== ISSUE 194 ====  CONSUMABLE ONLINE  ======== [December 1, 1999]

  Editor:             Bob Gajarsky
                         E-mail: editor@consumableonline.com
  Managing Editor:    Lang Whitaker
  Sr. Correspondents: Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Bill Holmes, Tim 
                      Kennedy, Al Muzer, Joe Silva 
  Correspondents:     Michelle Aguilar, Christina Apeles, Niles J. 
                      Baranowski, Mike Bederka, Jason 
                      Cahill, Matthew Carlin, Patrick Carmosino, John 
                      Davidson, Andrew Duncan, Krisjanis Gale, Paul 
                      Hanson, Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Scott Hudson,   
                      Steve Kandell, Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Wes 
                      Long, I.K. MacLeod, Wilson Neate, Mike Pfeiffer, 
                      Linda Scott, Don Share, 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: Bush, _The Science of Things_ - Joann Ball 
REVIEW: Beck, _Midnite Vultures_ - Don Share
REVIEW: Rage Against the Machine, _The Battle of Los Angeles_ - Paul Hanson
REVIEW: John Linnell, _State State Songs Volume 1_ - Chelsea Spear
LIVE REVIEW: Death In Vegas at Irving Plaza, New York City  - Wilson Neate
COMPILATION REVIEWS: Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Goldfinger, KROQ Acoustic 
   Christmas - Bob Gajarsky
REVIEW: Buzzcocks, _Modern_ - Wilson Neate
REVIEW: Handsome Boy Modeling School, _So How's Your Girl?_ - Matthew Carlin
REVIEW: Luna, _The Days of Our Nights_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: The Promise Ring, _Very Emergency!_ - Andrew Duncan
REVIEW: Brian Setzer, _The Brian Setzer Collection '81-'88_ - Don Share
REVIEW: The Dismemberment Plan, _Emergency and I_ - Mike Pfeiffer
REVIEW: Lullaby for the Working Class, _Song_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: Motley Crue, _Live - Entertainment or Death_ - Paul Hanson
REVIEW: Various Artists, _Pspyched_ - Mike Pfeiffer
NEWS: Choiceradio.com / Julian Lennon, Gigmania / Luna, 
   Grateful Dead, Alanis Morissette, MP3DOM, Oasis
TOUR DATES: Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Ben Harper, Hefner, Hellacopters, 
   Innocence Missino, Jayhawks, Mike Ness, Michael Penn / Aimee Mann, 
   Rage Against The Machine / Gang Starr
Back Issues of Consumable
---
	REVIEW: Bush, _The Science of Things_ (Trauma)
		- Joann Ball 
	Bush has returned with the eagerly awaited third studio 
release _The Science of Things_ - and the band makes it clear that 
it has much to explore and prove on this most serious of projects.
	The blistering white noise of "Warm Machine" sets _The 
Science of Things_ into motion.  Musically framed by front man Gavin 
Rossdale and Nigel Pulsford's searing guitars and propelled by Dave 
Parsons' propulsive bass and Robin Goodridge's solid drumming, this 
lead track showcases Bush's newly inspired musical direction.  
Significantly influenced by the experimentation of 1997's ambitious 
_Reconstructed_, Bush updates their direct hard rock sound with 
distinctly electronic-based influences.
	Throughout the twelve songs on the 52-minute release, drum 
loops and samples are frequently integrated into the complex musical 
mix.  The result is nothing short of a sonic assault.  And it is the 
ideal platform for Rossdale's trademark gritty vocals which fully 
embody the band's new sense of purpose and drive, and his fully 
developed songwriting which explores the implications of science 
and technology as well as familiar contrasting themes of aspiration 
and frustration, and loneliness and independence.
	Lead single "Chemicals Between Us," with its lead guitar 
fueled intensity and mechanized rhythms, brilliantly showcases Bush's 
musical and lyrical growth and proves without a doubt that it works.  
Similarly, the raging "English Fire," the buzz saw guitar roar of 
"Prizefighter" and the edgy "Mindhanger," emphasize the complexity 
and fullness resulting from the combination of experimentation in 
instrumentation and technology with matured themes.
	But Bush's growth as a rock band is not just limited to the 
expansion of its undeniable big and driving sound.  Softer and slower 
numbers such as the almost ambient "40 Miles From the Sun," and the 
ballad "Letting the Cables Sleep" which prominently features piano 
and strings and Rossdale's almost liquid vocals, suggest that Bush 
has also developed a greater sense of stylistic range.  And the 
superbly crafted "Spacetravel," refines the high-octane rushes of 
sonic chaos by smoothing out the textured and layered guitars.  
Combined with backing vocals from No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, the song 
has a unique rise-surge-free fall effect which makes "Spacetravel" 
one of the finest among the 12-tracks on _The Science of Things_.
	In the years since the band's meteoric rise to the top with 
1993's _Sixteen Stone_, Bush has been repeatedly criticized as 
derivative and imitative. And even though the band proved it was 
no fluke with the surprisingly raw sophomore release "Razorblade 
Suitcase_, the skeptics continued to nag Rossdale and company about 
the true essence of the band.  But now with its third effort, Bush 
has firmly established itself as an intelligent and complex rock 
band that is fully capable of standing on its own merits. _The 
Science of Things_ , existing independently of any particular music 
scene or trend, is an exploration of sound, ideas and boundaries.  
And critics and skeptics alike should take note... it is convincingly 
and uncompromisingly all things Bush.
---
	REVIEW: Beck, _Midnite Vultures_ (DGC)
		- Don Share
	If _Mellow Gold_ was the overnightly sensational debut, 
_Stereopathic Soul Manure_ and _One Foot in the Grave_ were odds and 
sods, and _Odelay_ the certified classic, then _Mutations_ was, well, 
a mutation, and _Midnite Vultures_ is the, um, mature work. Fewer 
samples, nothing folk, or grunge here; Beck's moved on to singing 
wit-laden, 70's style funkpop collages whose lyrics are almost Jamesian 
(Rick James, I mean) in an arch, nearly Jaggeresque falsetto. More 
precisely, it's Beck Hansen's skinny white guy version of The Artist -- 
all innuendo and technique.
	"Sexx Laws" kicks it all off with blasting horns and horny 
lyrics ("I want to defy/ The logic of all sexx laws"), and is a bastard 
grandson of Jagger's '70s man-about-townisms of the _It's Only Rock and 
Roll_ era. Splendid. "Nicotine & Gravy" keeps the beat with an 
infectious, danceable whir that almost conceals the daft lyrics ("Her 
left eye is lazy/ Nicotine and gravy"). "Mixed Bizness" even borrows 
some "Honky Tonk Woman" cowbells, and, pardon the flashback, sounds 
like Steely Dan's _Royal Scam_ being played at 78 rpm by mistake and 
seen as a party revelation. "Get Real Paid" and "Hollywood Freaks" 
are almost cousins to Basement Jaxx, but funnier ("my sales go triple/ 
we drop lobotomy beats"), the latter featuring very fine assistance 
from the Dust Brothers.
