Records: March 1998
Archived
Chris Von Sneidern
Wood And Wire
Mod Lang Records
I’m wondering why Chris just doesn’t play covers of Beatles records through and through. His dreamy voice and stupid lyrics make me want to rip my ears out. God, someone should just ask him to do something The Beatles or Elton John haven’t already done. CVS really just reeks of pretentiousness. To call his music pop is an understatement. Therein lies the problem: pop just plain sucks. It’s made so there are no variations and you hum the chorus all the time. You want to buy the album, so you can listen to that one song they play on the radio. So that makes CVS that much worse because it’s bad pop. Why is it bad pop? Because everyone has heard the sound before in the form of The Monkees and The Partridge Family. And I pray to fuck that I never recall any of the choruses off this putrid album. His lyrics are that bad. I leave you with one, “The sun never shines in the dark.” How profound. —Mad Reverend
Uranium 9 Volt
Lookout
Wild Seven
Uranium 9 Volt played in Salt Lake in March. Unless one pays constant attention to flyers at the local record stores or attends the University of Utah, the appearance was probably missed because advance publicity was nearly totally lacking. Uranium 9 Volt is composed of veterans from Monsula, Sawhorse and Pinhead Gunpowder. The music on the six-song EP is as raw as the new road rash and the lyrics deal with the common, everyday topics of just getting through another day. “Fixable” has some lyrics relevant to the newly damaged. You know who you are. “That’s when I said, hey friend, it’s broken but it’s fixable, in time: I’ll stop reeling that’s when I’ll start feeling this painful silver washed away.” The label reads Lookout, but the sound is most certainly not comparable to all those lovely bands the label has built a reputation on. Pop punk doesn’t enter the room. The vocals are screaming and screeching out all the difficulties encountered in the lyrics and the instruments receive an exercise in durability. Punk as it used to be? Punk without fashion? Punk as noise? —Mr. Depends Undergarments
Unsane
Occupational Hazard
Relapse
Nearly three years after Scattered, Smothered and Covered was released, I walked into a Musicland owned and operated retail outlet and was surprised to find nearly 50 copies of the CD sitting in the bins. It seems as if someone at Musicland headquarters caught the “Scrape” video on MTV and decided that Unsane was the next big thing. “It’s on MTV, let’s buy thousands of copies so we don’t get caught with our pants around our ankles, at least once.” Their pants were still around their ankles because the record was three years old and MTV can’t break everyone out of obscurity. I doubt that the Musicland Corporation even carries Occupational Hazard.
The band has been around for nearly ten years. In that period of time they somehow managed to receive major label distribution once. Matador signed a distribution deal with Atlantic and Unsane was visible with Total Destruction. Now they are with Relapse and I would truly love to sit a few acquaintances down with the “product.” I’d love to see the tears flow. Cry babies and those who pretend to hold the “metal flame” aloft are not invited into the brutal and noise-filled presence of Unsane. The only reason to listen is abuse. Why worry about hearing damage when the millennium is but a scant two or three years away? It all depends on which calendar is favored and since we’re all going to die we might as well die damaged. The band is touring. Watch for them this summer and prepare to reprise the Slayer riot. —Elrod “Mother” Hubbard
Good Riddance
Ballads from the Revolution
Fat Wreck Chords
Punk is alive and well, and I can’t see it going away any time soon. Fat Wreck Chords released Good Riddance’s newest stuff, Ballads from the Revolution, on February 10th. I’m so happy to hear this, because I’m so sick of light weight punks with nothing to say. Santa Cruz punks that will make your ears bleed and drive an intelligent message home at the same time. They do some cool stuff on this too. Check out “I.S.Y.L.” It’s an old KISS cover song, “I Stole Your Love.” Also, after the last song, song 15, let it keep playing, you will get a little surprise. —RDJ
Kat Marco
Maiden Voyage
Rockat Records
You’ve got to respect someone staying true to their roots. Heavy blue eyeliner, pink Flying V guitar, Indian feather earrings, purple satin headbands and black leotards are all staples of Kat Marco’s world. I had to actually check the date on this CD to see if it hadn’t fallen behind the shelf back in ‘85 and into my glutton for punishment hands now. Kat is the female version of… well of just plain shit. Her singing/screaming is like two cats fighting outside your window in the middle of the night. Kat’s probably been in a few cat fights herself judging by her mug. See how nicely I tie all the elements together in cyclical fashion. It can’t be put any better than how Dennis Walking did: “Fans of the arena ready commercial rock with lots of guitar delay and echo effects oughta pick this up.” And what SLUG reader isn’t one of those fans? —Mad Reverend
The Wannadies
RCA
