the mend. Blue Flannel took these songs and some cover tunes and toured the Southeast US steadily where they attracted the attention of Universal. The songs are an eclectic mix starting with a short classical piece interrupted by "Unfair Comparison", a song with rock and a punk jam and some clever pop lyrics. Other good rockers are "You Bore Me" and "Sleepy Boy". The sad ballads, such as "I Can't Stand Losing You" (not the Police Song) are stuck in here and there. The best songs here are "Havin' A Bad Day" and "Kill Me". "Havin' A Bad Day" is the first single, and Coile sings about how he hates everyone when he's having a bad day....short people, tall people, my boss and barbecue sauce. Silly, but easy to identify with. The star of the album is "Kill Me" with the most polished lyrics, vocals, and music. It's funky with harmonica and guitar providing the power behind Coile's excellent lyrics. "Kill Me" sets up this wonderful funk vibe which should have ended the album, but instead "Not My Type", another doleful ballad follows. Small problems, but _XL_ is one for the holiday wish list. --- REVIEW: Big Hello, _Apple Album_ (Parasol) - Bill Holmes Chicago based Big Hello puts the "power" back in "power pop" through a combination of several key elements. Drummer Brad Elvis (yes, of the late great Elvis Brothers) champions the school of aggressive behavior, energetically driving the songs rather than being a metronome for the bass player. Vocalist Chloe F. Orwell seems to have found the perfect ground between girl-group pop and the sneering side of Debbie Harry. One minute she sounds sweet and lovable while the next she's might bite your head off. And perhaps most impressive, guitarist Johnny Million's rocket riffs and neck-squeezing leads are also augmented by sneaky fills and tones way out in left field that subtly fill out the canvas Big Hello paints upon. New band member j.a.c.k.i.e. (her punctuation, not mine!) on bass joined after the recording, but let's give her the benefit of the doubt. Jimmy Johnson mixed and recorded the album, and his Cheap Trick pedigree shows through especially on "Pen Pal" and the manic "Hooked On The Girl". In fact, Cheap Trick might not be a bad point of comparison - drums snap and guitars growl, but they're all just serving the almighty hook. And _Apple Album_ is chock full of 'em! Orwell ‘s two contributions are solid - "I Don't Like You" is mid-tempo Spector pop with Badfinger guitar sounds, and the leadoff track "O Canada" sets the table by matching her inspired vocal against Million's desperate guitar. Most of the song writing comes care of Brad Elvis - which means melodic uptempo stuff like "Star 69", the punky "Riot Girl" and the Ramones nod in "Kamikaze". He's also not above some Beatles nicks - check the nod to "Rain" in "Sister Mary". And after you enjoy the eleven tracks, _Apple Album_ comes complete with alternate versions of each song followed by a paint-peeling snippet from an early rehearsal. These guys rock! Elvis has always had good taste - Three Hour Tour is solid, The Elvis Brothers might be America's great lost pop band, and his one-shot group Screams scored with "Imagine Me Without You" (and boy would I like to hear Orwell tackle that one!). But (to drop another Cheap Trick reference) maybe this time he has "found all the parts". A very impressive debut from a band I am now dying to see live. --- NEWS: > Wendy Carlos' score to Stanley Kubrick's classic _A Clockwork Orange_ film is available for the first time ever on CD. Two songs which were not on the original CBS release, "Orange Minuet" and "Biblical Daydreams", have been added to the reissue. For further information, check out http://www.noside.com/esd > While some of Charles Manson's first recordings were previously available on bootleg, Archer C.A.T. has issued Volume 1 of the Manson lost tapes. Fortunately, $2 of every disc sold will be donated to various children's charities. For further information, go to http://www.charlesmansonlosttapes.com > In the footsteps of the David Bowie ISP, Megadeth has also launched their own ISP, megadeth.net , which offers 900 dialup locations around the globe. The band will be heading into a Nashville studio in January to record their next album. > Former Porno For Pyros guitarist Peter DiStefano has released three new songs in MP3 format through Peopletree, at http://www.peopletree.com . A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these downloads will be donated to Musicians' Assistance Program ( http://www.musap.org ) and Rainbow Babies, a children's cancer research center. > Primus has just released a long-form home video, _Videoplasty_ , which includes a special live performance, behind the scenes footage, unique animation, and some of the band's videos since _The Brown Album_. > EZCD.com has reduced the price of 'creating your own CD' for the holidays. At their Web site ( http://www.ezcd.com ), users can create their own disc with 10 songs for $.99 from artists in the independent music scene. --- TOUR DATES: Aerosmith / Candlebox Dec. 17 Philadelphia, PA Spectrum Dec. 19 Washington, DC MCI Arena Dec. 27 East Rutherford, NJ Continental Arena Dec. 29 Albany, NY Pepsi Arena Dec. 31 Boston, MA Fleet Arena Jan. 2 Worcester, MA Centrum Jan. 4 Pittsburgh, PA Arena Jan. 6 Chattanooga, TN UTC Arena Leah Andreone / Babe The Blue Ox Dec. 7 New York, NY Mercury Lounge Dec. 8 Philadelphia, PA Khyber Pass Dec. 9 Boston, MA Mama Kin Black Crowes Dec. 8 Sacramento, CA Crest Theatre Dec. 9 San Diego, CA Canes Bar & Grill Dec. 11 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre Dec. 12 Scottsdale, AZ Cajun House Dec. 13-14 Los Angeles, CA Roxy Candlebox Dec. 8 Lancaster, PA Chameleon Club Dec. 9 State College, PA Crow Bar Dec. 11 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theatre Dec. 12 Memphis, TN Mid-South Coliseum Chocolate Genius Dec. 10 Philadelphia, PA Border's Instore And George's Cafe Dec. 11 Boston, MA Kendall Cafe Dec. 12 N. Hampton, MA Iron Horse Cravin' Melon Dec. 17-18 Greenville, SC Handle Bar Deftones / Pitchshifter / Quicksand Dec. 8 Salt Lake City, UT Wasatch Center Dec. 10 Portland, OR The Armory Dec. 11 Vancouver, BC Croatian Cultural Center Dec. 12 Seattle, WA Expo Center Dec. 14 San Francisco, CA Maritime Hall Evelyn Forever Dec. 11 Asbury Park, NJ Fastlane Dec. 12 New York, NY Arlene's Grocery Dec. 18 New Brunswick, NJ Budapest Fatboy Slim (DJing) Dec. 9 Boston, MA Avalon Dec. 11 Chicago, IL House of Blues Dec. 12 New York, NY Roseland Irving Plaza (New York City Concert Hall) Dec. 8 Offspring Dec. 11 Billy Bragg Pat McGuire Band Dec. 13 New York, NY Elbow Room Miles Dec. 23 Wuerzburg, Germany AKW Dec. 25 Harburg, Germany Juze Dec. 26 Steyr, Austria Roeda Motley Crue Dec. 11 San Juan, PR LMNI Amphitheatre Dec. 12 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Sunrise Theatre Dec. 13 Tampa, FL Rueth Eckard Hall Offspring Dec. 8 New York, NY Irving Plaza Dec. 10 San Jose, CA San Jose Events Center Dec. 11 Los Angeles, CA The Shrine Dec. 13-14 San Diego, CA Soma Ominous Seapods Dec. 8 Ewing, NJ College of NJ Dec. 28 New York, NY Wetlands Dec. 31 Syracuse, NY Styleen's Tricky / Whale Dec. 8 Pomona, CA Glass House Dec. 9 Los Angeles, CA House Of Blues --- 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. 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