Record Reviews: August 1995

Ani DiFranco
“Not A Pretty Girl”
Righteous Babe Records

It’s about time to throw another monkey wrench in the gears of SLUG Magazine. Ani DiFranco is 24 years old. Not A Pretty Girl is her seventh album. It was released—as the previous six also were—on DiFranco’s own Righteous Babe Records. That’s right, Ani DiFranco is a corporate music star, a label executive and a businesswoman. Righteous Babe Records is owned and operated by DiFranco herself. She needs a few employees today because she’s always on the road, and is going to need a few more employees shortly because she is going to sell a lot of Not A Pretty Girl. Her previous six albums have sold a total of 175,000 CDs and tapes, and the new one will no doubt surpass the combined total on its own. 

Why am I going on and on about some young woman wearing a leather vest, torn Levis and her hair in a top knot? Because her time has come—she is good! Not A Pretty Girl is not filled with the electrified female viewpoint of, say, Melissa Etheridge. DiFranco is a folk singer, although of the punk variety. 

Check out these lyrics from the title song: “I am not an angry girl / but it seems like I’ve got everyone fooled / Every time I say something they find hard to hear / they chalk it up to anger, never to their own fear / Imagine you’re a girl just trying to come clean / knowing full well they’d prefer you were dirty and smiling / I’m sorry, but I am not a maiden fair / and I’m not a kitten stuck up in a tree somewhere.” That is only a sample of what is contained on the CD. 

She takes on major record labels whose offers she has rejected in the past with “The Million You Never Made.” “Tiptoe” is about having an abortion, infidelity is the subject of “Light Of Some Kind,” where it appears she cheated on her boyfriend with a girl. Other relevant topics are all over the disc. Shyness, loneliness, admiration from afar … she’s a master of lyrics and a genius when it comes to putting them into song. From spitting them out in a rapid-fire style to singing them in traditional folk fashion, she captures the essence of a song with both her guitar and her voice. 

Now that I’ve gushed out all these words over a folk singer, the most important information is that Ani DiFranco will bring her guitar, voice and words to the University of Utah Fine Arts Auditorium
on August 17. Go see her. –Macon

 

Bakamono
“Cry Of The Turkish Fig Peddler”
Basura! 

“More crazy ass art damage from the label that brought us Ethyl Meatplow, Foreskin 500 and Buccinator,” was neatly painted across the bottom of the one-page bio. Basura! is affiliated with Priority Records Inc. so you can actually find the “product” at most any store—if you are so inclined after reading whatever discharge I’m about to write. 

Bakamono are absolutely crazed! I’m not feeling so good today anyway, due to some unfortunate financial circumstances, faulty plumbing and a bleeding ulcer. The moment this advance cassette began to play I broke out in a cold sweat, grabbed a cool washcloth for my head and a heating pad for my gut. The bio mentions Flipper, Helios Creed, The Boredoms, Melvins and John Zorn as well as tamer outfits like Steel Pole Bathtub, Sonic Youth, Drive Like Jehu and Fugazi. The band members come from art rock, jazz, death metal and just plain metal backgrounds. Their music is a combination of each and every name and style mentioned. A jazzy, funky, heavy, feedback-drenched, instrumentally proficient, noisy, discordant, melodic, pretty mess. If you aren’t feeling lightheaded and headachy when Cry Of The Turkish Fig Peddler begins, you will be by the time it finishes. 

White noise has such a cleansing effect on the body and mind. It’s better than an all-natural herbal enema any day. Bakamono are scheduled to play live at the Cinema Bar on August 10. –Hei Oaki

 

The Dandy Warhols
“Dandys Rule OK”
Tim/Kerr Records

The SLUG boss gave me this one quite some time ago. I was ordered to write a review and threatened with lack of monetary compensation if I failed to do so. Lack of monetary compensation is pretty much the story of my life because I have an extremely “bad” attitude. I could give a shit less if the SLUG boss withheld some pay because the checks are so few and far between that it doesn’t make much difference anyway. The Dandy Warhols have been my own personal guilty pleasure ever since the disc appeared on my doorstep. 

If I were about 20 years old I’d call them the next best thing since the Flaming Lips. Since my memory, at times, stretches (Armstrong spelling used here) farther back than the early ‘80s I’ll have to lump them in with the psychedelic revival that has bubbled beneath the surface ever since the ‘60s ended. Isn’t Warhol mentioned in their name? They have a song titled, “(Tony, This Song Is Called) Lou Weed.” The lyric appears in the CD booklet,” You’re my ride / I’m out my window / It’s alright. You’ve got Candy-O.” They’ve also included nude photos of two band members in the booklet: one male, one female. 

