== ISSUE 210 ==== CONSUMABLE ONLINE ======== [May 17, 2000] Editor: Bob Gajarsky E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com Managing Editor: Lang Whitaker Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann D. Ball, Chris Hill, Bill Holmes, Tim Kennedy, Jon Steltenpohl Correspondents: Michelle Aguilar, Paul Andersen, Christina Apeles, Niles J. Baranowski, Jason Cahill, Matthew Carlin, John Davidson, Andrew Duncan, Matt Fink, Krisjanis Gale, Jade Hughes, Paul Hanson, Scott Hudson, Jianda Johnson, Steve Kandell, David J. Klug, Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Wes Long, I.K. MacLeod, Al Muzer, Wilson Neate, Mike Pfeiffer, Linda Scott, Don Share, Scott Slonaker, Kerwin So, Chelsea Spear, 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 Consumable and their author(s). ================================================================== .------------. | Contents | `------------' REVIEW: Phish, _Farmhouse_ - Matthew Carlin REVIEW: Tom Maxwell, _Samsara_ - Michelle Aguilar REVIEW: Gus Gus, _Gus Gus Vs. T-World_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: XTC, _Wasp Star_ - Wes Long REVIEW: Clem Snide, _Your Favorite Music_ - Matt Fink REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Love & Basketball_ - Joann D. Ball REVIEW: Radford, _Radford_ - Scott Slonaker REVIEW: Portastatic, _De Mel, De Melao_ - Christina Apeles REVIEW: Euroboys, _Long Day's Flight 'Till Tomorrow_ - Wilson Neate REVIEW: Vagabond Lovers, _When I Was You_ - Jon Steltenpohl REVIEW: Aloha, _That's Your Fire_ - Christina Apeles REVIEW: Various Artists, _Heal the Bay_ - Andrew Duncan REVIEW: Simon Stinger, _Devil On My Mind_ - Joann D. Ball NEWS: Ben Folds Five, Promise Ring, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult TOUR DATES: Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise, Dismemberment Plan, Dope / Primer 65, Alex Gopher, Korn, Lifter Puller, Magnetic Fields, Phish, Skint (record label) tour - Brassic Beats, Elliott Smith, Sally Taylor, The The, 3 Doors Down, Tonic, Train / Gas Giants, Veruca Salt Back Issues of Consumable --- REVIEW: Phish, _Farmhouse_ (Elektra Entertainment) - Matthew Carlin Trey Anastasio is an excellent musician, an amazing guitarist and even a great composer. As a songwriter, however, he stinks. Whether he's wailing on '70s arena rock style anthems, strumming his way through dopey hippie ditties or whispering a country-fied Americana tune, his songs lack that magic element that makes music great. At his best, on a song like "Heavy Things," the first single from _Farmhouse_, he is simply adequate. Where Anastasio's talent does lie -- and the same goes for the rest of Phish -- is in setting moods. Despite their legions of doggie paddling fans, Phish's ethereal jams have always owed more to Sun Ra and early-'70s Miles Davis than the Dead. When they loosen up and take structure, melody and rhythm into outer space, Phish can be truly sublime. Conversely, when Anastasio writes a hundred different intricate parts in distinct composerly fashion, Phish is also sublime, albeit in a cerebral way. There are certainly winning elements on _Farmhouse._ Anastasio's guitar tone is fantastic, his solos are fluid and melodic without getting hokey like Jerry Garcia often did, the recording itself sounds live and punchy. On the whole, though, _Farmhouse_ is just plain boring. The title track lacks a hook and pseudo ballads like "Bug" and "Sleep" rehash territory from Phish's past two studio albums. When they eschew Anastasio's still weak voice and lyricist Tom Marshall's wretchedly shallow hippie lyrics ("When I jumped off, I had a bucket full of thoughts / When I first jumped off I held that bucket in my hand / Ideas that would take me all around the world" from "Back on the Train"), Phish still has some undeniable charms. "The Inlaw Josie Wales" is a pretty instrumental with lovely accompaniment from Bela Fleck on banjo, Jerry Douglas on dobro and fine, subtle work from pianist Page McConnell; "Gotta Jibboo" is a fun and funky with a clever horn arrangement and nifty backing vocals that recalls Phish live circa 1996; and the rolling dark bass lines, tasty drums and, as always, fine guitar playing over the thankfully distorted vocals of "Sand" and the triplet polyrhythms of the vocal-free "First Tube" offer up some of what Phish is capable of. Paring down his songs to their "essential" elements does not suit Anastasio and his band mates. The songs just aren't good enough to withstand such proverbial nudity. Phish fans have always preferred long, complicated pieces like "You Enjoy Myself" and the 30-minute jams that "Tweezer" turned in to live, because that's what the band is best at. Phish is not a radio friendly band, and never will be. When they try to be, it just ends up being uncomfortable for everybody. --- REVIEW: Tom Maxwell, _Samsara_ (Independent Record Company) - Michelle