	On "Peaches & Cream," Beck becomes a sort of Barry White on 
helium: "You look good in that sweater/ And that aluminum crutch/ I'm 
gonna let you down easy/ I've got a delicate touch." Stay tuned for 
the chugging chunk of "Broken Train," which features the visionary 
lyric, "I'm glad I got my suit dry-cleaned/ Before the riots started," 
and "Milk & Honey," which cranks it up with "outre guitar" from Johnny 
Marr and sound effects from heroic keyboardist, Roger Manning.
	"Beautiful Way" changes gears - a moody, just-shy of wistful 
love song; it's got some buried guest vocals from Beth Orton, and even 
resembles her "She Cries Your Name." "Pressure Zone" serves up more 
bizarro-world lyrics ("Masterpieces liquidate in fertile tears") with 
great ooh-la-la'ing in the bridge and swell gitbox noise in the breaks.
	Best comes last: "Debra," a lovely, jazzy, very funny epic to 
watch your lava lamp by. The falsetto is as creamy and perfect as 
Beck's looks, and the moves are suavely, if deviously, made: "I met 
you at J.C. Penney/ I think your nametag, it said, Jenny/ I wanna get 
with you/ And your sister/ I think her name's Debra."
	What Steely Dan's _Aja_ is to jazz, _Midnite Vultures_ is to 
funk and rap: its borrowings are deft but outlandish, and while 
distanced from its sources, moving. And by moving, I mean not just of 
heart and soul, but feet, too. Midnite's the right time for love, and 
vultures peck at the nourishing and morbid past, making the album's 
title most apt.
---
	REVIEW: Rage Against the Machine, _The Battle of Los Angeles_ (Epic)
		- Paul Hanson
	Before even opening the new Rage CD, _The Batle of Los Angeles_, 
there is a certain urgency to hear where this band is going to go next. 
Following up the multi-dimensional CD _Evil Empire_, RATM are at the 
breaking point already in their young career.  With as fast as the music 
industry changes, the unspoken question is: Will the band continue the 
tradition of _Evil Empire_ and release a stellar CD?
	Without question, they have once again pooled their talents 
together to create yet another outstanding CD. Leading off with the 
straight-ahead stomp of "Testify," the band quickly follows it up with 
the current radio single "Guerrilla Radio" with the bass pop rhythms 
of Y.tim.K. Guitarist Tom Morello jams out on this track as well. 
Other stellar tracks include "Sleep Now in the Fire" and the possible 
second single, "Born of a Broken Man." With a lazy guitar riff intro, 
the band jumps into a mid-tempo stomp before vocalist Zack DeLa Rocha 
softly intones the song's verse. Morello leads the band back into a 
stomp for the chorus and the pattern repeats.
	As always, DeLa Rocha's lyrics are politically charged slabs 
of controversy. "New Millenium Homes" includes the lyrics "Hungry people 
don't stay hungry for long/ They get hope from fire and smoke as they 
reach for tha dawn/ . . . Violence is in all hands/ Embrace it if need 
be/ Livin' be warfare/ I press it to CD." His cockiness comes out in 
"Calm Like a Bomb" with the lyrics "I be walkin' god like a dog/ My 
narrative fearless/ My word war returns to burn/ Like Baldwin home 
from Paris." His lyrical style teeters between a straight rap and 
alternative rock singing.
	The music behind him packs a wallop as well. Morello's riffs 
encourage bassist Y.tim.K to be more inventive, more adventuresome, 
with his bass parts to supplement the riff. Drummer Brad Wilk bashes 
his cymbals with a fierce intensity. "Born as Ghosts" features some 
exotic tones from the guitar before being shattered by Wilk's snare fill.
	The hype you may read about _The Battle of Los Angeles_ is 
warranted. _Evil Empire_ is a tough act to follow, but the band does 
an admirable job combining the strengths of that CD and adding new 
dimensions. These songs are sure to get concert audiences excited when 
the band launches a tour in the near future.
---
	REVIEW: John Linnell, _State State Songs Volume 1_ (Zoe)
		- Chelsea Spear
	As one-half of the jubilant They Might Be Giants, John Linnell 
occasionally comes off as the cool teacher we wish we had -- smart, 
accessible, and blessed with a good sense of humour without becoming 
the village idiot of teachers.  Previous They Might Be Giants albums 
have featured melodic bites with educational information baked deep 
inside, such as the bouncing and historically accurate "Meet James 
Ensor", or have even featured covers of songs from educational films, 
like "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and "Why Does the Sun Shine? (The 
Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)".  Thus, it should come as no 
surprise that Linnell's solo debut is as joyful, contagiously catchy, 
and geographically correct as _State Songs (Volume 1)_.
	Okay, so maybe the lyrics to the ditties on _State Songs_ aren't 
*quite* the states you learned about in geography.  Within the amusingly 
conspiratorial world Linnell invents, West Virginia is concentric in 
shape and contains a second West Virginia within its folds, Oregon is 
an evil force to be stopped at all costs, Montana is a leg, and 
Mississippi is ruled by two leaders, the Governor and his nemesis, 
the Anti-Governor. Occasionally, trivial but factual information, such 
as state flowers, birds, and coins crop up in the lyrics.  The subject 
matter serves as a rack for Linnell to hang his witty and off-the-wall 
observations on.
	The musical context for this revisionist look at America is 
possibly one of the most intriguing and experimental sets of songs 
Linnell has written since TMBG's _Apollo 18_.  _State Songs_ finds Linnell 
working with new instrumentation (like the pipe organ that graces the 
opening track, "Illinois"), new instruments to duet (such as the 
violin/accordion duet "Pennsylvania"), and some out-there ideas new to 
the TMBG ultraverse (such as the interesting but overlong album capper, 
"Nevada", which devolves into a musique concrete collage).  Fans of 
older TMBG material should find plenty to like within _State Songs_ -- 
the mod shimmy of "West Virginia" recalls John Flansburgh's contributions 
to the _Austin Powers_ soundtrack, and the bobbing-and-weaving melody 
found within "Montana" is sure to incite fits of pogoing at live shows.
	In spite of its geographical incorrectness, _State Songs, 
Vol. 1_ is sure to bring happiness to discerning music fans everywhere.  
In keeping with TMBG's spirit of making a good beginner band to those 
new to good music, _State Songs_ features some auditory experiments and 
tried-and-true elements that should especially speak to the 
twelve-year-old geography student within all our midsts. 
