== ISSUE 189 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [October 12, 1999] Editor: Bob Gajarsky E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com Managing Editor: Lang Whitaker Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim Kennedy, Al Muzer, Joe Silva Correspondents: Michelle Aguilar, Christina Apeles, Niles J. Baranowski, Mike Bederka, Jason Cahill, Matthew Carlin, Patrick Carmosino, John Davidson, Andrew Duncan, Krisjanis Gale, Paul Hanson, Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Franklin Johnson, Steve Kandell, Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Wes Long, Iain Kenneth MacLeod, 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 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: Limp Bizkit, _Significant Other_ - Jason Cahill REVIEW: Stereophonics, _Performance and Cocktails_ - Scott Slonaker REVIEW: Ash, _Nu-Clear Sounds_ - Robin Lapid REVIEW: Shack, _HMS Fable_ - Tim Kennedy REVIEW: Various Artists, _Music For Our Mother Ocean 3_ - Andrew Duncan INTERVIEW: Luke Slater (Part 2) - Krisjanis Gale REVIEW: Various Artists, _Never Give In - A Tribute to Bad Brains_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: Ramones, _Hey Ho Let's Go! Anthology_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Various Artists, _That 70's Show Jammin' Album_ / _That 70's Show Rockin' Album_ - Don Share REVIEW: Various Artists, _Nowcore! The Punk Rock Evolution_ - Kerwin So REVIEW: The Minders, _Cul-de-Sacs & Dead Ends_ - Robin Lapid REVIEW: Bows, _Blush_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: Oysterband, _Here I Stand_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Porcupine Tree, _Stupid Dream_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: The Paladins, _Slippin' In_ - Daniel Aloi REVIEW: Showoff, _The Hush_ - Michael Van Gorden NEWS: Apples In Stereo, Pat Benatar TOUR DATES: Agnostic Front, Anti Flag / Dropkick Murphys, Art of Noise, Ben Folds Five / Fleming & John, Buzzcocks / Lunachicks / Down By Law, Danzig, Del The Funky Homosapien & Casual, Ani DiFranco, DJ Shadow, Johnny Dowd, Fastbacks, Ben Harper, Indigo Girls, Rickie Lee Jones, Ben Lee, Len / Styles of Beyond, Live, Luscious Jackson, Minders, Moby, Alanis Morissette, Tom Petty & Heartbreakers, Pietasters, Pilfers & Spring Heeled Jack, Sheila Divine, Sisters of Mercy, Stereo Total, Sally Taylor, Tonic / Goo Goo Dolls, Type O Negative, Tom Waits, Robbie Williams Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Limp Bizkit, _Significant Other_ (Flip/Interscope) - Jason Cahill When Limp Bizkit broke onto the music scene two years ago, they did so with a cover of George Michael's "Faith." An odd choice considering that Limp Bizkit were a band entrenched in the world of hard rock, complete with a "fuck you" attitude and a sound that would annoy even the coolest of neighbors. But one listen and you realize that Limp Bizkit's version of "Faith" was a different song entirely, and in the end they managed to do the impossible -- turn an otherwise crappy pop song into a hard rock anthem. No small task indeed, and even tougher to top -- or so we thought. Fast forward to the release of Limp Bizkit's sophomore effort, _Significant Other_, an album equal to the task of following up their impressive debut. The album is a perfect blend of hip-hop and hard rock, and the band manages to pull it all off without sacrificing credibility or originality. The album's first single, "Nookie," is perhaps the finest in a year otherwise devoid of anything memorable, and contains a chorus forever ingrained in the minds of every adolescent teen. "Break Stuff" is a song full of angst and anger, a call to arms which literally was the impetus for the trouble at this year's Woodstock festival. "Just Like This" is atypical of much on _Significant Other_, a blend of DJ Lethal's hip-hop beats with a hard rock edge. But perhaps the album's most mature and endearing track is also a promising sign of things to come for Limp Bizkit. The track "Re-Arranged" is Limp Bizkit at their most vulnerable. The song is pure atmosphere, building with each verse and chorus, leading to its inevitable emotional climax. Reminiscent of early Jane's Addiction, the song stands out among stand outs, and gives a glimpse into the direction the band could take with its next release. That "Significant Other" works as well as it does can be attributed to the combination of lead singer Fred Durst, producer Terry Date and the band's unsung hero, DJ Lethal. Lethal, whose beats, scratches and samples are at the core of every cut on the album, is perhaps the band's most vital member, if not the most unheralded. By the album's third track, it becomes readily apparent that he provides "Significant Other" with its flavor. Credit also goes to the album's producer Terry Date, who managed to take a band full of attitude and angst and help them create an album surprising in its maturity. But of course, the heart of Limp Bizkit is lead singer Fred Durst, whose lyrics, vocals and personality are laced throughout "Significant Other." It is Durst who shines brightest on the album, and Durst who will be the main force behind the growth and maturity of a band already well on its way. --- REVIEW: Stereophonics, _Performance and Cocktails_ (V2) - Scott Slonaker The sophomore record from Wales' biggest band is not likely to change any fortunes in America, but it has easy appeal to any Anglophile who's picked up on Stereophonics' dynamic, classic sound. Stereophonics are somewhere musically between Oasis and the Manic Street Preachers, more thoughtful than the former and with less to say than the latter. Along with those two acts, they carry the arena-rock torch left behind by U2 on that act's field trip to the state of confusion. The band's strengths are quite obvious, and plenty effective. Singer Kelly Jones has the best voice in British rock music today - Liam Gallagher's soar minus the annoying whine and plus a bluesy, shivery edge. As this might indicate, Stereophonics do ballads quite well. I count no less than six here-none as luxurious and atmospheric as "Traffic", the centerpiece of _Word Gets Around_, but all solid enough. Perhaps the best is "Hurry Up and Wait", although "Just Looking" has charted high overseas. Most of the rest clog up the second half of the record, rendering it significantly less memorable than the first. Even though this album doesn't have a true home run (goal?) such as "Traffic", it is more consistent than its predecessor and contains a couple of good faster singles as well. The lyrically Kinks-ish "The Bartender and the Thief" and the effusive "Pick a Part That's New" show the band