Echobelly's Dark Therapy

Interviews

Consumable On Line
Echobelly, On - By John Walker
http://www.westnet.com/consumable
Echobelly leader singer Sonia Aurora-Madan is a 90s kind of female pop star: she's really got nothing to complain about, but, in every interview I've seen with her, she seems to be intent on being seen as relevant. Unfortunately , her confused socio-political rhetoric often makes her come off as the very bubble-headed stereotype she so vehemently decries. Aurora-Madan is the kind of girl Michael Stipe could love (and indeed, he does love her band): a sloganeering, politically correct mouthpiece who spews hatred directed at all the proper "isms" (race/sex and so on) but whose actual commitment (besides getting her name in the music press) is seemingly quite questionable.

I must admit, having read a lot of Aurora-Madan's interviews before hearing her band, I was hoping to be able to totally write Echobelly off as an entity as shallow as she often seems. Yet this album, the follow-up to last year's UK Top 10 Everybody's Got One, does contain its fair share of pleasing pop. At its best, this music that makes you feel through sheer inspired craft: Aurora-Madan's affected vocal style--while surely not for everyone--more often than not meshes agreeably with the shimmering, gigantic riffing of Glen Johansson on guitar. Even the clunkers usually have a redeeming, hum-alone feature or two that elevates them above the merely mundane.

The album leads off in fine style with "Car Fiction," a fast-paced number inspired by (according to Aurora-Madan) the work of Quentin Tarantino - which at this point is surely a bit of bandwagon-hopping, but at least it rocks. It's very early 80s new-wavy, with lost of guitar-driven energy, and lyrics that are merely serviceable: "Run run away / maybe we can run away". This is Echobelly at its best: nothing profound, not trying for anything beyond its grasp. It's over fast, and you'd like to play it again.

"King of the Kerb" is also mid-tempo hooky, with a vague lyric seemingly berating young male hoodlums who hand out on street corners and get mixed up with street crime. As is usual with Aurora-Madan's lyrics when she tries to get all messagey, the result is both confused and confusing. "They're the kings of the kerb / and everybody knows what they're worth" is fine as a near-rhyme, but upon closer inspection seems a bit smug and lacking in depth, somewhat like the singer herself. In Aurora-Madan's utopian world-view, everyone would be nicey-nice and lovey-dovey, but she seems at a loss to offer a roadmap to this promised land, indicating that, as in her interviews, she's tackling subject matter here which would be in her case better left alone.

"Great Things," a UK hit, is Echobelly at its most chirpy and vapid. "I wanna do great things / I don't wanna compromise" is at least as heavy a sentiment as is usually offered up by that other great philosopher, Belinda Carlisle; it's hard to afford Aurora-Madan her oft-stated demand to be taken seriously when she comes up with clunkers like this, an obvious attempt at a hit single and pop "sooper-stardom" (even if it does sneak in a masturbation reference- tres chic!). Believe me, Elastica this ain't. However, it may do for those who think Rod McKuen is a poetic genius.

Happily, most of On avoids the actuality of "Great Things," and instead strives--if not always achieving-- for what that song theoretically embraces. The record picks up steam as it winds through tracks like the agreeably dramatic "Natural Animal," Aurora-Madan's take on the nature vs nurture question in which she discards the analysis and goes for the passion instead. "Go Away" veers a little too close to the obvious, sappy territory of "Great Things," but "Pantyhose and Roses" springs things back to life with a witty take on bourgeois manners and the twisted passions that lie beneath (ok, it's not original, but the quirky little reggaefied riff and Aurora-Madan's feisty delivery save the day).

Frankly, what really keeps me listening here is the totally rockin' guitar that Johansson splatters all over tracks like "Four Letter Word," forcing Aurora-Madan to sink or swim. "Nobody Like You" also shakes a bit, but it may remind those familiar with glories of the Smiths (to whom Echobelly is oft-compared) of a kind of B version of the same. Johansson may be able to approriate Johnny Marr, but the profundity and wit of Morrissey at his best is out of Aurora-Madan's artistic reach.

Echobelly are thus at their best when they stay within the limits of guitar-heavy pop with a slight twist; true greatness will never be theirs, even if the likes and Stipe and Courtney Love are now lining up to court them, whiffing a possible breakthrough. As downright competent and pleasing as it can sometimes be, On won't be causing Justine Frischmann any sleepless nights.

