== ISSUE 191 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [November 1, 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, Scott Hudson, 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 | `------------' INTERVIEW: Chuck D. - Lang Whitaker REVIEW: Stone Temple Pilots, _No. 4_ - Scott Hudson REVIEW: Iggy Pop, _Avenue B_ - Steve Kandell REVIEW: The Clash, _From Here To Eternity Live_ - Tim Kennedy REVIEW: Pet Shop Boys, _Nightlife_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Days of the New, _Days of the New II_ - Linda Scott REVIEW: Filter, _Title of Record_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: The Scorpions, _Eye II Eye_ - Chris Candreva REVIEW: Rees Shad, _Little Brown Book_ - Wes Long REVIEW: The Frank and Walters, _Beauty Becomes More Than Life_ - Patrick Carmosino REVIEW: The Dust Brothers, _Fight Club_ Soundtrack_ - Michelle Aguilar COMPILATION REVIEWS: Yaz, _The Best Of_ / Dennis DeYoung, _The Ultimate Collection_ - Bob Gajarsky REVIEW: Velvet Crush, _Free Expression_ - Wes Long REVIEW: Various Artists, _International Pop Overthrow Volume 2_ - John Davidson REVIEW: Tram, _Heavy Black Frame_ - Chris Hill REVIEW: Patty Larkin, _a gogo_ - Jon Steltenpohl NEWS: Duran Duran, Korn, Alanis Morissete, Tonic TOUR DATES: Alaline Trio, Blinker The Star, Buzzcocks / Lunachicks / Down By Law, Danzig, Del The Funky Homosapien & Casual, Bryan Ferry, Ben Harper, Ben Lee, Len / Styles of Beyond, Live, Luscious Jackson, Andrea Parker, Silverchair / Blink 182, Sonia Dada, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Superchunk, Richard Thompson, Tonic / Goo Goo Dolls, Watsonville Patio, Josh Wink Back Issues of Consumable --- INTERVIEW: Chuck D. - Lang Whitaker When I was in seventh grade, I attended my first concert: EPMD, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. Though I had a great time, the thing that stuck out in my mind was the image of Public Enemy frontman Chuck D. stalking around the stage, spitting lyrical fury. When rap music was popularized in the '80s, Chuck D. and PE were right there, providing a socio-political backbone to a music form that largely celebrated partying and dancing. And as we zoom into the year 2000, Public Enemy is still there, leading hip-hop's Internet revolution. I first interviewed Chuck D. a few years ago. As fellow Atlanta, Ga., residents, we hit it off, and we now keep in constant contact. While Chuck is considerably softer and kinder in person than on record or stage, there is still an edge to his personality, as if at any moment he could lash out and begin preaching about fighting the power or not believing the hype. Even while sitting next to him on an overstuffed couch or gretting him with a hug, Chuck engenders a sense of caution. After a recent show on PE's fortieth world tour, I recently sat down with Chuck D. and picked his always-controversial brain. CONSUMABLE ONLINE: Chuck, I was talking to someone the other day, and when I told them I knew you they said 'Oh, isn't he an anti-Semite?' CHUCK: (laughs) Oh, man. Where was that person from, a cave? You sure they weren't from a cave? C.O.: Why would someone say that about you? CHUCK: (sighs) I don't know. There's a lot of misinformation, and if they're subjected to only reading the headlines of a situation, then they're going to pass an opinion that's based on a fallacy or a non-fact. C.O.: (laughs) Of course, you were accused of anti-Semitism by the Anti-Defamation League for your song "Swindler's Lust." I read somewhere on the Internet where they asked you about that situation, and if "Swindler's Lust" was anti-Semitic, and you said "They need to look into it for themselves." CHUCK: Exactly. Anyone that's listened to the song can clearly recognize that I'm talking about my relationship with Polygram Records and Def Jam Records in 1998, and in retrospective, going back to '93 and '92. And 'Swindler's Lust,' if they really think about 'Schindler's List,' they know that it was Spielberg's take on a guy that was dealing with the artistry of freedom of people in Nazi Germany. So, why couldn't I use that as an inspiration. I think it could be considered highly racist that I wouldn't be able to touch that area and be inspired by that area without people passing judgement. That's truly American of somebody to actually put that tag on me by just reading at a headline and not looking at the story. That's a problem American's have: We're dumbed down by the fact that we think the headline is the total story. That's precisely some of the things I like to talk about. I made 'Don't Believe the Hype' twelve years ago to talk about the way Americans take information in. So I can't help it if someone happens to be less intelligent than me. C.O.: (laughs) When you say the way Americans 'take information in,' I think you're referring more so to the way people misinterpret what they take in and misuse that interpretation, right? CHUCK: Exactly! Americans like their food fast, but they like their info fast, too. Sometimes you have to read the whole, total picture. We're in a fast food society that wants information to be just as fast, health care to be just as fast and sex to be just as fast. So I can't speak for people who want to fuck their brains up and deal with their ride, and they just want to be satisfied off of a glimpse. the key to Public Enemy is that when you see us, you understand it's going to be special because we've been to six continents. And my discussion, when I deal with other continents, is usually at a higher level than when I deal with America. Americans, largely, are dumb. Which means that we're not trained to actually acknowledge the total picture outside the 2,000-by-3,000 mile box of the United States of America. C.O.: You were talking about being involved worldwide, and for you a lot of that comes through the Internet, right? CHUCK: Well, Public Enemy was the first rap group that planted our seeds worldwide. We weren't afraid, way back in the '80s, to go stay in Norway for three or four days, and deal with winters in Europe and summers in Africa. I think that very worldly experience helped us plant the seeds for rap music and hip-hop, not just for us, but for rap music and hip-hop. People like the Roots, Cypress Hill and the Fugees took advantage of that world sound. But...now we tour twenty percent of the time as opposed to seventy percent of the time back in the day, but we make sure that our twenty percent is quality time, because we got things to handle and businesses to take care of. C.O.: What do you do the other eighty percent of the time? CHUCK: The eight other things I do. C.O.: (laughs) Well, what are they? CHUCK: I'm not going to tell you everything because you'll probably end up printing them all in your article. (laughs) C.O.: C'mon, Chuck (laughs). CHUCK: We just started Rapstation.com, which is like ESPN for rap music