== ISSUE 176 ====  CONSUMABLE ONLINE  ======== [May 9, 1999]

  Editor:             Bob Gajarsky
                         E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com
  Managing Editor:    Lang Whitaker
  Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim 
                      Kennedy, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva 
  Correspondents:     Michelle Aguilar, Christina Apeles, Niles J. 
                      Baranowski, Tracey Bleile, Jason Cahill, 
                      Matthew Carlin, Patrick Carmosino, John 
                      Davidson, Andrew Duncan, Krisjanis Gale, 
                      Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Franklin 
                      Johnson, Steve Kandell, Reto Koradi, Robin 
                      Lapid, Linda Scott, Scott Slonaker, Kerwin So, 
                      Chelsea Spear, Jon Steltenpohl, Michael Van 
                      Gorden, Simon West
  Technical Staff:    Chris Candreva, David Landgren, Dave Pirmann

 Address all comments to staff@consumableonline.com ; subscription 
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==================================================================
	All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). 
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the 
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                            .------------.
                            |  Contents  |
                            `------------'
REVIEW: Tom Waits, _Mule Variations_ - Steve Kandell
REVIEW: Robbie Williams, _The Ego Has Landed_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Super Furry Animals, _Radiator_ - Niles Baranowski
INTERVIEW: Blake Schwarzenbach of Jets to Brazil - Kerwin So
REVIEW: Poi Dog Pondering, _Natural Thing_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Poster Children, _New World Record_ - Steve Kandell
REVIEW: Velocette, _Fourfold Remedy_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: Atari Teenage Riot, _60 Second Wipeout_ - Michelle Aguilar
REVIEW: Bouncing Souls, _Hopeless Romantic_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: The Delgados, _Peloton_ - Niles Baranowski
REVIEW: Third World, _Generation Coming_ - Reto Koradi
REVIEW: Travis Pickle, _Travis Pickle_ - Michael Van Gorden
REVIEW: Trinket, _Trinket_ - John Davidson
REVIEW: DDT, _Urban Observer_ - Chris Hill
NEWS: Apples In Stereo, Tori Amos / Alanis Morissette, Mike 
   Ness / House of Blues, Verve
TOUR DATES: Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs, Beastie Boys, Black 
   Crowes / Lenny Kravitz / Everlast, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Chapter 
   In Verse, Delgadoes, Of Montreal, Pan Sonic, Splender
Back Issues of Consumable
---
	REVIEW: Tom Waits, _Mule Variations_ (Epitaph)
		- Steve Kandell
	The most surprising thing about Tom Waits' new album _Mule 
Variations_, his first solo studio effort in seven years, is not 
its bang-on-anything-in-sight approach to percussion or the lyrical 
gems spewed forth in a distinctive croak for which the words "gruff" 
and "gravelly" were invented. These elements are familiar to anyone 
who has listened to Waits' work over the course of his esteemed 26-year 
recording career. No, the most surprising thing here is that Waits - 
clown prince of the down and out and the sinking fast, troubadour poet 
of the seedy urban underbelly - has made the feel-good album of the year.
	Just as Bob Dylan's _Time Out of Mind_ was acclaimed for being 
that rare effective rock album about growing old (seemingly a 
contradiction in terms), _Mule Variations_ is nothing if not about 
rural domestic bliss, seen from the eyes of a man just on the other 
side of middle age. Of course, Waits' skewed vision of middle age is 
short on PTA meetings or IRA funds and rife with the fringe-dwelling 
characters that mark his classic work. By toning down the Brechtian 
aspirations and carnival barker atmosphere so prevalent on his 
operatic 80's albums without sacrificing the humor and innovation that 
makes his music so unique, 1999 sees a kinder, gentler Tom Waits. For 
Waits neophytes, this is a perfect place to jump in, as is last year's 
greatest non-hits package _Beautiful Maladies_, his swan song for 
longtime label Island before jumping ship to punk stalwart Epitaph. 
For Waits aficionados, there is much on this album to keep interest 
high and is not the watered-down commercial pandering that the words 
"kinder" and "gentler" may have erroneously suggested.
	The cacophonous wail of opening track "Big In Japan," featuring 
Primus as a backing band, harkens back to Waits' phenomenally inventive 
_Bone Machine_ (1992) and "Filipino Box Spring Hog" might be what it 
sounds like when a jug band's tour bus crashes. But the rest of the 
album is comprised predominantly of understated, bluesy ballads, sparse 
where most ballads get soapy. In a perfect world, first single "Hold 
On," reminiscent of earlier Waits songs like "Blind Love," "Falling 
Down," and "Who Are You?," would singlehandedly be able to rescue the 
love song from the evil clutches of Celine Dion. But this is not that 
world, and "Hold On" is not coming to a commercial radio station near 
you anytime soon.
	The album has a familiar feel, due in no small part to the 
fact that backing musicians Marc Ribot (guitar), Ralph Carney (horns), 
and Larry Taylor (bass) are longtime Waits collaborators. Waits' 
wife and muse Kathleen Brennan co-wrote and co-produced many of the 
album's sixteen songs. Recorded in a chicken ranch and sounding like 
it, the tracks on _Mule Variations_ have an organic, timeless quality 
and could pass for exceptionally well-recorded 78 relics from the 
thirties. "Cold Water" is gutter blues at its best, followed 
immediately by the plaintive, homesick "Pony." Musically speaking, 
there is some redundancy over the course of the album's seventy-six 
minutes. Bluesy shuffles "Get Behind the Mule," "Black Market Baby," 
"Lowside of the Road," and "Chocolate Jesus" are all more similar 
than different in terms of style, yet each one is able to come up 
with at least a few lines or sonic twists that render the song 
indispensable. While Waits may repeat himself at times, everything 
about this album sounds utterly unique from anything else on the 
record shelves, save for other Tom Waits albums. Ironically, one song 
that nearly did not make the cut is one of the album's best. On the 
beautiful and haunting "Georgia Lee," Waits accompanies himself on 
piano and delivers an elegy for a slain schoolgirl that downplays 
piousness in favor of frustration, sort of the flipside of a Nick 
Cave dirge.
