== ISSUE 169 ====  CONSUMABLE ONLINE  ======== [February 24, 1999]

  Editor:             Bob Gajarsky
                         E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com
  Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim 
                      Kennedy, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva, Lang Whitaker 
  Correspondents:     Christina Apeles, Niles J. Baranowski, Tracey 
                      Bleile, Lee Graham Bridges, Jason Cahill, Patrick 
                      Carmosino, Andrew Duncan, Krisjanis Gale, Paul 
                      Hanson, Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, 
                      Franklin Johnson, Steve Kandell, Reto Koradi, 
                      Robin Lapid, Linda Scott, Scott Slonaker, Kerwin 
                      So, Chelsea Spear, Simon Speichert, Jon 
                      Steltenpohl, Simon West
  Technical Staff:    Chris Candreva, David Landgren, Dave Pirmann
  Also Contributing:  Dan Birchall

 Address all comments to staff@consumableonline.com ; subscription 
information is given at the end of this issue. 
==================================================================
	All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). 
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the 
editor.
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                            .------------.
                            |  Contents  |
                            `------------'
REVIEW: Blondie, _No Exit_ - Tracey Bleile
REVIEW: Paul Westerberg, _Suicaine Gratifaction_ - Chris Hill
INTERVIEW: Gigolo Aunts - Al Muzer
REVIEW: jimmyeatworld, _Clarity_ - Tracey Bleile
REVIEW: Lo Fidelity Allstars, _How To Operate With A Blown 
   Mind_ - Tim Mohr
REVIEW: Jason Falkner, _Can You Still Feel?_ - John Davidson
REVIEW: Prince Paul, _A Prince Among Thieves_ - Tim Hulsizer
REVIEW: Colin James, _Colin James And The Little Big Band 
   II_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings, _Anyway the Wind 
   Blows_ - Dan Birchall
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Old School vs. New School_ - Joe Silva
REVIEW: The Ziggens, _Pomona Lisa_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Banyan, _Anytime at All_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: Guadalcanal Diary, _At Your Birthday Party_ - Bill Holmes
REVIEW: Don Caballero, _Singles Breaking Up (vol. I)_ - Kerwin So
NEWS: Black Crowes, Cravin' Melon, Depeche Mode, Sister Hazel / 
   Gibson Guitar Award, Tom Petty, London Suede
TOUR DATES: Absinthe, Afghan Whigs, All / Less Than Jake, Babe The 
   Blue Ox / Trinket / Interpreters, Joan Baez / Hank Dogs, Better 
   Than Ezra / Jude, Candlebox, Eve 6 / Marvelous 3, 50 Tons of 
   Black Terror / Groop Dogdrill, Fleming & John, Flick, Flys, 
   Godsmack / Grinspoon, Grandaddy, King Missile, Kodo, Korn, Offspring, 
   Oleander, Placebo / Stabbing Westward, Plastic People of the 
   Universe, Rusted Root, Samples, Sepultura / One Minute Silence / 
   Biohazard, Ten Foot Pole, Waco Brothers
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
Back Issues of Consumable
---
	REVIEW: Blondie, _No Exit_ (Beyond)
		- Tracey Bleile
	The high priestess of never-pigeonhole-me-cause-I-won't-fit, 
Debbie Harry, and the original lineup of Blondie have pulled it 
together from the disparate corners of the earth and sound as on the 
edge as they were throughout their career.  _No Exit_  is far more 
energizing than you might expect.
	There's a lot of jumpy dance numbers, as fresh and defiant of 
being pinned down as they were in the early 80s.  There's calypso, 
there's ska, there's punkiness, and it's all come by as legitimately 
as any of their early work.  It's also quite amazing how tight Blondie 
sounds, working together for the first time in almost seventeen years. 
But what is just as great, is you know who this is instantaneously, 
earmarked with the classic, New Wave pulsating guitar and keyboards, 
and that wanton/waif/tough/sweet voice that is Debbie Harry.   "Nothing 
Is Real But The Girl" would have tidily fit into the dance groove of 
the end of the disco/beginning of the dance club era.  "Night Wind 
Sent" is another great track in the same mood; Harry's smooth and 
gentle croon wafting up over a shimmering up-tempo beat.
	Yes, the title track is an over-the-top rap featuring Coolio, 
a deep thundering bass and melodramatic sampling of Bach's Toccata and 
Fugue; a bit schticky, but not out of place.  The single "Maria" 
is a little too processed and creamy (i.e. built for commercial 
success) for the rest of what's to be had here on _No Exit_, but hell, 
if Madonna can still surprise us within a dance-oriented album and 
Cher can breathe new life into her career for the umpteenth time doing 
the same, why not bring the originators up off their their laurels to 
see what they are yet capable of?
	Hey, Blondie broke the ground, so it's their territory to move 
in once again.  So if you want or need a reminder of where the 
attitude was born and how that transcends labels of "disco" or "new 
wave" or anything else that ever made you groove on a dance floor, 
_No Exit_ evokes dance music's birthright and its ultimately 
pigeonholeless existence.
---
	REVIEW: Paul Westerberg, _Suicaine Gratifaction_ (Capitol)
		- Chris Hill
	On _Suicaine Gratifaction_, his third solo album since 
the 1990 Replacements swan song, _All Shook Down_, singer Paul 
Westerberg resolved to sonically exorcise the ghosts of his past 
for good.  Then, asked by the label to perk up the gentle album 
he'd fancied completing, Westerberg complied, and what began as 
an Acapulco cliff swan dive now resembles a jumper changing 
clothes as he accelerates past the 35th floor: still committed 
to the course, just not as aesthetically pristine.  But any 
complaints of stylistic schizophrenia arising from the patchwork 
construction of ballads and rockers are washed away by the heart-
baring, honest emotion found throughout the album.  _Suicaine 
Gratifaction_ is the closest thing yet to the soul of the man 
dogged by the success never achieved, but critically awarded in 
absentia, to the Replacements.
	The gentle acoustic side is bound to alienate more than 
a few of the hard-line Replacements fans, who don't care to 
contemplate ex-punk Paul singing a love song duet with Shawn 
Colvin.  The horror!  Westerberg's acknowledged that he's a 