Here’s some hype. The Wannadies… “explode them in sheets of shimmering hard-edged melodic pop and left-field cocktail-lounge jazz…” The band is from Sweden. According to their press release, they worked as gravediggers during the summer. In the summer, the sun shines practically around the clock in Sweden. The press materials promised “dark-laced themes,” but all I could find were songs about relationships and people. “Shorty” is about being short and the relationship problems resulting from shortness. “Silent People” is about the place where silent people are. Everyone’s a king and no one gets hurt. I guess that song was inspired by the “Wannadie” name. “You and Me Song” has the insufferable ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba chorus and the cocktail-lounge jazz isn’t coming through my ears. The album is filled with melodic pop. The hard edge is more like bagel crust. Chewy and crunchy, but not that hard. “Shorty” and “What You Want” are the hardest and darkest of the pop songs. If the album has a hit it is “How Does It Feel?” There is nothing like the Beatles as fed through the mind of a Gallagher before The Wannadies spit it out for American radio. With “Oh Yea (It’s a Mess),” the eighth song, the lounge prediction comes true. Finally, It took eight songs to realize the album is actually quite good and it is an album. For once the label didn’t pop the hit at the beginning and left the listener to stare at the walls for the next 45 minutes. “That’s All” is eight-plus minutes of more Beatlesque psych. I wouldn’t call the album a work of genius but The Wannadies are at least worthy of investigation. Due to vast promotional efforts, a copy is probably available for around $5 at the usual outlets. —Spencer
Jerry Cantrell
Boggy Depot
Columbia
I’m a sucker for Jerry Cantrell’s stuff. I always have been, ever since my friend gave me a promo CD of Face Lift before it was ever released. Boggy Depot will be in stores on April 7th. A special two-record vinyl edition of Boggy Depot will be released on March 31st. Cantrell not only kicks ass, he writes the type of songs I just totally love. “Dickeye” and “Keep The Light On” have me hitting the replay button on my CD player. Cantrell wrote all the music, plus he sings all the songs. He pulled in some really cool and talented people to work with him on this, as well. Who, you ask? Norwood Fisher, Rex Brown of Pantera, Les Claypool of Primus, Mike Inez and Sean Kinney of AIC. The roster is stacked, the songs are complete now all you have to do is wait until the CD comes out next month! Quit salivating. —RDJ
The Donnas
American Teenage Rock ‘N’ Roll Machine
Lookout
“Yeah I want to touch you/ Yeah I want to grab you / Yeah I want to hold you tight.” A few lyrics from “You Make Me Hot” are enough to demonstrate what The Donnas are all about. They know how to get it on, they don’t care about you and they are checking you out. The quartet is young, they are female, they only know about four chords and their brand new rock ‘n’ roll album is prepared for release. Explaining the music doesn’t take much brains. The Ramones did it and The Runaways did it. Hints of The Donnas still appear in Joan Jett’s music. It is as primitive and as primal as the urges they sing about. These girls are out to party, they’re staying out all night long and they want you to stick it in. I wonder if they’ve ever met Jacky!? That would be something to see. Horny older metal guys meeting horny young punk rock girls. The girls are supposedly all teenagers. They are as nasty as it gets. Every song is about sex and a party. They rock hard, they rock fast and if you can’t keep up too fucking bad. They’ll find someone else. They’ll be at DV8 on March 22 with Groovie Ghoulies. —Franklin
Shark Chum
Tres Homeboys
Ain’t That A Rat’s Ass Records
If you are a little sensitive to bad language and explicit material, man oh man, this is your record. Kurt, Joe and Dizzy are really disgusting, and I mean so disgusting that I couldn’t help but like them. They just made me laugh from “Fuckin’ In The Butt” to the ever-popular “Beat Her With A Rake.” “I wanna fuck the shit out of you / Please put my gland in your hand / Baby won’t you give me some head / We love eatin’ lunch down at the ‘Y.’” They probably mean BYU. The rest of the songs go along the same lines; jacking off, dope, violence towards women and veiled racism. Hell, these guys probably went to BYU. Shark Chum is on this earth to say some disgusting shit. Now everyone of you is intrigued and wants to buy the record so you can hear for yourself how bad these guys really are. Well, they’re not, only amusing then annoying. I can say their songs are very short and I thank them for that. —Mad Reverend
The American Fuse
One Fell Swoop
Idol Records
The American Fuse and their CD One Fell Swoop have several elements which appear to be contradictory. Taz Bentley, known for his work with the Reverend Horton Heat and presently working as the drummer for Tenderloin is the producer. Kinley Wolfe is the bassist and lead singer. He played his first gig as the bassist for Black Oak Arkansas who was opening for Black Sabbath. He was 17 at the time. He was a member of The Cult until that band took a leave of absence. The footnote of his career was a band named Lord Tracy. Neil Kernon engineered the record and his past includes working on albums by Queen, Daryl Hall & John Oates and Queensrÿche. Tenderloin and Queensrÿche together with Black Oak Arkansas and The Cult?
