== ISSUE 177 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [May 19, 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: Michelle Aguilar, Christina Apeles, Niles J. Baranowski, Tracey Bleile, Jason Cahill, Matthew Carlin, Patrick Carmosino, John Davidson, Andrew Duncan, Krisjanis Gale, Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Franklin Johnson, Steve Kandell, Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Linda Scott, Scott Slonaker, Kerwin So, Chelsea Spear, 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 | `------------' REVIEW: Freestylers, _We Rock Hard_ - Tim Mohr REVIEW: Man or Astroman?, _EEVIAC Operational Index and Reference Guide Including Other Modern Computational Devices_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: Even, _Come Again_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Buckcherry, _Buckcherry_ - Christina Apeles REVIEW: 10,000 Maniacs, _The Earth Pressed Flat_ - Jon Steltenpohl INTERVIEW: Atom Ellis from Dieselhed - Matthew Carlin REVIEW: The Go-betweens, _Bellavista Terrace (Best of The Go-betweens)_ - David Landgren REVIEW: Rick Springfield, _Karma_ - Jason Cahill REVIEW: Joan of Arc, _Live in Chicago 1999_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: Maryanne, _Your First, Your Last, Your Everything_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Eden White, _This Is The Way..._ - Linda Scott REVIEW: Splender, _Halfway Down The Sky_ - Bill Holmes NEWS: No Boundaries / Kosovo refugees benefit, Alanis Morissette TOUR DATES: Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs, Beastie Boys, Black Crowes / Lenny Kravitz / Everlast, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Chapter In Verse, Alanis Morissette, Mike Ness, Pinetop Seven, Those Bastard Souls, Verve Pipe / Papa Vegas Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Freestylers, _We Rock Hard_ (Mammoth) - Tim Mohr Freestylers manage to throw together an extremely compelling vision of Ragga-inflected Brit-hop from a palette of samples lifted from some of the most vital American hip-hop records of yore. In the first few songs you'll pick up collages of Public Enemy (all taken from _It Takes a Nation of Millions_ ) as well as the same Ultramagnetic MCs song that The Prodigy used for "Smack My Bitch Up." The lead single, "B-Boy Stance" is as good as the best that Big Beat has yet mustered--taking the swaggering Jamaican style of Fatboy Slim's "Gangster Tripping" or Monkey Mafia's "Work Mi Body" to the next level. And songs like "Ruffneck," "Dancehall Vibes," and "Warning" (set afire by a speeding, full-throttle drum n' bass-style bass line) are just as infectious. "Don't Stop" sounds like the Lo Fidelity Allstars--a vocoderized voice ranting atop bass-supplemented Old School. Though _We Rock Hard_ is undeniably up-to-date, Freestylers obviously adore vintage hip-hop. "Breaker Beats" opens with a sampled introduction to an old break dancing performance, and Freestylers' live shows revolve around the phenomenal stage presence of neo-break dancers. The title track is an electro workout and features Soul Sonic Force in an effective combination of contemporary British beat and genuine American Old School. Still, what makes the record really rock hard--and it does--is the hopped-up sub-bass that propels almost every track. The depth of bass is kin to that on the most speaker-torturing dubplates, but without the incessant titter of treble that can send you running from a drum n' bass club after an hour. The wide variety of breaks and hip-hop drums are much more varied than on the first Chemical Brothers or Fatboy albums. And the mixture of raggamufin and hip-hop as musical base works more effectively here than on earlier attempts to unite the styles (such as KRS-One appearing on a Shabba Ranks track nearly a decade ago). Freestylers should be one of the soundtracks to the summer, the rudeboy elements just right for dispelling the heat while the electro and hip-hop trappings keep the crowds bouncing. --- REVIEW: Man or Astroman?, _EEVIAC Operational Index and Reference Guide Including Other Modern Computational Devices_ (Touch and Go) - Andrew Duncan Give this album an A for Astroman. _EEVIAC: Operational Index and Reference Guide, Including Other Modern Computational Devices_ offers a fresh and welcoming direction for the band. Their previous release, _Made From Technetium_, tore away from the traditional sci-fi surf rock and experimented more with the science fiction aspect. This time around, the boys from Alabama have gone over the deep end. Recorded both in the middle of nowhere Alabama and the middle of nowhere Brazil, _EEVIAC..._, a supercomputer that conceivably controls the music that is filtered from the CD, is undeniably their most creative phenomena yet. About as enthusiastically as Einstein discovering the theory of relativity belts out the words, "It's the same series of signals over and over again," the band ignites into "Interstellar Hardrive," with a surf guitar intro only Rambo could replicate with a machine gun. Quickly, they jump into warp speed backed by Birdstuff's insane drumming that makes clever use of every drumhead and cymbal, but always keeping the beat intact. Songs like "D:Contamination," "A Reversal of Polarity" and "Krasnoyask-26" deceives from the traditional Man