different man now, that the Replacements were made special by 
the combination of four raw, blazing talents, belonging to a 
moment in time that can't (and couldn't) be recaptured.  He's 
older, he's wiser, and he's opening himself up for scourging 
self-examination, hinted at with songs like "Answering Machine" 
and "Unsatisfied", but never to this extreme.
	"I believe I've started to go out of my head", he sings 
on "Sunrise Always Listens", a spare, beautiful, despairing 
confessional.  If this was the original direction for the album, 
it makes me yearn for the dark twins of the rocking throwbacks 
"Lookin' Out Forever" and "Final Hurrah".  Choosing to suffer 
for his art, Westerberg followed a downward spiral during the 
album's creation, plumbing his emotional depths for songwriting 
grist.  "Sunrise..." explores the nadir of a manic depressive's 
cycle: the bewildered 2 a.m. feeling where no answers are 
forthcoming, and an act of nature takes on epiphanic meaning.  
The song carries the same throat-choking emotion found on 
_Eventually_'s ode to Bob Stinson, "Good Day".
	Westerberg is a master at crafting lyrics rife in double 
meaning, homonym wordplay ("only when you're chaste/chased, can 
you ever run fast"), subtle-as-he-wants-to-be sarcasm, and O. 
Henry ironic twists of phrasing.  Missing is his overt humor. 
He's said, "This is a dark record--you'd be hard pressed to find 
a joke on it, which might be the greatest departure, because 
there's always at least one joke on my records, but I don't 
think this one has one."  (The voice of his toddler, wailing 
2:36 into "Whatever Makes You Happy" belies this claim, and I 
swear there's a barking toy dog layered in the middle of 
"Fugitive Kind".  Perhaps these are winks, rather than jokes.)
	Self-deprecating, edgy honesty crops up even on the 
mandated upbeat songs - "I was the last thing that you ever 
wanted/still the best thing you never had", "Whatever makes you 
happy/I'm pretty sure isn't me".  It's all part of the mirror 
Westerberg holds up to himself, a process he describes in song: 
"As the poet drags the darkness/within him to the light/it's only 
in self-defense".  Almost as if he doesn't have a choice, risking 
his sanity to save it.
	Don Was, co-producer with Westerberg, says "It's a rare 
occasion when you get to make a record that has solidly good 
writing throughout, where every line has value and there's not a 
wasted word.  I wanted the production to be sonically invisible 
so that there would be no remnants of the recording process that 
would get between Paul and the listener."  True to his word, the 
acoustic numbers are given room to breath, echoing edgily, with 
small flourishes - an English horn on "Self-Defense", an 
accordion on "It's a Wonderful Lie" - goosing the song without 
calling attention to themselves.
	Maybe that jumper doesn't look so awkward.  But next 
album, I'm hoping he's allowed to go the full distance to 
expressing that interior darkness.  He relates his discoveries 
with a rare ability that deserves whatever protection can be 
offered.
---
	INTERVIEW: Gigolo Aunts
		- Al Muzer
	A criminally-overlooked musical treasure destined for Big 
Star-like after-the-fact respect, recognition and reverence, the 
Gigolo Aunts deserve to be blasting from your speakers this very second.
	Touring almost continuously since 1988's _Everybody Happy_ 
but, thanks to a contractual dispute with RCA Records, not heard on 
a full-length disc since 1994's _Flippin' Out_; group co-founder / 
songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Dave Gibbs, bassist/vocalist/ songwriter / 
co-founder Steve Hurley, drummer Fred Eltringham and guitarist / 
vocalist / Jon Skibic (the latter two taking over, as of _Flippin' 
Out_, for Paul Brouwer and Phil Hurley, respectively) have bounced 
back with _Minor Chords And Major Themes_.
	Audible fans of the Raspberries, Badfinger, the Beatles, 
Kiss, Velvet Crush (Gibbs was that group's touring guitarist in 1991), 
the Byrds, Teenage Fanclub and, of course, all things Cheap Trick; 
_Minor Chords And Major Themes_ is a watershed collection of 
hook-laden, buoyantly-catchy, lyrically-moving potential hits that 
compares favorably to its jangly forbears while it challenges such 
contemporaries as Nada Surf, Marvelous 3, Figdish, Sloan, Fountains 
Of Wayne, The Vandalias and Baby Lemonade.
	The first offering from Counting Crow frontman Adam Duritz's 
Universal-distributed E Pluribus Unum imprint, the charismatic young 
vocalist has been an ardent Gigolo Aunts fan since the grunge-heavy 
early days when their breezy, pop-based major label debuts were both 
being ignored by radio.
	Not just any label chief, Duritz requested the 'Aunts as the 
opening act for portions of the Counting Crows' 1997 tour; sings 
backing vocals (with Fountains Of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger) 
on "The Big Lie"; and was frequently spotted in the audience during 
their January residency at Hollywood's ultra-trendy Martini Lounge.
	In addition to the mega-star status of their dreadlocked label 
president, a year-old UK Top-30 hit and British TV theme song in 
"Where I Find My Heaven" and considerable chart success in Japan; the 
Gigolo Aunts have also received attention for the inclusion of "You'd 
Better Get Yourself Together, Baby" on a recent episode of _Felicity_.
	Besides television, the 'Aunts have also made inroads into the 
lucrative world of movies and are featured on the soundtracks for 
_Dumb and Dumber_, _The River Wild_, _That Thing You Do_ and _Swimming 
With Sharks_ starring Kevin Spacey.
	As the Mike (Aimee Mann, Letters To Cleo, Jennifer Trynin) 
Denneen-produced _Minor Chords And Major Themes_ CD gathers momentum 
behind such FM-friendly songs as "Super Ultra Wicked Mega Love," "C'mon, 
C'mon," "For A Moment" and "Everyone Can Fly" - longtime fans have 
begun pinching themselves and asking anyone who'll stop long enough 
to listen, "will 1999 be remembered as 'The Year Of The Gigolo?' "
	"Just wait 'til you hear our electronic side project!" Gibbs 
jokes when the various musical trends that've charted since his group's 
guitar-pop debut was released are mentioned. "We're also working on one 
of those rap-metal hybrid things, you know...one'a those bands."
	"That'll be called 'Illy-Bar," offers Skibic.
	"And then, John's got a band that's called 'Skibic'," laughs 