The result of this collaboration, but first let me add the names of Clint “The Punisher” Phillips on drums and Nate Fowler the guitarist and second vocalist. The result of the collaboration is groin throbbing in need of release. It is an amusement park ride with gravity pushing the chest to the point of collapse. It is like unto the music of Tenderloin and the Reverend Horton Heat with Tenderloin’s grease and the Reverend Horton Heat’s fire. The band was nominated for a “Best Rock Band Award” by the Dallas Observer. While The American Fuse didn’t win the award, the Texas connection provides further insight into the “sound.” If ZZ Top decided to go back into the garage and their roots this is what it might sound like — Texas raw rawk ‘n’ roll that is so rough it is a surprise the disc surface remains shiny. The Talking Heads once wrote a song about a “Psycho Killer” in New York City. The American Fuse covers the number as if they are personally acquainted with one. My first inclination is to recommend the CD as the soundtrack to a The Dukes of Hazzard marathon or for the stereo of a Plymouth Duster on a road trip — trailer trash music, music to watch cops by, but an even better listening site is the working environment of the Dilbert imitators. Enlighten the cubicle bound to the joy of rock and roll that doesn’t suck. —Porter Rock
Swervedriver
99th Dream
Zero Hour
First, the news. Swervedriver is scheduled to play at the Zephyr club on March 27. The band has returned from their major label experience and their new one is on Zero Hour. The label is promoting the band aggressively. Adam Franklin has this quote in the press materials. “We were aware of different sounds and not having the usual long endings, though two of the songs do have very long endings. It wasn’t a conscious decision, just the way it was going. Concise little pop songs, bossa-nova beats and such.” The opening number is over five minutes in length. The shortest song is just over 2 and a half minutes, so I guess Franklin is correct. The seven minute epics are present and while the length eliminates the band from the radio, but for a band such as Swervedriver the epics are almost a requirement. I refuse to explain the difference between jam-on and psychedelic again. Swervedriver is a psychedelic band. It’s all in the guitar playing and a few nifty effects pedals don’t hurt. The British homeland is evident in the vocals and interestingly enough the band has entered the “dream pop” realm that formerly rejected them due to “heaviness.”
As scary as it seems, 99th Dream is lush and pretty. I guess if I hadn’t spent the day listening to Unsane, the heavy nature of the deep psychedelic hypnosis Swervedriver engages in might tear up the ears, but these guys are tame when compared to actual heavy. The music brings on images of fog and mist, the dream state sought by Steven Halpern addicts. Psychedelic mood music for the mescaline cafe. “Stellar Caprice” is quite short and quite hypnotic. The two longest tunes, “Electric 77” and “Behind the Scenes of the Sounds & the Times,” are so well presented that their seven-plus minute length isn’t noticed. I’m not sure where the CD is going in these times of vacancy, but the live show is certainly one to see. —Richard
The Skatalites
Ball Of Fire
Island Jamaica Jazz
The common refrain amongst the hard-core skater pop punk crew is, “I hate ska.” The 2-Tone, or as some complete idiot proclaimed the other day, “black and white” individuals are worse. The Skatalites won’t appeal much to either trend because Ball Of Fire is jazz. The last issue featured a review of Ernest Ranglin’s new CD. Ranglin turns up again as a guest artist on Ball Of Fire. The first song is the “James Bond Theme.” I’ve obviously missed another meeting because the fascination with all things Bond skipped right over my natty baldhead. Bond collectors can pick up another version of the theme with a Skatalites purchase and there is an actual single of the theme coming out this month. The Skatalites aren’t playing on it. Go as nuts for Bond as Titanic and ba-ba-ba-ba.
