== ISSUE 174 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [April 12, 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 Also Contributing: Dan Enright 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: Jimmy Eat World - Tracey Bleile REVIEW: Soundtracks, _Go_ / _Forces of Nature_ / _Ed TV_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: The Rentals, _Seven More Minutes_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: The Go-betweens, _The Lost Album '78-'79_ - David Landgren REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Various Artists, _Virgin Voices - A Tribute to Madonna Volume 1_ - Joann D. Ball REVIEW: Hugo Largo, _Drum_ - Chelsea Spear REVIEW: Tal Bachman, _Tal Bachman_ - Michael Van Gorden REVIEW: Add N to (X), _Avant Hard_ - Niles Baranowski REVIEW: Nik Kershaw, _15 Minutes_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Planes Mistaken For Stars, _Planes Mistaken For Stars_ / Starmarket, _Calendar_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: Julia Fordham, _The Julia Fordham Collection_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Ian Tyson, _Lost Herd_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: The Jellybricks, _SoapOpera_ - Dan Enright TOUR DATES: Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs, Beastie Boys, Ben Folds Five / Fleming & John, Bouncing Souls, Candlebox, Cubanismo Spring Tour, Ani DiFranco, Dubtribe Sound System, Eve 6 / Lit, Firewater / Girls Against Boys , Gardener, Godsmack / Loudmouth, Gomez / Mojave 3, Miles Hunt, Kent / Papa Vegas, Low, Mercury Rev, Steve Miller Band, Of Montreal, Olivia Tremor Control, Pan Sonic, Placebo / Stabbing Westward, Ernest Ranglin , Residents, Sleepyhead, Sparklehorse / Varnaline, Splender, Sally Taylor, Underworld, Wilco, David Wilcox THE READERS WRITE BACK! Back Issues of Consumable --- INTERVIEW: Jimmy Eat World - Tracey Bleile The band Jimmy Eat World is more than three-quarters through their tour of duty criss-crossing the Midwest, and as they make their way to the Foxfire Coffee Lounge in downtown Minneapolis, they had that road-trip glaze that only comes from too many close-quartered days in a van filled with six people and all their gear. Fresh from a video game and cradling a giant cup of hot tea, bassist Rick Burch graciously took some time to talk about their new album, _Clarity_. The excitement being generated ahead them of in every town, and growing with every date, is due to the single "Lucky Denver Mint," which is also included on the soundtrack to the new Drew Barrymore movie _Never Been Kissed._ The band also made a video for "Lucky Denver Mint" that was directed by Darren Doane (who retains the hyper moves and humorous story line that made Blink 182's "Dammit" a hoot). "A lot of people have been coming up to us saying, 'Yeah, we heard you on the radio, and we wanted to check you out live,'" Burch says. "And we filmed a video for "Lucky Denver Mint.' We had done a video before, but it was mostly live performance shots. There was actually some set-ups for this video. There's some Frisbee and basketball; it was really fun." When _Clarity_ finally made it out after being in limbo with their label - due in no small part to the single's success - the band's first priority was hitting the road. They were already well-rehearsed from the break between recording and the actual release of the album. Preparation for the tour consisted of playing a couple of live shows for the hometown crowd at the new venue The Green Room in Tempe, and then they were off. They also had a couple of notable appearances at the increasingly overwhelming SXSW music conference. Burch noted with humor that the band played an in-store where people actually came to hear the band play instead of being pissed off by loud music while attempting to shop, and then played to an overflow crowd at The Electric Lounge. As for how they survived their sophomore effort with a major, well, that's a bit tricky. Most of their energy was dedicated to the music, as the band thought it should be. With regards to recording _Clarity_, Burch credits the focus and maturity of their sound to working a second time with Mark Trombino, who also produced _Static Prevails_. He credits the expansion of their sound with a band's best friend and sometimes worst enemy: time. "We had a lot more time in the studio and we had worked with Mark Trombino on the first record, so we already had a strong relationship with him, no getting to know each other, and so we got together and boom, we took off, and it was just awesome," Burch says. One of the results of all that time was the shift in direction. From the rawer, punkier energy emerged more moody, thoughtful moments, and more varied instrumentation, which Burch said came after the original melodies had already been written. Also, some sounds that turned up later (mellotron, keyboards, bells) originally existed as alternate guitar lines that had already been written. This enables the band to re-translate the songs live, without any additional musicians, or the bane of the live show, tape loops. "We got into the studio," Burch says, "and there were all these toys and it was like, 'Let's try it on the Hammond B-3.' We just went crazy with it. "We were trying to pay a little bit more attention to detail," Burch continues. "We wanted to get as much into the songs as we could, make it a little more interesting than just the basic verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge that's normally out there." Burch gave high praise to violinist Suzie Katayama, who he says they "turned loose" on the album, and with Jim Adkins and Trombino, Katayama added many beautiful string arrangements to songs like "Just Watch The Fireworks" and "A Sunday." "Eventually, on our next tour," says Burch in his next breath, "I think we're going to have a couple extra musicians with us -- an extra guitar player, a vocalist, a keyboard player, and also a second percussionist." At a later point in this tour they will be hooking up with the San Diego band No Knife, who will be aiding and abetting with some of the above noted duties. As for that worst enemy -- time spent waiting after the work is done: the band had decided to go back into the studio very shortly after they came home from touring for over two years on _Static_, and Burch said they knew they were ready to move on, "We couldn't tour on that anymore, and we were ready to go back into the studio, but Capitol wasn't ready." So they recorded _Clarity_ and bided their time. In the interim after completing the album, they also recorded an EP featuring two of the songs from the album, and a demo version of a third, an exceptionally quiet and plaintive version of "Your New Aesthetic" which gave way to version on the full-length