== ISSUE 178 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [May 27, 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 Also Contributing: Dan Birchall 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: The Cranberries, _Bury the Hatchet_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Ron Sexsmith, _Whereabouts_ - Matthew Carlin REVIEW: Fish, _Raingods With Zippos_ - Dan Birchall REVIEW: Backsliders, _Southern Lines_ - Tracey Bleile REVIEW: The Old 97s, _Fight Songs_ - John Davidson REVIEW: Lit, _A Place in the Sun_ / Citizen King, _Mobile Estates_ - Scott Slonaker INTERVIEW: Sally Taylor - Joann D. Ball REVIEW: Sponge, _New Pop Sunday_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Kreidler, _Appearance and The Park_ - David Landgren REVIEW: Colin Hay, _Transcendental Highway_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Mary Chapin Carpenter, _Party Doll and Other Favorites_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Moa, _Universal_ - Tracey Bleile REVIEW: Graham Parker, _The Mona Lisa's Sister_ - Bill Holmes REVIEW: Whistler, _Whistler_ - Chris Hill ERRATA: Rick Springfield NEWS: New York City's Z-100 "Zootopia" TOUR DATES: Beastie Boys, Black Crowes / Lenny Kravitz / Everlast, Candy Butchers, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Chapter In Verse, Floraline, Ben Harper, Alanis Morissette, Van Morrison, Beth Orton, Pinetop Seven, Rammstein, 764-HERO, Skunk Anansie, Sonic Youth, Sparklehorse / Mercury Rev, Sally Taylor, George Thorogood / Jake Andrews, Those Bastard Souls, UB40, Verve Pipe / Papa Vegas Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: The Cranberries, _Bury the Hatchet_ (Island) - Jon Steltenpohl For Cranberries fans, _Bury the Hatchet_ has been worth the wait. O'Riordan and crew are back, and the only changes are those small, incremental improvements that result in an instantly familiar album that will completely satisfy the faithful. You'll get the trademark soulful Delores O'Riordan backed appropriately by either scathing guitar or ethereal atmosphere. O'Riordan can either deliver a breathless lullaby or howlingly mad banshee, and the band keeps up with every step. There is not tendency by the band to add in the proverbial kitchen sink, yet the arrangements are neither lacking nor sparse. It's just that they fit the songs perfectly. It's a remarkable show of skill and restraint. In "Copycat", there's shimmering guitar bubbles that lash out, a driving acoustic guitar that keeps the beat, and blossoming cymbals. The guitar solo is a slight, Cure inspired line that keeps repeating over and over. It's a driving, pulsing song with O'Riordan's vocals supported at every twist and turn. A song later, on "What's on My Mind", features a simple formula -- take simple guitar, strings, and straightforward drums on a plain song with O'Riordan's expressive voice skirting around the edges. The Cranberries do their thing so effortlessly on _Bury the Hatchet_ that it is easy to forget the skill involved in making an album that is so instantaneously accessible. In one or two listens, you begin cherishing the melodies. You sing along as if the album has been a favorite for years, and you fail to see how you will ever get tired of it. Songs go by and transition from harsh to quiet and scathing to touching without a single pause or interruption. _Bury the Hatchet_ is an album that you can listen to as an experience rather than a collection of singles. In a way, The Cranberries have fulfilled the promises of another "O", the early Sinead O'Connor. On her debut, _The Lion and The Cobra_, O'Connor found a way to be both ruthless and tender, shy and sinister. But, after only one more album, O'Connor's life became a side show, and her music faded. The Cranberries have had some of the same distractions, but O'Riordan and company give the listener what they want... passion and conviction. Whether it's the personal lyrics of songs like "Promises" or "Animal Instinct" or the provocative lyrics of tracks like the anti-molestation tune "Fee Fi Fo", The Cranberries communicate to the listener directly and intensely. O'Riordan is still showing us her underbelly, and she's making us feel what she feels. Her lyrics are consistently direct and rather simple. "Dying in the Sun" is a sad little song of frailty and regret that closes the album. O'Riordan's voice is layered in counterpoint harmonies with a simply piano background. Sing's O'Riordan "I wanted to be so perfect you see, I wanted to be so perfect." The pain and remorse in her voice is touching and tearful. By the fourth album, many bands give up on such honesty. Without question, The Cranberries have proved themselves to be one of the best bands of the 90's. _Bury the Hatchet_ simply is the final chapter in the first decade of The Cranberries. They might not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those who have fallen in love with The Cranberries, it is hard to find another band that has so steadfastly stuck to their own sound and produced consistently compelling albums. _Bury the Hatchet_ is, thankfully, just what you'd expect from a band as good as The Cranberries. --- REVIEW: Ron Sexsmith, _Whereabouts_ (Interscope) - Matthew Carlin Just about every reference point with which to describe Ron Sexsmith's music comes from a time most whipper-snappers these days know nothing about. The golden age of the singer/songwriter - a fecund time for unshaven guys with long hair and acoustic guitars - started in the late-60s and all but disappeared a decade later. Sexsmith himself wistfully recounts his formative days in the early-90s playing Neil Young covers to unreceptive bar patrons in his native Canada. Now, after punk rock has been fully co-opted and indie rock has retreated into its collegiate cave, discerning music consumers are again buying well-crafted pop songs. Lying somewhere between the grandiose musical extravaganzas of Rufus Wainwright and the straightforward strumming of Elliott Smith, _Whereabouts_ boasts a full battalion of horns, strings and vintage keyboards, but never sounds cluttered. Although the instrumentation on _Whereabouts_ is more involved than that of Sexsmith's last release, _Other Songs,_ the production of the new tunes somehow seems a bit more focused. Yet the overall effect still feels