If you have to copy someone, you could do a lot worse than Velvet Underground. As I said earlier, this CD has been my personal secret for months. It is perfect for the constant up/down of the cycle of methamphetamine/heroin that is easily obtainable in West Valley City/North Temple. Fly, then nod to the music of the Dandy Warhols. –Steely Pam

 

Shallow
“3-D Stereo Trouble”
Zero Hour 

“Not another one” was my first reaction after reading through the press clippings. Another what? Another dreampop, shoegazing band fronted by a little girl-voiced singer. Cocteau Twins, the Cure, Swallow, the comparisons go on and on. No, they aren’t from England, they live in Kansas. What is positive about the group or the disc? First of all, Julie Shields, the singer, is beautiful. No kidding, I have a picture. The rest of the band are your typical long-hairs. Yes, one of them has dreadlocks and the baggy clothes of a skater. 

The CD is a pleasant way to spend 48 minutes. One critic claimed that it gets tiring due to the sameness of the songs. Might I recommend a session with Philip Glass? I like it more after two or three listens. There are lyrics about flowers and gardens, love is of course present and I find Ms. Shields’ voice more attractive than say, Jill Sobule or Alanis Morissette. The boys in the band back her up with the expected swirling guitars, bass and drums and Shields herself adds flute accompaniment at times. Overall, the nod to later day psychedelia is unavoidable. The best song on the disc is the closer, “Seedy Bonus Track,” although right before that one is “Til Tomorrow,” which is a semi-hard edged introduction to the full-on noise of the closer. 

Not a bad job overall. If you manage to run across a copy give it more than one listen—you might like it. Shallow is scheduled to play at the Cinema Bar on August 8. Make up your own mind and pay a visit to the highly controversial Cinema Bar.

 

The Oblivion Seekers
“Snake Eyes”
Tim/Kerr Records 

Thank goodness this CD didn’t reach the hands of anyone at the Private Eye, The Salt Lake Tribune or The Deseret News (If a copy did, it is available for under $5 someplace around town), I believe some writers, for those papers read the word “rockabilly” and for a strange, unknown reason they feel a subconscious need to slip it into a review of damn near anything. Either that or they are relieving frustration by taking sarcastic jibes which only make them appear uninformed… but somehow I doubt it because no one reads SLUG. Anyway, if the latter is the case, please step up the pace. 

What all this has to do with The Oblivion Seekers is about to become evident. Snake Eyes is their third release for Tim/Kerr. There is little doubt that The Oblivion Seekers have at least four of their six feet firmly planted in the rockabilly graveyard. That “big beat” sound is impossible to miss if you know what to look for. I wouldn’t classify The Oblivion Seekers as a rockabilly band— They are more like The Tailgators, Billy Bacon & The Forbidden Pigs, The Paladins or The LeRoi Brothers. All of those bands are capable of doing straight rockabilly if the feeling strikes them. The best example of The Oblivion Seekers’ take on the ‘billy is “I’m Too Real.” The tune is flat-out rockabilly with female backing singers whap, whap, whap-a-doo whapping away in the background. 

The Oblivion Seekers rounded up an entire room of guests to help out with the album. Girl singers help out on seven of the 13 tracks. Since I’ve already counted The Oblivion Seekers out of the rockabilly sweepstakes, what do they do on the rest of the songs? They throw down an instrumental in the middle, appropriately titled “Sidewinder.” What self-respecting roots band doesn’t have an impressive instrumental tune today? They also venture into Tex-Mex territory with “Doña Flor.” Don’t think Tex-Mex with accordions that will be mistaken by most for a polka. I think the song is a rewrite of a lesser known Ritchie Valens tune or maybe a rocked-up combination of “Love Is Blue” with “Guantanamara.” There’s a “trendy” lounge hymn present too. “The Only One In The Room” proves that these boys know not to miss a base when they hit a home-run. 