that was a head kick of a re-write. Rick laughs and says that it was *the* antidote to the softer, gentler turn the album was taking. "It's a really rockin' song," he understates. There are also two completely new songs ("Softer" and "Rollerqueen") that were completed after the _Clarity_ recording sessions ended. Capitol already had the full-length on hold, and were not interested in releasing the EP, so the band asked permission to go elsewhere. They eventually hooked up with Fueled by Ramen, an independent label in Gainesville, FL. "He offered to do it, we took him up on it, and it just went really well." A DJ at KROQ in Los Angeles got a copy of the EP and started playing "Lucky Denver Mint," and finally Capitol relented and brought _Clarity_ out at the end of February. Burch's last comment on the subject was that _Clarity_ would have been released regardless, and what ever the future holds, they will continue to make records. A future project being considered is compiling the early Jimmy Eat World 7-inch singles and split singles, and re-releasing them on one CD, perhaps on the band's own label, An Industry For Outer Space. When posed with the million-dollar question, "Where do you go from here?" the road strain reappears on Rick's face, and you can tell it's an incredibly overwhelming thought when all you can think about is putting on a good show that night. "I don't know, it's kind of scary. What do we do now? We have come a long way from our first record, but we did have about three years between recordings. That's a long time, and there's a lot of evolution in that time." He shifts in his chair, and sums it up the only way you can without talking for another hour. "You get bored playing the same songs, and you want to keep moving somewhere instead of just getting somewhere and stopping." Given the way Jimmy Eat World has sustained and perpetuated itself thus far, they have that law of physics down, and remain a body in motion. For the latest 100% accurate dirt, information and upcoming tour dates, see the band's website at http://www.jimmyeatworld.net , which is generated and maintained by the band themselves - drummer Zach Lind serves as webmaster and updates info from the road whenever possible with his trusty laptop. --- REVIEW: Soundtracks, _Go_ (Work) / _Forces of Nature_ (Dreamworks) / _Ed TV_ (Reprise) - Bob Gajarsky Another spring brings the rush for high budget films targeted at your wallet. And if the powers that be can convince you to plunk down an extra $15 on a soundtrack of the same name, they will. Here's a quick look at some of the more recent entries to the soundtrack world. _Go_. No Doubt returns with their first new single in 3 years, "New", which will surprise anyone familiar with their 2-Tone Roots. Gwen Stefani sounds more like Blondie than Debbie Harry, and the resulting song just makes one more excited about the California group's next album. Natalie Imbruglia also returns with a new track, "Troubled By The Way We Came Together", which indicates that she'll be able to survive the sophomore jinx. Philip Steir's remix of Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride" is taken from the Jason Nevins' book of remixing, for better or worse. The drum 'n' bass of Esthero, BT, and the Air French Band complements Leftfield's techno beats and the quirkiness of Canadian newcomers Len. Already-released singles by Fatboy Slim (is there a place Mr. Cook *hasn't* been these last six months?), DJ Rap, Lionrock and an album cut from Eagle Eye Cherry only add to the urgency and cutting edge appeal of this soundtrack. An absolute winner. _Forces of Nature_. Sandra Bullock tries to convince a conservative Ben Affleck to get wild, and _Forces_ captures all the high paced energy of the film. The jazzy-meets-Latin dancefloor remix of Touch and Go's major UK dance hit "Would You...?" (go to bed with me?) serves as the focal point of the soundtrack, but most of the tracks (from artists including Gomez, Faithless, and Swervedriver's cover of "Magic Bus") have previously appeared elsewhere the last few years. New tracks include the dance/lounge feel of Holly Palmer's "A Rose By Any Other Name" (produced by Howie B) and Tricky's trancey "Slowly". Although an American film, the soundtrack is decidedly British, and perfect for anyone wishing to capture the feeling of the English nightclub scene. _Ed TV_. A Ron Howard production, this soundtrack stays closer to the mainstream audience who the film targets. New Bon Jovi ("Real Life") and Meredith Brooks ("Careful What You Wish For") cuts are the real draw here, as well as Muzzle's twangy pop "Been Hurt". Some older veterans return to the spotlight covering other stars' hits. The man after midnight, Barry White, successfully takes on Sly & The Family Stone's "Thank You", while James Brown embarrasses himself on "That's Life". If bad taste were a crime, Brown would never have been free on bail... A slew of already-released classic tracks (Otis Redding, Al Green, Joe Tex) meets up with previously material from UB 40, Ozomatli, Peter Wolf, and the Barenaked Ladies to complete the collection. The hope from this compilation is that Ozomatli and Cornershop reach an audience whose only album with strong non-English influences may be Paul Simon's _Graceland_ - but those who enjoy the film will more than likely be enthralled with the soundtrack. --- REVIEW: The Rentals, _Seven More Minutes_ (Maverick) - Chris Hill A bouncy, effervescent travelogue of Matt Sharp's last few years spent journeying around the U.S., the U.K., and Spain, the sophomore effort by The Rentals nimbly dodges a second album jinx. Not surprising - Sharp cut his musical chops as Weezer's bassist, and the roster of talent both in the Rentals and guesting herein have two dozen-plus albums to their credit. A follow-on to the mega-successful _Return of the Rentals_, with its then-inescapable pop gem "Friends of P", _Seven More Minutes_ contains quite a few nuggets of its own. "Getting By", an energetic, loopy song, opens the album. Embracing the now, learning from his younger companions, Sharp sings "lately I've felt like an old fat man/With her I lie and say "I'm a young fool"...We got nothing in common that I can see/ We drink on, we drink on, we drink on.../and get by". Again imbibing the half-full portion of the cup of life, Sharp sings on "The Cruise": "Optimistic right now, maybe I am/I know how so many people hate that/They'd rather see you lose/And drag you in the hole they're into". Shiny, happy hedonists - Sharp and others - provide the album's lyrical marrow. The pleasure of living in the moment, the seeming contradiction of losing and finding oneself at the same time, the fear of growing old, a love for the young and carefree - all themes that pop up throughout