==== ISSUE 89 ====         CONSUMABLE         ======== [October 14, 1996]

  Editor:             Bob Gajarsky
		        Internet: gajarsky@email.njin.net
  Sr. Correspondents: Jeremy Ashcroft, Dan Enright, Tim Kennedy, Reto 
                      Koradi, David Landgren,  Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr,
                      Jamie Roberts, Joe Silva, John Walker
  Correspondents:     Dan Birchall, Lee Graham Bridges, Scott Byron,
                      Paul Grzelak, Janet Herman, Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, 
                      Stephen Jackson, Daniel Kane, Mario Lia, Stephen Lin,
                      Bob Mackin, Al Muzer, P. Nina Ramos, Linda 
                      Scott, Ali Sinclair, Jon Steltenpohl, Courtney 
                      Muir Wallner
  Technical Staff:    Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann, Damir Tiljak,
                      Jason Williams
  Also Contributing:  Carol Hamer

 Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gajarsky@email.njin.net
==================================================================
	All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). 
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the 
editor.
==================================================================
                            .------------.
                            |  Contents  |
                            `------------'
REVIEW: Pearl Jam, _No Code_ - Scott Byron
REVIEW: Tool, _Aenema_ - Sean Eric McGill
INTERVIEW: Fountains of Wayne - Al Muzer
REVIEW: Soundtrack, _That Thing You Do!_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Crash Test Dummies, _A Worm's Life_ - Reto Koradi
REVIEW: They Might Be Giants, _Factory Showroom_ - Carol Hamer
REVIEW: John Mellencamp, _Mr. Happy Go Lucky_ - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Dodgy, _Free Peace Sweet_ (A&M UK) - Tim Kennedy
REVIEW: The Ocean Blue, _See The Ocean Blue_ - Lee Graham Bridges
REVIEW: Adrian Belew, _Op Zop Too Wah_ - Al Muzer
REVIEW: The Blackeyed Susans, _Mouth to Mouth_ - David Landgren
REVIEW: Slobberbone, _Crow Pot Pie_ - Jon Steltenpohl
NEWS: Free Los Angeles concerts, Zebra Searches
TOUR DATES: Tom Cochrane / Tara MacLean, Cracker / Self, Cravin' Melon,
   Melissa Etheridge, Extra Fancy, Honeycrack, Lazy, Lemonheads / 
   Imperial Teen, Lizard Music, London Suede, Madball, Marilyn Manson,
   Mother Hips, Ozzy Osbourne / Sepultura, Poorhouse Rockers,
   Porno For Pyros, Primitive Radio Gods, Psychotica, Republica / 
   Gravity Kills, Jonathan Richman, Slayer, Richard Thompson, Tool,
   Neil Young / Jewel / Moist
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
Back Issues of Consumbale
---
	REVIEW: Pearl Jam, _No Code_ (Epic)
		- Scott Byron
	The first thing you notice about Pearl Jam's latest is that once
again they've held nothing back in the packaging.  The CD set unfolds 
almost to LP size, with a mess of small Polaroid photos on one side and
studio photos on the other.  There are two sleeves, one containing he CD,
the other a set of Polaroid-size photos with the songs' lyrics on the
back.  It's one of the most impressive packages ever.
	The music inside is hardly a disappointment.  _No Code_ packs in
thirteen new songs, ranging from raunchy rockers to pleasant ballads.  The
sound is top-notch, clean and sharp, and the band is in fine form.  Each
musician shines individually, but what makes the album work is how
beautifully they play together, particularly in the way Mike McCready's
and Stone Gossard's guitar parts interweave and complement each other.
Eddie Vedder is in fine voice, perhaps more in control than on previous
albums.  The ballad "Off He Goes," one of the album's high points,
requires a restrained, not-too-emotional reading, and Vedder nails it.
Then, when the album explodes into the raucous "Habit," his voice cracks
and soars just as it should.
	Perhaps most impressive are the lyrics themselves, all of which
have a strong emotional resonance.  I avoided reading along with the
lyrics the first few times I listened to the album, just to get my own
interpretations of the songs, and was impressed.  But almost every track
took on new dimension and meaning when I read the lyrics.  There's less
of the strident polemics of _Vitalogy_; these are songs about feelings,
and that makes them connect even more strongly.
	There are some rhythmic variations from the usual Pearl Jam fare
here, partially due to new drummer Jack Irons, and partially due to the
influence (presumably) of Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn, who has been
collaborating with Eddie Vedder on side projects.  The latter is most
notable on the single "Who You Are," but it's not an overwhelming
influence; it still sounds like Pearl Jam.  There's also a definite
influence from Neil Young, whose trademark sound is evident throughout -
Pearl Jam worked with him recently, too, on _Mirror Ball_.
	But still, the sound of _No Code_ is distinctively Pearl Jam's
and that, for the most part, is alright.
	And now, a tangent.
	After listening to this album a couple of dozen times, I've become
obsessed with what it _doesn't_ do.  What I _wanted_ it to do.  What I
think it doesn't do is speak to the future.  It doesn't take us anywhere
we haven't been, or point us anywhere new.
	Perhaps it's unfair to expect or demand such a thing from any pop
album, and I didn't begin listening to this one with that goal in mind.
But the thought keeps returning.
	Kurt Cobain taught us that to take the pressures of pop artistry
too seriously is a tragic mistake, but he was, I believe, aware that his
obsessive nature (with artistic integrity, history, family, etc.) was part
of his brilliance.  He wanted to be great, to lead us, and he did.  But
the pressure he put on himself ended up destroying him.
	Eddie Vedder is a great singer, performer and songwriter.  He,
too, has an inate understanding of the balance between the art and the
artifice of success, as well as the trappings of fame that proved fatal to
Kurt.  Vedder and his bandmates take great pains to stay true to their
beliefs, drawing lines that Kurt didn't - no more videos, fuck