Dave Alvin, Los Lobos and The Paladins have many fans in town. The bands I mentioned earlier—the Tailgators, LeRoi Brothers and Billy Bacon—are so far undiscovered, mainly because they aren’t frequent visitors. Someday soon, The Oblivion Seekers will make the trip down from the Northwest to grace a local stage. Unless the gig is promoted by SLUG or Pompadour Press, you will see the rockabilly word associated with their name in the more prestigious papers. Discover what you know you love before the two-sentence interview is printed. Shop the remaining independents. Tim/Kerr is not recognized at most chains. –Jake Harmon

 

The Orb
“Orbvs Terrarvm”
Island Records 

I met someone the other day who wanted to know the “best” Kenny G album. The question is fascinating. It’s like asking what the “best” Yanni or John Tesh album is. Are any of them any good? The Orb are known as a “techno” band. Orbvs Terrarvm actually falls into the “trance” category. At this point, the essay could veer off into what “techno” actually is or what separates “trance” from “new age” and why is “new age” struggling to become known as “adult contemporary instrumental.” The entire subject is mind boggling. We could also ask why Phillip Glass is now considered “classical” and Vangelis, Mike Oldfield and Tangerine Dream are “new age” while Faust and Can aren’t. Oregon is “new age,” Kenny G is “jazz” and The Orb are “techno.” 

The usual synthesizer washes of sound are interspersed with bleeps, burps and “world rhythms.” Tape loops, now done with computers, are used extensively to turn everyday noises into musical passages. Voices are electronically manipulated into alien forms that also become part of the layered texture. Each piece—seven of them, in over an hour—is prefaced by sound bites stolen from an entire lifetime of sound recordings. I wouldn’t be surprised if The Orb had stolen something from the earliest sound recording device, a cylinder, and placed it someplace on this album. 

The end result, of what I’m sure is countless hours spent in front of a computer manipulating wave forms, is listening music—calming, relaxing, even trance-inducing music. Why is it better and more enjoyable than just about anything produced by the “new age” movement? The members of The Orb manage to inject life into their computer manipulations. The creative use of samples, sound-bites and sound “morphing” keeps the calming music from becoming tedious and irritating, like the lifeless piano noodlings of some burned-out acid casualty playing beneath a pyramid from which dangles “power” crystals and “rubbing” stones. –After-glower

 

SHAME IDOLS
“I Got Time”
Frontier Records 

For some reason, SHAME IDOLS included a lyric sheet with their CD. Let’s pretend we are college students and delve into some of them. The obvious choice is “Slug Buffet.” “Hey Señorita it’s the slug buffet / Nobody likes it, they say you shouldn’t go that way / Hey lawdy mama I know my time ain’t long / Nobody digs it, they say you shouldn’t’ve wrote that song / But all they ever do is sit around / Play with their cuticles and stare at the ground.” Forget the college aspect, I have no idea what the song is about. Hey lawdy mama? What the hell? 

SHAME IDOLS are another garage band reliving the ’60s. Their take on the ’60s is not the hardcore garage style nor is it in a psychedelic vein. They are someplace between the British Invasion abd say… Oh, I don’t know … R.E.M. Back in about 1964, this music was fresh and exciting. Tiny little transistor radios and the AM-only one in the car blasted this stuff all over the suburbs. It isn’t all “pop” radio fodder. “Not In The Way” does have that hard edge and more than a few psychedelic elements. So does “Sun Ra,” a song with lyrics that make sense about taking a girl to a Sun Ra concert only to have her freak out on the LSD she took. In another time, another era, “Split” is a hit single. 

The early ‘80s nostalgia trip back in time to the mid-’60s returns in the ‘90s. As the popularity of the Flaming Lips and Weezer demonstrates, this music does have its place in today’s society. SHAME IDOLS are probably too blatant in their interpretation to excited many “fashionable” folks. For those not hampered by trends, who want a slice of the ‘60s that “classic” rock ignores, you might try SHAME IDOLS, along with the Kinks, The Searchers, The Beau Brummels and The Leaves reissues. –Peter Noone

 

