====================================================[January 18, 1995]= __ | __ _ _ ___ | || ___ | __ __ (__ | | | \/ | ____) |___ || |___) |__ (__) | | ___) |___| | | | |___| |___) || |____ The Electronic Fanzine for Cool Folks Like You Editor: Scott F. Williams Managing Editor: Bob Gajarsky Internet: gajarsky@pilot.njin.net Other Contributors: Jeremy Ashcroft, Martin Bate, Al Crawford, Dan Enright, Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, Tim Mohr, P. Nina Ramos, Michelle Richmond, Linda Scott, Joe Silva,John Walker Technical Staff: Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann, Damir Tiljak, Jason Williams Address all comments, subscription requests, 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 sought from the managing editor. ============================================================================== .------------. | Contents |-. `------------' | `------------' REVIEW: Various Artists, _Flashback Cafe Volume 1_ (Oglio) by Al Crawford REVIEW: dEUS, _Worst Case Scenario_ (Island) by Martin Bate REVIEW: Certain Distant Suns, _Happy on the Inside_ (Giant) by John Walker REVIEW: Veruca Salt, _American Thighs_ (Minty Fresh/Geffen) by Tim Mohr REVIEW: Flatlinerz, _Flatlinerz USA_ (Def Jam) by Martin Bate REVIEW: Gravediggaz, _Six Feet Deep_ (Gee Street/Island) by Martin Bate REVIEW: Cranes, _Loved_ (Arista) by Tim Mohr RELEASE: Stone Roses _Second Coming_ (Geffen) REVIEW: Whiteout, "Detroit" single (Silvertone) by Tim Mohr REVIEW: Dasein, _Ascend_ (Haus) by Al Crawford REVIEW: Prose and Concepts, _Procreation_ (Loosegroove/Sony) by Martin Bate REVIEW: Quo, _Quo_ (MJJ/Epic) by Martin Bate Joe Jackson Tour Dates Mighty Mighty Bosstones Tour Dates Throwing Muses Tour Dates THE READERS WRITE BACK! How to get back issues of Consumable === REVIEW: _Flashback Cafe Volume 1_ (Oglio) Oglio Records have made something of a name for themselves in the past couple of years with their "Flashback Favorites" compilations of classic 80s songs and re-releases of `lost' 80s albums such as Freur's _Doot Doot_. This new release is something of a departure for the label. While retaining the 80s flavor of the "Flashback Favorites" series, an attempt has been made to give the compilation a more specific feel or theme. Although the underlying theme of music suitable for an `alternative cafe' is somewhat tenuous, the music chosen *does* slot together nicely, and the overall mood is relaxed but far from soporific. How `alternative' the music is depends very much on your own background. If you use the "alternative = relatively obscure" yardstick, then most of the acts here certainly fit the bill from a U.S. perspective. However, from a British or European perspective (I'm British, and thus come fully equipped with the former) several of the artists here were decidedly mainstream. Only one of the tracks here missed the UK charts and, of those that did, at least four went top 10. The music spans a full ten years, ranging from Nick Lowe's "Cruel To Be Kind" in 1979 through to Tears For Fears "Advice For The Young At Heart" from 1989. In between it covers both the synth-dominated early 80s (ABC, Fiction Factory and, of course, Freur) and the more conventional pop that co-existed with it (Dream Academy, Feargal Sharkey, Haircut One Hundred). Room is also found for Aztec Camera's wonderful "Oblivious", the Stranglers at their poppiest with "Always The Sun" and the Psychedelic Furs for once singing something other than "Pretty In Pink", namely "Heaven". Overall a decent if unassuming compilation. The choice of material pretty much ensures that it can't make *that* big an impact, but the pace and mood is satisfyingly consistent. While rarities and must-haves are conspicuous by their absence, the compilation does contain several great songs, and I'm glad to have added it to my collection. If unavailable at your local store, _Flashback Cafe_ can be purchased directly from Oglio at 1-800-COOL-CDS. - Al Crawford === REVIEW: dEUS _Worst Case Scenario_ (Island) If there's any justice, you'll have already heard the utterly genius single from this album, "Suds and Soda". Like Pavement at their maddest and most energetic with a dose of Velvet Underground style discordance, all the time remaining gloriously pop, "Suds and Soda" is a complete head-spin. And also a little misleading. Elsewhere, only the incredibly beautiful "Via" reaches such heights of pop thrills, the majority