==== ISSUE 43 ==== CONSUMABLE ======== [June 16, 1995] Editor: Bob Gajarsky Internet: gajarsky@pilot.njin.net Sr. Contributors: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Al Crawford, Dan Enright, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Tim Mohr, Joe Silva, John Walker Other Contributors: Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Kelley Crowley, Tim Hulsizer, Sean Eric McGill, Melissa Pellegrin, P. Nina Ramos, Jamie Roberts, Linda Scott, Ali Sinclair, Jon Steltenpohl, Jorge Velez, Courtney Muir Wallner, Scott Williams, Britain Woodman Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann, Damir Tiljak, Jason Williams Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gajarsky@pilot.njin.net ================================================================== All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). Permission for re-publication in any form other than within this document must be obtained from the editor. ================================================================== .------------. | Contents |-. `------------' | `------------' INTERVIEW: Squirrel Nut Zippers' Tom Maxwell - Dan Enright REVIEW: Chris Isaak, _Forever Blue_ - Reto Koradi REVIEW: Sleeper, _Smart_ - Tim Mohr REVIEW: White Zombie ,_Astro-Creep: 2000; Songs of Love, Destruction, and other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head_ - Sean Eric McGill REVIEW: Tripping Daisy, _i am an ELASTIC FIRECRACKER_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: A House, _ Wild Eyed and Ignorant_ - Reto Koradi REVIEW: Paula Cole, _Harbinger_ - Jamie Roberts CONCERT REVIEW: King Crimson, Tower Theater/Philadelphia, PA.(June 1, 1995) - Dan Enright REVIEW: Daryll-Ann, _Seaborne West_ - Tim Mohr CONCERT REVIEW: Lisa Cerbone, CB's Gallery, May 11 - Jamie Roberts NEWS: Nicole Blackman, David Bowie, Capitol & The Blues, The Cogs, Conan O'Brien's Cool Guests, Nik Kershaw, KMFDM, Omnium Recordings, RPM Seattle, Sepultura TOUR DATES: Dillon Fence, Ace Frehley, General Public, Green Apple Quick Step, Juliana Hatfield, Hootie & the Blowfish, Kill Creek, Lords of Acid, Mama Kettle, Nitzer Ebb, Palm, Psychlone Rangers, Rake's Progress, Silverchair, Squirrel Nut Zippers ERRATA from last week's issue THE READERS WRITE BACK! Back Issues of Consumable --- INTERVIEW: Squirrel Nut Zippers' Tom Maxwell - Dan Enright For those readers who don't know, the Squirrel Nut Zippers are a seven piece swing jazz band from North Carolina that recently released their debut self titled album on Mammoth Records. In case you wondered, they've borrowed their name from a chewy, peanut-flavored confection made in Massachusetts. While they've been influenced by small jazz "Hot Bands" from the '20s and '30s, don't make the mistake of thinking they're mired in the past. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unleashed by founders Katherine Whalen (banjo, vocals) and James Mathus (guitar, vocals), they've recruited Tom Maxwell (guitar, vocals, percussion), Don Raleigh (string bass), Chris Phillips (drums), Ken Mosher (alto/baritone sax, guitar, vocals) and Stacy Guess (trumpet) to bring evening gown and tuxedo clad dance music to the world. I recently spoke with guitarist and resident musical historian, Tom Maxwell about the bands roots and style. So, without further ado... Consumable: What's the philosophy behind this project? Tom: We're trying to capture emotional content and feeling. I was talking to the bass player before the interview and was reminded of the parable of the blind men and the elephant. And basically, music can serve as the elephant. It's a constant and it's universal, just like human feeling. You can get bound by convention, which will obviously become obsolete as it always does, but music is a constant. That's what we're really interested in. C: The members of the band come from a "college radio/contemporary rock background. What inspired you to pursue this type of music? T: I started listening to this music in '88 when I was playing rock and roll. I picked up Cab Calloway and was blown away! To me, it was rock as much as anything else I heard, except it was a little bit more subtle. It's the difference between real and implied threat. I like Sonic Youth a lot but their threat is real, whereas Cab Calloway singing "You Rascal You" - I just couldn't get enough and started listening to Fats Waller and everything else. When I became friends with Jim and Katherine I found that they liked a lot of that music too. We would get together, have dinner, and play records for each other. C: A music club... T: Oh yeah. It was a blast! So, I don't know. Is that an accurate answer? C: I don't know either.. T: Jim was, "I'm forming a jazz band." I was like, "Terrific, that's great." But we never sit around and discuss authenticity, or what's appropriate and what's not appropriate. We just get together and play. I have a working knowledge of the history of a lot of the small band swing, but most of the people in the band don't. They listen to all kinds of music. We just intuitively know how to make the same sound. C: You're contemporary musicians with a love for this style of music