Aguilar Reading the press sheet that accompanies the reviewer's copy of this former Squirrel Nut Zipper's solo venture, one would think that Tom Maxwell's new album _Samsara_ is going to fall into that small rock-musician-explores-faux-world-beat category I like to call "gone troppo." This is when musicians who have heretofore enjoyed mainstream rock success abandon said rock world to chase their inner musical demons across the globe. Think Paul Simon in South Africa, David Byrne in Brazil, Stewart Copeland in Burundi. Wait a minute, I'm showing my age again, aren't I? Dammit. In its first paragraph, Maxwell's press release tries to separate him from the SNZ camp by implying that he just had to escape the straitjacket of the Zippers' image in order to get to his real self, the one that communes with "a fury of passionate diatribes on music from the Far East, India, Trinidad, America's South and New York's Harlem." Well, suffice it to say that as much as I love Tom Maxwell and all the 'round-the world influences he brought to SNZ, this is not a "gone troppo" album in my book. With a few exceptions, _Samsara_ is not all that giant a leap away from what Maxwell was doing in the Zippers. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Maxwell had a consistent track record with SNZ, writing most of their singles, some of them my favorites (including "Trou Macaq," and "Put A Lid On It"). He also wrote all the band's calypsos and I'm a sucker for that stuff. But I suppose that's beside the point, now isn't it? So why did Maxwell leave the Zippers? I really don't know and neither Mammoth (http://www.mammoth.com) nor Maxwell (http://www.tommaxwell.com) seems to be saying. And despite what this press release says, nor does a listen to this solo venture provide a solid answer. While there are five or six songs here out of fifteen that probably would have never made the SNZ cut, I have trouble believing that songs like "Sixes and Sevens To Me," "The Uptown Stomp," "The Mooche," (a Duke Ellington cover, for God's sake) "If I Had You," "Caveat Emptor," "Don't Give Me The Runaround" or "You Always Get What's Coming" would have been considered stylistically inappropriate for the SNZ's typically smorgasbord albums. Maxwell even has female torch singers standing in for Katherine Whalen (Holly Harding Baddour on "If I Had You" and Mrs. Melanie Maxwell on "Flame In My Heart"), although, to be fair to these two fine vocalists, Baddour and Melanie Maxwell carve out on their own valid ground and in no way attempt to duplicate Whalen's tricks. In particular, check out Baddour's mock-Chinese opera performance on "Some Born Singing." Most of these are catchy, interesting songs exploring the depths of '20s, '30s and '40s music that reveal themselves more after a few listens. Like the SNZ albums, _Samsara_ is a little of this and that, although here Maxwell widens the scope a little to include old-time country and the blues. They are generally more true to the genres they lionize than the Zippers ever managed to be with its sheen of loving hipster irony. This album sounds less slick than the SNZ's last album, "Perrenial Favorites," and more often like a guy left in the studio to simply do what he does. It evokes in a charming way the relatively casual attitude with which old blues singers were once recorded. Sure, there are also a few interesting departures into world music, such as "Some Born Singing," the title track and the transcendental, all too-short instrumental, "Indicatif," which features a Chinese sona. (Go look it up, I had to.) But I assert that the majority of these songs would find fans among many SNZ lovers, if they came them half a chance. So, then what split the Zippers? Given the above, band politics seems suspiciously to blame, an idea lent credence by the fact that SNZ member Ken Mosher also recently left the Zippers camp. But then, Maxwell has formed his own label, The Independent Record Company (http://www.independentrecordco.com) and may have simply realized that he could make a lot more money selling his own solo albums than begging for two or three songs per album at the SNZ table. The Mammoth marketing machine and the SNZ's cool cat image present certain economic advantages to which Maxwell will no longer have access now. But, hopefully, those advantages will eventually even out and Maxwell's songs will be judged for what they always were in the Squirrel Nut Zippers -- not quirky, inexplicable alternative hits, but an exploration of a time and place when folk and pop music were not mutually exclusive. --- REVIEW: Gus Gus, _Gus Gus Vs. T-World_ (4AD) - Andrew Duncan With their second release _This Is Normal_ gaining the proper respect in the electronic community, the nine-piece Icelandic outfit certainly has no shortage of talent. Who else has the art of blending ethereal pop and new wave ethics with finely defined techno from