of the album being more introspective and moody with nods to Tom Waits, the slower moments of Pavement and the less self-consciously weird moments of the mighty Mercury Rev. The general atmosphere is one of midnight in a dark smoky cafe after too much drink and not enough conversation. Already I've mentioned Pavement twice, which is probably unfair as dEUS are far from Pavement copyists. Rather they are what Pavement might be if they rejected their insistence on being lo-fi and strived to produce something a little more epic (_Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain_ was a step in that direction). dEUS embelish their sound with violin, cello and organ and are unafraid to use production to add to the atmosphere produced by the songs. Like Pavement, their lyrics often manage to be genuinely affecting, even if you're not 100% sure what they're going on about. The album gets bogged down a little in the middle with a couple of songs deteriorating into turgid non-entities under non-subtle feedback and song writing, but then "Hotellounge" comes in to save the day with a tune that most of American's lo-fi kings would kill Sebadoh for. Have I mentioned that they come from Belgium yet ? OK. Well I have now. Keep an eye on this lot. - Martin Bate === REVIEW: Certain Distant Suns: _Happy On The Inside_ (Giant) "Genre-hopping" eclecticism and a "post-modern" sensibility, such as the promo material for Chicago's Certain Distant Suns debut release trumpets, can be a mixed bag. In a worst-case scenario, such terms can serve as code for "we didn't know what to do"; the best examples, such as Primal Scream's all-time neo-psychedelic classic _Screamadelica_, truly belong in a "hallucinogenre" all their own. _Happy On The Inside_ (drug implications noted and appropriate), happy to say, comes closer to the latter case than the former. At its best, it achieves a synthesis which is mind-alteringly fresh: we've had many, mainly British, bands playing oceanic mega-riffs combined with fey, whispery vocals lately (My Blood Valentine, Slowdive, etc.); here, however, Justin Mroz penetrates the band's wall of sound with some truly unhinged sounding singing, combining the youthful insolence of Stooges-era Iggy Pop, the drawling Yankeeisms of New York Dolls singer David Johansen, and even more inspired, the bent yokel-vocals of Mick Jagger in country mode. "I want to know what's goin' awwwwhn" drawls Mroz in "Round" over a wall of distorted guitar wah-wah. Could we call this "bootgazing?" Like I said, unhinged. The weirdness doesn't stop with Mroz's vocals, either. One of the record's standout tracks, "Snowfall At The Most Curious Times," with its bent lyrical imagery ("Push me down the stairs and say 'I love you' . . . tell me how it feels to be alive without a clue") also features music which approximates the guitar-power of MBV and then splices on a "kiddie-choir" chorus of gibberish that sounds like Bob Ezrin came toodling by the studio after walking straight out of a 1970's Alice Cooper Band session and fooled around with the master tapes. Insane, and insanely catchy. When you wake up in the morning with the chorus to "Snowfall..." going through your head and wonder if perhaps you're losing it for good, you'll have Certain Distant Suns to thank. There are moments of sheer musical transcendence here as well. "All Green To Me" soars on a gothic bass line reminiscent of Joy Division, backing vocals which bring to mind disembodied spirits hovering around the room, and weary, impassioned singing from Mroz. A reminder that the 1980's, with its dark musical heroes--Ian Curtis, Andrew Eldritch--weren't all bad: after all, the 90's big hero is a grown man named Eddie Vedder, who often behaves as if what he needs is a good spanking. Having initially misread the title as "Al Green To Me," I was expecting more of an r&b workout here, a promise delivered upon in the following number, "Mine, All Mine," in which Mroz megaphones-in streetwise lyrics over a frenetic funk riff. Of course, a debut effort is bound to have a few weak links, and _Happy On the Inside_ is no exception. Generally, the band is less convincing when working with the funk, hip-hop and techno influences noted in their press release than when they stick to their unique brand of rock. Not that they play numbers like "Mine, All Mine" or "Talk" poorly--the Suns' youthful (they're all in their early 20s) enthusiasm rescues