Hugh
“You Are Here”
Mafia Money 

A friend of mine has a painting directly on his bedroom wall of the ‘Dream of Seeds’: a hazy windscape in which the fallout from a million dandelion blows are wisping around, making the move from one wall to the next and pretty much surrounding you. This album is a lot like that, fuzzy guitar swimming through the air, just heavy enough to be able to support you as you ride along with it around your head. The melodies are kept simple and are therefore able to support everything they lay on top with distorted vocals. They sound like their purpose is to make your body move in slow motion, stonily experiencing everything else move around you in that old “Purple Haze” Jimi Hendrix spoke of (they even have a track called “Chutes and Ladders” looped through backwards in tribute of the old guy) (Well, I don’t know if it was in tribute or not, but how can you play something backwards without nodding to Hendrix?) “Waiting, waiting for sleepy time” is one of the lyrics, and that is an apt description of when I imagine these guys write their material: lying on the floor in a one candle-lit room on big pillows. Anyway, enough fucked up analogies, the bottom line is that it’s a good late night stoned album, or a good rainy day melancholic, or good for a solo drive through the desert. If you’re looking for something to drag State Street to, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for something to drag your fucked-up ass around the house to, look no further. –Capt. America

 

Swivelneck
“Baby Cry Cry”
Headhunter/Cargo 

Recommended stereo settings for this CD are as follows: Bass on 10, treble on 10, volume on 10, you on the floor. Swivelneck, who is possibly the weirdest band alive, somehow manages to remain sedated long enough to pump out 11 fantastic tunes on Baby Cry Cry without letting too much freakiness through. Best song? That’s easy. “Check Point Charlie,” also the name of one of my fave ex-bands. Other bowel movers are “Conan Huffy” and “Diamond St.”—hard, aggressive, pounding songs for people who want a headache that makes you laugh and go screaming into the street looking for a phonebooth to call the alien mothership… I’m not kidding. –Mr. Pink

 

The Flys
“25¢”
Raid America Records

Well, you may remember this band by the name of Mozart. You may remember them playing some local shows in your town and turning heads as they did. Now, they are The Flys. I liked the old name better, but oh well. The music, however, is still quite good. Some of their old songs are still around, even though they sound different. This band has obviously matured over the last year, and the new 25¢ record shows it. Best songs here are “Machine Dream,” “Annabelle” and “Mother’s Song.” They may not be the hits Mozart was looking for, but in my opinion, they are the strongest songs to date. Keep your eyes on The Flys. Man, I waited a long time to say that. –Bob

 

Everready
Reinheitsgebot 
Slurr/Liguid Meat

What is up with the name of this CD? German words for an American CD release. It refers to the German purity law for beer. There are also translations of how to ask for beer in Germany on the inside cover. I dunno about that, but I do know the songs are great. I also know to get the full effect it’s probably a good idea to play this LOUD. 90’s punk rock with 90’s production. Watch for these guys. Hopefully they will roll through. –RDJ 

David Solomon
Solomon’s Minds 
DS Productions 

Forget unplugged—this sucker is unhinged. David Solomon is the rare exception to the singer/songwriter/acoustic guy stereotype—most of ’em have no personality, he’s got seven. Ok, he’s down to only two these days, the others “committed suicide.” Solomon is a Vietnam vet, ex-con, ex-mental patient/thorazine zombie, former homeless mime and current talk radio personality (singular) who writes songs about the seamy underbelly of society from actual experience, unlike a lot of tortured artist types out there. 

Solomon’s Minds is his self-produced/released cassette featuring 15 songs culled from a 25 cut session done Robert Johnson style: live, bareboned and no use for a second take. Tunes range from blues rockers like “Portolet” (about the ultimate in affordable housing: portable toilets) and “Thorazine Blues” to pretty ballads like “Utah” (a heartfelt ode to the wonders of living in the Big U—I told you he’s out there) and “Lady Of The Evening” (no need to explain this one). You also got yer downright nauseous sentimentality in “O Cuddle Me,” mushroom-clouds-in-the-rearview-mirror yuks in “Say Good-bye” and a ranting, hopeful finale in “Cryin’ In The Rain.” 

This tape is definitely worth owning, but actually getting a copy might take some work—his distribution is as minimalist as his production. Try calling K-Talk radio (last known sighting) for some info.

The next time you get the urge to crack a case of tequila, steal an El Dorado and drive south until the wheels fall off while cranking that Phil Ochs 8-track, take Solmon’s Minds along for the ride. You’ll thank me when you’re paroled. –Helen Wolf

 

Luxury
Amazing And Thank You
Tooth And Nail Records 

“WOW! PUNK POP MEETS ORIGINALITY.” That is how the headline should read introducing Luxury, Georgia’s best new band. This is a foursome of idea-ridden pop songsters who play on the punk side of the Evstreet while jumping over to melody consciousness at will—and with great delivery. Their formula is simple: take a good basic pop song and continue adding cool parts to it until it boils. Serve well-chilled. Play repeatedly at high volume. –Mr. Pink

 

Ape Hangers
Ultrasounds 
A&M Records

Next up is Ape Hangers with Ultrasounds. A no-holds bar assault of unapologetic, straight up, kick-ass rock ‘n’ roll. These three guys are from Boston, and it’s really good stuff. They sing about the usual stuff we’re all familiar with—loneliness, lost relationships, depression on the verge of suicide and true love. All that fun stuff that makes living so much fun… ya know. Seriously, when I first heard this CD, I thought these guys are going to be great live, they just have that reckless feel. Amen brothers and sisters!