---
	LIVE REVIEW: Death In Vegas at Irving Plaza, New York City
		- Wilson Neate
	The last track to be played over the PA before Death In Vegas 
(http://www.timebombrecordings.com/divhomea.html) took the stage last 
night was a gem from two decades ago -- "Nag, Nag, Nag" by those 
visionaries from Sheffield, Cabaret Voltaire. Contemplating the awesome 
technological arsenal piled up around the podium set up for Richard 
Fearless and Tim Holmes, I couldn't help but marvel at what Richard 
Kirk and Stephen Mallinder might have done if they'd had that kind of 
equipment at their disposal all those years ago, as opposed to the 
techno equivalent of "Pong" or 'space Invaders" with which they still 
managed to create primitive but foundational electronica.
	But this is 1999 and Death In Vegas are touring the US on the 
heels of _The Contino Sessions_, the follow up to 1997's _Dead Elvis_. 
Released to almost unanimous critical acclaim -- and instantly touted 
as one of the best records of the year in the UK -- _The Contino 
Sessions_ is a full-on rock and roll techno album for the millennium 
that wears its intertexts on its sleeve. The Velvet Underground, The 
Jesus and Mary Chain, The Stooges, Primal Scream, and a bit of 
Krautrock thrown in for good measure, all weave their way in and 
out of this collage of sounds. And given main-man Richard Fearless's 
alternative career as a visual artist, it's not really surprising that 
he should have brought his visual sensibility to bear on his aural 
endeavors to provide us with a taste of postmodern pop pastiche at 
its millennial best.
	At New York's Irving Plaza, sporting a Johnny Cash t-shirt and 
enormous sunglasses quite possibly from the Burt Reynolds collection 
circa 1978, the auteur of The Contino Sessions enjoyed a leisurely 
evening. Walled in by banks of equipment, Fearless periodically 
twiddled a knob to make a theramin-like sound, but spent most of the 
night having a few beers and  quite a few smokes, watching the visuals, 
flashing devil signs and generally basking in the limelight.
	But who can blame him for kicking back and relishing the fruits 
of his labor?
	And last night, in the live context, the labor wasn't so much 
divided but, rather, completely delegated onto others, as Fearless 
casually presided over an odd, on-stage class hierarchy. While he hung 
out -- being periodically reminded by Holmes to twiddle his knob -- 
his 8-man band toiled away diligently.
	Well, almost. Members of the Primal Scream brass section, who 
are along for the ride on this tour, did a bit of work, but not a lot. 
They were onto a pretty good thing too, spending most of the time 
bouncing up and down, smoking and drinking their way through the 
rider, which must have included a couple of crates of Heineken.
	Still, they did put down their beers and smokes long enough to 
play their horns and to occasionally push songs onward and upward to 
glorious, rousing conclusions, momentarily transforming Death In Vegas 
into the Scream itself.
	But there was to be none of this dabbling, dilettante behavior 
among the rest of the workers, namely the two guitarists, bassist, 
keyboard player and drummer whose hard graft provided a stark contrast 
with the antics of the other yahoos.
	While Fearless twiddled and Holmes twiddled some more and while 
the horn section polished off the Heineken, the proletariat -- decked 
out in austere, workmanly, matching black shirts and pants and looking 
more like Death In June circa 1982 than Death In Vegas -- unglamorously 
went about their business, sweating away to build up the very backbone 
of the sound that makes _The Contino Sessions_ such an achievement.
	Still, despite the lofty standards reached on record, delivering 
the goods live is another matter. Although Fearless and his cohorts did 
an admirable job and certainly did serve up helpings of intense, 
danceable brilliance, at times they seemed to take a while getting 
around to it.
	To arrive at those moments, when things got really interesting 
we had to consistently wade with them through extended periods of 
plodding and lumbering that only marginally mar their otherwise fine 
album. Nevertheless, despite those passing, labored moments that 
characterize the beginning of "Dirge" -- especially live -- everything 
soon came together sufficiently and coalesced into throbbing, trancey 
textures that, in turn, provided a totally compelling preamble to the 
moments when the band crashed into total sonic overload.
	Indeed, it has to be said that there's a sense of movement in 
those mutating, hypnotic build-ups that serve as preludes to DIV's 
chaotic flourishes, in stark contrast with the prog-rock noodling of 
Mogwai that just hangs there before they do their amusing quiet 
bit/loud bit routine, ad nauseam.
	Anyone who read reports of Death In Vegas's gig at the 
Shepherd's Bush Empire in London a couple of weeks ago would agree 
that it sounded like a real corker with Jim Reid, Bobby Gillespie, 
Dot Allison and The London Community Gospel Choir all turning out for 
vocal duties, as they did on _The Contino Sessions_. And I'm sure a 
lot of punters were hoping for a similar, minor celebrity gala event 
at Irving Plaza. But it was not to be.
	Instead of the real thing, at best we had karaoke-sounding, 
taped vocals on tracks like "Dirge" and "Aladdin's Story"; at worst, 
we were offered cardboard cut-outs of tracks, like "Aisha," barely 
recognizable given that Iggy's disturbing vocal stylings that carry 
and direct the song had been stripped down and reduced to a few taped 
yelps. This absence of vocals only underscored the labored sense of 
some of these songs that didn't completely work as instrumentals.
	Still, while a couple of the newer tracks didn't quite live up 
to expectations live, older faves like "Dirt" kick-started the 
proceedings and had everyone jumping around again, flashing devil signs.
	Also, the juxtaposition of programmed and live sound added a 
particularly compelling dimension, especially with the stand-off of 
man and machine-made drums. Rising to the challenge of technology, 
the drummer broke a stick within seconds of kicking in at the start 
of "Dirge," but after that held his own for the duration. Similarly, 
the live bass added even more depth to the awesome sampled thudding 
that was loud enough at times to dislodge loose dental work.
	Minor quibbles aside, Death In Vegas do live just what they do 
on record: they embody the spirit of the best pop music of this last 
decade of the century, serving up a near perfect hybridization of the 
myriad trajectories of rock and electronic music.
---
	COMPILATION REVIEWS: Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Goldfinger, 
		KROQ Acoustic Christmas
		- Bob Gajarsky
	What needs to be said about Led Zeppelin?  One of the most 
influential bands of all time, with the pairing of vocalist Robert 
Plant and legendary guitarist Jimmy Page.  And despite a box set 
(_Remasters_) which captured part of the essence of Led Zep, the 
band has never had a proper greatest hits collection.  Until now.
	_Best Of Volume 1 - Early Days_ (Atlantic) answers part of 
that problem.  This thirteen track collection of rock classics 
covers the best of their first four discs, along with a 24 page 
booklet featuring some rare photos of the band, and an enhanced CD 
track featuring a previously-unreleased black and white live video 
of "Communication Breakdown". While the rest of the equation will 
be solved with the early 2000 release of _Best of Volume 2_, 
younger Zep-heads may be satisfied with the holiday release of 
this collection.