the material to some degree. It's just that you have to transform and elevate music like this to make it work--i.e. _Screamadelica_---and I hate to be reminded of the Red Hot Chili Peppers unless it's strictly necessary. The biggest faux pas here, however, is the inclusion of the "techno" noodling of "Crustacean": in former times they used to call such numbers "jams" or "instrumentals," but no matter the term, the reality here is "filler." All 11:29 of "Crustacean" might be fine "E"-z listening, and it certainly isn't offensive to the ears, but neither is it compelling, and thus the song finishes the record by eroding its momentum. Still, this is entirely forgivable in the context of a self-produced first effort. All indicators point to Certain Distant Suns as a band to watch in the future, especially if Justin Mroz can further develop his decadent/psychedelic aesthetic. If the unchecked, flowing emotion found on _Happy On The Inside_ is any indication, they also promise to be a hell of a live act. Here's hoping these crazy Chicagoans head my Toronto-way soon. -John Walker === REVIEW: Veruca Salt, _American Thighs_ (Minty Fresh/Geffen) On the surface, there is nothing spectacular about this record; no aural fireworks make you go wow or induce tears. Nina Gordon and Louise Post share vocals, guitars, and writing credits on an album less threatening than L7's work and more consistent than the Breeders' records. But there is something special about Veruca Salt. The exuberant single, "Seether," has an addictive, seemingly inevitable riff that grabs your ears much the way the Breeders'"Cannonball" did. Irresistible. "Spiderman '79" periodically erupts with a "whoooha-o, whoooha-o" chorus that could have been lifted from a classic early 80s Def Leppard track. The song sounds like a lost Joan Jett effort from _Bad Reputation_ or _I Love Rock and Roll_. The hollow guitar tones on "Sleeping Where I Want" and "Forsythia" harken back to the Cure at the time of landmark Goth records _Faith_ and _17 Seconds_. The mournful side of _American Thighs_ is augmented by lyrics like: "bend me, shape me, anyway you can..." repeated during the brooding, dirge- like "25." _American Thighs_ manages to evoke many references without sacrificing cohesion. Two Post numbers, "All Hail Me" and "Victrola," sound particularly similar to L7, but the rest of the songs subvert influences into a refined, consistent sound. Because of the more contemplative parts of the album, the sound might be best described as an ethereal/grunge hybrid and best enjoyed by fans of bands like Smashing Pumpkins or Th' Faith Healers. - Tim Mohr === REVIEWS: Flatlinerz _U.S.A._ (Def Jam) Gravediggaz _Six Feet Deep_ (GeeStreet/Island) Horror-core. Where B-Movie schlock meets hardcore rap. After all, the majority of gangsta rap is little more than a fictional thriller, so why not take it the full hog ? First up is Flatlinerz and you can't help but feel that the horror- core tag is nothing but a gimmick for them. What you get for your admission fee is an average East Coast rap sound (Lords of the Underground without the skills or humour) with a touch of horror in the lyrics. They start off pretty well but after the first few tracks you realise they've said all they're going to say and the listener is left wondering if the album is ever going to end. Not the nightmare effect they were aiming for I fear. Only the last couple of tracks pick things up a little, with the finishing "Live Evil" finally extending the horror concept into the music with some excellent creepy choral sampling, but by then it's too late. The Gravediggaz meanwhile, know *exactly* what they're doing. A rap 'super-group' (Producer Prince Paul best known for his work with De La Soul describes them as 'Tommy Boy Rejects'), the concept behind the Gravediggaz is the task of waking the world's 'mental dead' and on the evidence of this album, to have a fun time doing it. You see, the Gravediggaz know that one of the most important things about B-movie horror is not just the chills but the humour - check Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead" for evidence. So, we get some incredible beats from Prince Paul aided by Wu-Tang Clan's Rza, which touch frequently on something new and fresh. Pantomime horror vocals and samples come in and out of the songs making you smile, but the whole thing is nailed down by a fluid funk-soul backing and frequent moments