so you're updating it... T: Precisely. Jazz abandoned a lot of the tenets of this kind of music in the '40s and went on and played Bop, that kind of music. This kind of swing was enormously popular for a generation, so I can see that people were ready to try something else. But rock and jazz never went back and picked up on what I think is tremendously fertile ground. This swing we're playing is so natural, such an easy thing to do and in many ways lends itself to whatever you want to do with it. I feel we are picking up a strain someone put down a few years ago. Which is antithetical to the idea of recreating something, or trying to pander to nostalgia. So, yes. That's what we're doing. We're updating it. I think it's as viable right now as it was then. C: And your lyrics are definitely contemporary... T: Yeah. "Danny Diamond" is about a high school transvestite Ken knew. That song is an example of bizarre subject matter and "Plenty More" is... I still don't know how to take that song. I wrote the thing and my friend John wrote the lyrics... I think it can be taken any number of ways. I think most great music has a sense of irony to it. Hopefully we do too and can get that across. C: This album is twelve songs out of how many total in your catalogue? T: Oh gosh, upwards of 40. Since the time we've done this record, we've written enough material for the second. And by the time we get around to recording the second record, we'll probably have written half the material for the next one. We work at a frenetic pace. There are four songwriters in the band so there is never a dearth of material. C: How does the songwriting work? Do you each write complete songs, or do you collaborate...? T: We each bring in a full song. I, or Jimbo, will write a song and lyrics and bring it in... but then the song becomes "zipperized!" So it doesn't do any good to have the thing down in your head. You can have a chord progression worked out and a melody line, sometimes we'll have horn ideas, most of the time we just go, "Play what you want." That's so exciting because you end up with a song you never would have been able to do on your own. C: Everyone owns the song, in a sense... T: And the song will never sound like it does unless the band is playing it. Which is why we decided to split up royalties. The person who wrote the chord progression will get the bulk of it. But the way we're going about it, whoever played on the recording is entitled to a cut, because in many ways they helped bring the song together. I think it's a southern way of doing things. Each individual player is... we leave it up to them as to what they want to play or how they want to interpret the thing. What they want to add to it. And everyone does it well. It's one of the true pleasures of playing in this band. C: I wanted to ask you about your "image"... T: A lot of people assume we have a marketing savvy which we simply do not posses. They're like, "The clothes are important! What about the clothes?" And that's something I wanted to talk about. When I first got into the band, I fucking got a tuxedo, toot-sweet! For a number of reasons. One, I saw pictures of Cab Calloway looking like a million bucks, so why not? Wearin' that white tuxedo with all those paper mache lightning bolts? Who wouldn't want to look like that? I certainly do! The other thing is, I always get nervous and there is a certain ritual to putting on a tuxedo. Mine has become quite elaborate. There's all these studs and buttons and shit you put on. It's a ritual to help assuage my bad nerves. I have found wearing these clothes, most of us dress like this anyway. Jimbo and Stacy, if they didn't have day jobs, would be wearin' a suit all day long. There's a certain respect that is implied when you go on stage wearing, say, tails. Not only are you showing respect for the music, you are showing respect for the people for whom you're playing the music. If you come on starin' at your shoes, ripped hole in your jeans, that's fine. There's a lot of good stuff that has come out of the do-it-yourself attitude in music. But that should not preclude a certain ritualism, or properness, or just wanting to look good. People respond positively to that. C: That's how the original performers of this music dressed. T: And let's face it. When you are a performer, you are just that. You're doing stuff that most people don't want to, or don't feel they can do. You are, by definition, separating yourself from the audience. So any attitude you take is going to be contrived. It's going to be artifice. You can study being nonchalant, wearing torn tennis shoes. I mean a lot of young rock bands have paid the same kind of attention to their clothes and attitude as we do. They simply are trying to look sort of everyday. But they're still doing the exact same thing we are, dressing up in monkey suits. So, to me it's all the same. C: Do you think your costume colors the perception of your performance? T: Sure. And it also enhances the way we play. You just play differently when you're wearing a tuxedo. When you're looking really good, you change somehow. You play a little better, or