loose and organic. Whereas the horns on "Clown in Broad Daylight" from _Other Songs_ seem to jump out and announce their arrival, the abundant brass and reeds on the new platter tastefully slink their way in and out of arrangements, remaining supportive rather than overpowering. On the soulful, organ-driven "Right About Now," Sexsmith starts with a laid back groove and slowly builds to a gentle string part that complements the final lines of the song quite nicely: "So my pen's writing this song,/but tonight the words are coming out wrong./I think I'll just let my heart speak./I sure could use your love/right about now./Oh, I need your love,/wish I could feel your love." Thanks in large part to uber-producers Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, _Whereabouts_ is a rare gem of an album in which the actual sounds used match each song perfectly. Despite an impressive cast of musicians - which includes downtown New York jazzers like bassist Brad Jones, cellist Jane Scarpantoni, reed player Chris Speed and trumpeter Cuong Vu, among others - Sexsmith, Froom and Blake present a carefully orchestrated pop album that never lets any one player stand out above each song as a whole. It's hard not to lapse into cliched critic jargon and use words like "tunesmith" and "craftsman" when describing Sexsmith's music. Which isn't a bad thing at all. And while the spin doctors at his label like to play up the fact that Elvis Costello is a fan of Sexsmith ("I've been playing it all year and could listen to it for another 20," said the bespectacled Brit of Sexsmith's first album, if you must know), what really matters here is the songs. Sexsmith offsets somber ditties like "Riverbed" and "In a Flash" with more upbeat tracks like the rocking "Beautiful View" and the Sgt. Peppers-style march of "One Grey Morning," the end result being a great album well worth many listens. --- REVIEW: Fish, _Raingods With Zippos_ (Roadrunner) - Dan Birchall Fresh on the heels of the _Kettle of Fish_ compilation celebrating the first decade of his solo career, former Marillion frontman Fish has returned with "Raingods With Zippos," featuring diverse songs that let him make good use of the vocal range fans love. The album begins with "Tumbledown," sandwiching a driving rock song between opening and closing piano solos. "Mission Statement" rocks just as hard and features great lyrics, aiming to make the world a better place - even if it means not getting some work done. Fish duets with Elisabeth Antwi on "Incomplete," a very pretty song about lost love. "Tilted Cross" features slightly more cryptic lyrics, but is every bit as pretty musically. "Faith Healer" is harder, with a fairly straightforward subject, and music that would have fit easily into Queensryche's "Rage for Order" in 1986. The individual songs draw to a close with another slow song of lost love, "Rites of Passage" - but the album's not over yet. Like many progressive artists, Fish has a penchant for the occasional multi-song conceptual work. In this case, the second half of the album consists of "Plague of Ghosts," a twenty-five minute piece in six parts about love, loss and rebirth. Spanning the musical spectrum from ambient sound and spoken word to up-tempo pop, this should leave no doubt that Fish still has as much talent as ever. --- REVIEW: Backsliders, _Southern Lines_ (Mammoth) - Tracey Bleile Not all that long ago, Chip Robinson, singer and principal songwriter of Raleigh, N.C.'s Backsliders found himself living out the extreme end of a country song cliche, and it wasn't just a girl who left him or a truck that broke down. More like the defection of most of his band, just as the Backsliders were coming off the success of their first alt.country release, _Throwing Rocks At The Moon_ and halfway into the recording of their new effort for Mammoth, _Southern Lines_. Robinson lost his foil when his co-writer and singer Steve Howell had a parting of the ways with Robinson musically, and, finally, emotionally. _Southern Lines_ is in more ways than one then a nod to memories and regrets. The songs are filled with bluesy sentiment and hard knocks. The simpler country feel of Howell's songs remain in sharp contrast to Robinson's more aggressive barroom rock. The songs that showcase the last of their collaboration is of course, a magical blend of the two, the sad shuffle of "It Rained On Monday" follows the boozy snarl of "Don't Ask Me Why." The regret can truly be found in that the sound is far more developed and emotionally deep than _Throwing Rocks_. There are touches of many influences, but mostly a meeting of the ways once again of Chapel Hill jangle, southern rock grit and a voice that speaks weary volumes, nasal twang and all (shades of Neil Young, it's true), revealing one of the better-developed acts of the genre. Original lineup guitarist Brad Rice returned to help finish the album, and with the addition of a new crew of Backsliders, _Southern Lines_ did indeed see the brightening gray light of day. Like the last album, _Southern_ struts up out of the shadows and up to the bar in a swingin' blaze of cockiness with the opener (and first single) "Abe Lincoln," or takes you on a two-step around the room with a number like "Burning Bed," then slumps down in a chair, telling a sad story to anyone who will listen in "Two Candles." Honesty, faith, warmth, hope lost and hope found are Chip Robinson's touchstones. May those feelings never become cliches only found in a country song. The Backsliders succeed in making you believe it could be true. --- REVIEW: The Old 97s, _Fight Songs_ (Elektra) - John Davidson What's happening to the alt.country thing? Uncle Tupelo disappeared in 1994. The Jayhawks' _Sound Of Lies_ in '97 was a brilliant love letter to Big Star. This year, Wilco culminated their indifference towards anything country with the magnificent _Summer Teeth_. With beacons of "No Depression" seeking such lush pop fields, it's not much of a surprise to see another one of their kin, the Old 97s, wandering in a similar direction on _Fight Songs_. That's not to say that the scorched bluegrass flavorings and old-school country heartbreak have disappeared on _Fight Songs_; they've merely become influences, instead of foundations for song structure. The rugged backbeat on "Jagged," the