	Another band that has had a significant influence on listeners 
is Genesis.  Ironically, the band's career has seemingly been 
divided in two: the Steve Hackett / Peter Gabriel prog-rock years, 
and the post 1980 pop/rock Genesis with Phil Collins on lead vocals.  
_Turn It On Again_ (Atlantic) attempts to meld the two eras on one 
disc; older fans will get "I Know What I Like" and an all-new 
recording (with the original lineup) of the 1974 "Carpet 
Crawlers", and even the 'bridge' hits of "Turn It On Again", 
"Follow You, Follow Me" and "Misunderstanding".  Although the 
focus of _Turn It On Again_ is on the Phil Collins-led era, 
the collection stands much stronger than Collins' own hits 
collection from last year.  Perhaps Msrs. Rutherford and Banks 
exerted just a bit more effort on Phil than had been previously 
thought.
	Serving as a stopgap until their next full length 
release in 2000, Goldfinger thrash, pound and generally throw 
themselves into this seven-song, twenty-two minute covers _Darrin's 
Coconut Ass_ (Mojo) EP.  The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" isn't too 
much different than Dinosaur, Jr.'s version.  Bad Company's "Feel 
Like Making Love" and the Who's "The Kids Are Alright" are 
ska-turned-punk songs (of course!).  Their ska debts are paid in 
full on the cover of "Nite Klub" by the Specials, the band 
responsible for much of the So-Cal ska-punk infusion.  A tasty 
little morsel at a discount price will save you from having to 
buy several bootleg discs for these choice cuts.
	Los Angeles radio station KROQ may be (in their words) 
"world famous", but the only exposure to the rest of the globe 
has been through the radio - until _The Best of KROQ's Almost 
Acoustic Christmas Volume 1_ (Time Bomb). Capturing songs from 
the KROQ 1993 - 1998 Christmas parties, the artist selection on this 
disc - Blink 182, Garbage, Hole, Smash Mouth, No Doubt, 
Bush, Radiohead, Live and more - serves as a primer for anyone 
who has missed the last five years of modern rock radio.
And while fans of the respective bands will find this a must-get, 
_Almost Acoustic Christmas_ also will finally alleviate the 
disappointment from many Los Angeles-based listeners; 
how to hear the music from the acoustic Christmas if not a 
lucky contest winner.
---
	REVIEW: Buzzcocks, _Modern_ (Go Kart Records)
		- Wilson Neate
	During the week of the Queen's Silver Jubilee festivities 
in 1977, The Sex Pistols' anti-anthem "God Save The Queen" reached 
number one in the UK singles chart, although BMRB executives 
frantically juggled the numbers to keep it officially at number 
two (or so legend has it).  That brilliantly ironic moment, when 
a celebration of monarchy and national identity collided head on 
with a scathing, nihilistic rejection of traditional Britishness, 
was perhaps punk's defining instant. Bearing in mind its contempt 
for the concept of musical longevity and given the built-in 
obsolescence and self-destruction (in favor of selling out) that 
were endemic to the spirit of punk, it might seem somewhat ironic, 
then, that the release of _Modern_ should come as the Buzzcocks' own 
Silver Jubilee approaches.  
	But while selling out became part and parcel of the punk 
narrative--as the Pistols proved at every turn, and most recently 
with their "Filthy Lucre" reunion bash--since their formation in 
the mid-70s, the Buzzcocks have done an admirable job of keeping 
it real, producing new material sporadically over the last decade 
and never sinking to the level of novelty has-beens, just wheeling 
out the oldies and little else. (For more info/history check out 
their website: http://www.buzzcocks.com )
	This is the Buzzcocks' sixth studio outing and the third 
album of the 90s, their career having been largely interrupted by 
that unfortunate decade, the 80s.  On _Modern_, Pete Shelley and Steve 
Diggle, the two surviving members from the original line up, are still 
turning out pretty much the same product as they did in the 70s: short, 
sharp-edged, anxious and angst ridden, irritable and irritated punk pop.  
	And there's nothing wrong with that, especially since they're 
still doing it better than any of the current crop of commercially 
successful imitators and derivatives, most of whom are probably young 
enough to be their children at this point.  On hearing one of the 
standout tracks from Modern--"Thunder of Hearts"--my first thought was 
that they'd cribbed the song from Green Day, but then I remembered that 
the Buzzcocks had written most of Green Day's songs more than 20 years 
ago anyway.  
	During its finest moments, _Modern_ reminds us that the Buzzcocks' 
significant contributions are often unfairly overshadowed by a tendency 
to look no further than the Sex Pistols or The Clash for a blueprint of 
British punk.  The Pistols wrote the book on punk-as-situation / style 
/ shock, while the Clash covered the political angle, but the Buzzcocks 
(along with Wire) took punk beyond the gesture and the pose and left 
perhaps the most substantial and enduring musical legacy.  
	While most first-generation punk railed against the boredom of 
70s pop--as well as the anachronistic persistence of dinosaur and 
progressive rock--its reaction generally took one of the following 
forms: extra-musical sloganeering, direct and obvious lyrics, or a simple 
refusal to reproduce the conventional narrative and characteristics of 
the pop song.  The Buzzcocks, however, have always taken a different 
approach.  Rather than destroy the pop song they deconstructed it, 
playfully reinventing it as a catchy, self-conscious pastiche of itself. 
And this is precisely what _Modern_ continues to do so well.
	As always, Pete Shelley's work on this album takes as its 
starting point the historically distant, paradigmatic pop format of the 
banal 50s and 60s bubblegum boy-girl song.  While the lyrical and 
musical framework of this foundational form is left nominally intact 
(the harmonies, the I/you romance narrative, the straightforward 
verse/chorus structure and the simple chord progressions) it is 
compressed into a shorter, faster package, supplemented and shot through 
with jagged, saw-like guitars, and scattered with irregular, staccato 
beats.  
	Still crucial too is Shelley's distinctive vocal style which 
continues to unsettle the traditional, formal symmetry of conventional 
pop.  Modern is rife with examples of irregular combinations of short 
punchy stanzas and lengthy, weaving run-on lines--sometimes stretched 
out for a painful but compelling duration--that both carry and lead the 
songs.  
	Moreover, this combination of the brusque and the drawn out 
line--on top of the contrast of the staccato beats and the whining, 
UK-police-siren-circa-'76 guitar sound--emphasizes the twin-pronged 
emotional thrust of Shelley's lyrical content: that is, the expression 
of explosive angst and irritability coupled with lingering discomfort 
and frustration. 