more respect, or be more attentive to what you're trying to do. --- REVIEW: Chris Isaak, _Forever Blue_ (Sire) - Reto Koradi Nobody would probably expect a big surprise from a new Chris Isaak album. It's not even easy to admit that you like him if you claim to have good taste. His look on the album cover doesn't suggest a change either, he sort of looks like James Dean, before the car crash. The music comes as a pleasant surprise, though. The album starts out with "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing", which sounds like a very old blues tune by John Lee Hooker, the bass line reminding one a lot of "On The Road Again" by Canned Heat. This is followed by the first single, "Sombebody's Crying", which is indicative of the general sound of the album. While the verses follow his characteristic melodic style, the chorus is faster and more powerful than usual, driven by the drums. This is even more pronounced on "Go Walking Down There", the highlight track of the album, where his voice gets much harder than usual, he cries out like a real rocker, and he's damn good at it. There are still plenty of slow, romantic ballads in good old Isaak tradition. Hardly a potential smash hit like "Blue Hotel" or "Wicked Game", but "There She Goes" might well be the next single. Some of the songs are recorded in low-fi sound quality, probably intentionally. Isaak started work on the album after breaking up with his girlfriend, and all the lyrics revolve around this topic. The fact that he writes about his own life might partly explain why his music works. Even though it's certainly far from being new and also addresses listeners without exclusive taste, it never gives the impression like it would originate in the marketing department of a record company. It's simple, but true and honest. And his great voice is perfectly suited for his musical style. While Isaak never failed to write good tunes in the past, his last album "San Francisco Days" often made you think that your CD player got stuck in endless repeat mode. _Forever Blue_ is a clear step forward, it's much more variable, and might well be his best album so far. --- REVIEW: Sleeper, _Smart_ (Arista) - Tim Mohr To begin lazily, an unimaginative use of the album title (no less excusable due to the preceding admission and this disclaimer): smart, indeed, are Sleeper. Smart-assed lyrically, smartly decked out in requisite indie gear, and intelligently avoiding the attention and subsequent wrath of lawyers - hot on Elastica's trail - by writing an album full of *original* pop melodies. A guitar outfit fronted by a female singer, Sleeper occupy a narrow strip of ground separating the punchy pop of Echobelly and the more flammable punky-pop of elastica. Some of the tunes, especially the pre-album singles "Delicious" and "Inbetweener" (which, along with "Alice", are all included on _Smart_), buzz along on fast, buoyant guitar lines while others lilt past fastened to happy-go-lucky backdrops with little in the way of high-octane ambition. Laying waste to typical pop romanticism, Sleeper sing about cynicism in a very honest, non-cynical way: "Inbetweener", for instance, is about a passionless relationship that is taken up between what was, and what will hopefully be, a more meaningful connection. "You're such an inbetweener." Notions of a sexual mercenary also inform "Delicious". Showing both a well-informed pop consciousness and a sense of humor, Sleeper pun on a similarly titled S*M*A*S*H song with "Lady Love Your Countryside," which proves, rather than a novelty, a durable song in itself. To be sure, Sleeper are not breaking new ground. A host of bands, from Belly and the Throwing Muses to the aforementioned British newcomers, make versions of the same basic racket. The field of female-voice-and-guitar- pop has quickly become crowded, plowed continuously since its post-Blondie rebirth with bands like the Darling Buds and the Primitives. And while certain harvests have been widely fete'd, there is no reason to disregard the contributions of quieter arrivals such as Sleeper. By virtue of their songs alone, Sleeper constitute a welcome addition. Like the deluge of bands who closely resembled one another during the British Invasion (mid-60s version), jostling for position in the press, charts, and record shelves won't necessarily assure lasting power and restrospective musical respect for today's hopefuls. Closing with an equally inexcusable display (two, in fact) of rhetorical slothfulness: dismiss Sleeper as riding Elastica's coattails at your own risk. --- REVIEW: White Zombie ,_Astro-Creep: 2000; Songs of Love, Destruction, and other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head_ (Geffen) - Sean Eric McGill Legend has it that back in the fall of 1992, this, White Zombie's third album, was scheduled for release by Geffen in the spring of '93. For the goof of it, they released "Thunder Kiss '65" off the band's _La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1_ album, and the rest is history. The song went to number one on AOR charts, and the album vaulted into the Billboard Top 100. To top it off, MTV began