Gibbs. "It's an all instrumental thing...a lounge-core, heavy-metal, 
drums 'n' bass, rap-a'la-Limp Biskit-and-Korn kind'a thing..."
	"I've also got a ska-Klezmere side project that I'm working on 
called 'Smock,' " adds Skibic.
	"Smock!" Gibbs says as though he really likes the feel of the 
name. "And then, well, there's always 'The New Jersey Guitar Army.' " 
[Note: TNJGA is an actual Gigolo Aunts offshoot that performed most of 
Television's Marquee Moon at an East coast club recently. "We were 
thinking of doing a real long version of L.L. Cool J's 'Mama Said 
Knock You Out', " confides Skibic. "But decided to go with Television 
instead."]
	"The New Jersey Guitar Army is, uhm..." Gibbs says with a 
searching pause, "it's a great release.  We try to take things 
seriously when we're in the studio and on the road, you know?  But 
the business aspect of this," he adds with the weary sigh of someone 
who has truly been there, "is such a fucking joke that, if you can't 
have a little fun you wind up getting...you get defeated because it 
seems so...so arbitrary as to who gets played on the radio, what 
records are in the stores and who gets all the press coverage. It 
really is something of a joke, so you've gotta try to have fun with 
it while you can."
	"And, if it becomes something that's no fun anymore..." 
interjects Skibic.
	"Sometimes I think, 'here's this thing that I love...this 
record,' " Gibbs continues in a torrent of words, " 'this record that 
is, like, a huge part of me and has been a part of my life...' I'm 
saying something that's really personal to me on this record...."
	"And...," prompts Skibic, a man who has clearly been on the 
receiving end of previous, and similar, examinations of the way things 
work by Gibbs.
	"And then you put it out there and you read some shitty review 
of it and you're like, 'Goddamn!' " Gibbs says sadly. "It almost makes 
you not want to do that [make music] again. That part, I dread."
	"It's really hard predicting what's gonna appeal to radio," 
Skibic deadpans. "Which is why we try not to worry about it and play 
what we like."
	"Which is why I'm happy every time I hear, like, a Barenaked 
Ladies song on the radio," Gibbs explains. "It may not be exactly like 
us, but it's at least got guitars, bass and drums on it."
	"I'm predicting a brass band revival," jokes Skibic. "Like, 
big high school bands. Really fucking good high school bands...Sousa!"
	"Sousa?" queries Gibbs. "Hey! Around the turn of the century ... 
the kids dig the Sousa!  That's what I'm seeing as the next big thing.  
Sousa with big, phat break beats behind it!  Everything always comes 
back to Sousa."
---
	REVIEW: jimmyeatworld, _Clarity_ (Capitol)
		- Tracey Bleile
	 _Clarity_, the second full-length major release from Tempe, AZ's 
jimmyeatworld, or Jimmy Eat World, as you like it, was the release that 
almost wasn't.  Or was it?  I digress.  The album was suffering from the 
strangest sort of sophomore jinx - not that it was coming out to a 
chorus of boos and hisses, rather, dead silence.  Word on the street was 
their major wasn't going to support another release after _Static 
Prevails_ faded from view way too fast.  The band was working their 
asses off anyway, after a long break following _Static_.  They hooked 
up with Gainesville, Florida indie Fueled By Ramen and cut a kick-ass 
self-titled EP.  The story gets weirder here, so stay with me.  
	This punk-inspired, poetically-informed groups of guys have a 
little tune on this EP.  Let's put it this way.  If John Hughes were 
makin' a cut-across-all-clique-lines teen movie now like he did when I 
was watching them, this would be the straight-shooting, can't shake that 
melody credit-roller.  Only a 1,000 copies of the EP were slated to be 
pressed.  Seems a section of hell was indeed destined to freeze over. 
When an ambitious and intrigued DJ from the monolithic KROC in L.A. got 
their hands on the EP, they heard this song.  Started playing it.  Next 
thing you know, it gets added.  Kiss of life.  Goes into heavy rotation; 
a giant segment of an important musical market is hearing this song (at 
a minimum) 10 times a day.  Kiss of eternal life.  Guess who anted up to 
make sure this full-length release will indeed get the major support it 
deserves, after all?
	"Lucky Denver Mint" is just one prime example of what was already 
great and shows so much growth in this band.  The restless, driving 
percussive backdrop (courtesy of Zach Lind's two-fisted assault) of 
"Lucky" is matched beat for beat with the heavy bassline (Rick Burch 
more than holds up his half of the rhythm) and speed-strummed (not 
thrashed) guitar. The band's obsession with patterns, like modern 
dancers, takes percussion and rhythm like dance steps, playing the same 
riff/same beat the same for ways, which ties back to the same essential 
moves within the same piece. You can count the beats clearly in every 
single song, in true metronome fashion, to great hypnotizing effect.  
"For Me This Is Heaven" (another holdover from the EP) takes a simple 
heavy guitar line and balances it with a clean, simple piano 
arrangement that makes your throat ache every time you listen to it.  
These songs show how clearly the band has learned the value (intrinsic 
and musical) of holds and pauses within the music itself.  They've 
listened to their U2, circa _Joshua Tree_, the Cure, et al, and have 
picked up on the legacy of where music was heading in the very early 
90s and brought it alive in time for the end of the decade.
	The band breathes the essence of punk, but feeds on the elements 
of surprise, and are quick-change artists at heart (a trait they've 
probably had from day one, it was what made _Static_  shine, and works 
to even greater effect here): quiet opening verse, one perfect bass 
line, tinkling piano or xylophones, dramatic violins and cello, 
sweet-sung vocals.  Then it all suddenly explodes as Jim Adkins' puts 
his permanently-high-register reaching voice over the top and Tom Linton 
stomps on his wah-wah, and sends you staggering back a step or so.  All 
of these elements come to bear at the album's mid-point, with a 
seven-minute raging and whispering beauty,"Just Watch The Fireworks", 
which builds and builds and then fades back, violins and xylophone and 
piano playing a delicate counterpoint to crashing drums.  Philharmonic 
Punk Pop?  Can't encapsulate it with a tag, I'm just here to try and 