a collective of artists, filmmakers, musicians, a politician, a computer programmer and a teen star? With _Gus Gus Vs. T-World_, the band is actually taking a relapse in time. Before there was Gus Gus, there was T-World, a band consisting solely of Biggi Thorarinsson and Herb Legowitz, the two members responsible for turning Gus Gus into the underground phenomena they are today. The seven songs - all instrumentals - that are included on this CD are mostly T-World's work prior to Gus Gus' debut _Polydistortion_. The most familiar track on this CD is probably "Purple," a bouncy, outer space techno song that crossed over into _Polydistortion_ release, and also remixed by Paul Oakenfold on the _Tranceport_ CD. Influenced by a healthy dose of Depeche Mode and early industrial, T-World's style offered a sound that contained motion, glistening across a vast landscape of sampled textures while building and expanding like the polar ice caps that drift across the Arctic Ocean. Without the crafty vocal wit that is displayed on the Gus Gus albums, songs like "Northern Lights" and "Sleepytime" offer elegant trip-hop rhythms and loops, even with the flat four-on-the-floor beats, a feat that not too many musicians can pull off. Whether the band develops distant tribal and subtle ambience on "Anthem" or mysterious trance on "Esja," there is not one dull moment to be had, and that goes a long way given the fact this music was created years ago. --- REVIEW: XTC, _Wasp Star_ (TVT) - Wes Long Stop any person walking down the street, ask them if they've ever heard of XTC, and if they don't say it's a drug or a band that Michael Hutchence once fronted (INXS) they'll likely shake their heads no. If you actually run into the rare person familiar with the lads, odds are that they're unaware that the band recorded anything after the 1980's. XTC's history is a long strange trip, and if I ever care to print this review I don't dare go into it all now as I've only got three new ink cartridges and a few thousand sheets of blank paper in my printer. For those curious the best starting place is the Chalkhills site online: http://www.chalkhills.org/ _Wasp Star_ is XTC's second release of new material in as many years. Their _Apple Venus Volume 1_ garnered grand accolades in 1999, a sometimes brilliant mix of acoustic and orchestrated pop which Andy Partridge referred to as "orchoustic." The new album is a return to form of sorts, much more electric and immediate, called "eclectric" by Partridge. "This is definitely an 'up' record," Partridge voiced, "the mood was very light and the album had the least amount of birth problems." The happy-go-lucky XTC of old rears its lovely head from the get go with the opening riff of "Playground," which is aided by the backing vocals of Andy's daughter Holly. "Stupidly Happy, the pick-up line aplenty "We're All Light" and "I'm The Man Who Murdered Love" continue the put the top down and sing along at the top of your lungs vibe. The last three songs: "You And The Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful," the lush "Church Of Women" and the jaw dropping "The Wheel And The Maypole" are as good as anything Andy's ever done. These are straight-ahead guitar-driven pop tunes of the highest order with finely honed hooks that you won't mind being snagged by. Bassist and only other member of XTC, Colin Moulding, continues his trend of precious little output with three cinematic offerings in league with last years "Frivolous Tonight" and 1992's haunting "Bungalow." This is an album better than most, recorded by an ever-surprising and horribly under-appreciated band. Once under your skin no tweezers exist capable of prying this little marvel out. _Wasp Star_ is an early contender for album of the year. --- REVIEW: Clem Snide, _Your Favorite Music_ (Sire) - Matt Fink It appears as if the current alternative-country scene is in danger of not really being sure of its direction. With most of the more noticeable old guard of the movement seemingly wanting to distance themselves from the No Depression sound, such as Jeff Tweedy leading Wilco into more experimental territory and the Jayhawks and Son Volt leaning towards more progressive sounds, few of their contemporaries seem to be able to push the genre along. To be sure, there is as much mediocre music being made on the banner of retro-country as there is good. The fact of the matter is, it's not easy to make good country music anymore. Doing so takes a delicate balance of reverent musicianship without redundancy, while maintaining enough of an irreverent edge to create something new and vibrant. Luckily, Clem Snide is capable of picking up where the aforementioned digressed and, more importantly, move the whole genre forward a step or two. For the uninitiated, Clem Snide craft delicately multi-textured country music with charmingly sophisticated arrangements, all wrapped