Consumable On Line
by Bob Gajarsky
http://www.westnet.com/consumable

"I'm not interested in being a flash in the pan - we want longevity!" So echoes the lead singer of Echobelly, Sonya Aurora-Madan. She is a compassionate, but strong-willed "modern" woman. Her beliefs are based around freedom and honesty while woven with a touch of irony. Many will misinterpret her motives or twist her comments, but pay them no heed - listen to the music. Understand her words. And, you too will be won over by the next great British export. Echobelly first was started on a meeting between Glenn Johansson and Aurora-Madan in London 18 months ago. At the time, Johannson was in a now-defunct band which returned to their native Sweden, and Sonya and Glenn commenced writing and recording material on a four track player; she writing lyrics, he writing music. This division in writing still continues in Echobelly to this day. Soon, they realized they were producing exciting material. However, the "band" was still short a drummer and bassist. They were able to get Alex Keyser (bassist) and Andy Henderson (drummer). Henderson was actually playing in a band with PJ Harvey (she on saxophone, he on drums) at the time he left for Echobelly. The band was now a four-piece unit which was starting to generate attention in London's close-knit musical community. But, the attention which some bands strive for can throw a less experienced unit out of whack. "We got a hell of a lot of attention too early on", Sonya recalls. "It just got a bit silly. The fourth gig we did was at a place called The Borderline in London's Soho district. It was only the fourth show - and I'd never been involved with music before - at a 200 capacity venue, with 250 music industry people there. I'm not impressed by people basically waving contracts in front of me. I like to know a bit more about what I'm doing." Throwing up her hands, she exclaims, "It was just too much!" A fifth member, guitarist Debbie Smith of Curve, was soon added. Smith was first a fan of the band and could be seen jumping up and down in the front of the audience. A mutual friend of Aurora-Madan and Smith introduced them, and, according to Sonya, "Debbie came back to my flat, where she picked up my guitar and started playing songs off our first E.P. (which contained "Bellyache", "Give Her A Gun", "Sleeping Hitler" and "I Don't Belong Here"). It was like 'Hey, you know these songs better than I do!'" Smith came on board when Johansson broke his arm in a pub accident. At first, she was brought on as a temporary replacement (until he was healthy), but because Smith and the band got on so well - plus, a third guitarist would add another dimension to the group's sound - she was shortly added to the group's permanent lineup. The E.P.mentioned above earned "Single of the Week" honors from Radio One and continued to generate a buzz about the band. Morrissey stopped by, and, in true melodramatic style, proclaimed it the best thing he had ever heard. It also helped trigger their first "real" management support. "Bellyache was being played on the radio", Sonya recounts, "and Martin Heath (who owns Rhythm King) heard it while driving, stopped his car, and taped the song on his dictophone. He rushed into Rough Trade and asked 'Who IS this band?' They said 'Oh, it's Echobelly - look, in the window - it's Single of the Week!'" But, what separated King from other potential suitors was his honesty. "He was the first person who didn't give us any bullshit. We had lots of dinners with various record companies, but it was the same old crap. He said 'Here's the money, I want to sign you.' We said we wanted our own label (Fauve - taken from the French art movement, which means beast or savage), and we got it." The ball was in motion, and so was Echobelly. The next year produced several critically acclaimed singles and an album, _Everybody's Got One_, which hit #8 on the UK charts. So what *is* Echobelly about? We got a chance to speak to Sonya Aurora-Madan, lead singer for the band, for a more intimate look at both the band and herself. CONSUMABLE: Some people in America have only heard of you through your import singles. Why did you have different release dates in the U.K. (August) and U.S. (end of October)? SONYA:We didn't record the album first and have a plan of action. We're very much 'Let's see what happens' - we've only been together 18 months. We had to record the album very quickly (in three weeks) and the whole thing was done - mixed and all - in 4 1/2 weeks. We did have to rush - we hadn't signed a deal in America until the end of July. If we released the album simultaneously here, it would be a disaster - we can't be expected to spend time here (yet) because we have fans (in other places that want to see us) such as Japan. C: What's the inspiration of "I Can't Imagine The World Without Me?" S: (Laughing) "Can't you? It makes me laugh. It's such an honest sentence, it's packed with irony and truthfulness. The way I see it, the world revolves around me. The world revolves around you...you see the world through your own eyes. In a literal sense, it does revolve around me. The song is not about *me*, but about the universality of being an individual. Everybody is an individual, you see the world