== ISSUE 182 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [July 18, 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, Mike Bederka, 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, Don Share, Scott Slonaker, Kerwin So, Chelsea Spear, Jon Steltenpohl, Michael Van Gorden, Simon West Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, David Landgren, Dave Pirmann Also Contributing: Rey Roldan 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: Luscious Jackson, _Electric Honey_ - David Landgren REVIEW: Fountains of Wayne, _Utopia Parkway_ - Mike Bederka REVIEW: Kula Shaker, _Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts_ - Scott Slonaker REVIEW: Apples In Stereo, _Her Wallpaper Reverie_ / Of Montreal, _The Gay Parade_ - Chelsea Spear CONCERT REVIEW: The Brian Setzer Orchestra / BR5-49 - Al Muzer The second and third nights of the Brian Setzer/ BR5-49 REVIEW: Missing Persons, _Late Nights Early Days_ - Rey Roldan REVIEW: Boom Boom Satellites, _Out Loud_ - Tim Mohr INTERVIEW: Zakk Wylde - Al Muzer REVIEW: Bevis Frond, _Vavona Burr_ - Don Share REVIEW: Sam Phillips, _Zero Zero Zero_ - Daniel Aloi REVIEW: Splendid, _Have You Got a Name For It_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Set 'Em Up Joe, _Set 'Em Up Joe_ - Franklin Johnson NEWS: Insound.com, Manic Street Preachers, Ramones, Robbie Williams Y2K time capsule TOUR DATES: Add N To (X), Alec Empire, Anti-Flag, Atari Teenage Riot, Buffalo Daughter, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Cravin' Melon, Ani DiFranco / Maceo Parker, Down By Law, Duraluxe, Ben Harper, Live, Luscious Jackson, Pietasters, Pretenders, Staind, James Taylor, Sally Taylor, Ultimate Fakebook, Weird Al Yankovic Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Luscious Jackson, _Electric Honey_ (Capitol) - David Landgren A friend introduced me to Luscious Jackson sometime in '95, just after _Natural Ingredients_, their first album, had been released. I flipped out. Later that year, _Fever In, Fever Out_ was released and for me it was a revelation. Such a delicious album full of poppy tunes, combined with lyrics honed with a scapel and delivered with an subtle, understated sense of humour could only be a product of the U.K. pop scene. I was wrong. Luscious Jackson, named after Lucious Jackson, a pro basketballer in the late '60s, is an all-girl line-up, hailing from New York City. They used to four; Vivian Trimble went her separate way early last year. This year Jill Cunniff (bass), Gabrielle Glaser (guitar) and Kate Schellenbach (drums) teamed up with a number of other people, to bring _Electric Honey_ to fruition. Fans of Garbage, Suzanne Vega, Laika will appreciate this material. And there's a certain Go Gos or Bangles feeling here too. It's also more overtly American in sound, and the cynic in me can't help feeling that the group has sharpened the album like an arrow, aimed to burst into the Top Ten. And I can't help thinking that somewhere along the way, something has been compromised. The band are still able to lay down really gorgeous melodies; songs that wrap around your brainstem and don't let go. But the lyrics aren't what they used to be. Where are the songs that tell of the joy and pain that two people together can do to each other? For instance, "Nervous Breakthrough", with its pumped-up nightclub mix, sinks its hooks in and doesn't let go. I've been humming it myself for days. Humming, not singing, because I can't bring myself to mumble "Thanks to you, I had a nervous breakthrough..." In a similar vein, "Alien Lover" also displays a really addictive chorus, but once again I find myself annoyed by mindless verses like "Fly me first class, Over to your pad"... hello? This, from the band that brought us such classic lines as "Wearing nothing is divine/Naked is a state of mind". With "Summer Daze" there's no mistaking it -- they're aiming for the Top 40. "Lying around with you, I never thought a feeling could feel so good, I gotta be closer to you" or "got my glasses all fogged up, my body's aching for your love." Yes, teen-agers around the world are going to love this up a storm. And the thing is, it works; it's really catchy. The only truly unfortunate track of all is the eminently forgettable "Fantastic Fabulous", featuring Debbie Harry on vocals. Bear in mind that I was a teenager when _Eat to the Beat_ and _Parallel Lines_ were released, and I was a big fan of Blondie. But what has gone on since then, well, it just makes me sad. Smart girls, they know exactly what they're doing. They chose a path, and are getting where they want to be. And so this is where we part. That's OK, you gave us two really brilliant albums and one that's not too bad. --- REVIEW: Fountains of Wayne, _Utopia Parkway_ (Atlantic) - Mike Bederka Welcome to the ranks of another pop band with another typical pop album. Nothing special. Nothing horrible. Fountains of Wayne is back on the scene after a few-year hiatus with its latest, _Utopia Parkway._ And in an attempt to follow its critically acclaimed self-titled debut, FOW continues the trend of its three-minute rock about nothing in particular. "I'm just a hat and feet / that's all that's left of me," sings Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger on "Hat and Feet." For the most part, the 45-minute disc lacks the drive to make it resemble its 1996 predecessor. But that doesn't mean there aren't any standout numbers on the 14-track album. "Denise," the two-and-a-half minute ode to a cold-hearted travel agent, breaks the mold and turns up the guitars and distortion a bit. And "Go, Hippie" scores some points for it quality lyrics. "Some days you get so tired of hanging / trying to deep-fry all your boredom." Fountains of Wayne may have found it to be smooth sailing on the pop parkway, but to call it Utopia would be pretty ridiculous. --- REVIEW: Kula Shaker, _Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts_ (Columbia) - Scott Slonaker It seems that every new band these days needs some sort of gimmick to get noticed these days, and back in 1996, Kula Shaker rode theirs, the Sanskrit-nonsense-chant-and-Beatles-pastiche "Tattva", onto American modern rock radio. The band's debut album, _K_, proved to be entertaining enough, and with legendary (Pink Floyd, Kiss, Peter Gabriel) producer Bob Ezrin at the helm, Crispian Mills and Co. have followed up with _Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts_. British bands, in general, seem to be more interested in one-upping themselves "artistically" than the more American tradition of following the formula and giving people what they want unless forced otherwise (blame Berry Gordy?). Kula Shaker fit squarely into their home country's aesthetic; to say this new album is a tad ambitious is an understatement. _Peasants_ is a truly scrumptious palette sonically, evoking almost every single major Woodstock act (except maybe Sha Na Na...no, wait a second) at some point. Lyrically, however, the record's squarely in the Oasis camp-how a word or phrase sounds is much more important than what it says. "You're a wizard in a blizzard of mystical machine gun" is not exactly Elvis Costello. The opener, "Great Hosannah", builds slowly over six minutes to a gospel-like crescendo of female backing singers and pulsating organ. Massed vocals on "Mystical Machine Gun" and "108 Battles" call to mind none so much as an amped-up Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. "Shower Your Love" eschews rock thunder for the White Album's glossier pop contours. (One of the refrain lines, if I'm hearing it correctly, is "I'm not even half the way there/ I'm just a stupid dickhead".) "Radhe Radhe" sounds like it was dropped in from another genre entirely - a tribal rhythm sung by a female singer, colliding with a brass band that just happens to be marching by. Right afterwards, frontman Mills drops in the brief acoustic interlude "I'm Still Here" in an attempt to reassert the humanity lost in the monster-movie splatter of influences around it. Perhaps the best overall track is "Sound of Drums", which is a relatively straightforward stomp highlighted by a great garage-rock organ line (in other words, kinda like their bang-up cover of Deep Purple's cover of Joe South's "Hush" on the _I Know What You Did Last Summer_ soundtrack). Oh, and lest we forget, Mills does lapse back into Sanskrit at the end of the record- give thanks for that trusty "program" button on the CD player. _Peasants_ is aural candy of the highest order- varied and richly textured. But don't expect Lennonite parables or Jagger-Richards hard-knock-life anthems- sometimes, the riffs you take are equal to the riffs you make. --- REVIEW: Apples In Stereo, _Her Wallpaper Reverie_ (Spin Art) / Of Montreal, _The Gay Parade_ (Bar/None) - Chelsea Spear In a blindfolded taste test, one might be surprised to learn that the Apples in Stereo co-founded the Elephant 6 Recording Company, that modern-day musical equivalent to the Bloomsbury literary salon of the 1920s. While their glucose-fueled power pop can prove highly addictive on repeat listens, their cheery vocals and catchy melodies sound drab and generic compared to the cinematic innovation of Olivia Tremor Control, or Neutral Milk Hotel's raw, absorbing hootenanny. After a few fine album's worth of twentysomething's symphonies to God, the Apples bid adieu to the indiepop world with their last indie album, _Her