where everytbody knuckles down and gets tough - reminding you much of this is no fantasy. The crack-heads in "Defective Trippin" and the victims in "1-800 Suicide" are real people underneath the black humour and dark images. The rapping is superb throughout, the rappers becoming totally immersed in their Gravediggaz alter-egos as grinning, boasting, malevolent phantoms. It's alternately funny and scary and a breath of fresh air from gangsta's gritty seriousness and 'realism'. If Chuck D is CNN, then the Gravediggaz are the late night Wes Craven horror-flick. - Martin Bate === REVIEW: CRANES, _Loved_ (Arista) The Cranes used acoustic guitars, a harpsichord, strings, piano, sirens and other noises to bring the album _Forever_ to life. Mixed atop all of this, Allison Shaw's impossibly dreamy, high voice remained the centerpiece of the Cranes' sound. The concerts in support of _Forever_ were brilliant gothic spectacles: a harrowing mix of live instruments, industrial noises, a range of electronics and programmed material, and Allison Shaw. A tiny child's voice surfaced amid the chaos of a car crash. The important elements of previous Cranes' material still clearly animates the band on their most recent release, _Loved_. Traditional pop structures are still dismissed in favor of looped hooks and eclectic layers of sound. Attention is still paid to varied percussion. And, despite a less harrowing atmosphere, Allison Shaw's voice is still featured prominently in the swirling, stuttering sounds that comprise the songs. _Loved_ opens with the single, "Shining Road." The song follows in the footsteps of _Forever_: sumptuous arrangements layered with acoustic and electric guitars, interesting percussion and in this case, even a xylophone. Next, "Pale Blue Sky" features a sinister guitar framework that makes Allison Shaw's vocals comforting rather than eerie. The fourth song, "Lilies," moves more toward the atonal sound of _Forever_'s "Adrift." The lyrics of "Lilies" are reprinted on the sleeve - a first for Cranes. A sample: "Those rainbows are long gone/And mud lies where those/days once shone/And now there's just a space..." The album's title track is propelled by a bass line like a stomach ache and punctuated with bursts of electric guitar. "Beautiful Friend," "Bewildered," and "Come This Far" wander to the reverberations of guitars in an echo chamber, much like those frequently generated by Echo and the Bunnymen. Stark, incessant percussion work stamps the Cranes trademark onto these tunes. The final two tracks, "Paris and Rome" and "In The Night," present a new version of gothic Cranes. The darkness derives more from a hushed atmosphere rather than from scary noises. Allison and Jim Shaw have penned a solid successor to _Forever_. The musical direction of _Loved_ progresses from _Forever_ in a similar fashion as that album did from _Self Non Self_ and _Wings of Joy_; away from the brutal side of the Cranes sound. Compared to _Forever_, _Loved_ has fewer raw industrial noises and less dissonance. In fact, outside "Lilies" and the title track, there is almost nothing abrasive about _Loved_. In the past, the Cranes may have consciously added to the more brutal, grating aspects of their music to avoid a novelty act label that could have accompanied Allison's ridiculously helium-hued voice. But, now onto their fourth record, they have certainly hurdled such criticism. Perhaps it is simple confidence that allows the Cranes to continue to lighten their sound. - Tim Mohr === The long-awaited second "real" album of the Stone Roses, _Second Coming_ (Geffen), has finally hit stores. For a complete review of this eagerly anticipated album, check out Tim Kennedy's track-by-track listing in the December 9 issue of Consumable. Interested in how Silvertone, the Roses old label, is faring? Check out this review by Tim Mohr of the label's darling band of the moment, Whiteout. === REVIEW: Whiteout,"Detroit" single, (Silvertone) The Stone Roses can leave Silvertone and catch onto the seventies revival, but Silvertone can always...sign Whiteout. The third Silvertone single from the Scottish upstarts is about summer holidays and the music fits well. "Detroit" has a sun-drenched swing, quite similar in effect to the groovy, up-beat sections of Blind Melon's "No Rain." The lyrics are somewhat difficult to decipher, but they keep saying "Welcome to your holidays" and something like "You can