== ISSUE 173 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [April 5, 1999] Editor: Bob Gajarsky E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com Managing Editor: Lang Whitaker Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim Kennedy, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva Correspondents: Christina Apeles, Niles J. Baranowski, Tracey Bleile, Jason Cahill, Patrick Carmosino, John Davidson, Andrew Duncan, Krisjanis Gale, Paul Hanson, Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Franklin Johnson, Steve Kandell, Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Linda Scott, Scott Slonaker, Kerwin So, Chelsea Spear, Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Michael Van Gorden, Simon West Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, David Landgren, 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: XTC's Andy Partridge - Joe Silva REVIEW: Underworld, _Beaucoup Fish_ - Simon West REVIEW: Eminem, _The Slim Shady LP_ - Joe Silva REVIEW: Frank Black and the Catholics, _Pistolero_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: Soundtrack, _The Mod Squad_ - Tim Hulsizer REVIEW: Jim O'Rourke, _Eureka_ - Kerwin So REVIEW: Mocean Worker, _Mixed Emotional Features_ - Patrick Carmosino REVIEW: Beulah, _When Your Heartstrings Break_ - Scott Slonaker REVIEW: The Pretty Things, _Rage Before Beauty_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: David Sylvian, _Dead Bees On A Cake_ - Joe Silva REVIEW: The Dictators, _New York, New York_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Frank Bango, _Fugitive Girls_ - Scott Slonaker REVIEW: Grinspoon, _Guide To Better Living_ - Linda Scott REVIEW: Ester, _Default State_ - Joann D. Ball REVIEW: Cat Power, _Moon Pix_ - Chelsea Spear REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Office Space_ - Jason Cahill REVIEW: Pan sonic, _A_ - Simon Speichert NEWS: Songwriting Contest TOUR DATES: Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs, Asian Dub Foundation, Candlebox, Cubanismo Spring Tour, Ani DiFranco, Eve 6 / Lit, Gardener, Godsmack / Loudmouth, Gomez / Mojave 3, Miles Hunt, Jets to Brazil / Euphone, Kent / Papa Vegas, Low, Mercury Rev, Mighty Blue Kings, Steve Miller Band, Alanis Morissette, Olivia Tremor Control, Placebo / Stabbing Westward, Residents, Sleepyhead, Elliott Smith, Sparklehorse / Varnaline, Sally Taylor, David Wilcox, Back Issues of Consumable --- INTERVIEW: XTC's Andy Partridge - Joe Silva After years of legal internment, the band XTC, or what remains of them, have finally resuscitated themselves. With the release of their first LP in nearly seven years (_Apple Venus Vol. I_), Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding once again prove themselves to be one of the finer pop organisms known to the planet. Witness the uncomplicated joyance of "I'd Like That," the blissfully cyclical architecture of "River of Orchids," or the endearing melody and sincere narrative of "Frivolous Tonight." Released as the orchestral/acoustic half of a two record project, the record is a lush and comely addition to their already brilliant catalogue. Having somewhat acrimoniously shed guitarist Dave Gregory after nearly twenty years in the lineup, Partridge and Moulding are now keen to get on with their musical lives after finally being released from the grips of Virgin Records. A second, more electric volume may be out before the millennium expires, and longtime fans are now sure to be regularly fed with fresh and archival material (witness last year's _Transistor Blast_ collection of BBC recordings). But for Partridge, who's even more vehemently against trotting himself out before loving audiences for performance-sake, the only concession he's currently prepared to make to the grind of touring was a recent multi-continental publicity jaunt. He (and occasionally Moulding) made several thousand admirers all giggly with delight by turning up for in-stores to sign autographs and pose for quick photos. While temporarily installed in a San Francisco hotel, we took a few more ounces of interview flesh from Partridge and attempted to focus on the what concerns him most: the songs. Consumable Online: Considering the amount of signing you've done, are you now being forced to use some sort of prosthetic device to hold up the phone? Andy Partridge: Ha ha! No, I can sign the night away, but it's the wrong sort of exercise I'm afraid. C.O.: Have you got your fill or adulation at this point? A.P.: I must admit, I don't really need adulation. I'm not an adulation junkie. I know some people are in the music business. I can do without it. C.O.: It must be a bit overwhelming after not being around for a while. A.P.: It's nice, but it's not my drug of choice. I can do without it. I wouldn't mind if I was never interviewed, photographed or filmed again. That wouldn't worry me. C.O.: How was the (Coast To Coast With) Space Ghost appearance? A.P.: Very bizarre. They stick you against a black screen there, and just have a schmoe in a chequed shirt sat on a stool opposite you asking you non-questions and you just have to react. They'll ask you things like "Do you mind if we drill a hole in your head?" or "Can we have the use of your mother's remains?" and you just have to react this. And then what they do is take it away and over the course of three months they animate the show and script in questions that suit your responses. It's a kind of reverse interview. You just have to react like a cretin being poked. In those sorts of situations, I tend to click into a junior Robin Williams. C.O.: I'm curious to why you finally went with the peacock feather on the sleeve? (Partridge's rabid superstition had long put him off of the idea of using the image for the album cover image) A.P.: Yeah, I really didn't want to use it, but my girlfriend said "Oh, don't be so stupid." I'm intensely superstitious and then Colin said "It's bad luck isn't it I've heard, we better not have that," so the pair of us were kind of psyched up not to use it. But then I started to research it and found that in as many cultures it's considered good luck. So I guess it cancels out to mean no luck at all really. I sort of steadied my superstitious mind and put some of the ballast back on the other side. So I figured 'What the Hey?' I like the imagery in it, which I think looks like the songs. The center of the feather looks like a visual representation of a lot of the music. C.O.: Which brings us to the songs and the composition. When you started "River of Orchids," did you originally intend on doing something cyclical or did you just accidentally wind up piecing various melody lines together? A.P.: No, I just started noodling. I sat down with a keyboard and a sequencer and some of my favorite sounds and very soon just built up something. I left it running around and around, and thought 'Oh my God, this is really compulsive!' as opposed to repulsive. I usually pull the plug on 99% of those kind of doodle experiments, but with this I couldn't stop bouncing to it. I took my shift off and shoes and socks and leapt around my little home studio for a couple of hours on end thinking 'My God, I've stumbled onto something