	Also crucial to the Buzzcocks' reinvention of the pop song, 
and demonstrated perfectly again by _Modern_, is Shelley's ability to 
endlessly rewrite the classic adolescent pop narrative, albeit in 
gender-ambiguous terms and from an unrelentingly miserable and niggly 
perspective.  We can only hope that Shelley's lyrical voice is not his 
own given that, after all these years, it's still distinctly unlucky 
and profoundly unhappy in love.
	So, to plagiarize a question asked by Pete Shelley quite a few 
years ago, "what do I get" from _Modern_?  Quite a lot actually. During 
its best moments--"Soul on a Rock", Rendezvous," "Runaround," "Choices," 
"Why Compromise" and "Under the Sun"-- this album is vintage Buzzcocks.  
And what more could you ask for?
----
	REVIEW: Handsome Boy Modeling School, _So...How's Your Girl?_ 
		(Tommy Boy)
		- Matthew Carlin
	If it was 1991, critics would be wanking on about the very 
existence of a hip-hop concept album. Not to mention the idea of the 
cream of the east and west coast crops representing together in the name 
of beats and rhymes above ego and posturing. Thankfully, the whole 
landscape of popular music has progressed well beyond such archaic terms 
and hip-hop is settling into its place as its newest and perhaps best form.
	With Handsome Boy Modeling School, two of the best hip-hop 
producers in the game, Dan "the Automator" Nakamura (recast as Nathaniel 
Merriweather) and Prince Paul (as Chest Rockwell), employ a slew of 
guest stars, fat beats and very cool samples for an all-star extravaganza 
that covers pretty much every sub-genre related to hip-hop. They firmly 
state their intentions and prove their point right on the opening track, 
"Rock n" Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This)." Banging, like most of 
the other cuts on the album, the beauty of it is that despite its serious 
efforts to push the limits of hip-hop, it's  still funny. Really funny. 
	In fact, the concept for Handsome Boy is probably the funniest 
ever in hip-hop. Based on and incorporating samples from an old "Get a 
Life" episode (that classic TV show with Chris Elliot as a grown-up 
paperboy), the idea is that Nathaniel Merriweather and Chest Rockwell 
will "wow you with a fascinating look into their unique step-by-step 
program (patent pending)" for young men to undergo a "handsome 
revolution" at the low, low price of $60. The handsome moguls pose 
throughout the liner notes, luring in students with their enviable 
pinstripe suits, martinis, cigars, exploding champagne bottles, cell 
phones and limo rides. Again, the whole deal is funny. Really, really 
funny.
	What sets _So...How's your Girl?_ apart from other similar 
collections is that the mix of hip-hop, turntablism and just plain weird 
stuff is all done with equal rigor. "Metaphysical" features Miho Hatori 
from Cibo Matto reading some nonsensical mumbo jumbo with her sexy cute 
vocals while Beastie Boy businessman Mike D adds some grunts and 
"uh-huhs" for suitably amusing results. Dave from De La Soul and Del 
the Funkee Homosapien do their thing on "The Projects (P Jays)" for 
some straight-up good time hip-hop, while "Waterwold," featuring Encore, 
and "Once Again (Here to Kick One for You)," with Grand Puba and Sadat X 
from Brand Nubian, offers some harder stuff.
	Not without fault, Handsome Boy serves up a real snooze on "The 
Runway Song" and "Megaton B-Boy 2000" (with Atari Teenage Riot's Alec 
Empire and El-P from Company Flow) is a let-down. Falling into the same 
trap of all of Empire's work whereby he sticks some distortion on the 
drums and vocals and adds electronic blips and bleeps and calls it 
intense, "Megaton" is just kind of tedious. On the whole, however, 
_So...How's Your Girl_ is a fine, fine listen and even the smooth R&B 
joint 'sunshine" with Sean Lennon and Josh Hayden from Spain on vocals 
and "The Truth," a trip-hop number with Moloko's Roison singing are 
really good.
	The "Get a Life"-based hip-hop/classical music tracks (which 
also remind you why Chris Elliot is one of the most underrated comic 
actors) and the last track which features Father Guido Sarducci reading 
a Handsome Boy Modeling School testimonial are by far the funniest on 
the album. But "Holy Calamity (Bear Witness II)" with production by DJ 
Shadow and scratching by DJ Quest is the most impressive. Slamming 
breakbeats, hot samples and virtuostic scratching re-affirms the 
opening track and certainly make you wonder if rock and roll is even 
relevant anymore, since this rocks harder.
---
	REVIEW: Luna, _The Days of Our Nights_ (Jericho)
		- Chris Hill
	For the first listen, the disc gets skipped to the last
track, a cover of Guns 'n' Roses classic, "Sweet Child of Mine".
Covering such a well-known song, Luna had to make it their own,
or risk ridicule.  The immediately recognizable guitar riff
remains intact, though Dean Wareham's vocal dissects the wild Axl
Rose passion with poised third-person disaffection.  This lowers
the tempo to a 2 a.m. drivetime sleep-inducer, which,
surprisingly, works, and works well.
	With their latest, and first for Jericho Records, Luna could
have chosen this as their leadoff single.  That they didn't, and
went with "Dear Diary" displays confidence in their fifth album.
Produced by ex-member/producer of Grant Lee Buffalo, Grant Kimble,
the album seemed doomed to limbo, after the band was ignominiously
dropped by Elektra.  Now, signed to Sire-distributed Jericho,
_The Days of Our Nights_ finds its release at last.
	The band's confidence is justified by the album's depth.
The prime-rib-thick guitar of "Seven Steps to Satan", the fuzzed
pop "Math Wiz", the string-infused sweetness of "The Rustler",
the dreamy diatribe "U.S. Out of My Pants!", the Brian Wilson
flavored "Hello, Little One" - twelve substantial songs to reward
the patient fans.
	The "Why must you be/a mystery to me?" chorus of "Dear
Diary" has been echoing in the mental jukebox lately.  That's all
it takes, sometimes - one lyric that won't go away, one that
comes up in odd moments - for a band to firmly synch up with a
listener.  For others, it might be "I got patches on my eyes/I
got pillows on my head/singing "Cha Cha 2000"/I need to get to
bed" ("Four Thousand Days") or "a 12 year old math wiz came to me
in my sleep/he knew all the answers which he kept to himself/he
said, 'I'd hate to be you when the big day comes/the look on your
face will be priceless'" ("Math Wiz").  Discover yours in your
own time.
	The band's official website is http://www.fuzzywuzzy.com/ 
as it's updated (or promised to be).  Or opt for reality, and
catch Luna on the second leg of their current tour.
---
	REVIEW: The Promise Ring, _Very Emergency!_ (Jade Tree)
		- Andrew Duncan
	"I've got my body and my mind on the same page, and now, 
happiness is all the rage."