filling out its bag of tricks quite nicely. Next project: adding *memorable* strings and pianos and such without diluting anything. Ask the Manics. Stereophonics are a young band who have yet to make their masterpiece - but they're getting closer. Hopefully their massive overseas fanbase doesn't get in the way. --- REVIEW: Ash, _Nu-Clear Sounds_ (Dreamworks) - Robin Lapid You could say that Ash's _Nu-Clear Sounds_ reflects a band that has grown into their age, but please keep in mind that the oldest member is all of 23. The release of the Trailer ep and then debut album _1977_ witnessed a trio of Irish upstarts and former metalheads making smarter, catchy Buzzcockian punk-pop, a sound with the guitar amps set to 11 and affixed to singer-guitarist Tim Wheeler's wispy vocals, perfectly suited to hard-edged teen anthems dedicated to Jackie Chan. If you caught them on tour for that album, you would be schooled in the art of boys being boys, with, say, drinking and drug debauchery in Thailand sandwiched in the press clippings alongside mock-street fights with "Britpop" tour buddies Elastica. The music was just as fun, but at some point you would expect a little teen spirit burn-out. Three years later and the all-boys trio are now a co-ed quartet, a little older, a little wiser, still given to a certain puckishness in their music but more audibly concentrated on making the sound consistent and dynamic. _Nu-Clear Sounds_ is a fine album, the refined result of post-teen rockstar life lessons, some Iggy and the Stooges and New York Dolls on the "what's in my CD player" now list, and Ash's proven penchant for catchy pop. There's plenty of glam-punk, heavy-artillery riffage here, provided by able-bodied guitarist and latest addition Charlotte Hatherley. "Jesus Says" heads off the U.S. release (the earlier U.K. and elsewhere version has a different track listing) with some infectious "ooh ooh ooh" refrains and exuberantly glittery guitar licks, chronicling the headiness of a rollercoaster tour stop in New York City, "a million light years from home." For a group still so young in years, Wheeler and company sound smarter than your average boy punk band, and possess an unfailing knack for pogo-inducing hooks with telling lyrics like "Fate is your enemy, rebel against your destiny; got a beautiful face, kind of fucked-up inside." There's also slight remnants of their predilection for hyperbolic, hesher-esque rawk-outs ("Numbskull's" first lyric, for example, is "Owwwwww!!!"). Adding a weightier tone to the album are quite a few lovely ballads that tackle more contemplative themes apart from love -- think teenage popstar existentialism. But the band pull it off with a heartfelt, amiable charm on tracks like "Burn Out" and "Folk Song," a melancholic number that has a wizened-sounding Wheeler whispering about heaven and springtime "slipping away," continuing with allusions to an emotional downward spiral after endless touring and the turning wheels of "Top of the Pops"-style stardom. "Wild Surf" is fluffy and light as a beach ball, a Cliffs Notes rendition of _1977_ tracks like "Girl From Mars" and "Angel Interceptor." "A Life Less Ordinary," a track written for the Danny Boyle movie of the same name, ends the U.S. release on an optimistic note, with an innocent airiness that made the band's early singles so appealing. _Nu-Clear Sounds_ reveals a band with a little more consistency in its music, a sense of maturity -- or else a decreased probability that twenty minutes after the last track you will hear the sound of drunk guys puking, followed by guys laughing at each other's puke -- with incidental meanderings into the kind of catch-all pop that reassures you Ash are still messing with their sound and allowing themselves a little youthful range to rawk out. --- REVIEW: Shack, _HMS Fable_ (London) - Tim Kennedy The history of Shack has been one of false starts. Originating from the ashes of early 80s luminaries Pale Fountains, Michael Head, principal songwriter started the band circa the time of the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays. Two albums have appeared in the U.K. under their moniker before _HMS Fable_, including the classic Mersey pop album _Waterpistol_. However live outings by the band have often been shambolic with the results of extensive drug abuse often in evidence. Probably the nearest album to this in spirit is the eponymous La's album of 1990. The light feel and melodic guitars put Shack in the same bracket as their fellow Liverpudlians. The nautical theme of this album is a reference to heroin addiction. Sailing in an old-fashioned clipper is a metaphor for escape afforded by the accursed poppy. Thus in "Lends Some Dough" the hero begins in some dive surrounded by the evidence of drug abuse, trying to cadge a few pounds to restart his life (or perhaps get more smack) and all of a sudden is transported to the high seas in a four masted schooner. The title track extends the metaphor, with a group of smack heads transformed into the crew of a sailing ship run by an avuncular captain who affords his crew much access to the rum ration. The musical setting for this song is sumptuous with tinkling guitars and folky motifs allied to a gentle melody. "Underneath the wings of a giant dove". It has to be said that the subject matter of this album is utterly distasteful, but in terms of modern day guitar pop this is as good an album as has been heard in the past five years - with possibly only _Waterpistol_ to compete with it. Light and space are well in evidence here despite the grim subject matter. Another track "Streets Of Kenny" takes the listener to Ireland in search of the hero's friends and another bag of drugs, however the music is uplifiting using Irish folk motifs. Like the sea, Ireland is ever present in the scouse psyche. The singer is clearly struggling with his urge to take drugs and the music echoes that fight. "I Want You" sounds very similar to some recent Teenage Fan Club material, working a neat melody around simple chords, and the vocal even sounds not disimilar to TFC's Norman. "Since I Met You" starts with a sinister scouse nursery rhyme about a drug deal gone wrong ending in a shooting "Poor lamb, should have been home for tea." The main narrative describes a supermarket robbery with a fake gun, concentrating on the fear in the eyes of the checkout girl. The chorus is another soaring blissful lovelorn "And I can't think of anything since I met you". Shack are the band that La's fans hoped Cast would be; they play glorious 12-string guitar melodies and evoke a mood of freedom and space. _Waterpistol_ was the finest, most underrated album of the 90s and now surely _HMS Fable_'s success will see Shack finally get off the starting blocks. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Music For Our Mother Ocean 3_ (Surfdog/Hollywood) - Andrew Duncan "Hang ten surf doggy!" Sounds neat when the elderly lady from the Old Navy commercial elegantly blurts those words out while the Kens and Barbies dance about on the beach. Well oh gracious one, those times are gone when American coasts were filled with miles of clean, crystallized sand, the ocean water as blue as Sinatra's baby blues and an abundance of saltwater fish swimming freely without the worry of being wiped out from our technologically-advanced fishing boats. Due to the overcrowding of Tropicana-clad people and decades of pollution, we have put the ocean in an unwilling position as the underdog. This is not news breaking information, as most are well aware of the earth's fragile environment. However, we are living in an age where people need to be given a reminder, and that is why artists continue to contribute to the Music for our Mother Ocean CD series. The third installment in this series is well informative, giving updated statistics underlying the problems with ocean deterioration, and providing useful numbers to call for more information in conjunction with cause and effect. Oh yes, and there are the artists who are involved. The CD has high tides with Brian Setzer teaming up with Brian Wilson to perform a startlingly vivid version of "Little Deuce Coupe." Also Beck, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beastie Boys all contribute fascinating new songs composed especially for this album. Unfortunately there are low tides as well. Sprung Monkey destroys a cover "Coconut," Allison Moorer performs a catastrophic version of the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun," and Snoop Doggy Dog teams up with members of Rage Against the Machine to record an annoyingly long "Snoop Bounce." But hey, it's all for a good cause, right? --- INTERVIEW: Luke Slater - Krisjanis Gale (Part 1 of this interview appeared in the September 28 issue of Consumable, located at http://www.consumableonline.com/1999/09.28 ) CO: What inspires you when you're trying to get new sounds? LS: To create something that sounds new, and exciting, and fresh. To do something that I would buy in a record shop. I'm always on the road DJ'ing, or whatever, in Europe, and I always carry a G3 Powerbook everywhere. And I record just anything, you know, ambient shit at airports, and restaurants, any noise. CO: Is there anything on _Wireless_ that just came together all at once? LS: "Bolt Up" - which is probably the hardest track on the album. It was really quick. I'd written all the lyrics for it on a plane coming back from France, I hooked it up in the studio, and just threw it together, it just had such a power to it. And I just left it like that. CO: Do the rigid mechanics of electronic music frustrate you? LS: The mechanics of it. Yeah, sure man. CO: There has to have been thousands of times when you were tempted to try not to sequence something, and then do it live. LS: You could do that. CO: And then you realize that it's electronic music, so something has to have a solid beat. It's sort of a necessary evil. LS: I think we're moving into an age where studios aren't going to be like studios anymore. I'm always trying to write things outside the the studio, because I don't really like sitting in a studio with a lot of machines in it. I haven't got a thing for machines in that way. I've got a thing for technology, but I've got a thing for technology that makes things less...technological. CO: So your ideal situation is having some beautiful piece of software on your G3. LS: Well, that's basically what I do. Some of the tracks were quite constructed on the G3. I've got a lot of programs for it; I've written a lot of stuff on the road. When I'm sitting in hotels for a long time, that's pretty much what I do. And that's great, because you couldn't do that a few years ago. But that's the way it should be. CO: I don't know. I saw Juno Reactor live, and they did everything off a Powerbook. One synth and a Powerbook, and the whole show was done on the computer. LS: That's cool. I don't think we can get our live show down to one synth and a Powerbook; we drag the whole studio around. As much as I love computers. I'm still real hands-on. I like to have the control of things be pretty quick. CO: What's the core of Space Station Zero at the moment? What piece of gear could you not live without? LS: The computers. Apple Macs, man. Without them... nah. That's a lie. Because if I didn't have them, I could still write stuff. I don't know. My ears? (laugh) CO: So you've got no gearlust for a particular piece of kit. LS: Not really. I've got a bit of a fetish for say, the DMX drum machine. That's something that goes back, for me. If you want to buy a synth now, you can choose absolutely millions of sound modules, synths. A lot of them are kind of the same. There's not really that much difference about them. You can buy an analog synth, and there's millions of them. That's kind of slowed down now, whereas one point, when analog synths were made, nobody really knew why they were making them. It wasn't like "We're making it for the dance market" or "We're making it for the rock market," they were just making them. But now it's gotten a bit more pigeonholed where synths are being made for a dance record. I don't really join that gang. For me it's more interesting to make things out of instruments that aren't really made to do anything in particular. Everything I've written has really been done on basic equipment. CO: So you have a greater interest in sampling something and turning it into something. LS: Ah, samplers, man. I couldn't live without samplers. CO: I was listening to Tresor 78 - Joey Beltram's "Places" - and it sort of reminded me of _Freek Funk._ If you had to try to put _Wireless_ right alongside another artist, who would it be? LS: I don't know. One of the old school electro guys; the whole thing for me just goes back to the old school. CO: There's a lot of breaks on _Wireless,_ more so than on _Freek Funk._ What started you down the path of "Well here's a really good break, now, how can I fuck it up and put it on my track?" (laugh) That's sort of - getting less electro, and more breakbeat. LS: They're both the same to me. Electro and breakbeats. It's the attitude of using them, rather than one's with a drum machine and one's just a break. We made a lot of our own breaks on the album. Al and I were both drummers when we were kids - that's how we kind of met, because we were both drummers. We actually did a two-hour session in the studio, with both of us playing the drums live. We put it on tape. CO: The songs, both on _Wireless_ and _Freek Funk,_ either go really harsh or really ethereal. That's especially true of "Sum Tom Tin" or "Body Freefall," and then you have a song like "Weave Your Web." What motivates both extremes? Because there's no real grey area in the middle. LS: No. That's because I don't like middle-of-the-road, man. I like to be on one side or the other. CO: _Wireless_ is a radical departure, not only from _Freek Funk,_ but from a lot of other albums out right now in the electro genre. Where do you see yourself, coming from _Wireless,_ to your future work? LS: I don't know yet. I think _Wireless_ is something quite new, and it feels to me we're kind of out on our own doing it, and playing it live. We're just doing what we're doing, and take it where it goes. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Never Give In - A Tribute to Bad Brains_ (Century Media) - Andrew Duncan Maybe not the most anticipated album of the year, this homage to one of the greatest punk bands is certainly one of the better tributes on the market. The niche is naturally those who love Bad Brains, especially hardcore fans who love Bad Brains (who cares if Moby starts off the CD with a version of "Sailin' On," displaying one of the most depressing-sounding songs since Morrisey mopped around with The Smiths). Within five minutes, Ignite acknowledges the classic "Pay To Cum" and rips through an impressive version. Boy Sets Fire also pays tribute to Bad Brain's most popular song "I Against I," and succeeds. Some bands concentrate on Brains' more recent work. Entombed cover "Yout' Juice" and sound more like they are covering a Monster Magnet song. Sepultura take on a speed version of "Gene Machine/Don't Bother Me," and Vision of Disorder scream through "Soulcraft." Overall, there is a pleasing consistency, with each band paying the highest regards to an influential band. The only disappointment with this tribute is the lack of coverage with their reggae tunes, an equally important part of the band. What other hardcore band in the early '80s was playing traditional reggae songs? --- REVIEW: Ramones, _Hey Ho Let's Go! Anthology_ (Rhino) - Bob Gajarsky Long before Green Day was even a thought in their parents' minds, the Ramones were writing two-and-a-half minute anthems to a new generation and, along with Blondie and Talking Heads, turning the East Side dump CBGBs into a shrine and homage to the punk revolution. Now - a quarter century after leaving a cloud of dust behind those guitar chords - the definitive 58-song collection of the Ramones, _Anthology_, has hit the stores. But with more compilation albums (both live and hits) than most bands this side of the Moody Blues, why would a fan need to purchase _Anthology_? Quite simply, the issuing label - Rhino Records. Living up to their well-earned reputation for dedicated efforts, Rhino includes a 74 page booklet along with this double CD. With a foreword by manager Danny Fields and extensive liner notes by David Fricke, the history of the Ramones - and their environment - is lovingly resurrected and recounted as if it were happening yesterday. But $30 doesn't justify the purchase of the liner notes. Instead, the meat of the package comes in the music. Much more than the now frat/jock anthem "I Wanna Be Sedated", the Ramones' form of pop punk covered politics ("My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down"), fun ("Blitzkrieg Bop", "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker", "Rockaway Beach"), other artists' songs ("Surfin' Bird", "Needles & Pins") and of course, forms of getting high ("53rd & 3rd", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", "Somebody Put Something In My Drink"). While their musical style may not have varied much during their lengthy career, fans always knew that they could count on the Ramones to deliver a musical punch. Rhino has captured that feeling wonderfully on _Anthology_. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _That 70's Show Jammin' Album_ / _That 70's Show Rockin' Album_ (Volcano) - Don Share "Good taste" and "popular TV show" aren't phrases you'd normally associate with each other, but, amazingly, "That 70's Show" is an exception. The anachronisms in the show bother me, since I'm an anachronism, myself, and actually remember those days. But the show's producers are marketing, as seems inevitable, a pair of CDs to serve as accompanying period-pieces, and they've done such an outstanding job that these discs are among the very best anthologies of '70s music you can get. Wisely, the music is divided into a _Rockin'_ album, which is, duh, rock (did people say "duh" in the '70s?), and a _Jammin'_ album, which is funk. Notice that the latter is funk, not disco! Another sign of great wisdom and taste! What's really nice is that the music on these discs isn't merely there to invoke nostalgia in folks who remember the '70s, or to induce chuckles from those who weren't around then but are entertained by the woeful stylings of that era. Instead, this is good stuff, enjoyable on its own terms, to the extent that really, the best review of them would just be a listing of their contents! What surprised me, not being much of a funkster in my day (I remember having to dance with my girlfriend to these tunes in painful misery, to be honest) is how much more fun the _Jammin'_ disc is. You can get down tonight with K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Rufus will tell you something good, and James Brown has "Hot Pants" while Parliament tears the roof off the sucka. You get your requisite "Jungle Boogie" from Kool and the Gang, Average White Band picks up the pieces, The Hues Corporation rocks the boat, Ohio Express catch "Fire" and Wild Cherry plays that funky music, white boy! Round things out with less obvious choices like The Spinners' great "Rubber Band Man" and The Isley Brothers "Fight the Power" as well as some Three Degrees and Tower of Power. (I guess I'd have been really happy if they stuck some Jimmy Castor Bunch on, too: remember "The Bertha Butt Boogie," anyone?!) The _Rockin'_ album is no slouch, however. For starters, there's the new version of the TV show's theme, "That 70's Song," which is really a desecration of Big Star's "In the Street" (for which Alex Chilton apparently only gets about 70 bucks a week!). Still, rewritten lyrics and all, this version by Cheap Trick is actually decent. "Hello, Wisconsin!" You get real Cheap Trick, though, with the sublime "I Want You To Want Me," along with the absolutely wonderful