through your own eyes. If you try and imagine the world without you, you can't. C: As an Anglo-Indian woman in rock and roll, do you feel a need to bear a torch representing others? S: There's a real problem in talking about this because I have no desire to be a role model or to bear a torch. Unfortunately, I have to admit to myself that this will be thrust upon me because there is no one around like me. There's never been anyone important who's been an Asian woman and sung rock and roll. So, of course, if you're the first, you're actually going to make a difference - then, fair enough, people will get excited about you and people will want to ask you questions that lead to far more indepth discussions than they would with a typical male rock and roll band. It has to be expected. Having said that, however, I'm *not* a politician, I'm *not* interested in having to be answerable or to answer for any particular minority. I sing and I write lyrics and this is for myself. I have an enormous amount of guilt because I know that there are people in similar circumstances to me who have written to me or expressed some feelings to me after shows. - a hell of a lot, much more than I expected. If I don't feel responsible for them, almost that they're relying on me, than I feel that I'm doing something wrong. At the same time, it's a heavy burden to have to bear when your foremost interest is writing classic pop songs, which I think we excel in, and we want to work at that more than anything else. Everything else comes with it. To be a spokesperson for a generation is too much of a responsibility sometimes for people who aren't trained in that. Just look at what happened to Kurt Cobain - I really think that glorifying someone incessantly causes so much damage to that person's sense of self that it's a dangerous thing. People constantly telling you how important you are and how you're changing their life - it's all very well. I've had Asian kids who say to me, 'No one has ever spoken to me before". What can you say to that? "Thank you? Gee, I'm flattered"? I know it's harder for me than the average rock and roller, pop person, and I suppose I have to learn to deal with that" C: It's not as if you're singing fluff stuff - there's a message, and with that comes extra burden. S: (Jokingly) "Yes, I'm a *serious* artist!" (more laughter). C: Where do you get your writing influences from? S: From real life experiences. Sometimes I write lyrics and they come out as if there's a ghost in my hand. Sometimes it just flows, when you're out on the road. C: Morrisey had asked you to open up for him on his aborted early 1994 American tour. Will you be touring with him in the future? S: "The problem with Morrissey is that he doesn't have concrete plans and, rather than wait for his agent to book a tour for him, I think the best thing is for us to play smallclubs in America and do our own thing rather than going straight on to a big venue. Obviously, I would have loved to play at Carnegie Hall (where Morrissey did perform) the first time we came to America - it would have been great. But, rather than wait, we decided to do our own thing - which we are. We'll be back in the States in November and December to tour." C: There's an interview in New Musical Express with a rap group called Kaliphz, who voice some objections with you, including that you're not a "real Asian" and the only you'd have any asian if you was if the lead singer were to fuck you. It gives the impression that you're not a "real Asian" because you don't advocate street violence against fascists... S: Oh, don't I? Where do you think I got my kickboxing background from? The difference with me is the Guardian Angels trained in my club and I don't need to have to talk about it as much as they do. It DOES wind me up and I suppose I shouldn't let it. The thing with Kaliphz is they're some dodgy little band. Why should I have to put up with such a sexist statement from a group of imbeciles whose IQ level is probably the same size as their pricks. I mean that, really...quote that. I just wish they would think things through, because they don't make me look stupid, they make themselves into fools and hypocrites. There's no point in preaching about racism if you're going to be so stupidly sexist. C: How did your kickboxing background evolve? S: (Dryly) I have no interest in aerobics, I suppose. I found a club in King's Cross (a rough area of London) where there was a sign for a karate club, through a youth club downstairs. It became my home away from home, and I got a brown belt. I trained very hard and then I discovered rock and roll and the two lifestyles aren't conducive- it was one or the other. C: What is your family's history? S: I was born in New Delhi 28 years ago (pure Indian). My parents came over to England when I was young. Both of them have Ph.D's; my father worked in a spark plug factory where he saved up money for everyone else to come over. My mother became a teacher, my father had a secret job with the government; they had 3 daughters. I like to think we're outspoken and caring individuals. I'm glad I don't have any brothers if the Kaliphz are anything to go by because you find that there is a peasant mentality among Asian men. They want to fuck