twinkling banjo on "Lonely Holiday," even the fuzztone lead over the bouncy 2/2 in "Crash On the Barrelhead" showcase the band's ability to borrow country elements without bowing down to the Grand Ole Opry. Better still, when the Old 97s dive into pop, they step over the edge and don't look back. "Oppenheimer" gleams on a rootsy guitar and bell tones. "Nineteen" is a pretty straight forward rock song, and the first single "Murder (Or A Heart Attack)" could fit on any modern rock playlist. The Old 97s are adept at knowing when to twang a steel guitar and when to cruise on a sugary pop idea. If anything, _Fight Songs_ could use a dash of edgy intensity. Although the feisty Bloodshot label years are gone, there's still nothing here like "Time Bomb," the blistering lead-off from 1997's _Too Far To Care_. Songs seem a little less urgent, a little less willing to transcend the smart lyrics of singer/songwriter Rhett Miller. The result is that lines such as "It's a lonely, lonely feeling when your valentine was wrong" (from "Valentine") lose some ache in the laid back delivery. The passion seems content to hide behind the words, afraid to become vulnerable in the context of the love-hurt stories. So, maybe it's because they're getting older, or maybe it's just the need to artistically mutate. At any rate, the cowpunk days of the Old 97s are fading, but the mellowing of their tone offers maturity in place of fire and brimstone. _Fight Songs_ wraps a smooth pop blanket around country loneliness and hopes for another chance at happiness. While drifting from their roots, the Old 97s don't seem too worried about what musical category they land in. They simply made a great album of songs from the heart, and beckon their past to follow. --- REVIEW: Lit, _A Place in the Sun_ (RCA) / Citizen King, _Mobile Estates_ (Warner Bros.) - Scott Slonaker Every so often, radio gets its infusion of new blood. And naturally, a good deal of the new kids in town distinctly recall their airwave-hogging predecessors. Orange County's Lit do just that with their brand of power-pop. _A Place in the Sun_, the four-piece band's major-label debut, is a lot like Weezer reinterpreted by the high school football team, or Everclear as a party band who sings about girls instead of drugs -- in other words, a lot more slickly clean, straightforward '90s rock-radio guitars and rah-rah rhythms, and a lot less of the muffle 'n squeak of the ex-alternative nation. Lit's hit single "My Own Worst Enemy" spins a leftover AC/DC riff into a stoopid-happy pogothon about getting drunk and screwing people and things up. Voila! An anthem. The best of the rest of the album include the semi-power ballad "Miserable" ("You make me come/ You make me complete/ You make me completely miserable") and the punky bounce of "No Big Thing," which, more than anything, shows off the band's skate-punk roots. Milwaukee's Citizen King fits squarely with its predecessors as well: the Sugar Ray "he's-the-DJ-I'm-the-rocker" hybrid, Beck's cut-and-paste pop (the opening track, "Under the Influence," is quite aptly named). The quintet's debut album, _Mobile Estates_, is carefully calculated to sound off-the-cuff, like some sort of block-party mix tape. The hit single, "Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)," is somewhat of a "Ramblin' Man" for hip-hop reared suburbanites -- streaked with a good shot of Sublime and catchy as heck. Most of the rest of _Mobile Estates_ is solid late-nineties beatbox alterna-pop, when it's not stealing too many rhythms ("Safety Pin" seems taken wholesale from "The New Pollution"). Actually, the band shows themselves to be quite the vinyl aficionados, as evidenced by the long list of obscure samples in the album credits. The old-school hip-hop sound of "Basement Show" is enough of a winner on its own, but the boys work in a Fear sample and make it rock. Another standout is the singalong, twangy chorus of "Long Walk Home." Both _A Place in the Sun_ and _Mobile Estates_ are brimming with savory pop songs and maintain a good level of consistency from beginning to end. But, will that be enough to make a career? Neither act are former drug addicts who sing about their scars. Neither act has frontmen who are teen dreams or dead. Can solid craftsmanship and production stand in for personality and interview "hooks?" We'll know in a couple of years, won't we? --- INTERVIEW: Sally Taylor - Joann D. Ball Sally Taylor is an extremely gifted singer/songwriter who is poised to rejuvenate and update a folk-rock musical genre and style that enjoyed its heyday before she was born. Musically and spiritually she is connected to that earlier singer/songwriter scene, and it's evident on her self-released debut, _Tomboy Bride_ (Blue Elbow). Whether introspective or outward looking, Taylor's twelve songs (including a hidden track) on _Tomboy Bride_ exude an inspired, passionate, positive spirit. Taylor is also literally connected to Seventies folk-rock, as her musical roots include an extended family of singers and musicians. And then, of course, there are her parents. A dad who loves his work, and was so inspired by a beaming young Sally that he wrote the hit song "Your Smiling Face." (Yep, James Taylor.) And a mom, who in the 1980s occasionally featured Taylor's backing vocals on album tracks like "Coming Around Again/Itsy Bitsy Spider." For good reason, Sally Taylor is extremely proud of this very rich musical heritage. So much so, that she's chosen the Taylor family tattoo (which she herself sports) as her band's logo. But what makes Sally Taylor a rising star is not where she's from, but where she's going. Consumable Online caught up with Sally Taylor earlier this spring, before the first show on a short West Coast tour in support of _Tomboy Bride_. Taylor and band members bassist Kenny Castro, drummer Brian McRae, and lead guitarist Chris Soucy, were clearly excited about their first extended series of dates outside of their home base of Colorado. With sound guy Chris Delucchi and two close friends providing support, the Sally Taylor Band quickly loaded their equipment into the intimate San Diego, California niteclub The Casbah. Taylor was sincerely apologetic for arriving late, but amazingly positive despite the minor things that have delayed her and the band and