 

The Nixons
Foma 
MCA Records 

“Foma” is a word invented by Kurt Vonnegut in Cat’s Cradle to mean little white lies that people tell themselves to make themselves feel better: “This Olympic thing ain’t gonna cost us taxpayers a dime / I’m sure I’m the only one who can smell that big beefy one I just let / I know my present girlfriend and my ex-girlfriend are best friends, but they probably never giggle about the size of my dick together”… things like that. 

The Nixons (another goddamn stupid name, especially when they make such a big deal about keeping politics out of music in their bio)… hmm, they seem to be interested in the concept of living truthfully: with yourself, with others. It seems at one point the lyricist had a brush with religion and its aftertaste taints a lot of what he writes about. Considering the SLUG target audience—disillusioned return missionaries, West Valley hair girls, and that bum on 9th and 9th playing guitar all the fucking time, it ought to strike a chord with me. I must admit that I think more of the ideas behind the music and the lyrics than the actual music itself. There was a point in my life when some of this would have been considered the heavy metal thing, so you’ve gotta watch your toes there. Sure, AC/DC is a guilty pleasure, but Angus Young sure isn’t. (Speaking on that topic, how in the hell did Type O Negative ever get any crossover audience? What a bunch of complete cheesedicks wallowing in Ratt and Poison land. If anyone deserves a gasoline enema, it’s that lead singer… back to the story. Some wise person once told me, “you gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em,” and this is a case of having to know when to walk away. With the loads of really good music in this world, $16.00 on mildly good music is not an option. –Capt. America

 

Earth Crisis
Destroy The Machines
Victory Records

Earth Crisis have without question taken the international hardcore punk scene by storm since their 1993 inception. Their tremendously successful EP’s on Victory—“Firestorm” and “All Out War” are concrete proof. Anticipation for new material since the release of ‘Firestorm’ in the late fall of 1993 has been building every day. Twelve new songs are featured on this release. Earth Crisis have taken their hardcore sound to the next level by incorporating pulverizing solo-free metallic riffs with their trademark anthem-like screamed vocals. The result is a devastating soundscape that pulls you in and tears you apart. Lead singer Karl Buechner’s apocalyptic visions are captured in every song. Issues such as veganism, animal rights, the destruction of rainforests, straightedge, promiscuity, societal isolation and species extinction are represented with such immediacy and frustration that one cannot help but take notice. While the PC era of punk rock/hardcore continues to thrive, Earth Crisis is one of the few bands who stand their ground. They back the issues they care about to the utmost degree, regardless of acceptance. The kids know this and that is why Destroy The Machines will be such an important release.

 

Phunk Junkeez
Injected
Trauma/Interscope 

I can’t believe this band is on the same label that gave us one of my favorite bands, BUSH. I almost didn’t review the CD, but then I thought if I didn’t say something, who would? This is the biggest pile of adolescent, stupid, talentless, imitative dribble I’ve heard in a long time. I hope the members of this band read this review and go get real jobs. 

They are a bad knock off of Rage Against The Machine, Sugar Ray, and the Beastie Boys. Unfortunately the comparisons end there. They should change their name to Phunk Junk Geeks. Here’s a sample of their lyrical mastery. 

“Bang the big booty with the soulman rocking from behind. Put my tape in your deck, what the heck…” “Fucking bitch pissed me off, I’m buying cigarettes I don’t even smoke, fuckin bitch I hope you choke.” Did I mention that they say “fuck” a lot? And the N-Word, bitch, whore, etc. Wow, you guys are really tough. This is worse than Vanilla Ice. By far. –Mr. Pink

 

Dishwalla
Pet Your Friends
A&M Records

Finally a full-length album by Dishwalla. You may remember them from The Carpenters tribute album, If I Were a Carpenter. Great band with a lot of potential and this full-length is no different: Songs with sombering lyrics that deal with today’s questions and weighty problems. Check out this CD and watch for these guys—they’re on the move and they will be going places. –RDJ

 

Morella’s Forest
Super Deluxe 
Tooth And Nail 

“We’re a mix of beautiful female noise pop and male testosterone rock ‘n roll,” laughs MF’s guitarist Shawn Johnson. Sydney, the vocalist and female aspect of the previous equation, puts it more simply by calling their sound “edgy pop.”