around the abstract surreal musings of songwriter Eef Barzelay. In short, if Vic Chesnutt wrote an album's worth of songs for the Jayhawks to record, and Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips showed up to produce, this album, or a close approximation, might be the outcome. Like Chesnutt, Barzelay writes songs in an strangely understated way, with each listen revealing a little bigger piece of the puzzle. Though the music is really far from folksy, mundane small town life is presented through the eyes of those burnt out from the 9 to 5 grind. From the achingly beautiful opener, "The Dairy Queen," driven by carefully picked acoustic guitar and mournful violin and cello, to the classy rewrite of Richie Valens' "Donna," Clem Snide prove themselves more than capable of putting the brains back into what is left of the alternative country movement. As with most bands with this inclination, the ghost of Gram Parsons can be seen hanging around the corners, with the chord progressions and nice harmonies in the gently swinging "Exercise" and the low-key "Bread," which sounds so much like a Parsons' song that you almost expect Emmylou Harris' backup vocals to be ringing in the background. Of course, Clem Snide don't limit themselves to apathetic country balladry, as the muffled dance drum beats of the quirky sing-a-long "I Love the Unknown" will attest. The spooky space country of "1989" and the impressive Wilco mixed with Neil Young ballad, "Loneliness Finds Her Own Way," speak volumes of the depths that this band is capable of reaching. Characteristic of the songwriting here is the stripped down "Sweet Mother Russia," which is a fine example of Barzelay's ability to bring out the beauty inherent in every moment and to toss off some interesting metaphors in the process. At any rate, he's one of the better esoteric lyric writers currently employed in the genre. The straight country-rock of "Messiah Complex Blues" is a great little put down where Barzelay keeps you guessing and hanging on every word. For those of us who bemoan the current state of country music, we've had to come to the conclusion that only the outskirts of Nashville are capable of producing anything of true relevance. And even if the golden era of the underground country resurgence might be past, Clem Snide is providing a unique example of what tight songcraft, exemplary musicianship and a new perspective is capable of producing. If this is what country has become, we haven't lost too much. --- REVIEW: Soundtrack, _Love & Basketball_ (Overbrook/New Line) - Joann D. Ball New school, old school and a little something in between makes _Music From the Motion Picture Love & Basketball_ the best urban music soundtrack in at least a decade. A quality soundtrack free of throwaway cuts and meaningless filler, the emphasis here is on smooth and sultry R&B slow jams and a few hip-hop party numbers. Like the film, which takes place in the middle class enclave of Black Los Angeles, the soundtrack focuses on the rarely exposed gangsta rap-free urban experience. Released on Overbrook Music, the record division of Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment, _Music From the Motion Picture Love & Basketball_ begins with the breezy "I'll Go" by Donell Jones. The back-in-the-day party classic "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock gets the energy pumping and rolls right into Lucy Pearl's new track "Dance Tonight," a sexy groove with strings and a pulsing beat that is the soundtrack's first single. An urban supergroup of sorts, neo-soul trio Lucy Pearl features Dawn Robinson formerly of En Vogue, Ali formerly of a Tribe Called Quest and Raphael Saadiq formerly of Tony, Toni, Tone. The French tickled hip-hop soul of "Complete Beloved" by Black Eyed Peas featuring Les Nubians continues the love sexy flow and glides easily into the upbeat New Jack Swing dancefloor classic "I Like" by Guy. MC Lyte's "Lyte As A Rock" shakes up the tempo bit, but Angie Stone's cover of "Holding Back The Years" puts the love vibe back on track. Stone makes Simply Red's song her own with an amazing gospel infused smooth jazz delivery, and its sincerity is matched only by that which epitomizes Al Green's soul classic "Love and Happiness." Bilal's steamy "Soul Sista" recalls both D'Angelo and early Prince, and it segues perfectly into slow jam favorite "Sweet Thing" by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan. Old school slow dance number "I Want To Be Your Man" by the late and much missed Roger winds down the soundtrack which ends with the honest and deeply moving "Fool For Me" by Me'Shell NdegeOcello. _Music From the Motion Picture Love & Basketball_ is a smooth flowing soundtrack that interweaves soul classics with dance-oriented hip-hop and new R&B cuts. All twelve of the selections on the release are prominently featured in the urban love story