and hip-hop, and we launched that last week. There's Bringthenoise.com, which is Internet hip-hop radio. We play more rap joints than anyone around the world. I have a show where I play unsigned, independent artists around the planet. We do everything from movie studios...we've got four studios in operation. We've got two Atlanta studios and three Long Island studios, where we do everything from scoring commercials to voice overs. I had to step down from Fox at the beginning of the year because it was time for music. I mean, that's about five different things. I'm finishing up my book, 'Countdown to Armageddon,' which is coming out mid-2000, my second book. So, there's a lot of different things going on, all the time. You know, lots of stuff. C.O.: Understandably. Just now you mentioned the middle man, and isn't that one of your reasons for getting involved with Internet stuff, because there is no middle man? CHUCK: Well, there is a middle man, but you have to create the middle man. It doesn't eradicate the middle man, but what it does, is that you create a situation where the middle man has to share more. Business success depends on the naivete of the artist and the naivete of the public, right? And who ends up having all the information is the middle people, in the traditional ways of television, video and record companies. And usually, everyone ends up looking to the middle man for answers and money. So, the artist makes the art and gives it to the middle man, who determines the price and the mechanical structure that it goes to the public in, and the public doesn't know anything about the industry, and the artist doesn't know anything about the process. So, as long as both sides are naive, it kind of balances things out. What the internet does, is that in order to get on the internet, you can't go in with a naive state of mind. You've got to go into it knowing that you could become your own entity and business, and come up with a parallel world alongside the music business, as it exists today. I mean, if there's going to 100 million computers all modemed together around the world, don't you think that if a person wants to get Nas' latest, unreleased track, drop it to their hard drive and then drop in onto their CD burner that costs about $80 and make their own CD, do you really see them not going through that process, and instead going to the store and paying $17? C.O.: Right. But how many people, now, have access to that? CHUCK: More and more as we speak. The price of computers comes down. The largest ethnic group of people buying computers is black folk. More Americans have bought computers the last two years than television sets. Twelve years ago, how many cellular phones could you count in the black community. my whole thing is that the technology doesn't look for excuses. They look to set a precedent, and the people follow, regardless, because it's based on convenience. People are going to get their entertainment, especially rap music and hip-hop, where eighty-five percent of the music is underserviced and underexposed. C.O.: What do you want to be remembered for, Chuck? CHUCK: I want to be known as someone who actually spoke his mind, knowing that I could make a change for the benefit of people who don't think they can make a change. I can actually say, 'Boom, you can do it,' and you end up doing it, and it makes it better for a hundred-thousand or a million people to think for themselves. I think that's the end result -- if I can get somebody to think for themselves. Whether they agree or disagree, think for yourselves and don't be programmed. Break the programming. That's why I did 'Don't Believe the Hype.' Challenge the information. --- REVIEW: Stone Temple Pilots, _No. 4_ (Atlantic) - Scott Hudson When the Stone Temple Pilots entered the studio last May for the sessions that would yield their fourth album, _No. 4_, frontman Scott Weiland was 40 days clean of an six-year heroin addiction that had effectively ended STP three years earlier. Rejuvenated, Weiland stormed through those sessions with a renewed sense of purpose. However, by the end of June he had not only fallen off of the wagon, but had overdosed. Already on probation for prior drug arrests, Weiland's overdose constituted a probation violation and on September 3rd he was sentenced to one year in jail. With Weiland now behind bars, their reunion tour postponed and the grunge wave that STP rode in on six years ago all but dead, some interesting questions remain. Will an everchanging musical climate that currently rolls out the red carpet to the likes of the Goo Goo Dolls and Ricky Martin embrace a grunge band that has been MIA for three years? Will anyone care? The answers will be forthcoming with the release of _No. 4_, easily their most complete and consistent offering yet. Aptly-titled and produced by Brenden O'Brien who has produced every STP album to date, _No. 4_ effortlessly meshes the white-knuckled grunge tones found on _Core_ with the psychedelic/pop sounds that grace _Purple_ and _Tiny Music_... Songs like "Down", "No Way Out" and "Heaven and Hot Rods" steam through the speakers like a heavy guitar-driven locomotive a' la Core's "Sex Type Thing." "Sex and Violence" is a high velocity Zeppelinesque workout and "Atlanta" is so eerily reminicent of the Doors that one would be led to believe the band raided Ray Manzarek's attic for this Morrisonian jewel. "Sour Girl" finds Weiland lamenting his recent split with his wife, while the fluid arrangements of "Church on Tuesday" and "Glide" give the band two radio-worthy pop tracks that mirror the vibe of _Purple_'s "Interstate Love Song." In the past, the Stone Temple Pilots have demonstrated a musical chemistry that most bands will never possess, nor understand. Guess what? Nothing has changed! Despite all of the turmoil, they were able to up the ante of their previous outings to produce their finest work to date. If winning back fans and attracting new ones is their aspiration, then _No. 4_ is the perfect carrot to dangle. --- REVIEW: Iggy Pop, _Avenue B_ (Virgin) - Steve Kandell Tired of the East Village grind, Iggy Pop, now into his fifties, has left the city and moved to Florida, meaning that the Godfather of Punk now officially has more in common with my grandparents than he does with his former drug-addled, peanut butter-covered self. Of course, Iggy's too smart not to realize or even embrace this irony, so on his latest album, _Avenue B_, named for his former address in New York, he warmly welcomes you to his midlife crisis - a remarkable achievement for someone who was not expected to survive his thirties. But whether or not you want to be privy to this crisis is another matter altogether. The songs here, many of which are backed by the neo-jazz trio Medeski, Martin and Wood, are largely on the mellow side, broken up by spoken word interludes about