Ticketmaster, etc.  These are admirable concerns, but in the end, it's
what's on tape that counts.
	And when all that other stuff is long forgotten, we'll still have
these CDs.  And while I can't begin to guess where music will take us in
the next few months, years and decades, I'm beginning to believe we're
approaching the end of an era.
	I'm going to say it again, just to be clear: _No Code_ is a very
good record.  I enjoyed it a lot, and will continue to listen to it.  I
just wish I thought it meant something more.
---
	REVIEW: Tool, _Aenema_ (Zoo Entertainment)
		- Sean Eric McGill
	My advice to anyone buying _Aenema_, the latest album from Tool, 
is simple.  When you buy the album, buy a set of headphones - good ones. 
Don't listen to it in your car on the way home, don't listen to it 
before you go back to work or wherever - just wait until you get home, 
lock yourself away in a room, get the materials you need to sustain your
existence for a few hours, put on the headphones and strap yourself in.
	One of the first things you'll notice in the liner notes of the 
album is a portrait of the late comedian Bill Hicks. I saw Hicks live a 
few times during his career and the parallels between his comedy and 
Tool's musical and lyrical style are uncanny. Hicks could leave you 
bowled over with laughter one minute and genuinely disturbed the next 
with his biting wit towards the world around him. Nothing was sacred to 
him, and the same can be said of Tool.
	The sound of the album is vastly different from that of 
_Undertow_, Tool's now three years-old first LP.  _Undertow_ was 
criticized by some as being almost commercial, a label that seemed to 
stick in some circles with the success of the singles for "Sober" and 
"Prison Sex". But when you really stopped to listen to the album, you 
realized that commercialism had nothing to do with the equation at all. 
Where Tool separated itself from the rest of the alternative / metal /
whatever-the-hell-it-is-this-week genre on _Undertow_ and again on 
_Aenema_ is their songwriting - which is about as far from commercial 
as you can get.  Let's be honest: Does the line "I have found some kind
of temporary sanity in this shit blood and cum on my hands" (from 
"Prison Sex") sound commercial to you?
	There are some instances where Tool's musical approach to their 
material isn't completely original. The garbled vocals on "Eulogy", for 
instance, are a trick employed quite a few times by bands ranging from 
Ministry to Stone Temple Pilots. But even though the tricks aren't 
always completely original (and you find me ten different albums 
released these days that are completely original, and I'll crawl 
through glass to worship at your feet), Tool's approach is to put a new 
twist on them. And more often than not, that twist is provided through 
the vocals of Maynard James Keenan.
	Keenan's vocals can at times be soul-wrenching in their tortured 
agony and soul-crushing in their rage, and it is that diversity that 
makes _Aenema_ more of a trip through a bands mind and soul than the 
usual album. This is a personal album in every sense of the word, with 
the band paying homage to their friend Hicks and taking shots at L. Ron 
Hubbard, fans who accuse them of selling out, and anyone else who gets 
in their way.
	Bottom line is this: no matter what you thought of _Undertow_, 
or what you think of the loosely-defined genre that Tool is placed in 
(the alternative/metal/whatever genre I spoke of above), _Aenema_ is an 
incredible album. It has more soul and strength than the majority of 
the releases from any genre this year combined, and will leave you 
feeling worn out at its conclusion. You'll go places, thats for damn 
sure - but some of those places aren't too nice at all.
---
	INTERVIEW: Fountains of Wayne
		- Al Muzer
	One blast of "Radiation Vibe's" joyous, "baby, baby, baby" 
chorus is generally enough to convert most casual listeners into card
carrying Fountains Of Wayne fans.
	By adroitly blending the modern power-pop feel of bands such 
as Weezer, You And What Army and Ruth Ruth with classic, AM radio
inspired hooks, reverential blasts of energetic garage-rock jangle, 
shameless pop cliches, McCartney-sweet choruses and soaring, multi
tracked harmonies - the New York-based four-piece have come up with 
a 12-song genre-masterpiece their first time out.
	Led by Chris Collingwood (also a member of the country band, 
Mercy Buckets) and Adam Schlesinger (currently with Ivy), the group's 
lineup also includes guitarist Jody Porter and drummer Jeff Perrott.
	Although four in number, the genius spark behind the 
infectiously-poppy sound heard on Fountains Of Wayne's self-titled 
debut is clearly the songwriting partnership of Collingwood and 
Schlesinger.  In fact, a good portion of the industry buzz surrounding 
the record's release has focused on the duo's winning way with a melody.
	"Radiation Vibe," "She's Got A Problem," "Survival Car," "Sick 
Day," "Leave The Biker," "You Curse At Girls," "Please Don't Rock Me 
Tonight" - all are brilliant, memorable, hit-worthy songs much deeper,
twisted and, occasionally, outright dumber than a quick listen allows 
time to grasp.
	Case in point is the hilarious "Leave The Biker"; in which 
Collingwood pleads with "every man's dream" to, "please leave the 
biker (break his heart)" who has, "crumbs in his beard from the 
seafood special" - all set to one of the catchiest melodies this 
side of Nada Surf.
	"We taught each other to write pop songs by listening to 
great songwriters like The Beatles, Squeeze and Jules Schear and 
trying to figure out what they did," says Collingwood of the duo's 
partnership.
	"You can't really make too much of a conscious decision as 
to what sort of music you're gonna be drawn to or like," adds 
Schlesinger. "It just seems that when Chris and I get together, pop 
music is what we naturally come up with."
	In addition to his work with Fountains Of Wayne and Ivy and 
a partnership with James Iha and D'arcy of The Smashing Pumpkins in 
the Chicago-based Scratchie label - Schlesinger is also getting 
attention for the title track he composed for the latest Tom Hanks 
film, That Thing You Do.
	"The movie is a 1964 kind'a early-Beatles thing and the song 