the album. It's a fly on the wall viewpoint: not uncomfortably so, however, as the lessons learned are taken to heart and endearingly backed with upbeat, poppy music: the frenzied "Insomnia", the Teletubby-like chorus on "Say Goodbye Forever" (elegantly provided by Elastica bassist Donna Matthews), the shout-along "Big Daddy C", the rocking "Keep Sleeping", the contemplative "Hello, Hello". Examples abound among the fifteen tracks. "Big Daddy C", another monogrammatic character, contains references to their breakthrough hit, "Friends of P" - the P revealed to be Paulina Porizkova, model and wife of ex-Cars singer and producer Ric Ocasek. "Big Daddy C" layers an ambling drum beat and heavy bass over sing-song rhythms for a similarly infectious tune. Penning all the songs except one, Sharp manages to share equal footing with all the album contributors. The divinely delicate vocals of (now-defunct) that dog member Petra Haden add a winsome innocence to eight of the fifteen tracks. Mixed on a par with Sharp's vocals, many of her songs seem like duets. Also given room on the stage: Miki Berenyi (of the sadly disbanded Lush), Maya Rudolph, Tim Wheeler (Ash), Damon Albarn (Blur), and Sharon McConochie. Rod Cervera (guitars) and Jim Richards (moog/arp synthesizers) return, along with Haden, from the first Rentals album. Weezer frontman and ex-bandmate Rivers Cuomo appears with a co-writing credit on the idyllic, Pink Floyd-tinged cut "My Head is In The Sun". If you were lured in by the first record, prepare to be trapped by this one. More information to be found at http://www.therentals.net/ --- REVIEW: The Go-betweens, _The Lost Album '78-'79_ (Jetset) - David Landgren It's the story of a miracle. Some three to four years before the Go-betweens released their first album, _Send me a lullaby_, someone plugged a tape deck into the mixing desk during a rehearsal in Robert Forster's bedroom. And a copy of this tape recently resurfaced (hence this record). Robert Forster sums it up best himself in the press release: "This...is another world. This is us as a Seventies band. A Seventies band that didn't really sound like many other Seventies bands. And that for me is the charm of the whole thing and why I remember this period with such fondness. That gave it power and a certain uniqueness." And the amazing thing is how much it really works. I'm not much of a fan of _Send me a lullaby_ (which will probably get me shot in certain circles). So with that in mind I approached the idea of a lost album with a certain amount of trepidation and suspicsion. I truly was expecting some dreadful cringe material, or something hopelessly self-indulgent. But it's something else again, something quite magical. The sound quality is, to be honest, bloody awful; it's like trying to watch a play by the shadows cast on walls. At times, especially on "Long lonely day," the tape signal is washed out with static. Faint squeals of feedback loom in the background like thunderclouds, threatening to swamp everything. For reasons I can't quite fathom, while listening to this album, the closest parallel I can find is The Fall's _Perverted By Language_. It has something to do with the rough nature of the music, like an uncut gem. It's also pretty obvious that any attempts (although I suppose they cleaned it up in minor ways) to clean up the signal would probably also destroy the soul of the music. But it works. Indisputably, it's a major record. At the same time, it's a non-record, a record that will never be. It captures things as they were, at the time. A couple of twenty year olds playing their own material, at a time when most other people their age were no doubt listening to Supertramp and Pink Floyd. The two links to the future are held in the opening tracks, "Lee Remick" and "Karen," songs that any self-respecting Go-betweens fan should know off by heart. The rest of the songs veer off into the unknown, unless of course you were living in Brisbane twenty years ago - in which case this is certainly going to bring back some memories for some people. Some of the stronger tracks, despite the technical flaws, include "Long lonely day" and "Day for night," which contain the seeds of the future, and "The sound of rain" with its '60s vibe. The bottom line is that this record is pretty much an essential addition to any self-respecting Go-betweens fan. Again, don't expect technical perfection; that's not what it's about. However, I understand completely why Grant and Robert decided to issue it, and I thank them for having had the courage to do so. For all its warts, this record is amazingly engaging. --- REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels_ (Maverick) - Chris Hill If anything, a soundtrack pulling tracks nearly three decades old deserves credit in my book for not being an obvious label ploy. Will someone rush out and buy a James Brown box set because of the two songs on this disc? Perhaps, but probably not. The eclectic array of artists obviously come from a love for the music contained within the soundtrack. (Perhaps they could also come from intentional posturing for musical credibility, but that seems highly doubtful.) Feeling like a Nick Hornby mix tape, the soundtrack ranges from classic (James Brown's "The Payback" and "The Boss," Dusty Springfield's "Spooky") to modern (E-Z Rollers' "Walk This Land," Evil Superstars' "Oh Girl"), from punk (The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog") to pop/rock (Ocean Colour Scene's "Hundred Mile High City"), from reggae (Junior Murvin's signature song, "Police and Thieves") to crooning doo-wop (Pete Wingfield's "18 With a Bullet") to funk (Stretch's "Why Did You Do It"). Oh, and the theme to "Zorba the Greek." Given titles and attribution, snippets of dialogue are sprinkled liberally between songs (11 songs, 7 sound bites). See the movie first, then grin in recollection as Soap gives his sage "guns for show, knives for a pro" philosophy, or as Plank wearily pleads, "I can't fuckin' believe this! Could everyone STOP gettin' shot?!" The names and scenes may fade with time, but these bits bring instant memory refreshment. Will they keep the O. Henry ending when the Tom Cruise version arrives? Will that movie's soundtrack feature the same splendid mix of time and genre-scattered artists, or will it feature three top artists and eight third tier bands? Go see the original now, while it's fresh, if only to increase your dread and anticipation of the Hollywood version. As a reminder of the movie's British wit and sly humor, wait for the end of the soundtrack -- it ends on the same clever note. You'll count your cash for a second viewing. Similarly amusing, those visiting the movie site at http://www.lockstock2barrels.com/ without the Macromedia Flash plug-in are greeted by apish thug, Barry, telling you to piss off. Somehow, it's quite endearing. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Virgin Voices - A Tribute to Madonna Volume 1_ (Cleopatra) - Joann D. Ball A true blue Madonna tribute was inevitable given her incredible impact on contemporary popular music and culture. Sure, Madonna's gotten props before, most notably from Sonic Youth on the late Eighties Ciccone Youth project. And there have been some creative covers over the years, such as the Lords of the New Church's hilarious take on "Like A Virgin," Bigod 20's industrial-strength "Like a Prayer," and the Drop Nineteens' outstanding guitar-reinforced wall of sound reconstruction of "Angel." But the multiple artist cover collection _Virgin Voices: A Tribute to Madonna Vol. 1_ updates 14 selections from the Material Girl's vast catalog with the diverse elements of electronica. This refashioning of Madonna's work is perfectly timed given her current explorations of the genre's sounds and styles on _Ray of Light_. In matching artists and songs, Cleopatra Records took the bold step of utilizing its significant roster of Eighties artists. Using the tribute project to showcase the rebirth of several of Madonna's contemporaries is a smashing success because it gives these acts room to explore new musical territories and sounds. _Virgin Voices_ lets loose with 1980s New Wavers Heaven 17 who seem to embody the celebration theme of Madonna's breakthrough hit "Holiday" and Loleatta Holloway who infuses some gospel soul into "Like A Prayer." When performed by Bow Wow Wow's Annabella Lwin, the irony of "Like A Virgin" takes a new form. Despite the years, Lwin has maintained her teenage sense of fun and silliness which are clearly conveyed in her bright and bouncy vocals. "Why It's So Hard" from Madonna's _Erotica_ is a perfect song for Dead or Alive. It underscores Pete Burns' gender-bending musical activism, and he delivers it with a sincerity and emotional depth that is absent on signature hits like "You Spin Me Round." And while Information Society draws upon its smash "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" for the cover of "Express Yourself," Gene Loves Jezebel has done an about face, trading in the guitars and over-the-top vocals for a darker, synth-driven cover of "Frozen" that should click at underground danceclubs. Since Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" has always seemed like the not-too-distant relative of "Live to Tell," it is fitting that the band was enlisted for the project so Terri Nunn could deliver a true to form version of the slow burner. James Hardway with Amanda Ghost Featuring Boy George contribute "Bad Girl," which is yet another reason to revisit the _Erotica_ album. Even though Boy George's vocals are so well blended into the mix that he's barely audible, the song is light, airy and textured making it the best crafted track on _Virgin Voices_. The pairing's use of a female vocal over jungle-inspired percussion, along with Silverbeam's trip-pop interpretation of "Bedtime Story," recall the British duo Olive with the same infectious effect. An impressive collection, _Virgin Voices: A Tribute to Madonna Vol. 1_ is as much a tribute to Madonna's past as it is an acknowledgement of her current musical direction. It is a testament to the spirit of dance music, which crosses all sorts of boundaries to create a communal sense of positivity, fun and adventure. Using Madonna's contributions to popular dance music to show how new musical approaches enrich the format is a brilliant approach, and the tribute gets major bonus points for reminding us of the many bright spots in Eighties music by enlisting artists from the decade for the project. TRACK LISTING [artist in brackets]: Holiday [Heaven 17], Like A Prayer [Loleatta Holloway], Like A Virgin (LCD Mix) [Annabella Lwin of Bow Wow Wow], Why It's So Hard [Dead or Alive], Live To Tell [Berlin], Vogue [Astralasia], Justify My Love [Frontline Assembly, Bad Girl [James Hardway with Amanda Ghost Featuring Boy George], Material Girl [KMFDM], Bedtime Story [Silverbeam], Express Yourself [Information Society], Swim [Spahn Ranch], Frozen (Razed in Black Mix) [Gene Loves Jezebel], Burning Up (Interface Mix) [The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black] --- REVIEW: Hugo Largo, _Drum_ (All Saints/Thirsty Ear) - Chelsea Spear Hugo Largo's entrancingly beautiful music was an anomaly on the scene it grew out of. Unlike the harsh No-Wave orchestrations that bassist Tim Sommer was helping to sculpt with avant-garde musician Glenn Branca, the music of Hugo Largo was ethereal, melodic and deceptively strong. Their lineup (two basses, a violin, and an occasional piano, held together with the spooky, operatically influenced vocal stylings of Mimi Goese) was highly unusual. Though their sound was rooted in traditions both experimental (the Raincoats' _Odyshape_ album and the swooping, intoxicating vocal tics of Mary Margaret O'Hara) and traditional for rock music (the lush sound associated with Britain's 4AD label). A decade after the Largos disbanded, the rock world has gone through a similar cycle of growth, though obviously on a greater commercial level than the dark, discordant avant-punk scene of the Lower East Side; logy grunge has given way to ringing pop and Lilith sweetness. Though detecting the influence that Hugo Largo's two albums have had in that time is difficult compared to, say, finding the influence of Sonic Youth or Big Black, _Drum_ and _Mettle_ still have some relevant things to say to musicians and audiences alike in this day and age. In light of this, Thirsty Ear Records has reissued the band's spare, achingly beautiful debut album, _Drum_, after it languished out of print for what seems like forever. The beauty and majesty of _Drum_ has, thankfully, not aged in that time. Producer Michael Stipe applied a spare hand to the band's production, allowing the breathtaking beauty of their music to emerge on its own, and on their own terms. Given the band's pedigree, and given the unusual musical lineup, it occasionally comes as a surprise that their music is so traditionally and lushly melodic. However, the most satisfying moments come out of the band's interest in messing around with conventional song structures (such as on the atmospheric, cinematic tones of Country). More often than not, the most satisfying musical moments come from the band's interest in creating a mood for the audience to slip into, such as on "Second Skin," which blends a crunching dynamic with an intoxicating, slippery melody. This reissue of _Drum_ eschews the brief song lineup of its original vinyl release with the bonus track-happy lineup that was reissued on John Cage's short-lived Warner Brothers