troubled relationships past and present. While the idea of Iggy Pop hooking up with Medeski, Martin, and Wood seems like an odd combination on paper, their percussive backing arrangements actually prove to be an interesting fit on songs like "Felt the Luxury" and the title track. Some may cry foul, but there's a dignity in not pretending he's a teenager anymore. The rougher-edged songs, like the first single, "Corruption," and a remake of "Shakin' All Over" tend to work because there is some restraint at work, as opposed to the hard rock that marked recent efforts _Naughty Little Doggie_ and _American Caesar_. This is not to say that _Avenue B_ is a successful album by any means. The songwriting is on the flaccid side and the earnest spoken word interludes tend to be a little embarrassing more often than not. But the record's saving grace, if there is one, has to be Iggy's self-effacing sense of humor, and his intimidating legacy. He can get away with things that would destroy the career of less established artists, although this should not be used as a blanket excuse for pretension. But at the end of the day, he's Iggy Pop - who the hell am I to criticize? --- REVIEW: The Clash, _From Here To Eternity Live_ (Epic) - Tim Kennedy _From Here To Eternity Live_ is a collection of live versions of Clash songs ranging from very early songs such as "London's Burning" and "What's My Name" through to later classics like "Straight To Hell" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go". The logo and design of the cover is reminiscent of the last couple of Manics albums and this must be no accident as the Manics borrowed heavily from the Clash. No doubt the label has their eye on the wallets of young Manics fans who may not be aware of their heroes nascent influences. Scenes of the Westway flyover feature on the cover in a reference to the area of London where the band squatted early on and held their early rehearsals. The performances are from 1978 and 1982. Clash fans familiar with their bootlegs from 1977 will note the quality of playing shows much improvement over that era. However the greatness of the early Clash was in the very chaos of those performances - punk was all about spontaneity. Moreover in the new documentary 'Westway To The World' guitarist Mick Jones even extols the virtues of the first album over all the others because of its very rawness. That the early tapes - of which there are many - are left out, likely points to the commercial nature of this release. Whilst punks at the time celebrated their heroes' amateurishness, the buying public today would probably not be impressed by what is in essence a cacophonous tuneless racket. By late 1978 when the earliest of these versions were recorded, punk was dead, and to the bands who had taken part their prowess posed a dilemma. The Clash released a punk/reggae single - "White Man In Hammersmith Palais", the Kinks-riffing "Clash City Rockers" and another innovative song represented here which was the b-side of that track - "City Of The Dead", which featured an unusual sax riff and other soul influences. Then in 1979 the band reissued the legendary "Capital Radio" (their first record which was given away free with NME in 1976) this time with a joke ending, backed with a cover of Bobby Fuller's "I Fought The Law". Both are here from the '78 London shows, and both are good versions - "Capitol Radio" featuring a different adlib ending. Later in 1979 they released "London Calling", this time clad in suits and hats like 1930s gangsters, deliberately affronting their punk audience and challenging them to recognise that they must accept change. The music was rock, pop, ska, reggae and rockabilly, a kaleidoscope of styles more truly reflecting the band's personal musical tastes. A hard rocking rendering of the title track appears here as does their superb cover of Willi Williams' "Armagideon Time", their finest reggae song which was on the b-side of "London Calling" the single. What makes this version stand out is the wonderful toasting of dub reggae dj legend Mikey Dread who accompanied the band on their 1979 UK tour. Another reggae/punk track from that album "Guns Of Brixton" is also here, a song written by Paul Simenon which was of course borrowed more recently by Beats International aka Norman Cook. 1980 saw their three LP set _Sandinista_ which covered most musical styles and eras and caused total consternation amongst their audience. What was also punk about the Clash was their musical adventurism. Featured here from that album is "The Magnificent Seven" which was loosely based on The Sugarhill Gang's "Rappers' Delight" - a lively version containing more ad-libbing from Strummer. The final (i.e. with Topper and Mick) Clash album _Combat Rock_ (1982) is represented here by "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" and "Straight To Hell". The latter doesn't quite work as a live track, missing the atmospheric strings and the backmasking which is such a striking feature of the album track but the former is just as you would expect - one of the great 'good time' rock songs of the 80s. Live, the Clash always remained a hot raunchy rock and roll band. In their day they created an atmosphere which left audiences stunned and ecstatic but what they were like live bears little comparison with any band since then - except possibly the early Manics. They were in the true tradition of their mentors the Rolling Stones except they went so much further than Jagger and company with basic rhythm and blues and totally transcended the punk indeed any genre. The crucial early element of chaos is not here though, and will always be elusive to us now, in an age where music is defined by 'pure' digital sound. --- REVIEW: Pet Shop Boys, _Nightlife_ (Sire / London) - Bob Gajarsky Through a bevy of U.S. music labels - Bobcat, EMI, Atlantic and now Sire / London, the Pet Shop Boys have never lost their core audience. It might have to do with the fact that, despite their lack of American radio airplay, the Boys consistently write and record danceable synth-pop that owes a debt to not only where the genres have been, but where they are going. This quality work continues on the Boys' latest effort, _Nightilfe_. With assistance from top production / remixing names such as Rollo, David Morales and Craig Armstrong, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have crafted an album which stands up with some of the duo's best efforts. The first single "New York City Boy", with its Village People-like backing vocals (and ode to "YMCA") has a driving disco beat not unlike that on parts of _Bilingual_. "Closer To Heaven" could be a 1999 version of "Suburbia", while "You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk" is emblematic of the long titles / ironic love lyrics PSB are known for. A duet with Kylie Minogue on "In Denial" is