interpret for you.
	More than a mere title, _Clarity_ is a theme at work.  Every 
song takes a moment in time, just like that mythical Hughes movie, and 
with a song like "Crush", brings you to that terrible split-second when 
you realized that that one person is never gonna feel like you do, and 
sets it to music.  "Simple discourse breaks you clean in half / Regret 
/ Do try it once and then you know / Your move / Settle for less again" 
Adkins voice rails, and then trails away.
	The delicious ironic and snarling "Your New Aesthetic" is the 
band's call to radio and music's consumers to be more open, ready and 
willing to new things, and at the same time rejects the "flavor of the 
week" mentality.  Given the fact that "Lucky Denver Mint" puts them on 
the horns of that very dilemma,  I will make my semi-annual plea that 
programmers keep looking for depth, because this band has it to spare. 
Failing that, it's up to you to dig for the good stuff.  _Clarity_ 
gives with every fiber of its existence, and jimmyeatworld welcomes 
you in to get what you need.  Feel free to stay as long as you like.
---
	REVIEW: Lo Fidelity Allstars, _How To Operate With A Blown Mind_ 
		(Skint/Columbia)
		- Tim Mohr
	Though the Lo Fidelity Allstars record for Skint, the hot Big 
Beat label that is home to Fatboy Slim, they are much like a Renegade 
Soundwave for today: like Renegade Soundwave, they don't fit 
conveniently into dance or indie. Abrasive bohemian-hop vocals layered 
over dense sound collages that draw from both camps.
	The Allstars are very much sample-based, using sources as 
obvious as "Planet Rock" and old Stax and Motown songs to a variety of 
semi-obscure easy-listening like Lalo Schifrin and Eartha Kitt. As is 
popular at the moment in the UK, many nods to early-80s Electro surface 
on _How To Operate_, from antiquated drum machines to the aforementioned 
"Planet Rock" sample. Here and there a touch of Dub also influences the 
tracks.
	The album opens with "Warming Up The Brain Farm" - a soup of 
dance elements, thicker than typical Big Beat. A vocal sample prepares 
you for the rest of the record: "Nothing seems that weird anymore."
	"Kool Roc Bass" also uses diverse vocal snippets, then actual 
vocals compliments of The Wrekked Train. Like Renegade Soundwave, again, 
Train's vocals are sneered more than sung. Hip-hop beats, scratching, 
and bass synth anchor the proceedings.
	Still, given the elements with which the Lo Fidelity Allstars 
craft their songs, _How To Operate_ feels like an album: you can tell 
this was created by a band, a collective effort (of seven people, in 
fact) rather than an insular DJ album. More ideas are used on each 
track; the many ideas have been hammered into cohesive songs rather 
than simply strung along to beats. The Lo Fidelity Allstars seem almost 
like an indie version of the Prodigy; cooler, lighter, less dependant 
on obviously teenie ploys to propel their songs. _How To Operate With 
A Blown Mind_ should broaden the appeal of sampler-based music because 
of the underground, even - dare I say - lo-fi, sensibility and attitude 
of the Allstars.
---
	REVIEW: Jason Falkner, _Can You Still Feel?_ (Elektra)
		- John Davidson
	"Take a chance with me.  And you will find you're only 
dreaming.  Dream awhile and when you awake.  You'll find me gone."  
So goes "The Invitation", the lead track on Jason Falkner's 
follow-up to the best pop record of 1996, _Author Unknown._  Maybe 
it's a plea for recognition, or maybe it's a soothsayer telling it 
like it is.  The music business takes no prisoners, and has a 
history of making fools who believe otherwise.  Falkner, who played 
with The Three O'Clock, Jellyfish, the Grays, and others before 
heading out on his own, certainly has seen the downs and a few ups 
during his musical career, including _Can You Still Feel?_ which has 
been sitting in the can for about a year already as it went through 
the machinations at Elektra.
	That said, Falkner's talents are again seeing the light on 
_Can You Still Feel?_ As before, he is playing and singing everything, 
creating dense, multi-layered pop songs that often begin like sketches 
but end as musical portraits full of detail. This is not guitar-based 
pop rock in the order of the Gin Blossoms or Third Eye Blind.  It's 
got more touch and grace to it, more craft applied, more personal 
flourishes, and considerably more ambition.  That's probably why it 
doesn't sound much like a tight band blazing through some simple, 
three chord songs.  
	The result is that his ideas take more time to soak in.  
While the requisite hooks and sugar-coated swirls have immediate 
appeal, it takes awhile to embrace the scope of the album.  Quirky 
bridges, shifting tempos, and shuffling lyrics create eccentricities 
that seem to develop longer than they did on "Author Unknown."  It's 
not the easy sipping drink of before; the bitters are stronger this 
time as Falkner wanders through old relationships ("The Plan", 
"Honey") and does some soul searching ("Revelation" or "Eloquence".) 
He's moved slightly away from pure pop veneer in his past, and become 
a little more contemplative.  Ironically, the song "Author Unknown" 
seems as though it may have fit better on his previous album of the 
same name.  Still, if you heard his last one, or his work with the 
Grays, you know what to expect and won't be disappointed.
	Ultimately, Falkner is a first-rate writer, knowing how to 
elaborate an idea without strapping on too many musical indulgences. 
A twist here, a turn there, but rarely in excess.  It's one of the 
advantages of doing everything yourself, but as great as _Can You 
Still Feel?_ is, it's not the record that will break him wide into 
the mainstream.  He's still just another singer-songwriter whose pop 
songs are probably too complex for mass radio appeal.  However, he's 
one of the best working right now, and that leaves him a well-kept 
secret for the rest of us. 
---
	REVIEW: Prince Paul, _A Prince Among Thieves_ (Tommy Boy)
		- Tim Hulsizer
	From one hip hop's finest minds comes one of the most ambitious 
works in recent memory.  Prince Paul has pulled out all the stops here 
to make something better than your usual album.  It's more of a 
77-minute story, introducing us to Tariq (played by Breez), a young man 
who needs a thousand dollars to put together his demo and get a rap 
record deal.  Unable to get the cash another way, Tariq's friend True 