The Skatalites have the riddim down, but there is more to it than riddim. How about investigating the players? The entire horn section deserves mighty, mighty praise. They are: Roland Alphonso, Lester Sterling, Nathan Breedlove and Will Clark. Step out and give up a solo, each and every one. When Ranglin isn’t playing guitar, Devon James is and he is probably the one who will appear live at the U of U on March 16 because the band is coming to town. On the electric and acoustic bass is Lloyd Brevett. On drums is Lloyd Knibb and on piano and organ is Bill Smith. Now that we’ve introduced the band, kick back and prepare for the liveliest experience in ska/jazz imaginable. If Ball Of Fire were a record I’d be calling Kate for another copy because mine’s worn out. The disc is filed in the reggae or ska section at most stores. It belongs in the jazz bins because the soloing and improvisation presented bring America back home to jazzbos who haven’t listened to real jazz since the Skatalites discovered it in Jamaica 35 years ago. Ball Of Fire is an absolute masterpiece. —Colin “Jazz” Bo
Seely
Seconds
Too Pure
Seely needs to thank their publicist because she never gives up. The review is late, but here at SLUG Magazine, calls do pay off. Seely is four people with a guest and their music is of the ethereal pop variety. That description is hardly sufficient because there is a jam-on element present as well. “Like White” is a good example. The vocals are fragile, portions of the songs can only be described as ambient and a deep psychedelic groove keeps driving and driving and driving until it’s finished. Seely is based out of Atlanta. Amazingly enough, deep in the underground of Salt Lake City, there exists a very similar group. Hooo is the local band Seely reminds me of. While Hooo is far more involved with experimentation and low-tech, the lush music Seely created in Atlanta is associated. Due to the use of electronics for effect, they also use the customary instruments to create exquisite psychedelic music. The lamest description is Portland’s pop/psych from around ‘94 lacking the brittle edge and including a synthesizer and a female singer.
The most impressive song is “Too Fjord.” It begins with rock guitar before entering a land of fairies, colors, shadows and classically inspired round singing. “The Sandpiper” is very similar and the round singing becomes even more intensely pleasurable as the guitar becomes more and more tripped out and the band locks into a groove with the singers. It’s an amazing composition and it’s sad that the jam on hordes of the present day can’t recognize actual drug influenced music beyond the next bond load. It is even sadder that the entire “hip hop/drum and bass/dub and sampling” bunch eat their pills and use records others made to spin their fantasies into being. It’s too bad Seconds sat in the stack until pressure forced enjoyment. Investigate it now or check out your favorite DJ sampling it in three or four years. —Gianni’s Punk
Nashville Pussy
Let Them Eat Pussy
AmRep
The name says it all. What form of musical expression would a band named Nashville Pussy engage in? It’s multiple choice. (A) Country rock. (B) Modern Rock. (C) Classic Rock. (D) Contemporary Instrumental. (E) Garage punk. “Go Motherfucker Go” is the correct answer. The last time something this crazed hit SLUG Magazine, I believe it came from Canada and the band was the Kittens. His balls are on fire, he’s sweating gasoline and he claims “I’m The Man.” Nashville Pussy’s vocalist sounds like someone shoved a cattle prod up his ass. His backing band is too fucking drunk to remove it and they’ve combined with booze with cheap methamphetamines. Now the band is really, really drunk and really, really hyper. The only solution to their problem is to plug the instruments in and play really, really sloppy and really, really fast. Give the singer a goose every now and again, to make him swear a lot and kick out some jams. Kick the fucking house down. Since the house is a cardboard box and all of the power is stolen by tapping into the electric company’s lines it doesn’t matter. Find another cardboard box the next day. Panhandle enough money to get drunk again and have the meth dealer front the band about a half-a-pound. New night, new cardboard box, the power company still hasn’t discovered the line tap, now let’s rock! This shit makes it all worthwhile. —Asil Wallace
Mary Lou Lord
Got No Shadow
Work