	Listening to Waits' body of work writ large, it is amazing 
how he can go from boho cocktail jazz to avant-garde experimental 
opera and back again without causing whiplash. _Mule Variations_ 
similarly blends disparate styles while remaining a singular coherent 
work. More than anything, these new songs ("Georgia Lee" and "Pony" 
not included) sound downright happy. Content but not complacent. 
Antique but not antiquated. "House Where Nobody Lives," "Take It With 
Me," the soaring closer "Come On Up To the House" and "Picture in a 
Frame," (which cribs a line from Waits' role in Robert Altman's Short 
Cuts) are all testaments to being in love and settling down in the 
country. On his records from the 70's, you could smell the whiskey on 
Waits' voice as he crooned and scatted his Beat-and-Bukowski-inspired 
barroom tales. If _Small Change_ made you want to drink boilermakers 
with Hollywood hookers, _Mule Variations_ makes you want to get married 
and live in a house in the middle of nowhere.
---
	REVIEW: Robbie Williams, _The Ego Has Landed_ (Capitol)
		- Bob Gajarsky
	As a member of a boy band in his teenage years, Robbie 
Williams and Take That conquered Europe and won the hearts of 
the usual screaming girls all across the continent.  But in America, 
widespread success somehow eluded the teen group.  That 'failure' 
to break in America a la the Backstreets and New Kids may turn out to 
be the best thing that ever happened to Robbie Williams.
	Williams' debut album, _The Ego Has Landed_ (a combination 
of his two European solo efforts), is merely outstanding.  Robbie 
had already burned some of the teen bridges behind his 
unceremonious booting from Take That - after all, eschewing the 
virtues of ecstasy is a sure way to lose the support of the 
mainstream machine responsible for teen idol bands. 
	The fickle British press initially dismissed Williams' solo 
career.  However, when the poignant ballad "Angels" captured the 
hearts of the United Kingdom's music fans (think an updated 
version of Elton John's "Empty Garden"), even the critics 
were converted to the 'new' Robbie.  Still cocky and not afraid 
to take the piss out of reporters, Robbie became celebrated 
rather than castigated.
	Samples from James Bond ("You Only Live Twice") on the lilting 
first single "Millennium" might cloud the admiration of first-time 
American fans, but this is one album which truly deserves to be 
looked at as the sum of all its parts.  
	When Robbie sings "Let Me Entertain You", you know he means it.  
Harder rocking than most of his other tracks, memories of Gene, Ace, 
Peter and Paul are brought back to life from their made-up days as 
Kiss.  And on the introspective and confessional "Strong", Williams 
admits that "Early morning when I wake up / I look like Kiss but 
without the makeup / And that's a good line to take it to the 
bridge".
	There's a few ballads thrown in - "She's The One", and 
the Embrace-esque "No Regrets", which features backing vocals by the 
Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon and the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant.  It 
even includes a PSB-esque ending, where the song just 'drops' and 
ends - no gentle fade-out, as Tennant was prone to do on tracks 
such as "Opportunities".
	Other highlights on _The Ego Has Landed_ include the down and 
dirty, rocking "Man Machine" (from _Lock Stock and Two Smoking 
Barrels_, but not on the soundtrack), the anti-Who song (I hope I'm) 
"Old Before I Die", in which Robbie half-seriously asks if he's 
straight or gay, and wants to live to see the pope gets high...and 
for those looking for the spoken word Robbie, there's a hidden 
message at the end of "One of God's Better People" to those who 
naysayed Williams, culminating in "Bollocks! You can kiss my ass."
	A standout from start to finish and better than 99% of the 
schlock released these days, finally, _The Ego Has Landed_ - and 
Robbie Williams proves that self-assuredness, balls, and brilliant 
music are still a precious commodity.  Take That, suckers!
---
	REVIEW: Super Furry Animals, _Radiator_ (Flydaddy)
		- Niles Baranowski
	It's a bitch for Welsh bands in this fair country of ours. After 
one album and a compilation, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci were unceremoniously 
dropped from Mercury Records. Meanwhile, the 60 Ft. Dolls had their 
career stalled when DGC decided they weren't selling enough (and this 
doesn't even touch on the saga of the Manic Street Preachers or the 
legion of great bands who can't even get signed in America, especially 
Topper and Melys.)
	Yet, there may be no band on the Welsh scene more unfairly 
treated than the Super Furry Animals. After their perky debut, _Fuzzy 
Logic_, their sophomore effort _Radiator_ met with English success, 
yet Sony Records sat on it for nearly a year stateside. Despite a 
small, rabid following, they were quietly dropped, only to be nabbed 
by indie label Flydaddy (who will be releasing the follow-up to 
_Radiator_ this summer), the home of Olivia Tremor Control among others.
	_Radiator_ will hopefully net the band some more attention and an 
increased following. It's the giddy, irresistable retro-pop record that 
Olivia and the other bands of the Elephant 6 collective have been racking 
their brains to write, so far unsuccessfully. _Radiator_ surpasses recent 
American puttering in psychedelia, ranking with Blur's _Parklife_ in terms 
of its offhanded acknowledgement of influences (everything from Zappa to 
Bowie to the Zombies), satirical sense of humor and accessibility.