imprint. While the tunes are good, they restate themes that were demonstrated on the album with much more grace and clarity. "Scream Tall" is an a cappella scat number that manages to make Goese sound shrecky instead of her usual graceful, and "Harper's" is a strange number that manages to go through every time signature in the book without finding one it likes. Indeed, this reissue is disappointing for several reasons: it eschews making available some of the harder-to-find HL stuff, like their Christmas single and other B-sides and demos, the strange contrast of the print on the liner looks like a shoddy color photocopy and the sublime "My Favourite People" is spaced from the regular action of the album with a ten-second delay that suggests a bonus track. In light of how wonderful this music is, and how unavailable it has been for the past decade, however, I'm thankful that someone had the foresight to reissue it. Bravo to Thirsty Ear, and we'll take a look at their reissue of _Mettle_ in the near future. --- REVIEW: Tal Bachman, _Tal Bachman_ (Columbia) - Michael Van Gorden The most appearling element of POP music? It's all right to wear your influences on your sleeve. Those that do it poorly tend to be nothing more than a pale imitation. And those that do it well are a pleasure to listen too. Tal Bachman falls into the latter category....thankfully. The easy influences to spot are of course the Beatles, Kinks, XTC, Beach Boys, and the Guess Who (Tal's father is Randy Bachman - Guess Who alumni, and the B in BTO). A more recent comparison might be Adam Schmitt and A man called E (before he added another e, an l and an s). The CD starts off with the one two punch of "Darker Side of Blue", a "Cheap Trick covers the Kinks" kind of song, while listening to a little ELO. This is quickly followed by the second hit of "She's So High", a great rumination on that unattainable beauty we have all dreamed about. "She's as perfect as she can be, why should I even bother" is a great lyric that is followed up by the chorus that won't go away ("she's so high, high above me, she's so lovely"). After this perfect start, Tal decides to slow things down on the lovely ballad "If You Sleep", a song about contemplating the fate of a loved one. His voice effortlessly floats from a sweet falsetto to an anguished cry for help in the chorus: "If you Sleep, you Sleep With God". Tal Bachman takes you on a emotional roller coaster as well, with the moody "Strong Enough", where he questions the safety of an obsessed imagination by asking his lover 'Are you strong enough to love me?' Then there is the soft romantic "Beside You", which echoes the Beatles circa "I will" and "Julia" from _The Beatles (White Album)_. On "You Don't Know What It's Like", you hear the unmistakable sound of Bowie and Marc Bolan as the raunchy guitars and sing-along chorus reel you in to this pop delight. And yet Tal Bachman is not just a about pop hooks. His words are simple, effective and intelligent. Sample this line from "Romanticide": 'Whoever said to take it on the chin, whoever said that good guys always, has never seen the sorry state I'm in, the victim of Romantacide again.' The listener will find pop gems all over _Tal Bachman_, full of unforgettable melodies, elegant and often regal arrangements, beautiful vocals and lyrical wonders. In a recent interview, Tal said that he has devoted his life to the study and practice and perfection of a musical ideal. Those studies have paid off ten-fold. And, despite all the influences, Bachman has staked out a personal style that is his alone and will hopefully attract many pop lovers for years to come. --- REVIEW: Add N to (X), _Avant Hard_ (Mute) - Niles Baranowski You may think you've never heard Add N to (X), but if you watch MTV at all, you probably have without realizing it. The band was commissioned to do "show packaging" (those faux-arty station ID's that you see at the top and bottom of every hour) starting in February and if those bleeps that you heard got you curious, _Avant Hard_ will surely hook you in. One of the most accessible of the "post-rock" bands working today, this British trio mix the correct proportions of minimalism, rhythmic complexity and twistedly kitschy in-jokes into their retro-futuristic base stock. If the sounds remind you somewhat of Kraftwerk (on, say, "Robot New York"), they are compressed into such oddball tempos and time signatures that sounds tend to come out as sudden bursts or in such powerful streams that you feel pushed along by them. Not as vocoderized or synth-strict as their stellar debut _On the Wires of Our Nerves_, _Avant Hard_ seems focussed on pushing the band's sense of humor center stage. One song titled "Buckminster Fuller" repeats his name as a sort of mantra over a driving drum beat (courtesy of High Llama Rob Allum) while "Metal Fingers in my Body" repeats its so-naughty-its-harmless title over pummeling Trans Am-esque guitar rock textures (allegedly the video for this single is an animated porn film), probably the band's least synthetic moment. Odder still, each member gets an eponymous song. Barry Smith's "Barry 7's Contraption" sounds like a traffic jam of clown cars being pulled forward on an ever accelerating conveyer belt while Steve Claydon's "Steve's Going to Teach Himself Who's Boss" uses Ian Curtis-damaged vocal samples as a sort of meaningless scat speech over ground zero minimalism. Then you've got Anne Shenton and "Anne's Eveready Equestrian" which sounds like a horse protesting as it's driven off a stormy cliff. The meaning of this is clear: Barry's the goofy one, Steve's the dark one and Anne...loves horses, I guess. While all this levity makes for some nice dance music (check out the jumpy "Skills"), the band works best with long drawn-out pieces that allow emotion to build as they manage to do on the second half of the record. "Return of the Black Regent" is the sequel to "The Black Regent," a single from _Nerves_. While the original "Regent" was poppy, this new one is a dark orchestral dirge, hypnotic in its gargantuan portions and allowed to develop into a full cacophony. To screw things up even further, Add N to (X) break with their entire recorded history by using the non-vocoderized Shirley Bassey-esque vocals of Alison Goldfrapp, making the track lushly noisy even in its darkness. The album closes on a pair of quieter and less frenetic tracks: the groovy, Sterolabby "Oh Yeah, Oh No" and "Machine is Bored with Love." Chiming and whistling like Mono's semi-eponymous hit, "Machine" feels suspended in ether and despite its title, probably more romantic than anything the band has done in the past. While _Avant Hard_ only approaches the satisfaction level of its predecessor, it shows a uniquely powerful electronic band opening