or Astroman? songs of the past and heavily rely on samples to drive the song through. "U-235/PU-239" introduces the vocal talents of new member Trace Readings, backed strongly by other rookie Blazar The Probe Handler and original members Coco and Birdstuff. The best vocal track lies on "Psychology of a.i. (numbers follow answers)" where the band recorded the song as if it was to be heard on an A.M. station coming from a transistor radio. But the best truly lies on the finale, "As Estrelas Agora Elas Estio Marten." In between heart-pounding chord renderings and science fiction Theremin sounds, the band expresses their true talent to play entertaining music. Wipe the tear from your eye and salute the sky as the second half of the song transitions into a majestic rock ballad that builds with grace and fury. Keep playing the release and a special message from the EEVIAC mainframe system can be accessed. --- REVIEW: Even, _Come Again_ (Rubber Records) - Chris Hill Australian pop has an effervescent joy, a lack of jaded cynicism, that seems ingrained in every band I've run across. No matter if the songs are written about political, social, or personal issues, there's an sunny musical optimism that promises an eventual positive resolution to any problem. Uncompromising pleasure in the moment permeates the music of You Am I, Glide, the Whitlams, and the Underground Lovers, just to namedrop a few feel-good bands that merit a "If you like ..., you'll like this group" recommendation. Singer/songwriter Ashley Naylor, "an eternally nostalgic person in a music sense", fronts Even, another band on this list of sunshine. Stones, Beatles, Kinks - all influences and inspirations that pop up on _Come Again_ like a "Bop the Gopher" game - quick flashes of recognition, then ZIP!, they're gone. Naylor and bandmates Wally Kempton (bass) and Matt Cotter (drums) have taken a bygone era and masterfully distilled its essence into eleven songs of blissful tangerine-sweet harmonies and toasty-crisp jangling guitar. It's apparent that Naylor, like Noel Gallagher, has a knack for writing irresistible pop songs. "Watching My Door", the current single, attacks the ears with "Tomorrow Never Knows" drums and _Revolver_-slick harmony vocals - a reminder at 2:44, that, mirroring the title of Even's first album, "Less is More". This notion is reinforced in spades on "Tell Me How". The lyrical concept is simple (admiration for another's positive nature) and wound about a melody so sharp you could shave with it. "The time is always right in your world/No one's uptight in your world/Won't you tell me how?/Won't you take me now?/The sun is always out in your sky/You've got no reason to lie/Won't you tell me how?/Won't you take me now?/Maybe I'm lost to the world I am in/Won't you tell me where do I begin?" Not entirely by chance, it reminds me of the first time I heard _Meet the Beatles_. Both albums bulge with star-bright, multi-faceted, diamond-perfect gems - cheerful, upbeat, and addictive. "Black Umbrella", the best water protection song since the Hollies' "Bus Stop", derives its strength from an ambling guitar and a stumblebum drum beat. "I got my black umbrella/to shelter me from falling rain/I forgot to tell her/She can join me and do the same/One thing that will always remain/When you think everything is going down the drain/I'll keep you warm and dry/Warm and dry". Part of the song's charm is the willingness to share comfort and protection with the less fortunate. That selflessness appears again on "Better Road": "If it's just a ride that we are on/I'll hold on tight 'til the ride is gone/ And go on to a better road for me/And it's a better road for you." Did I mention optimism? Keyboards give a carnival atmosphere to "Underwater Dream", a fade out and returning fade up add a gleeful, nostalgic touch to "4:18", and fuzzy guitar and cheery handclaps make "No Surprises" a romp and roll wonder. Even what could have been a downbeat closing image on "Out My Window" ("I'm waiting for the sun/but some days it don't come") is counteracted by the cheerful, repititious acoustic guitar melody. Melancholia hasn't a chance with this record. Tony Lash, co-producer of Eric Matthews' brilliant _The Lateness of the Hour_, deserves praise for his co-production here. Unlike Even's first album, which essentially captured their live set at the time, _Come Again_ was developed in the studio, with a mindset that the band wouldn't bind itself to music that could be easily reproduced live. As such, there are numerous frills which will make a live translation that much more intriguing. Check out http://www.rubberrecords.com.au for even more info. --- REVIEW: Buckcherry, _Buckcherry_ (Dreamworks) - Christina Apeles Sometimes the second time around isn't so painful. Take the "Buckcherry wrath," for instance. I was ready to blow them off as mere AC/DC wannabes after the first track "Lit Up" opened with lead singer Joshua Todd wailing "Oh, yeah," undeniably colored with AC/DC reverberations. But upon a second listen, _Buckcherry_ is not a complete waste of aural recreation. I imagine a guy with headphones on (cordless these days, I'm sure) listening to Buckcherry, donning his favorite black, band T-shirt with any legendary rock band from decades ago (because they are still wearing those) in the privacy