gem and one-hit-wonder, Ram Jam's "Black Betty," Golden Earring's "Radar Love," James Gang's "Funk #49," Skynyrd's "Saturday Night Special," Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Let It Ride" (yay, not the over-anthologized "Takin' Care of Business" or "You Ain't Seen Nuthin' Yet") and other gems from Argent, Blue Oyster Cult, Alice Cooper ("Under My Wheels," and not the over-anthologized "Eighteen!"), 10cc (not "I'm Not In Love," yay, again, but, oddly, "Wall Street Shuffle"), The Kinks and even some stray Ted Nugent and Montrose. Best of all, the disc ends with the eye-misting "September Gurls" from Big Star, which maybe makes up (in royalties, let's hope) for the theme song-damage. A nicely-chosen, and yes, rockin' selection. Even if you don't watch the show, you know you'd like to have these, and if you are a fan, um, well, there're neat pictures of the stars inside. Each song is well-annotated, too. I can't see anybody putting on these tunes and serving fondue before the wife-swapping gets underway, but you can dance to them, surely, or sit back and think back on things that were, or never were. Fun! --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Nowcore! The Punk Rock Evolution_ (K-Tel) - Kerwin So K-tel has jumped into the late '90s just in time with this collection of tracks from bands that have hovered beneath America's rock radar for the past 7 years. As they did with the starlight pop hits of the '60s and '70s, and the new wave hits of the '80s, K-tel attempts to document a particular sound, arguably a scene or an overall musical trend. "It isn't the way it sounds," writes _Punk Planet_'s Josh Hooten in the liner notes. "It's the way it feels." The bands represented here definitely share a certain "feel." Whether they be Modest Mouse, The Promise Ring, or Braid, most of these groups ostensibly hold firm places in the record collection of what one writer deemed "wallet-chain America." Adding more melody, dynamics, and instrumental breaks to punk rock's energetic structure, most modern-day emo/post-whatever bands (as accurately documented in _Nowcore_) eschew punk's traditionally political stance for more introspective lyrics, with a keen inclination towards the subject matter of girls, relationships on rocky shores, and the like. K-tel deserves a lot of credit for picking the signature songs of many of these bands, from Mineral's insistent, tenderly anguished "ForIvadell," to Knapsack's "Decorate the Spine," which showcases singer Blair Shehan's startling ability to upshift from a cloying, fey vocal into a menacing hardcore growl at an instant's notice. Post- punk icon J. Robbins is also adequately represented in this compilation, with tracks from Jawbox and Burning Airlines appearing next to Robbins-produced songs like Texas is the Reason's " Jack with One Eye." Hum's dreamy, heavy 1995 alterna-radio hit "Stars" (once Howard Stern's favorite song) also makes a welcome and worthy appearance, and say what you will about Samiam 'selling out,' their 1998 song "She Found You" rips the lid off this comp with the purest adrenaline rush of punk-pop you've probably heard in three years. Even the packaging for _Nowcore_ manages to impress: instead of your standard chintzy CD insert, you get passionate liner notes packed with catchy slogans tucked inside a nice envelope with more catchy slogans. As C. Montgomery Burns might say, I know what I hate, and I don't hate this. There's only a few problems with _Nowcore_, the main one being that it's a tough sell. People who already like these bands will have most of these songs already, as they are all album tracks, and more mainstream music consumers scooping up the latest Jewel and Bush albums may not be interested in any of the bands listed here. Worst of all, after 16 songs, most of these bands begin to sound - well, alike. Although _Nowcore_ is a valiant and altogether on-target compilation, your time would probably be better spent digging up the actual albums from which this CD drew its selections. Start with the Promise Ring and let me know what all the hype is about. TRACK LISTING: The Promise Ring - Why Did We Ever Meet, Hum - Stars, Seaweed - Start With, Modest Mouse - Convenient Parking, Braid - New Nathan Detroits, At the Drive In - For Now We Toast, Mineral - ForIvadell, Compound Red - Versus the Ocean, Samiam - She Found You, Burning Airlines - Wheaton Calling, Unwound - Unauthorized Autobiography, The Dismemberment Plan - The Ice of Boston, Drive Like Jehu - Caress, Texas is the Reason - A Jack with One Eye, Knapsack - Decorate the Spine, Jawbox - Savory --- REVIEW: The Minders, _Cul-de-Sacs & Dead Ends_ (spinART) - Robin Lapid If you're not familiar with the Elephant 6 collective, you'd know them by their modus operandi -- they're a gang of like-minded bands that offer up their own skewed homages to the psychedelic pop of the Beatles and the Beach Boys. So you probably wouldn't be surprised at the Minders' signature sound. English frontman Martyn Leaper, admitting to having grown tired of making "modern" sounds, seems to give the Minders a clear decree -- "if it's not British Invasion-era pop, it's crap!" As such, his band offer up very faithful pop odes to those classic '60s sounds, compiling out-of-print singles that were released before and after their debut album, _Hooray for Tuesday_, into this handy disc. _Cul-de-Sacs_ is an album of 17 honey-spun songs running two or three minutes each, a graceful length for melodies that, upon extended listens, might give the listener a sugarache. Leaper's nasally, hazy pop tunes will have you harking back to Paul McCartney in his more foppish-haircut days. The Minders rarely deviate from a tried-and-true formula of persistently sunny rhythms backed against a strumming guitar, some background "la la la's," and Leaper's high-pitched vocals filtered through a lo-fi, echoing microphone. Tracks like "Rocket 58" are relative experiments in the genre, with keyboard noodlings and bits of samples melting into the melodies. "Build" and "Chatty Patt" are more representative tracks, swatches of pretty British pop that makes you wonder if you've sudenly time-traveled into the past. The Minders are probably too faithful to the sounds they love so much, and while cheerful pop ditties are not to be dismissed, there is something to be said about having too much of a good thing. Still, _Cul-de-Sacs_'s mindful tunes proffer vacuum-sealed pop that, in small doses, are infectiously bright. --- REVIEW: Bows, _Blush_ (Too Pure) - Andrew Duncan Bound within the realm of trip-hop and no-beat minimalism, the Bows provide ice cream textures with silky elegance that takes one step