is a big hit for the band in the movie," he chuckles. "But, I don't 
know if a song written with that era in mind will work as a hit in 
1996. Oh well," he laughs, "better a fictitious hit song than no hit 
song at all."
	After a few hilarious "mother" jokes (Chris has a million of 
'em!), a bit of pre-tour jitters over the band's upcoming cross-country
trek, juicy details of Schlesinger's business relationship with two
thirds of the 'Pumpkins, a discussion on the sudden re-emergence of 
pop music and a tale or two about Collingwood's vocal contributions 
during recent tributes to Brian Wilson and Burt Bacharach - the talk 
turns, once again, to Fountains Of Wayne songs.
	"It was a challenge to see if we could actually write a good 
song with a title that bad and get away with it," laughs Collingwood 
of the gentle, lilting, hopelessly-naive "You Curse At Girls."
	"A real important part of the writing process for this 
record," chuckles Schlesinger, "involved the two of us sitting in a 
bar throwing song names at each other and writing 'em down on napkins."
	As for the return of pop?
	"Nirvana was, technically, a pop band," remarks Schlesinger. 
"They just found a new sound and a fresh approach."
	"I think people have always responded to 'good' pop music," 
concludes Collingwood, "and they always will."
	"Besides, I don't think pop music ever really went away in 
the first place," he adds. "Bands just do different things with it now."
---
	REVIEW: Soundtrack, _That Thing You Do!_ (Epic)
		- Bob Gajarsky
	Tom Hanks is seemingly a jack-of-all-trades.  Actor and
now producer of the hit film That Thing You Do, Hanks has also 
helped co-write part of the soundtrack for his foray into the
world of production and the fictitious accounting of a 60's
wonder group, the Wonders.
	Since _That Thing You Do_ *is* a soundtrack, not all of the 
songs are attributed to the Wonders.  Rather, the soundtrack
traces the history of the "Play-Tone" label, and the liner notes
associated with the compilation have the look (and feel) of
many "authentic" 1960's albums.
	The title track (which appears here in its "original" form
and its "live" form, the latter reminiscent of Beatles-mania) is
starting to generate airplay today, in 1996.  Penned by Fountains
of Wayne member Adam Schlesinger, "That Thing You Do" is candy-sweet
bubblegum pop with a playful chorus.  Mike Viola (the real singer,
from the Candy Butchers) sounds like Buddy Holly crossed with a bit
of the Brit-pop invasion.
	Unfortunately, the remainder of the album runs true to the
course of their fictionalized biography - good enough for record,
but nothing ever approaching the success of *that* hit single.
The Hanks-penned "Loving You Lots and Lots" feels like a 
Kingston Trio song, and nearly all the other songs echo from the
1960's.  The other Wonders songs sound resonate with the
Merseybeat sound of Gerry & the Pacemakers and Herman's Hermits,
"Hold My Hand, Hold My Heart" recalls girl groups of the 60's, Darlene 
Love, Phil Spector and the Wall of Sound; the "Theme From Mr. Downtown"
is a knockoff of Duane Eddy meets the James Bond spy series sound
and the instrumental "Voyage Around The Moon" and "Drive Faster"
remind one of leftover demos from Dick Dale or the Beach Boys.
	Ironically then, the strongest point for the soundtrack of 
_That Thing You Do_ is also its weakest point - tracing the history of
the band that couldn't shake that big hit single, and their many 
failures.  Some of the songs "could" have been hits in the 1960's,
but with the exception of the title track, wouldn't be regular songs
on the golden oldies stations today.  Recommended to people who walked 
out of the movie with a smile on their face, or long for the days
of the early-mid 1960's.
---
	REVIEW: Crash Test Dummies, _A Worm's Life_ (Arista)
		- Reto Koradi
	The Crash Test Dummies did not rush to follow up on their 
five and a half million selling album _God Shuffled His Feet_. Nearly 
three years have passed since that album's release, and two and a
half years since the smash success of "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm". A long tour 
and a well deserved break were in between, and now, close to being 
forgotten, they are back ("finally!" some will say, "oh no, not 
again!" others) with _A Worm's Life_.
	Right from the beginning, there is a positive contrast 
compared to _God Shuffled His Feet_, which is especially noticeable on 
a good stereo.  While the previous album sounded quite flat and muddy 
over large parts, their sound has gained much clearer contours on the 
new one. Only their live shows had previously demonstrated that they
are a surprisingly skilled band, and now this also shows on record. 
There are distinctive, dry drums, bouncy bass lines, and some high 
class guitar work. The whole sound has gotten a touch heavier and more 
intense. One highlight track on the album is "My Enemies", which has a 
driving beat, some crunchy short guitar solos, and electronically 
processed vocals in the chorus.
	Despite a more rock oriented sound, the Crash Test Dummies have 
of course not become anarchists. There are still some beautiful, slow 
ballads, like the title track, and Brad Roberts' absolutely unique 
baritone remains the central part of the songs. And again, the lyrics 
prove that Mr. Roberts is not a dummy at all, but studied literature 
and philosophy. An instant killer like "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" is not in 
sight, but tracks like the opening "Over Achiever" certainly have 
potential.
	Whether it will sell as much as _God Shuffled His Feet_ 
remains questionable, but from a musical point of view, _A Worm's Life_ 
is a clear step forward for the Crash Test Dummies. Instead of falling 
for the temptation of repeating what worked in the past, they gain 
substance and go for a more variable sound. This album will certainly 
not start a musical revolution, but it's highly enjoyable, mellow rock 
music.
--
	REVIEW: They Might Be Giants, _Factory Showroom_ (Elektra)
		- Carol Hamer
	As much as I enjoyed this album, I have to admit that, 
compared to other They Might Be Giants discs, _Factory Showroom_ 