feel the rhythm in your hair." Released before the Stone Roses _Second Coming_, the Roses "Love Spreads" single nonetheless makes a good point of comparison. "Detroit" is as much fun as "Love Spreads" and avoids the slide guitar Zeppelinisms. The third song on the single, "Dee Troyt," offers up an unplugged version complete with Beach Boys harmonies. The song ends with the acapella repetition of the phrase, "Then you'll feel like me." The vocal harmonies are well done, and slowed down and warped this song is at first difficult to peg as somehow related to the a-side. Between the two versions of "Detroit" is a country-tinged instrumental called "Just Passing Through Kid." Not as groovy and acid-jazz- inflected as the Stone Roses' b-side instrumental "Breakout." Still, Silvertone could be doing much worse. - Tim Mohr === REVIEW: Dasein, _Ascend_ (Haus) _Ascend_ is the first full length release by the Toronto-based duo of Christos Adamidis and Cosimo Valela, collectively known as Dasein. Their music is, for the most part, straightforward and refreshingly purist dance industrial. Although not hugely original, it's nice to hear music of this type that hasn't leapt aboard the techno bandwagon or thrown in grinding metal guitars and holds to its EBM roots. The ingredients here are familiar - a solid, driving beat, meaty synths (nice analogue sounds), and plenty of distortion (both instrumental and vocal). True, it's a bit anachronistic and is characteristic of a sound that reached its peak 3-5 years ago, but I've personally missed the passing of the older dance industrial sound and welcomed the opportunity to reacquaint myself with it. The influences? Well, there's some overlap between the group's claimed influences and those that are audible to this reviewer, but I personally hear definite traces of Nitzer Ebb and Nine Inch Nails (specifically Reznor's older material), while some of the sparser analogue arrangements recall The Klinik. Most of the tracks here tread the fine line between sounding derivative and showing originality. They tend towards the former a little too often, but they do at least demonstrate a knack for a good tune that has nothing to do with stylistic influences. The one big exception to this is "Nothing", the second track. This couldn't sound more like Nine Inch Nails if someone had stapled Trent Reznor to it. It's a NIN track musically, vocally and lyrically. However, the title does lead me to suspect that the resemblance might be intentional. Two of the tracks here stand out as rather more original than the rest. Perversely, these are the two for which Dasein give direct acknowledgements in the sleeves notes. "Confusion" uses excerpts from Shostakovich Symphony No. 13, overlaying them with a sinister, hypnotic beat and dark, mournful synths (there are *lots* of these on this album) with good results . Very effective, and the weird, lengthy outro works well too. "Falling Down" is equally atypical. Swirling synths and voices give way to half-sung, half-chanted Greek poetry that sounds (to my uneducated ear, at least) somewhat Dead Can Dance-ish (if DCD can be pinned down to a single sound, which they can't). I like the album. It's not particularly original, but several of the songs demonstrate that there's definite talent here and not just skilled mimicry. However, I suspect that my own fondness for this particular brand of dance industrial has overridden my critical faculties to some degree, A good first effort; a few years back I'd have raved about this one, but nowadays I'll just have to restrict myself to mild enthusiasm. I'd recommend this highly to any fans of industrial dance music. Dasein is currently distributed in the U.S. by Dutch East India, 81 N Forest Ave, Rockville Centre, NY 11570, Telephone number 516 764 6200. Haus also has a World Wide Web site, located at http://www.io.org/~haus - Al Crawford === REVIEW: Prose and Concepts _Procreation_ (Loosegroove/Sony) Multi-racial rappers hailing from Seattle, Prose and Concepts are unsurprisingly steeped in the East Coast sound. Rough funk and heavy beats are overlaid with aggressive boasts and records being cut back and forth - something which has almost become a forgotten art in these days of smooth g-funk. In fact, the stand-out here by a mile is the instrumental "Roll Call on the 1 and 2s" which contains some of the best turntable skills displayed this side of 1990. The rest of the album