eliminated the possibility of a soundcheck. It soon became clear, though, that this attitude is reflective of Taylor's general take on life -- things happen, so you just make the most of it. In spite of the delay, Taylor was happy and eager to talk with Consumable about how it's possible to follow your heart and succeed. "Tomboy Bride is my role model. She's my hero, the heroine in my life story. She's who I want to model my life after," Taylor said of the book character from which she lifted the album and song titles. I asked her to explain further why she was inspired by the story of a very independent 19th century frontier woman making a life for herself in the Wild West. "That character's motto is 'be scared and do it anyway,' and that's the gist of that song and that storyline. It's about dealing with new environments constantly and putting yourself in uncomfortable situations that will stimulate you, inspire you and make you grow," she detailed. "And fly, soar, if you will," she added, in reference to the airplanes flying noisily overhead en route to nearby Lindbergh Field. Not too long ago, Sally Taylor herself packed up and left behind family and friends on the East Coast in order to start a new life in Colorado, settling finally in Boulder. So the uncharted adventures of the book's heroine hits close to home. "Tomboy Bride is somebody who I identify with," Taylor continued, "because I have moved out to Colorado and I have forged this little niche for myself. But it's also about somebody I hope to become in the future." It isn't clear to what extent music figured in the life of Tomboy Bride, but writing and playing music has certainly become a major part of Sally Taylor's life out West. "The CD came about completely unintentionally," she explained. "I started out just thinking I'd put some songs down on some quality tape that would withstand the elements. I didn't have a band. I just wanted it to be acoustic and vocal, and it ended up being a lot more. And that I'm producing it and manufacturing it is really exciting to me." And it just so happened that she found herself in the ideal place in which to do her own musical thing. "I think that Boulder and Denver are amazing environments for musicians, because the musicians are so supportive of each other. It's really not about ego, as much as it is about helping each other create art. Everybody's really in it for the freedom of it all instead of the competitiveness, and that's really inspiring," Taylor said. "Especially since the ego thing really grosses me out," she added quickly. Sally Taylor says she considers herself "a tadpole," content and happy to play in the calmer, safer waters of small venues and clubs at this point in her developing career. And she's extremely excited about making her way across the country with her band. "It feels great, I mean, I wouldn't have it any other way!" she exclaimed. "I really, really enjoy the realness of it. There's seven of us in this band, and it's this tiny space because we have to put seven people and all of the instruments into the van. But these guys that I'm traveling with are just incredibly great. I love the way it feels to be on the road with these people and to be supported by these people and to be doing my own thing, singing." In addition to performing live with her band, Taylor admited to being especially thrilled about the closeness that characterizes the small venues she has played. "I really like being able to see audiences a lot," she explained. "I like being able to see audiences' faces, and be able to talk to people who come to the show and to talk people who buy my CD, and get feedback from those people." And given the power of songs like the honest and revealing lead track "The Complaint," the emotion-filled, jazz influenced "The Good Bye," and the soft and sweet bossa nova flavored "When We're Together," Taylor will probably receive nothing but praises from appreciative fans after the shows. _Tomboy Bride_ is a rich collection of songs about life and love, of which Taylor is especially proud. And she is eager to share her songs with others because they reflect such a natural part of the human experience. "I guess it's mood music. I get put in a mood, and then I write from that mood. The notes put words in my mouth," she explained. The one important, reoccurring mood on the record is the joy and pleasure of independence. It is celebrated on the tender title track, recorded at a live show and featuring only Taylor and her acoustic guitar. And it surfaces again on the bright, bouncy confessional song entitled simply, "Happy Now." Among all of these gems, though, it is "Sign of Rain" which stands out as the best song. With carefully chosen words and wonderfully textured instrumentation, the song tells a simple story which unfolds on her beloved Martha's Vineyard. Taylor paints such a vivid picture of local characters going about their way under overcast skies, that one can actually see the scenes and feel the coming storm of which she sings. And chances are pretty good that the Jamey mentioned in the song is a certain JT who considers "Sign of Rain" his favorite song, and who contributed his distinct guitar sound to the hidden track "Unsung Dance" that closes the CD. And Sally Taylor's favorite track on her impressive debut? "Definitely "Tomboy Bride," she confessed with a big smile. That's no surprise, given the parallels between her own life and that of her role model and the frontier spirit that they both embody. After all, to borrow the title of song by a certain Carly Simon, both stories are "the stuff that dreams are made of." The Sally Taylor Band is now undertaking an extensive U.S, summer tour that will hit major Eastern cities before returning to the West Coast in late June. For tour dates and details about the band's activities, including Sally Taylor's online tour diary entries, check her website at http://www.sallytaylor.com --- REVIEW: Sponge, _New Pop Sunday_ (Beyond/BMG) - Bill Holmes I get the pun, but if I didn't, the cartoon illustration on the cover would make it plain enough - sugar sweet music with an explosive edge. That Sponge goes pop is not surprising, they've certainly flashed the chops before. What is a bit of a shock is that they've toned down their edge as well, letting the