white girls, but they want a nice little Indian girl at home to cook them dinner. I don't tolerate that sort of crap, so I'm going to get (verbally) abused. C: When you were growing up, what music did you listen to? S: That's such a hard question to answer because I didn't go to see bands - I wasn't *allowed*. I watched television, such as Top of the Pops, and I was an avid John Peel listener. In fact, I told him when he introduced us at Glastonbury and Alex and I told him,'If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be here." He's asked us to do a session, which is going to be great. We've done a few, but we haven't done his before. I'd like to give him some new material for that. C: How would you describe your lyrics to the masses who haven't heard it? S: It's harder to come up with these things rather than answer questions *laugh*. I suppose I've always been aware that we're going to get a fanatical audience -people don't come just to see Echobelly and have a good time, they seem to lose themselves. I want the people who come to see us to participate in any way that they feel - they need to - as long as they're not actually hurting people. We seem to touch a nerve - I think every so often, a band comes along and people take them to heart - a certain type of person does. I think that we get put in the same category because - well, I've been an outsider so long, I've suddenly discovered that there are so many of us (outsiders)? It's like some secret society *laugh* throughout the world? It will be interesting to see what happens in America. Morrissey told me a long time ago that we would love America and would be well received here. C: Do you want people to reach out and touch you, such as happens at Morrissey concerts? S: The only danger is that I'm light and don't want to get dragged (into the crowd) - I need to be careful. I spoke to him (Morrissey) about it and he said I can ring him up and ask him for advice. He's been really great and we've had some nice chats. It's interesting...a lot of the press here (in the U.S.) have been very on the case and very enlightened - we're so pleased about that. I've talked to people- for example, from NME - it seems that they haven't caught up with what's going on in the street. - there's definitely some sort of a cock-rock reaction to anything. (Cock rock is) an element has crept back into rock in Britain - you know, screw groupies, wreck hotel rooms, very Led Zeppelin 1970's stuff as far as i'm concerned. When people say to me "rock and roll is dead", which is something that's been thrown around in Britain for a while - I've thought about it and no, *cock*-rock is dead. Make way for the women, it's our turn now. I find that a lot of white male journalists in Britain find me intimidating. C: Are they threatened by you? S: I don't know. The Kaliphz thing, for example - I knew that they (the press) would not say anything (in reaction) about it, which is fine, because in a way it gives me ammunition. I'm so used to being outside that it's strengthening me. We played the Reading Festival and we had more people to see us than any other band. It was just ridiculous; there were queues ten rows outside, I couldn't see a thing, but *nobody moved*. We sold more t-shirts than any other band there - in fact, we sold double some of the bands that were on the main stages. It was crazy...the queues for the autographs went all the way back. And, back to NME, all they said in it was to criticize me for swearing. Now, if I want to say "fuck" at MY show to MY audience, I will. This is all they said in NME. Now, if a guy swears, he's called a man...this hypocrisy exists in 1994 - by the so called politically correct journalists. This is fucked up and this is out of order and I'm going to carry on and be arrogant and have a big mouth because I think we need people to do this. The other problem is that the Kaliphz comments are tokenism. If you read the British press, they'll give space to a few Asian acts, because it's their form of tokenism. "Yeah, yeah, they're not racist - they're doing the thing" but when someone like myself comes along and is going to break into the mainstream, in a big way, and they know it, it's scary - they have no control over it. C: What plan do you, Echobelly, as a band, have? Your goals and that sort of thing. S: (Long pause) "I suppose the basic goal is that we don't implode. By that, I mean a lot of bands are made up of one person who is basically the band. With Echobelly, it's five very feisty individuals and there is a lot of internal fighting which immediately speaking can cause a lot of problems. In the long term it makes it very exciting. There have been near fights on stage, there's been a lot of arguing, but it just creates that energy. She echoes the now-famous Johnny Lydon line, "Anger is an energy" and continues: "This is the way Echobelly are going to be. If we're going to crash and tumble at some point...i don't know." Aurora-Madan sums it up thusly: "We didn't want hype in the beginning - sort of like a rubber band theory. If you just pull it, it'll go there (shows short distance). If you hold back, then you can really see how far it will go. I'm not interested in a big flash in the pan - we want longevity, and bands that