Wallpaper Reverie_, a thoroughly decent concept album. On its own, _Wallpaper_ has a great deal going for it. After the cheery, bite-sized pop delectables found on the band's previous efforts, it's great to hear them work with one idea for the duration of an album. The opening track, "Anything", signifies a further departure for the band with its drony textures, slow pace, and gloomy lyrics ("I would do anything to be anywhere else"). The musique-concrete collages that hold the album together are created in an intriguing and musical way, which allows them to hold up to repeat listens in a way that the Olivia Tremor Control's don't. While the band try new ways of expressing their musical ideas, longtime fans will not be alienated by this album. Big, ringing power pop tunes punctuate the more experimental tracks -- the la-la inflected "Ruby" would not sound out of place on the AM radio charts of a different era, and Hillarie Sidney comes out from behind her drumset for an infectious vocal on "Pictures of the Moon". If all these signs are positive, what keeps this reviewer from 100% wholeheartedly recommending _Wallpaper_ to her readership? Well, perhaps I've been spoiled by the Elephant 6 Recording Company. In the past few years, E6 bands have been reinventing pop in intriguing and beautiful new ways, and after the twin masterpieces of _Aeroplane_ and this year's _Black Foliage_, it's hard in some ways to fully accept an Elephant 6 band that merely writes good pop songs with the occasional (mildly) experimental flourish. Additionally, the Apples have always seemed like the kind of band that aren't working to the best of their abilities, or aren't sure what those are yet. The band's heart and instincts slowly move into the right direction with _Wallpaper_ . Meanwhile, back in Athens, Of Montreal bridge the gap between the Apples' sugar highs and the baroque psychedelia of the Olivias with their third long-player, _The Gay Parade_. The bright sonic colors, giddy melodies, and out-and-out strangeness make this the ideal children's album for adults who wore out their copy of the soundtrack to _There's Something About Mary_. While _The Gay Parade_ is too much of a good thing all at once (I felt exhausted and dizzy after my first full listen to the album), repeat spins reveal some beautiful pop tunes, like the commitment-happy "Neat Little Domestic Life" and the historically-accurate "My Favourite Boxer". The theatricality of "The Ballad of Nickee Coco" and "The March of the Gay Parade" make for infectious listens, though they too get a bit overbearing at times. Worth a listen for fans of Os Mutantes or Jonathan Richman. --- CONCERT REVIEW: The Brian Setzer Orchestra / BR5-49 - Al Muzer The second and third nights of the Brian Setzer/ BR5-49 "Let's Live It Up" tour found Nashville's favorite five-piece loose, relaxed, reckless and improvising freely during their 40 minutes on stage, while Setzer and his crack 16-member orchestra delivered the goods with a professional aplomb that didn't disappoint either sell out crowd. While the much practiced finger-snapping, well-worn between song patter, by-the-numbers horn choreography and the fact that he's been on the road in support of his multi-Grammy winning Interscope Records release, _The Dirty Boogie_, almost constantly since it hit the racks last year may've sucked some of the spontaneity from his set, there's no denying that Setzer's performance is still one of the most audience-pleasing displays of sight, sound, solos, schmaltz and swing-based soul to hit the stage since Frank was in his prime and Louis Prima ruled radio. Traveling at breakneck speed through solid, showy, colorful, blaringly unsubtle versions of "This Cat's on a Hot Tin Roof," "Let The Good Times Roll," Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk," "Mack The Knife," "Mala Guéna," the Cadillacs' "Gloria," "Let's Live It Up," "Brand New Cadillac," "Rock This Town," Prima's "Jump Jive An' Wail," "Rumble In Brighton" and the well-received "Stray Cat Strut;" a glitter-bedecked Setzer prowled the stage energetically during his hour-plus set and made several occasionally successful attempts to get the crowd up and moving. Having absolutely no problem getting Setzer's fans to clap, sing, dance and, most importantly, smile broadly as they tapped their feet to the twangin' honky tonk beat, BR5-49 took advantage of the brilliant acoustics in both venues and turned in tough, gritty, good-time performances that won over more of the audience than the group (or the audience, for that matter) seemed to expect. Looking and sounding like Hank senior's band on an East Coast tour circa-1949, BR5-49 quickly earned the applause of both crowds