of his room, laying on his bed with air guitar in tow (of course), blowing his eardrums out. After listening to songs like "Dead Again" and "Dirty Mind," you get the feeling that the guitarist's fingers must bleed from shredding the strings, the drummer drenched in sweat after pounding through one chorus, all while you're astounded the lead singer hasn't lost his voice yet from screaming so much and smoking three packs of cigarettes a day. Yes, _Buckcherry_ is rock music. --- REVIEW: 10,000 Maniacs, _The Earth Pressed Flat_ (Bar None) - Jon Steltenpohl 10,000 Maniacs' new album is more of the same for the reconstituted band. _The Earth Pressed Flat_ finds 10,000 Maniacs at essentially the same place they were an album ago with _Love Among the Ruins_. On _Ruins_, it was clear that the band was used to being fronted by a powerful lead vocalist, and they still hadn't adjusted to Mary Ramsey at the lead. _The Earth Pressed Flat_ improves on Ramsey's integration, but not everything clicks yet. "Ellen" is done beautifully from the band's standpoint, but, unfortunately, Ramsey's voice just doesn't carry the piece. The melody is kind of repetitious, and it doesn't really go anywhere. She gets better on "Once a City", and comes closer to matching the orchestration. (Her violin and viola are much more exquisite than her vocals.) "Glow" is a quiet, piano driven piece that's solemn, and Ramsey doesn't need to try and overpower it. As a result, "Glow" gives Ramsey a chance to show that she is developing a more soulful presence. Her voice is loosening up, and she is finding the freedom that being a lead vocalist affords. Given that Ramsey hasn't completely found her voice yet, the reformed Maniacs still sound about like the original Maniacs circa _The Wishing Chair_. "Beyond the Blue" focuses on streaming guitar lines that trail from major keys to minor in an unsettling way. The balance is never broken, but it comes close. "On & On (Mersey Tune)" is probably the best track. It could have been on any of the early 10,000 Maniacs. It rolls and flows with a punchy little tune. Some hints of _In My Tribe_ are there, and if the song is any indication, the next 10,000 Maniacs album could be very promising. "Cabaret", another standout, sounds closest to a combination of the 10,000 Maniacs and John and Mary sounds, and, along with "On & On", it shows the most promising direction for the band to take. Like the best of the 10,000 Maniacs sound, the music is made to fit around the vocals in intricate little dances. There's a slight touch of guitar here, a shimmer of cymbals there, and Ramsey's vocals set the beat and melody with a tale of a raucous cabaret. "Cabaret" has lovelorn lyrics like "from afar he sees Venus rise / overwhelmingly beautiful / he sighs / the look of love was in her eyes" and esoteric cultural references like "Fellini would be proud." But ultimately, _The Earth Pressed Flat_ is an album that, like _Love Among the Ruins_, doesn't quite meet your hopes and expectations. It was recorded more organically and with less overdubs than _Ruins_, and that helps a bit. But, it doesn't overcome the fact that the emotion and passion still aren't up to the level of the old 10,000 Maniacs. But, it's tough to fault Ramsey for having to live in Merchant's shadow, and it's silly to expect the band to sound like it's been together for 15 years. Still, for a quiet, lyrical album, _The Earth Pressed Flat_ is an enjoyable, if not spectacular, album. Visit http://www.maniacs.com for tour dates and lyrics. --- INTERVIEW: Atom Ellis from Dieselhed - Matthew Carlin In theory, it sounds like a concerted effort to shun fame and fortune: make the first album for your new label a collection of older, mellower tunes that have been kicking around your set list for years. But for the members of Dieselhed it made perfect sense. Bong Load Records honchos Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf thought so too. And given their track record with once-obscure songwriting folks like Beck and Elliot Smith, their musical instincts are usually pretty good. A couple days before crossing the pond to tour Europe opening for Cake and Fountains of Wayne, bassist Atom Ellis kindly felt like "telling the truth about this corrupt band once and for all." From his abode in San Francisco, with a beer in his hand, Atom described the humble--well, okay, drunken--origins of Dieselhed, which included an earlier, pre-Ellis incarnation actually called Dieselhed in which the band played "Hank Williams and Black Sabbath covers mostly" and some other Humboldt County bands with names like Eggly Bagel Face and Brent's TV. Despite several annoying music journalist-type questions, Atom was happy to answer everything, all the while exuding a true enthusiasm and love for music rarely seen in "the biz." Consumable Online: So how did Dieselhed come to be? Atom Ellis: One day, after I just got off a bad tour with a band I was in--it was an early romantic era band that was trying to introduce the French six chord way too early--I was drinking in a local bar to forget some old girlfriend. I saw a guy I used to go to high school with, Virgil [Shaw, guitarist/singer], who introduced me to Zac [Holtzman, guitarist/singer], and he asked me if I wanted to go back to his house later that night and play some