have been clever - R.E.M, U2 - it all takes time. I'm not *interested* in this quick hype - it scares me." There's no need for Echobelly to be scared. A strong live show assures that their devoted following won't be left out in the cold. The wall of sound created between the guitarists virtually assures that every moment is filled with power. That power is only enhanced when Sonya's strong voice, as much as her convictions, come forth on stage. The sense that this is a band, with not only substance, but a real presence, emanates from the first note of their first song and carries through to the end of their show. Winter plans for Echobelly include touring mainland Europe and England through November, a United States tour in November and December, a brief interlude during the winter holidays, more touring and then the recording of their second album with famed producer Steve Lilywhite. The material has not been completed yet, but will be finished while on the road. The British musical torch had been passed from the Beatles down to the Smiths. There's more than a passing link between the Smiths and Echobelly - Marr and Morrissey spoke to their generation much the way that Echobelly is speaking to today's fans. It appears, with Echobelly, that the same torch Morrissey carried through the 1980's will burn brightly in the 90's. --- REVIEWS: R.E.M., _Monster_, (Warner Brothers) (Justin first) Well, I finally got out to buy _Monster_, the newest CD from REM. Frankly, I'm a little disappointed in this album. I think a lot of the fans that they made from Automatic for the People will probably feel the same way. This album has much harder, almost violent music. Distortion effects abound as well as loud smashing guitars. I personally prefer to be able to clearly understand the lyrics of a song, but it is hard to do that with the songs on Monster. Usually the guitars drown out what most of Michael Stype is singing. But upon closer listening, I realized that the lyrics aren't all that great anyway. Really just more of your standard mainstream music fare. I don't see any songs on here that stick out, although "What's the Frequency Kenneth?" and "Bang and Blame" are both played a lot on the radio. My problem with Bang and Blame is that, aside from the chorus, it sounds too much like R.E.M's "Losing my Religion". I think that the main reason this album is on the top of the charts right now is more based on the fact that a lot of people trust REM to make a good album and liked their other stuff. If you like plain, generic rock, then you probably will enjoy this album. You'll also like it if you don't really like to think too much about a song. By the way, this album is 50 minutes long, but only contains 12 tracks. I would much rather listen to 20 good quality songs that cut out the long guitar solos and rambling on the keyboard, than only 12 tracks which repeat the same thing over and over. Overall, I would say that this album isn't really worth buying. You'll hear most of it played on the radio and that will probably be enough for you. If you are a die-hard R.E.M. fan, then you probably will buy it. And you'll listen to it over and over until you grow to like it. Or just get sicker of it. As has been said many many times before, R.E.M. definately let loose a Monster, but in the past (Frankenstein, etc.) this has not always been a good thing. (Bob's turn) I have to disagree strongly with Justin's review of the R.E.M. disc. I had started to do it on my own, with some ideas in my head, when I got his review. So, here are my own thoughts on it: It's the album that really tests the world. Imagine your local neighborhood band's sound - improve it tenfold, but keep the raw energy and enthusiasm from that local band. Throw in a touch of the Rolling Stones and then present this hard album to a world whose largest R.E.M. base is from the last 3 albums. I'm blown away that they dared to do this. There are no obvious singles here, other than "Star 69" and "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" - but there are no reasons, other than how big R.E.M. is, that the single should be tearing up the pop charts. It's a great song - but R.E.M. is, with this album, singlehandedly breaking all their stereotypes and continuing to force top 40 radio to play to *their* hand, instead of vice-versa. The biggest surprise is that this album follows two albums with marked pop songs ("Stand", "Shiny Happy People") and a third album which could be performed unplugged. Peter Buck notes that "I played guitar really loud; it was a little like Spinal Tap - you know, crank it up to eleven." The experimentations also shine through. Buck continues that, "At one point, I took a Sparklett's bottle, drilled some holes and played into that." Lead singer Michael Stipe remarks, "The vocals on 'I Took Your Name' were recorded through a Walkman. Some of the backing tracks were sung into a telephone". The band will be out on a worldwide tour in most of 1995. Just be prepared to enter a new world of R.E.M. sound with _Monster_. --- REVIEW: Banco de Gaia _Maya_ (Planet Dog/Polydor) A sampled door creaks open, birds call out and a bubbling melody springs up to greet you. You have entered Toby Marks' and Andy Guthrie's world of ambient-techno. The album Maya contains some great material, just the thing to dump onto tape, to be played on a microdeck while you go cycling, blading, windsurfing... or even just walking around your local city-scape. This music lies somewhere in the territories that groups such as Art of Noise, Colorbox, Byrne & Eno's "Bush of Ghosts", Bomb the Bass have explored in different ways in the past ten years. Hell, some of it harks back all the way to some of weirder stuff that Alan Parson Project recorded on their first two albums. The first track "Heliopolis", is an fine example of contemporary techno pop. The second track, with a sampled child's voice ('Mommy, can I go watch the rabbit?'