CD Reviews Pt 1: August 1997
Archived
Dreamscape
Ignorance, Submission, and Dark Realization
Unlimited
This is not just another loser band trying to jump on to the industrial bandwagon — they are far above that! The band (consisting of two main members Dave Andrus and Jeremiah Savage) describe themselves as “the battery acid on the skin of right-wing society.” Do I fall for that? HELL YES!! This band is not only musically harsh; they are also lyrically ingenious. With influences such as Skinny Puppy, New Order and Joy Division, they offer the listener a techno-industrial “Enlightenment.”
Their latest CD, Ignorance, Submission, and Dark Realization, is sure to appeal to industrial fans, techno fans, electronic fans, or anyone who wants to drive a stake into the heart of organized religion and/or Government. Oh yeah, did I fail to mention that these guys are from right here in Happy Valley? Seems odd, huh? That a band from Utah is trying to do something different?
Ignorance, Submission, and Dark Realization is said to be out REAL soon but as for now listen to it and drop an E-mail off at their extremely explicit and highly offensive website. This is one band with a very bright future, or shall I say a dark realization! —POPE XXX
The Vegas Beat
Car-21
Candy-Ass Records
The Vegas Beat played at Mecca Joe’s in July. I didn’t attend the gig, but I have little doubt the band roared. Whoever is booking these shows needs to get the information in the correct hands in a more timely manner. Your August shows are already lost forever in the great SLUG shit pile of missed opportunities. The band on the CD is Marci Martinez, known as the drummer for Team Dresch and Calamity Jane; on guitar is Amanda Kelley, who helped create the Portland queer music scene; Sal played bass on record and on the tour; Tamala from Longstocking is the bassist. The Vegas Beat supported Sleater-Kinney on their successful tour of the West coast in 1996. Jody Bleyle, Team Dresch, Hazel, Free to Fight, owns Candy-Ass Records. The address on the bio reads Olympia, WA. and when all the information is combined together The Vegas Beat is revealed as three girls doing indie label, lo-fi, folk-inspired punk rock. The CD is quite brilliant in a jarring way with “She Got Away,” “What’s Your Freedom” and “Gotta Know You” being the strongest songs. The usual guitar noise and melodic vocals are intermixed with short segments of pretty guitar. Most songs are of the girl to girl love song variety. Anyone interested already knows where to pick up a copy and most of those interested were probably at the show. Again, to whoever promoted the show, get the word out earlier and your shows will receive coverage. Keep up the good work. Salt Lake isn’t as boring with people like you out there. —Mr. Puddle Jump
Tanner
(Germo)Phobic
Headhunter
As we all know, Tanner will never make a dime from CD sales. It’s the music, stupid. What can I say? The usual detuned guitars, the vocalist lacking operatic training, current events as song topics, jazz deconstructed into “free rock ‘n’ roll.” Cargo released the CD. (Germo)Phobic is a disc begging for some sort of extreme listening experience. I suggest one of those portable CD players with special anti-skip “memory.” Take the in-line skates, the BMX bike or the skateboard to the top of City Creek Canyon on a day when automobiles are allowed. Place the disc in the player, plug in the headphones, max out the volume and punch play. If you survive the trip down the canyon without an automobile striking you or an encounter with U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch singing his latest “hit” song while pedaling up the canyon on a bicycle then continue the experience down State Street until one of two things occurs. The disc could end, but it is more likely that a wreck with “2002 Olympic Road Construction” will interfere. Good luck, enjoy Tanner’s latest and hope they return to town very soon. —Kimmie Walsh
R.L. Burnside
Sound Machine Groove
HMG
Time now for some motherfuckin’ blues in the pages of SLUG. A lot of blues lovers were disgusted by R.L.’s “A Ass Pocket of Whiskey.” That is as it should be. Jonny Lang is the blues for the fools. Burnside didn’t start playing the blues when Jon Spencer took him on tour. This particular recording was made in 1979. Burnside was playing fucked-up blues all the way back then. His band was the Sound Machine and a Burnside appearance at the time was a combination of plugged-in and unplugged. Burnside made three tours of Europe as a country bluesman before most Americans had ever heard of him. The first Burnside recordings date back to 1967. Arhoolie Records issued one-half an LP that year. All of this has gone way beyond those educated in Utah public schools and that is as it should be. Utah is very similar to Mississippi. In Mississippi the untutored are white and black. In Utah the untutored are just plain white. I’ve spoken with some Mississippi residents and I’ve discovered a certain affinity with their manner of speaking. I am of the firm belief that the only person able to immediately understand the rural Mississippi dialect is a public-schooled Utahn.