starring Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan. Like the film, which opens with Al Green's signature song, _Music From the Motion Picture Love & Basketball_ celebrates love, emotion and passion... "Love and Happiness" indeed. --- REVIEW: Radford, _Radford_ (RCA) - Scott Slonaker Radford is a band that sounds exactly like the sum of its parts; a (now) traditional rock quartet, with American musicians (guitarist Chris Hower, bassist Bobby Stefano, drummer Kane McGee) and an expatriate Englishman in singer Jonny Mead. In addition, superproducer Paul Fox (10,000 Maniacs, Grant Lee Buffalo) and prolific mixer Tom Lord-Alge are on board. Add to this the fact that Radford signed directly to RCA in 1998 without releasing any indie albums of note, and it's not difficult to figure out that the band is going to have a late '90s radio-rock sound. The polish on this debut album is considerable, given the producer and mixer and the band's decision to toss all of the material from early demos and live shows in order to start fresh. Still, it's undeniable that Radford's self-titled debut contains a handful of hits in waiting. Following the "Rock 'n' Roll Star" Britpop swagger of the opening track, "You've Got Friends", the singles are up front Motown-style. "Closer to Myself" and "Let Down" are seamless, hummable AOR hit material, built to fit right between Matchbox 20 and Third Eye Blind. (Oddly, "Don't Stop", a recent minor radio hit, is not on this album, although principal lyrics of "Let Down" are "Don't stop giving it, 'cause you don't know how I feel.") Another single-to-come, "Fly", unfortunately marries a sweeping, string-laden, classic rock-ballad arrangement to the sort of therapist-friendly rationalizations ("It's okay to want to be free / It's okay to spread your wings") that are all too typical of power ballads of the last decade. Where's the love? (Skid Row, come back; all is forgiven.) Still, the melody is obvious enough for Top 40 crossover. The best song on the album is "Over You", which is better Third Eye Blind in ballad-mode than anything Third Eye Blind has done themselves, soaring effortlessly like a lost classic. The song's burial in the middle of the album, however, doesn't seem to indicate much for its single-release chances. The record ends with multiple questions ("Where Do You Go?", "How Does It Feel?") that simulate one of those "feedback" market-research postcards that always end up in the circular file. The problem with _Radford_, like many other hit-oriented new acts, is distinctivity. Singer Mead is perfectly solid, but his voice doesn't stand out or even sound accented after the first track. The band's sound seems built to fit in, rather than stand out. This is not meant to imply that _Radford_ is by most means a bad record -- producer Fox's sonic template is as wide as always, and the band varies their approach decently- but without the DJ reminding you who you're listening to, there wouldn't be much compulsion to remember. --- REVIEW: Portastatic, _De Mel, De Melao_ (Merge) - Christina Apeles So indie rock bands have covered Carpenters' songs, adapted hip-hop tunes and each other's hits, but Portastatic ventures into new territory, Brazilian popular music. If you couldn't imagine the talented frontman Mac McCaughan (also of Superchunk) singing in anything other than his native tongue, prepare for his Portuguese vocals, with occasional English translations, in _Del Mel, De Melao_ (Of Honey, Of Melon). Hard to swallow at first, McCaughan inevitably triumphs in his tribute to Brazilian artists like Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Gail Costa. Opening with the sexy classic "Baby," a darling lo-fi interpretation of "Nao Identificado" and ending on the marvelous "Clareana," expect the same musical artistry that the band has displayed on its previous releases, always finding room to be inventive and elegant. Joined on this album by Matthew McCaughan (drums and percussion), Jeb Bishop (trombone), Matt Brandau (bass) and Brian Paulson (production), McCaughan continues to outdo his musicianship with Portastatic's creative rendition of five songs that he loves, by artists the world admires, skillfully preserving the beauty of the original tune fused with modern pop cognizance. --- REVIEW: Euroboys, _Long Day's Flight 'Till Tomorrow_ (Man's Ruin) - Wilson Neate When you think of notable Norwegians, names like Solskjaer, Amundsen, Quisling, Heyerdahl, Eriksson, Ibsen, Grieg and Munch may come to mind. But now you can add Oslo's Euroboys to the list. Don't let the moniker fool you -- they have nothing in common with 'N Sync or 98 Degrees (think Euroboyz). Neither are they a French one-hit-summer-disco-novelty act (think Les Euroboys). No, Euroboys are the purveyors of crafted, contemporary rock that points the listener in varied musical directions. _Long Day's Flight_ may well evoke Love, Deep