really fascinating." And in a mad scrabble, I looked into my lyrics book and found a phrase that I hadn't used before but really liked which was "I heard the dandelions roar in Piccadilly Circus," which I thought was a nice mess of contradictions. It seemed to fit the contradictory (nature) of the music. And I used that as the lynchpin and the song fell out very quickly. And the orchestra got the intro in two takes and I was really shocked. C.O.: I guess that's what you get when you hire professionals at thousands of pounds an hour. A.P.: Yeah, one day cost us 12,000 pounds ($20,000 American). C.O.: It's very infectious though. My four-year old ran around singing it the other day if that's imaginable. A.P.: I can imagine that, because what you would call the chorus, I think sounds like a nursery rhyme. And I think nursery rhymes are extremely powerful. C.O.: As far as the lyric goes, you've written about ecology before. Do you have a need to re-assert that? A.P.: I suppose it's one of my themes. Not having enough money is one. Birth, death, and cycling 'round. Birth coming from death. Betrayal is another recurring theme. Dave Gregory seemed to step right into those shoes I had warming for him. Mostly betrayal by women. C.O.: Speaking of themes, if we assume that "The Last Balloon" isn't a song for Richard Branson, what does it imply for you? A.P.: Ha ha! I never considered it! Since he's the man that can't keep his balloon in the air, it doesn't really want to make you go out and buy a Virgin brand contraceptives, does it? C.O.: Why did you decided to use the balloon for the vehicle of that lyric? A.P.: I think of the balloon as being a civilized form of travel. Bicycles are kind of civilized, trains are civilized, and balloons are especially because of the speed of them. It's like traveling by fading. It's almost like a place under siege. People could leave Paris by balloon when it was besieged. I like that metaphor of leaving this bad place containing a lot of things you need to get away from. And the balloon is the elegant way of fading from that. And also the idea of in order to make the balloon go higher, you have to drop some of its contents. And urging the children to drop adults, drop all their learning and the badness that adults brings along. They probably won't but it's sort of like hope springs eternal. C.O.: Not to poke fun at your age or anything, but did they have the oxygen canister nearby when you attempted that last note? A.P.: Ha! There are several bits of me that don't work well, but my lungs are great. I had great fun doing that. I had to tell the flugle horn player what I was hoping to do: 'When I point to you, you fade yourself in on this note. And when I do the vocal, I'll sing that note and turn into your flugle horn.' C.O.: Did you do all the vocals at Colin's house? A.P.: Yeah, the only ones that weren't recorded at Colin's house are "Knights in Shining Karma," which we did in the little recording stable of (producer) Haydn Bendall, and also Colin's songs. C.O.: I read that you guys are setting up shop permanently at Colin's. A.P.: Yeah, in his double garage. I said to him "Look, we need a permanent studio, and you don't need this garage since it's full of junk, so why don't we take it over?" So we've had it physically converted to make a studio, but we haven't equipped it yet. C.O.: You mentioned "Karma," which seems to have the most dense lyric of the bunch. Where does the lyric stem from for you? It seems to be about protectionism. A.P.: Yeah, protecting myself. Cracking up over the divorce, catching myself dying cups at the sync and bursting into tears. Feeling like I was totally disposed of, I figured I wanted to write a song that would guard me and remind myself that I'm an okay person and that being an okay person is sort of a reward in itself. I try and be a good person and it kind of works like that. It does sort of protect you. It was written for me. Not to cheer me up, but to sort of console me in a way. I think it sounds like a male version of Judee Sill. She made two albums for one of the WEA groups in the early seventies and they are fantastic. They've never been put onto CD. They're worth hunting out. C.O.: How happy are you with Colin's songwriting at the moment? A.P.: I just wish he'd write some more, but I can't blame him for only writing a couple. A lot of reviewers have pointed out that it's hardly a democracy that Andy has nine songs and Colin has two, but if it had been a democracy, it would have ended up a four-track EP. Colin only wrote a couple of songs. I think the time in the fridge was very bad for him. It seemed like the worse things got for me, the more songs came out. But with him, the more he was sat on, the more he got depressed and closed down. The first song he wrote in that situation was called "Boarded Up," which is actually going on the next volume. But that's his state of mind. I feel for him. I like "Frivolous Tonight" a lot, and I wouldn't have done "Fruit Nut" the way it came out had it been my song. But I realize that it's his song and his vision and I'm willing to go along with that. But "Frivolous Tonight" I'm rather jealous of. I think it's a wonderful song. C.O.: It seems his voice has changed somehow and gotten deeper. A.P.: Well he sang them very quietly. He wasn't blasting out. They're very personal sounding. I rank that in his top five. "Bungalow" is possibly my favorite of his songs. I wish I'd written that. It's lovely. It's got a great scenario to it. I liked "Day In and Day Out," though I know that sounds bizarre. I thought that captured the mundanity of factory life. I don't play our albums at all, but every time I play _Nonesuch, I start it from "My Bird Performs." C.O.: Have you guys gotten the green light to go back and begin Vol. II? A.P.: I'd like to restart it personally. I think we rushed it and just banged down things. Now that we're getting our own facility, we be able to not rush. I think we'll work with another drummer, because I think we rushed Prairie and didn't get the best out of him. I would really like to do it justice. --- REVIEW: Underworld, _Beaucoup Fish_ (JBO/V2) - Simon West After The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy, the third of the holy trinity of what some people still insist on clumping together as "electronica" is Underworld. They don't use easily recognizable funk samples or sport a shouting, pierced nutter, but they are responsible for one of the songs of the decade. "Born Slippy.nuxx" was everywhere in 1996, from the film "Trainspotting" to the top of Single of the Year lists everywhere, a pulsing beast on the dance floor and a chanted anthem ("lager lager lager lager") after closing time on Friday nights across the planet. How do you follow that up? Effortlessly, apparently. Underworld's third album, _Beaucoup Fish_, is easily their best yet, blending dance floor beats and singer/guitarist Karl Hyde's stream-of-conscious lyrics across a diverse mix of styles and moods while moving still further away from traditional rock-based structures. The tempo varies from the straight-forward dance floor crash of "Shudder/King Of Snake" and raving intensity of "Moaner" to