is good. Just....good. Everything here is competent - the lyrics, the vocal skills, the beats, the choice of samples....it's an enjoyable journey without ever throwing up any real sparks of originality or posessing the overwhelming amount of style needed to make this stuff sound really fresh as we enter the last half of the decade. At best, little hints of jazz serve to remind you of Souls of Mischief but thats as close to 1995 as it gets. A nice album but ultimately going nowhere. - Martin Bate === REVIEW: QUO _Quo_ (MJJ/Epic) Oh man, here we go again..... OK, so we've got two teenage kids, one white (Syco Smoove) and one black (Kaos). Now Kaos....hang on, we'll just call him Kevin...is a friend of Michael Jackson. Would this be a good time to wonder how little Kevin and his friend got signed to Epic ? Anyway, Quo are basically Kris Kross without the infectious hit single. Therefore Quo are a *complete* waste of time. This just *sounds* like two kids aping their heroes and I can't be the only one who would find it hilarious if it weren't so insulting, being told that drugs and guns are bad and that I should wear a condom by two kids whose voices have yet to break. *Especially* when someone else (JD Tru, the 'brains' behind this whole project) is writing their lyrics for them. I mean, why is this kid rapping about "kickin the hydraulics and hittin the switches" when he'd be struggling to see over the steering wheel ? If you're going to have kids rap at least make it believable, rather than a third rate trawl through cliched adult boasts and inappropriate shallow social commentary. There *are* one or two nice, if completely unoriginal, beats scattered sparsely throughout the album - in particular, "Once Again" has a cool guitar-funk gangsta lean and "Blowin Up" is based round a smooth P-Funk groove - but everything is uniformly ruined by little Kevin and his friend from next door playing grown-ups over the top of it. The ultimate nadir comes when they try to flow in a ragga style about 'roughneck posses' in their squeaky little bad-ass voices. So bad it's......awful. - Martin Bate === Joe Jackson will be playing across Europe to support his recent release. German dates have as opening act Paul Kelly. Jan 20 UK Portsmouth, Guildhall Jan 21 UK London, Hammersmith Apollo Jan 23 UK Bristol, Colston Hall Jan 25 UK Nottingham, Royal Centre Jan 26 UK Newcastle, City Hall Jan 28 UK Manchester, Free Trade Hall Jan 29 UK Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall Jan 30 UK Birmingham, Symphony Hall Feb 2 Belgium Antwerp, Koningin Elisabethzaal Feb 27 Germany Berlin, ICC Feb 28 Germany Hanover, Kuppelsaal Mar 1 Netherlands Rotterdam, De Doelen Mar 3 Germany Nuremburg, Meistersingerhalle Mar 4 Germany Stuttgart, Liederhalle Mar 6 Netherlands Amsterdam, RAI Congrescentrum Mar 8 Germany Frankfurt, Alte Oper Mar 10 Germany Kassel, Stadthalle Mar 12 Germany Munich, Philharmonie Mar 13 Germany Dusseldorf, Philipshalle Mar 14 Germany Mannheim, Rosengarten Mar 16 Germany Hamburg, Markthalle === Mercury recording artist Mighty Mighty Bosstones are on the road in February. Here's the dates: Feb. 15 Toronto, CAN Phoenix Concert Hall Feb. 16 Ottawa, CAN TBA Feb. 17 Buffalo, NY Armory Feb. 18 Washington, DC WUST Hall Feb. 19 Philadelphia Theater of Living Arts Feb. 21 Virginia Beach, VA The AByss Feb. 22 Chapel Hill, NC Cat's Cradle Feb. 23 Winston-Salem, NC Ziggy's Feb. 24 Charlotte, NC Capri Concert Hall Feb. 25 Atlanta, GA Masquerade Feb. 27 Tampa, FL USF - Special Events Ctr Feb. 28 Ft. Lauderdale, FL The Edge March 2 Orlando, FL The Edge March 3 Jacksonville, FL The Edge March 4 Talahasse/Pensacola TBA March 5 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club March 7 Birmingham, AL Five Points Music Hall March 8 Nashville, TN 328 Performance Hall March 10 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall March 11 Cleveland, OH Agora Theater March 12 Harrisburg, PA TBA March 17 Boston, MA TBA === Warner Brothers artists Throwing Muses will be giving in-store performances to promote their new album, _University_ across the United States. A full tour in the U.S. will take place in March and April; until then, our European subscribers can see them at the locations listed below. January 19 - ATLANTA Blockbuster Music - 2099 Peachtree Rd. - 7pm January 20 - DETROIT Record Xchange - 7pm January 21 - CHICAGO Tower Records - Schaumburg (New Store) - 4pm January 22 - MINNEAPOLIS Let It Be - Nicollet Mall - 4pm January 24 - SEATTLE Tower Records - 500 Mercer - 6pm January 25 - SAN FRANCISCO Tower Records - Bay & Columbus - 4pm January 26 - LOS ANGELES Tower Records - 1028 Westwood Blvd - 7:30pm European Tour Dates Feb 8 Plaza Ballroom Glasgow Scotland Feb 9 MDH Manchester ENG Feb 10 Shepherd's Bush Empire London ENG Feb 11 Tivoli, Dublin Eire Feb 13 Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany Feb 14 Kantine, Cologne Germany Feb 15 Paradiso, Amsterdam NL Feb 16 Black Session (Radio) Paris F Feb 17 Vooruit, Gent Belgium === THE READERS WRITE BACK Thanks for the AMC review, It was interesting to compare experiences; I've seen them a couple of times over the past 2 years and think they're a great band. As for why Bruce Kaphan wasn't present at the gig; he's left the band to continue his career as a video producer/editor, or at least that's what Mark told us when they played Glasgow in October (Someone shouted "Where's Bruce?", and that was his answer). What a band and what a frontman! - Keith A., Scotland --- Please let David Landgren know that Bob Pollard is the lead singer/songwriter for Guided By Voices. Kim Deal's husband currently plays bass for the band, the Breeders have covered one of their songs ("Shocker In Gloomtown," on their Head To Toe ep), and Deal is rumored to be slated as producer for the band's next album (not the one coming out in February; that's already done - the album after that). Landgren professed ignorance at who Pollard was in his review of the soundtrack to _Love & a .45_. - Randy S. (Errata caught by many. Be on the lookout for the new Guided By Voices release due out next month, to be reviewed in Consumable) --- Just a P.S. to the excellent Blaggers I*T*A review - the band have reportedly been dumped from EMI (England), due to poor sales; yet another decent band gets the corporate work over. They're currently looking for a new label, and have been expecting the sack for some time. T.E.W., Durham --- On Tim Mohr's Blondie retrospective, your facts are good but you are a bit off on the impact etc... Blondie had no effect on the Police. The Police hit the charts way before Blondie. Did you know that _X Offender's_ real title is sex offender but Private Stock (their original now defunct label) was afraid of the word sex so they changed it to x. Also, at the time they released the first record the band except for Chris were all trying to go to other bands. They all actually hated each other. When the disco hit many at CBGB's called them sellout but actually they had always gone for that type of sound and I think most people were just jealous. Cheers-Karen K. (Karen - Although I don't necessarily believe that Blondie influenced the Police, Tim's mention about Blondie hitting before the Police is true. Blondie was founded in 1975; the Police, 1977. Although the Police had released their first single, "Fall Out / Nothing Achieving" well before _Outlandos D'Amour_, Outlandos first hit the American charts in 1979. By that time, Blondie had released two chart-entering albums and was well on their way to their first number one hit single, off _Parallel Lines_. In addition, the Police were one of the many bands that played in the CB's environment; there's a widely bootlegged concert of theirs in New York City, circa 1979, of songs from their first two albums, which was recorded in the lower part of New York City - the area which Blondie, Talking Heads, and others called home. Sellouts? Sell out, according to the definition which people usually use, means either "They've got more fans and I refuse to like a band which is actually popular" or "They've changed their sound, I don't like it, so it must be to sell out!". Closed-mindedness is prevalent in music fandom just as in all aspects of society - Bob Gajarsky) --- I'm looking for fans of the mid-late 80s band, Fields of the Nephilim. They showed up during a post-punk musi movement that was taking place in London with a new sound like the so called "gothic-rock". Can anyone help me with what happened to this band? Thanks, Joao Cunha - cunha_j@merlin.nmhu.edu === To get back issues of Consumable, check out: FTP: eetsg22.bd.psu.edu in the directory /pub/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 (on Delphi): Music Fandom forum; GO ENT MUSIC Web access contributed by WestNet Internet Services (westnet.com), serving Westchester County, NY. ===