Pretty pretentious stuff from a band who states that they sing more about life’s beauty, nature and ideals instead of being another angry band. If this is beauty, give me Anger Overload. Sounds like prefab guitar/pop with no substance. Maybe it’s because I hate the press photo. The foursome are seated on a couch desperately trying to look hip with plastic jackets, bad sunglasses and stupid shoes that look like they’ve never been worn. The woman’s voice has its good points, though, and some of the songs are decent. What this band really lacks is originality. Oh yeah, the liner notes add that “all things make possible through Jesus Christ our lord and savior.” Go figure. –Maxx

 

Marillion
Afraid of Sunlight
IRS/El Dorado 

Marillion has been around forever. I have always liked them, even when they were ‘out there’ musically. It’s not music for young rebels but it is full of intellect and reason. Very good guitar work, with accents on hard melodies, contemplative lyrics and a full range of song styles. Marillion fans will admire this record for staying with their sound instead of changing it for possible renewed fame. A refreshing new record, in the pool of angst flooding the airwaves these days. Definitely for the over 28/don’t care about who’s cool crowd, of which I am a member. –BOB

 

A House
Wide Eyed and Ignorant
Radioactive 

This disc is a serious case of deja vu, I feel like I should know these guys from somewhere, but I can’t place it. The first song on the album “The Strong and the Silent.” I put it in and thought, now haven’t I heard this before? I’m still not sure if I have, or if I’ve just listened to it so many times now that… that… oh fuck it. My point, if you can call it a point, is that each song is sort of like that, by a minute into it you’re with it enough that it seems like you’ve heard it before. Hell, at one point I thought I’d written the damn thing. Anyhow, it’s a catchy as hell album, albeit a very poppy one—summer cartime listening. Music to do laundry to. At the laundromat. With your significant other. The time will just fly by. Actually, it reminds me of the mid-eighties, skipping out on school and driving to the Village Inn with Deanne and Kristin. Here’s something even more specific: it reminds me of “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves. Let that stand for what it is, for some that will mean a huge warning sign, others will see it as a good thing. It’s very good for what it is, but on the other hand, this ain’t The Grid, you know. Many of you are picking this up looking for the old hardcore punk. If you fit that description then the only purpose this CD will serve for you is an emetic. –Capt. America

 

Alanis Morissette
Jagged Little Pill 
Maverick/Reprise

This woman is my new hero! Sorry Spidey, you’ve been replaced by a woman who can bash men to music.

Alanis Morissette, a [?] old singer from Canada, is one bitter individual. Backed by Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro and bassist Flea, she releases her first cut from the CD Jagged Little Pill, titled “You Oughta Know.” “It was a slap in the face how quickly I was replaced, are you thinking of me when you fuck her?,” she snaps at an ex who’s gotten a new girlfriend a little too quickly, and then goes on to say “every time I scratch my nails down someone else’s back I hope you feel it.” Oh yeah, she’s pissed. 

Track 10, titled “Ironic,” is another great song, and anyone with luck as bad as mine can really relate to it. You should also take a listen to tracks four and five “Hand In My Pocket” and “Right Through You.” Altogether, my favorite CD of the year.

 

Blenderhead
Muchacho Vivo
Tooth And Nail Records

Blenderhead has members with really long names. Like Edward James Carrigan III. Doesn’t sound like a guitar player for a cool band does it? Well it is. And man, is this a cool band. Maybe I’ve been living in a box in the basement with the gimp, but I’ve never heard of these guys. No matter, this band has some cool shit going throughout this 15-song CD. The tracks vary from choppy down stroke Gang of Four guitar to manic strumming over aggressive power pop songs. Good structure too, with different ideas keeping the songs from sounding repetitive and boring. Definitely something to check out if you’re in the mood for non-grunge with a high energy feel. –Mr. Pink

 