Sound Machine Groove is a combination of trance blues and simple plugged-in Mississippi blues. It’s the motherfuckin’ blues. If the reader doesn’t understand what motherfuckin’ blues means then head on down to Salt City CDs where I found the disc. Ask the employees to set y’all down with a copy and educate yerself. “Yeah and I begged fer lick ‘er?” What the fuck? That my friends is from one of Burnside’s “country” tunes. —Bukka
Monaco
Music For Pleasure
Polydor
No problem here. The Evil Slug Boss told me to keep it short. Instead of hanging himself Ian Curtis should have taken a shotgun and blown the heads off Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris. Peter Hook is the only one present in Monaco. Sumner’s off with electronica and who knows or cares what happened to Morris. “What Do You Want From Me” opens the CD and I believe that if I were forced to listen to any more of Music For Pleasure than that tired, synth pop derivative of a song I would experience supreme displeasure. I would stake out a CD store and become a synth pop fan mass murderer. I’ve donated my copy of Monaco to the “Exterminate An Aging English Synth Pop Musician” charity. Reportedly the charity has a John Travolta look-alike assassin/stalker on retainer. If sufficient funds are raised… —Mark “Almon” Joy
Ashtrayhead
Invisible
Invisible Records has Amy the publicist. Amy is the most energetic girl, she is obviously a caffeine addict of some sort and she is in close competition with Alternative Tentacles‘ Jennifer Fisher for my most favorite independent label publicist. Ms Fisher keeps me in line, Amy makes me laugh. Ashtrayhead is a sexual deviant with an array of electronic equipment. His music fits in the industrial niche market the “mom and pop” CD shops cater to. His music is quite entertaining, but his lyrics are more so. Here is an excerpt from “Home Movies.” “I do family, I do Mummy Daddy, 99s from Mr Softee / It’s a private hobby, I do Mr Whippy on the side / I do polaroids, I do possible home movies / I do what goes on behind your curtains / Private situations in the kitchen, in the bedroom.” His CD contains songs with the following titles; “Good Doggy,” “My Private Pornostar,” “Playmate,” “Phone Call” and more. He has included remixes titled “Handyman-extended” and “Good Dubby,” I’d say you could dance to them all except…I don’t believe that is Ashtrayhead’s mission. Take the camcorder and a significant other. With the remote in one hand and your…”equipment” in the other, have the “significant” place the CD in the “unit” and press play. —Nurse Ruth
Auntie Christ
Life Could Be A Dream
Lookout
Listen to the CD twice without programming or arising from the couch. The secret eleventh track contains the entire album. Auntie Christ is Exene Cervenková‘s new entry as a punk rock entity. Girlfriend is back ruling the cock rock alternative nation. Spit on the fuckers, Exene. Tell them what it was like back in the day. “The Nothing Generation” is Exene ranting and raving about the fashionable state of the music industry and the “fans.” I believe she thinks they are all sheep. I was listening to Life Could Be A Dream in the presence of a brainwashed MTV sheep and the individual didn’t think much of Cervenková’s new album, actually neither did the Evil SLUG Boss. Imagine that! Here are a few lyrics. “They’re not into Johnny Thunders cause he’s not on MTV, Stupid fucking kids, Wake up stupid fucking sheep you’re asleep and you’ll follow models and you’ll follow ghosts and you’ll swallow anything they shove down your throats.” If anything, Life Could Be A Dream sounds like X from the Los Angeles days with more edge and more bounce. The first six songs are designed for an old fashioned slam dance which does not mean a circle or mosh pit. Auntie Christ has the format down perfectly and the two-minute tunes cause heart palpitations and a strong desire to jump around. The lyrics are political in nature — crack, wild mustangs, strip mines, the future is a war — there’s two or three cynical love songs and… well, Cervenková covers all relevant topics. “Not You,” “A Rat In The Tunnel Of Love,” “The Future Is A War,” and “With A Bullet” rent asunder all those ska-punk songs the radio has suddenly discovered. If I hear “Sold Out” one more time… —Ernie
Geezer
Black Science
TVT
I guess the Ozzfest tour is still visiting other portions of the continent. The gentleman responsible for the disc of interest is on the road with his old mates. Geezer Butler is back with the second Geezer album and the band will reportedly begin touring this month. The newspaper reported recently that the ridiculous radio station helping to promote Michael Britton has moved into a more ridiculous format. Geezer need not worry because the station never played real metal anyway, but Britton’s career is certainly finished for the third or fourth time. Black Science is an honest to goodness head banger of a disc. Bass heavy is the description, go figure with Butler heading the band. Clark Brown is the new “singer” with leather and melody in his throat. Science fiction is a theme and portions are tiring, “Mysterons” discusses “men in black,” and a song titled “Area Code 51”? Geezer, for shame, but advertising in comic books is part of the marketing plan. In the sue-happy climate of the United States Geezer is expected to fight off thousands of parents suing to recover damages. Teenage boys will develop chronic neck pain after head-banging continuously for about 49 minutes. —Louie Christy
Blind Pigs
Sao Paulo Chaos
Grita!