does not have the same range.  They Might Be Giants have long been 
known for producing sounds that are unusual and experimental, and we 
certainly see some of this in _Factory Showroom_.  For example, they 
play with funk and disco styles to produce "S-E-X-X-Y", which is
a bit different from the usual fare.  I also can't picture many 
other bands going down to Edison Laboratories to record a song on the 
historical equipment, as They Might Be Giants did for the song "I Can
Hear You."  Still, with a mere 13 songs, _Factory Showroom_ is about 
70% as long as a typical They Might Be Giants album, and seems to 
contain about 70% as much material that is really fresh and new as 
you would normally expect to find in a They Might Be Giants album.
	Some highlights of _Factory Showroom_ include "James K. Polk," 
which is a favorite from their live shows and first saw the light of 
day as a B-side; "Metal Detector" and "Spiraling Shape," which are 
some fun new products of They Might Be Giants' amusingly unique 
style; and "XTC vs. Adam Ant," a song that is about competing music 
styles, but which is difficult to identify as belonging to a 
particular musical genre itself. Still, in all, the album could have 
stood to contain more surprises.
	Possibly John Flansburgh's sideline album, _Mono Puff_, proved 
to be too much of a distraction.  Indeed, if you were to take the best 
five songs from _Mono Puff_ and add them to _Factory Showroom_, you 
would have a really good album - definitely up to They Might Be Giants 
usual high standard.  The obvious solution for fans of TMBG is to buy 
both albums and tape them together.  If you're not familiar with They 
Might Be Giants, however, I would recommend starting with one of their
other albums.
---
	REVIEW: John Mellencamp, _Mr. Happy Go Lucky_ (Mercury)
		- Bob Gajarsky
	People who are familiar with John Mellencamp's twenty year
career will notice a distinctive change on the artwork of his latest
release, _Mr. Happy Go Lucky_ - John is painted as a clown in a
big top setting, with the cover and artwork designed to look like 
a circus.  Once inside, what could surprise fans is Mellencamp's
choice of co-producer - noted New York club DJ and producer Junior
Vasquez.
	The pairing of Mellencamp and Vasquez, which was first thought
of when Junior did a remix for "Love and Happiness", brought together
two men with totally different backgrounds - Mellencamp's guitar/rock,
which expanded into other instruments such as violin and fiddle, 
and his huge hits such as "Jack and Diane" and "Pink Houses" - and
Vasquez, who is renowned in New York City for his remixes, all
night disc jockeying (at clubs such as the Tunnel and Palladium), and
even his "own" songs such as "If Madonna Calls".
	Those differences presented themselves in the construction of
songs.  Vasquez writes songs by "starting from the loop up, and here I 
am dealing with this acoustic folk song.  Then Kenny (Aronoff) goes out
and plays these big overheads and drums and it's like 'Where can I take 
it from there?'.  I think John's main focus was to get a stronger bottom."
	The first single, "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)" has 
traces of _Scarecrow_'s "Between A Laugh And A Tear" with a violin and 
Caribbean teaser tossed on the top.  "Just Another Day" will instantly 
be recognizable to listeners - its addictive hooks bring to mind
the most upbeat moments of previous records such as _Big Daddy_.
	Some of the tracks do exhibit the differences that Vasquez
brings to the table.  "Emotional Love" is probably the closest 
Mellencamp will ever come to recording a street song - and was 
also not written by John, but by Mellencamp bassist Toby Myers.  
And, "Life Is Hard" could be a club hit with the right Junior remix.
	It's likely that the people who know and recognize Junior 
Vasquez will stay far away from any Mellencamp release.  That's
unfortunate because Junior has enabled Mellencamp to venture slightly
from his rock roots and flesh out a few songs with a street
sound.  _Mr. Happy Go Lucky_ isn't all about Junior Vasquez - but
Mellencamp's albums have now achieved a constant level, where people who 
have bought anything with his name on it in the last ten years
know his consistent level of quality works, and have a fairly 
certain idea of what they're getting.  Mellencamp's latest release
twists those perceptions just a little.
---
	REVIEW: Dodgy, _Free Peace Sweet_ (A&M UK)
		- Tim Kennedy
	Dodgy's third CD, _Free Peace Sweet_, is a dramatic step 
away from the more measured and melodic tones of previous albums.  
The complexities of the second album (_Homegrown_) the precise, 
Beatlesque first album _Dodgy Album_, are now brushed aside by 
a big bad rock sound.  This is in direct contrast to the current
popularity of the sound that they pioneered back in the days when
Cobain was king.  At the time, they couldn't give away copies of 
the gorgeous pure pop _Dodgy Album_.
	Songs like "In A Room" roar and bluster with dynamite 
basslines, thundering drums and heavy, riffing guitar.  The lyrics 
take a back seat compared to former Dodgy work, the power trio 
that was always threatening to burst from within their mild-mannered
sixties pop persona has now done so.  The ghost of Keith Moon has 
possessed Matthew Priest to good effect.
	"Jack The Lad" recalls the Who's manic rock assault and 
from what I can gather, the lyrics appear to refer to a certain 
lad's excess and bad behaviour leading to the inwevitable.  Do 
they mean...surely not?
	In striking contrast to the general rocking theme of the album
are gentle ballads such as "Long Life".  This in particular might 
have been performed by the Carpenters, and that is a measure of what 
a great tune it is.  These gentler tunes seem to be Nigel directly 
addressing his wife and child; for example, "One Of Those Rivers" 
mentions the heartache of touring with his loved ones at home.  A major
contrast indeed.
	"Good Enough" which was a major UK hit single and had postmen 
whistling around the country for weeks, is actually an excellent 
attempt at an early seventies style of soul which was deified by 
the Northern Soul UK youth subculture back then.  The lyric is quite 