	As Davey VanBohlen sings out these lyrics, he and his bandmates 
(guitarist Jason Gnewikow, drummer Dan Didier and bassist Scott 
Schoenbeck) begin a new chapter to the adventures of indie-pop icons 
The Promise Ring.
	With their third release, _Very Emergency!_, the band should be 
ecstatic at the success this album has had. After listening through the 
10 extremely well-crafted songs on the CD, this comes as no surprise.
	_Very Emergency!_ is simply an amazing collection of pop songs 
anybody can relate to.
	Since 1996 and their debut release _30 Degrees Everywhere_, the 
band became a hit with VanBohlen's National Geographic lyrics about 
everyday life, and the band's catchy song structures. Things only got 
better with _Nothing Feels Good_, as experience and countless nights 
of playing live drew the band even closer.
	And it shows on _Very Emergency!_
	Songs like "Jersey Shore" and the John Hughes-era sounds of 
"Deep South," tell the tale of location and space. However, VonBohlen 
focuses more this time on the concept of people and things. "Skips A 
Beat (Over You)," looks at relationships ("My girls' car 'round the 
corner on Clarke. She's in the window as it's getting dark, Hope I'll 
be in there after dark."), while "All Of My Everything" turns towards 
introspection ("Dance record from before I was born on the stereo, 
Playing last rites for my late night; all of my evenings and all of 
my everydays.")
	There are plenty of signature lines to choose from on this 
release, and the music is simply outstanding. _Very Emergency!_ is 
very contagious.
---
	REVIEW: Brian Setzer, _The Brian Setzer Collection '81-'88_ (EMI)
		- Don Share
	I suppose you could argue that a Brian Setzer collection which 
runs from 1981 to 1988 is a possible rip-off, tied to Setzer's more recent 
success as a swing dance act. Well, that's likely the case with this disc, 
so if you've only recently become a fan of his, beware. Similarly, if 
you're a big Stray Cats aficionado, don't expect a disc chock fulla 
rockabilly reincarnations, but keep your eyes peeled for new and forthcoming 
reissues and compilations of that material, instead. While it does include 
a few stray Stray Cats tracks, the heart of this collection is Setzer's 
post-Cats and pre-Brian Setzer Orchestra, covering _The Knife Feels Like 
Justice_ and _Live Nude Guitars_ albums.
	Back when punk was all, literally, the rage, Setzer's Stray Cats 
(along with Robert Gordon and the Cramps) were notable for bringing hungry 
punkist energy and fashion to a revival of rock's then-Elvis-bloated 
rockabilly heritage. Setzer not only had great taste in 50's classics, he 
had the mind, heart, soul -- and most importantly -- the guitar chops to 
make it all sound relevant: he played his ass off, and at the time, I swore 
he was the reincarnation of Johnny Burnette, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent 
all in one. Complete with stand-up bass, and stand-up drum playing, the 
Stray Cats became extremely popular -- in Europe. In the USA of the '80s, 
revivalism could never really find respectability, even if awful radio 
garbage and big hair somehow could. The Cats, ripped off and let down, 
languished. You'd have thought that Setzer was, as it were, history.
	But he shifted musical gears, and came out with the aforementioned 
solo albums. These were somewhat successful, commercially -- quintessential 
American music, lighter and poppier than Springsteen, while not quite as 
catchy as Mellencamp. Still, it would take further gearswitching to his 
present (re)incarnation as neo-swing band attraction to make him a big 
star, at last. Well, he deserves it: whatever he's done, he's brought 
great energy and to, and that's what binds all this music together.
	That said, this disc, has ups and downs, much like Setzer's 
career. The great Stray Cats cuts "(She's) Sexy + 17" and "Rock This 
Town" are here in their single edits (no 'stray Cat Strut" kitties), 
while the swell a cappella version of "I Won't Stand In Your Way" is 
here, along with a hot live version of "Runaway Boys." Then you get the 
solo almost-hits, "The Knife Feels Like Justice" and "Boulevard of Broken 
Dreams," very worthy tunes, indeed. The rest is up to you. There are 
studio outakes and B-sides -- 'summertime Blues," "Echo Park," "Cross 
of Love," "Thing About You," "Waitin' For Desiree," "Keep Your Lovin' 
Strong," and "Living Souls," by name. The disc is rounded out with "When 
the Sky Comes Tumblin' Down," "Every Tear That Falls," "Bobby's Back," 
the Roy Wood-esque "The Rain Washed Everything Away," and "Chains Around 
Your Heart," a fair taste of the albums themselves, which could be a bit 
bland. I don't find these songs much fun to hear, but they will please 
anyone interested in this phase of Setzer's career.
	Brian Setzer is undeniably at his best when he's retro, which 
means that this anthology doesn't collect him at his finest. Still, EMI 
deserves great credit for coming up with rare and interesting tracks for 
this disc, instead of being skimpy or merely recycling (though I wish the 
cuts were in chronological order). Like Setzer himself, this music is 
solid and full of heart.
---
	REVIEW: The Dismemberment Plan, _Emergency and I_ (Desoto)
		- Mike Pfeiffer
	There have been few times in my life when an album speaks so 
intimately to me I almost mistake it for a close friend. When I was a 
teenager, the Smiths' first album made adolescence a bit easier to bear. 
In college it was the Replacements' _Tim_ and _Pleased to Meet Me_. 
Unfortunately, it's been years since a record has touched me that way. 
I've even stopped paying attention to lyrics. But with _Emergency and I_, 
The Dismemberment Plan have changed all that. They've opened doors I 
thought were permanently closed off.
	_Emergency and I_ begins with "A Life of Possibilities" making 
suggestions that "you're nowhere, it's all good." Lead vocalist Travis 
Morrison uses a falsetto vocal that leads around a path of spiraling 
guitars and moog hooks. The next track, "Memory Machine," starts off 
edgy, with some screaming and sci-fi lyrics about a utopian tomorrow. 
By the third track, "What Do You Want Me to Say," Travis settles 
comfortably, in a conversational voice that vaguely resembles Paul Simon.
	What needs to be said about _Emergency and I_ is that it sounds 
like nothing else out today. The quirky bits of new wave, funk, soul and 
hip hop are interwoven in the Plan's indie sensibility, making it 
organically original. Take "You Are Invited" for instance, a minimal 
hip hop rhythm that blends into a brilliant alternative pop melody 
around a simple story about a rave flyer. The next song, "Gyroscope," 
revolves around a girl and a boy that have each been hurt and are 
looking for ways to overcome it. The conclusion, "happiness is such 
hard work..." "The City," my favorite track, flows with a mellow moog 
and Travis singing about desolation after  a break up. The pace and 
emotion of the song pick up towards the end when Travis shouts 
"Everything I love/everything I hold dear heads out some time/And all 
I ever say now is goodbye." At this point I find myself of my seat, 
screaming along with him.