guitars play second fiddle and making vocalist Vinnie Dombrowski the lead instrument. To say that his vocals on this record are mannered would be an understatement - he preens, seduces, drawls and doe-eyes his way through a collection of mostly shorter, simpler tracks. When it works, it works well, nailing a sound that most alterna-bands can only hope to catch once before the budget runs dry. But when it's off - and it sometimes is - it sounds like INXS trying to pretend they're a Midwestern rock band. That is not a good thing. On the positive side, though, guitarists Mike Cross and Joey Mazzola churn out taut lines throughout the record. "Polyanna" features staccato playing reminiscent of U2's Edge, as does the two-stroke rhythm on "All American World" and the more manic "When You're On Fire Baby, Roll". Although the pulsating "Live Her Without You" is getting the single push from the label and radio, "Planet Girls" is the hands down winner. Scraping up every Ziggy-era Bowie lick and propelling it with trash can drumming, "Girls" is the best Mick Ronson nod I've heard in years. Sure it's lyrically silly, but who cares? Sometimes you just gotta rock. Sponge has finally (thankfully) shaken off the last of the grunge poseur posture and seem to be stepping towards a straight-ahead rock and roll sound, which should be a requirement or any Detroit band. Dombrowski writes about unrequited love and lost love and dead love just like everybody else, but is never to convoluted nor too simplistic. Neither is the music, which pretty much keeps it to the bare essentials - solid rock, fairly repetitive but not annoyingly so, and the occasional flourish like the horns on "Disconnected" or the mandolin on "Lucky" . It's no coincidence that those two songs, which close the record, are among the strongest. Aside from "Planet Girls", there's nothing here that has the radio immediacy of "Wax Ecstatic", but there's certainly enough of a commitment to a newer direction so that listeners can easily decide whether to get on or off the Sponge bandwagon. (Note to fans - the title track might sound familiar if you own the Japanese version of _Wax Ecstatic_, albeit under a different name.) Sponge has been able to get some radio play and decent sales from their two previous records, and _New Pop Sunday_ should continue that trend. But with radio as fickle as it is, don't be surprised if these simpler, compact songs are destined to serve primarily as a launching pad for a more dynamic (read: LIVE) presentation. Sometimes radio just doesn't "get it" until it's too late. Don't let that stop you. --- REVIEW: Kreidler, _Appearance and The Park_ (Mute) - David Landgren From Tangerine Dream to Kraftwerk and Connie Plank to Blixa Bargeld, there has never been a shortage in Germany of musicians, offering the world a rich source of innovation and experimentation in music. Kriedler, a four piece band formed in Dusseldorf in 1994, are the latest incarnation of this ongoing exploration. The album is, with the exception of one track ("Coldness"), entirely instrumental. It is constructed with an extraordinary rigour and attention to detail, yet never falls into the trap of being too arty or pretentious. The overall feeling is one of understatement. Everything is held under control and yet at the same time, and this is where the group deserves credit, there is never a feeling of constraint. Like a Japanese garden, everything is in its rightful place. A single clash of cymbal to punctuate a song. Then there is the absence of samples: there are no voices or animals, or anything from the real world: the synthesisers emit purely... synthetic sounds. But then, as a counterpoint, a real bass guitar and a real drum-kit add a human vibrancy. With this, you never lose sight of the fact that you are listening to a group of musicians playing together. The album starts out with "Tuesday", a shuffling burble of bleeps, like a demented dolphin caught in an oscilloscope. And then the song begins to take shape, soft warblings from a synthesiser, a subtle drum & cymbal backing, bass guitar picking out a simple melody. Nothing dramatic, but curiously effective; a definite case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. While this may sound a bit boring (like, what does that leave behind?) it does also lead to some amazing pieces of work, such as the unconditionally brilliant "Au-Pair", that starts out in the middle of nowhere, soars to glorious heights (check out the bassline), and comes down to land with effortless grace. A common affliction that strikes much electronica is the layering approach, whereby a song is built up by adding layer upon layer of instruments, loops and other oddments until the song reaches its full crescendo. The problem is, of course, how to end the juggernaut from rolling ever onward. "Au-Pair" deals with this in an extraordinarily successful way, and I find myself repeating the song over and over again, seeking clues as to how they do it, and why it works so well. It comes as a bit of a shock, when on the tenth track "Coldness", vocals make an unexpected appearance. But yeah, it more or less works. The problem is that they make a timid appearance in the middle of the song, as if courage was lacking to break the silence. Over the album, rare are the lapses into sonic mayhem as happens with, say, The Orb. Yet just when one starts to wish things were a little more... chaotic, they loosen the reins on the machines for "Venetian Blind" and segue into the shimmering, mesmerising "Cube". The latter song is built on a most outrageous electronic loop, a pummelling shoop-shoop-shoop of a virtual reality helicopter. People familiar with Ciccone Youth's _Whitey Album_ will see a parallel. Placed at the end of the album, the impact of these two tracks is all the more dramatic. I hope they continue in this direction in the future. The album closes with a remix of "Coldness", playing up on the eighties neu-wave sound. It's probably a better version. The vocals are bolder, more affirmed, and the singer really sings this time. All in all, an album that is immediately listenable on the first hearing, and reveals more details upon repeated listening. Not as bizarre or pompous as Tangerine Dream, and not as unabashedly pop as Kraftwerk can be, Kreidler walk somewhere in between. I'd say that on the strength of this album I'll be buying their next one with my eyes closed. It's a sure bet. --- REVIEW: Colin Hay, _Transcendental Highway_ (Farren Music) - Chris Hill Two Australians (Hay and the recently C.O.