doors and exploring all possibilities, refusing to shut itself into harshness or cold minimalistic noodling. --- REVIEW: Nik Kershaw, _15 Minutes_ (Pyramid) - Bob Gajarsky The last time we heard from Nik Kershaw, the songwriter, was his penning the 1991 Chesney Hawkes #1 U.K. hit "The One And Only". Astute fans may have previously noticed Kershaw playing guitar on several Elton John tracks in the late 1980s. But it was his European success for songs such as "Wouldn't It Be Good", "The Riddle" and "I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" that endeared him to many fans. Now, Nik has returned to the center of the stage with the release of his latest album, _15 Minutes_. An interesting selection of twelve introspective tracks, _15 Minutes_ reflects an older and more mature man than the hitmaker of the mid 80s. "The whole process started about four years ago," Kershaw explains, "but I didn't realize I was making an album. I had a few ideas that I couldn't see anyone else doing, but I had to get them out of my system. I recorded a few demos that took more time than I thought they would, and the next thing I knew was 'What am I doing here? I'm making an album.'" That album owes more to the latter part of Kershaw's first solo foray than to his initial start. His fourth album, _The Works_, offered an insight to the thoughtfulness which would predate _15 Minutes_ ; for those familiar with "Elisabeth's Eyes", the writing style of _15 Minutes_ will come as no surprise. "In the 80s, I did everything I could to not write about myself," Kershaw explains. "I was a bit nervous playing this record for other people because it exposed me - I can't hide behind anything with these songs." And the first single, "Somebody Loves You", has an almost autobiographical feel to it. "It's my party / I don't have to care less / I can always play my part; / They know my face and they know my name / They know my shamelessness but not my shame" sings Kershaw, and the listeneer just knows that this song came from the heart. The look at a man's sensitive side ("Billy") and "Find Me An Angel" (which takes a page out of the Chris Isaak songbook) offer a different side of Nik Kershaw which never previously saw the light of day. When the 'good looking' men came out of Britain in the early 1980s, many questioned their staying power. Duran Duran has consistently managed to defy the critics, and Howard Jones has continued his successful music output. Nik Kershaw, however, was staying behind the scenes and out of the spotlight - until now. And just as Jones showed a more mature side with _People_, so has Nik Kershaw with _15 Minutes_. --- REVIEW: Planes Mistaken For Stars, _Planes Mistaken For Stars_ / Starmarket, _Calendar_ (Deep Elm) - Andrew Duncan Emo music could not be more vital than it is today. In a global society that can be so isolated, emo music breaks free of any boundaries that tend to hold back the musician. To define emo simply as a prefix for emotion or emotional, yet its sense of existence is more complicated than that. Emo music or emo-core can offer a sense of therapy, beauty and intensity all in the same breath. Planes Mistaken For Stars proves the above analysis to be correct, but not in safe flight patterns. If you are hoping to easily take your emotions from point A to point B without turbulence, think again, as this album is filled with harsh phrasing and teeth-gritting feelings. First captured on Deep Elm's _The Moment Of Truth: The Emo Diaries Chapter III,_ the Peoria, Illinois band (who recently moved to Denver, Colorado) takes an abstract, post-hardcore approach to their self-titled EP. Less than a half-an-hour in length, the time is not a factor when it comes to eight songs of intense bitterness. Vocalist/guitarist Gared O'Donnel is angry, not only in his voice, but with his words as well. On the song "When The Arrow Went Out," O'Donnell screams out, "And I don't know if it was the weight of your words or the way you said my name that sent me packing." This is a demonstrative example to get a feel for the tone of the release. Listen closely and it's the precision and musicianship that really makes this release shine. There is a nice array of feedback, disdainful guitar riffs and classical guitar influences that seems most impressive. Starmarket is a different story in a different context. With _Calendar_, the band focuses on the song as a whole. Instead of creating a gamut of emotional range within one song, the Swedish group uses simple forward-driving chord structures and melodic power pop to get their point across. It's not to say that the band not powerful. Their dynamics exist from one song to the next. "Losing Track" is a powerful example of what makes this band great - Frederik Brandstrom's excellent vocal range and simplistic, yet creative music. "You Can't Come" is the slow song when it's time to dance with the girl - awkward but nevertheless a release of feeling. Wait a minute and it's again time to rock with great, catchy tunes like "Wither," "Choker" and "Hate You Still." These are the songs that you will catch yourself humming to without the CD spinning. This is a band that has increased in popularity, and there is no doubt that the excellence of _Calendar_ will take Starmarket even further. --- REVIEW: Julia Fordham, _The Julia Fordham Collection_ (Virgin) - Chris Hill Seeing its U.S. release at last, this collection by British songbird Julia Fordham provides presents for both a longtime fan and a newborn convert: two new songs ("Kid" and "It Was Nothing That You Said"), reworkings of three classic tracks and ten other choice cuts culled from her five full-length cds, spanning a decade from 1988's self-titled debut to 1997's _East West_. Assembled with care, it's a perfect retrospective and a promise of what Fordham's future holds. Two remixes kick off the collection. "Happy Ever After (Rain Forest Mix '98)" finds Julia modernizing her '88 blending of a soured personal relationship and her dismay at black/white inequality in apartheid South Africa, to account for the freeing of Nelson Mandela and that country's abolition of apartheid. On the second track, "Where Does the Time Go? ('98 Remix)," Curtis Stigers brings a wonderful male vocal presence to Julia's rich tones. Hearing their voices intertwine, locating the emotional core in every line and word, then lifting it to the sky, is worth the price of the disc by itself. The third '98 remix, "I Thought It Was You," shows up ninth. It's a moody, bass-driven take on a heartbreakingly intimate and all too common scene: "I'm not looking for the answer, baby/I'm just looking for a little love/We're all looking for someone/For a minute.../I thought it was you." An oxymoron -- uplifting sadness -- which is present in spades in her