	Transitions from quirky, chaotic stuff like "I Need a Magician" 
to slower songs such as "The Jitters" flow together seamlessly. The 
impulse to skip a track isn't even a thought. Twelve songs later, the 
end comes with "Back and Forth" a sophisticated soulful track that 
uncannily exclaims 'so throw your hands in the air and wave them like 
you just don't care" with all the conviction a nerdy white boy can 
muster. My only regret with The Dismemberment Plan is that I didn't 
discover them sooner -- this is their third album! I think it's close 
enough to the end of the year for me to declare _Emergency and I_ my 
album of the year.
---
	REVIEW: Lullaby for the Working Class, _Song_ 
		(Saddle Creek / Bar/None)
		- Chris Hill
	Lullaby defies easy categorization - sadgrass is a common
appellation, but "sad" misses the mark.   The band's albums
display a willingness to experiment that enchants with such
beauty that "sad" is inappropriate.  The "grass" portion applies,
though, both for the band's Nebraskan roots and the organic
nature of their work.  A core of guitar, violin, banjo, upright
bass, drums, and cello are accompanied by a myriad of other
sounds:  glockenspiel, pedal steel, clarinet, piano, and hammer
dulcimer, to name the guests most often seen at the party.
	Take these instruments, then scatter ambient sound around
like seeds, and something magical grows.  _Blanket Warm_, their
first, ended with eight minutes of cricket noises, recorded to
preserve a back porch's ambiance before it was blacktopped.  The
third part of "The Man vs. the Tide", the closer on their second
album, was recorded at the end of a cross-country tour, live on a
Pacific Ocean shoreline, while seagulls and planes passed
overhead, and waves murmured in the background.
	The recording craftsmanship deserves mention:  brothers and
Lullaby members Mike and A.J. Mogis constructed their own
recording studio in a Nebraskan basement, and humorously dubbed
it Whoopass.  The Lullaby albums have all been recorded and mixed
there, as well as those of other bands on the band's collective
label, Saddle Creek Records (whose other artists include Bright
Eyes, The Faint, and Cursive).
	This sonic wonderland comes with a well-read, eclectic
lyricist in singer Ted Stevens.  Reading the lyrics is like a
journey through Eliot's "The Waste Land", where single, simple
lines echo with precise allusion and powerful emotion: "You
pocket all your sympathy/and use it all to sharpen up your
blades", "lift up your shirt/and compare your wounds with mine",
"when the dishes fly/I will bless your awful aim", "Words drip
from lips hardly parted/stumble over the feet in their path",
"here we stand now, years later/like reluctant historians/and
progress is just a better means by which/they can keep track of/
what we owe/what we own".  All past favorite examples.
	So, to say this new album was awaited impatiently is an
understatement.
	Lullaby's third album sees a natural evolution presaged by
"The Ebb & Flow, the Come & Go, the To & Fro" 7", the single
released in the space before this album, and after the beautiful
_I Never Even Asked for Light_.  A meditation on society,
philosophy, and a dozen more concepts, the single's lyrics were
backed by an equal number of instruments for an album's worth of
depth in two short sides.
	With _Song_, the experience of being enveloped by a work of
art remains the same, and grows with every listen.  The album
opens with "Expand, Contract", a perfect segue from the 7".  A
slow build from silence, then the song appears, coming into
blossom once the words "Can you tell me what is real?" are
delivered.
	On "Kitchen Song", Shane Aspegren's rattletrap drums play
against a quartet of two cellists and two violinists.  A.J.
Mogis' backing vocals are a strong presence here and elsewhere,
and the album benefits for the matured interplay between his and
Stevens' voices.  Stevens, in particular, has grown into his
voice, which is closer to the songs' forefront than previous
output.
	A gift for observing and capturing transitory moments occurs
throughout the record.  "In the hot July of the city night/bats
will strike mosquitoes/in the haze of the floodlights/pointed up
at the cathedral".  "Inherent Song" ties this image together with
human chaos and man's attempt to use song to connect with nature.
More verbose than Hemingway, the lyrics reflect a common gift for
placing the listener/reader at the scene with immediate details.
	For all the verse/chorus/verse structure found herein, the
album's tone is more philosophical than the vignettes of previous
releases.  The lyrics aren't there to provide solutions, but
rather, to spark thoughtful introspection.  Take "Seizures", for
example.  The song asks unanswerable questions, with the
solutions not found in an everyday world, but in physical fits
of religious ecstasy.  "In seizures we might gain true visions/
of all that is absolute and senseless".
	The track glides easily into the next, "Non Serviam", a
gentle plea to a friend: "Like Christ Quixote on horseback/we
take ourselves too seriously.../bitter fallen boy/you must let it
go".  It's a quiet song, easily overshadowed by it's comrades,
but its understated power realizes itself with time.
	"Asleep on the Subway" muses on fellow passengers, their
roles and interconnections, moving forward with their lives while
the train physically transports them onward. "Sketchings on a Bar
Room Napkin" sees a character named Ulysses expounding on his
distant travels to a bar room downing cheap suds and watching a
flickering tv set.  It's a nice juxtaposition of the heroic and
the mundane.
	Fellow Nebraskan Josh Rouse's distinctive voice is
recognizable on "Ghosts", but not distracting - adding more in
its reserve than it would in full-blown accompaniment.  Rouse,
whose work with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner produced the recent and
delightful _Chester_ EP, has toured with Lullaby in the past.  A
friendship between the two is easy to understand - both band and
singer favor music with multiple layers under a surface of
glistening strings, brass, and guitar.
	The magical combination of bowed and stringed instruments
in the Lullaby live experience is not to be missed.  Hearing them
soundcheck with the opening to "The Queen of the Long-Legged
Insects" raised goosebumps on their last tour.  I can't wait for
the translation of the new album. http://www.saddle-creek.com for
band, tour, and vinyl info, http://www.bar-none.com if you want
the cd versions.
---
	REVIEW: Motley Crue, _Live - Entertainment or Death_ (Beyond/Motley)
		- Paul Hanson
	Motley Crue, like KISS, is making a fortune on their previously 
released songs. Name a song from each of these band's most recent releases 
and you have to think. Name a song that you hear on the radio and "Rock 
and Roll All Night" comes to mind for KISS and "Kickstart My Heart" comes 
to mind for the Cruesters.
	So it is not very surprising that on this, their first live 
2-CD set, the band encapsules songs we've all heard on CD, if we've 
bought their albums, or heard in concert if we've been (un)fortunate 
enough to see the band live. I've seen the band twice in concert and, 
despite all the Circus magazine polls the band has won as "Best Live 
Band," I must have been seeing and hearing the Crue's pale imitation of 
themselves: I walked out of both concerts unimpressed.