(newcomer Sha) volunteers to set up Tariq as a dealer "just for the 
week."  Of course, things never quite work out that smoothly. 
	30-year-old Prince Paul has come a long way from his days with 
Stetsasonic and his production work on De La Soul etc., but his 
tendency towards innovation remains at the forefront.  While his peers 
are content to run the same rhymes over the same old, tired beats, Paul 
keeps stretching the boundaries of the form, with occasionally varying 
results.  On this, his second solo LP, he brings together a large cast 
to flesh out the drama.  Kool Keith, Big Daddy Kane, Chris Rock, and 
Everlast are among the group, each with their own part to play and 
dialogue or songs to perform.  
	Prince Paul's mind works in strange ways sometimes, which may 
explain why he's such an underappreciated presence in the music industry. 
He moves among the tracks like a demented ghost, distorting a sound 
here or layering a noise there.  A few recurring sound effects (a 
donkey bray, a man saying "freakin' lickin'") tend to distract after 
awhile, but they also add cohesion and tone to something that approaches 
the divine at times.  Witness Kool Keith's eccentric performance as 
Crazy Lou, the owner of Weapon World, or check out the give and take 
between Tariq and True on the track "What You Got (the Demo)".  
	More than just another hip hop release, _A Prince Among 
Thieves_ is along the lines of an experimental parable about the record 
biz.  It combines elements of satire and wit, with serious moments as 
well.  It's cinematic in the extreme, so it comes as no surprise that a 
film version is already underway.  Expanding on Paul's old gift for the 
hip hop "skit" (he basically invented it back in the 80's), this album 
also functions as a look back at the past decade in the industry.  It's 
evident that he's more of a detached observer watching things from the 
side, preferring not to speak until he actually has something to say.
	Prince Paul calls _Psychoanalysis_ (his 1996 solo debut) "the 
big middle finger up at everything".  While the life situations 
surrounding the artist have since changed from when he put that album 
together, his work still has that exploratory feel to it.  Let's hope 
this new album brings one of hip hop's great artist/producers back to 
center stage where he belongs.  That could only mean more great things 
in the future.
---
	REVIEW: Colin James, _Colin James And The Little Big 
		Band II_ (Elektra)
		- Bill Holmes
	As jump, swing and blues appeal to yet another generation, 
record labels are (ahem) jumping on the trend like they do any other, 
everyone searching for their Brian Setzer Orchestra. Colin James put 
his money where his mouth was back in 1993, however, and achieved 
double-platinum success in his native Canada. Six years later, the 
world has caught up with him - or rightfully, with Cab Calloway, 
Louis Prima and Louis Jordan.
	There's nothing groundbreaking here - bands like Chicago's 
late Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows have forged blues and swing for 
years - but at least James seems like a purist and not a bandwagon 
jumper. I've seen enough people detaching their nose rings and donning 
zoot suits to last me a lifetime, thanks, and what comes out is the 
same lame attempt to ride the wave that's already passed them by. 
James eschews posing for some nice turns of Ray Charles, Jackie Wilson 
and Memphis Slim in addition to two of his own cuts. If he weren't 
sincere, this would be a dance party recording; instead, slices of 
blues pain like "You Know My Love" are prominently included.
	Naturally, the main features are all there - rollicking 
drumbeat, crack horn section, standup bass, strong keyboards. James' 
voice has the right soft rasp for the material, and his guitar playing 
is solid but not showy, (think B.B.King and Robert Cray). The result is 
a record that sounds fresh, not dated, which, of course, is the point 
of all this.
---
	REVIEW: Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings, _Anyway the Wind Blows_ 
		(Velvel)
		- Dan Birchall
	History has a strange way of repeating itself in the music 
business, and the 90's have been no exception.  The recent revival of 
"Swing" bands (actually mis-labeled "Big Bands") introduced us to a horde 
of little-known acts, and reminded us that musical styles never die.
	The second Rhythm Kings album, _Anyway the Wind Blows,_ 
revives sounds that dominated the mid-century.  But the Kings 
aren't mere retro wanna-be's - their roster reads like a "Who's Who" 
of classic rock.  Organized by former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, the 
project also features Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, and Mick Taylor.
	Ten classic blues and jazz tracks are mixed with a half-dozen 
originals by Wyman - good luck telling them apart!  There are quite 
a few catchy tunes, and some Stones-esque lyrical double entendres. 
These aren't the Stones, of course - few songs even approach rock - 
but the legendary talents involved turn out good results. 
	If you liked the "Swing" revival, this could further broaden 
your musical horizons.  It could also help you find common ground with 
other generations - your parents or grandparents will recognize the 
toe-tapping style.  And with rock 'n roll gods like these in the 
liner notes, your rock-fan friends won't think you've lost your edge.
---
	REVIEW: Various Artists, _Old School vs. New School_ (Jive Electro)
		- Joe Silva
	Considering the depth and urban stature of their back catalogue, 
offering up this wealth of material to the whims of a new generation, 
was probably an act of high seduction. The choices might not be all that 
you might expect (who'd pass over Mystikal for a whack at a Stone Roses 
track?), but the overall results are fresh enough to subdue any 
complaints.
	Employing a couple of heavy hitters (Fat Boy Norman Cook, 
Grooverider), and some lesser known faves (Rabbit In The Moon, Aphrodite), 
the mix of talent is enticing and diverse enough to tug at a listeners 
attention, for "back in the day" nostalgia if nothing else, throughout 
the disc. Leading off with the Whodini classic "Magic's Wand," rehabbed 
by Big Beat Brit-boys Freestlyers, the collection gets off on the good 
foot. This track and a fair portion of the others aren't so much 