- Fatal Attraction, I wonder?) and its eerie intro point the album in an unexpected direction; the world sound of "Mafich Arabi" introduces a dimension to what otherwise could have been an all too predictable techno thumpfest. "Sunspot" certainly confirms the techno influences, with a bassline designed to make your woofers crank out enough air to inflate a dirigible. The fourth track "Gamelah" brings back the world influence; the liner notes even go so far as to mention the source the major sample: 'Ritual Music from Bali, vols. I & II'. The high point of the album is "Qurna (mister christian on the decks)", a insinuating ambient piece best consumed flying over a city grid, or driving through an electrical storm on a deserted country road. This then fades in via a wicked helicopter sample, to "Sheesha", a more upbeat piece. The techno/trance sledgehammer is never far away, but securely held in place. Lai Lah (Arrgh, these songs which can not be typed in ASCII) is probably the nearest reference to "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts". It is in some ways reminscent of the instrumental work on Anne Clark's "Hopeless Cases". In short, this album is in the right place at the right time. Well produced, and a cohesiveness that never falters from start to finish. A bit of guitar work here and there, wasn't that a sample of Cary Grant?, deployed on a rich weave of samplers and sequencers. The only reservation about this is that I wonder how well it will age. I have a sneaking suspicion that in ten years time it will seem somewhat passe, but then, hey, why worry about the future? I give it an eight out of ten. --- CONCERT REVIEW: Luka Bloom (Zurich, September 25, 1994) What can you do if Sunday evening is approaching on a so-far wasted weekend? Only music can save you, and if one of your favorite musicians is playing nearby, the choice is easy. Many things were unusual this evening. A man got up on stage and the audience was silent. Was he going to (finally) announce Luka Bloom? No. He announces the opening act, and it turns out that the guy *is* Luka Bloom, but nobody recognized him! While most opening acts don't deserve any mentioning, this one was different. An unspectacularly looking woman named Katell Keineg (Irish, like Luka) enters the stage. She just started singing, without a band, without even using her guitar. What a voice! I haven't heard such an acappella number since Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz". And, while she uses her guitar during the rest of the short set (which she pulls off well), her voice is absolutely outstanding. It can be soft or cry out, goes high and low, and can even imitate the whistle of a locomotive train. The style is not far from traditional Irish singer/songwriters, and the songs are excellent. I found out that her first album "O Seasons O Castles" got released recently and I can't wait to get it. Remember the name: Katell Keineg. And remember where you heard it first! After such a strong opening act, the main act risks to look pale. However, Luka was never in danger and got control of the audience quickly. I have hardly ever been to a concert with such an intense interaction between artist and audience. He was obviously in a great mood and his stories and introductions to the songs were hilarious. For example, when he started playing his guitar at a frightening speed, he announced "this is another traditional Irish ballad", and played... an incredible version of "When Doves Cry" by Prince. Or the story about "The night I spent with Joni Mitchell and a French aupair [pause] Joni Mitchell was playing on the turntable, while the French aupair was trying to fight me off". He also made a lot of jokes and parodies of superstars, MTV, etc. He played songs requested by the audience and the show ended by a woman of the audience singing on stage. Well, I'll stop here, it's probably not that much fun if I tell about it. But go see him if you ever get a chance, you won't regret it! However, he wasn't just telling jokes. He mainly played great music that was more or less equally distributed over his 3 albums. For the ones that don't know him (I guess his cover of LL Cool J's "I Need Love" made it across the pond), he clearly shows his Irish roots, but is not afraid of mixing them with other influences like rap. He sings wonderful ballads, but can rock just as well. He has a beautiful, unique voice, and plays an outstanding guitar. I get the impression that he could easily write more commercial music and be a superstar tomorrow. But he doesn't seem to want that and this