airing the video for "Welcome to Planet Motherfucker/Psychoholic Slag" on "Beavis & Butthead" on the strength of the amount of humor that could be derived from the name alone, not to mention they had a "babe" in the band. Needless to say, Geffen sent the band back out on the road and gave them more time to finish the album, and _Astro-Creep: 2000_'s current residency in the Billboard Top 10 proves once again that it is one of the few companies willing to take a risk on bands that nobody else wanted, and have them pay off. Anyone remember Guns 'N Roses?. But enough pondering on the state of the music business. _Astro-Creep: 2000_ is different from any other metal album you've heard, unless you've heard any of White Zombie's previous releases, and even then, it's very different. This album has more of an industrial feel to it in many ways, and the change in producer from Andy Wallace to Terry Date (Pantera, Soundgarden) is obvious. Whereas _La Sexorcisto_ was polished mayhem, _Astro-Creep: 2000_ differs from the previous album by making the band seem more hard-core and less cartoonish. Sure, you still get songs like "El Phantasmo and The Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama", but what made "La Sexorcisto" seem more like a joke than anything was the band's use of samples, most of which came from George Romero's "Night Of the Living Dead". While the samples are still there on _Astro-Creep: 2000_, they aren't as easily recognizable, thus adding more to the music. The music itself is some sort of wierd mix of Nine Inch Nails, Ministry and Pantera. Rob Zombie's vocals are less in the forefront this time around, leaving more room for the rest of the band (J., Guitar; Sean Yseult, Bass; and John Tempesta, Drums) to perform. Songs like "Real Solution #4" and "More Human Than Human" are some of the best metal songs you'll hear all year musically, and the rest of the album is full of good lines and riffs. Lyrically, though, Rob Zombie tends to dwell too much on his own oddities and less on coherency. In the wake of grunge and the constant rantings of angst and "I hate myself because I'm rich" songwriting, this is refreshing to a certain extent. However, this writer is reminded of the mid-eighties, when record companies were signing any band with a stack of Marshall's and it seemed most of their songwriting came from Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks (and, next time you're in Taco Bell, tell Ronnie Dio I said "Hi"). The bottom line is that _Astro-Creep: 2000_ is definitely different, but if you're not a fan of that type of hard rock already, this album probably won't convert you...but then again, odder things have happened. --- REVIEW: Tripping Daisy, _i am an ELASTIC FIRECRACKER_ (Island) - Jon Steltenpohl Tripping Daisy weaves their own alterna-rock path like a weary prisoner of war from the battle for college radio and MTV dominance. The band sounds a bit like Public Image Limited morphed into Jane's Addiction. There is a tension between the wacky, high-pitched vocals of Lydon and the bombastic dreamland of Farrell. As the tape rolls from side A to B, the songs veer from a guitar drenched haze to a hyper pop bomb with distorted vocals. On first listen, _i am an ELASTIC FIRECRACKER_ is a bit of a let-down. When Island snatched 1993's _Bill_ and released it to a nationwide audience, there was a bit of excitement about the album. Self-released albums don't get much better than _Bill_, and many people were on the edge of their seat waiting for the next Tripping Daisy album. Were they going to be the next Jane's Addiction or Alice in Chains? Well, that hope wears off after a few listens and the true nature of Tripping Daisy comes through. Instead of an intense mind-blowing experience, _i am an ELASTIC FIRECRACKER_ is a collection of semi-serious songs that are a good listen. Unlike certain bands where popping neck veins are displayed like a badge of honor, Tripping Daisy takes themselves with a grain of salt. The album is the perfect alternative for when your tape deck begs for something lighter. _i am an ELASTIC FIRECRACKER_ has some good and bad moments. On the bad side, "Same Dress New Day" starts off like a Bauhaus song with a spidery guitar, but it fizzles into an outtake from a session with the ghost of Hank Williams, Sr. jamming with The Cure. "Trip Along" would be an excellent song, but the title and the melody conjure images of "Trip Away" by Jane's Addiction. It's not a rip-off, but the likeness nags too much to fully enjoy the song. On the good end, "I Got A Girl" is Tripping Daisy's answer to Weezer and Pavement. It's a bubble-gum alterna-pop song for the nineties about the girl "who's always bitchin' at me". Expect "I Got A Girl" to be the summer make-out song for co-dependent alterna-couples across the country. The nine minute opus, "Prick", really shows a band in full form. It's the one song where Tripping Daisy straightens up their jackets, takes the gum out of their mouths, and hits you square between the ears. "Prick" stands alone as an example that Tripping Daisy has the ability to get dark and serious if necessary. But, just to make