Purple, the Jefferson Airplane, Santana, and the Charlatans, among others, yet it does so with a greater purpose than simple citation. Each track is a constantly evolving treasure-trove that, although suggesting numerous coordinates, ultimately offers up a synthesis that is far more than the sum of its parts. While this largely instrumental album transports listeners to other musical places and times -- particularly by reproducing familiar guitar, keyboard and bass sounds -- it doesn't get bogged down in retro-land. Crucial in this regard is the clean production that magically foregrounds each instrument while blending them together in a democratic sonic whole. A fondness for big late-'60s West Coast rock is brilliantly rendered in "Down the Road of Golden Dust," "Rock 'n' Roll Farmacia" and "Invisible Horse" while "Transatlantic Phone Call" has more of a '70s feel -- enhanced by a nod to Beck's "The New Pollution." "Sex Kabin" starts like "Paint it Black," but transforms itself into Hendrix and the Doors before defining its own, driving identity. "Gallery Oslo" is a more delicate number with flute and "Black Fez" incorporates some great sitar. Although "Electric Dandruff" begins with a worrying touch of the Rick Wakemans (think the bearded one's seminal _The Myths & Legends of King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table_ and then go directly to jail for knowing that reference), it soon sweeps itself up into a mini anthemic bash. And there's even room for a potentially big single in "Filadelfia," an unexpectedly catchy summer singalong. Until now, the two most famous Norwegian groups to tour have been A-ha and The Vikings. While only one of them definitely made it to the US, the Euro Boys will be coming to your town in June. Lock up your progressive rock albums. --- REVIEW: Vagabond Lovers, _When I Was You_ (Monarch) - Jon Steltenpohl What does it take to turn some Naked Barbies into Vagabond Lovers? Just a call from Mattel's legal department. And so starts the journey of Patty Spiglanin's San Francisco based band from independent obscurity independents to recognition by being signed to Monarch Records. Of course, it wasn't just signing to a label. Naked Barbies had been calling attention to themselves over the past few years by winning a Whammie, being a finalist at the Lilith Fair Emerging Talent showcase, and getting cudos at last year's SXSW event. To be honest, Vagabond Lovers is a much better name for the band. The Naked Barbies sounds like either a bad college cover band or some punk wannabes from the 80's. As a girl group that floats somewhere between 10,000 Maniacs and Lucinda Williams, Vagabond Lovers have a lot of peers. They've got all of the hallmarks of the genre. A lead singer with a strong, but distinctive voice backed by acoustic and electric guitar with a Hammond organ thrown in here and there. There's a little twang, but not much. Vagabond Lovers sound more like a metropolitan roots band than anything else. "Independence Day" and "I Got Killed" sound like old 10,000 Maniacs songs from around _The Wishing Chair_ over a decade ago. They're melodic and the lyrics are pretty good, but they don't really feel flowing and melodic. "Kitchen" is a bluesy tune with a little bit of Janis Joplin and Cowboy Junkies thrown in, and "You Make It Easy" has a nice, understated melody that almost sounds like Nanci Griffith. "Wonderful Thing" merges "Riders on the Storm" era Doors with _Ingenue_ era k. d. lang in a way that is simultaneously smooth and creepy at the same time. Similarly, "Midnight Radio" tries to be slow and smoky, but the guitar overpowers the song. On "A Thousand Different Reasons", Vagabond Lovers go for a southern rock feel that suits them pretty well. Unfortunately, Spiglanin forces her voice on the song, and her distinctive vibrato pushes itself into a strained warble. "I Got Killed" is a better on this front, and Spiglanin is more endearing in a Victoria Williams sort of way. _When I Was You_ is a well made and engaging album, but, on some level, it lacks that magical ingredient which draws you in and captures your attention. It's hard to tell what that is. If you made a checklist, the band has everything it needs. Still, the spark is missing. Maybe it's a case of band whose live personality doesn't come across in the studio. After all, Vagabond Lovers have been a staple of the Bay area music scene for nearly a decade and already have 3 self produced albums under their belt. Whatever it is, _When I Was You_ is still a decent if average effort. (For streaming Real clips, an MP3 track, and lyrics, visit http://www.monarchrecords.com/wheniwasyou.html ) --- REVIEW: Aloha, _That's Your Fire_ (Polyvinyl) - Christina Apeles An eclectic mix of styles meet in _That's Your Fire_ and I don't use the word 'eclectic' lightly. Yes, there's rock, jazz, a bit of punk and a lot of drama. There is no real