music. Like a drunk guy I said "yes," but when I got back home and realized how dizzy I was I realized there was no way I was gonna drag my amp and shit up to his house. So I decided I'd just bring this washtub bass I had just built up there and have them laugh me out of the place. The funny part was they were waiting for me with home-made fretless banjos. So completely by accident we started a jug band called Hoof. C.O. Every article about the band mentions some extended trip to Alaska, so where does that fit in? A.E. After Hoof played a few art shows and breakfast places to like 17 people total, Virgil and Zac decided to make some real money in the fishing biz and split for Alaska for about 6 months or something. You'll have to ask them how they did cause they never told anyone. I still haven't figured out if they're embarrassed for not making anything or they just don't want me to try and borrow money from them. When they came back they found that Danny [Heifetz, drums] and Shon [McAlinn, guitar had moved back to the Bay Area and decided to give "Dieselhed" a second chance. They had another bass player named Rich Engle and I actually went to see them a couple times and thought they were funny. But it wasn't that funny, 'cause now with Hoof on the back burner and my solo career sputtering, all I could do was show up to their gigs and yell "You suck shit!" Eventually, my heckling must of got to Rich who took an extensive vacation to South America, and that's when I made my move. C.O. How does the songwriting work? A.E. Typically, Zac or Virgil will bring in anything between a vague idea to a pretty completed song and we build it up from there. Sometimes it's almost only lyrics and we get lots to work on. Other times practice is spent convincing Virgil that his song sounds great without me and Danny banging all over it. We've tried other formulas but I think that one works the best. C.O. How was it touring with Link Wray? A.E. Playing with Link has honestly been one of the most fun things I've done in music. Not because he's "LINK WRAY--GUITAR LEGEND," but because you can tell he still feels what he's doing. He loves to play. I told Link, after a tour or two, that I was scared before I first met him that he'd be a tired old fart that was just going through the motions for the money. I even thought about taking CPR before the tour. Man, was I wrong. I found myself just trying to keep up with the guy. He's punk as fuck. He just turns up his guitar as loud as it will go and rocks. He has 10 times the energy of most of the people I know in their 20s and rocks harder too. C.O. It seems like you guys genuinely enjoy playing. Is it a conscious effort to keep it from becoming a job? A.E. It's really simple. Basic physics--you don't need Francis Bacon around to explain--if you've been in a band as long as us and your making about as much money at it as us, you're doing it for fun. C.O. So, do you like touring or do you prefer playing in the Bay area? A.E. Playing at home is always fun cause there's usually more people at the shows, but you kinda get the feeling like you're just spinning your wheels unless you reach new audiences one way or another. Plus, I love the fucking road itself. Truck stops, national parks, thrift stores. Oh man. See, I'm getting excited. Dieselhed has always been a fun band to tour with 'cause everyone likes to play games too. We always have some baseball gloves and bats laying around the van and a soccer ball and a basketball. Touring rules. C.O. What prompted the move to Bong Load? Are you still friends with (former label) Amarillo Records? A.E. I will always love Amarillo Records. Gregg Turkington, the Amarillo prez, is a slimy crook, but he's nice about it. He'll steal all your money, double it at the craps table in Vegas, then laugh about it 4 years later and pay you back in pennies--out of the rolls. You have to admire that. I can't say we're friends, but I admire him. We did like 6 releases--3 LPs, I think--on Amarillo. For us moving to Bong Load meant mostly a change of scenery, to get our shit heard by a new audience. And a chance to work with Rob and Tom in the studio, which every band should get to do at least once in a perfect world. C.O. What made you decide to make the first Bong Load album older, slower tunes, rather than more raucous new ones? A.E. Those were just surplus slow songs that we had laying around. When we would go through the song selection process on previous recording projects we'd be sitting there with about 8 mid-tempo to fast numbers and about 15 slow ones and only half the slow ones would get on. The other ones--i.e. "Elephant Rest Home"--didn't seem weak to us or anything, but we were concerned with people falling asleep. That's kinda what the title was about, like all these songs went to rest together but they weren't exactly dead. It was making us sad to think that some of our favorite songs were getting left in the dust so we recorded them at a friend's studio. When Tom and Rob heard them as kind of a demo they said "We want to release that." Once I even got nervous about the idea of releasing the "sleepy" record and called Tom at like 2 A.M. asking him, "Man, are you sure we should do this as our first release with you guys? It's gonna give people the wrong idea... I mean, ah... errr... um..." And