	Indeed, it's hard to see why Epic Records couldn't make a mint of 
off this album. In our post-Hanson age, the Jackson 5 chorus of "Play it 
Cool" seems like a perfect hit. "Chupacabra" glorifies goat-eating bats 
with a short'n'sweet power pop blast, and "Demons" combines Bowie's 
dark swagger with some slippery editing to make for a song that seems 
to be missing parts or about to collapse (in a good way, naturally) at 
any moment.
	Part of the reason _Radiator_ clicks so well is that the Furries 
come from a techno background rather than one of rock'n'roll. They chase 
individual sounds and hooks, rather than a style of songwriting. It's not 
perfect nostalgia -- "Mountain People" succumbs to an uncharacteristic 
barrage of noise at the end -- but it's all the more fun, since they're 
willing to cut out what doesn't work in favor of the fun and bouncy or at 
least the interestingly twisted. The Furries have raised the bar for those 
who traffic in reconstructing musical history, as well as Welsh rock; 
let's see if the upcoming releases from Catatonia, the Manics or anything 
Elephant 6 has to offer can follow suit.
---
	INTERVIEW: Blake Schwarzenbach of Jets to Brazil
		- Kerwin So
	By now, most people know the story. Three years ago, Blake 
Schwarzenbach washed his hands of beloved California pop-punk band 
Jawbreaker and moved to New York, swearing never to make music again. 
Destiny held other plans for this songwriter who had not yet seen the 
end of his valuable creative output. By happy accidents, Schwarzenbach 
hooked up with recently displaced musicians with similar musical 
backgrounds (Chris Daly from Texas is the Reason and Jeremy Chatelain 
from Handsome). Things immediately clicked, and before they knew it, 
the newly-christened Jets to Brazil were signed to indie heavy-hitter 
label Jade Tree and whisked away on a European tour with emo-rock 
favorites The Promise Ring, all without even having released a 
record. Thus ended the whirlwind of 1998.
	It's now 1999 and Jets to Brazil has come full circle, having 
released a well-received debut album and returning on tour to their 
home country, and Blake's hometown. C.O. Online caught up with 
Schwarzenbach at a recent sold-out Jets to Brazil show at the Bottom 
of the Hill, in Blake's old stomping grounds of San Francisco. On the 
tail end of the tour, Blake was happy to talk about California 
lifestyles, sources of inspiration, and leaving the Jawbreaker legacy 
behind.

	Consumable Online: Welcome back to the Bay Area. How long have 
you been in New York?
	Blake Schwarzenbach.: Uh, three years. I'm not used to it. I'm 
Californian by nature so long winters really scare me there, because 
you just have to be inside the whole time.
	C.O.: Has it proved a good impetus for songwriting?
	Blake S.: I think I live in the wrong place, because I can't 
really make music in my apartment, because it's a New York apartment, 
so there's people all over the place.
	C.O.: Now that the record is out, is there a difference in the 
crowd reaction?
	Blake S.: Yeah! It's cool like, people get psyched about songs, 
they know them now. It's nice, sometimes there'll be applause when we 
start a song, so there's recognition there, and that's really great. A 
lot of people told me that they were getting married to the song "Sweet 
Avenue." Seems to be a thing that's happening on this tour. I've had 
three couples come up and say, "At our wedding we're gonna play that 
song." I'm totally cool with that.
	C.O.: I read some interview, I can't remember the guy, but he was 
like, "My friends named their kid after you." How do you feel about that 
kind of thing?
	Blake S.: I appreciate it you know, I think it's really nice. 
People get strange with band members, sometimes. Like their fixation 
on them. I've been the object of that kind of fixation before. Sometimes 
people really get what you do and it helps them in some way and I think 
that's cool, and sometimes it goes a little too far. (chuckle)
	C.O.: Really? Do you want to talk about that?
	Blake S.: Well, I just think that they forfeit their own identity 
in worship of someone else and that's really weird, you know.
	C.O.: Your reputation certainly precedes you. Your past band was 
very intense and I think people really threw in with that.
	Blake S.: Yeah...yeah. It was a real lifestyle for people.
	C.O.: How are you enjoying the tour?
	Blake S.: It's good. It's pretty grueling, you know we're playing 
every night pretty much. We had one day off for a drive. It's hard work. 
The shows have been really good, but just getting to the show and setting 
up and everything... we don't have a crew or anything so it's just a lot 
of work.
	C.O.: Do you sense that there's any sort of fallout with the 
previous fans?
	Blake S.: Yeah, I think that kind of happened on the last tour, 
our first tour. I think people know now what we're doing, so they've 
decided whether they're into it. Those people that were into our other 
band, they're gonna go to the next level with us or they're just like, 
"fuck you guys." But it seems like, if anyone's left, there's other 
people that are into it that've kind of filled in those spots-- it's 
really cool. I meet a lot of people now who _weren't_ Jawbreaker fans, 
and that's really refreshing.
	C.O.: Have you heard about the Jawbreaker tribute album that's 
coming out? Do you have any sort of input in that?
	Blake S.: No, I'm not a fan of tribute records. I did one once, 
Jawbreaker did an R.E.M. song ("Pretty Persuasion" on the hard-to-find 
_Surprise Your Pig_ ). After that I felt really...odd. Very leery of them. 
I've heard a couple covers that I've enjoyed, but in general I think it's 
kind of strange. _Especially _ when it's a band that you really like, to 
do their songs again is almost like saying you didn't do it right the 
first time. I mean, I have no gripe with this comp, this Jawbreaker thing, 
that's fine. But I've always felt that the songs I really love I wouldn't 
want to cover because I love them as they were. 
	C.O.: Right. It also seems a little soon in my opinion to be 
doing this kind of thing.
	Blake S.: Yeah. You gotta wonder about the bottom line, too, like 
people making money off names. I think at a struggling independent label, 
sometimes just to put a Jawbreaker name on, or something, might get some 
interest.