banal but the song is so infectious it really doesn't matter.  It 
stands out as the only soul song the band have ever written.
	As always the positivity of the band stands out, and if Dale 
Carnegie had smoked dope and travelled about in a VW microbus, he 
might have written lyrics like these.
	Dodgy have always had one or two tracks in their repertoire 
which resemble tripped-out cavernous dub, and there are a couple on 
this disc as well.  "U.K.R.I.P." pauses from the cheerfulness present
elsewhere, in order to have an almighty whinge about the bad state 
of the nation - rich vs poor,  black vs white and so on. Extremely 
worthy, and moreover, quite impressive at a high amount of decibels.
	All in all then,  _Free Peace Sweet_ is a super effort from 
the Dodgy chaps, proving their versatility, their chartworthiness,
but most of all that they can be evil rock beasts like the best of 'em.
---
	REVIEW: The Ocean Blue, _See The Ocean Blue_ (Mercury)
		- Lee Graham Bridges
	With a stroke of luck, the latest release from Hershey, 
Pennsylvania's The Ocean Blue might become a chart-topper, but as true 
music lovers know, this is often not an indication of the quality or 
originality of the album.  The new album sees the band trading the more 
melancholy and/or blissful songs that constituted previous albums like 
_Cerulean_ for a raspier, (dare I say?) heavier, "we're rocking now!" 
style.  The Smiths and Cocteau Twins influence is less felt, but to 
interesting effect.
	Despite being generally more strained and direct (especially 
lead vocals and guitars), the style change is not all-encompassing, for 
earlier albums were comprised of similar elements of style (bouncy, 
consistently hasty, whether solemn or joyful).  The new songs stick 
more to the middle of the great "modern rock" paradigm.
	_See The Ocean Blue_ is more accurately described as an anthology 
of mood swings (musically and lyrically) - at times resembling older, lazy 
Ocean Blue songs ("Slide") or older, jouncy OB songs ("Bite Your Lip"), 
resembling a more alterna-pop sound ("10 10 Cloud Deck"), or entering a 
noisy proto-Brit stage ("Bitter").
	The album opens with the one-minute instrumental "Jouissance," 
which would sooner be expected from a Saint Etienne album than this.  
Then, "Whenever You're Around" and "Out Here", good examples of the 
coarser, more conventional feel of the album, despite such "experimental" 
buzzes and noises scattered here and there.  "Ways and Means" (despite 
the superb vocal handling of the line "and leave you dry-AYE-AYE-AYE-AYE!")
is a more trademark Ocean Blue song, but not quite comfortable yet.  "Past
Future Perfect" is a nice acoustic number; "Bitter", though 
uncharacteristic, is one of the most well-done, biting songs here - short 
and energetic as hell, unlike many of the other upbeat songs that bore the
listener with so-so hooks and vocals.  "Slide" appropriately follows, and 
is one of the only successful melancholy ventures present.  The rest 
follow in a similar, widely varying manner.
	Besides being less interesting and emotive than earlier works, 
The Ocean Blue's newest, while making many fans cringe, will likely 
appeal to most as a clean, straightforward, albeit uninventive album.
---
	REVIEW: Adrian Belew, _Op Zop Too Wah_ (Passenger)
		- Al Muzer
	Belew's latest begins with a twisted jungle/jazz hypno-riff 
overripe with squealing rhino-guitarx before it down-shifts into a 
curiously-percussive, spoken-word piece that somehow segues into a 
Dave Edmunds/Move/Cheap Trick-ish slice of hit-bound boogie-pop.
	Stepping back for a reflective moment, Belew follows a lovely 
solo guitar stunner with the semi-techno dreamscape of "All Her Love Is
Mine" before laying into the catchy Crimson pulse of "I Remember How To
Forget" that, in turn, evolves into the space-monkey surf madness and 
Mid-Eastern raga-bop of the title track.
	Working by himself and without a net - the rest of Belew's _Op 
Zop Too Wah_ rushes by in a brilliant kaleidoscope of intriguing sounds,
bright colors and diverse musical processing that, while never boring, 
stays with you long after the latest indisputable masterpiece from the 
King of Quirk has ended.
---
	REVIEW: The Blackeyed Susans, _Mouth to Mouth_ (HiGloss/American)
		- David Landgren
	It's been more than a year since _Mouth to Mouth_ was released 
in Australia, the land where The Blackeyed Susans hail from. The album 
has recently been released in the States, and that's good news for 
American readers. The band have been through a number of line-up 
changes since they formed back in 1989. At the time, the band was one 
half members of the ever-so-brilliant Triffids. These days, however, 
Blackeyed Susans are more or less Rob Snarski (ex-Chad's Tree), Phil 
Kakulas (ex-Martha's Vineyard) who were there in the beginning, and 
now Kiernan Box, plus a roving group of friends who come and lend a 
hand from time to time.
	One pointer that this is a great album is that Tony Cohen 
mixed and helped produce it. Cohen, unsung hero of the studio, has 
been involved with some landmark albums such as Hunters & Collectors' 
early work (_World of Stone_ and their eponymous LP+EP album), most of 
the Bad Seeds' albums, Crime & the City Solution and more recently The 
Cruel Sea - with the latter works helping to place the sound that you 
will find on _Mouth to Mouth_.
	The album's opening bars are a vintage Triffids retro keyboard
sound, but the similarity soon fades as the listener  becomes aware of 
a big electric guitar churning it all up, with black Cave-like lyrics: 
"My father cast a shadow over me/As it was so shall it be/You're the 
final result in a very long line/You will carry the mark handed down 
over time". The second song "She Breathes In", is a hybrid sort of 
rocker, between Died Pretty & Cruel Sea. Pounding beat and full 
throttle vocals pulled together by quiet passages.
	"Let's Live" is a slower number, replete with violins and 
cello, and I think it is this track that makes you realise that 
Blackeyed Susans are not just clones of what the aforementioned bands, 
but are very clearly tracing out their own path. "Hey Buddy" confirms 
this impression. Another slow number whose lyrics, out of context, 