thanks to sets that mixed outstanding country-based winners like "You Are Never Nice To Me," "Out Of Habit," "My Name Is Mudd," "Little Ramona (Gone Hillbilly Nuts)" and "Change The Way I Look" with rollicking roadhouse rockers such as "18 Wheels And A Crowbar," "Wild One," "Six Days On The Road," "Cherokee Boogie," "Seven Nights To Rock" and "I Ain't Never." --- REVIEW: Missing Persons, _Late Nights Early Days_ (Designer Fruit) - Rey Roldan As one of the progenitors of the budding New Wave music scene, Missing Persons (along with likeminded A Flock of Seagulls and Devo) ushered a new sci-fi sensibility in the punk and pop music world. With their space age look and futuristic synth flourishes, Missing Persons combined the music and image into a perfect MTV-friendly package. While dressing like a Martian harlot (with her pink and platinum hair, plastic bowl bras and TV screen shorts), vocalist Dale Bozzio hiccuped her way through some of the finest 80s New Wave. _Late Nights Early Days_ captures the band live, prior to their signing to Capitol, with eleven tracks that encapsulate most of their studio debut _Spring Session M_. A previously unreleased track, the rather lackluster but no less interesting "Action Reaction", leads off what proves to be a surprisingly good glimpse of the band on their own terms. "Words", their anti-paean to communication in the technology age, carries a formidable punch with Bozzio's nasal delivery wavering alongside Chuck Wild's bloops and bleeps, outshining its studio version. "Destination Unknown" is almost identical to its album counterpart, adding as a testament to the band's easy transition from studio to stage. The main weak link on this record comes with a cover of The Doors' "Hello I Love You," turning its swirly sex-addled vibe to a pre-programmed mess of misguided synths and futuristic schmaltz. While not a must-have album since much of this album appears on _Spring Session M_ in studio versions, _Late Nights Early Days_ adds welcome insight into one of New Wave's largely forgotten heroes. And as far as live albums go, this collection ranks up there with the best of them (U2's _Under a Blood Red Sky_, Talking Heads' _Stop Making Sense_). --- REVIEW: Boom Boom Satellites, _Out Loud_ (Epic) - Tim Mohr The Boom Boom sound, beyond the obvious boom, is thick and dirty like the Lo Fidelity Allstars. Strangulated vocal snippets swirl in and out of a mix based on chugging basslines and Big Beat drum patterns. "Batter The Jam No. 3" brings in jazz elements, including a lilting flute and a muted trumpet. The emphasis is still on scratching and bass, though, even as a fusion feel threatens to stall the track. "Limbo" is rockier, vocoderized vocals and Led Zeppelinesque breaks adding up to a beefy version of U2's "Bullet the Blue Sky." The Satellites throw in lots of seemingly disparate elements. The arrangements include dub echoes, vintage synth blips, guitars, jazz breaks, and horns. Some of the tracks, like "Oneness," are a mess. They sound as if Urban Dance Squad had lost its sense of melody and professionalism. Others, like "Scatterin' Monkey" are fun, frantic breakbeat runs livened up with neat effects and a sense of zany enthusiasm. "Def" could be from an unreleased Lo Fidelity e.p., deftly combining rolling beats, rock elements, and nearly intelligible vocals. _Out Loud_ closes strong with three barnstormers. The woozy bassline in "Dub Me Crazy" sounds like the delicious sliding sample in Digital Underground's decade-old hit, "The Humpty Dance." But instead of Shock-G's camp rap, the Boom Booms lay on huge beats, filtered industrial mumblings, and technoid noises. "Dub Me Crazy" shows what the Boom Boom Satellites can really do - shake down a dancefloor - but which they seem reluctant to do elsewhere on the album. --- INTERVIEW: Zakk Wylde - Al Muzer Spewin' a fast-food-barrage of beer-swillin' Jack-guzzlin' can-crushin' joke-crackin' titty-feelin' law-breakin' keg-tappin' speed trap-blowin' bravado as if the road of life had no posted limit, rock stars still had more fun than regular people and a republican still ruled the White House, Zakk Wylde, band leader, guitar monster, solo artist, Ozzy insider, Guns 'n' Roses 10-minute member, one-time Allman Brother (for about as long as he was with G'n'R) and long-ago axe slinger for several long-forgotten New Jersey bands will never be accused of holding back when it comes to they way he feels about things. On his discovery: "I was playing in this little shithole with this crap band that was going nowhere fast when a guy came up to me and asked me about auditioning for Ozzy." On his audition for Ozzy: "Being a Black Sabbath freak, I shit myself when I plugged in