	C.O.: Flood the bins along with the _Jawbreaker Soundtrack_ which 
threw some people off. Do you know about that? _Jawbreaker_, the movie? 
It has nothing to do with you guys.
	Blake S.: Oh, right. Yeah, yeah, I saw that. I didn't see the 
movie but I saw the poster.
	C.O.: Is Jets to Brazil writing any new songs, or do you plan on 
releasing any seven inches or any other new songs?
	Blake S.: We're just amassing songs now. We're up to about eight 
and that's what we've been doing the past couple months. Just trying to 
have practices and write.
	C.O.: How is the writing process, is it a collaborative thing or 
are you just the focus of it?
	Blake S.: It starts with me, and then it becomes really 
collaborative once I get an idea that I'm happy with. I used to demo 
songs and play 'em for those guys, it was a little more rigid. But 
lately I think we're really a band now, so they pick up in Jets fashion, 
they just jump in on a song and I think they always do the right thing. 
We have a pretty good rapport.
	C.O.: How did you decide on the band name?
	Blake S.: Well, Chris our drummer came into practice with it one 
day.
	C.O.: I kinda like that name, although sometimes I get confused 
between Jets to Brazil and Burning Airlines, Jawbreaker and Jawbox.
	Blake S.: A lot of people mention that. It's total coincidence.
	C.O.: What was it like working with J Robbins in the studio?
	Blake S.: Great. He's the man. We were lucky in that he wanted to 
work with us, so he managed to squeeze us into his schedule, but he was 
booked like crazy and he works all the time, so if he's not doing 
[Burning] Airlines, he's in the studio. And I think he likes it, seems 
like he's at the renaissance of his...youth, or whatever. He's always got 
something going on, so it's pretty cool.
	C.O.: What have you been listening to lately?
	Blake S.: I've been listening to a lot of Wilco, for the past 
year and a half.  I find their new album pretty inspiring.  And 
Neutral Milk Hotel, I love their records. I thought the last Smoking 
Popes record was incredible.
	C.O.: I know you're into literary pursuits and reading; 
what are your five top authors?
	Blake S.: Well, the last book that really blew my mind was _Jane 
Eyre_, which I never read in high school or college. That was a Bronte 
book. I really enjoyed that. And I think Raymond Carver was probably one 
of the first writers that made it okay to write. Like I felt like I could 
write reading him, and he was just a really big inspiration. I dunno. I 
read all over the place, a broad spectrum. And I'm always interested in 
living American writers, although I haven't found anything lately that's 
totally blown my mind.
	C.O.: How about guitarists or singers? Are there any that you 
consider especially inspiring or influential?
	Blake S.: Well, lately it's been Pedro the Lion, because we've 
been on tour with them. David (Bazan), their singer, is just an amazing 
vocalist. He's a good songwriter. I like people who write their songs so 
that you can hear the mechanics of their writing in the songs. I'm just 
interested in the way songs are put together. So I've been kinda favoring 
sparser arrangements where you can really hear someone singing. 
	C.O.: Is there anything that you'd like to tell the world about 
Jets to Brazil that you haven't already?
	Blake S.: No...a lot of times people ask that as a last question. 
And all I really have to say is in our records.
---
	REVIEW: Poi Dog Pondering, _Natural Thing_ (Tommy 
		Boy/Plate.tec.tonic)
		- Jon Steltenpohl
	Years ago, Poi Dog Pondering emerged as an organic, post 
Grateful Dead band from Hawaii with joyous chords and a huge band.  
Despite a number of much talked about albums, Poi Dog never really 
escaped beyond its initial billing, and became a fan's band supported 
by a rabid base of followers of their incredible live shows.  Fast 
forward a few years from Hawaii to Austin and eventually to their 
current home in Chicago.  Leader Frank Orrall has kept the band alive 
without major label support, and has established the band as a solid 
presence in Chicago to the point of even playing for Dennis Rodman's 
birthday partying.
	1999 finds Poi Dog Pondering at another crossroads imposed 
on the band by Orrall.  Bolstered by a love of the Chicago house music 
scene, the band covered Ten City's dance classic "That's the Way Love 
Is" last year, and Orrall began transitioning from a rootsy sound to 
one with a definite beat.  The exciting release of _Natural Thing_ is 
a culmination of the new slant.  It is, without a doubt, a dance 
inspired album.  But it is also still very much a raw, uncut, musical 
experience.
	Orrall seems genuinely averse to samples and drum machines, 
and _Natural Thing_ seems to refer more to his style of music rather 
than just the title of track 3.  Sure, there's a little bit of studio 
work going on here, but for the most part, this is dance and R&B music 
made with real instruments and voices.    There's some synthesizers 
here for atmosphere, but the bass is real.  So are the flutes and the 
strings and the bongos.
	Orrall takes the energy that makes a great dance piece and 
runs it through a group real live musicians.  The results are 
invigorating.  Tracks like "Diva (Live at the House of Sound)" and 
"Spend My Life" bounce and flit around like the best jazzy ambient 
dance you've heard.  But it's real stuff.  It has feeling and emotion 
and depth that most music made with a bunch of electronics rarely has. 
Songs like "Hard Sometimes" are jazzy, upbeat dance numbers, and 
there's even a Digable Planets style cool rap called "Berry".
	Of course, the danger in pursuing such a musical vision is 
the risk of alienating both audiences.  This is certainly possible.  
Orrall risks not pounding out a driving beat for the dance fans or 
not being eclectic enough for the classic Poi Dog fans.  The cover of 
"That's the Way Love Is" shows the best and worst of the new sound.  
The vocals and the groove are raw and soulful, but, assessed in a 
cynical light, it kind of sounds like a bad impression of George 
Michael sitting in with Erasure on an MTV unplugged session.