one of the Boys' most sensitive storylines yet; a father and daughter singing to each other; she knowing he's gay, and both wanting to be loved by the other person. Although _Nightlife_ isn't likely to win over new converts to the Pet Shop Boys camp, longtime fans of the English duo will be extremely satisfied by the latest album. --- REVIEW: Days of the New, _Days of the New II_ (Outpost Recordings) - Linda Scott With their eponymous first album, the Days of the New band jumped into the world of platinum rock success. The young quartet, headed by the intense Travis Meeks, seemed to have it made with appearances on Letterman, opening for Aerosmith and the mighty Metallica. They sounded like Alice in Chains, with Meeks' voice a young echo of Eddie Vedder. The acknowledged super-talent, Meeks was feeling impulses to fly beyond where he could go with this band. After some firings and reconciliations, one day the band dismissal took effect for good. Three original members were chucked out, and Meeks declared that he would keep the band name filling slots with possibly short-term musicians. He declared himself to be Days of the New (just as Axl Rose did to Guns N' Roses) and produced _Days of the New II_ as evidence that the times and Meeks had changed for good. This album is more a concept album to be listened to and judged more as a unit than as individual tracks. Meeks wrote all but one of the songs himself and surrounds his vocals with an orchestral sound. Guitars are still here, but cellos and violins underlie them, and oboes and brass accent bass and melody. The ex-rocker says he has moved closer to where he is going. More depth within arrangements and a wide range of melodies from all kinds of instruments is where Days of the New is going. With this vision on the one hand and the rock band idea on the other, is it any wonder this band split apart? New band members have been imported, but ultimately Days of the New's success or failure belongs to Travis Meeks. Like Jim Morrison, Meeks is becoming more of a visionary. For example, _Days of the New II_ opens with the sound of horses hooves charging. There's a scream, and a voice says, "Pain is my pill." The beginning leads through mystical, sometimes interesting sections like this. The musical orchestration is often delightful, sometimes overblown. The listener hears fiddle solos, guitars, loops, American Indian chants and other mixtures that are strange to the ear. This is an album to be listened to carefully, with no interruptions. But this is not to say that all of it is worth that attention. Sometimes the lyrics cause some eyerolling or laughing, but it's all worth a listen. This little album is an odd one in today's rock world. Back in the days of Led Zep and Pink Floyd and Morrison, Meeks would have fit into that scene very well. It remains to be seen if today's listeners want to be so involved in the lyrics and music. Travis Meeks has something else in mind for his next album as he evolves toward the musical state he wants to live in. _Days of the New II_, if nothing else, is the statement of a talented musician in transit. --- REVIEW: Filter, _Title of Record_ (Reprise) - Andrew Duncan It's been a wild and bumpy road for Richard Patrick. A rock star in its true definition and frontman for the mainstream aggro-metal outfit Filter, Patrick has been through a lot in the four years that separated the band's debut release _Short Bus_, and the new album _Title Of Record_. Beyond all of the guitars and glitz -- the sex, drugs and rock-and-roll -- is a man simply trying to find himself. In the four years that passed between albums, two were focused on touring. The other two were more complicated. There were crumbling relationships with females, a close call to the band's extinction when Filter's second half, Brian Liesegang, left, and then there was the drug use that led Patrick aboard an unknown commercial airplane only to dissolve into a violent rage. All of these incidents caused strenuous delays, and the album that was on Alternative Press' "Most Anticipated Albums of the Year" for two years in a row has finally become a reality. With all of the expectations and anticipation, is _Title of Record_ exactly what the public was hoping for? Yes, and, well, no. When the band broke away from being a part of the Nine Inch Nails touring force, Filter surprised many and astonished more when they released the loud and heavy _Short Bus_. With _Title of Record_, there is little change -- the reason Liesegang left in the first place. The album does pack a punch in the first minutes with the song "Sand." The band quickly takes a relapse with territory they know best. In "Welcome To The Fold," the band brings back the muddled bass lines that is identified their prestigious single "Hey Man, Nice Shot," from anything else in radio land. The album dives off into a valley of monotonous power chords and song structures that are afraid to take a step forward. This time around there is some acoustic diversions from the powerful power-chord exhaust fumes that stereotype the band. "Take A Picture" recalls the story of the uncharted flight experience, while "Miss Blue" remembers the crumpled relationship. The most experimental point in Title of Record is "Cancer," where the bass line creeps and crawls around punching drumbeats, creating a foggy atmosphere for Patrick to venture in, a great moment in the album. In the lengthy 70 minutes that passes from the distant hum of the introduction to the last pluck of an acoustic guitar, one will find moments of clarity and excitement, while others will go by unnoticed; not as anticipated as the hype portrays. --- REVIEW: The Scorpions, _Eye II Eye_ (Koch) - Chris Candreva What a difference three years can make. As recently as, 1996's _Pure Instinct_, The Scorpions were still using the sound that had served them well since their days of _Love At First Sting_. I love that album. With everyone else jumping on the grunge bandwagon, it was refreshing to hear a band stick to its roots. Using bagpipes to open the record didn't hurt either. On _Eye To Eye_, the Scorpions are branching out, merging their trademark sound with some techno and dance influences. I will admit, it was disconcerting for this long time Scorps fan when I first heard the single "Mysterious". The first few times through, I wasn't sure what to make of the album. I had to listen to it a few more times, just to be sure. Eventually, I realized this was a good sign in and of itself. It's a different album, but it's fun. "Mysterious" is a kicking rock number with a beat you can dance to and lyrics that don't make you want to slit your wrists. Wild, mysterious women -- now THAT'S rock and roll. "To Be No. 1", the European single and video, is a lighthearted song about a second banana who aspires to be top dog. While the character is nameless, references