work. Julia's never flinched from examining the heart in minute detail. The songs here attest to that. "Girlfriend" pleads for a stout, silent comforting shoulder. "Porcelain" portrays a woman struggling with emotions she should, but can't, return. "I Can't Help Myself" is an airy abandon of the self to love. "East West" sees her discovering, to paraphrase Buckaroo Banzai, that wherever she goes, she still finds herself and her broken heart. Perhaps for all the worms she's encountered, the soil is fresh and vital in each track. Whereas some divas dig tired ground with songs of love's fickle nature, Julia manages to always produce fruit. With this concentrated glance into her career, it's also pleasantly obvious that Julia sublimates her dulcet tones to the importance of the song, rather than parading her powerful range for a lessened impact of ability over emotion. There's no scale exercises found here; when she stretches, it's in the service of her muse. There's wealth to be found in the back catalog, as well. Any of her albums contain songs equally representative of her brilliance ("Honeymoon," "As She Whispers" or "Behind Closed Doors," for example). On a stage of divas, she merits a dais all her own. This is a welcome spotlight. --- REVIEW: Ian Tyson, _Lost Herd_ (Vanguard) - Jon Steltenpohl The prevailing notion of just what a cowboy should be is ingrained deep in the lore of the Americas. We have images of black and white heroes fighting off Indians, and ruffians shooting it out at high noon. So, when one is presented with the honest-to-god real thing, it sets you back for a moment of reflection. Ian Tyson doesn't try to sell an image as the last of a breed; he embodies it. While "Cowboy Poets" have littered our cultural landscape with quirky poems and aw-shucks witticisms doled out with requisite mustache and drawl, Ian Tyson has lived quietly up in Canada and looked down upon it all. Tyson's view of the world isn't revisionist or sappy. He simply tells it like it is. The plains are rapidly being divided into 20 acre pre-fab ranches and corporate megafarms. The modern conveniences of cell phones and faxes may not seem like key points of the cowboy's prose, but Tyson works them in among tales of wild rivers and untamed horses. Yet Tyson is a modern cowboy who, while yearning for the past, certainly doesn't pretend he's in the middle of a different century. These are the songs of a 20th century cowboy. Wait... cowboy music? In an alternative music publication? Well, yes. Tyson is about as far from New Country as a cowboy can get. This is mellow music set at a slow pace. Lap steel guitar is set alongside a slightly jazzy saxophone that might as well be lifted from a Sting song. There's a rustic quality to Tyson's voice, but it's set against a smooth background. Take the lounge out of k. d. lang's _Ingenue_, and you've got the idea. Shades of Chris Isaak come out now and then, but the Roy Orbison falsetto and the rockabilly side never show. The echo on Tyson's voice is set on "a little to strong," but that's about the only blemish to the excellent sonic production. Ian Tyson's _Lost Herd_ certainly won't be showing up in MTV's Buzz Bin, but it's expertly crafted music for its genre. Even the crowd pleasing version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" seems like it was written for a man on a horse. Alternative country fans will probably know Tyson from his extensive back catalog, but there's undoubtedly a large audience who've never come across this gentleman. If you've ever enjoyed some of Willie Nelson's work, like "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," you'll certainly enjoy _Lost Herd_. For more information, visit http://www.vanguardrecords.com/tyson --- REVIEW: The Jellybricks, _SoapOpera_ (Rite-Off Records) - Dan Enright With this second release on the Badlees private label Rite-Off Records, the Jellybricks ( http://www.thejellybricks.com ) have honed their artschool pop influences -- that creative surge in pop that occurred 20 years ago in pockets of England (the Clash, the Jam, Joe Jackson, and most obviously Elvis Costello) and the U.S. (Steely Dan, Husker Du, The Replacements, Graham Parker) -- into a strong collection of hard-edged pop songs. The songwriting and performances are tight, melodic and inventive. Complimented by the production team (Dale Epperson & Robert Welsh) at the Green Room in Harrisburg, Penn. (more on Harrisburg later), the result is 45 minutes of great music. The songs are lyrically clever, like Costello's writing with the Attractions; the old boy-meets-girl-means-doom chestnut is pushed and pulled into new territories. Band mates Larry Kennedy, Garrick Chow, Bryce Connor and Laine Wehler have collaborated to create this collection of insightful, intelligent, witty -- even a bit sarcastic at times -- short stories set to music and told in three or four minutes. There are a broad array of styles, all of them "radio friendly" (in a good way). "Bittersweet Day," for example, has a great melodic hook which sweetly links the verses to the chorus and takes the edge off the protagonist's cold, empty lament, "You were the first one listening to someone with nothing to say," then the perfectly dissonant, "bittersweet day." It's a gentle & sympathetic tale about surviving the depression following a relationship break up, featuring tightly voiced pop harmonies. Three and a half "schizophrenic" [default running order] minutes later, they're blistering through "Mite" as fast and lean and angry as anything the Replacements or the Clash ever released. The opening lyrics, "jammin' me in like I waste your time/makin' me feel like I'm asinine" or "...with eyes revolting red with all the things you said" are prime examples of the approach to writing these guys have taken. And the album is overloaded, on every song, with more of the same. They're getting good reviews for the energy of their live performances and the arrangements hint at the possibility the songs could be expanded, ala jam-bands like Phish or Government Mule, during live performances. By continuing to polish their songwriting and performance skills and expanding their attention beyond clever laments / rants (la'rants?) of love lost, they could lead a major expansion of the pop-genre envelope. They're certainly pushing it hard enough. If you like this kind of music, catch this band now, at the beginning of their career. It'll save you the heartache of trying to find their indie discs, secondhand. Back to Harrisburg: Potential Scene Alert. Harrisburg appears to be in the early stages of building and nurturing an original music community. From what I can gather, they've got everything necessary for that kind of creativity to bloom -- and I mean on the level of