Sage
7th Standard Rd. 
Will Records 

I don’t know shit about this band really, except that the first song starts like an East Indian snake charm tune until it breaks into “Still One Place.” The singer sounds like he’s scary to talk to. Luckily, he’s got an attractive voice while remaining dark and ominous. The music is a little scary, too, but it’s very cool. Mostly guitar driven, the riffs are full of progressive heavy licks that sometimes cascade over each other in “Nothing To Say” to more wide open stanzas in “Treat.” That’s about all I can tell you besides this is a cool, cool album with cool music and lyrics that are hauntingly original. Oh yeah, there’s a picture of a woman hugging someone dressed as Death in the CD jacket. –Maxx

 

Water
Nipple
MCA Records 

“As the album title Nipple implies, Water nourishes and has something to offer for everyone. Even the most ardent punk fan, skater, surfer, student or hippie stoner will find solace in their music. The band’s honesty and energy will transport anyone listening to an alternate realm of being.” —some barrelboy at MCA. 

What a crock of shit. I hate this bio stuff. I mean, I have to give the band credit because they’ve come up with a very good album, but then MCA tries to sell it with that. First of all, the most ardent punk fan is not going to buy an album by a group called Water on MCA, they’re going to buy Skinhead Scab Fuck on Outhouse Records. The true ardent punk fan can’t even stand Green Day, let alone Water. The skater will probably buy the Green Day (fucking posers), and to my knowledge the last time surfers were known for what music they listen to was The Beach Boys (may they rot in hell). I am none of the above (except perhaps the skater on disco night at the roller rink). There’s some punk that’s very good, then there’s what’s passed off as punk (i.e., Green Day, who can eat me). Moot issue, because this isn’t punk. It’s got more in common with R.E.M. than anything else, all the way down to the lead singer’s voice. In fact, it probably could almost pass itself off as an R.E.M. album—which is fine by me, ‘cause I like ‘em both. File it next to Live and Toad and the Wet Sprocket and the list goes on of intelligent alternative. –Capt. America

 

Kindred Spirit
I.R.S. Records 

Next up on the I.R.S. List is Kindred Spirit, a female duo who uses lush, acoustic guitars and beautiful harmonies to get their point across. As far as I can tell, this is their freshman effort and it comes off clean and professional, as it should. The main core of the band is made up of Siobhan Maher and Debbie Peterson. You may recognize Debbie from The Bangles. Beautiful women with beautiful voices, aahhh… Sounds like angels in my ears lulling me into a different dimension. –RDJ

 

Ultra Bide
Alternative Testicles 

Helen Wolfe would love this band. She’d probably write a cool review filled with funny little phrases eloquently describing the music. Instead you get me and this short “sorry, I came too soon, forgive me” version. This band is a three-piece punk experimentation with a sick sense of humor. There is a picture on the inside cover of a huge woman on a toilet with the caption “Wash your ass then kill me slowly.” The three song CD is a prelude to their upcoming album God is God Puke is Puke, which should be impressive if it is even close to being as good as this CD. –Mr. Pink

 

Shampoo
We Are Shampoo
I.R.S. Records 

Last and certainly least on I.R.S. is Shampoo. Can I be totally honest with you? This CD SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS! El-Stinko! I have never heard anything this bad. The songs are cotton candy-sweet and the lyrics are brainless. Another female duo, this time from across the ocean—England to be exact. I saw a write-up in SPIN about these babes and I was excited to check out the disc…two words: MARKETING SCAM!!! This CD should be out by the time you read this… And I say, STEER CLEAR! –RDJ

 

Vim
Vim
Komotion Records 

I looked at this CD and thought this band would suck. NO! This band has an intoxicating sound that is quite unique from the very first listen. Someone needs to push this band big time so they get noticed. They are far above the din of the usual melting pot of “Alternative Rock.” Vim is a three piece whose vocalist doubles on bass, and has a very impressive guitar/percussion tandem that not so much back her up, as they do feed off of her. Worth more than a casual listen, their debut CD goes from ethereal guitarist art rock to a splendid mix of stylized droning mood stints. Woo, that sounds cool, huh? Try listening to it. –BOB

 

Dripping Goss
Blowtorch Consequence 
Another Planet Records 

Blowtorch Consequence by Dripping Goss got my ears smiling. Buy this CD and check out “Cat Piss Carpet” and “Lesters Undone.” Powerful and intimidating. The kind of music you want blasting out of your muscle car at 11:00 p.m. on a Friday night, while you drag State Street looking for your new 14-year-old girlfriend. This band carves their own path with heavy guitars, rock-solid drumming and enough key changes to make you feel really uncomfortable. And the cover art is enough to piss your parents off and make them question your priorities. This is a really good find… Check it! –RDJ