and looked over to my right and there was Ozzy!" On a short stint with the Allman Brothers Band as a fill in for guitarist Dickie Betts: "[I] thought I fit in really well with my 20 minute guitar solos. I guess not." On his initial impression of fellow Garden State guitarist, Bruce Springsteen: "'I can't hear any fucking guitar in any of these songs! There's nothing!' I'm going, like, 'Where's the fucking fiddle?' And my friends'd be like, pointing it [Springsteen's guitar] out for me. Well, hell ... if you gotta point out where the fucking fiddle is [in a song], then there ain't none in it!" On the inspiration for "Born To Lose," a track on the recently released _Sonic Brew_ (Spitfire Records): "Is it [just] me, or have you noticed the endless stream of fucking idiots that keep jumping through the television screen?" On the blistering "Sweet Leaf" riff that torches "Peddlers of Death": "Which one? [slams into a brief, full-volume assault of the song's semi-familiar riff on a guitar cranked to "shred" and sure to rattle windows in his hotel room] That one? Man, that is the fucking greatest riff of all fucking time! [overcome by the accidental genius of Sabbath's Tony Iommi, Zakk blasts out a few minutes worth of "Sweet Leaf" before returning to earth.] Addressing himself as he mulls the thoughtful lyrics, mournful acoustic guitar and obvious heartbreak that make "Spoke In The Wheel" such a moving coda for _Sonic Brew_: "...quite feeling sorry for yourself, fuckface." On the songwriting and creative process that went into _Sonic Brew_ -- "I didn't approach this any differently than when I do an Ozzy record. I sit around and I ... well ... I gotta write a riff that makes my fuckin' dick hard first. After I find the riff, the rest is easy." On the music he and drinking partner/drummer Phil Ondich, with the assistance of producers Ron and Howard Albert (the Black Label Society) created for _Sonic Brew_, Zakk's third solo effort: "I hate fucking comparisons, fucking 'genres' and fucking 'labels,' so I pre-labeled my music for ya, it's called 'Alcohol Fueled Brewtality for the next millennium.'" All things considered, that's not a bad description for the tremendously powerful blasts of hair-swirling, neck-snapping, metal-edged devil-hum that makes _Sonic Brew_ such a surprisingly accessible 14-track treat. Built on solid songs with well-written choruses, genius riffs, better vocals than you're probably imagining, subtle, well-placed guitar heroics, the good sense to mellow out in a few key spots, and a slew of genuinely memorable hooks, _Sonic Brew_ sounds a little like Monster Magnet with a heavier Black Sabbath jones, a much better guitarist, a genius bassist, access to all the free booze the band wanted in the studio, and an Alice In Chains cassette glued in the tour bus tape deck. Despite the lack of 30-minute guitar wanks and the ego-driven chest-thumping you expect on a "guitarist's" solo album, Wylde is only too happy to remind you of his six-string pedigree every now and then by taking his "fiddle" (as he calls it) to lofty heights, screaming dives and churning power mulch-fuzz depths not many guitarists would survive, let alone attempt, all within the semi-structured confines of 14 outstanding new tunes that define a brand new direction for metal. On the guitar as a way of life: "If I was never playing with Ozzy or I never got my deal, I'd still be as deep into it [music] as I am now. I mean, I did construction for a bit and had a few other jobs but, I was like, Fuck this! If I don't have a fuckin' 'fiddle' in my hand, then I'm not doin' what I'm meant to be doin'... what I'm supposed to be doin.'" Go to http://www.spitfirerecords.com or http://www.zakkwylde.com/ for more information on Zakk Wylde and the Black Label Society's _Sonic Brew_. --- REVIEW: Bevis Frond, _Vavona Burr_ (Flydaddy) - Don Share Hating hippies has a long, silly history which goes back to our 1960's hardhat past, but it endures today in neo-punk bands and, even, arguably, in the recent spectre of Austin Powers. To a neutral observer, i.e., someone from Mars, there would be little comprehensible difference between someone who shaves all his hair off and someone who never cuts it, but of such stuff cultural and political niches are made. Playing punk in the '90's is arguably just as regressive as being a psychedelic revivalist, but let's not be too harsh: there's nothing wrong with liking old Iggy and Sex Pistols, on the one tatooed hand, or Hendrix and Fairport Convention on another ringed one. Nick Saloman definitely leans toward the acid- and folk-rock end of the spectrum, but don't run away: he is no relic or throwback. His is a lucid, not fuzzy, logic; his music, like