	The final verdict is that, if you're only into dance or only 
into organic rock, you'll probably be turned off by _Natural Thing_'s 
fusion of the two sounds.  On the other hand, if you can't seem to get 
enough of new and interesting sounds, Poi Dog Pondering has created an 
exciting, eclectic album.  There's nothing here that isn't borrowed 
from some other source, but the energy behind it is infectious.  Poi 
Dog Pondering always had a definable groove bubbling underneath the 
surface, and Frank Orrall has finally decided to bring it to the 
forefront.  _Natural Thing_ is an album that may ostracize some fans, 
but will certainly win a whole new set who love a groove no matter 
how it's played.
---
	REVIEW: Poster Children, _New World Record_ (Spinart)
		- Steve Kandell
	Though their stint on Sire Records may have failed to make 
them a household name, Champaign, Illinois' Poster Children have 
spent ten years forging what could lovingly be described as "geek 
rock." Returning to safe indie ground intact, the band is releasing 
_New World Record_.  This new album downplays the sheen of 1997s 
_Rtfm_ and earlier releases in favor of a dynamic sound that is more 
representative of their athletic live outings. Driven by Howie 
Kantoff's hyperkinetic drumming and anchored by thick bass lines 
from Rose (whose nonstop onstage pogoing gives Superchunk's Laura 
Balance a run for her money) Poster Children are nothing if not a 
tight unit. Kantoff is actually the band's sixth drummer, proving 
once again that life really does imitate Spinal Tap. Guitarists Rick 
and Jim Valentin round out the quartet, with Rick providing the vocals 
in a reedy monotone that is somehow a cross between Marcellus Hall 
from Railroad Jerk and the B-52's Fred Schneider.
	The album gets off to a strong start with the bouncy, 
percussive "Accident Waiting to Happen," and the blistering "6x6." 
Other standouts include "Chemicals" and "Mr. Goodnight." "Planet 
Earth" is a bit more new wave than the other bottom-heavy tracks, and 
perhaps it's not a coincidence that Duran Duran had an early single 
with the same title. The pace slows down a little on the last song, 
the keyboard-laced "Deadman," but otherwise, this album is ballad-free 
and fairly heavy.
	Poster Children's guitar-driven songs steer clear of sampling 
or electronica, but they are still steeped in all things science and 
technology. Album titles like _Daisychain Reaction_ suggest physics 
classes long forgotten and the band has been at the forefront of new 
technology in music, capitalizing on such developments as enhanced 
compact discs and the web long before such things were fashionable 
or commonplace. If the twelve songs on the _New World Record_ CD are 
not enough to hold your interest, feel free to pop the thing into 
your computer and feast on the screensavers, live videos, and even 
a cute video game. Maybe they're not complete trailblazers: Journey 
had their own arcade game (if you were able to get all four band 
members to the stage successfully, you'd be treated to a version 
of "Don't Stop Believin'.")
---
	REVIEW: Velocette, _Fourfold Remedy_ (Beggars Banquet)
		- Chris Hill
	Nearly two years after "Get Yourself Together" earned 
"Single of the Week" honors in Melody Maker, Velocette's debut 
album lands on American shores.  That song, described in NME as 
"fundamentally the best song never written by Saint Etienne", is 
one of ten found on an album lush with gentle strings and crisp 
guitars - blissful lounge music for cool summer evenings.
	If you buy the record expecting ten variations on "Get 
Yourself Together", you might be disappointed.  The single is a 
gust of drum and guitar bravura, light and airy in comparison to 
the heavier atmospheres of the dour "Someone's Waiting" or the 
album closer, "That Ain't Mine" - which isn't a bad thing.  Too 
much lemon meringue pie ruins a picnic. 
	Velocette aren't wholly newcomers - the band began in/as 
Comet Gain.  Philosophical and artistic differences led four of 
the five Comet Gain members to split from the fifth member, 
singer/guitarist David Christian: they, as Velocette, while 
Christian maintained the Comet Gain name and his penchant for 
punk rock elements and sonic adventure, a la Yo La Tengo.  
(Drummer Phil Sutton appears to have since left Velocette - he's 
thanked by the band, but unlisted in the song credits.)
	Sarah Bleach has assumed sole singing duty with black 
velvet confidence.  Her sprightly, waif-like voice combines with 
retro-flavored music (strings, guitars, tambourines, shakers, 
congas, bongos) like peaches and cream.  (Multi-instrumentalists 
Sam Pluck and Jax Coombes round out the ex-Gain, now Velocette, 
cast.)  The three, joined by violinists, percussionists, horn 
players, and others, form an impressive ensemble. 
	View "Get Yourself Together" as a teaser and you'll find 
_Fourfold Remedy_ a rewarding purchase.  "Spoiled Children" and 
"Reborn", the subsequent singles, are similar pop nuggets: the 
former an uptempo, fuzz guitar rocker, the latter introspective, 
breezy, and drifting, with lazy brass splendidly offering wheezy 
atmosphere.  Another potential single, "Unkind", provides an 
ethereal slowburn with violins and Hammond organ.
	"Bitterscene" offsets downbeat lyrics ("And I know that 
you're a liar/Always sick and always tired/And I don't want to 
be into your bitterscene") with cheery castanets.  "Submarines", 
all swirling guitar and strings, mirrors the emotional whirlpool 
of the protagonist.  "Where Are We?", ambles along sans vocals, 
a stroll past an outdoor cappuccino bar.  
	"That Ain't Mine" ends the album with a contemplative 
moodiness, setting the right note of anticipation for something 
further - "always leave them wanting more."  Quite right.  
Following their instincts and striking out on their own has 
provided them, and us, with a handsome payoff.  All told, an 
assured first step in their new identity.