he'd be calming me down, "Relax, it's exactly the kinda Dieselhed album I'd want to release first." Turns out it's definitely the album I'm most proud of. C.O. You've played a lot of shows with Cake, how has that been? A.E. You know, lot's of people want to write Cake off as a "radio band." I know I did before really hearing them live. But if you do that, you just might miss out on something good. Maybe I'm just speaking like a guy locked in a closet, 'cause I kinda am--no cable, no MTV, and I don't work as a painter or carpenter so I don't listen to AOR radio all day. I just figured "Oh, Cake, they're that band with that pop song on the radio, right? They're probably not my thing." It was only after really listening to them play a few times that I thought to myself, "Hey, this fucker--later I found out his name was John--writes really good fucking songs!" And I can also watch Todd, their drummer, play all night. He's world class, man. C.O. So how does the Cake crowd usually react to the wonder that is Dieselhed? A.E. Their crowd is really young and actually listens. It's kinda neat. During the first shows we played with Cake I was just waiting for the crowd to boo us off the stage, cause I know our sound is not exactly mainstream or anything. But they didn't. Sometimes they're quiet during the first few songs like a hung jury, but they're listening and often they end up really liking it. That's all you can ever really hope for when you're an unknown band playing for a larger band's audience--is that the crowd listens. Then it's up to you, man. I must say younger crowds are, generally speaking, a lot more prone to listen to shit they're not used to than older crowds. And I can say that cause I'm an older guy, 33. Older crowds, generally speaking, seem to already know what they want to hear, and if you don't play it or something similar--that's it, you lost 'em. C.O. I know Danny has various other musical projects; do you and the rest of the band play in any other bands or have any other things you do? A.E. Most of us all do other projects. I think that's good for bands. I've been lucky to be able to only play music for a while now. It started off as an experiment and has lasted for about two-and-a-half years so far. Danny and I do the Link thing occasionally--we'll be going out on a West coast/Southwest thing three days after we get back from Europe. And the Bong Load guys have also been using us as a rhythm section for some recording projects--Carl Rux, Richard Thompson. But my main thing has been making music and SFX for video games in my room. It's also been a lot more fulfilling than I thought it might. All my Nino Rota/Ennio Morricone/Bernard Hermann/Lalo Schiffrin/Goblin fantasies come true. And it's kinda leading to other stuff as well--people asking about music for their indie films and stuff. Bunny Ranch Studios, I call it. My life makes things hell for my tax guy. C.O. So, are you psyched about going to Europe? A.E. Never even been over the pond, can't wait. I want to compare truck stops. --- REVIEW: The Go-betweens, _Bellavista Terrace (Best of The Go-betweens)_ (Beggars Banquet/Capitol) - David Landgren The '80s were an exceptionally vibrant and dynamic period in Australian pop music. In turn, The Go-betweens remain the finest exponents of a certain conception of guitar-based pop melodies. If you haven't yet discovered them, now is the time to take the plunge. Here we are, a decade after they decided to call it quits. Over the past couple of years, Beggars Banquet re-released all their albums on CDs. To long-time fans, this was a godsend, a chance to retire aging vinyl albums, to be able to play them at long last on a CD player. I'm not sure, however, that the band picked up many new listeners in the exercise. Having six albums to choose from makes it difficult to decide where to start. What better way then, to get to learn to love The Go-betweens than a compilation of some of the best stuff they put out. The compilation places an emphasis on the latter albums, a sentiment I quite agree with. There are no tracks from the first album _Send me a lullaby_, which is probably just as well; it's certainly my least favourite. From their final album _16 Lovers Lane_ are the songs "Was there anything I could do?," "Streets of your town" and "Dive for your memory." The last song is certainly one of the most achingly beautiful pop songs about love we will ever be likely to hear. As much as _16 Lovers Lane_ was their swan song, their previous album _Tallulah_ was where they really shone. The arrangements are lush, the lyrics are poetic and the sense of optimism in the band's future is infectious. From this album, the tracks selected are the restless, simmering "The house that Jack Kerouac built" and the subdued yet uplifting "Bye bye pride." This is a record that could have changed the course of pop history. The secret ingredient that sets the album apart from what they had done before is Amanda Brown, who brought the Go-betweens violin and oboe. It was such a perfect complement to Forster's and McLennan's songwriting. _Before Hollywood_, their second and last album as a trio (Robert Forster, Grant McLennan and Lindy Morrison) is represented by "Cattle and Cane" and "That way." Try as I might to avoid the trap of fruitless arguments ("Why didn't they include *that* song?"), I must profess a certain amount of perplexity as to why "Dusty in here" wasn't used instead. The next two albums, _Spring Hill Fair_ and _Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express_, saw the band rounded out with the addition of Robert Vickers on bass. From the former is "Part company," "Draining the pool for you," "Man o'sand to girl o'sea" and "Bachelor kisses," and from the latter there is "Head full of steam," "The wrong road" and "Spring rain." No doubt Go-betweens fans have been (and always will be) endlessly debating why these songs were chosen and not others, but at the end of the day I can't really find fault with the selections; it's as good as anything anyone else could come up with. If it inspires you to go and investigate the rest of their material, then that's really all that matters. --- REVIEW: Rick Springfield, _Karma_ (Platinum Records) - Jason Cahill 80's pop icon Rick Springfield is back with an album of new material, his first in more than ten years. But don't call it a comeback (1988's _Rock of Life_ was Springfield's attempt at a comeback). This is more like an attempt at complete career reversal of fortunes. If you believe VH-1's "Behind The Music", the reasons for his absence from an industry he once dominated range from emotional meltdown to a complete lack of confidence to the belief that his brand of pop music had been passed over by everything from grunge to hip-hop to swing. No matter what the reason for the absence, it's important to note that reports of his musical demise have been slightly premature as evidenced by his latest release, _Karma_, a slightly uneven album with flashes of the kind of guitar-driven pop we remember well. Most similar in sound to the aforementioned _Rock of Life_, _Karma_ is a collection of pure pop songs with Springfield's signature hooks. Will anything on _Karma_ necessitate a second greatest hits album? Probably not. In fact, "It's Always Something" might be the only song on Karma worthy of being grouped with those great pop songs of years past, but that doesn't mean that the rest of Karma is lacking its share of musical gems. "Shock to the System" is an introspective ballad which is smartly written, dark and wistful. "Prayer" is an outright pop song, light on the guitars and heavy on the sentiment, but catchy as hell. In fact, say what you will about Springfield's musical legacy, but one thing is certain - his ability to write perfect pop songs is a talent matched by only a handful of current musicians (Fountains of Wayne and The Smithereens come to mind). Those, however, looking for another "Jesse's Girl" might be just a bit disappointed. Nothing on _Karma_ hits a nerve in quite the same way. In fact, it seems that in a span of about ten or fifteen years, Springfield has moved ever so casually from rock to adult contemporary, both in sound and attitude. The energetic rocker has been seemingly replaced by a kinder, gentler Rick Springfield. Nowhere on _Karma_ is this more evident than on "Religion of the Heart" and "Free", both slow-moving ballads which meander their way to completion. But perhaps _Karma_'s most troubling aspect is its synthetic sound. A large majority of the tracks seem processed and lacking any kind of raw energy necessary on an album that claims itself to be in the rock genre. Drum machines are a necessary and acceptable component for musicians like Chemical Brothers and, to a certain extent, Beck. But on a rock album it does nothing but serve to detract from the intended sound, unless of course an artificial sound is what's intended. But that said, the majority of _Karma_ is downright enjoyable, the type of ear candy noticeably absent from much of today's music. While it might not thrust Rick Springfield back onto the rock music main stage, _Karma_ does prove that the a once forgotten icon can still produce relevant and entirely enjoyable music. --- REVIEW: Joan of Arc, _Live in Chicago 1999_ (Jade Tree) - Andrew Duncan Joan of Arc's latest release may frighten those who hate to buy live albums. But the deception lies in the title, which is the only aspect to draw from the traditional definition of a live album. Nary is there a collection of greatest hits played to a group of screaming fans. The only thing that you will hear on this album is experimentation through the use of a multi-track studio. Tim Kinsella (vocals, guitars, bass, piano, the whole shebang) wanted to make the liveliest album a studio project has ever seen. And he has succeeded -- somewhat. The ex-member of post-punkers Cap'n Jazz and native Chicagoan, Kinsella has emerged from the Tortoise and Flying Saucer Attack clique and developed a combination mixture of Spaceman 3-style droning with neo-folk rock. With the help of Jeremy Boyle (keyboards, computers, bass) and Todd Mattei (guitar and bass), the CD begins with subtle guitar hums that is as groggy as waking from a deep sleep. Slowly the song intriguingly titled "It's easier to drink on an empty stomach than eat on a broken heart" unfolds like an alien emerging from a science fiction film. The music blends well, transitioning to "Who's afraid of Elizabeth Taylor?" which leaves an edgy scenario while an acoustic guitar creates an alchemist viewpoint. However, things change when