the ambient beats of "Winjer." "Bruce Lee" is something brand new - a heavily hip-hop influenced rhythmic groove that should pack them in on the floor. The typically elegant "Skym" is a mournful, piano-backed ballad which drops the vocoder in favor of a reflective, untreated vocal from Hyde (and drops the beat entirely). First single "Push Upstairs," is a concise, structured affair with a funky house piano and an actual chorus that should actually get a chance of radio play in the States. It reappears nearer the end of the album in the dubby, ambient shape of "Push Downstairs." "Moaner," first featured on the _Batman and Robin Soundtrack_, is a pulsing monster. A vibrating, almost industrial bass line rumbles behind frenetic synth loops and break beats for three minutes, before cutting back to the bass and the sound of one man ranting: Hyde as narrator, lounge singer, lunatic. Utterly out of control, completely frantic, as the instrumentation rises again until the abrupt false ending, and the old-school John Carpenter movie fade. A superb album, in short. Underworld makes thoroughly original, intelligent and atmospheric electronic music. If they lose any points at all it's for not sticking with the brilliant original album title: _Tonight, Matthew, I Am Going To Be Underworld_. The first absolutely essential electronic/dance release of 1999. --- REVIEW: Eminem, _The Slim Shady LP_ (Aftermath/Interscope) - Joe Silva What can a white-boy from East Detroit operating behind a cartoonish facade do about making rap music fun again? A lot if he's assisted by Dr. Dre and a few consecutive weeks of high MTV rotation. Built upon a set of goofy storylines and a few catchy tracks, what da Comic and da Chronic have wrought here is a small triumph full of attitude and rap acumen. As freestylin' as he wants to be, and as good-humored as the Digital Underground used to be, Marshall Mathers a.k.a. Eminem makes a semi-pop occasion out of his second LP. The uncensored version of the hit "My Name Is" tells most of the tale: Long ostracized and bullied for his lack of color, he ran a tough minimum-wage race to be heard by his urban peers. Now he can poke fun at Mr. N.W.A. himself as he tells tales of his rise to notoriety. And if nothing else on the LP turns out to be as catchy as the single, the accounts of his surviving junior high ("Brain Damage"), taking his daughter along for her mother's final ride in the trunk ("'97 Bonnie & Clyde") and accidentally helping an alterna-chick O.D. on mushrooms are enough to keep your interest afloat for the duration. He ridicules the gangsta-by-numbers posture of the kids who insist on adapting their life to the records they spin ("Role Model"), but simultaneously takes the piss out of the parental advisory by recording one of his own. With twenty tracks of four letter reprisal for those who've long dissed his efforts, this rapper isn't worried now about who or how he offends. Because for the moment, Eminem or Slim Shady or Marshall Mathers may be laughing the loudest. He's currently en route to a city near you. --- REVIEW: Frank Black and the Catholics, _Pistolero_ (spinART) - Andrew Duncan "We don't know what we're talking about, that's just words in our libretto," sings Frank Black, beginning his newest effort _Pistolero_ with such a demonstrative non-statement. For the suburban veteran of the '80s college-rock movement, Black is back and he still has the tools to successfully vent some angst through imaginative phrasing, a guitar and his vocal chords. _Pistolero_ is Black's second try as Frank Black and the Catholics. Originally slated to be a multi-faceted release with numerous instruments composed and arranged into this extravagant concept, Black immediately ditched the idea and recorded the album live on to two-tracks with no overdubs in the matter of 10 days, the complete opposite from his 1996 release _The Cult Of Ray_. With help from Nick Vincent - Black's drummer on his first self-titled solo album - to help oversee the project, _Pistolero_ can be considered either a fresh change or a proper relapse. "Bad Harmony" harks back to familiar terrain for the former Pixies' vocalist with basic rock-chords built under estranged time signatures. With the stripped-down recording process, Black's vocals can not hide under glossy recording processes leaving a throaty venture as he slides through each word. Black is an old pro at lyrical dissertation, and concentrates more on his vocal pitch and range. "Western Star" is more freeform experimentation than his normal shout-it-out approach, even though there is plenty of that still going on. "I Love Your Brain" reminisces the raw energy Iggy Pop made on "I Want To Be Your Dog," while "So. Bay" replicates "Los Angeles," from Black's solo debut, beginning with soft acoustic guitars only to pack an electric punch 20 seconds later. Overall, it's all about rock and roll, and the same elements that were once used at a time when the technology was not as complex are the things that make _Pistolero_ a great listen over and over again. --- REVIEW: Soundtrack, _The Mod Squad_ (Elektra) - Tim Hulsizer Points docked right off the bat for introducing me to the phrase "alt-funk." Points are also deducted by the East German judge for engineering a clothing line tie-in with Levi's. However, ignoring those two transgressions, let's take a look at the motion picture soundtrack landscape and review this disc on its own terms. I'm sure by now we're all familiar with the modern film soundtrack. Generally half of the songs aren't even in the film (they're somehow "inspired by" the movie) and they rarely serve as anything more than a sampler for a record label's latest band line-up. _The Mod Squad_, though somewhat guilty of the latter (all but four acts are on Elektra), is better than most albums of this kind. First and foremost, every song on here is actually in the film itself. Also, the producers have managed to dish up some rump-shaking songs while avoiding a soundtrack full of chaff. The indomitable Busta Rhymes kicks things off in his own unique way with "Party is Goin' On Over Here." Everlast is next with his catchy little song "Ends," a twangy guitar ode to the evils of money. Interestingly enough, he samples a Wu-Tang Clan song which had already sampled Isaac Hayes' classic "C.R.E.A.M." (there's some kind of irony there but I can't put my finger on it). Alana Davis drags things to a grinding halt with her predictably bland soul/pop number "Can't Find My Way Home," but Curtis Mayfield and Lauryn Hill duet wonderfully on "Here But I'm Gone." Leave it to the man behind the _Superfly_ soundtrack to deliver the goods on a 1970's TV show-to-movie remake like The Mod Squad. Next up on this lively compilation is The Crash Test Dummies' new single "Keep A Lid On Things." It's a catchy tune utilizing some quirky falsetto and strings while retaining its hip-swaying danceability. The disc manages to sabotage itself with the next song, the ridiculous rap/metal "Goin' Crazy" by SX10. Why is it so many of these aggressive rap acts end up sounding like a parody of the genre? Ah, and then there's Bjork. Her new single "Alarm Call" all but erases the memory