Some love her, others hate her, but the fact that this former street corner busker made it to the “big” label can’t be denied. Mary Lou Lord returns to Salt Lake City on April 3. It is reported that she will bring a full band that isn’t out of place. The genre is folk rock. Middle class readers can reference Shawn Colvin and Paula Cole. One criticism I’ve seen of Lord is the chirp in her voice. The two previously mentioned artists don’t have the chirp and their writing comes from a more comfortable place than the street. Writing from the street won’t earn much money or rut status unless the artist is Jewel and the label works the record for three years. Actually Lord didn’t write all the songs. Nick Saloman wrote four and he helped Lord with three others. Both Freedy Johnston and Elizabeth Cotton are covered and the final tally is four Lord compositions. “Seven Sisters” is one of the best. It’s about a woman, or young girl who is both a junkie and a hooker, a runaway and probably someone Lord knew when she played on the street. The reality of the song is the attraction of folk pop. The songs tell stories, many of the stories are distressing, but it’s all real and the lyrics are clear. A lot of musicians sing grievous songs and most of them require a magnifying glass and the lyric sheet to discern, not so with Got No Shadow. The band never intrudes and in most cases the full band adds to the feeling of the song. Blah, blah, blah. It’s a pleasant album, certainly not a groundbreaking one and the best way to experience an artist such as Lord is live. Isn’t that how she makes her living? —Roland
Joy Electric
Robot Rock
BEC Recordings
Joy Electric has as much attitude as Jackyl. Jackyl came back in 1997 telling all the jaded candy asses they were going to beat them up. Joy Electric hauled the synthesizers out of the closet in 1997 and claimed, “we are the sound of tomorrow.” That isn’t all. Joy Electric is a duo and the duo plays Christian synth pop. Not only that, but Joy Electric has a song titled. “I’m Your Boy.” Don’t get excited; they’re boys of Jesus. Synth pop was never my cup of tea when the British created it. Christian synth pop is too bizarre for thought, forget about listening to it. Blips and burbles, bubbly disco sounds of synth pop for dancing and songs filled with references to God, “Come with us and join the fun / God is love and with this hope we hold the key / to share with all of those who would believe / Joy electric land …” I’ve always found the constant references to coming a curious aspect of Christian music because my experiences with Christians have led me to believe that coming is sinning, unless the purpose is procreation. Robot Rock is a pleasant recording in a novelty sort of way, but nothing more. —Anton
John Mooney
Dealing With The Devil
Ruf
John Mooney learned to play from Son House. He met Son House in Rochester, learned to play the guitar and worked as his supporting musician during the mid-70s. Mooney later moved to New Orleans and formed an electric group. The recording of interest was recorded in 1995 in Schauburg, Bremen and it is all acoustic, all Delta blues. Mooney’s foot is the rhythm section. His guitars are a 1952 National New Yorker and a 1959 National Belair. The only liner notes are an essay on what makes the blues the devil’s music and Mooney’s place creating music that is “the raw viscerality of battling the powers of the devil.” Dealing With The Devil was originally scheduled for release in mid-97. I’m not sure if it ever happened because my copy came out in January 98.
The album begins in sedate fashion with a cover of Sleepy John Estes. By the time Mooney hits his sole Robert Johnson cover, it is apparent that the man is possessed. If the feet aren’t stomping, the hands aren’t clapping, the mason jar isn’t filled with liquor by the time Mooney covers Snooks Eaglin, then it’s time to check for a pulse. The tune is “Country Boy” and it is performed in front of a live audience. Mooney goes completely insane on the National and if anyone reading has never encountered a National in the hands of someone fully aware of the instrument’s abilities then this song is a must. He does Son House a capella, he does a spiritual and he finishes it all off with his own arrangement of “Shortnin’ Bread.” The man can play and the recording is as raw as a freshly picked scab. In a very young year, Ruf has released a monster of the Delta blues on an unsuspecting public. Ruf is distributed by Polygram so there shouldn’t be a problem finding the CD at the most myopic chain store. As always, I recommend shopping at independent stores only. —Lonnie Clawson
Jimmy Ray
Epic
If “Cotton-Eyed Joe” can become a techno song complete with line dancing cowboys then why not hip hop techno rockabilly? Jimmy Ray dresses the part. He looks like a glam Teddy Boy. Unlike most of his counterparts that would be actual Teddy Boys, he didn’t resort to obscure covers. He wrote all 10 songs. The music has combined roots instruments, acoustic guitar, saxophone, slide guitar, harmonica, trumpet and trombone with electronics. “Daddy’s Got A Gun” has wailing harmonica competing for attention with weeping background vocals, twanging guitar, programmed beats and electronic sweeps. “Way Low” opens with pure and simple Grady Martin influenced guitar, Jimmy Ray nearly hiccups while he imitates Conway Twitty and the beat is all electronic. The entire project is as smooth and slick as a freshly laid snail trail (More graphic images come to mind, but that’s where they stay.). So what do you call it? Swamp rock hillbilly techno, over-produced pseudo dance-floor neo-rockabilly, or the Stray Cats gone electronic?