sure you leave on a good note, they close the album with the appropriately titled "High". _i am an ELASTIC FIRECRACKER_ is about as good as _Bill_. Tripping Daisy is still a young band, and they are still finding their sound. One minute the songs are serious and the next joking. This gives the album a rough finish that really doesn't allow you to fall into a groove. But, despite the bumpy ride, fans of _Bill_ will find that the new Tripping Daisy is worth, um, the trip. --- REVIEW: A House, _Wild Eyed and Ignorant_ (Radioactive) - Reto Koradi It's been suggested that this disc from A House is ideal for chasing a cat around the house and jumping up and down on the bed. While this reviewer doesn't have a cat to fully test this out, there's a lot of truth in this statement. This album doesn't let you sit still. A House is a six piece band from Dublin, and with their fourth album they're trying to gain popularity outside Ireland and Great Britain. While the music is far from being traditionally Celtic, the origin is always obvious. On top of guitar, bass and drums they're also using harmonica, strings and brass. But more than that, it's just great pop music. There's nothing that's striking or new musically, but it's been a while since I had so much fun listening to a new album. And it doesn't take long until you start to sing along and jump up and down. The whole album is full of hooks and catchy melodies. The UK top 40 single "Here Comes the Good Times", sort of a R'n'R anthem, might have the most chart potential, but it's not the best song on the album. There are at least half a dozen excellent tracks, slow ones like "Make Me Proud", more up-beat ones like "The Strong and the Silent", and most of them are nearly as catchy as "Everything I Am", with the partly acappella chorus. There's more hidden under the surface of the cheerful pop tunes. The lyrics are witty and often ironic. They talk about the state of our world ("where bigger dogs eat smaller dogs over lunch, where there's always someone younger, cheaper and better than you"), and they're asking the big questions of mankind ("and when we die, can we got to the great big party in the sky?"). Even if they repeat old cliches ("dance with me, hold me... you're beautiful"), it's always with a twist that makes you feel that it's more a parody than serious. If you have a weakness for music with Celtic influence and like bands like Dexys Midnight Runners, the Levellers or Black 47, this is a must get. And if you're just after a dose of fun pop a la Blur, you can't go wrong with _ Wild Eyed and Ignorant_ by A House. The record label has a WWW site under http://radioactive.net. --- REVIEW: Paula Cole, _Harbinger_ (Imago) - Jamie Roberts Paula Cole has such incredible talent! She has a voice like an angel, a biting wit, and world-weary 'knowing' in her songwriting. She takes you into her world, on _Harbinger_ and makes you feel how she felt about home, family, love, and the world as a whole. Two outstanding tracks on this gently flowing work are "Chiaroscuro" and "Ordinary". The former tackles the difficulty of an interracial relationship (both with outsiders, and between the lovers), and the latter is a tale of pitiable self-loathing, playing second fiddle in a relationship and undervaluing herself. The music is a meld of folk and rock, taking the best parts of each. The only trace of folk in it is its softness and comfortable atmospheric. The CD is a bit somber, with her deeply resonant voice and serious tone, but it picks up intermittently. Every song is a hummable gem of strumming guitar and varies with interesting percussion, a la "beat box" on a few tunes. This one has become a part of my CD player. Let Paula Cole into your heart. If you give her the chance, that's just where _Harbinger_ will go. --- CONCERT REVIEW: King Crimson, Tower Theater/Philadelphia, PA. (June 1, 1995) - Dan Enright It's difficult to believe a ten year gap exists between the last incarnation of King Crimson and this one. Ten years and several successful projects for all the current members. But, like today and a memory, the connection is seamless. Following on the heels of last year's independently released _Vrooom_, this album and tour marks the beginning of what I (and I suspect most fans) hope is the latest chapter in the Crimson saga. About 30 minutes into this sold-out performance, I'd formed three opinions. First: When I see/hear a group as advanced and talented as this, it makes it difficult to be a critic, because they've demonstrated what's possible - and most musicians don't attain this level of proficiency. Second: This group is representive of electronic String Ensemble/Classical Music of the late 20th Century. Robert Fripp belongs to that elite group of composers that includes Frank Zappa, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Joe Jackson, and John Zorn (among others). And third: When it comes to rock, especially the metal/progressive/hard genres, most bands offer watered down pap. I guess because the majority of consumers don't want to be challenged. Almost as if they want their music served-up predigested. Now about the