could be considered as attempting to be Nick Cave "Hey buddy got a 
light?/Can you tell me if it's day or night/Seems that I'm a long, 
long way from home." This then, is the crux of the matter. Is it a 
fault to resemble the Bad Seeds? I think not, since I once read 
someone trashing Nick Cave as a white boy attempting to be Muddy 
Waters. So things cancel each other out, and with that out of the way 
we can sit back and enjoy the rest of the album.
	The following track, "By Your Hand" is a gorgeous slow ballad 
(How without you I'm condemned/To misery without end/How to life this 
flame was flamed by your hand). Elliptic verse signed by McComb & 
Snarski.
	What doesn't work out right? "I Can't Find Your Pulse" is a 
bit too vague: the vocals are a bit too quiet in the mix, the thump... 
thump... thump... of the drum is too loud and the song trudges forward 
interminably.  I'm also not to sure why the album was named _Mouth to 
Mouth_. The track of the same name is certainly good, but in terms of 
slow ones, I think "By Your Hand" is much better.
	After this quiet interlude, the band comes back strongly: the 
keyboards kick in, a strong riff on an acoustic guitar, backing vocal 
courtesy of Kathryn Wemyss: "Mary Mac"; after you've heard it a couple 
of times it's difficult to avoid not wanting to singing along 
(i.e.: bellowing at the top of your voice) yourself. And what a 
great finish.
	Then, if you can imagine R.E.M. (more Buck than Stipe) with a 
pedal steel guitar, you come close to having the idea of "Shadow Of 
Her Smile". The album closes with a mournful "The End Of The Line". 
Over the past couple of decades, Australian artists have been 
absorbing American Country, and have slowly molded it to Australia's 
unique geography and psyche. This song, as much as any other, is a 
good example of this absorption.
	There is a very good web page for the band. I mention it here 
because it's difficult to find: too many hits of Blackeyed Susans, the 
flower, and not the band. I eventually found it by searching for The 
Triffids. It's at http://connexus.apana.org.au/~amckinna/sus-home.html
---
	REVIEW: Slobberbone, _Crow Pot Pie_ (Doolittle)
		- Jon Steltenpohl
	Slobberbone's _Crow Pot Pie_ is a jolting collection of 
drunk ass, shit kickin', punk flavored, country rock tunes.  
Slobberbone has brought the genre of alternative country rock back to 
its backwoods, cry in your beer and piss off the back of your trailer, 
roots.  Imagine Uncle Tupelo's strange cousin with a Replacements 
hangover (and a bad attitude to match) and you've basically summed 
up Slobberbone.
	The band was formed in Denton, Texas by 5 drinking buddies 
who played their first gigs in the back of a local beer store.  With 
those beginnings, it's not too hard to believe that most every song 
either deals with drinking, love gone wrong, or, remarkably, both 
drinking AND love gone wrong.  These, of course, are the themes of 
any good country and western song, but, Slobberbone doesn't delve into 
the normal C&W cliches.
	Lead singer Brent Best has a way with words that is, well, 
quite troubling.  There are some highlights.  In the 10 minute epic 
"16 Days", he sings "Once we had meaning, but now we're just hollow."  
Kind of deep lyrics... until you recall that a verse earlier he was 
crooning about "watching the dog pee on the car."  Dogs peeing are 
just part of Best's lyrical oddities.
	In "I can Tell Your Love is Waning", he laments repeatedly 
that his failing relationship is like "getting caught behind a cattle 
truck and all you smell is shit", until he finally stabs his love to
death after listening to "Mack the Knife" on a blaring radio.  Sick? 
Yes, but it's worse when you find yourself merrily singing along 
about the smell of the cow shit and the pleasures of slicing up your 
love in a bathtub.
	With such lyrics, Slobberbone risks falling into a Mojo 
Nixon schlockfest. But as strange as they get, Best seems to write 
from the heart.  _Crow Pot Pie_ is filled with honesty, urgency, and 
regret that recalls the silliness and ultimate seriousness of a band 
like Weezer.  Even when Best sings "you put my heart into a headlock,
and threw it on the ground" in "Shoot You Dead", there's sincerity in 
the air.
	Slobberbone's music is as earnest as the lyrics.  The two-step
beat runs under everything, and the guitars, banjos, and fiddle 
alternate between Grand Ole Opry grins and post-Nirvana grunge.  
"Little Sister" plays like a western movie theme song with a Mason 
Proffit groove, and "Tilt-a-Whirl" heads to the land of Southern 
Culture on the Skids.  And, there are enough southern rock guitar 
solos that you'd think Slobberbone were the sons of Lynyrd Skynyrd 
who listened to punk after their daddies went to bed.
	Who knows what the future of Slobberbone holds?  _Crow Pot 
Pie_ is an indie release, and it's not clear when they'll get signed 
to a major.  What is clear is that Slobberbone will sell a ton of 
records someday.  "Ruin Your Day" beats anything groups like the 
Lemonheads have done, and the success of Wilco and Son Volt after 
the Uncle Tupelo break-up revealed a market for this type of music. 
But, until then, search out Slobberbone and be like all the Uncle 
Tupelo fans who say they "listened to them when."
	For more info, try e-mailing slobber@doolittle.com or write 
to Doolittle Records, P.O. Box 4700, Austin, TX 78765.
---
NEWS:	> Andrew Sanchez has established a web site - located
at http://206.170.248.232/calendar.htm - which contains an
extensive listing of Los Angeles area free concerts, as well as
various other Internet music resources.
	> Zebra helps buyers and sellers meet in a different 
manner than traditional web search browsers, by identifying albums 
which fit a genre, rather than looking for simply any mention of the 
genre of music.  This enables fans of a style - for instance, gothic 
music - to find albums for sale from both majors and indies who have
registered for free with Zebra.  Check out http://www.identify.com/zebra 
for more information.
---
TOUR DATES
	Tom Cochrane / Tara MacLean
Oct. 17 Red Deer, AB Memorial Centre
Oct. 19 Brandon, MB Western Manitoba Centennial Aud.