-reviewed Rick Springfield) present an interesting contrast, if their recent and future Seattle engagements are compared. Hay, who played the smallish Tractor Tavern 5/20, with an $8 ticket price, offered an intimate glimpse at the man behind the once-inescapable hits "Down Under" and "Who Can It Be Now?". Springfield, with a similar history of ubiquitous hits, has booked the Showbox, an 800+ capacity venue, 6/18, and priced tickets at $27.50. Evidence of two performers with different estimations of their audience, their status, and their musical goals. Is one trying to relive the glory days, while the other reconnects with an audience? Hay addresses his past fame on "My Brilliant Feat": "Once upon a time, I could do no wrong/though the candle flickers, the flame is never gone/To my brilliant feat/They all pay heed/I hear the crowds roar oh so loudly". It's not envy at the success and adulation he once had that's now enjoyed by others. Rather it's an understanding that nothing's permanent ("The world it won't wait for you/It's got its own things to do") and a fond look back at his moments in the sun. With this album, Hay continues down the balladeer path of previous, post-Men at Work releases with simply written, romantic vignettes centered around his acoustic guitar, though his backing band provides him ample support. Twelve songs long, the only hollow note comes with "Death Row Conversation", possibly written at 3 a.m. in a lonely hotel room while "Dead Man Walking" played on pay-per-view. While affecting, it treads old ground, or ground perhaps better left to his brilliant countryman Paul Kelly. That criticism out of the way, it's the exception on the record, which is fortunate for us, as this is his first non- Australian release since 1990. "If I Go" will bring back all the summer memories for which _Business As Usual_ served as the soundtrack. Musically co-written with Bobby Z, it glistens. An immediate attention-getter. The hopeful, hearty "I'll Leave the Light On" and the wind-blown instrumental "Cactus" are similarly potent. Stretching, the Scotland born-and-raised Hay pulls in bagpipes and a snare drum for the inspirational "Freedom Calling" and takes the spoken-lyric path for the title track, a subtly humorous look at the interconnection the internet's provided the world. But it's truly on the quieter acoustic numbers like "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" where Hay's voice practices its familiar magic with hypnotic wonder. A gentle snippet of a song hides at the close, with Hay singing "And no matter where we go/And no matter what we do/You hold on to me/And I'll hold on to you". An unfinished song or a promise? Either/or, it's a nice sentiment. --- REVIEW: Mary Chapin Carpenter, _Party Doll and Other Favorites_ (Columbia) - Jon Steltenpohl Although she's had a number of big country hits, it's hard to just lump Mary Chapin Carpenter in with the shameless new country drones who are more schtick than substance. Not so with Mary Chapin Carpenter. She has remained an independent singer songwriter who writes and performs great music. Since her debut, _Hometown Girl_, to hits like "I Feel Lucky" and "Shut Up and Kiss Me," Carpenter has been able to sound like true country while making serious music. Now, 12 years since her first release, it's time for her to release a greatest hits album. Now, this isn't any old greatest hits compilation. Instead, not only do you get the required hits, but you get 6 live tracks, 2 new songs, and "Party Doll," a cover of a Mick Jagger song. The rest of the album is topped off with a few fan favorites like "This Shirt" and rarities like "Grow Old With Me" from the John Lennon tribute album, "Dreamland" from the _Til Their Eyes Shine_ compilation, and "10,000 Miles" from the _Fly Away Home_ soundtrack. Absent are any songs from her latest album, _A Place In The World_. At 17 tracks and 72 minutes, it's a great collection, and _Party Doll_ is just about perfect. All of the songs are relevant and a joy to listen to, and many are not available anywhere else. If anything, the live versions of some songs are so good that they outshine some of the slightly overproduced songs from her earlier days. "I Take My Chances" from _Come On, Come On_ was recorded live in November of 1998. It has joyous piano and acoustic guitar, full harmonies, and a crowd that eats it up. A live version of "Stones in the Road" features Carpenter's voice up front before an acoustic background of guitars, bass, and piano. And while it's understandable to keep the original versions of the hits like "Passionate Kisses," "Down At the Twist and Shout" is the one hit with a well deserved live version. It's from Super Bowl XXXI and features Beausoleil playing live with Carpenter. It's a real treat despite the slightly reduced sound quality. A missing live track is the acoustic version of "This Shirt" that was included on a Columbia sampler series sent to radio stations. Still, including the original of "This Shirt" was a wise choice. The new songs, "Almost Home" and "Wherever You Are," are just what you'd expect from Mary Chapin Carpenter. They aren't as free spirited or silly as her biggest hits, but they will please the fans who know her more reflective side. Similarly, the new cover of Mick Jagger's "Party Doll" is soft and melancholy. Carpenter's voice, a slightly countrified breeze that is thankfully free of twang, is full of expression. Her acoustic guitar keeps beat while an electric guitar with a steel guitar voice adds counterpoint melody. There are slight breathless moments and regret in every corner. It's a beautiful rendition. Being a greatest hits album, _Party Doll and Other Favorites_ might be a no brainer. But, Mary Chapin Carpenter had other plans for her greatest hits package. As she succinctly puts it, "I thought, why not also collect all those songs out there that were part of special projects, soundtracks, live recordings, different versions, benefit tapes, whatever might give this album a broader perspective than what's usually delivered... and