performance - if you don't have tickets forget it. I'm sure the tour is sold out, and rightly so. The '95 Crimson line-up features alumni Adrian Belew - vocalist and guitarist extraordinare, Tony Levin/Trey Gunn - stick masters (Tony also used a stand-up electric bass), Pat Mastelotto/Bill Bruford - phenomenal drummers, and of course soul and center Robert Fripp. Like several of Virgin's other top shelf acts, (Joe Jackson and Bryan Ferry for example) the tour's been booked into the handful of concert halls that dot North America, meaning the tour will be seen by about 125,000 hard-core fans. This guarantees they'll get the best possible view and sound. I know I did - and I sat at the very back of the theater. If you have seats, don't expect to hear a set of greatest hits. While the band did perform some of their older material, the focus of the performance was their latest release, _Thrack_ (for our discordian readers, the cover features the five fingered hand of ERIS and the band is composed of a double trio). From quiet ballads to intense aural landscapes the band gave a stellar performance, one that (at this time at least) I'm prepared to rank as the best of '95. All the Crimson trademarks are there. The shifting rhythms, odd time signitures, tight breaks, twisted bridges, and chaotic movements - evolving from and resolving into some of the hardest, most intense rock and roll I've ever seen performed. The show is evenly split into instumentals and vocal sections, with Fripp subtly directing and controling a flow of music that seemed filmscore-ish at it's most extreme. And, of course, jaw dropping technique. The stage had three risers in the back which held the drum kits - one on each side of Fripp, who lurked in in the center. In front of the drummers stood Levin and Gun, with Belew at center stage. Everyone was spotlit except Fripp, who sat quietly in the heart of the vortex, shrouded by shadows. A presence whose influence was felt - and heard - but not seen. The lighting was simple, powerful, and effective, with reds, greens, and yellows used to add emotion and impact to the different passages. The music was focused and intense one moment, quiet and gentle the next. but always balanced and vividly emotional. This tour is a textbook example of music's true magical power. If you aren't fortunate enough to have tickets, I'd suggest getting the new album (or any of the bands 16 albums for that matter) to get an idea of the power these guys wield. --- REVIEW: Daryll-Ann, _Seaborne West_ (Hut/Virgin) (Europe) - Tim Mohr Virgin's designer indie label, Hut, sets sail in hopes of partaking in the bounty and potential treaure of rock's New World, continental Europe. A Dutch quartet, Daryll-Ann will certainly spur further forays into the region with their Byrds-ish guitar figures, Neil Young-inflected vocals, and combination of tunefulness and tasteful, unaccented English Lyrics. Unlike a crop of excellent Swedish guitar bands, Daryll-Ann eschews references to British Invasion pop, appealing primarily to late 60s American icons in their attempt to resuscitate melodic, country rock. Occasional pedal steel, basically never heard in the British isles, effectively makes this point. Also ignoring de rigeur punk influences, songs generally stick to a loping mid-tempo, among the most rollicking of songs a fairly faithful cover of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain". Songs such as the opener, "Stay", steer directly into Neil Young/Buffalo Springfield territory, though they can't resist a Dinosaur Jr. guitar solo, punning on the oft-stated similarity between J Mascis' wah-wah pedalled excursions and Young. _Seaborne West_ is very coherent, sticking closely to this laid-back, slightly countrified sound while creating distinct melodies in each song. Distant cousins may include the Connells, latter-day Velvet Crush, and R.E.M. circa _Out of Time_, the slight twang exposing possible filial relations. Counting Crows might also enter a conversation about Daryll-Ann. The two bands certainly share the intention of revitalizing non-alternative rock, updating the folky late-60s and early-70s sounds of the American west coast as well as more recent heartland rock of Tom Petty and John Cougar Mellencamp. Unlike the majority of low-key British bands (or British-fixated European bands), who usually come from a much more pop-oriented standpoint and therefore often fail to get the attention of the American public, Daryll- Ann generates tunefulness while solidly remaining in a rock format. In this way, originating in Holland has allowed them to follow their interests more freely than they would have been able to in either the self-infatuated and anti-American British music world, or the staunchly testosterone-dominated American alternative scene. --- CONCERT REVIEW: Lisa Cerbone, CB's Gallery, May 11 - Jamie Roberts With all the sweetness in voice of Harriet Wheeler (The Sundays), and the style of Juliana Hatfield, flavored with her own clarity and unique spirit, Ichiban Records' Lisa Cerbone envelops an audience in a mesh of melodic comfort. The crowd was sparse on this gloomy Thursday