is good. He looks happy at what he's doing, and so does his audience when it leaves the concert; the two hours which he played seem to go by too quickly. --- REVIEW: The Jesus Lizard, _Down_ (Touch and Go) The Jesus Lizard's music is a stew of swamp blues, rock and distorted slo-mo rockabilly with touches of country and western and a singer who slurs, screams and gibbers like an abusive drunk. Fans of The Birthday Party would find much to like in this band. To date, the Jesus Lizard's claim to fame has been a high-charting split single with friends and admirers Nirvana as a prelude to _In Utero_. This is their first all new material since then, having flirted with the majors and released a live album (_Show_) through Warner Brothers only a few months ago. Many seem to think that the time is right for The Jesus Lizard to take a step towards greater things. This, then, is a wasted opportunity. The first problem I notice here is Steve Albini's production - the vocals may be a little clearer in the mix in places, but the rest of the band seem to get bogged down in sludge and bluster in the middle. Given the sterling work Albini has done with them in the past, this is a surprise. And, given that the Lizard, not being the most catchy of tune-smiths, rely on their dirty bass and chilling guitar to thrill the listener, this is a problem. The upbeat stuff comes out not too badly, but the slower, creepier stuff loses its menace and bite. Another major problem is that the band aren't making any significant steps forward here either. Sure there's a little more melody here and there, and the song-writing is a little more refined but thats about it. The first half gets by with some nice variety in pace and sounds, but the second side turns into one long mid-pace thrash-around with things hitting an ultimate low on the awful attempt at a love song that is "Elegy". "The Best Parts" comes in at the final hurdle to rescue things with a bona-fide tune to shine through the morass, but by then its too late. If it's an introduction to the band you're looking for, then the 'greatest hits' set-list of _Show_ would be better. And if you've got "Goat" and "Liar" then there's really no need to rush out to purchase this similar but inferior collection. --- REVIEW: Wool _Box Set_ (London) So what is one to make of the story of Wool? They look like a young enough bunch of rockers from the West Coast to me. The liner notes of _Box Set_, however, indicate that most of the songs were first recorded between 1960 and 1968. This means they were either a) child prodigies, cooking up these songs at the age of two, or b) fell through space-time fabric's ripped up knee, or c) part of the still ultra-secret CIA program known as "Van Winkle" or d) none of the above, just playing a joke on the listener, about a history which never was. The correct answer is D. The group appears to have been influenced by a diverse selection of bands which runs the gamut from the Ramones via the E-Street Band to U2. In 1992 they recorded _Budspawn_, their debut EP. This means _Box Set_ is their debut album, to be filed under garage punk. Obligingly, they thank a number of bands on the liner notes, which gives another indication of their influences: L7, Faith No More, Tool, House of Pain, Rage Against The Machine and so on. The core of the group, brothers Franz and Peter Stahl (earlier seen in the band Scream, a fistful of records released on the Dischord label) spent their formative years kicking around Washington DC and Seattle. In fact, David Grohl used to play drums, until he upped and left to join Nirvana. These days, Chris Bratton (seen with Seattle's Drive Like Jehu) occupies that spot, and the band is completed by Al Bloch on bass, who has played in various bands, including a stint with Concrete Blonde. The first two tracks "Eden", and "Kill the Crow" are standard garage type tracks, guitars and drums and vocals. In a similar vein, "Superman is dead" laments the passing of the DC comics hero, in 2'03" of high-speed guitar. In a change of pace, worth checking out is "B-350", a slow number with Al's bass up front in the mix driving a melody that coils around the spine, jangling guitars courtesy of Franz and Peter singing about the loneliness of the long-distance ('52 hours coast to coast') driver. Also of note is a cover of "God Rest His Soul", a tribute to slain civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., originally penned by Gregg Allman. The album meanders along for a while, until they screw down the safety valve and turn the heat up, and let rip with a squalling punk piece (gotta) "Blackeye". They ease up for a while on "Take a Look", the closing piece, but during the song's twelve minutes, they have time to visit different places, like a Manzenera guitar solo, a Thurston Moore wall of noise, and so on, before finally bringing it all to a shuddering, bonecrunching halt. Wool has the songwriting ability. I haven't seen them, but I suspect they're pretty damned good, live. The third part of the equation is the studio sound. And it is here that I think that they have not yet reached closure. Certainly, Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf have done well, but the arc is missing. Take a look at _My Bloody Valentine_: their first album had some very interesting stuff, but it was rather uneven and quirky. By the time they got around to their second album, they had the production nailed down and the results took them all the way to the top. I give this one a six out of ten. --- XCNN: The heavy alternative band XC-NN will be appearing on America Online on Monday, October 24th. The band, who are currently touring in the United States in support of their self-titled debut album, can be found on AOL in the "Alternative Rock File" section, under Rocklink in either the UK/Manchester folder or the Industrial folder between the hours of 3:00 and 4:00 Eastern Standard Time. For those who can't make it to America Online to welcome the band and ask questions about their latest release, Consumable will be conducting a short interview with XC-NN for a future issue. Tour dates for their American concerts are as follows: Oct 25, Danbury CT, Tuxedo Junction Oct 26, Toronto, Lee's Place Oct 27, Montreal, Foufounes Oct 30, Washington, 930 Club Nov 1, Baltimore, 8X10 Club Nov 2, Philadelphia, JC Dobbs Nov 3, New York City, Wetlands Nov 4, Rochester, Horizontal Boogie Bar Nov 5, Old Bridge NJ, Birch Hill Nite Club Nov 6, Allston MA, Local 186 Nov 7, Providence, Club Babyhead Nov 8, Checkwinaga NY, Blind Melons Nov 10, Cleveland, Peabody's Nov 12, Toledo, Main Event Nov 13, Chicago, Double Door --- Chicago-based Material Issue are back on the road, opening up for the Pretenders in support of their recent album, _Freak City Soundtrack_. The power-pop group, best known for "Valerie Loves Me", "What Girls Want" and their cover of "Kim The Waitress" can be seen at the following shows: Oct 26, Providence, The Strand Oct 27, Boston, Orpheum Theatre Oct 28, Hanover NH, Dartmouth University Oct 30, Kent OH, Kent State University Nov 1, Detroit MI, State Theatre Nov 2, Columbus OH, Newport Music Hall Nov 3, Chicago, Argaon Ballroom Nov 5, Normal IL, Illinois State University Nov 6, Minneapolis, Orpheum Nov 7, Ames IA, Iowa State University Nov 8, St. Louis, America Theatre Nov 9, Las Vegas, Aladdin Theater Nov 12, Los Angeles, The Wiltern Nov 13, Los Angeles, The Palladium Nov 15, San Luis Obispo CA, The Event Center, CAL Poly Nov 16, San Francisco, Warfield Theatre Nov 19, Eugene OR, Holt Center Nov 20, Tacoma WA, University of Tacoma Nov 21, Portland OR, Schnitzer Hall --- English band Oasis is completing the tail end of their American tour in support of their UK #1 album, _Definitely Maybe_. The remainder of the dates are: Oct 26, Washington, 930 Club Oct 28, Hoboken NJ, Maxwell's Oct 29, New York City, Wetlands --- INFO: Matthew Sweet's new album Matthew Sweet is currently in the studio completing his forthcoming album. The work, which does not yet have a working title, will consist of 10 to 12 tracks from the 17 which have been written. Musicians on the album should be familiar names to Sweet's fans; Ric Menck (Velvet Crush), Stuart Johnson (Love Jones), Richard Lloyd and Robert Quine will be contributing their help on this effort. According to one source, this is a "more direct record (than _Altered Beast_) but also has depth". Brendan O'Brien, who is best known for his work with Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, will be the producer. --- Jeremy G. writes about the 1980's list: An interesting concept; my main problem with it is the list of albums people want to see issued on cd; all the 12" mixes/b-sides albums. What are these supposed to be? You can barely fit a sampling of remixes and B-sides on a single cd. So for many of these bands, it would either be impossible, or something along the lines of depeche mode's 20-cd set. (Bob says: It's what people wanted; there are lots of unreleased material out there. If more than a couple songs which were B-sides were picked out, it became a "B-Sides compilation". Of course, some people requested those already - and others can't get enough mixes for their collections.) -- A.B. says: I was very distressed recently when I heard of the breakup of one of my favorite bands, Dramarama. It has been my feeling that this group has long been one of the most underappreciated acts around and their passing brings me sorrow. Perhaps you could mention something about this in your next issue? ED: Done! -- David C. says: I just wanted to drop you a note to say one thing, "Incredible!" All the bands I know and love were mentioned here. There is a Canadian compilation called CFNY 102.1 Spirit of The Edge which contains the following: Viletones - Screaming Fist; The Jam - Going Underground; Siouxsie & The Banshees - Spellbound; The Icicle Works - Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream); Modern English - I Melt With You; Soft Cell - Tained Love; Visage - Pleasure Boys; The Style Council - Long Hot Summer; The Housemartins - Caravan of Love; Joy Division - Atmosphere; The Fall - Hit the North; The Mission UK - Tower of Strength; Tones on Tail - Go!; The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary; Endgames - First Last for Everything It is PolyGram (Canada) 314-516-725-2. --- Back issues of Consumable Online are available via anonymous FTP from quartz.rutgers.edu in the directory /pub/journals/Consumable ===

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