Kinselia adds vocals to the music, which tends to leave a whiny aftertaste. And "(I'm 5 senses) none of them common" is almost unbearable, alternating from a rat-a-tat snare drum onslaught to whimsical pubescent vocal squawks. Luckily, the band relapses back to drony territory, and the prolonged jams seem to be the things that matter the most. The band is precise and talented with an ear for soothing sounds, only when the music is missing words. --- REVIEW: Maryanne, _Your First, Your Last, Your Everything_ (Contingency) - Chris Hill The albums that sync with one's consciousness are rare and treasured. In those seven minutes before one falls asleep, these are the albums that pop up on the mental jukebox, staving off sleep with lyrics that resonate with clever writing or human observation and music that brims with addictive hooks and flair. Then, as time goes by, the pole position changes as songs reveal unnoticed facets and shine with newfound light - these albums continually reintroduce themselves, even as they age into old friends. Sidewinders/Sand Rubies singer David Slutes now adds another entry to that list: his first album with side-project Maryanne. "See You in September" sets the hook immediately with a Lothario caught pants down when one of his twelve women arrives unexpectedly, outside her scheduled month ("In June I saw May, in April I saw June/In February I saw Mary...I'll see you in September"). Sunny and engaging, as guitar pop should be, with enough alliteration to tease and delight, yet not overwhelm. "Record Collection", its bookend, is another excellent example of lyrical wordplay. A tribute to the vinyl that inspires fanatical devotion, the song namedrops various artists, while praising the justified longevity of the medium. "Under the Weather" is a song which should be quoted in its entirety. The lyrics reveal the complexities of a decayed relationship with oblique references - the forces that attract and repel simultaneously at work between the couple. "See, way out here/There's only you and I and this sunken sky/to hear all the lies we tell each other". Camping in the desert, in the place "we hoped we wouldn't find each other", the song title applies both to their physical location and their love. It's an image that carries weight and power. The same power is present, either overtly or covertly, throughout the release. "A Long, Long Time" is a cry for space away from a woman sending mixed, post-breakup messages ("You say you're lonely/If you're lonely, why then/is everything fine?"). "Alaska" pleads for the same space in a physical sense, setting the state up as a haven from whatever demons and disappointments plague the writer. "Wretched Song" lovingly looks at the impact of 70's radio, when trite clichés gained relevance thanks to the airwaves. "Horoscope" plays a man with his feet on the ground against a woman with her eyes on the stars, his realistic nature at odds with her trust in a cosmic force. "Everyone Knows" reunites Slutes with Paula Jean Brown, who previously appeared on the Sidewinders' "Came On Like the Sun". The duet trades barbs with edgy wit: "If hope was a rope, you would have me twisting in the wind", "You'd think you were a catch by the way you act/I know you're lazy, Mom thinks you're on crack". Brown's sweet voice takes some of the sting from the words, but not enough to foil their intent. Two covers round out the ten tracks - Leonard Cohen's fantastic "Chelsea Hotel" revitalized by strong electric guitar work and 20/20's "Yellow Pills", a lustrously glossy rendition. Comprised of Slutes, guitarist Robin Johnson, bassist Kelly Burd, and drummer Winston Watson - all reputable Tucson musicians - Maryanne's a formidable combo. Rich Hopkins, the Sand Rubies' guitarist, has proven he's got more than one ace up his sleeve with his Luminarios releases. It's satisfying to see David Slutes prove the same with _Your First..._. For further information, check out http://www.contingency.com . --- REVIEW: Eden White, _This Is The Way..._ (Delirium/Touchwood) - Linda Scott If you haven't heard of Eden White, we can almost guarantee that you will. Ms. White is an extremely talented artist whose most recent achievement was winning the 1998 Lilith Fair Acoustic Talent Search. This win brought her the opportunity to play for 10,000 people and share the stage with Sarah McLaughlin. Prior to this she was awarded a coveted performance slot in the Songwriter's Hall of Fame Songwriter Showcase. Call her a female Billy Joel, and you won't be far off the mark. Ms. White's strong suits are her songwriting and her piano abilities. _This Is The Way..._ was originally just on the artist's Delirium label. Now she is with Touchstone also, and she is thrilled to be signed to a label. If you want to know a bit more about her, go to Ms. White's website at http://www.edenwhite.com. ; you'll get a picture of an intelligent woman trying to make it in the music business. No surprise, then, that she was in pre-med until she dropped out to lay her future on the line in the music business. _This Is The Way..._ is reminiscent of its influences; Billy Joel, Nancy Marchand, Barbara Streisand. Clear vocals sounding sweet, sexy, longing, whatever fits. Ms. White did all the vocals, piano, some acoustic guitar, and flute, on the album. Each song is