to 'Got no Monica to go to' give a hint as to who's being talked about. Not ones ever to keep one type of music on an album, The Scorpions give us a light ballad in "10 Light Years Away", and what might have once been called Adult Contemporary in "Obsession". (It might be called that -- except for the guitar kick midway through.) This album is different. Different from what's generally being done now, and different from what the Scorpions have done before. Die-hard Scorps fans may need some time to get used to it, and may want to start with the already mentioned "Mysterious", and "Mind Like A Tree". This album is good for anyone though who like a little more than three chords and a scream in their rock and roll. --- REVIEW: Rees Shad, _Little Brown Book_ (Sweetfish) - Wes Long If it were possible to clone a musician from bits and pieces of genetic information obtained from various sources, I'd likely point to artists like Freedy Johnston, Peter Case, Graham Parker, Lyle Lovett and James McMurtry as possible donors for the lab creation known as Rees Shad. Okay...that's a scientific impossibility, so let's just say that Shad was influenced by singer-songwriters of that ilk, and that he's as good as any of 'em. On his third release, following the much acclaimed _Anderson, Ohio_ and _The Riggley Road Stories_, Rees continues to pack plenty of oomph into his compelling and obviously heartfelt song stories. Shad shifts points of view from third person to first on this outing, culling songs originally penned with the intention of being covered by other musicians from his _Little Brown Book_. Used as a diary during her college years, Rees' late adoptive mother gave the book to her son knowing he'd keep his lyrics in it. "Its first few pages are packed tightly with her neat cursive descriptions of Massachusetts from t he point of view of a small town Arkansas girl," says Shad. "Some time into her diary she met my father and the notes tapered off only to be followed by the scribblings of their adopted son years later." This personal diary is befitting of the introspective and honestly insightful lyrics that unconsciously doubled as Shad's diary entries. The title of the CD is not only the introduction to Rees' compelling song cycle, but also the strongest track. "Would you read these lyrics, tell me what you think," Shad asks, "are they worth the wood that they're on, are they worth their ink, they're in a crazy pen style, there's probably a spelling mistake, but this is about how I feel, expression is a chance I take." The remainder of the song foreshadows the nine to follow. "This is a love song for you," he sings regarding the eternally buoyant "Star," a song about the loving wife around whom planet Shad revolves. "This one protests a gun" refers to his "All Fall Down" which is a "little adventure into the mind of a man more in love with his gun than his humanity," held together with a _Reckoning_ era REM-ish guitar riff. From the haunting "Man Of The Sea" to the happy-go-lucky gospel inflected, yet never preachy, "Everybody Knows," Rees' proves himself an exquisite lyricist and a master of mood. These infectious songs are bound neatly within the cover of Shad's _Little Brown Book_, reprised as the final track in slight return fashion. Combining the tastier elements of folk with all the hooks and urgency of pop and rock, Rees Shad invites us to partake in his ultra-heady collection of engaging material. "Here in my Little Brown Book, please won't you take a look," Rees urges, as do I. --- REVIEW: The Frank and Walters, _Beauty Becomes More Than Life_ (Setanta) - Patrick Carmosino Earnestness is a virtue with The Frank And Walters. Thrown into an alternative rock world filled with faux grunge, faux rap and faux angst hep, earnestness has given an ironic hipness to the Irish trio's boring, straight ahead rock. But for their third effort, there is no jazzing up the fact that their earnestness is truly, purely boring, with The F & W's going over their own familiar territory with no good residual effect. It's too bad as well, because earnestness needs to be applauded and rewarded these days. But if the result is music like this, there is no hope. _Beauty Becomes More Than Life_ comes off more like a bar band's demo tape. Perhaps putting 3 guys from Cork in Brooklyn for 2 years and working with Black 47's producer is bound to produce such results. Consistent with the general flaws, vocalist Paul Linehan is coming off way too pleading and whining too often when a couple of the album's tastier riffs demand a cool croon. And someone needs to give the guitar player, Niall Linehan, an effects box - anything but the dry dry guitar sounds that nail the album's way too dry atmosphere. I don't really enjoy tearing this album apart, mind you; the F &W's seem to be likable blokes and all. However _Beauty Becomes More Than Life_ all too quickly becomes little more than tedium. Someone needs to give The Frank And Walters a Foo Fighters album to demonstrate how ernestness is done nowadays. --- REVIEW: The Dust Brothers, _Fight Club_ Soundtrack_ (Restless) - Michelle Aguilar I've not yet seen the much-talked-about movie _Fight Club,_ but I bet it takes place in a city; at least, it better take place in a city, because if there's anything that the Dust Brothers' instrumental soundtrack to this movie suggests, it's urban grit and grime. Even when they're looping in the sound of Gregorian monks singing in a cathedral ("Homework"), the feel is not Old Europe but the depths of an American city, a city trapped in an unconscious mechanical repetition of movement so routinized that the inhabitants don't know that they are caught in the throes of an irreversible decay. Much of this soundtrack would also be very conducive to a long, stormy night drive on a superhighway. Its constant movement, coupled with a complete lack of warmth, feels at times like being hermetically sealed in a fast, expensive car, wondering idly about the ugly locales hurtling by that are too dangerous and too decrepit to tempt one into disembarking from the sealed environment within. Despite the wide expanses sonically suggested by the Brothers' sizzling keyboard swells (including warm bits of a Fender Rhodes keyboard here and there), electric sitar, harpsichord, carillon and harp, nothing on this soundtrack (and this includes the Gregorian monks) sounds remotely lush, natural, or pastoral. In interviews, John King and Ed Simpson said that they and director David Fincher wanted to create a soundtrack in which the listener can not rely on cues in the music itself to interpret the movie characters' intentions or anticipate the plot's movement. Their aim was to create music that instilled comfort, fear, transcendence and distress at any given moment, with little rhyme or reason. At first, this would seem to make _Fight Club_ an anti-soundtrack, counter-intuitive