disassembled as they are decorously updated. Even more surprising is 
that with one exception there's not a track that clocks in over seven 
minutes. The coming vinyl treatments will undoubtedly stretch out some.
	Immediately worthwhile is Pimp Juice's reclamation of A Tribe 
Called Quest's "Go Ahead In The Rain." Equally well re-spun is 
Aphrodite's take on the Tribe's "1nce Again." But if the interest 
factor dips a touch during the Bassbin Twins' assault on Boogie Down 
Production's "A Crate of BDP" where the interest dips are fairly 
acceptable, it touches bottom when Bad Boy Bill has his way with Kool 
Moe Dee's "I Go To Work." That was a track best left to the inner 
vault. Norman Cook's go at the Tribe's "I Left My Wallet in El 
Segundo" may skank some, but ultimately it disappoints. More redeeming 
are items like DJ Icey's account of Whodini's "Five Minutes of Funk" 
and the well-executed Hybrid Mix of Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's 
"Summertime." With enough worth-while stuff on display, here's to 
looking for Volume II. 
---
	REVIEW: The Ziggens, _Pomona Lisa_ (Skunk)
		- Bill Holmes
	As you might be able to tell from the album title, these 
guys have a sense of humor. They're also crackerjack musicians and 
masters of many styles. My first introduction to them was a song from 
their _Chicken Out_ record called "Goober's Got A Girlfriend"; besides 
the obvious visual shudder a title like that would generate, the 
guitarist sound-checked everyone from Led Zeppelin to The Beatles 
with throwaway fills. On _Pomona Lisa_, Dick Dale and Brian Wilson 
get a workout, along with country moaners, tight-bun waitresses and 
Abe Vigoda, among others (and the Mayberry jokes live on in the 
booklet's artwork).
	Surf punkers at heart, they can keep pace with The Ramones 
on songs like "Stranded On Clicker Island" and "I Took My Mom To The 
Prom" ("Didn't have to buy a corsage/the car's parked in the garage"). 
They even name-check their website in "Surf3", a Jan and Dean style 
song about waxing up that keyboard. Then there are several reverential 
surf instrumentals that will make your tiki lamp glow; "Surfin You Say" 
and "Surfin Buena Park" are tasteful and sincere. But just when you get 
soft, Dick Dale gets dusted with "Goin Richter" while Rodney King's 
non-anthem "Can't We All Just Get A Longboard" blasts from the jukebox. 
Even when writing love songs, they're slabs of twisted poetry and 
desperate cries for therapy ("Pony Up" and "What To Do" especially).
	The Skunk label is most famous for breaking Sublime, and if 
they could get an overrated stoner band like that onto the radios of 
America, I would imagine that these twisted wise guys will be a big 
deal pretty soon. Few bands match irreverence with such talent - The 
Colorblind James Experience comes to mind - but the Ziggens have the 
chops to back up their smirks. They must be amazing to witness live.
	Elliot Easton (yes, THAT Elliot Easton) produced the record 
and plays some guitar, and he probably hasn't enjoyed himself this 
much in a decade. Probably two.
---
	REVIEW: Banyan, _Anytime at All_ (Higher Octave)
		- Chris Hill
	1997's _Banyan_ came about thanks to CyberOctave's keen 
interest in the jams recorded the previous year by Porno for 
Pyros and Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, Mike Watt, 
Nels Cline, and Money Mark (and produced by the Dust Brothers). 
The follow-up, _Anytime at All_, was a planned event, but the 
spirit of improvisation remains dominant.  Perkins redrafts Watt 
and Cline (for what is essentially his solo outlet) and adds new 
cohorts Rob Wasserman, Flea & John Frusciante (from the Red Hot 
Chili Peppers), Buckethead, Bad Azz, and a slew of others to the 
lineup, then steps back from the command chair, giving the 
musicians room to follow their creative inclinations, and making 
each an equal contributor to the final, free-form product.
	Because of the loose structure, a mnemonic slipperiness 
pervades _Anytime at All_.  The songs melt their way into the 
ears, play, then slide on, evading recall scant minutes later 
like mental mercury.  Devoid of a meaty "whole album" presence, 
the cd fleshes itself out with funk and jazz jam riffs galore, 
each song an organic, transitory creation: conceived, gestated, 
and delivered day by day in the studio.
	Some of the thirteen tracks teeter on the brink of wank, 
and some plunge blissfully over.  In particular, the 14:52 opus 
"The Apple and the Seed".  The song's final minute segues into a 
drums, percussion, and bass-driven jungle soundtrack motif that 
should have been the song's centerpiece, rather than its climax. 
It's a litmus test for your own free-form appreciation limits.
	That's the downside.  On the upside, there are numerous 
moments when a drum riff, a horn note, or a fine bass run rises 
from the sonic bog, grasps the earlobes, and demands proper 
attention.  Willy Waldman from the Memphis Horns (on trumpet) 
and hip hop engineer Dave Aaron (on clarinet) are responsible 
for a number of these tugs, as is Perkins, who displays his 
playing versatility.  He uses the full range of a drum kit, plus 
kettle and steel drums.  Even water becomes a percussive 
soundboard - a fine creative touch on "Early Bird".  It's the 
dot on the i in "organic".
	"Keep the Change", another standout, combines blissed 
female vocals ("I had a dream I was covered with mushrooms/ 
There's malice behind these questions.") over a trip-hop beat. 
Herb friendliness a plus in the listener, I imagine.
	Totaling 69 minutes, _Anytime at All_ makes a decent 
soundtrack for a relaxed Sunday 3C (coffee, croissant, and 
crossword) morning.  Also useful as road-rage antitoxin during 
the daily commute.  http://www.cyberoctave.com/ for further
album/group info.
---
	REVIEW: Guadalcanal Diary, _At Your Birthday Party_ (Guadco)
		- Bill Holmes
	Back in the early 1980's, a four piece band from Georgia 
astutely forged a new and exciting sound from their influences. The 
lead singer wrote about odd topics - religious paranoia, cultural 
injustice, famous dead comedians - but the band created music as a 
democratic process. The lead guitarist was inventive and could squeeze 
just about any sound from his instrument, while the rhythm section 
was locked in seamlessly, alternately driving and supporting the 
thrust of the music. College radio jumped all over their first album, 