rhythm to follow, but a number, and just when you think a song is gonna settle into a melody, it changes. If Tortoise was looking for a band to complement them on tour, less synthesizer-driven, with more guitar, piano and high hat, Aloha would be a perfect opening act. To borrow from their press release, avant-garde does their music justice. Free-jazz calls for improvisation, and with that, often a listener will wonder if the lyrics were even written beforehand. There's a constant unfolding with each track, it's difficult to catch where one song ends and the other begins. As with the early songwriting of Joe Jackson, where jazz meets rock or pop, sometimes the styles meet harmoniously; other times, in utter discord and that goes ditto for Aloha's music intermingling with their vocals. Their sound is progressive and the musical landscape they create is a canvas decorated with a myriad of moods, making each listening moment unpredictable. --- REVIEW: Various Artists, _Heal the Bay_ (Mojo) - Andrew Duncan Last year we received the pleasure of experiencing the second volume of _Music For Our Mother Ocean_. This CD was a project to help raise money and benefit the improvement and beautification of the California coastline. Artists like the Butthole Surfers, Beck and big names like Brian Wilson, Jimmy Buffet and Paul McCartney, among other artists, contributed to the cause. Unfortunately, as the reader, we receive all of this proprietary information in advance and never get to read about the results. How many copies did the benefit compilation sell? How much money did the organization raise? What really was benefited? Well, here we go again ... another benefit compilation titled _Heal the Bay_. Heal the Bay is a non-profit environmental group dedicated to making the Santa Monica Bay and Southern California coastal waters safe and healthy for the marine life living in it and the people who use it. _Heal the Bay_, the benefit compilation is a two-CD set featuring a kaleidoscope of artists contributing rare, unreleased, pre-released and live material. In weight this 28-song compilation outdoes most benefit compilations, featuring the latest in ska, punk and electronic musicians. Not every song will be a winner, but that probably depends on the person's taste in music. CD1 captures artists like Blink 182 and their live jumpstarter, Dammit," the indie rock of Weston and their perception of "Liz Phair" and the booty-grooving rhythms of Hepcat with their live version of "Positive. There are the odd ones out - such as the beat heavy rhythms of David Holmes, "Gritty Shaker" and the ethnic jazz/hip hop techno of Ozomatli and their remix of "Super Bowl Sundae." CD2 takes its own course, blending in punk bands like Bad Religion and MXPX with punk-ska bands Goldfinger, Dance Hall Crashers and Less Than Jake. The Rentals offer a break from the tug of war. However, their previously unreleased "Simple Life" really doesn't sound good as it would alone. The compilation ends on a mellow note. As the firelight flickers on the ocean waters and the moonlight shines down with the subtle, salty breeze blows upon the shore, the Venice Beat Club closes the night down with "Venice By the Sea." Just remember to pick up the trash before you leave. --- REVIEW: Simon Stinger, _Devil On My Mind_ (Muscle Car) - Joann D. Ball The temperature is getting warmer, the nights are getting longer and that means it's perfect for good times and good tunes. If you crave new wave, don't bother digging out your old vinyl or firing up some random Eighties compilation. Crank up Simon Stinger's brand new CD _Devil On My Mind_ instead for an unbelievable flashback to good old days. It's totally obvious from the cover of Devo's "Girl U Want," which opens the 13-track _Devil On My Mind_, that Simon Stinger love that retro Eighties rock sound. Lead singer Alicia Perrone captivating vocals echo Siouxsie Sioux, Lena Lovich, Nina Hagen and Dale Bozzio. And it's the energetic sound and spirit of Missing Persons, and also the lesser known Canadian band National Velvet, that co-founder and bassist Victor James, Marcus Henderson (guitar) and Eric Oushan (drums) manage to resurrect and update with a fresh twist. Formed in San Francisco in 1995, Simon Stinger have a dedicated following in the Bay Area. The quartet expanded their audience base even further last Fall when they opened for the Goo Goo Dolls and Tonic on the MP3 Music & Technology tour. And the fun and hook-filled _Devil On My Mind_, with the reckless abandon of guitar-driven tunes like "Summertime," "Swimmin'" and "Bigger Than You" should bring the band even more new fans. With "Dead On" sounding like the perfect track to follow the Go-Go's "This Town," and the dizzying "Fringe Authority" sounding like the missing song from the "Valley Girl" soundtrack, it's definitely yesterday once more. Actually, the anthem rocker "Fringe