Watch for Jimmy Ray in the next few months all over MTV and glossy magazines. Listen to “Are You Jimmy Ray” at dance dubs, on the radio and all over television. The “swing” kids will surely pick up on “Sex For Beginners” and if Jimmy Ray can only come up with a silly dance the song either song can become like the Macarena. I’d love to hear an 8-year-old spitting out Link Wray’s name. The full-length CD is enjoyable and it is obvious that Jimmy Ray is fully aware of where the music came from. He’s found a way to cash in on the knowledge. —Arnold
Hum
Downward Is Heaven
RCA
Hum deserves respect because they’ve managed to survive on a major label long enough to release a second album. Look in the nearest cut-out bin to find those who didn’t. Hum’s first album was released on the 12-Inch label in 1991. Their second came out on 12-Inch/Cargo in 1993 and that information is certainly enough to ascertain that Hum is involved with noise and heavy. Less than two minutes into the album Hum is already spread to different corners of the studio. Each member experiments with an instrument and Matt Talbott interrupts his guitar experiments to sing a few words. Lesser musicians would immediately receive dismissal as noodlers. Hum engages in plenty of noodling, but the noodling is of the dissonant variety and underneath the dissonance is a melody, the same melody Talbott is singing. The jams work because instruments drop in and out like dive bombing wasps. Tun Lash is over to the side stomping on pedals and feeding back, Jeff Dimpsey is on the other side stroking his bass and Bryan St. Peters might as well be a jazz drummer with his light, heavy, light swing. Just when all appears as drone and fuzz the band reaches “Ms. Lazarus” The guitars ring, hiss and drone all around the central point of Talbott. Somewhere on another web page the chat concerns progression. The heavy metal room is mostly empty because of illiteracy, but on the Hum page progression meets metal and technical proficiency does not mean a cascade of notes. Hum is all about harmonics and distortion, dissonance and melody, chimes and rings feeding back through a loop which forms a song. Drums played not with the beat, but off the beat, miss two beats, play, miss three, play again, kick drum, metal bass. Feedback, now vocals. Oh yes, now here is some music indeed. The band is supposedly on the road forever. Watch for them on a local club stage. —Matthew
The Halo Benders
The Rebels Not In
K
I’ve sat on this album long enough. The interplay between Doug Martsch‘s reedy voice and Calvin Johnston‘s basso profundo is reason enough to buy. My copy is simply a CD in one of those plain white sleeves and I hate the format, but it keeps the promos out of the used shops. More than anything else, The Rebels Not In reminds me of Mike Watt‘s Contemplating Tire Engine Room. That comparison probably seems misguided because the sailor theme isn’t present, but Johnston’s vocals remind me of Watt’s and Martsch is at least the equal of Nels Cline, the guitarist on Watt’s record and Joe Baiza, the touring guitarist.