his wit, is pummelling. He pays no sludgy, slogan-infested homage to peace, love, or understanding - he just thinks those things are preferable to kicking someone's head in. And if he likes melody to go along with his amazing guitar soloing, he's less nostalgic for all that than Paul McCartney was when crooning about how his mother should know. As Saloman sings in "National Drag" on his new album, _Vavona Burr_, "You can blow your mind, IF you wanna get left behind." Saloman knows all about the '60's, to be sure. He's old enough to have been there, if not quite old enough to have forgotten it all. As publisher of Ptolemaic Terrascope, he can set history straight without trying to simulate it in his music, which comes to us under the name, The Bevis Frond, and has for more than a dozen remarkable albums, every single one of which is worth hearing. Last year's _North Circular_, and before that, _Son of Walter_, were albums that almost put him on the map - but it may be that his sponsorship of the Terrastock music festivals, which highlighted bands like Olivia Tremor Control, and a recent collaboration with Mary Lou Lord, have brought him more attention than his own nostalgia-demolishing work. Any signs of the Woodstock era are defaced in the album's opening "Frond Cheer," featuring, of all people, Country Joe himself; but the F-word here is, F-R-O-N-D, and the album never glances back again. If the Frond owes anything to the 60's, it's in those wig-raising guitar solos, but with _Vavona Burr_, Saloman at last achieves a good balance of short and long songs. The short songs are a welcome innovation. "Bulldozer" is a twisted little nursery rhyme: "Bulldozer, Bulldozer, when shall we meet? / When I come up to London and flatten your street." The similarly self-explanatory "Couldn't Care Less," far from being a summery of love, is a kiss-off: "I don't want her latest photos, I don't want her new address / I don't want to know her reasons, I couldn't care less." The concision really underscores Saloman's wit. The long songs are no less effective - they're great Boleros of excrutiating crescendos. The exasperation of "Begging Bowl," and the slashing slide-guitar of "National Drag" stand out, as does the Riders On the Storm Doorsiness of "Don Lang" and the arch, aggravated lyrics of "One Leg Sand Dance." Long songs or short, Saloman suffers no fools. "Coming Down On You" is typically castigating ("As usual, you've been suffering from self-inflicted pain") but best of all is "In Her Eyes:" "She wakes up with a headache and a self-obsessive creep..." Best, because along with the invective, there's the great humanity that comes with fine alertness: "the people from her office seem to matter more and more..." Someday years from now, amidst phony nostalgia for our age of greatly simluated rage and indifference, they'll wonder why The Bevis Frond wasn't better appreciated. It will be a sign that, almost uniquely, this music needs no hype, and the labels don't stick. --- REVIEW: Sam Phillips, _Zero Zero Zero_ (Virgin) - Daniel Aloi For the uninitiated, this 15-song set is an O.K. introduction to singer-songwriter Sam Phillips, collecting (and reworking) tracks from her four excellent Virgin albums in the '90s _Cruel Inventions_, _The Indescribable Wow_, 1994's Grammy-nominated _Martinis and Bikinis_ and 1996's esoteric _Omnipop (It's Only a Flesh Wound Lambchop)_. Five of the catalog items are remixes or alternate mixes (and there's a new version of "Holding on to the Earth"), and three previously unreleased songs are the bait for established Phillips fans who own all of her records. With all production by her husband, T-Bone (J. Henry) Burnett, this retrospective holds together well, and the value-added tracks (including the all-new "Disappearing Act" and "You Lost My Mind") signal new directions. "Ribot Tripping Over Gravity" briefly revisits a _Cruel Inventions_ track with a soundscape painted by frequent sideman Marc Ribot's guitar. Always philosophical in affairs of the heart, Phillips has made a career of the anything-but-straightforward pop song. A former Contemporary Christian singer (Virgin re-released the transitional Leslie Phillips album "The Turning" in 1996), she remains grounded in her spirituality. "I Need Love" stands as her best statement of requiring both passion and God in her life. On _Omnipop_'s circuslike "Animals on Wheels," she grapples with fame, greed and ambition, from an idealist's viewpoint. And that song is the most telling about her own career. Although her music is accessible and intelligent, Phillips has never been too commercially viable. She tours only sporadically, and never really leapt to success after media exposure