	Cracker / Self
Oct. 22 Raleigh, NC Marrz
Oct. 23 Myrtle Beach, SC Hard Rock Cafe
Oct. 24 Knoxville, TN Bijou Theater
Oct. 25 Atlanta, GA Roxy Theater

	Cravin' Melon
Oct. 17 Asheville, NC Be Here Now
Oct. 18 Charlotte, NC Sound Factory
Oct. 19 Atlanta, GA Chameleon Club

	Melissa Etheridge
Oct. 18 Indianapolis, IN Market Square
Oct. 19 Detroit, MI Palace

	Extra Fancy
Oct. 16 Seattle, WA Fenix Underground
Oct. 18 Portland, OR Suburbia Club

	Honeycrack (all dates in England)
Oct. 14 Leeds Metropolitan University
Oct. 15 Glasgow Cathouse
Oct. 16 Edinburgh The Venue
Oct. 17 Liverpool Lomax
Oct. 19 Bedford Esquires
Oct. 20 Nottingham The Rig
Oct. 21 Portsmouth Oct. gewood Rooms
Oct. 22 Brighton Zap Club
Oct. 24 Plymouth University

	Lazy
Oct. 15 New York, NY Brownie's
Oct. 17 Cambridge, MA Middle East
Oct. 18 Burlington, VT Toast
Oct. 23 St. Louis, MO Cicero's
Oct. 25 Denton, TX Argo
Oct. 26 Austin, TX Electric Lounge
Oct. 27 Dallas, TX Orbit Room

	Lemonheads / Imperial Teen
Oct. 24 Danbury, CT Tuxedo Junction
Oct. 25 Providence, RI Lupo's

	Lizard Music
Oct. 25 Asbury Park, NJ The Saint (w/Thin Lizard Down)