of the previous track. Weaving in her usual overdubs and vocal acrobatics, this song has a number of great hooks, begging you to hit the "repeat" button at least once. The next one, "Hello It's Me" by Gerald Levert, is by-the-numbers R&B, so you'll either love it or hate it depending on your musical leanings. My hat's off to Ivan Matias though. His song "Messin' Around" is a lot of fun, intertwining a human beatbox, a lot of modern R&B vocals, and a piano hook reminiscent of Mungo Jerry's old '70s tune "In the Summertime." It's followed up by a good new recording from the Breeders, a '70s funk gem by Chocolate Milk, a fine Morphine spoken word piece called "You're An Artist," and a jazz instrumental rendition of "My Favorite Things" performed by Skerik and the Keefus Trio. All in all, this is an enjoyable soundtrack. There are a few eyebrow-raising points here, what with the "first mainstream clothing line specifically inspired by a film" and all, but better that than a bunch of songs that have little or no connection to the film in question. The music keeps up a funky beat throughout, evoking some nice pseudo '70s imagery, and it's a good disc to drive around to. No offense though -- I'm going to pass on the bellbottoms. --- REVIEW: Jim O'Rourke, _Eureka_ (Drag City) - Kerwin So The words "modern day music renaissance man" roll awkwardly off the tongue, but they will be uttered anyway. It would be nearly impossible to discuss one Jim O'Rourke-- a fixture of the flourishing and incestuous Chicago music colony-- without mentioning the vast range of past and present work he has done in the musical spectrum, from production and composing gigs to remixing projects and a glut of releases, both as a band member and under his own name. O'Rourke was one-half of recently deceased avant-rock favorite Gastr del Sol, as well as a past member of post-psychedelic" pioneers the Red Krayola. He has remixed and/or worked with a slew of near- household names, including Stereolab, Smog, John Fahey, Tortoise, and High Llamas. And he has created countless recordings of musique concrete and similarly obscure experimental music that most of us will probably never hear. Okay, fine, we got that out of the way. So the guy is an accomplished and, in some circles, even a revered musician. That doesn't necessarily mean that the creative work he produces himself actually bears artistic fruit or is, to use the slightly condescending term, "accessible." The good news is that even with the introduction of vocals (not an O'Rourke staple), _Eureka_ does not grate the ear of your average listener. Far from it. Sure, O'Rourke's voice sounds like what you'd think a music geek with horn-rimmed glasses would sound like -- somewhat high and nasal -- but it rarely gets in the way, even when he sings the same refrain over and over 30-some-odd times, as in the album's dork-folk epic opener "Women of the World." Although the overall feel of this record could (very) loosely be described as lounge pop (particularly with the blaring bossa cover of Burt Bacharach's "Something Big" spiking the album mid-way through), such a conclusion might cause one to miss the more affecting spaces where O'Rourke lets the music speak solely for itself. This is not an album to be divided up into singles. Only by listening to it in its entirety can you catch the lush, melancholy keyboard arrangements scattered throughout, which, when leavened with french horns, saxophones and clarinets, sound almost goofy at times, yet still moving. O'Rourke makes his point over eight songs and moves on: the final track "Happy Holidays" ends decisively with the line "I only came to leave," reminding us once again that O'Rourke will constantly be moving on to the next musical project. He may be a part of the "musical elite," but _Eureka_ is still something that most of us can grab hold of. --- REVIEW: Mocean Worker, _Mixed Emotional Features_ (Palm Pictures) - Patrick Carmosino _Mixed Emotional Features_ certainly is a mixed affair of jazz and techno-influenced electronica. The brainchild of jazz A&R maven/musician Adam Dorn, the album can only be the product of someone whose influences and musician credits cover such extremes as Everything But The Girl, Wally Badarou, Marcus Miller, Chaka Khan and Patrick Brunel. Such varied tastes often lead to way-too-varied sounding albums, but Dorn's sensibilities and sequencing give _Mixed Emotional Features_ the flow of a nice modern jazz record. It certainly prevails upon a great thing both electronica and jazz projects share: that moods, not tunes, are the thing. Although _Mixed Emotional Features_ is generally a pleasant listening experience, the great jazz and electronica analysts (geeks) may not be too taken with Dorn's lack of commitment to any one form. _Mixed Emotional Features_ shows him to be a dabbler to the nth degree, a veritable George Plimpton for the electronica set. The dark, trancey beats of the opener "Rene M." find him perhaps a bit too much on the Ben Watt "dark mellow" tip and leads one to think they are heading into familiar territory. I'm not sure much is there in that track to dispel that theory. More prominent as a suspect is the drum 'n' bass/jungle mix he employs on such tracks as "Detonator," "Jello Dart," "Mycroft," "Wonderland," "Times Of Danger" and "Boba Fett." Its formulaic style doesn't reach for the cutting edge heights and new be-bop agenda that makes characters such as Squarepusher, Cujo (Amon Tobin) and Plug so unique. However, these tunes, often given a unique pop sheen with spy chiller horn eruptions, pull themselves off nicely and accomplish the film-less soundtrack bit very well. Highlights include the Mission Impossible-cum-salsaesque piano on "Jello Dart." Also a must to check out is the tense ploddings of the swing tribute "Counts, Dukes & Strays" (not too allusionary a title, is it?). Marrying the vibe of classic Basie and Ellington rousers with a melancholy Hal Willner-inspired clarinet line raises this above any stereotypical nostalgic bow and creates a nice, unique mix. Dorn's use of tense, rock steady trip-hop on "Heaven @ 12:07" is also a nice touch to the record's palate. In a genre where certain records are getting over-hyped into uber existence, _Mixed Emotional Features_ is a nice sleeper record. It will most likely be heard in hip stores, lounges and bistros and then unfortunately forgotten. Its importance, however, lies as a nice notch on the musical growth chart of one Adam Dorn. --- REVIEW: Beulah, _When Your Heartstrings Break_ (Sugar Free) - Scott Slonaker Beulah's claim to fame so far is that they were the first "outside" act to release an album on the Elephant 6 label, home of everyone's (or at least the music press') favorite long-monikered experimental retro-pop bands. While Beulah does seem to share some sonic common ground with the collective, most notably the Apples in Stereo, this reviewer is rather ill-prepared to debate the merits of Beulah's current release with the label's crop of artists. That out of the way, _When Your Heartstrings Break_ is very high-quality indie-pop, exhibiting most of the advantages and disadvantages that go with the designation. In