Seattle, Minneapolis, Boston, or Cleveland. There are a sizeable collection of talented, proficient musicians and songwriters, co-operative regional radio playlists (WQXA-FM), a supportive (and affordable) studio (the Green Room) staffed by an experienced group of producers/engineers/perfomers, sizeable cities with numerous clubs/theaters within a couple hours drive (Allentown, Philadelphia, New York City) and a seasoned management team (One Louder Management) to help guide the resulting professional careers. If the market doesn't get flooded by heroin (or receive meddling corporate attention), it should produce some outstanding music over the next decade. I suggest taking "Made in Harrisburg" -- and this latest, of the city's emerging bands -- seriously. --- TOUR DATES: Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs Apr. 13 Memphis, TN The Pyramid Apr. 15 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Apr. 17 Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Center Apr. 19 Birmingham, AL Birmingham-Jefferson Coliseum Apr. 21 Biloxi, MS Mississippi Coast Coliseum Beastie Boys Apr. 19 Stuttgart, GER Schleyerhalle Apr. 20 Rotterdam, NET Ahoy Apr. 21 Cologne, GER Cologne Arena Ben Folds Five / Fleming & John Apr. 16 Brunswick, ME Bowdoin College Morrell Gym Apr. 17 Amherst, MA Amherst College Gym Apr. 18 Lancaster, PA Franklin & Marshall College Alum Sports Ctr. Apr. 19-20 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts Bouncing Souls Apr. 16 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall Apr. 17 Cleveland, OH Agora Theater Candlebox Apr. 13 Ventura, CA Ventura Theatre Apr. 15 San Diego, CA 4th & B Apr. 16 Santa Ana, CA Galaxy Concert Apr. 17 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre Apr. 18 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues Cubanismo Spring Tour Apr. 14 Granville, OH Dennison University Apr. 16 Ann Arbor, MI EMU Convocation Ctr Apr. 17 Cleveland, OH Tri-C Jazz Festival Apr. 18 Lexington, KY Grand Ballroom Apr. 20-21 St.Paul, MN Planet Ordway Ani DiFranco Apr. 13 Durham, NH Whittemore Arena Apr. 14 Burlington, VT Memorial Auditorium Apr. 16 Orono, ME Hutchins Concert Hall Apr. 17 Portland, ME State Theatre Apr. 18 Newark, DE Bob Carpenter Center Apr. 20 Charlottesville, VA Charlottesville Pac Apr. 21 Charlotte, NC Grady Cole Center Dubtribe Sound System Apr. 13 Boston, MA Karma Apr. 16 Rochester, NY Gate Apr. 21 Harrisburg, PA Wire Coffee House Eve 6 / Lit Apr. 13 Minneapolis, MN Ground Zero Apr. 14 Milwaukee, WI Rave Apr. 15 St. Louis, MO Mississippi Nights Firewater / Girls Against Boys Apr. 13 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's Apr. 14 Philadelphia, PA Pontiac Grill Apr. 15 Cambridge, MA Middle East Apr. 16 New York, NY Mercury Lounge Apr. 17 Washington, DC Black Cat Apr. 18 Fredricksburg, VA Mary Washington College Gardener Apr. 13 Albuquerque, NM Launch Pad Apr. 14 El Paso, TX Headquarter Records Apr. 16 Austin, TX Emo's Apr. 20 Los Angeles, CA The Smell Godsmack / Loudmouth Apr. 14 Cleveland, OH Odeon Apr. 16 Myrtle Beach, NC House of Blues Gomez / Mojave 3 Apr. 13 Cambridge, MA Middle East Apr. 14 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's Apr. 15 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Apr. 17 Toronto, ON Lee's Palace Apr. 18 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Apr. 20 Chicago, IL Double Door Apr. 21 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar Miles Hunt Apr. 13 Ferndale, MI The Majick Bag Apr. 15 Toronto, ONT El Macambo Kent / Papa Vegas Apr. 16 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Apr. 17 Milwaukee, WI Rave Apr. 19 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck Low Apr. 13 Columbia, SC Hunter-Gatherer Apr. 14 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club Apr. 16 Richmond, VA Alley Katz Apr. 17 Washington, DC Black Cat Mercury Rev Apr. 14 Chicago, IL Double Door Apr. 16 Pontiac, MI Mill Street Entry Apr. 17 Buffalo, NY Showplace Theatre Apr. 18 Cambridge, MA Middle East Apr. 19 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Apr. 20 Washington DC Black Cat Steve Miller Band Apr. 13 Des Moines, IA Veterans Memorial Auditorium Apr. 14 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theater Apr. 15 Peoria, IL Peoria Civic Center Apr. 16 Columbus, OH Shottenstein Center at Ohio State Apr. 18 Columbia, MO Hearnes Center at UM Of Montreal Apr. 16 Chatanooga, TN Lamar's Apr. 17 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club Apr. 18 Nashville, TN Exit Inn Apr. 19 Louisville, KY Mercury Paw Apr. 20 Columbia, MO Shattered Apr. 21 Lawrence, KS Replay Lounge Olivia Tremor Control Apr. 15 New Orleans, LA Howlin' Wolf Apr. 16 Houston, TX Rudyard's Apr. 17 Austin, TX Electric Lounge Apr. 19 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad Apr. 21 Ponoma, CA Claremont College Pan Sonic Apr. 20 Cambridge, MA Middle East Apr. 21 Montreal, PQ Cabaret Placebo / Stabbing Westward Apr. 13 Portland, OR La Luna Apr. 16 Los Angeles, CA Palace Ernest Ranglin Apr. 16 New Orleans, LA House of Blues Apr. 17 Austin, TX Flamingo Cantina Apr. 18 Houston, TX International Festival Residents Apr. 13-14 Chicago, IL House of Blues Apr. 17 Portland, OR La Luna Apr. 18 Seattle, WA Showbox Apr. 20 Berkeley, CA University of California Apr. 21 Sacramento, CA Crest Theatre Sleepyhead Apr. 17 Boston, MA Lizard Lounge Apr. 24 New York, NY Brownie's Sparklehorse / Varnaline Apr. 13 Toronto, ON Horse Shoe Apr. 14 Montreal, QC Jailhouse Apr. 16 Boston, MA Middle East Apr. 17 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Apr. 18 Philadelphia, PA TLA Splender Apr. 14 New York, NY CBGB's Apr. 15 Cambridge, MA TT The Bears Apr. 16 Long Island, NY Village Pub Apr. 17 Asbury Park, NJ The Saint Apr. 18 Philly, PA Pontiac Grille Apr. 21 Wash, DC The Metro Cafe Sally Taylor Apr. 21-22 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre Apr. 23 Colorado Springs, CO Colorado Music Hall Underworld Apr. 20 Washington DC 9:30 Club Apr. 21 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom Wilco Apr. 14 Madison, WI The Barrymore Apr. 15 Urbana, IL The Canopy Apr. 16 Grand Rapids, MI Calvin College Apr. 17 Toronto, ON The Guvernment Apr. 19 Northhampton, MA Pearl St. Apr. 20-21 New York, NY Irving Plaza David Wilcox Apr. 13 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall Apr. 16 Pittsburgh, PA Rosebud Apr. 18 Pawling, NY Towne Crier --- THE READERS WRITE BACK! > On the importance of one word...the original title of the Pretty Things' most recent disc was _Fuck Oasis and Fuck You Too_ (the too was omitted), which of course is a pun on another popular band name. The title as quoted above misses that entirely by leaving out that one critical word. - Gallandro, Arizona --- 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 ===