	London Suede
Oct. 17 Neu-Isenburg Germ Hugenotthalle w/Boo Radleys
Oct. 18 Nurnberg, Ger Forum w/Boo Radleys
Oct. 20 Amsterdam The Paradiso w/Boo Radleys
Oct. 21 Cologne Theater Am Rudolfplatz w/Boo Radleys
Oct. 23 Berlin, Ger Huxleys Neu Welt w/ Boo Radleys
Oct. 24 Hamburg, Ger Markthalle w/Boo Radleys
Oct. 25 Copenhagen Valby Hallen w/Boo Radleys

	Madball
Oct. 14 Minneapolis, MN Mirage
Oct. 16 Detroit, MI Shelter

	Madball / Visions of Disorder
Oct. 17 Grand Rapids, MI Reptile House
Oct. 18 Columbus, OH Al Rosa Villa
Oct. 20 Boston, MA The Rat
Oct. 21 Randolph, NJ Obsessions
Oct. 22 Washington, DC Capitol Ballroom
Oct. 23 New Britain, CT Sports Palace
Oct. 24 Moosic, PA Sea Seas
Oct. 25 Poughkeepsie, NY Chance

	Marilyn Manson
Oct. 18 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Oct. 19 Cleveland, OH Agora
Oct. 20 Buffalo, NY Ogden Theatre
Oct. 22 Toronto, ON Wharehouse
Oct. 23 Montreal, QC Spectrum
Oct. 25 Burlington, VT Memorial Auditorium

	Mother Hips
Oct. 16 Carmichael, CA El Dorado
Oct. 17 Petaluma, CA Mystic Theatre
Oct. 18 San Francisco, CA Fillmore
Oct. 19 Santa Barbara, CA Toes Tavern
Oct. 20 San Luis Obispo, CA Slo Brewing Company

	Ozzy Osbourne / Sepultura
Oct. 18 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
Oct. 20 Portland, OR Rose Garden
Oct. 22 Spokane, WA Spokane Coliseum
Oct. 25 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky

	Poorhouse Rockers
Oct. 18 Churchville, MD McStagger's

	Porno For Pyros
Oct. 17 Cleveland, OH Agora
Oct. 19 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol
Oct. 21 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
Oct. 22 Cinncinati, OH Bogart's
Oct. 24 St. Louis, MO Mississippi Nights
Oct. 25 Davenport, IA River Centre

	Primitive Radio Gods
Oct. 17 San Antonio, TX Hard Rock Cafe
Oct. 18 Dallas, TX Hard Rock Cafe
Oct. 19 Austin, TX Outdoor @ Austin Music Hall
Oct. 21 Baton Rouge, LA Varsity Theatre
Oct. 22 Memphis, TN Six On Six
Oct. 23 Nashville, TN Hard Rock Cafe
Oct. 24 Atlanta, GA Hard Rock Cafe

	Psychotica
Oct. 15 Boston, MA Axis
Oct. 16 Providence, RI Strand
Oct. 17 New York, NY Westbeth
Oct. 18 New London, CT El N Gee Club
Oct. 19 Washington, DC Capitol Ballroom
Oct. 20 Baltimore, MD Warpt
Oct. 21 Philadelphia, PA Upstairs At Nicks
Oct. 22 Long Branch, NJ Metro Lounge

	Republica / Gravity Kills
Oct. 17 Old Bridge, NJ Birch Hill
Oct. 18 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Oct. 19 New Haven, CT Toad's Place
Oct. 20 Providence, RI Club Babyland
Oct. 24 Toronto, ON Lee's Place
Oct. 25 Rochester, NY Water Street

	Jonathan Richman
Oct. 16 New York, NY Sam Goody (Free Show)

	Slayer
Oct. 23 Anchorage, AK Egan Civic Center
Oct. 25 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky

	Richard Thompson
Oct. 18 Princeton, NJ McCarter Theatre
Oct. 19 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Oct. 20 Tarrytown, NY Music Hall
Oct. 22 Northampton, MA Academy of Music
Oct. 24-25 Somerville, MA Somerville Theatre

	Tool
Oct. 16 Pomona, CA The Glass House
Oct. 18 San Diego, CA Soma
Oct. 19 Fresno, CA Wilson Theater
Oct. 21 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
Oct. 24 Tacoma, WA The Field House
Oct. 25 Vancouver, CAN P & E Forum

	Neil Young / Jewel / Moist
Oct. 22 Vancouver, BC GM Place
Oct. 24 Edmonton, AB Edmonton Coliseum
Oct. 25 Calgary, AB Calgary Saddledome
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
	> I just got done with the piece in Consumable on the Hooters, and 
I just gotta say thanks.  The Hooters are a big band in Philadelphia, 
but no one really knows them outside of here and it's nice to see such 
a great band get out and really get some wonderful press.  Long live 
the Hooters!!! - Nicole Y., Philadelphia, PA

	> I have to disagree wth your view on "E-Bow The Letter".  That 
*has* to be one of the standout tracks of the album. The half spoken 
lyrics have shades of "Country Feedback" (one of my fave REM songs).
Well, just my $0.02.  Anyway, keep up the good work.  I've been reading
Consumables for close to 2 years now. C.S., Singapore

	> Hey! Great zine, esp. the tour dates!  You had local bands on 
there, that rulz - Lin
(Ed. Note - Well, luckily, everyone's local to somewhere...)
---
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