other words, you get a short album of slightly deadpan, assymmetrical, occasionally brilliant, sometimes-soundalike hummables with song titles seemingly assigned at random. This is the quintet's second album, and first not recorded on a four-track, as was 1997's _Handsome Western States_. From the sound of it, the band was mighty excited to use real recording equipment, so they dressed everything up with no less than eighteen additional guest musicians and a dozen other instruments (everything from violin to accordion). The problem is that it feels like they're using all of their tricks, all at once, on every song, which negates some of the variety. The relative lack of choruses and overabundance of hooks makes one wish these boys had some outside production help. Vocals, from frontman and songwriter Miles Kurosky, are solid if standard and McCartney-ish. Still, the album's veritable cornucopia of sound results in some marvelous tracks. The first three tracks, "Score From Augusta" "Sunday Under Glass", and "Matter Vs. Space", all possess guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, assorted horns, flute, strings, and additional percussion- and are still boppy, under-three-minute wonders. "Emma Blowgun's Last Stand" stretches out into somewhat of a keyboard dreamscape, before pulling its second half into an actual song. And the baroque flutter of "Calm Go the Wild Seas" is endearing. So, if you wish the mid-nineties Guided By Voices hadn't spammed quite so much, or that Pavement would be more fun if it only tossed in a few _Pet Sounds_ frills, or that all these psychedelic-pop experimentalist collectives would stop noodling endlessly and get to the goddamn point, _Where Your Heartstrings Break_ is likely to be your cup of latte. Despite the album's soundalike nature, the sheer volume of hooks is sure to impress. Hopefully, Beulah will be around for years to come. --- REVIEW: The Pretty Things, _Rage Before Beauty_ (Snapper) - Bill Holmes And if you think that's a great title, consider that the original was _Fuck Oasis and Fuck You!_. Yessirree, these geezers haven't lost one iota of vinegar over thirty five years, and now there's a recorded document to prove it. Snapper Music has recently released the classic older titles by The Pretty Things along with this collection of material recorded during the mid and late nineties. The original band is as intact as it possibly can be in 1999, and that gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "boys to men" now, doesn't it? For those unfamiliar with the band, they were contemporaries of The Rolling Stones (guitarist Dick Taylor was an original Stone), but their behavior and attitude made the Stones look like decent lads. When your drummer is widely considered the inspiration for Keith Moon's loutish lifestyle, well...that's saying a mouthful. It's also pretty widely accepted that their _S.F.Sorrow_ was the first rock opera, although _Tommy_ certainly got the accolades and the airplay. They were the first signing to Led Zeppelin's flagship label Swan Song, but snafus let Bad Company get theirs out first. Whatever - it seems that The Pretty Things were snakebitten from the start, so why not channel that aggression into your life as well as your music? And so they did. _Rage Before Beauty_ is a telegram from a shipload of survivors, serving notice that although they're old, they're not in the way. Shit, Phil May's voice has a rasp that only pain could season. On "Love Keeps Hanging On", May's autobiographical tale of a relationship that's been battered over time, his heart almost bleeds through the speaker cloth. What starts like "Wild Horses" soon increases intensity and by the finish is a full blown Pink Floyd anthem, with David Gilmour providing the type of emotional guitar solo he has built a career upon. Listen to the intensity of "Not Givin' In", which dares to drape garage punk with acoustic guitars (!), and it's hard to believe that this is a band of men in their fifties. Ditto the opening cut "Passion Of Love", very uptempo (for the Pretties) and a challenge to bands half their age. Guitarists Dick Taylor and Frank Holland simply shine throughout the record, but perhaps these two are great examples of less being more. "Everlasting Flame" recalls "19th Nervous Breakdown"; Skip Alan's drumming and the keyboard's duel with the guitar leaving May no choice but to use the same cadence. And speaking of Bo Diddley, the tribute to their loon of a drummer, "Vivian Prince", is another winner. Making the record was reportedly as easy as passing a stone, though, and in spots it shows. Songs like "Blue Turns To Red" and "Going Downhill" (their single from 1989) sound like unfinished ideas when compared to some of the others already mentioned. And although they were probably a gas to record, three covers ("Eve Of Destruction", "Mony Mony" and "Play With Fire") are a large percentage to have when you've had so much time on your hands. "Fire" does have an interestingly seamy arrangement, and "Mony Mony" does feature Ronnie Spector, but they would have been better saved for live shows or buried as bonus cuts. I'd rather have seen the band add more rave ups or even songs like the frail, acoustic "Fly Away" instead, but I say that just to amuse myself. I know that the band would just tell me to "piss off" if I really suggested it to them. Had the band not issued _Rage Before Beauty_ at all, their legacy would have still been assured. They just wanted you to know that they're not going out quietly, and they just might kick a few more asses before they do. By all means grab their earlier works, especially _S.F. Sorrow_ and _Silk Torpedo_, and then savor the great moments captured here, which far outweigh the ordinary ones. There will hopefully be a better website very soon, but some good information can be had by visiting http://www.mindspring.com/~us000091/pretties1.htm for now. --- REVIEW: David Sylvian, _Dead Bees On A Cake_ (Virgin) - Joe Silva From pancake faced faux-Glam boy to futurist Asia-phile to sensitive balladeer, David Sylvian's shape-shifting has brought him loads of criticism and only limited commercial success. With his first solo effort since '87's _Secret Of The Beehive_, the ex-Japan frontman returns to familiar terrain -- graceful synth-scapes laced with flowery, semi-spiritual verse sung in his distinctive baritone. Brought in to help shape his efforts are familiar friends (Ryuichi Sakamoto, Bill Frisell), newer associates (Talvin Singh, Marc Ribot) and family (wife/singer Ingrid Chavez). When these capable elements work, as they do on songs like "Midnight Sun," Sylvian contrives enough of a memorable groove and melody to plant his Euro-Pop flag in. When it doesn't work, we are left with tracks that are handsomely produced and competently pieced together, largely wanting in everything else ("Krishna Blue"). Devotees might be able to abide by this stuff, but outside of being successfully able to evoke a glossy sort of arty-ness, Sylvain's lesser material almost begs to jeered at. Lyrically he probably could get no worse ("There's a place for every story/And this one starts with us tonight/Let me take you down/To Caf