---
	REVIEW: Atari Teenage Riot, _60 Second Wipeout_ (Grand Royal)
		- Michelle Aguilar
	In 1975, Ralf Hutter of the pioneer German band Kraftwerk told 
Creem Magazine, "When you play electronic music, you have control of 
the imagination of the people in the room."
	A quarter of a century later, this is still the ideal of much 
of the electronica/rave nation, which dreams of transforming the dance 
floor into one unified aural and visual Borg Collective of beats and 
mind expansion.  ("Why won't you trip like I do?") And, of course, in 
this metaphor, the center of the hive mind is the dj, the invisible 
queen, rarely seen yet clearly controlling the floor's zeitgeist.
	That scares the hell out of Atari Teenage Riot, the Berlin 
hardcore electronica outfit who two years ago made a 
nothing-if-not-startling U.S. debut with the genuinely ear-shredding 
disc _Burn, Berlin Burn!_ (distributed domestically by the Beastie 
Boys' Grand Royal label), and the group toured with Beck, Rage against 
the Machine and the Wu-Tang Clan last year.
	To hear ATR founder Alec Empire tell it, the atmosphere at 
your average Berlin warehouse party these days is a bit too 
reminiscent of fascist Germany for his comfort - too many drones, too 
much conformity, too little spark.
	The answer? Anarchy of course, says ATR, and that's the promise 
on their latest noise opus, _60 Second Wipeout_, a guaranteed 
lease-breaker of an album that weds hardcore punk to a harem of aggro, 
jungle and hip-hop, all with the express purpose of biting the trippy 
hand that fed it. The album starts out with what sounds like audience 
cheering distilled into hostile white noise and it never lets up from 
there. These angry nuggets are an ever-changing collage of breaks, 
beats, electronic noise, feedback and vaguely-familiar samples, all 
running white hot at 210 bpms, which at times makes "60 Second Wipeout 
a bit more of a rumpshaker than you might expect from a bunch of 
Marxist malcontents.
	Still, despite the melting pot of influences, this album is 
definitely steeped in hardcore, with lyrics not so much sung or rapped 
as much as shouted repeatedly, like anthems. In fact ATR's aesthetic 
only truly begins to make sense only when you hear the Sham 69 and 
Stooges samples they wear on their sleeves, and when you know that 
Empire's first musical experience was playing with the German punk 
band Die Kinder (The Children) at age 12, or that he didn't start 
deejaying until the late 1980s.
	The electronic equipment only allows ATR to be harder and 
faster then any of the punk bands Empire might have worshipped. 
Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn't. On songs like 
"Revolution Action" and "Atari Teenage Riot II," (think super-fast 
Public Enemy with no low-end) this approach makes for undeniable 
adrenaline. In other songs, like on "No Success" and "Too Dead for 
Me," the sound is a stone wall separating band and listener. But 
then, ATR has always rebelled against that image of the musical 
Reich, the band and the audience in homogenous symbiosis. A little 
alienation and disintegration is good for the soul, they would probably 
say. And any time you start feeling too out of touch with the album's 
rhythms, Hanin Elias' intense high-pitched scream emerges, making you 
feel like you just GOTTA get on your feet, NOW! Her pipes leave pretty 
much any Riot Grrl in the dust.
	Sadly, that's even true for Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna, who 
makes a guest appearance on "No Success." Hanna's performance 
practically slips into indistinguishability in the face of the Atari 
sonic assault, as does the work of other guest stars, like Fear 
Factory's Dino Cazares ("Death of a President D.I.Y.") and members 
of the New York hip-hop outfit The Arsonists ("Your Uniform Does Not 
Impress Me" "Anarchy 999" "No Success"). These famous guests may give 
the album even more cred (as if the Beasties connection and the 
countless gushing articles in NME weren't enough!), but they have 
little impact on ATR's sound. But then, to do so would probably be 
like trying to hold the waves of the ocean in your hands.
	All in all, a slightly noisier Teenage Riot than the last time 
around, but perhaps even more likeable. The next time you go driving 
with your old friend who thought Black Flag was God, slip this one 
into the tape deck and watch that surprised smile appear. Or do it 
to get a rise out of your hippy-dippy raver friends. Or just turn it 
up good and loud in your apartment and wait for the landlord to show 
up with your rent deposit in hand.
---
	REVIEW: Bouncing Souls, _Hopeless Romantic_ (Epitaph)
		- Chris Hill
	"Fun, loud party music" - the formative goal of the 
Bouncing Souls' members, and one they continue to succeed at, 
though the party appears to populated by slack-jawed Giovanni 
Ribisi clones, shouting "Oi!", slurping beer, and talking in 
one- and two-syllable words.  
	"Monday morning, I woke up late/I feel like shit and I 
can't see straight/One last drink was a bad idea/I'm on the 
throne with diarrhea" from "Monday Morning Ant Brigade" ranks as 
the stalest writing I've heard in a long time.  
	For a silver lining, there's guilty pleasure to be found 
in the vacuous lyrics and punk-lite music.  "Ole'" and "Bullying 
the Jukebox" are aural spun sugar, fluffy and enjoyable, 
particularly the latter, with $20 monopolizing a jukebox, 
"because it's fun/You can't get near it, until we're done".  
	"Wish Me Well (You Can Go to Hell)" *could* have been a 
pleasure, with the male/female duet of Greg Attonito and Kara 
Weathington, but instead falls flat, descending into inane back-
and-forth patter:
	"So does this mean I really have to go?"
	"Um, yeah.  What part of, uh, 'Get out!', didn't you 
understand?"
	"Wow, I mean, what happens if I want to call you or 
something next week?"
	"Um, well, what happens is that I won't be there, 
because I don't like you anymore.  You're stupid."