to the traditional purpose of the genre. After all, where would we be without "Psycho"'s screeching violins to heighten our fear of what's coming? Or, how would "Star Wars" fare without its blaring symphonies to let us know when it's time to root for the home team? But in fact, the Dust Brothers' approach here does work to create a mood -- one of confusion and paranoia. It is a vision of a dark hellhole of a world in which there is no one and nothing to rely on except oneself. Take for example, the track "Corporate World," an excellent and somewhat disturbing representation of its title. The song begins with a wonderful '50s samba clave, punctuated by delicious scratching and layers of quirky, pitched-down flute, brass and high scale piano, evoking a slightly twisted Brasil '66 or Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass. This musical sendup of the anachronistic corporate culture could at first have easily been the backing track to the next Beck hit. Given the eerie, stripped-down dystopian beats and eerie keyboards the Dust Brothers have been offering up to this point, "Corporate World" at first feels like stumbling onto a welcome, albeit slightly strange, respite of brightness and light in this dark world. But then of course, there is something morbid and unsettling just below the surface here. The Brothers quickly go south and the song suddenly shifts into low gear, as all the tasty instrumentation dissolves into a low keyboard-driven drone stuck inside a web of reverb. Enter a brief cut of horror movie violins (ok, so they do fall back on these old tricks sometimes) that greet us for a moment. Then, we are soon thrust back into our dark hole, into the numb coldness of drum machines and what seems like a sitar riff stuck in permanent, trance-like repeat. The lesson? Appearances are deceiving. Underneath all the gleaming faces you meet is rotting flesh in the process of dying. Do not believe in them. Only believe in yourself and your own senses. Ironically, some of the tricks King and Simpson use to glue this disturbing collection of songs together are the same ones they have used to much warmer effect on their albums for other artists, particularly Beck and the Beastie Boys. The Dust Brothers' characteristic beat drops, sudden bursts of looped noise, abrupt cut-and-paste shifts in instrumentation and unexpected mood changes, especially in tracks like "Single Serving Jack," and "Space Monkeys," are like ghostly bits and pieces from 1989's _Paul's Boutique_ and 1996's _Odelay._ Here there are used masterfully to create tension and a general distress. For trip-hop and trance fans whose tastes run towards the darker edges, this is a great body of songs in which to lose oneself. But this is not the kind of album that's going to drag your typical clubber out onto the dance floor. While the _Fight Club_ soundtrack mixes equal elements of 808 simplicity, Trance, Jungle and Trip-Hop, weaving in and out between tracks seamlessly, this is not a traditional dance album. It's more the kind of album you want to lie in the dark listening to at top volume, letting its eerie, unfamiliar sonic landscape get inside your head until it feels like an organic part of your thoughts. --- COMPILATION REVIEWS: Yaz, _The Best Of_ (Mute / Reprise) / Dennis DeYoung, _The Ultimate Collection_ (Hip-O) - Bob Gajarsky Synth-pop pioneer Vince Clarke may have been the driving force behind Depeche Mode and Erasure, but in between the two alterna-hit makers, Clarke took some time for a two-album foray with Alison Moyet on vocals. Yaz (or, as known on the other side of the pond, Yazoo) was the result of this pairing. Yaz may not have had many hits, but the three key songs are still staples on modern rock stations and still make appearances in some dance clubs. The sweet "Only You", and aggressive "Don't Go" and "Situation" may not have lit up American phone lines, but club DJs were no fools; Francois Kavorkian's remix of the latter song, with its "Move out (Don't mess around)" chorus, showcased the dominance that Clarke would have - and still maintain - on dancefloors even today. Moyet's deep soulful voice combined with Clarke's irresistible keyboard wizardry provided an elusive hook which is beautifully captured on _Best Of_. Two versions of the big three songs appear here - the original 1980s versions, along with 1999 remixes by Todd Terry, Club 69 and Richard Stannard with Julian Gallagher. Definitely a palatable treat for synthpop fans everywhere. Former Styx lead singer Dennis DeYoung has finally seen a collection of his greatest solo recordings hit the record stores. Although his solo career in the States pales in comparison to that of the Chicago-based rock group which catapulted him to stardrom, devoted fans made his rare Japanese hits collection a rarity worth several hundred dollars. After his Styx days, the solo DeYoung - who authored the classic "Lady" - escaped from the louder Styx to a quieter, simpler sound. Now, _The Ultimate Collection_ keeps track of fifteen of his non-theatrical works. His few eighties hits - the Karate Kid 2's "This Is The Time", "Don't Wait For Heroes", "Call Me" and the near-classic "Desert Moon" - are all present and accounted for, as is the political Styx sound-alike, "Black Wall". Styx (and DeYoung) devotees may be more interested in the 'extra' tracks which appear here; three B-sides and a symphonic reworking of "Grand Illusion", which now appears in the Siegfried and Roy Magic Box film. With the rest of DeYoung's solo material being near-impossible to find on compact disc, _Ultimate Collection_ serves as an excellent primer to re-introduce DeYoung to Styx fans. --- REVIEW: Velvet Crush, _Free Expression_ (Bobsled) - Wes Long Any meaty hooked properly carved slab of melodic pop must bare comparisons to the ever-reigning rulers of that realm, The Beatles. While Velvet Crush rarely sounds much like the lads from Liverpool, they too are capable of churning out short bursts of no-cure-for-it infectious material seemingly at will. Matthew Sweet, no stranger to concise well-crafted retro-ish pop, assists the Crush here in both performance and a bit of knob twisting from his home recording studio. Songs like "Kill Me Now" and "Worst Enemy" are tattooed with Sweet's pop sensibilities and with the exception of the vocals are nearly indiscernible from his own recordings. The sumptuous and all too brief "Things Get Better," a Blackbird inspired ship with Simon & Garfunkle at its' helm, is quite magical. The country tinged "Heaven Knows" is reminiscent of Traveling Wilbury's era Tom Petty and features a handsome middle eight similar to the one in _Rubber Soul_'s "I'm Looking Through You" in all the right ways. "Roman Candle" is Elliott Smith fine, cleverly written with breathy understated vocals not too dissimilar to the songs on last years gem XO. If those songs don't time warp you back to 1967 the incessantly throbbing chords of "Ballad of Yesteryear" will. _Free Expression_, the band's fourth release, finds Velvet Crush in fine form. With contributions from Matthew Sweet and Gigolo Aunts' David Gibbs they effortlessly breathe fresh air into the classic sounds of rock's past. Part Byrds, part Big Star, all good. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _International Pop Overthrow Volume 2_ (Del-Fi) - John Davidson True pop fanatics seem few and far between anymore. Oh sure, you've got plenty of screaming teens who get bleary-eyed for the boy groups and Britney Spears, but that's not the kind of pop Del-Fi is supporting with their second compendium of rising stars. Here, they're more concerned with talented musicians, not pinup-styled dancing kids who wouldn't dream of writing their own music or (gasp!) play an instrument. The International Pop Overthrow festival was conceived by contemporary pop enthusiast David Bash to show the world that there are piles of great bands out there who aren't in it for the product tie-ins or million dollar videos. Held over a week in various L.A. venues, the shows drew packed crowds and inspired the successful compilation _Volume 1_. Thus, _Volume 2_ isn't much of a surprise, unless you consider the fact that now there are two discs showcasing over forty acts! That amounts to gallons of ice cream for even the biggest fan of sugary hooks. Kicking off with a previously unreleased Jason Faulkner gem was wise, since he's easily the biggest "name" involved. "She's Not the Enemy" is typical of the modern, Posie-esque smarts that came from this year's stellar _Can You Still Feel?_. From there, though, the collection is long on '60s pop and short on modern stuff in the mode of XTC or even festival namesake Material Issue. The Hollies, in particular, cast the longest shadow of influence, with songs like "Where Do I Go When You Dream" by the Outrageous Cherry, "Big Man In Town" by the Liquor Giants, and "Zen Gazzara" by IGMO. Elsewhere, there's a dose of '70s-inspired saccharine a la the Raspberries ("December Song" by Helium Angel or "Forever and a Day" by Single Bullet Theory) but thankfully, the icky strings representing the Carpenter's legacy are absent. _Volume Two_ falls a little short in two areas. One, the retro vibe sort of ends somewhere around Big Star territory. The daring pop that put Alex Chilton and company on a pedestal rarely makes an appearance, and thus the homogenous, sunny-day tunes seem unbroken. Quirkier bands mining the pop vein, such the Ladybug Transistor or Olivia Tremor Control, seem given short thrift. Secondly, two full discs of bands you hardly know performing original material can be taxing to listen to, despite the surplus of great songs. The "give everyone a shot" concept is good in theory, but harder to execute over the course of two hours. Still, the album's concept -- an outlet for little-known power pop bands to show off their formidable songwriting goods -- works. The International Pop Overthrow has proven that this kind of music is not only a viable alternative to whatever trend SPIN/Rolling Stone/Details is serving up, but it's one of the few places that you can reliably find a hummable, happy tune. --- REVIEW: Tram, _Heavy Black Frame_ (Jetset) - Chris Hill If Low and Paul Williams birthed a child, Tram would be its name, with Nick Drake and Red House Painters honored as the godparents. Tram's slow and minimal songs don't climax; they break, swirl, recede, then cease; waves of musical emotion that die at the feet of a person staring out from the shoreline to a cold, dark, and lonely ocean. This isn't just imagery. Paul Anderson's lyrics are gray and bleak, the cathartic product, one would assume, of a badly broken heart. Several rays of sun come through the clouds, but their rarity, and the barren splendor of the music, combine to make an irrestible undertow from start to finish. The first track, "Nothing Left to Say," focuses on the sorrow of soured romance ("that numbing feeling, the sadness underneath/who's gonna catch me the way you used to?") with an undulating harmonium sighing in resignation against a strummed electric guitar. "Don't prolong the agony, the knowing when to go/Cut out the cancer, before it grows." Thibault De Montford's oboe gently closes the door, only to fittingly appear again on "I've Been Here Before," a bookend to this song. "It's all right/I know just what to do/Leave behind those things that pull me down/...I'll be fine/I've been here once before." "Expectations" meditates on the same emotions found in "Nothing Left to Say" ("your eyes have lost their shine now/ expression changed, your interest waned/...I can tell you're disappointed/you're trying hard to hide it"). The interplay of Anderson's sensitive, trembling voice, Martine Roberts' light vocals and the measured pace, recall the best moments of Low's debut, _I Could Live in Hope_. "Reason Why" also uses male/female counterpointing well, adding depth and perspective to the emotionally resolved lyrics ("My mind's working overtime/to find a reason why/I'd walk 500 miles/to find a place to hide/...You won't see the best of me"). (If Roberts' name rings a bell, Tram boasts both her and Broken Dog partner, Clive Painter, among its five members.) The instrumentals "Like Clockwork" and "You Can Go Now (if you want)" give the players a chance to stretch their legs without the distractions of lyrics. The latter is a moody, Western-tinged piece reminiscent of the wondrous Canadian band Godspeed You Black Emperor!, though free of the strings which catapult that band to another realm. Tram's debut isn't a disc for a sunny day. In much the way that Low is best appreciated at night or during an overcast day, this cd requires proper atmospheric accompaniment. Though, if your mood is gray, it won't really matter when you play this, will it? Just close your eyes and put on the headphones. It's working for me now. --- REVIEW: Patty Larkin, _a gogo_ (Vanguard Records) - Jon Steltenpohl Outside the confines of VH-1, there lives an underground culture of singer/songwriters who, for lack of a better word, are lumped into a category of "folk," and, despite legions of dedicated fans, seem to escape the notice of the world at large. In that world, Patty Larkin is one of the superstars, and her current album, _a gogo_ is an album that keeps her solidly at the top. These singer songwriters usually travel and play alone with just their guitar, and Larkin is no exception. _a gogo_ is a greatest hits collection of in-concert recordings that truly capture the essence of the perfect, intimate folk concert. It is an album to be treasured by folk fans because it's like being there at the performance. Unlike most rock bands who can't even play their own hits, today's singer songwriters tour first and record