Europa"), but when the musical backdrops become equally tiresome, there's little hope of salvaging much from these tunes. For those of us who've been able to look past Sylvian's penchant towards overly-stylized profundity when the melodies have been there, this record is often disappointing for all its aural luster. --- REVIEW: The Dictators, _New York, New York_ (ROIR) - Bill Holmes ROIR (Reachout International Records) was founded by former club owner and talent agent Neil Cooper in 1979 to provide a home for the bands that were dominating the New York scene at the time. His roster was incredible - Television, the New York Dolls, Bad Brains, Suicide and The Fleshtones among them. Amazingly, the label was cassette-only releases in an era still dominated by vinyl (the Sony Walkman had not yet debuted, but its arrival soon afterwards saved the label). Perhaps even more amazingly, this man with his finger on the pulse of the imminent musical explosion was 49 years old at the time. Now 68, Cooper and his label have been digitally transferring titles to CD for the past four years, and one of the newest re-releases might be the one that put ROIR on the map in the first place. _Fuck Em If They Can't Take A Joke_ was ROIR's third release, a sonic atomic bomb from a five-headed street monster that was the perfect bridge between the urban glam of the New York Dolls and the punk edge of the Ramones. The Dictators kicked ass and took names, a dynamic blend of white heat and solid songwriting. They were loud and obnoxious, but if you looked closely you could see that tongue planted firmly in cheek. Not too closely, though...former roadie turned lead vocalist "Handsome Dick" Manitoba prowled the stage like a rabid rhino, keeping time with Richie Teeter's thunder drums. Ross "The Boss" Funicello played blistering lead guitar while Scott "Top Ten" Kempner held the fort on rhythm and Andy/Adny Shernoff handled bass. A Dictators show was a party and a war zone at the same time, and this night was no exception. The show was recorded live to two track in 1981 and contains many of the classic songs - "Two Tub Man", "Next Big Thing", "Loyola" and "Rock And Roll Made A Man Out Of Me" among them. The band smokes, but Funicello was especially hot - his solo on "Science Gone Too Far" is a classic that players seventeen years later have a hard time matching. Naturally, there's a version of the set staple - Iggy's "Search And Destroy" (with a hilarious introduction by Manitoba) as well as covers of Mott and Lou Reed ("What Goes On"). Shernoff is a solid songwriter who leans toward the melodic, and "Weekend" offers a great example of a pop song turned inside out. _New York New York_ expands the original track list by adding three bonus cuts from a show at the Ritz. The soundboard recordings of "Master Race Rock", "Baby Let's Twist" and "Faster And Louder" catch the band on another solid night and were mastered by Shernoff last year for inclusion here. Ironically, as the recording date is listed as "the early 80's", these could have been from a show after the band's official demise. The Dictators went their separate ways - Funicello to the heavy metal Man O War, Kempner to the late, great Del-Lords, Manitoba to his Wild Kingdom, but through it all they remained Dictators at heart. Always New York legends, recent years have seen them become gods in Spain (where even a tribute record was released) and add to their legend with new singles on Norton. This year, the band has finally acquired the rights to their final album _Bloodbrothers_ and have released it on their own, later this year the classic _Manifest Destiny_ may join it. But the best news of all is that there will be a new release in the Fall of 1999, so we can all ride their coattails into the New Millennium the way it should be - faster and louder. In the meantime, whether you have worn out your original ROIR cassette (as I did) or you never had the pleasure in the first place, you are in for a real treat with _New York New York_. For although Blondie and The Talking Heads made more money, and The Ramones had more imitators, and Television got more credit for being important, let's set the record straight. Nobody, but nobody, embodied New York rock better than The Dictators ( http://www.roir-usa.com ). --- REVIEW: Frank Bango, _Fugitive Girls_ (Not Lame) - Scott Slonaker In some alternate universe, if Elvis Costello had a kid brother who wasn't very political and preferred languid acoustics to taut electricity, his name could have been Frank Bango. Another high-quality pop-oriented release from Not Lame Records, one of the finest small independent labels in these United States, _Fugitive Girls_ is somewhat of a concept album about a romance between the singer and some unnamed girl. The first song, "Candy Bar Killer," marries a layered mid-tempo melody to Bango's lilting, slightly nasal vocals. The first couple of listens might see it pass by without comment, but once it strikes like the killer referred to in the lyrics, watch out! It turns out to be the most memorable track. There are a handful of uptempo tunes, such as the Beach Boys bounce of "Ape" and the British Invasion bop of "Instamatic," but much of _Fugitive Girls_ opts for a quieter pace, heavy on introspection in tracks like "Blue Sweater" and "Building a Better Plaything." While the Costello vibe is strong throughout, "There Was A Sweetness" sounds like a downright outtake from _Painted From Memory_. A particularly interesting thing about _Fugitive Girls_ is that Bango does not write most of his own lyrics. His partner Richy Vesecky handles that job, and does a good job avoiding the typical hey-girl-yeah-yeah-yeah retro-pop lyrical cliches. In fact, Vesecky's work may be what truly makes the album stand out from a host of comparably agreeable (but not memorable) indie-pop releases. The interesting lyrical portraits help temper Bango's more grating vocal nasalities and keep him from being in the forefront all the time. If you bought Elvis Costello's collaboration with Burt Bacharach, but, like me, couldn't get past the non-pop/rock arrangements and wished for a little more _Spike_ after a few spins, _Fugitive Girls_ might be the tonic you're looking for. Bango's compositional ability and Vesecky's lyrics go quite well together, and this album puts them on display. --- REVIEW: Grinspoon, _Guide To Better Living_ (Universal) - Linda Scott Grinspoon has been around their native Australia since 1995, and they are making their presence known in the U.S. with some radio airplay, short tours, and their new album, _Guide To Better Living_. They're a punk/grunge rock band with some metal and pop accents, targeted to the under-age moshers who love those songs about getting drunk and living the life you want to live. The driving bass line, short songs with metal transitions appeal; and _Guide To Better Living_ is loaded with them. In fact nearly every song on the album is just like that; the album could be a hit with this niche audience. This Aussie quartet is Phil Jamieson (vocals), Joe Hansen (bass), Pat Davern (guitar), and Kristian Hopes (drums). Heavy riffs and straining vocals are their mainstay. These were