 

The Grabbers
The Way I Am 
Doctor Dream Records 

Excuse me, but is there a category for “‘wonderful punk rock”?? I don’t think so, but if there were, there would only be one disc in the bin and it would be “The Way I Am.” The Grabbers’ new release on Doctor Dream Records reminds me of Generation X’s first record. Not that it sounds like Gen. X, but the mucus-filled attitude is there with an underlying feeling that The Grabbers are more than just another punk outfit, and they’re not going away. Nor will they be ignored. This is a high energy, harsh, loud, rocking punk act that is as forceful as they are competent. No bullshit makeover here, this is the real shit, Maynard. There is a special warm feeling you get from Orange County, and this ain’t it. –Mr. Pink

 

Paw
Death To Traitors
A&M Records

As always, A&M Records has a good, strong line-up in the “just released” department. Paw, a male trio from the Midwest, rocks hard and strips it down to just the essentials. Every song is a surprise and each new song is different than the previous. These guys are from the Midwest and it seems that they have been exposed to about every conceivable music form in the America’s pop music culture. Three sincere guys with good stories to tell. –RDJ

 

Big Audio Dynamite
F-Punk
Radioactive 

Leave it to the new Mick Jones to write a pop song called “I Turned Out A Punk.” What makes it punk? I don’t know. X sounded like country and western often enough. If you go back and listen to your old Clash albums, do they sound like punk? Not anymore. Iggy and the Stooges still do. Black Flag still sounds like punk. Mick sounds like he was writing ‘90s pop songs. And he’s still doing the same thing, except now he’s got a sequence and a bunch of synth drum box sounds. Maybe he’s going for the club circuit, “The Globe” certainly sounded like it. The middle of the booklet even lists all his influences like he’s saying “Gotta give a shout out to” hip-hop style. If you think about it too long, it’ll just confuse you, and perhaps even piss you off. But labels aside, he still knows what he’s doing, he’s still got that voice you can listen to all day long, and he’s still a smartass, and I still like him. “Vitamin C” pronounced with an English soft ‘I’, that accent is just so cute) is a song that seems to be railing against the current new age self healing vitamin-popping metaphysical bullshit. “Psycho Wing” almost sounds like he’s sampling from “Clash City Rockers.” “Push Those Blues Away” has this classical music melody on top of this frenetic beating away on a toy drum set and melts into what sounds like a Beatles number, not to mention that it borrows quite a few rhymes from that INXS song that goes on forever: mediate, masturbate, autofellate, etc. Who knows what the hell he’s trying to do. It’s nothing too new, and if you liked the other BAD stuff, you’ll like this, but it makes ya wonder. The legends of old get old. The best thing I can say about it is that it’s fun.The flip side of being just fun, however, is that sometimes it’s just stupid sounding. –Capt. America

 

The Surfing Brides
Sparky’s Dinner 
I.R.S. Records 

Sparky’s Dinner by The Surfing Brides packs ten great, versatile songs into about 55 mins. There is something for about everyone on this CD. No two songs sound the same and because of that, it’s hard to tell you what type of music they play, and in this day and age of uncreativity, I think that is a good thing. My favorites are “Helltown,” “Train of Shame” and “Diceman.”

 

Lidsville
Sarsaparilla 
Tacklebox Records

I like clowns. Clowns are cool. Some clowns make you laugh or make you happy if you’re sad. Some clowns drink whiskey and smoke and scare little kids when they walk by. Those are the kind of clowns Lidsville are. They are scary clowns. Their saving grace is that they are quite a killer four-piece, led by Doc Johnson, a man whose voice is a mix between Iggy Pop and John Wayne Gacy. The music is hard, sometimes melodic, sometimes in your face, but never boring. All of the songs have cool musical and vocal intros, like on the song “Bill.” “Bill, my friend Bill, if he can’t turn you on then no one will.” This record is a doozy, and from the track record of Kane Boychuk (ex-Headhunter/Cargo A&R honcho) you’ll be hearing a lot from this band and this label. Trust me. –Mr. Pink

 

Read more from the SLUG Archives here: 
Musician Tips: Protecting Your Equipment 
The Best Day of My Whole Life