include that new song or two. So that is what I proudly believe we have done." And indeed, _Party Doll and Other Favorites_ is an album she can certainly be proud of. Track Listing: 1-"Can't Take Love for Granted (Live from Letterman Show in London," 2-"Wherever You Are (new)," 3-"Down at the Twist and Shout (Super Bowl Version featuring Beausoleil)," 4-"I Feel Lucky," 5-"Dreamland (Til Their Eyes Shine Compilation)," 6-"Passionate Kisses," 7-"Quittin Time (Live, 1994)," 8-"This Shirt," 9-"Grow Old With Me (Working Class Hero/John Lennon Tribute)," 10-"He Thinks He'll Keep Her," 11-"I Take My Chances (Live, 1998)," 12-"Shut Up and Kiss Me," 13-"The Hard Way (Live)," 14-"10,000 Miles (_Fly Away Home_ soundtrack), 15-"Stones in the Road (Live, 1994)," 16-"Almost Home (new)," 17-"Party Doll (new cover)" --- REVIEW: Moa, _Universal_ (Tommy Boy/Spor) - Tracey Bleile Hmmm, let's see what we have here...pixie-type from Iceland with unusual looks, a crazy musical hook, and a co-writer/producer/musician "soulmate." Oh, no, wait a minute...it's not who you think, honest! One of the fine new acts to grace these shores from the apparently magic princess-infested country of Iceland is solo artist Moa (with an acute accent over the "o," darn HTML anyway, and *don't* ask me how to pronounce it) and she verges on the same sort of infectiousness as a certain predecessor with her release _Universal_. Moa has a voice like Lena Horne inhaling a touch of helium singing cabaret, and the electronica jazz/drum 'n bass that makes up _Universal_ is something you'd find in a dimly-lit nightclub straight out of a Ridley Scott film. If anything, there's not a lot of variance in the beat or song structure, so it's happy techno with a singer or Massive Attack-inspired dreaminess. The foamy synth and programming backdrop is provided by Eythor Arnalds (who was indeed previously in a band with Bjork) and produced by Phil Chill and Brian New (most recently finished work was with Neneh Cherry). Soap-bubble fun and games don't last long, but are very enjoyable in the moment. Even with the potential to burn out too quickly in what could be perceived as a trend-following album (and at the trailing end of it for that matter), _Universal_ is certainly something you could slip into rotation at just about any place there's dancing, and someone will most surely ask "who *is* this?" And there won't be any mistaking her for anyone else. --- REVIEW: Graham Parker, _The Mona Lisa's Sister_ (Buddha) - Bill Holmes The amount of Graham Parker releases over the past three years has been absolutely staggering, especially when you consider that just about all of them anthologize older material. Buddha Records (yes, the spelling is different than it used to be) has nabbed one of Parker's pivotal records from the mid-80s and offers the listener an exciting remastered version complete with original artwork, new liner notes and a bonus track ("Ordinary Girl"). I say exciting because as anyone knows, most "remastered" releases differ little from their original counterparts unless the prior version sounds like it was recorded underwater. The sound quality on the original was very good, but here it's stunning. The bass line on "Under The Mask Of Happiness" is so pronounced it's as if you are playing along with the record. The acoustic guitars ring, drums snap, and Parker's vocals are bright and full. After some early success with pub rock r&b and the unfortunate albatross of being lumped together with Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson as "angry young men" from the UK, Parker hit his commercial zenith with _Squeezing Out Sparks_ and the smash hit "Local Girls". Afterwards, though, US fame waned, despite the occasional radio play ("Wake Up Next To You") and even a duet with the then red-hot Boss. Fans remained loyal, however, and without his backing band to fill out the sound, Parker became a much better guitar player and emotive vocalist. _Sister_ features nods to his new directions with reggae ("The Girl Isn't Ready"), Americana folk ("Blue Highways") and even inspired covers ("Cupid", a song he currently performs acapella, thanks to the day his accompanist left a recent songwriters tour). "Get Started (Start A Fire)", a fine acoustic driven pop song, even had some moderate radio success. From this release on, Parker seemed to reinvent himself as a musician as forceful alone with a guitar as he was with his stellar backing band from the salad days. Graham Parker may not be an angry young man anymore, but his acerbic wit is as sharp as ever. This advance did not contain his newly penned liner notes, but if they are anything like his frequent diatribes on his web site ( http://www.punkhart.com/gparker/ ), fans are in for a real treat. As an added incentive, Buddha's Original Masters Series are available at a reduced price. So what are you waiting for? ( http://www.buddharecords.com ) --- REVIEW: Whistler, _Whistler_ (Wiija Records) - Chris Hill Whistler, formed by vocalist Kerry Shaw, ex-EMF guitarist Ian Dench, and James Topham on viola, played small shows around London in its gestative state, establishing a buzz and a fan base, keeping the limelight low and the attention on a riveting live show. After a time, they self-released the drolly titled _First EP_, which resulted in a gushing Melody Maker review. Signed to Wiija Records, Whistler then dropped three singles on the unsuspecting British public. "Rare American Shoes", the first single to precede their debut album, is utter brilliance condensed into three minutes, seven seconds. From the opening notes that spring from a Jew's- harp, it's obvious something new is moving under the sun. Joined by a melodious viola, a chug-chug-chug acoustic guitar, lip-smacking drums, and Shaw's sweet, clinical British tones that ride the line between singing and speaking, it's a head-turner of a song, a "Am I really hearing this?" double take that imparts a blissful sense of justified purchase and inspires proselytizing messages to friends. It might not be the best song on the record. The second single, "If I Give You a Smile", earned a Melody Maker "Single of the Week" nomination from Arab Strap, while the third single, "Don't Jump In Front of My Train", attained that honor in NME. And either of these *still* might not be