strong enough to blow away the competition in their country's Unearthed contest. With guaranteed airplay, the band picked up more gigs, recorded two EPs, and then made _Guide To Better Living_. The debut album shows off their thumping bass and guitar-heavy tracks and Jamieson's hoarse vocals. Their irreverent lyrics are in the great punk tradition, but the band is into lyrics that are lighthearted rather than the revolutionary Sex Pistols' lines. Grinspoon has some diversity on _Guide To Better Living_. A few tracks, such as "Repeat", "Don't Go Away", and "Rail Rider", show their pop side. These are more mellow, less aggressive; and they show that the band can do more than hardcore punk. However, these songs have not been as successful for them, so the moshers won't be seeing a pop Grinspoon anytime soon. A last note here, is that some of the riffs sound familiar, and the band readily admits to the influences of other bands, such as White Zombie. If you like punk music that's got a funk/rock/metal edge, pick up _Guide To Better Living_. Their web site is: http://www.grinspoon.com.au . The band may not hold a great appeal for everyone, but for young, white partying punk males, this may be just the ticket. --- REVIEW: Ester, _Default State_ (Thirsty Ear) - Joann D. Ball The pronouncement that rock is dead has more to do with the decadent state of rock radio than the lack of good rock bands making music. The Los Angeles-based quartet Ester is one of those fresh new bands that proves that spirit of rock and roll is very much alive. One need only to play Ester's debut record _Default State_ for proof. Under the direction of lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Paul Garvey, Ester takes the rock and roll high road. Ester's draws upon jazz improvisation, the intensity of the blues, and the fullness of acoustic folk for a progressive approach to rock. Ester avoids the trappings of bombastic heaviness and grandiose productions in favor of evenly balanced guitars, bass and drums / percussion (and the occasional saxophone). These instruments are skillfully interwoven, and provide ample room for the gentle huskiness of Garvey's vocals. The result is a whole, organic sound ideally suited for Garvey's intelligent lyrics. To his credit, Garvey manages to explore the world of emotions, ideas and perceptions in a way that is not rendered incomprehensible by abstraction or arcane references. While Ester can be considered a "thinking" band, volume is not central to Ester's sonic vibe. But like the best albums by groups like Rush and Queensryche, _Default State_ is a full volume of work with different but connected many parts. The record starts with the aggressive, high energy track "Heading Through." "Mongoose," on the other hand, is a refined, slow-tempo track, precisely the type of song that Alice and Chains and bands of that ilk wish they could deliver. On the instrumentals "Mexicali," "Broken String" and "Intro," Ester displays the range of musical format influences, and are exactly the types of pieces that could infuse some life and spirit into the monotonous format known as smooth jazz. But the epic "Sun Tune" is by far the most adventurous cut on _Default State_. The jazz-rock fusion parts of the song bring to mind Sting's early solo work with Santana accents, while the middle section suggests a volume-compressed Metallica. Ester has a musical versatility that is all too rare among contemporary rock bands. It is a foundation that makes _Default State_ a notable record with excellent form and quality material. And that's exactly what has always been critical to the life and livelihood of rock music. --- REVIEW: Cat Power, _Moon Pix_ (Matador) - Chelsea Spear To hear Chan Marshall tell it, the latest album by her one-woman band Cat Power came out of the very natural fear of nightmares. After having a particularly disturbing dream, Marshall picked up the guitar and put all her faith in music and God to carry her through the tumultuous night. A cursory listen to _Moon Pix_, the new Cat Power album, would support this inspiration. These spare, haunting songs are dappled with light here and there, but carry the mysterious texture of such a scary nocturnal journey. The urgent, driving rhythm of Marshall's strumming, and her raw voice, particularly on tunes such as "Cross Bones Style" and "Colors and the Kids" underscore this theme of fear, faith, and redemption. Musically, _Moon Pix_ marks a step forward for Marshall and Cat Power. Previously, she released two low-fi albums on various Lower East Side indie labels with songs that showed some promise, though much of the album was mired in whinging, one-key songs that went nowhere. Clearly Marshall had promise, but still needed to develop her craft and figure out what she wanted to do. The songs on _Moon Pix_ are much better defined, and the album is not limited to the striking, rhythmic "Cross Bones Style". Helped along by Australian musicians the Dirty Three, Marshall has fleshed the songs out and brought them beyond the skeletal tunes that marked her previous career. There is still a sameness to the songs, and while many shine and pulsate with beauty and power, some others blend into one another, and into the background. However, Marshall has also been able to create a few moments that stick into the throat of the listener, for better and for worse. The album is not perfect, but its intense current may well spark some interest in the adventurous listener. --- REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Office Space_ (Interscope) - Jason Cahill If you blinked, you missed it. That about describes the box office life of "Office Space," the first feature film written and directed by Mike Judge (creator of "Beavis and Butthead"). The film, a humorous look at the hell that is the corporate world -- copy machines, office politics and all -- didn't get what it deserved at the box office, but it did manage to spawn a soundtrack filled with choice cuts from some of the most interesting voices rap music has to offer. The fact that all of the movie's music is of the gangsta variety is funny in and of itself when one considers that the film is about four white office workers who conspire against "the man," in this case a faceless and uncaring corporation, by using all the techniques of a wanna-be gangster. The soundtrack kicks off with the Canibus track "Shove This Jay-Oh-Bee." The song is noteworthy for two reasons: first, it amusingly samples Johnny Paycheck's "Take This Job And Shove It," and second, and more importantly, it is flavored with the vocal stylings of rap's crown prince Biz Markie, who would be interesting rapping the alphabet. The album's second cut and first single, "Get Dis Money," is a smooth jam by Detroit's Slum Village, a new and exciting voice in hip-hop who should manage to rise to the genre's forefront with the release of this soundtrack. The soundtrack's best moments come from rap veterans Ice Cube and the Geto Boys, who emerge from a recent quiet period to grace the album with two exceptional cuts. "Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta," an old track from The Geto Boys, sounds as fresh as ever. Ice