on "Melrose Place" and a number of hip movie soundtracks. (One quibble: Why no attempt to include her hard-to-find soundtrack covers of "A Midnight Clear" and "These Boots Were Made For Walking"?) This collection smacks of contractual obligation, but it is strong and worth owning, even with its nearly unreadable song credits. Instead, it may just hold the fans' interest (and earn Phillips some new devotees) until the next full studio release. --- REVIEW: Splendid, _Have You Got a Name For It_ (Mammoth) - Chris Hill Frente fans, rejoice! Angie Hart's reappearance on the musical map is worth the wait. To those who weren't hooked by _Marvin: The Album_'s retooling of New Order's _Bizarre Love Triangle_, you're in for a discovery. Splendid's CD is just that -- a breezy, wonderful, cavorting, summer romp of a record. From the opening drum machine beats of "I'm No Better" to the closing moments of the de rigueur hidden track, _Have You Got a Name for It_ soars and swoops around, playful, mischievous and thoroughly delightful. This praise results from the coupling of two people: Ms. Hart, ex-Frente singer, and Jesse Tobias, ex-guitarist for Alanis Morissette. Hart and Tobias turned their personal relationship into a professional partnership, forming Splendid. The product is an airy combination, with Hart's voice, all breathy Australian Ariel with a hangover and a history, and Tobias' guitarwork (both acoustic and electric) uniting in unapologetic pop pleasure. They've managed to capture the delight of their love, nailing the moments of painful and passionate discovery with spot-on lyrics and bubbling, colorful music. There's the morning light illuminating your lover's face: "While I eat and you sleep in/I make a wish and breathe in/By the time I count to ten, you're awake/And you look so, so fresh from the pillow/And the blood hasn't reached your cheeks yet/Hello, baby." There's the feeling of love where every nerve screams to shout your happiness from the rooftops: "How I try to be quiet/I'm bursting with my love for you/If I tell you, will it change the day?" (both from the rollicking "Hello Dear") There's the testing that encourages growth (the rumple-tum-tum, jaunty beat-filled "Work Cut Out for You"): "You push me, I can't ignore it/Then I find I'm better for it." There's the doubt and insecurity (the Jane Siberry-ish "Living"): "I feel a little strange with myself/I wasn't watching as I became/I'm attractive, I suppose." Along with the highs come the lows, too: "I'm jumbled up and mixed around/Feels like a crowd in a small town/When only poison comes out/Can't drink it away/Can't argue it off/But I can cry" (the gentle, softly-voiced "Cry"). But those moments are the bitter that makes the sweet more tasty. Parthenon Huxley pens a cut, "Come Clean," the only one not written all or in part by the couple, but the tune fits perfectly with the love theme. A loopy confessional, the song describes the urge for honesty when taking a relationship to another level: "I'm going to tell him everything/I'm gonna say I slept around/And when I finally tell him everything/There might be nothing left between us/...The truth and nothing but the truth/I'm gonna come clean." (Huxley merits a mention of his own -- he's a stellar talent, deserving of greater recognition: see http://www.elopart2.demon.co.uk/huxbio.html ) Hart and Tobias make a winning couple. After the ink on their pair of tattoos fades (she, "Jesse," he, "Angie," and the subject of the hidden track), this record will remain an enduring snapshot of how they feel now. As she sings on the final listed track, "You and Me," "You make me see/why I should love me/I look at you/In love with me/We made this about/You and me." For two people sucking the marrow from life's moments and sharing their experiences, what more to ask for? --- REVIEW: Set 'Em Up Joe, _Set 'Em Up Joe_ (Daddy-O/Royalty) - Franklin Johnson The latest band to take advantage of the swing revival is New York City's Set 'Em Up Joe. This five-piece unit from the Big Apple offer up all the energy of a 1940s swing party with the professionalism needed to rise above the slew of imitators riding the latest craze. With a name clipped from a popular phrase from 50 years ago, it's no surprise that these sharp dressers want to have a good time. Songs such as "Zoot Suit" can be a riot, even if the Cherry Poppin' Daddies have claimed all associations of the 'Z' word with today's teenagers. Understated horns are a welcome relief from others' over-the-top, bombastic efforts. Instead, Matt Hughes' bass takes center stage. Vocalist Greg Mangus doesn't emulate Ol' Blue Eyes, but instead comes off more in the image of Dean Martin. Subtle differences, true, but