	As humor, it's unfortunately ineffectual, like much of 
the disc.  The handful of standouts (the two above, "The Whole 
Thing", "Night on Earth") display talent that should have been 
allowed to dominate the album, rather than serve as a hint of 
potential.
---
	REVIEW: The Delgados, _Peloton_ (Chemikal Underground/Beggars Banquet)
		- Niles Baranowski
	"Like Belle and Sebastian with distortion pedals," is how my 
horribly simplistic friend described this second album by Scotland's 
pop royalty The Delgados, whose Chemikal Underground label is the 
net that has caught all the fattest fish in Scotland's popscene. 
From Mogwai to Bis to Magoo, all these and more have a home on 
Glasgow's master label.
	And my friend is right about _Peloton_. "The Actress" and 
"Russian Orthodox" are kick-started by massive washes of guitar, 
igniting the pastoral melodies and vocal harmonies of vocalist Emma 
Peel (who also does work for David Gedge's Cinerama project) into a 
slightly bloodstained valentine. It's tuneful and menacing at the same 
time; a skeleton nicely adorned with jagged edges.
	But, my friend is wrong, too. _Peloton_ is much more than just a 
grunge answer to Orange Juice. The album also uses strange guitar 
tunings and slow, eccentric melodies to achieve a hummability that is 
neither too easy, nor lazy and atonal like Arab Strap. The glorious single, 
"Everything Goes Around the Water," has a bridge in call-and-response 
form (when was the last time you heard that in a pop song?) and a chorus 
that circles hypnotically. "Pull the Wires from the Wall" is melancholic 
and timid, with an off-kilter lyrical sensibility (you've got to love a 
chorus that starts with the phrase "For instance, I...").
	However, _Peloton_ is not an achievement to equal those of their 
Chemikal underlings. _Peloton_ is too inconsistent, and it seems to 
fall apart at the very end. The band attributes this to their lives falling 
apart, but its far easier to see a hodgepodge of junk, like "Blackpool," 
as pure laziness. And no matter how bad I feel for what they went 
through, I won't be listening to "The Weaker Argument Defeats the 
Stronger" a second time. Still, in this age of increasing specialization, 
it's nice to know a group of people can do more than one thing reasonably 
well, and _Peloton_ is almost worth it for the four or five marvelous 
tunes present here. Consider your purchase a donation to the Scottish 
Pop Defense Fund, if that helps. A donation with some dividends.
---
	REVIEW: Third World, _Generation Coming_ (Gator)
		- Reto Koradi
	Reggae has certainly seen brighter times than the 90s. Apart 
from some smash hits by Inner Circle a few years back, its biggest 
chart bubbles came, somewhat ironically, from countries like Sweden, 
with Ace of Base, Dr. Alban, and the like. Artists such as Jimmy Cliff 
and Third World are keeping the flag up with tireless live appearances, 
but the mass public seems to have turned away since the much too early 
loss of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.
	Third World, with more than 25 years of band history to their 
credit, are trying to span a bridge between traditional reggae and 
more modern influences with their latest album, _Generation Coming_. 
The first half of the album is dominated by the first category, with 
fine, solid songs such as "Clown In A Circus" and the title track, and 
the more catchy numbers "Tuff Me Tuff" and "Can't Afford To Lose". The 
second half gets much more adventurous, most notably with "Dem Man 
Deh" featuring heavy drum beats and sampled sounds, and "Millennium 
Symphony", an instrumental track with many classical elements, including 
strings.
	To complete these new originals, Third World throw in three 
covers.  Considering how much Police were always affiliated with reggae, 
the choice of their classic "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" looks almost 
obvious, and they do the expected nice job on it. Next in line is 
"Love Train" by the O'Jays, and the set is topped off by the most 
surprising selection. "Baltimore" would probably win the award for 
best reggae version of a Randy Newman song simply due to lack of 
competition, but it also shows that real quality easily lasts over 
twenty years and a total style change.
	It is doubtful that _Generation Coming_ will change the 
regrettable shadow existence of the reggae scene, but if you are ready 
for a personal dose, Third World are certainly one of your better 
tickets. The official web site of the band is at 
http://www.thirdworldband.com .
---
	REVIEW: Travis Pickle, _Travis Pickle_ (LunaSea)
		- Michael Van Gorden
	What's in a name you ask? Well in this case nothing. And please 
don't let the name Travis Pickle fool you. 
	I almost let the silly name taint my opinion of this record. 
But fear not - as soon as you hit the play button, all prejudices 
will disappear. 
	Travis Pickle is a New York City quartet made up of 
talented, passionate music lovers, with a semi-warped sense of 
humor. "Motorcycle Man" opens the self-titled disc, but don't let 
the sweet vocals of Carla Capretto surprise you.  She may sing with 
a breathy quiet voice but lines like  "There's a time as least once 
a day when I want to kiss you / And a time, at least twice a night 
I'd like to kill you" let you know that there  is a bite to that 
voice. 
	There is also a bite to the lyrics; as the rest of "Motorcycle" 
unfolds, you realize that this is no healthy romance that is 
causing this pain.  The band are well educated musically, and this 
can be seen in how easily they switch styles without sounding forced or
awkward.  Songs like "Better" and "Mr. Boyfriend" has the band 
venturing into the lounge-pop sound that is currently popular.
	While songs such as "One More Time" and the aforementioned 
"Motorcycle Man" have more of a guitar crunch to them, "13X's A Day" 
and "Deaf Dumb and Blind" lean more to the pop end of things.  
There is nothing more beautiful, other than the harmony of siblings, 
that rivals a male and female voice that can harmonize so 
perfectly. Add the fact that both can play the guitar well and you 
get a better idea of what Travis Pickle are all about. 