albums later. It is an all too common occurrence to have a singer songwriter absolutely amaze you in concert and bore you to tears on CD. Often, they bring in studio musicians and have a producer do hurried arrangements in the few days they've rented the studio. When it's done right, you get a Shawn Colvin album that wins a Grammy. But, more often than not, the incredible electricity of the live performer is completely lost in the sterile confines of the studio. _a gogo_ captures the essence of Patty Larkin's concert sound so well that, if you close your eyes, you are sitting right there with her playing next to you. You can feel the strings vibrate and resonate as they're being struck, and you can hear all of the little nuances in Larkin's voice and breath. The multiple layers of rhythms and melodies she produces from a single acoustic guitar make it sound as if she's got at least two or three musicians behind her. And her smart lyrics and attitude make it a thoroughly uninhibited experience. Simply put, _a gogo_ is everything you could want in a modern folk album. It is energetic, intimate, complex, and unpretentious. Larkin simply recorded her concerts at every stop on her tour, and the result is a collection of the best performances from an incredible performer. The only way to go wrong with a plan like that is to have bad sound equipment, and _a gogo_ is recorded flawlessly. Quite simply, Patty Larkin's _a gogo_ is a must have for fans of acoustic music. --- NEWS: > Duran Duran recently taped a performance to be shown on VH1's Hard Rock Live. At the concert, the band previewed two new songs, "Hallucinating Elvis" and "Somebody Else Not Me", from their forthcoming year 2000 release, _Pop Trash_. > Korn will be offering "Falling Away From Me", the first single from their forthcoming _Issues_ album, to fans via their website at http://www.korn.com . Korn will donate 25c (up to $250,000) for each person who signs the guestbook to Childhelp USA and Children of the Night. > Alanis Morissette will be contributing a track, "Still", to the soundtrack to _Dogma_. The remainder of the _Dogma_ disc includes Howard Shore numbers scored for the film. > Tonic fans can get a sneak preview of part of their new album, _Sugar_. Liquid Audio versions of "Knock Down Walls" (the first single from the album) and "Mean To Me" were added to the digital download section of http://www.amazon.com on October 21st, more than two weeks before the album hits the shelves on November 9th. The download promotion will run through December 9th, and fans will be able to listen to the downloaded songs until December 30th, when the downloaded versions will expire. --- TOUR DATES: Alaline Trio Nov. 3 Iowa City, IA Gabe's Oasis Nov. 4 Milwaukee, WI Globe Theatre Nov. 5 Minneapolis, MN Foxfire Nov. 8 Missoula, MT Jay's Nov. 9 Seattle, WA Crocodile Blinker The Star Nov. 2 New York, NY Mercury Lounge Nov. 3 Philadelphia, PA Pontiac Grille Nov. 4 Boston, MA Bill's Bar Nov. 5 Washington, DC 9:30 Club Nov. 7 Cleveland, OH Peabody's Nov. 8 Detroit, MI Shelter Nov. 10 Toronto, ON Opera House Nov. 11 Chicago, IL Double Door Buzzcocks / Lunachicks / Down By Law Nov. 2 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's Nov. 3 Milwaukee, WI Rave Bar Nov. 4 Chicago, IL Metro Nov. 6 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue Danzig Nov. 1 Los Angeles, CA Palladium Nov. 2 Portland, OR Roseland Nov. 4 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre Nov. 6 San Antonio, TX Live Oak Civic Center Nov. 7 Corpus Christi, TX Center Theatre Nov. 9 Atlanta, GA Roxy Theatre Nov. 10 Spartanburg, SC Ground Zero Nov. 12 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory Del The Funky Homosapien & Casual Nov. 1 New Orleans, LA Tiptina's Nov. 3 Talahassee, FL The Moon Nov. 4 Tampa, FL Masquerade Nov. 5 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse Nov. 6 Charlotte, NC Cat's Cradle Nov. 7 Nofolk, VA Rogues Bryan Ferry Nov. 4 Philadelphia, PA Gershwin Auditorium Nov. 5 New York, NY Beacon Theater Nov. 7 Boston, MA Berklee Perf. Center Nov. 9 Toronto, ON Massey Hall Nov. 10 Detroit, MI Opera House Nov. 11 Chicago, IL Riviera Theater Ben Harper Nov. 2 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom Nov. 4 New York, NY Roseland Ballroom Nov. 6 Northampton, MA Greene Hall/Smith College Nov. 7 Washington, DC Bender Arena Nov. 9 Raleigh, NC Ritz Nov. 10 Charlotte, NC Grady Cole Ctr. Ben Lee Nov. 1 Portland, OR Roseland Nov. 2 Seattle, WA King Carl Theater Nov. 3 Vancouver, BC The Rage Len / Styles of Beyond Nov. 1 Tempe, AZ Green Room Nov. 4 Austin, TX La Zona Rosa Nov. 5 Houston, TX Engine Room Live Nov. 1 College Station, TX Rudder Auditorium Nov. 3 St Louis, MO American Theater Nov. 4 Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee Riverside Theatre Nov. 5 Chicago, IL Riviera Theater Nov. 6 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theater Nov. 8 Normal, IL Braden Auditorium Nov. 9 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theater/Egyptian Room Nov. 10 Detroit, MI Detroit State Theatre Luscious Jackson Nov. 1 Portland, OR Roseland Nov. 2 Seattle, WA Kit Cat Theater Nov. 3 Vancouver, BC Rage Andrea Parker Nov. 3 New York, NY Baktun @ The Cooler Nov. 5 Montreal, QC Sona Nov. 6 Toronto, ON B-Side Silverchair / Blink 182 Nov. 2 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amp. Nov. 3 San Luis Obispo, CA Cal Poly Event Center Nov. 4 San Francisco, CA Graham Aud. Nov. 5 Los Angeles, CA Universal Amp. Nov. 8 Minneapolis, MN Wilkins Aud. Nov. 10 Toronto, ON Maple Leaf Gardens Sonia Dada Nov. 2 Boise, ID Joe's @ 6th & Main Nov. 3 Seattle, WA Fenix Nov. 4 Portland, OR Roseland Grill Nov. 5 Reno, NV Hilton Theatre Nov. 6 Sacramento, CA Harlowís Nov. 10 Solano Beach, CA Belly Up Nov. 11 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros Nov. 1 Seattle, WA Moore Theater Nov. 2 Portland, OR Roseland Theater Nov. 4 San Francisco, CA Warfield Nov. 5 Anaheim, CA The Sun Theater Nov. 6 Los Angeles, CA House Of Blues Nov. 7 Las Vegas, NV The Joint Nov. 9 Denver , CO Ogden Theater Nov. 11 Minneapolis, MN The Quest Superchunk Nov. 1 London, ONT the Embassy Nov. 3 Milwaukee, WI Rave Bar Nov. 5 Columbia, MO Blue Note Nov. 6 Memphis, TN Last Place On Earth Nov. 7 Nashville, TN Exit In Nov. 9 Birmingham, AL Five Points Music Hall Nov. 10 New Orleans, LA Howlin' Wolf Richard Thompson Nov. 2 Princeton, NJ McCarter Nov, 5 Glensice, PA Keswick Theatre Nov. 6 Pittsburgh, PA Rosebud Nov. 7 Cleveland, OH Odeon Tonic / Goo Goo Dolls Nov. 2 Tallahassee, FL Florida State University Nov. 3 Gainesville, FL University of Florida Nov. 4 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Nov. 6 Columbia, SC Carolina Coliseum Watsonville Patio Nov. 6 Laramie, WY Buckhorn Nov. 11 Missoula, MT Buck's Josh Wink Nov. 4 Baltimore, MD Fever --- 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 ===