and rightfully so - this was something that signaled a new fusion of 
American musical roots with the interpretive genius of new voices. The 
band packed themselves into a van and headed out to play every bar and 
club that would have them. Their live shows whipped crowds into a 
frenzy, and it seemed like only a matter of time before they would 
be blasting out of every radio in America.
	But Guadalcanal Diary never got that shot. See, radio had 
finally caught up with this other band called R.E.M.....and everyone 
radio wizard knows that you can't have two great bands from the same 
place. Unless it's Seattle, of course.
	But radio and good music had ceased walking hand in hand years 
before, so Guadalcanal Diary just kept kicking ass and taking names, 
releasing four records for Elektra between 1984 and 1989 before finally 
calling it a day. Murray Attaway took his acerbic vision to Geffen and 
a solo deal, while the others signed on with Love Tractor and Hillbilly 
Frankenstein. Fans of the band cherished their vinyl legacy, another 
bug on the windshield of the music industry.
	Fast-forward to 1995, as Attaway is recording his second (and 
still unreleased) solo effort. Calling upon old bandmates to join in, 
the spark reunites. Rumors fly. Hopes are raised. Finally, in 1996, a 
reunion show that not only blows the doors off the room, but energizes 
the band into a reformation.
	_At Your Birthday Party_ was recorded over two nights in 
January 1998 and features a sampling of songs from their past catalogue. 
Unlike some bands who have reformed out of financial need or boredom, 
Guadalcanal Diary sounds explosive. Jeff Walls incinerates stompers 
like "Watusi Rodeo" and the Stonesy "Likes Of You" (the record's high 
point) while Attaway sounds like a man possessed raising the roof at a 
revival tent. You can't see Rhett Crowe's angular frame pogo-ing at a 
manic pace, but you know she is. And how Poe gets through a night with 
the same drum heads is beyond me. Their attack of "Dead Eyes" and 
"Cattle Prod" would put most psychobilly bands to shame, but more 
melodic fare like "Pretty Is As Pretty Does" ("Dizzy Miss Lizzie", 
swamp style) and "Trail Of Tears" are as powerful and hypnotic as 
ever. Sixteen cuts deep, crisply recorded but the stink of beer and 
sweat is unmistakable.
	Radio hasn't gotten any kinder, so although the band has 
recorded some new material, they are in the process of finding the 
right outlet for it. In the meantime, however, this self-released 
live document should keep old fans happy while it opens the ears of 
those who weren't fortunate enough to share it the first time around. 
Those who wish to testify are strongly advised to head over to 
http://www.guadalcanaldiary.com without further delay.
---
	REVIEW: Don Caballero, _Singles Breaking Up (vol. I)_ (Touch & Go)
		- Kerwin So
	Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, solo, chorus, bad solo.  
The fearsome foursome known as Don Caballero not only eschew the 
conventional pop formula, they pound it to a bloody pulp.  Don Cabs 
music resembles a sonic train wreck:  terrifying, brutal, yet awesome 
to behold.  While death metal might be the closest genre to identify 
this band with, Don Caballero is decidedly not metal.  Their sound is 
dark and violent, to be sure, but in a more fragmented and pointed 
way - intermittent shards of harsh guitar and thundering bass scrape 
against fusillades of chaotically controlled percussion.  Drummer and 
band leader Damon Che nails his drum kit down onto the stage before 
performing live, a ritual that, along with stripping down to his skivvies, 
clearly demonstrates his power and seriousness behind the drums. 
Don Caballero further refuse to add vocals to their songs, placing 
them in a class of their own.
	Now if you're already a fan of the Don, then _Singles Breaking 
Up_ will definitely be up your alley, particularly if you jumped late 
onto the bandwagon.  While the CD doesn't technically contain any 
new Don Cab songs, it does feature a host of B-sides and session 
tracks left over from the past few albums, as well as one previously 
unreleased track.  To the new listener, however, it may be difficult to 
tell the difference between songs, especially upon first listen.  Despite 
the reference to the Buzzcocks _Singles Going Steady_, this is not a 
collection of Don Caballero's greatest hits, nor will any of the songs 
ever likely achieve broad commercial success.  But if you can stick 
with it without sustaining a migraine, it may just pay off: you'll start to 
pick out parts and changes you hadnt noticed before, and begin to 
appreciate the force and sheer ability of drummer Che (particularly in 
the shorter songs).  Besides Che's blistering stickwork, the real 
beauty of Don Caballero is the sheer density of its compositions; 
once you get over the feeling of being overwhelmed, there's 
something new to be heard and discovered every time.  In 
short:  if you're feeling musically adventurous, give this CD - and this 
band - a try.
---
NEWS:	> The Black Crowes will be appearing on Late Night 
With Conan O'Brien on Thursday, February 25 and performing 
the new single "Only A Fool" from _By Your Side_.
	> Cravin' Melon will be returning to the studios at 
the end of March to make the followup album to _Red Clay Harvest_ .
	> Depeche Mode's _The Singles 81>85_ has been domestically 
released and remastered for the first time by Reprise Records.  
Previously only available in the United States as an import, 
this collection includes fifteen songs, along with two remixes: 
"Just Can't Get Enough (Schizo Mix)" and "Photographic (Some 
Bizarre Version)". 
	> Sister Hazel's Ryan Newell, Monster Magner's Ed Mundell 
and the Wallflowers' Mike Ward have been nomatined for a Gibson 
Guitar Award for "Les Paul Horizon Award - Most Promising New 
Guitarist."
	> Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will be performing 
seven shows at San Francisco's Fillmore Theatre as a prelude to 
the April 13 release of their new album, _Echo_ (Warner Brothers). 
Each show, beginning at 8 p.m., will have a different opening 
act.
	> The London Suede will be releasing their new album 
_Head Music_ (Nude / Columbia) in the U.S. on June 8.  This will 
be the first album without longtime producer Ed Buller, with 
Steve Osbourne taking his place.
---
TOUR DATES:
	Absinthe
Feb. 28 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle

	Afghan Whigs
Feb. 26 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse 
Mar. 1 New Orleans, LA House Of Blues 
Mar. 2 Baton Rouge, LA Variety Theater 
Mar. 5 Chicago, IL Cabaret Metro 

	All / Less Than Jake
Feb. 27 Salt Lake City, UT Canyons Ski Resort (Daytime Show)
Mar. 2 Hollywood, CA The Palace
Mar. 3 Reno, NV Rodeo Rock

	Babe The Blue Ox / Trinket / Interpreters
Feb. 26 Birmingham, AL Nick
Feb. 27 Tallahassee, FL Down Under
Mar. 3 Nashville, TN Exit Inn

 	Joan Baez / Hank Dogs 
Feb. 26 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
Feb. 27 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theater
Feb. 28 West Palm Beach, FL Carefree Theater

	Better Than Ezra / Jude
Feb. 25 Orlando, FL House of Blues
Feb. 26 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club
Feb. 27 Atlanta, GA Roxy
Mar. 2 Greenville, NC Attic
Mar. 3 Charleston, SC Music Farm

	Candlebox
Feb. 25 LaCrosse, WI Hollywood Theatre
Feb. 26 Wausau, WI Bases Loaded
Feb. 27 Appleton, WI TCF Center
Feb. 28 Madison, WI Kit's Corner
Mar. 2 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
Mar. 3 Fort Wayne, IN Pierre's

	Hank Dogs 
Mar. 2 Washington, DC Birchmere
Mar. 3 Philadelphia, PA George's

	Eve 6 / Marvelous 3
Feb. 26 Old Bridge, NJ Birch Hill 
Feb. 27 Philadelphia, PA Theater of the Living Arts 
Feb. 28 Syracuse, NY Lost Horizon
Mar. 2-3 New York, NY Bowery Ball 

	50 Tons of Black Terror / Groop Dogdrill
Feb. 26 Detroit, MI Alvin's

	Fleming & John
Feb. 24 Birmingham, AL 5 Points South 
Feb. 26 Nashville, TN 328 Perform. Hall
Feb. 27 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse

	Flick
Feb. 25 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol
Feb. 26 Baltimore, MD Whfs Radio Show
Feb. 27 Norfolk, VA Boathouse
Mar. 1 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
Mar. 2 Charleston, SC Music Farm
Mar. 3 Lake Buena Vista, FL House Of Blues

	Flys
Feb. 26 New Orleans, LA House of Blues

	Godsmack / Grinspoon
Feb. 25 Salt Lake City, UT The Zephyr
Feb. 26 Colorado Springs, CO CO Music Hall
Feb. 28 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar
Mar. 1 Milwaukee, WI The Rave
Mar. 2 Chicago, IL The Metro
Mar. 3 Detroit, MI St. Andrews

	Grandaddy
Feb. 26 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall

	King Missile
Feb. 26 Austin, TX Electric Lounge
Feb. 27 Denton, TX Rubber Gloves
Feb. 28 Oklahoma City, OKVZD/Mind Candy 
Mar. 2 Albuquerque, NM Launch Pad
Mar. 3 Tucson, AZ Club Congress

	Kodo
Feb. 28 Boston, MA Symphony Hall
Mar. 3-5 New York, NY Beacon Theatre

	Korn
Feb. 26 Tucson, AZ Convention Center Arena
Feb. 27 Albuquerque, NM Tingley Arena
Feb. 28 El Paso, TX Coliseum
Mar. 2 San Antonio, TX Freeman Coliseum
Mar. 3 Dallas, TX Reunion Arena

	Offspring
Feb. 27-28 New York, NY Roseland
Mar. 2 Troy, NY RPI Fieldhouse
Mar. 3 Mississauga, ONT Arrow Hall @ Intl. Center

	Oleander	
Feb. 26 Sacramento, CA The Crest 
Feb. 28 Memphis, TN WMFS Show

	Placebo / Stabbing Westward
Feb. 25 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol
Feb. 26 Baltimore, MD HFS Radio Show
Feb. 27 Norfolk, VA The Boathouse
Mar. 1 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
Mar. 2 Charleston, SC Music Farm
Mar. 3 Orlando, FL House of Blues

	Plastic People of the Universe
Feb. 25 Toronto, ON el Mocambo
Feb. 26 Washington, DC Black Cat
Feb. 27-28 New York, NY Knitting Factory
Mar. 3 Oberlin, OH Oberlin College

	Rusted Root
Feb. 26 Rochester, NY St. John's University
Feb. 27 Syracuse, NY Landmark Theatre
Feb. 28 Canton, NY St. Lawrence University
Mar. 2-3 Washington, DC 9:30 Club

	Samples
Feb. 25 Boston, MA Paradise
Feb. 26 Dover, VT Snow Barn
Feb. 27 Hamilton, NY Colgate University
Feb. 28 Ithaca, NY Ithaca College

	Sepultura / One Minute Silence / Biohazard
Feb. 25 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Live 
Feb. 26 Corpus Christi, TX Yellow Rose Conv. Ctr.
Feb. 27 McAllen, TX Villa Real 
Mar. 1 St Louis, MO Pop's 
Mar. 2 Chicago, IL H.O.B.'s 
Mar. 3 Detroit, MI Harpo's 

	Ten Foot Pole 
Feb. 26 Minneapolis, MN The Whole 
Feb. 27 Green Bay, WI Concert Cafe 
Feb. 28 Chicago, IL The Metro 
Mar. 2 Detroit, MI Shelter 

	Waco Brothers
Feb. 27-28 Chicago, IL Schuba's
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
	> The quote from "Come Out" in the Reich Remixed review 
is nearly correct in your piece. Substitute the word "bruise" 
for "blues".
	In the liner notes for the original recording of "Come 
Out", Reich refers to the quote while explaining the sound bite. 
Briefly, it is the voice of a youth explaining events surrounding 
a beating he suffered during a Harlem riot in 1964. The police 
were only taking people to the hospital who were visibly bleeding, 
so this youth squeezed open a bruise on his leg in order to be 
taken to the hospital. - Todd B., Washington
	(Ed. Note: Many of the critics do not have a 'final' copy 
of a disc, or a lyrics sheet, when reviewing an album.  At least 
it wasn't a Hendrix "Excuse me while I kiss this guy" mistake...)
---
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