very personal to her, but the tracks cause universal smiles and pain. Listen to just the first two tracks, and you feel the pain of love and death. These two are "Song Unsung" and "This Is The Way", both have very strong melodies and lyrics. If you like pop sung by a woman whose lyrics and melodies blend beautifully, then get _This Is The Way..._. Eden White is now playing bookstores and small clubs, but in the future she might share the stage with the Piano Man himself. We're going to hear from her. --- REVIEW: Splender, _Halfway Down The Sky_ (Columbia) - Bill Holmes If Matchbox 20 can be thought of as a dynamic band with their finger on the pulse of the moment, then Splender should have no problem owning those same airwaves. I just don't know if that's a compliment. The first six tracks on the record could almost be listened to at random, although the choice of the staccato-guitar "What I Don't Understand" as the opener is probably a wise one. "Yeah, Whatever", the single, builds nicely, and along with "Spaceboy", "Monotone" and "Special" makes for a decent start. The best cut, "I Think God Can Explain", is that type of heart-bleeding ballad that you just know a youth oriented nighttime soap will snap up as background music for lover's longing looks. But after those six cuts the record goes downhill fast. I can't quite put my finger on what it is that they are missing. They're all good players, and singer Waymon Boone has a strong, radio-friendly voice. No one gets lost in overdone noodling solos - in fact most of the playing is compact. What I do see, however, is a band trying hard to oversell its weaker material through overblown angst. "Supernatural" and "Spin" are the worst offenders, examples of cliche alternative rock that we've all heard a thousand times before. Todd Rundgren produced the record, which astounds me. Not because he hadn't produced anyone in years - and the fact that he did is quite a coup for a new band - but because it lacks all the usual Runt touches. No uptempo pop moments, no Beatle-ish harmony arrangements, and certainly no sense of humor. The band, and apparently Todd, took the whole thing so seriously that there's nothing left to fall back upon when the song isn't there. And for Splender, that’s about half the record. The press release touts the intensity of the band's performance and writing, stating that the songs "explode, withdraw, seduce and then overwhelm". So far, I'm only operating on the first two cylinders. --- NEWS: > _No Boundaries_, a compilation album benefitting the refugees of Kosovo, will be released on Epic Records on June 15. Artists contributing rare, live and previously unreleased versions of songs include Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Alanis Morissette, Neil Young, Oasis, KoRn, Black Sabbath, Indigo Girls, Ben Folds Five, Peter Gabriel, The Wallflowers, Sarah McLachlan, Bush, Tori Amos, and Jamiroquai. > The latest single from Alanis Morissette's _Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie_ album will be "So Pure", slated for an early June release. --- TOUR DATES: Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs May 20 Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills May 22 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theater May 23 Tinley Park, IL World Music Theater Beastie Boys May 19-20 Sydney, Aus Hordern Pavillion May 21 Newcastle, Aus Entertainment Center May 22 Brisbane, Aus Riverstage May 25-26 Melbourne, Aus Forum Theater Black Crowes / Lenny Kravitz / Everlast May 21 Pittsburgh, PA Starlake Amphitheatre May 22 Detroit, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre May 25 Bristow, VA Nissan Pavillion at Stone May 26 Philadelphia, PA Blockbuster/Sony Music Mary Chapin Carpenter May 20 New York, NY Tramps May 21 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center May 22 Burlington, VT Flynn Center May 23 Concord, NH Capitol Center May 25 Portland, ME Merrill Auditorium Chapter In Verse May 21-22 Nantucket Island, MA The Chicken Box Alanis Morissette May 22 Nuremberg, Germany Rock Im Park May 23 Nurnberging, Germany Rock Am Ring May 24 Landgraaf, Hollan Pinkpop Festival May 26 Rotterdam, Holland The Ahoy Mike Ness May 19 Milwaukee, WI Modjeska Theater May 21 Detroit, MI Majestic Theater May 22 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall May 23 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts May 25 Cleveland, OH Agora Theater May 26 Greensburg, PA Palace Theater May 27 Buffalo, NY The Tralf Pinetop Seven May 21 Atlanta, GA Echo Lounge May 22 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 May 23 Baltimore, MD Fletcher's May 24 Washington, DC The Black Cat May 25 Philadelphia, PA Nick's May 26 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's Those Bastard Souls May 23 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's May 25 Washington, DC Black Cat May 26 Carrboro, NC West End Events Center Verve Pipe / Papa Vegas May 19 Pontiac, MI 7th House May 20 Cleveland, OH Odeon May 21 Columbus, OH Ludlow's May 22 Indianapolis, IN Vogue Theatre May 26 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl --- 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 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. PMB 294, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 ===