the best song on the record. "The End" pits a waspish electric guitar against both an acoustic and a bass guitar. As they battle, a viola plays against the rise and fall of the vocals, descending capriciously into a snarl, bow scraping against the strings, while drums and cymbals add to the chaos. Only the bass guitar remains standing, near the end. "Closing Time" tumbles an acoustic guitar about the room, until it finally crashes into strings that start at the base of the spinal cord, grip it securely, and run up the vertebrae with an piquant, orgasmic thrum. Two other wonderful songs, on a disc that, at less than thirty-seven minutes, leaves one hungry for more. Molding the _Whistler_ vibe, Shaw's voice is coy yet powerful, a gamine with muscles, whether venomously delivering the poison pen letter of "Emily", bubbling with mirth while skewering a sanctimonious twit on "Heaven Help Me", or taking the cavalier path on "Please Don't Love Me Any More" ("sorry if you feel/I've wasted your time/I wouldn't say/that you'd wasted mine/ We live and learn/That's what it's for/Please don't love me any more"). Her voice lends a delicacy to the tracks that the viola and acoustic guitar reinforce. Add a cajon (Afro-Peruvian wooden percussive box, don't you know), harmonica, wood blocks, drums, and bass, and it makes for quite the heady concoction of Silverado and London acoustica. --- ERRATA: As noted by reader Kurt T., Rick Springfield released a European album _Sahara Snow_ (MTM) several years back, which has a "funk/pop sound; not as mature feeling as {his latest release} _Karma_ ". --- NEWS: > New York City's Z-100 "Zootopia", an all-star concert at East Rutherford's Continental Airlines Arena, sold out in 28 minutes. In addition to the standard teeny-bop idols of the day (Britney Spears, former New Kidders Joey McIntyre / Jordan Knight, 98 Degrees), the show will feature Sugar Ray, UB40 and Sixpence None The Richer. The radio station will give away more than 250 pairs of tickets to its listeners; Profits from the June 4 concert will go towards the purchase of computers for public schools in the New York City metropolitan area. --- TOUR DATES: Beastie Boys May 27 Tasmania, Aus Town Hall May 29 Auckland, Aus Northshore Events Centre May 30 Wellington, Aus Queens Wharf Black Crowes / Lenny Kravitz / Everlast May 28 Boston, MA Great Woods May 29 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach Amphitheatre May 30 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center Candy Butchers Jun. 1 New York, NY Mercury Lounge Jun. 3 Atlanta, GA The Cotton Club Jun. 4 Nashville, TN 328 Performance Hall Jun. 5 Cleveland, OH Wilberts Mary Chapin Carpenter May 27 Princeton, NJ Princeton University May 28-29 Vienna, VA Wolf Trap Jun. 3 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Center Jun. 4 San Diego, CA Humphrey's Jun. 5 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl Chapter In Verse Jun. 4 Nashua, NH Martha's Exchange Floraline May 29 New York, NY Coney Island High May 30 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's May 31 Asbury Park, NJ The Saint Jun. 2 Cambridge, MA TT The Bears Jun. 5 Cleveland, OH The Grog Shop Ben Harper May 29 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl May 30 Angels Camp, CA Mountain Aire '99 Jun. 1 Medford, OR Medford Armory Jun. 4 Eureka, CA Eureka, Municipal Jun. 5 San Francisco, CA The Fleadh Festival Alanis Morissette May 27 Oberhaussen, Germany Arena May 28 Hanover, Germany Stadionsortshall May 30 Copenhagen, Denmark The Forum May 31 Oslo, Norway The Spektrum Jun. 2 Helsinki, Finland Hartwall Arena Jun. 4 Gothenburg, Sweden Scandinavium Jun. 5 Stockholm, Sweden The Globe Van Morrison Jun. 3 Minneapolis, MN Target Center Jun. 4 Los Angeles, CA Universal Amphitheater Jun. 5 San Francisco, CA Fleadh Festival Beth Orton May 29 Baltimore, MD WHFS Fest @ Ravens Stadium Jun. 2 Washington DC 9:30 Club Jun. 3 New York, NY Roseland Jun. 4 Philadelphia, PA Theater of the Living Arts Pinetop Seven May 27 New York, NY Mercury Lounge May 28 Boston, MA Middle East Upstairs May 29 Montreal, QC The Jailhouse Rock Cafe May 30 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern Jun. 1 London, ON Call the Office Jun. 2 Detroit, MI Magic Stick Jun. 3 Chicago, IL Metro Jun. 4 St. Louis, MO Side Door Jun. 5 Nashville, TN The End Rammstein Jun. 1 Washington, DC Nation Ballroom Jun. 2 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Jun. 4 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom Jun. 5 Worcester, MA Worcester Palladium 764-HERO Jun. 3 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry Jun. 4 Chicago, IL Fireside Bowl Jun. 5 Louisville, KY Mercory Paw Skunk Anansie Jun. 1 Washington, DC Nation Jun. 2 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Jun. 4 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom Jun. 5 Worcester, MA Palladium Sonic Youth Jul. 2 Berkeley, CA The Greek Jul. 4 Irvine Lakes, CA Irvine Lakes Sparklehorse / Mercury Rev Jun. 2 Chicago, IL Metro Jun. 3 Columbus, OH Mekka Jun. 5 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club Sally Taylor May 28 Destin, FL Harbor Docks Jun. 1 Nags Nead, NC Port O' Call Jun. 3 Arlington, VA Iota Club & Cafe Jun. 4 Baltimore, MD Recher Theater Jun. 5 Ocean City, MD Mellow Beach Sunset Bar George Thorogood / Jake Andrews Jun. 2 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theater Jun. 3 Toledo, OH Promenade Park Jun. 4 Peoria, IL Madison Theater Jun. 5 Chicago, IL House of Blues Jun. 6 St. Louis, MO Fox Theater Those Bastard Souls May 27 Atlanta, GA Echo Lounge May 28 Nashville, TN End May 29 Memphis, TN Hi Tone May 30 St. Louis, MO Blueberry Hill May 31 Champaign, IL Mike and Molly's Jun. 2 Iowa City, IA Gabe's Jun. 3 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar Jun. 4 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle Jun. 5 Detroit, MI Magic Stick UB40 Jun. 4 East Rutherford, NJ The Meadowlands Jun. 5 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Verve Pipe / Papa Vegas May 27 Green Bay, WI Riverside Ballroom May 28 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line May 31 Denver, CO Bluebird Jun. 3 Seattle, WA Showbox Theatre Jun. 4 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre --- 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 ===