I don’t have any idea who reads this rag anymore. I’ve heard that Helen Wolf doesn’t read it. Ms. Wolf only reads Grid these days. I read all the “street” rags. If there are readers who enjoy punk rock then Grita! is a label of major interest. The label is located in New York City. Most of the music they release comes from South America. It’s all punk rock and every Grita! CD I’ve ever listened to has been excellent. The Blind Pigs aren’t any different. “Lost Youth ” has the sing-a-long chorus every punk rocker loves. It’s simple, 1-2-3-4, get ready, now — “Fuck you.” “In Love with a Junkie” is as good as anything the Queers have ever done. The Blind Pigs play pop punk with the pop portion mostly sugar-free. The band is as foul mouthed as anyone could ever desire. They do punk rock in Brazil and I believe the singer teaches English in public school as a day job. Shades of the Duckie Boys. Interestingly enough the Blind Pigs have written a song dedicated to Johnny Rotten and his Sex Pistols reunion tour. Mr. Rotten will be in Salt Lake City during the month of August. Please check the “Lame-assed Slug Concert Preview Page” for more information. Fucking punk rockers, listen to this Rotten, you sod, look what you started in South America. All you little boyfriends who believe you are hip to the greatest punk rock of the present: If you don’t own at least one Grita! CD you are a poseur. —Mr. Orange
Coolbone
Brass-Hop
Hollywood
A New Orleans brass band is nothing new. A New Orleans brass band with a lead singer and a lead rapper is. A shout out to their style of hip hop is nothing new and a shout out to Muhammed Ali isn’t either. The first three tunes are all braggadocio. The next one, “The Rescue,” has Coolbone rescuing a female from unfulfilled romance. It’s all hype and little substance after five songs. Juxtapose the braggadocio with the complaints over working for minimum wage and attempting survival as a Black American. One minute the Brass-Hop crew is living the high life and the next they are down and out. As the disc moves along it becomes clear that the group has worked their way up from the street. Their best material appears in the second half. The pure jazz interludes, their two tributes to the city of New Orleans, “Phat City” and “The Saints,” the Bill Withers cover, “Use Me” — a complete listen is required to capture the message. The message is clarified with “Nothin’ But Strife (groove mix).” The jazz is supreme and while the raps could use some work, Brass-Hop is a debut. —Earl
The Dandy Warhols
Come Down
Capital/Tim/Kerr
It seems like years have passed since the Dandy Warhols sold out to Capital. Their new disc is finally released. If “Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth,” a hell of a long name for a hit single, sounds like the Warhols actually did sell out, press play again for the first song. There is the droning psych that brought the Warhols to our attention back in ’95. If “Minnesoter” is more Presidents of the United States Of America than dandy, the Warhols are immediately forgiven with “Orange.” It is a dreary tune, a dreary tune filled with drone, a dreary tune filled with droning psychedelic music from a paisley past. The words psychedelic and paisley are not meant as references to “hippie music.” After another Warhol-like experience, “I Love You,” the big hit single happens. “NIYWTLJOE” and “Minnesoter” are the Warhols as the Beatles, forget the previous Presidents’ reference. “Everyday Should Be A Holiday” is another dazzling pop tune with barely enough psych to keep the radio programmers grimy hands off it. Finally the Lou Reed impression. “Good Morning,” it is certainly nice that the Dandy’s remembered to thank their inspiration and “(Tony, This Song Is Called) Lou Weed ” from the first CD. “Cool As Kim Deal ” is pure Brit-pop. Ba-pa-pa-ba-bop? “Hard On For Jesus” is like, man, it’s like, man are you seeing tracers too? Keyboards as theremin? Stop, I’m freaking, stop … who put strychnine in my dose? Call Art Linkletter. Call Timothy Leary. Help, thorazine, where’s the thorazine? Help … Oh my God, I’m seeing Timmy. Timmy help me, I’m freaking, talk me down, Timmy, Timmy come back, Oh my God…Jerry, Oh my God, don’t leave…I can’t Come Down! —Kenny Queasy
Read more CD reviews from the archives:
CD Reviews Pt 1: July 1997
CD Reviews: April 1997
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