Authority" does appear in a movie - the song and the band are featured in the Miramax film "Diamonds" starring Dan Aykroyd, Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall and Jenny McCarthy. Check out http://www.simonstinger.com to find out when Simon Stinger will bring the new wave back to your town! --- NEWS: > Ben Folds Five will be busy this summer. The trio cover Steely Dan's "Barrytown" for the upcoming Farrelly Brothers movie, _Me, Myself and Irene_ , along with a new song for the independent film _100 Girls_. Ben will be guesting on a new Rickie Lee Jones album due out this fall, and he will also be appearing in a new Priceline commercial, as part of William Shatner's all-star backing band - which also includes Lisa Loeb, Veruca Salt's Louise Post and two members of Fishbone. > The Promise Ring have had to cancel their European tour due to singer / guitarist Davey vonBohlen having meningioma, a benign tumor. Although the tumor has been removed, recovery time for the vocalist will be four to six weeks. > Rykodisc has reissued My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult's _Crime For All Seasons_ on May 16. --- TOUR DATES: Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise May 20 Ferndale, MI Magic Bag Dismemberment Plan May 19 Tallahassee, FL Cowhause May 20 Tampa, FL Cuban Club May 21 Columbia, SC New Brookline Tavern Dope / Primer 65 May 18 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts with Pimpadelic May 23 Washington, DC The Garage with Pimpadelic May 24 Providence, RI The Met with Pimpadelic May 26 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom with Pimpadelic May 31 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom with Pimpadelic Alex Gopher May 17 Philadelphia, PA Fluid Nightclub May 18 Washington, DC Eighteenth Street Lounge May 19 New York, NY Respect at Twilo May 20 Seattle, WA Lick It May 22 Los Angeles, CA Monday Social at Louis XIV May 23 Los Angeles, CA Atmosphere at Viper Room May 25 Portland, OR Cobalt Lounge May 26 Boulder, CO Soma Korn May 19 London, England Wembley Arena May 20 Manchester, England Apollo May 22 Rotterdam, Holland Ahoy Halle May 24 Brussels, Belgium Forest National May 26 Toulouse, France Zenith May 27 Marseille, France Dome May 29 Madrid, Spain La Cubierta May 30 Lisbon, Portugal Atlantico Pavilion Lifter Puller May 23 Missoula, MT Jays Upstairs May 24 Seattle, WA Crocodile Cafe May 25 Bellingham, WA Show Off May 26 Portland, OR EJs May 30 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill Magnetic Fields May 24 Columbus, OH The Al Rosa May 25 Pontiac, MI The Seventh House May 26-27 Chicago, IL Old Town School May 28 Minneapolis, MN The Women's Club Assembly Phish May 21-22 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall Skint (record label) tour - Brassic Beats May 27 Boston, MA WBCN Festival (Foxboro Stadium) May 28 Washington, DC WHFS Festival (FedEx Field) Elliott Smith May 20 Burlington, VT Higher Ground May 22 Montreal, QUE Spectrum May 23 Toronto, ONT Phoenix Concert Theatre May 24 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Hall May 25-26 Chicago, IL Metro May 27 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue May 29 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre May 31 Seattle, WA Showbox Sally Taylor May 17 Newport, RI Newport Blues Cafe May 18 New York, NY The Bottom Line May 19 Northampton, MA Iron Horse May 20 Albany, NY Valentine's May 22 Ithaca, NY Elizabeth Ashley May 23 Trumansburg, NY Trumansburg H.S. May 24 Buffalo, NY Tralf Cafe May 25 Cleveland, OH Peabody's May 26 Ferndale, MI The Magic Bag The The May 20 San Diego, CA Cain's Ballroom May 21 Phoenix, AZ Nile Theatre May 23 Dallas, TX Trees May 26 New Orleans, LA House of Blues May 27 Atlanta, GA The Roxy May 29 Washington, DC 9:30 Club May 30 New York, NY Irving Plaza 3 Doors Down May 18 Birmingham, AL X-Fest May 19 Lafayette, LA Cajundome May 20 Biloxi, MS CPR Fest May 21 Pensacola, FL Springfest May 26 Minneapolis, MN KXXR Show May 28 Rockford, IL WXRX Show May 29 Indianapolis, IN Deer Creek May 30 Des Moines, IA Val Air Ballroom May 31 Ft. Wayne, IN Pierre's Tonic May 18 Birmingham, AL WRAX X-Fest May 19 Jackson, MS WYOY Jubilee Jam May 20 Raleigh, NC WDCG Big Shindig May 22 Spartanburg, SC Magnolia Street Pub May 23 Knoxville, TN Moose's May 24 Charlottesville, VA Trax May 25 Rochester, NY WZNE Show May 26 Lawton, OK Ft. Sill Army Base May 27 Oklahoma City, OK KJYO Summerfest May 28 Tampa, FL WSSR Starfest May 29 Hilton Head, SC Blue Night Cafe May 31 Princeton, NJ Sovereign Bank Arena Train / Gas Giants May 18 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre May 20 Raleigh, NC Alltel Pavillion May 21 Syracuse, NY State Fair Veruca Salt May 19 Portland, ME Asylum May 25 Boston, MA Middle East Downstairs --- 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. 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