away from the reality that Portishead and Bjork created. There is a sense of fantasy involved with their spacious music by erasing any concept of time and creating material that is subconscious in nature. The beats involved are the only thing defines realism by clearly and concisely accentuate each. Layered beyond the mixture of human and electronic drumming is another world of sampled classical strings. The loops wax and wane freely most commonly filling in the gaps from either the lack of a beat or cunningly averting the attention to a transitional phase as with "Troy Polenta's Big Break" or "Girls Lips Glitter," both drowsy compositions reminiscent of modern classical freeform. Occasionally, the band gets a mood swing and transforms a classical melody into after-hours jazz by looping in a bass riff as with "Speed Marina." In between all of this swirling chaos of strings and a modern kaleidoscope of delicate electronica lie Signe Hoirup Wille-Jorgenson's elegant vocal chords. She can softly penetrate the air with her beautiful melodies and whisping voice. "It'll Be Half Time in England Soon" demonstrates this ability with the help of Luke Sutherland's combining to bring a meditative effect to the bustling urban drum and bass filling the gaps. After this climatic leap, the band drops into a void stopping time with "Sleepyhead." The tremolo guitar effects are tinged with an old-style country western feel backed up by violins crying out like a dusty Southwestern town. All of these lead to the finale appropriately titled "Sleepyhead." There is no turning back as the music escapes gravity and structure. --- REVIEW: Oysterband, _Here I Stand_ (Omnium) - Chris Hill Relentlessly uplifting, even when the lyrics take a turn for the serious, Oysterband's latest is a gust of fresh, folk roots air from England, a country where attitude and image seem to dominate the popular press attention. Raising the bar set by their last, 1997's _Deep Dark Ocean_, the Oysters continue their lyrical search for personal relevance in an alienating world. By album's end, the answers are found in the things they hold close to their hearts, be they ideals or loved ones. Uncertainty amidst the hectic speed of the modern age being the predominant theme, the lyrics are rife with quotables: "The hustle, the hassle, jostle and the muscle/Squeeze it out to the last corpuscle... Everybody's gonna be a spare wheel" (in the opener, "On the Edge"); "A hard wind is blowing, it's slippy on the street/Me and my friends/we're only trying to keep our feet" (the moody "Ways of Holding On"); "Never thought we'd get this far/Now we don't know where we are/But hey... we're hanging on" (the anthemic "I Know It's Mine"). The world is a storm of chaos and confusion. But there's an eye to the hurricane, containing music and love. "This is the Voice" praises the edifying ability of a musician to illuminate and elate: "Though the voice is wearing thin/I can hear it rise and fall/Cutting clean through the din/To turn my world around." The song is assisted by the talents of Chumbawumba. "In Your Eyes" gives a poetic illustration of a lover's gaze: "Wonder what the spark is/when you turn your eyes on me/Some kind of magic and it will not let me be/Rip! goes reality, walls are falling down/Snap! goes the iron chain/That ties me to the ground." Love is a natural force, ours to seize and hold, if we can. Back to uncertainty. Love is also an elusive presence. "Street of Dreams," with Rowan Godel's swan-like guest vox a magnificent addition, begins as a love ballad ("Underneath a magic moon/In my dream I lay there waiting/You came naked to my room") before revealing that it's written from the point of view of a hapless man who can only idolize what he sees ("Walk right by me in the gutter/Lying here outside your door"). The lilt of the fiddle combined with Godel's voice form a singular beauty. The song leaps into the ears. Bedding the lyrics is an impressive roster of equipment: acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, fiddles, cello, harmonica, drums, mandolin, and concertina. These instruments are spotlit in several interludes: "cello drop" (a cello arrangement of a Gustav Holst piece), the winsome toast of "a last glass," and the quiet waltz, "kantele." Not surprisingly, though, it's the protean fiddle which lynchpins the album: made devotional and plaintive on "A Time of Her Own," capricious on "Ways of Holding On," glorious and rollicking when it appears late in "This Town" and mournful with a companion cello on "Someone You Might Have Been." Artists similar to the Oysters come easily to mind: Van Morrison, the Chieftains and the Levellers. Bolster this name-dropping with the able support of Chumbawumba and Great Big Sea, plus others, and _Here I Stand_ proves a formidable CD. If you find yourself inhaling this album daily, check out their website, http://www.oysterband.co.uk/, for details on an eighteen song _Alive and Acoustic_ CD, available only at their shows and through mail order. --- REVIEW: Porcupine Tree, _Stupid Dream_ (k scope) - Jon Steltenpohl There used to be a '70s craze called art rock that generated a whole host of bands trying to create otherworldly music which touched you somewhere that just rock or just classical music never could reach. Most of them, despite having a rabid core of fans, never were very popular, and have faded into the background. If they're lucky, classic rock radio has picked up a song or two for us to remember them by. (Quick, name any other song by Jethro Tull other than "Aqualung.") Others, such as Genesis, quickly outgrew the "art rock" tag or split up into various other projects that ultimately proved much more compelling. Porcupine Tree tries their hardest to paint themselves into an art rock genre (see the Jethro Tull-esque flute in "Tinto Brass"), but fortunately, they mostly pull out a decent melody rather than mire in self-important muck. Still, it's a thin line when you first pick up the CD. The blue metallic liner notes with anonymous pictures of a clean room used for processing CD's and an olivine fish fossil on the back get you to wondering just what the heck is going on. The illegible white lyrics spaced cleanly in columns 4 letters wide upon a sleek silver background almost stop you from putting the CD in the player. But, put it in the player you do, and remarkably, find yourself relaxing to _Stupid Dream_ for an hour. You'll forget about the self importance and just get into the flowing, head swirling music. Like a cross between Pink Floyd and The Church, Porcupine Tree manages to be both larger than life, personally involved, and melody friendly. ("Tinto