Cube's "Down For Whatever," a single from the early '90s, is easily one of his finest moments, reminiscent of the great sounds he created while with N.W.A. Was gangsta rap always this much fun to listen to? A few missteps come in the form of Lisa Stone's unoriginal cover of "9 to 5," which left me thinking that Dolly Parton's version might not have been so bad; Kool Keith's "Get Off My Elevator" is amusing, but in the end nothing more than a pale homage to Slick Rick. Aside from those wack tracks, the Office Space soundtrack works on two levels: both as a quality compilation of the best that gangsta rap has and had to offer, and as a companion to a movie that was prematurely dissed and dismissed. In terms of this year's soundtrack releases, the Office Space soundtrack is one of the best. Disagree and I'll bust a cap in your ass. --- REVIEW: Pan sonic, _A_ (Mute/Blast First) - Simon Speichert The group formerly known as Panasonic (the name was changed for obvious copyright reasons) has outdone themselves. About 8 months ago, I picked up a copy of their last album, _Kulma_. I was astounded. Bleeps and bloops mixed with harsh abrasive sounds, all from homemade synthesizers and tone generators. That, in a sentence, was how you could describe Pan sonic. That has now changed. Pan sonic has moved forward with their sound, although I speculate whether that was by choice or force. A friend remarked to me how many albums the group could sell if they'd just use conventional beats; most rhythms in their music are based on different tones. I replied that, although it might compromise their integrity, it would definitely mark a change in their style, although at the time, I was unsure whether that change would be for better or for worse. It turned out to be better. _A_ consists of 17 tracks, about eighty percent of them in the style that was previously so prevalent. The remainder of the disc paradoxically moves forward, rather than sticking to the past; there are 3 tracks with actual drum beats in them. More complex melodies exist than before. The group is definitely merging different styles, in a post modern-rock world that shows the diversity possible when one puts their mind to it. If you're looking for electronic music with unusual rhythms that continually pushes the envelope, _A_ is just right for you. --- NEWS: > The world's leading international songwriting contest, the 1999 USA songwriting competition has been launched. Open until May 31, 1999, entrants stand to win a grand prize of more than $22,000 in cash and music merchandise by entering in 15 different musical categories. For more information on the event's rules, regulations and entry forms, check out http://www.songwriting.net . --- TOUR DATES: Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs Apr. 11 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center Asian Dub Foundation Apr. 6 Washington, DC Black Cat Apr. 7-8 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Candlebox Apr. 6 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre Apr. 8 Reno, NV Rodeo Rock Apr. 9 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre Apr. 10 Spokane, WA Met Theatre Apr. 12 San Francisco, CA Fillmore Cubanismo Spring Tour Apr. 6 Chapel Hill, NC Memorial Hall (UNC) Apr. 7 Vienna, VA Barns at Wolftrap Apr. 8 Philadelphia, PA International House Ani DiFranco Apr. 9 Amherst, MA Mullins Center Apr. 10 Providence, RI Providence Civic Center Eve 6 / Lit Apr. 6 Columbus, OH Mecca Apr. 7 Grand Rapids, MI Reptile Apr. 9 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Apr. 10 Chicago, IL Riviera Gardener Apr. 7 Arcata, CA Cafe Tomo Apr. 8 Chico, CA Blue Room Apr. 9 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill Apr. 10 Los Angeles, CA ROXY Apr. 11 San Diego, CA Casbah Apr. 12 Tempe, AZ Boston's Godsmack / Loudmouth Apr. 6 Ft Wayne, IN Pierre's Apr. 7 Sth. Bend, IN Heartland Apr. 8 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall Apr. 9 Toledo, OH Main Event Apr. 10 Buffalo, NY Showplace Apr. 12 Toronto, ONT Lee's Palace Gomez / Mojave 3 Apr. 7 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle Apr. 8 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club Apr. 10 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Miles Hunt Apr. 7 St. Louis, Mo The Gargoyl Jets to Brazil / Euphone Apr. 7 Milwaukee, WI Rave Bar Apr. 8 Chicago, IL Fireside Apr. 9 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle Apr. 10 Cincinatti, OH Sudsy Malones Apr. 12 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop Kent / Papa Vegas Apr. 7 San Diego, CA Casbah Apr. 8 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour Apr. 9 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill Apr. 11 Portland, OR Roseland Annex Apr. 12 Seattle, WA Crocodile Cafe Low Apr. 6 Bennington, VT Greenwall Apr. 7 Portsmouth, NH Elvis Room Apr. 8 & 9 New York, NY Mercury Lounge Apr. 10 Philadelphia, PA Pontiac Grille Apr. 12 Knoxville, TN Tomatohead Mercury Rev Apr. 6 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Apr. 8 San Francisco, CA Bimbos Apr. 10 Bellingham, WA VU Main Lounge (Western Wash. Univ.) Apr. 11 Seattle, WA AROspace Mighty Blue Kings Apr. 7 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's Apr. 10 Miami, FL Bay Front Park Amphitheatre Steve Miller Band Apr. 7 Fargo, ND Fargo Civic Auditorium Apr. 8 Minneapolis, MN Northrup Auditorium Apr. 9 Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Falls Arena Apr. 10 Bismarck, ND Bismarck Civic Center Arena Alanis Morissette Apr. 6 Anaheim, CA Pond Apr. 7 Los Angeles, CA Universal Amphitheatre Olivia Tremor Control Apr. 7 Washington, DC Black Cat Apr. 8 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle Apr. 9 Harrisonburg, VA James Madison Apr. 10 W. Columbia, SC New Brookland Placebo / Stabbing Westward Apr. 6 Minneapolis, MN Quest Apr. 7 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre (Placebo ONLY) Apr. 9 Salt Lake City, UT Bricks Apr. 11 Seattle, WA Show Box Apr. 12 Vancouver, BC Rage Residents Apr. 5-7 New York, NY Irving Plaza Apr. 9 Washington, DC 930 Club Apr. 12 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Sleepyhead Apr. 7 Pittsburgh, PA Mills Institute Theatre Apr. 8 Philladelphia, PA Balcony at Trocadero Apr. 9 Harrisonburg, PA MAC Rock Festival Apr. 10 Washington, DC Black Cat Elliott Smith Apr. 6 Louisville, KY Headliners Apr. 7 St. Louis, MO Karma Apr. 8 Chicago, IL Metro Apr. 9 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Apr. 10 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck Apr. 12 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre Apr. 13 Salt Lake City, UT DV8 Sparklehorse / Varnaline Apr. 6 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck Apr. 8 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entrry Apr. 9 Chicago, IL Double Door Apr. 10 Detroit, MI Shelter Apr. 11 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop Sally Taylor Apr. 8 Frisco, CO Barkly's Apr. 10 Denver, CO Tuft Theatre David Wilcox Apr. 8 St. Louis, MO Sheldon Hall Apr. 9 Lawrence, KS Liberty Hall Apr. 10 Rolla, MO Rolla Auditorium Apr. 11 Des Moines, IA Val-Aire Ballroom --- 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 ===