	You can't help but appreciate how well the voice and guitars 
of Carla and Pete Min work so well together.  Reminding you at 
times of the tortured romance of X and the bittersweet sound of the 
Reviers, adding a dash of the Cardigans' Nina Persson for good 
measure.  The music is song driven pop music, beautifully crafted 
melodies that stay with you gladly. Yet the subject matter 
throughout the CD - while being about love and relationships - takes 
a darker turn.  "Better" contains the line "I won't forget the 
words you wrote that I found, so save it for someone else cause 
it's better when you're not around".  On "Mr. Boyfriend", Carla's 
wistful vocals tell a tale of infidelity as she looks on sadly 
at the other woman sitting beside her man - all the while standing 
up for herself by singing "you're not the only game in town". 
	The pop sound of Tonya Donelly surfaces in "It's not U, 
it's me".  Wherein what is usually a man's line, Carla tells her 
soon to be ex, they can "still be friends I hope and it's been fun 
but gotta run".  If your still not sure where this band is at, a 
line from the last song on the CD "Deaf dumb and Blind"  should clear 
things up: "I have dreamt for the day my skull is rid of you".
	This is the of music you will want coming from your car stereo 
or boom box over the next few months. Get it now, and avoid 
what will hopefully be a Travis Pickle rush. 
---
	REVIEW: Trinket, _Trinket_ (RCA)
		- John Davidson
	While working on their first album on an independent label 
in 1993, Trinket had the good fortune of hooking up with Michael 
Stipe, who not only produced a few songs for the young band, but 
also advised the band in their early days.  Things must have gone 
pretty well; Trinket has since toured the United States extensively 
and now find themselves with a debut album for RCA.  
	Calling themselves "classic rock for the 21st century" is a 
guess in the right direction.  They crackle and rumble under the 
weight of typical major label production:  very polished, solid, 
catchy tunes that Def Leppard wouldn't be afraid to cover if they 
were Soundgarden.  While tiny college faves such as bands in the 
Elephant 6 Collective or Vic Chestnutt will always be hipster-preferred, 
Trinket proves that becoming the next R.E.M. might mean playing 
straight-up, guitar-pounding pop songs.  Though at times derivative 
in their sound, it's a competent debut that could respectably rise 
above the alternative pile.
---
	REVIEW: DDT, _Urban Observer_ (TMC/Elektra)
		- Chris Hill
	From the promo: "By unpacking the finest elements of 
their ska, punk, rap and rock influences, DDT have rejuvenated 
the dynamic power pop institution."  Behind the supermall of 
influences and press hyperbole is musicianship which lends a 
legitimacy to this claim.  You'd expect that from the first 
release on Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich's TMC label.
	Topical issues abound on the album: political hypocrisy 
("Lie Detector"), the modern generation gap ("Blue Hair Crimes"), 
rampant consumerism ("Styrofoam").  With sixteen songs, there's 
also room for the traditional (the brilliant AOR should-be-staple 
"Liquid", the schizophrenic skank-rocker "Overripe") and the 
funny ("Hey Steve", with samples of Steve Austin's trademark 
bionic sound effects and a Sean Connery sound-alike reciting 
the show's intro, "Hounds" with band members baying to close out 
the album).
	Brian Howes has a voice build for rock, which plays well 
against Cory Perry White's rap and backup vocals, similar to 
311's vocal combo.  Point of fact, fans of that band will embrace 
DDT.  DDT's arrangements are similarly tight (aided by veteran 
producer Matt Wallace), their music is punchy and upbeat, and 
their lyrics are provocative, positive, and humorous.  _Urban 
Observer_ is an auspicious sign of future success for both band 
and label.
---
NEWS:	> Apples in Stereo fans can check out an MP3 of "Strawberry 
Fire" for 24 hours, beginning on May 19 at 9 pm EST, at 
http://www.insound.com
	> Alanis Morissette and Tori Amos will be touring 
together from August 18 through September 25.  The tour 
is being co-sponsored by Best Buy and MP3.COM
	> Fans of longtime Social Distortion singer / 
songwriter Mike Ness will be able to listen to one of 
his future concerts on the web.  The May 19 concert 
from the House of Blues will be broadcast at 6:00 pm 
(PST) http://www.LiveMusic.com/www.hob.com and
http://www.ubl.com
	> British group The Verve have split again, 
this time officially as members of the band have left 
to pursue other projects.  Guitarist Nick McCabe 
left last year in the midst of the band's worldwide 
tour.
---
TOUR DATES:
	Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs
May 11 Bakersfield, CA Bakersfield Center Garden Areana
May 13 Sacramento, CA Arco Arena
May 15 George, WA The Gorge Amphitheater

	Beastie Boys
May 11 Paris, FR Palais Omnisports
May 13 Zurich, SWI Hallenstadion Zurich
May 14 Munich, GER Olympiahalle

	Black Crowes / Lenny Kravitz / Everlast
May 11 Cleveland, OH Cleveland Blossom Music 
May 14 Columbus, OH Polaris Amphitheatre
May 15 Nashville, TN Starwood Amphitheatre

	Mary Chapin Carpenter
May 16 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun

	Chapter In Verse
May 12 Danvers, MA North Shore Community College 
May 13 Somerville, MA The Burren 
May 15 Haverhill, MA The Backstage

	Delgadoes
May 10 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
May 11 Pittsburgh, PA Rosebud
May 12 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's

	Of Montreal
May 13 Chicago, IL Schuba's 
May 15 New York, NY Knitting Factory 

	Pan Sonic
May 10 New Orleans, LA Mermaid Lounge
May 11 Atlanta, GA Echo Lounge
May 12 Carrboro, NC Cats Cradle
May 13 Washington DC Black Cat
May 14 New York, NY Tramps
May 15 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts

	Splender
May 11 Atlanta, GA The Cotton Club 
May 15 New York, NY Don Hills
---
Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest 
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