all important in the end. Even if Set 'Em Up Joe doesn't find the key to radio airplay (hint: get "Zoot Suit" in a commercial), these guys can clearly put on a show. Definitely worth a listen the next time you pass through the record store. --- NEWS: > Fans of independent music may want to check out http://www.insound.com which offers chats with bands such as Promise Ring and Komeda, information on their tours and will soon be offering MP3s. > The Manic Street Preachers have postponed their three-week American tour with Remy Zero due to a serious illness within the family. It is expected to be rescheduled later in 1999. > The Ramones will be signing autographs at the Union Square Virgin Megastore in New York City on Tuesday, July 20 at 7 pm. The band will sign copies of their new release, _Hey Ho Let's Go! The Ramones Anthology_ (Rhino), which covers tracks from their 20 years together. > Robbie Williams fans will be able to download a previously unreleased track - "John Gay" - exclusively at http://www.virginmega.com . The track will expire 30 days after being downloaded. However, those people who purchase his disc _The Ego Has Landed_ from the Virgin retail site will receive a license allowing them to play the new track permanently. > A Year 2000 time capsule will be created by some of the world's leading electronic bands - Orbital, Crystal Method, Lo Fidelity All Stars, and DJ John Kelley. Fans of the artists involved can go to the tour's official website, at http://www.communityservicetour.com and make suggestions of memorabilia to be included in the capsule. --- TOUR DATES: Add N To (X) Jul. 18 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Jul. 19 New York City, NY Bowery Ballroom Jul. 21 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall Jul. 22 Chicago, IL Metro Jul. 24 Seattle, WA RCKNDY Jul. 26 San Francisco, CA Great American Alec Empire Jul. 20 New York, NY Cooler Anti-Flag Jul. 20 Raleigh, NC The Brewery Jul. 23 West Palm Beach, FL Home Jul. 24 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing Jul. 25 Jacksonville, FL Milk Bar Jul. 27 Richmond, VA Twisters Atari Teenage Riot Jul. 21 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall Jul. 22 Chicago, IL Metro Jul. 24 Seattle, WA Rkcndy Jul. 26 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall Buffalo Daughter Jul. 23 San Francisco, CA Bimbos Jul. 24 San Francisco, CA El Rey Theatre Mary Chapin Carpenter Jul. 21 Cleveland, OH Palace Jul. 22 Schenectady, NY Proctor's Theatre Jul. 23 Boston, MA Harbor Lights Jul. 24 Holmdel, NJ PNC Center Cravin' Melon Jul. 23 Asheville, NC Bell Chere' Festival Jul. 24 Isle Of Palms, SC Windjammer Ani DiFranco / Maceo Parker Jul. 18 Seattle, WA Snoqualmie Winery Down By Law Jul. 18 Detroit, MI Magic Stick Jul. 19 Cleveland, OH Euclid Tavern Jul. 20 Columbus, OH Little Brothers Jul. 21 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle Jul. 22 Richmond, VA Twisters Duraluxe Jul. 18 Lawrence, KS Replay Lounge Jul. 19 St. Louis, MO Rocket Bar Jul. 22 Evansville, IN The Office Jul. 29 Asbury Park, NJ The Saint Jul. 23 Evansville, IN Bullocks Jul. 24 Pittsburgh, PA Bloomfield Bridge Tavern Ben Harper Jul. 18 Carhaix Plouguer, France Festival des Vieilles Jul. 21 Nyon, Switzerland Paleo Festival Nyon Jul. 23 Dublin, Ireland Guinness Blues Festival Live Jul. 20 New York, NY Tramps Luscious Jackson Jul. 20 Austin, TX South Park Meadows Jul. 21 Dallas, TX Starplex Jul. 23 Columbia, MO Blue Note Jul. 24 Chicago , IL Vic Theatre Jul. 25 Minneapolis, MN First Ave Pietasters Jul. 23 Ledyard, CT Red Show @ Mohegan Sun Resort Jul. 25 Washington, DC Carter Barron Amph. Pretenders Jul. 19 Las Vegas, NV Hard Rock Hotel Jul. 24 Myrtle Beach, SC House Of Blues Staind Jul. 19 Washington, DC Nation Jul. 20 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Jul. 22 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom Jul. 23 Lowell, MA Tsongas Arena James Taylor Jul. 18 Perugia Giardini del frontone Jul. 19 Pescara Teatro D'annunzio Jul. 22 Brescia Piazza della Loggia Jul. 25 Torino Piazza Vittorio Veneto Sally Taylor Jul. 25 Carbondale, CO Carbondale Mountain Fair Ultimate Fakebook Jul. 21 St Louis, MO Side Door Jul. 24 Athens, GA Tasty World Jul. 25 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 Jul. 26 Arlington, VA Galaxy Hut Weird Al Yankovic Jul. 19 Green Bay, WI Oneida Casino Jul. 21 Costa Mesa, CA Orange County Fair Jul. 22 Redding, CA Redding Convention Center Jul. 23 Central Point, OR Jackson County Fair/Expo Jul. 25 Beverly, MA North Shore Music Theatre --- Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest music reviews publication on the Internet. 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