night. All that meant was that there were fewer people to bask in Cerbone's music. All I can say is that if you weren't there (and could've been), you messed up! Small as the audience was, they were all rapt, staring at the stage. As Cerbone strummed her guitar and sang tracks from her album, _Close Your Eyes_, the melodic hooks and pop energy flowed freely. Her music is reminescent, in spirit, of 10,000 Maniacs, particularly in their track "These Are The Days". That fresh, optimistic, acoustic rhythm varies slightly from track to track but the overall feeling comes across in each song she plays. Tracks like "Manic Depressive Jubilation" and "My Sister and Me" were highlights of the all-too-short set. Whether you term it grunge-pop or folky-rock, it is certainly entertaining. It projects an honest, optimistic, "niceness" that leaves you with a smile on your face. With all the people in this business making noise a commodity, Cerbone is a refreshing trip back to music for music lovers' sake. Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't that the purpose of this whole business anyway? --- NEWS Nicole Blackman's 7" single of "Indictment/I Believe" has been released on the Cleveland singles label Carcrashh. She also appears on the spoken word _Relationships from Hell_ compilation. David Bowie has been working with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor recently, in preparation for Bowie's September release, _Outside_. The two will headline a Lollapalooza style tour; potential other acts to be included on this tour are Bjork, Bush and Porno For Pyros. Capitol Records has the blues, but in a good way - complete recordings on CD of some of the masters of the American Blues. Legends such as T-Bone Walker, Lil' Son Jackson, Sonny Terry, Son House and Roy Brown have their own individual CD's, while _Rediscovered Blues_ includes legendary performers such as Lighnin' Hopkins and Big Joe Williams and _Chicago Blues Masters Vol. 1_ features Muddy Waters and Memphis Slim. Each of these CD's will be released on June 20. New York City based The Cogs, who first cracked into the musical spotlight with an E.P. of Ween covers, have expanded to a five piece unit and are ready to record a full LP. The as-yet-untitled release is expected to be released in the fall of 1995, with another single to precede it. Their current 7", "(I'm Moving To) Seattle", will be reviewed in an upcoming issue of Consumable. With the cancellation of Jon Stewart's late night show, Conan O'Brien is beginning to pick up some cool musical guests. Included in live show performances on O'Brien's show are: June 16, Low Pop Suicide: June 20, Rake's Progress; July 18, Squirrel Nut Zippers. Nik Kershaw, whose "Wouldn't It Be Good" was one of those 1980's classic songs, now has a Internet mailing list. Wounded Knee, the title of a song off his _The Works_ album, is also the name of this mailing list. To subscribe to the list, send a message (with the word subscribe as the message) to nik-request@fox-in.socs.uts.edu.au ; to send a message to the mailing list, send to nik@fox-in.socs.uts.edu.au KMFDM and Giorgio Moroder have just released a wild CD single of remixes from KMFDM's dance hit, "Juke Joint Jezebel". KMFDM is also on the World Wide Web at two sites, http://www.webb.com/concrete.html and http://www.kmfdm.com Omnium Recordings (featured in the June 8 issue of Consumable) has recently put up a complete World Wide Web site. Net surfers can find the label at http://www.omnium.com/pub/omnium/ RPM Seattle, a music organization which recently completed work for composer Michael Kamen and the Seattle Symphony _Die Hard: With A Vengeance_, has recently come online. Their email address is rpmseattle@aol.com and world wide web site is http://www.RPMSeattle.com/rpm/ Sepultura has just released a collector's edition home video, shot largely by the band, family and crew members during their 1993-94 world tour. _Third World Chaos_ includes scenes from the band's opening summer of '94 slot with Pantera, as well as footage of Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) performing "Holiday in Cambodia" with Sepultura's Andreas Kisser on guitar and Igor Cavalera on drums. --- TOUR DATES Dillon Fence (also see under Hootie & the Blowfish) June 22 Washington, DC The Bayou June 29 State College, PA Crowbar Ace Frehley June 22 Cincinnati, OH Annie's June 23 Chicago, IL The Dome Room June 24 Milwaukee, WI T.A. Vern's June 25 Clinton, IA Pig Pen June 27 Indianapolis, IN Vogue June 28 Dayton, OH Breakers General Public June 30 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue July 1 Sioux City, IA Grandview Park Bandshell July 2 Milwaukee, WI Leinie Stage July 4 Chicago, IL Grant Park July 5 Cleveland, OH Shooters July 6 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Theatre July 7 Toronto, ON The Warehouse July 9 Providence, RI The Strand July 10 Washington, DC W.U.S.T. July 11 Virginia Beach, VA Abyss July 13 Atlanta, GA Masquerade July 14 Memphis, TN Six One Six July 15 St. Louis, MO Mississippi Nights July 17 New Orleans, LA House of Blues Sept. 2 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre Sept. 8 San Diego, CA Q106 Main Stage Green Apple Quick Step June 19 Tulsa, OK Ikon June 21 St. Louis, MO Side Door June 22 Chicago, IL Double Door June 23 Detroit, MI Shelter June 24 Cleveland, OH Odeon June 27 Boston, MA Local 186 June 29 New York, NY CBGB's June 30 Philadelphia, PA JC Dobbs July 22 Washington, DC 930 Club Juliana Hatfield June 16 Austin, TX Libery Lunch June 17 Dallas, TX Trees June 19 Tempe, AZ Electric Ballroom June 21 San Diego, CA Back Door June 22 Los Angeles, CA Roxy June 23 San Francisco, CA Fillmore June 24 Sacramento, CA Crest Theatre June 26 Seattle, WA King Performance Center June 27 Vancouver, ON Starfish Room June 28 Portland, OR La Luna July 1 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre July 3 Indianapolis, IN Tyndall Armory July 5-6 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue July 7 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre July 8 St. Louis, MO Mississippi Nights July 9 Kansas City, MO Worlds of Fun (with Kill Creek) Hootie & the Blowfish / Dillion Fence June 16 Philadelphia, PA Mann Music Center June 17 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach Amphitheater June 18 Holmdel, NJ Garden State Arts Center June 20 New York City, NY Roseland June 21 Mansfield, MA Great Woods June 23 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavillion June 24 Hampton, VA Strawberry Banks June 25 Richmond, VA Classic Amphitheater June 27-28 W.Homestead, PA Riverplex Con. at Sandcastle Kill Creek June 17 Des Moines, IA The Safari June 18 Lincoln, NE Duffy's June 19 Iowa City, IA McKeo's June 21 St. Louis, MO Cicero's June 24 Kansas City, MO Hurricane Lords of Acid "Sextasy Ball" June 16 Norfolk, VA Boathouse June 17 Raleigh, NC Marrz June 19 Myrtle Beach, SC Headroom June 20 Orlando, FL The Edge June 22 Miami Beach, FL Glam Slam June 23 Tampa, FL Ritz Theatre June 24 Atlanta, GA Masquerade June 26 Panama City, FL Club La Vela June 28 Memphis, TN Six One Six June 29 Vinton, LA Club F/X June 30 Houston, TX Numbers July 1 Dallas, TX Bomb Factory July 2 San Antonio, TX Headliners July 4 El Paso, TX Metropolis July 5 Phoenix, AZ Party Gardens July 6 San Diego, CA Soma Mama Kettle June 16 Madison, WI Paramount Music Hall (with Tesla) June 25 New Jersey, Birch Hill Club 1995 Music Expo June 28 New York, NY Cafe A Go Go (sponsored by Spin Magazine) Nitzer Ebb June 20 Buffalo, NY The Show Place June 21 Toronto, ONT Opera House June 22 Cleveland, OH The Odeon June 23 Detroit, MI St Andrews Hall June 24 Chicago, IL The Metro June 27 Seattle, WA RKCNDY June 28 Vancouver, ONT The Rage June 29 Portland, OR La Luna June 30 Palo Alto, CA The Edge Nightclub Palm June 19 New York, NY New Music Cafe June 24 New York, NY Downtime Psychlone Rangers June 16 Detroit, MI The Shelter June 17 Cleveland Hts, OH The Grog Shop June 21 Boston, MA Mama Kin June 22 Albany, NY QE2 June 23 Philadelphia, PA Khyber Pass June 24 Washington, D.C. 9:30 Club June 28 Baltimore, MD 8x10 June 29 Richmond, VA Twisters June 30 Athens, GA 40 Watt July 3 Orlando, FL Sapphire Supper Club July 4 Pensacola, FL Sluggo's July 5 New Orleans, LA Howlin' Wolf July 6 Houston, TX Emo's July 7 Austin, TX Emo's July 8 Dallas, TX Orbit Room July 10 Albuquerque, NM Golden West July 11 Mesa, AZ The Nile July 12 San Diego, CA The Casbah July 14 Los Angeles, CA Dragonfly July 16 Eugene, OR John Henry's July 17 Portland, OR Satyricon July 18 Seattle, WA Off Ramp July 19 Missoula, MT Pine Street Tavern Rake's Progress June 16 Detroit, MI Shelter June 17 Chicago, IL Double Door Silverchair June 21 Atlanta, GA Roxy Theatre June 23 Chicago, IL The Metro June 24 Detroit, MI Phoenix Plaza Squirrel Nut Zippers June 16 Greensboro, NC The Turtle June 23 Atlanta, GA Smith's Old Bar June 24 Atlanta, GA The Point July 2 Durham, NC Festival for the Eno July 4 Chapel Hill, NC Kenan Stadium --- ERRATA: Last week's issue had several mistakes. Thanks to those who were kind enough to write in. First, in the Cordelia's Dad review, the word "fuck" accidentally appeared where it should have been folk. And, in the Police review there were several inaccuracies about the band's previous history (Sting was not in Curved Air), as well as which Copeland (Miles, Jr.) was in the CIA. Apologies for any problems this may have caused. --- THE READERS WRITE BACK! I'm planning on travelling to England this summer and would love to find out the festival dates and bands scheduled at Reading, but can't get that information here in Israel. Can anyone help? Thanks - Barak Hayun (bhayun@ort.org.il) --- To get back issues of Consumable, check out: FTP: eetsg22.bd.psu.edu in the directory /pub/Consumable ftp.etext.org in the directory /pub/Zines/Consumable Gopher: diana.zems.etf.hr Engleski Jezik/Music/Consumable or Hrvastki Jezik/Glazbena Rubrika/Consumable (URL) gopher://diana.zems.etf.hr:70/11/eng/Music/Consumable http://www.westnet.com/consumable/Consumable.html (WWW) http://www.westnet.com (CIS) Compuserve, Lotus Notes users only: GO FORUM (Delphi) Music Fandom forum; GO ENT MUSIC 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. #294, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 ===