Brass" even has a Pink Floyd-esque phone beep sampled for the beat.) On song like "Don't Hate Me," not only are you treated to an atmospheric feast that ranges from Sting-inspired alto sax to melancholy guitar to satellite echoes, but you can get emotionally involved with the lyrics. "A Smart Kid" has echoes of David Bowie's "Major Tom," but, due to its mellowness, is closer to "Major Tom on Prozac." Other songs such as "Baby Dream in Cellophane" do go a little over the "art rock" edge with effects like echoed acid trip voices. Still, if you aren't turned off by a band who's trying to craft a sound environment, Porcupine Tree might be right for you. Their bio seems to imply that they've tried just about every style available and settled on this one. Which, all told, isn't that bad. The melodies manage to make their ways past the atmosphere, and the orchestration, although a bit contrived, is lush and fairly complex. And fortunately, unlike those gawd awful '70s art rock bands, Porcupine Tree rarely ruins a song just to sound avante garde or complex. At the worst, the sound effects and studio production merely sound a little over done. While never completely mellow, _Stupid Dream_ is a nice attempt at ambient rock that will absolutely engage some listeners and completely bore the rest. --- REVIEW: The Paladins, _Slippin' In_ (Ruf) - Daniel Aloi On their new album, Southern California band The Paladins stay true to their original mission -- to make great rockabilly music. While 1994's excellent _Ticket Home_ had the blues-drenched roots-rock ethos of co-producer Cesar Rosas stamped all over it, here they go back to the sound of their first LP -- and with their original producer, Mark Neill. They play rockabilly like they live it, and show their facility with a wide range of American roots influences, in the tradition of everyone from the Crickets to Double Trouble. The Paladins, known as skilled interpreters and powerful, passionate entertainers to legions of sweat-soaked crowds, do the Stray Cats one better on the title track, a classic rockabilly cover. And they take their collective influences to a new level throughout the original tunes on _Slippin' In_. Back-to-back novelty numbers set the she-done-me-wrong-song form on its ear -- the original "Baby Don't Move Me" (about a car) sets a rocking '60s surf beat to rapid-fire verses and Everly Brothers harmonies on the chorus. Johnny Bond's "Five Minute Love Affair" continues the fickle-female theme, about a real woman this time, but from the point of view of a cigarette. Later on, Bobby Bare's ode to a TV horror host, "Vampira," makes "fun" one of the band's key elements. They pay tribute to a generation of '60s surf rockers (and Link Wray) on the original instrumental "Return to Polara." "Gone Again" is a nice bit of country-styled rockabilly, and Gram Parsons' "Strong Boy" and the original "California Boogie" both add Gerry Walker's steel guitar for some real Inland Empire country rock. The photo of the vintage Seeburg jukebox on the cover just about says it all about the band's mission. The lifelong dedication of the band members tells the rest. Founding member and singer/guitarist Dave Gonzalez schooled himself on Elvis and Buddy Holly, but also worshiped Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery and Charlie Christian. Drummer Brian Fahey used to sit behind Gene Krupa in church, learned jazz and swing basics from Pat Dama (Fahey's solid playing shows the lessons took) and toured in a latter-day Bill Haley & the Comets. He joined The Paladins in 1989 just in time to play on the "Let's Buzz" LP. Bassist Joe Jazdewski used to sneak into Paladins bar gigs. After playing in the jump-swing band The Juke Stompers and touring the world with the James Harman Band, he joined the band in 1997, fulfilling a long-standing dream and taking over from Tom Yearsley, one of his biggest influences. In their style, attitude and commitment, as much as in their performing and songwriting, The Paladins remain, after nearly 20 years at it, the real thing. No mere revivalists, they mine old records for inspiration and make the music seem as fresh and vital as it was originally. Now that's integrity. --- REVIEW: Showoff, _The Hush_ (Warner) - Michael Van Gorden Are Showoff a few days late for the dance, or are they about to start their own? Green Day, Rancid and others tried somewhat successfully to put a punk mark on the mainstream, but the revolution only lasted a little bit. I think if Showoff had been at the forefront, it might have lasted longer and still be going strong today. While one cannot minimize what those other bands accomplished, Showoff take it a step further. Taking their cue from new wave originals such as Elvis Costello and mixing in the raw punk energy of the Buzzcocks, all the while combining the pop smarts of both, Showoff have given us a CD full of smart songs full of energy and fun. And you can dance to it!! Born out of the Chicago punk scene, Chris and Dave Envy, singer/guitarist and bass player respectively, teamed up with Dan Castady on drums and Graham Jordan on lead guitar to form Showoff, the name coming from frontman Chris being described often as a showoff. The CD kicks off with the full frontal guitar attack of "backstab." Full of punk vocal harmonies and a driving back beat, you know you're in for a good time. But this band is not only about punk fury. For proof, listen to "falling star." This song echoes the best of the new wave sound before it became another Madison Avenue marketing scheme. Think of bands like The Jags or The Vapors, and you have a good idea what Showoff is capable of. Lyrically, the songs are intelligent and full of feeling, such as in the beautiful ballad "Unspoken Words": "Blind man inside my head. Tell me again. Not everything begins, but everything must end." The band's familiarity with each other (they claim they do everything together) can be heard in the tight, cohesive way the songs come across. You'll also hear shadows of The Figs' "Favorite Shirt" stutter-stop style in "Bully," as well as a hint of Green Day in "Gone." All in all, you'll hear four guys who love to play rock and roll together having a great time. One of the nice things about getting to review CDs is that you get to hear music that you might not normally get to hear or might not pick up on a whim. Sadly, Showoff might have been one of them, simply because of the old "too much music, too little time" scenario. But don't let it happen it to you. Check out Showoff. --- NEWS: > Apples In Stereo may not be the best known band by mainstream America, but that may change when their song "Strawberry Fire" is used in a