Johnston takes the lead for most songs and Martsch is content to rattle off string after string of guitar patterns to baffle the technically proficient. Any aspiring guitar gods in the reading audience are encouraged to pick the album up and once you can figure out what Martsch is up to, Satrianni will become as boring as Malmsteen. The best portions of the disc take place when Martsch sings lead with Johnston backing. This occurs on several occasions and the resulting music is why The Halo Benders are universally praised at the same time they don’t sell many records. All around the country, in thousands and thousands of record shops, the “clerks” are so bored with the vast majority of “product” arriving in the shop that they’ve retreated from the mainstream bins. The highest praise a CD can receive is not “music for musicians.” It is “music for record shop clerks” and that is what The Rebels Not In is. —Henry
Goodness
A Five Song EP
Good Ink Records
If anyone believes that local bands such as Gaslight District and Crimson Blue exist in Salt Lake City, only then is Goodness a revelation. The sound is full-bodied with the females out front and influences ranging from Lydia Pense to Bonnie Raitt to Maria Muldaur to Ann and Nancy Wilson. The Ann and Nancy Wilson reference is the most relevant because Goodness is from Seattle. Carrie Akre is the main singer. Fila McGann contributes harmonies and background as does Garth Reeves. McGann plays bass and Reeves is one of two guitarists. If a Heart update is of interest then Goodness is too. Not that Goodness is imitating Heart or anyone else, it’s the powerful rock featuring female vocals that draws the comparison. Then again the closing tune is “Hyper Cool” and with the closing song Goodness hits Pretenders land with the edge of 7 Year Bitch‘s Celine Vigil. —Gianni’s Pun
God Lives Underwater
Life In the So-Called Space Age
1500 Records
I took a peep at the February 28 issue of Billboard Magazine and found God Lives Underwater. This is SLUG Magazine. Mike Summers is not one of my favorite people. Actually I hate the very sight of the fucker and as much as everyone in this town believes in the “cutting edge” nature of X96, I’ve seen their playlist. 15 songs are in heavy rotation. KCPX and KNAK had 40 in 1965. How far down the drain has radio gone? Mike Summers is quoted in Billboard. The subject is “From Your Mouth,” the first single from God Lives Underwater’s new album. “The reaction to it’s been very good,” says X96 PD (pud) Mike Summers. “We’ve been playing it for the past few weeks. A lot of people in this market enjoyed their last records, and they have a good touring base here.” I guess that’s why they’re playing at Spanky’s instead of the formerly X96 owned and operated Saltair?
I didn’t much care for the band’s debut and I thought Empty was simply okay. My taste hasn’t changed much since ’95, but God Lives Underwater has. Now that “techno” has moved into the realm of jabberwocky idiocy and every nerd boy with a Macintosh and a sampler is a “techno” artist it is refreshing to encounter two creators. The release date is March 24 and once again, the disc is an advance. The most striking aspect of the album is the vocals. The reason “From Your Mouth,” the single, is such a hit in Salt Lake City is as obvious as the popularity of The Obvious. The tune is about gossip. The youth of this town are trained in the art of gossip from the first moment they enter a wardhouse. Does it strike a local nerve? From then on out, it’s a ride on the beats and blips and still the words come across stronger than the mindless booty shaking God Lives Underwater attracts on dance floors as the DJ mixes the 12 inch with another 12 inchers for all of those in search of one and all those lacking one.
“Can’t Come Down,” “Alone Again,” “Behavior Modification,” “Dress Rehearsal For Reproduction” was this record created in a BYU think tank? It’s big in Utah already and it isn’t even out. As March moves along, Spanky’s might look into moving the gig to a larger space. At this point in time the date for God Lives Underwater live is March 6 and the venue is Spanky’s. The crowd listening outside will at least equal the crowd inside and since God Street Wine is two doors down, how about having a big fat riot on a Friday night? —Cirque de?
DJ Krush
Milight
Mowax/Ffrr
Oooh look. Hip hop in SLUG. Mark (decoy) claimed in a Dear Dickheads letter that SLUG never does hip hop. Mark (decoy) was formerly a “writer” for Grid. If Mark (decoy) is reading, he can skip to the end for some info on his dearly departed paper and hip hop in SLUG.
DJ Krush. My bong is an artifact gathering dust. DJ Krush creates music for exhaling smoke inhaled from a bong. The CD is a pleasant, if dark, listen but I couldn’t help wondering why the DJ used synthetics to create the vibraphone imitations all over the disc. Couldn’t he hire Gary Burton or something? “This world’s going mad” is certainly true and the doomsday toll backing the “rap” is certainly apropos, but what’s new about it? My dreads were nodding and the rocking chair was knocking, lids half closed that dusty old bong was calling and after all that Milight reminded me of nothing more than Cypress Hill lacking the wordplay. If my dayz was spent in a bud-induced hayz then DJ Krush could provide the soundtrack. I was beyond that back in Basehead‘s dayz and to bring the whole deal into the present, check this out, “Mark (decoy).” Basehead was in SLUG before there was a Grid. Basehead recorded for the Emigre record label. Grid copied their layout from Raygun and Raygun copied their layout from Emigre Magazine. Duh! They were stockings before they were ho’s. —Da Alky Hollik
Read more ’90s record reviews from the archives:
Records: February 1998
Vinyl: January 1998
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