Sony ad later this year. > In celebration of the twentieth anniversary of Pat Benatar's debut album, a three-CD box set, _Synchronistic Wanderings: Recorded Anthology 1979-1999_ (Chrysalis / Capitol) has been released on October 5. --- TOUR DATES: Agnostic Front Oct. 14 Mesa, Az The Nile Oct. 15 Corona, CA Showcase Theater Oct. 16 Los Angeles, CA Whisky Oct. 19 Salt Lake City, UT Dv8 Oct. 20 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre Anti Flag / Dropkick Murphys Oct. 13 Reno, NV Del Mar Oct. 15 San Francisco, CA Maritime Hall Oct. 16 LA, CA The Palace Oct. 17 San Diego, CA Cane's Oct. 19 Phoenix, AZ Nile Theater Oct. 20 El Paso, TX Club 101 Art of Noise Oct. 12 New York, NY Irving Plaza Oct. 13 Boston, MA Paradise Ben Folds Five / Fleming & John Oct. 15 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theater Buzzcocks / Lunachicks / Down By Law Oct. 14 Atlanta, GA Masquerade Oct. 15 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle Oct. 16 Richmond, VA Twister's Oct. 17 Washington, DC 930 Club Oct. 19 New York, NY Irving Plaza Oct. 20 Newark, DE Stone Balloon Danzig Oct. 19 Columbus, OH Newport Musichall Oct. 20 Cleveland, OH Agora Ballroom Del The Funky Homosapien & Casual Oct. 12 Boulder, CO Fox Theater Oct. 14 Seattle, WA The Showbox Oct. 15 Bellingham, WA W.Washington Univ Oct. 17 Victoria, BC Legends Oct. 18 Portland, OR Roseland Theater Oct. 20 Eugene, OR Wild Duck Brewery Ani DiFranco Oct. 12 Blacksburg, VA Burruss Auditorium Oct. 14 New Orleans, LA Mcalister Aud Tulane Univ. Oct. 15 Austin, TX The Backyard Oct. 17 Dallas, TX Bronco Bowl Theatre Oct. 18 Houston, TX Aerial Theatre Bayou Place DJ Shadow Oct. 12 Eugene, OR WOW Oct. 13 Seattle, WA Aro.Space Oct. 14 Portland, OR Station 315 Oct. 17 Baltimore, MD Fletchers Oct. 18 Philadelphia, PA TLA Oct. 19 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Johnny Dowd Oct. 15 Memphis, TN Hi-Tone Oct. 16 Nashville, TN Sutler Oct. 17 Columbus, OH Little Brother's Fastbacks Oct. 16 Seattle, WA Crocodile Cafe Oct. 20 San Diego, CA Casbah Ben Harper Oct. 12 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theater Oct. 13 Seattle, WA Mercer Arena Oct. 14 Spokane, WA Opera House Oct. 15 Portland, OR Theater Of The Clouds Oct. 17 Salt Lake City, UT Abravanel Hall Oct. 19 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium Indigo Girls Oct. 12 New York, NY Beacon Theatre Oct. 15 Asbury Park, NJ Convention Hall Oct. 16 Amherst, MA Mullins Center Rickie Lee Jones Oct. 15, 17, 18 New York, NY Joe's Pub Ben Lee Oct. 12 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance Oct. 13 Northhampton, NY Iron Horse Oct. 15 Annapolis, MD Naval Academy Oct. 16 Richmond, VA Mulligans Oct. 17 Atlanta, GA Masquers De Oct. 19 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live Oct. 20 Houston, TX Numbers Len / Styles of Beyond Oct. 12 Boston, MA Paradise Oct. 13 New York, NY Bowery Oct. 15 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall Oct. 17 Minneapolis, MN Quest Oct. 19 Denver, CO Bluebird Live Oct. 13 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium Oct. 15 Portland, OR The Roseland Theater Oct. 16 Vancouver B.C. Vogue Theater Oct. 17 Seattle, WA Moore Theater Oct. 19-20 San Francisco, CA Fillmore Luscious Jackson Oct. 12 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance Oct. 15 Annapolis, MD Nav. Acad. Oct. 16 Richmind, VA Mulligan's Oct. 17 Atlanta, GA Masquerade Oct. 19 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live Oct. 20 Houston, TX Numbers Minders Oct. 13 Long Beach, CA Di Piazzo's Lava Lounge Oct. 14 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland Oct. 15 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill Oct. 16 Portland, OR EJ's Oct. 17 Seattle, WA Breakroom Moby Oct. 15 Portland, ME The Asylum Oct. 16 Buffalo, NY Showplace Theater Oct. 17 Rochester, NY Gotham City Oct. 19 Syracuse, NY Goldstein Auditorium (Syracuse University) Alanis Morissette Oct. 13 Canberra, Australia AIS Arena Oct. 14 Sydney, Australia Entertainment Center Oct. 15 Wollongong, Australia Entertainment Center Oct. 16 Newcastle, Australia Entertainment Center Oct. 18 Brisbane, Australia Entertainment Center Oct. 20 Manila, Phillipines Folk Art Theatre Tom Petty & Heartbreakers Oct. 12 Madison, WI Kohl Center Oct. 15 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena Oct. 16 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl Pietasters, Pilfers & Spring Heeled Jack Oct. 13 Hollywood, CA The Roxy Oct. 14 San Francisco, CA Slim's Oct. 15 Eugene, OR WOW Hall Oct. 17 Seattle, WA RKCNY Oct. 18 Boise, ID Bogies Oct. 20 Salt Lake City, UT DV8 Sheila Divine Oct. 14 Philadelphia, PA Upstairs at Nick's Oct. 15 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's Oct. 16 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Oct. 17 Northampton, MA Pearl Street Oct. 18 Albany, NY Valentine's Oct. 20 Cambridge, MA Middle East Oct. 21 Asbury Park, NJ The Saint Sisters of Mercy Oct. 13 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle Oct. 14 Fort Lauderdale, FL Chili Pepper Oct. 15 Orlando, FL House of Blues Oct. 21 Mexico City, MX Palacio de los Deportes Stereo Total Oct. 12 Philadelphia, PA Khyber Oct. 13 Boston, MA Middle East Oct. 14 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's Oct. 15-16 New York, NY Brownie's Oct. 17 Toronto, ON El Macombo Oct. 18 London, ON Call the Office Oct. 19 Columbus, OH Bernie's Oct. 20 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop Sally Taylor Oct. 13 Portland, OR St. John's Oct. 14 Arcata, CA Cafe Tomo Oct. 15 Mill Valley, CA Sweetwater Oct. 20 Los Angeles, CA Troubador Tonic / Goo Goo Dolls Oct. 12 Green Bay, WI Brown Cty. Arena Oct. 14 Ypsilanti, MI EMU Convocation Center Oct. 15 Dayton, OH Dayton Arena Oct. 16 East Lansing, MI MSU Oct. 19 University Park, PA PSU Oct. 20 Amherst, MA U. of Mass. Type O Negative Oct. 14 San Francisco, CA Maritime Hall Oct. 15 Hollywood, CA The Palace Oct. 16 Las Vegas, NV Huntridge Theater Oct. 20 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live Tom Waits Oct. 12-13 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre Oct. 15 Eugene, OR Hult Center Oct. 17 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Oct. 18-19 Seattle, WA Fifth Avenue Robbie Williams Oct. 12 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom Oct. 13 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theater Oct. 15 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom Oct. 18 Toronto, ON The Warehouse Oct. 19 Kitchener, ON The Lyric --- Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest music reviews publication on the Internet. 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