	On CD, with the wonders of mixing audience levels and tweaking 
EQ knobs, the band sounds decent, but barely and not without some major  
problems. First, Vince Neil cannot sing fast. He tries hard, I'll give 
him that, but his vocals on "Shout at the Devil" are sloppy. His voice 
gets softer on "Public Enemy #1" when he sings out of breath. Likewise, 
when he has to string together lyrics in the anthem "Wild Side." Some 
classical training in breathing while singing might help.
	Neil's between song babble is limited to getting the crowd to 
shout "Fuck yeah!" When he proclaims, "I've been screaming my ass off 
all night tonight. Are you ready to do some screaming Tuscon?" Equally 
amatuerish is his intro to "Public Enemy #1." Neil rambles that some 
people came up to him and said, "Motley Crue, you people are pretty 
bad. You tear 'em up. I said, 'Hey, you should see our fuckin' audience."
	Third, the choice of songs has to be questioned. The band 
includes no material newer than the 1991 release _Dr. Feelgood_. This 
is strikingly curious why such stellar tracks as "Afraid" and "Hooligan's 
Holiday" (both included on their recent Greatest Hits release) are 
missing.
	Instead, we get the God-awful cliche filth that is "Merry Go 
Round," one of their weakest songs along with the equally moronic 
"Starry Eyes." Why this CD wasn't released 8 years earlier is a question 
I can't answer since the band seems to forget they've released music 
in-between.
	When the band is in the middle of their songs, though, is when 
the real magic of this set comes out. The tight stops and starts of 
"Live Wire" and the outrageous bass groove throbbings of "Dr. Feelgood" 
are definite high points. "Kickstart My Heart" is as suitable of a closer 
as opener "Looks That Kill" is a disc opener. Guitarist Mick Mars 
constructs solid feelgood riffs and bassist Nikki Sixx supports him 
with rumblings. Overrated drum beater Tommy Lee has some strong points 
early in the CD but eventually gets mired down by his own style. Hearing 
the same basic rock pattern, played at different speeds, does NOT make 
him a good drummer. His intro to "Live Wire" and performance on "Shout 
at the Devil" provide some real glimpses into why people might believe 
he is a drumming God, but his performance on "Girls, Girls, Girls" and 
"Starry Eyes" quickly negate those high points.  
	In the end, though, this is a collection where the negatives 
outweigh the positives. There is nothing new or 'collectible' here 
except live versions of songs you've probably heard before. There's 
no 'hidden' cover song or anything fans of bands have come to expect. 
	There's no 'fun' here. While I wasn't impressed with the Crue's 
music in concert, it was still a 'fun' show. That doesn't translate to 
anything here except for some vulgarity and cliche-driven "Let's go!" 
types of shouts in-between songs.  Spare me, please.
---
	REVIEW: Various Artists, _Pspyched_ (Beggars Banquet)
		- Mike Pfeiffer
	Unlike most independent labels, Beggars Banquet doesn't put out 
a glut of compilations. With the strength of their artist roster -- 
Bauhaus, the Cult, Gary Numan, Buffalo Tom, etc. -- it's something 
special when they do. Their latest compilation, _Pspyched!_, the secret 
world of alternative nuggets, supports this point with a unique 
collection of songs each having a psychedelic edge to them.
	While the songs have this psychedelic link in common with one 
another, they come from completely different artists. From goth, garage 
to shoegazer, bands like Tones on Tail and Mercury Rev collide together 
in a superb collection of songs that were under-recognized when they 
were originally released. The opener from Darkside, made up from 
members of Spacemen 3, is a terrific instrumental jam. Ripe, an unknown 
band from Australia follow with a seven minute stunner called "The 
Plastic Hassle." 
	The entire package is filled with these gems, the Icicle Works' 
"One Time" is a majestic Byrds influenced track that proves just how 
underrated they really were. "Justice In Freedom," an extended jam by 
Thee Hypnotics, rocks out with blaring guitars and a nod to the MC5. 
Whether you are familiar with these bands or just interested in a 
well-put together display of fine songs, with its low price and high 
quality, _Pspyched!_ will surpass all expectations. 
---
NEWS:	> ChoiceRadio.com, a multi-format Internet radio 
station, is having a week long tribute to Julian Lennon, 
which will culminate with an online chat on December 3.
	> Gigmania will be offernig a previously unreleased 
track from Luna, "Requiem For A Mouse", on its website, 
http://www.gigmania.com
	> Grateful Dead fans have a reason to rejoice.  
_So Many Roads_, a five-CD retrospective of the band's 
30 year history, features all previously unreleased 
concert and studio recordings, including several original 
tunes and covers that have never appeared before on a 
Grateful Dead album in any version.  
	> Alanis Morissette will be all over television soon.  
She's got appearances on: MTV Unplugged Dec. 3, David 
Letterman - Dec. 16, Good Morning America Dec. 17, MTV Total 
Request Line - Dec. 17, Rosie O'Donnell Dec. 23 and Charlie 
Rose during the month of December.
	> MP3DOM.Com (http://www.MP3DOM.COM) is providing free 
downloads of new music pre-screened by major label and publishing 
professionals.  According to the site, only 1-2% of all titles 
submitted through the site's A&R process will be accepted onto 
the site.
	> Oasis have recently announced the addition of two 
new members; guitarist Gem Archer (formerly of UK band Heavy 
Stereo) and bassist Andy Bell (formerly of Hurricane #1 and 
Ride).
	The band filmed the video for "Go Let It Out", the 
first single from the new album _Standing On The Shoulder of 
Giants_ , due for a U.S. release on February 29.  
---
TOUR DATES:
	Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Dec. 6 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Dec. 7 Somerville, MA Somerville Theater 
Dec. 8 Providence, RI Lupo's 
Dec. 9 Northampton, MA Pearl St. Nightclub 

	Ben Harper
Dec. 2 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Dec. 3 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
Dec. 4 Cleveland, OH Odeon
Dec. 5 Pittsburgh, PA Metropol
Dec. 8-9 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory

	Hefner 
Dec. 1 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
Dec. 3 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle

	Hellacopters
Dec. 2 Santa Ana, CA Galaxy
Dec. 3 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
Dec. 4-5 San Francisco, CA Slim's
Dec. 7 Portland, OR Beraati's Pan
Dec. 8 Seattle, WA Graceland

	Innocence Mission
Dec. 7 New York, NY Fez

	Jayhawks
Dec. 8 Brookings, SD Skinners
Dec. 9 Grand Forks, ND Roaring 20's Ballroom

	Mike Ness
Dec. 1 Syracuse, NY Lost Horizon
Dec. 3 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Dec. 4 Philadelphia, PA TLA
Dec. 5 Towson, MD Recher Theatre
Dec. 7 Atlanta, GA Cotton Club
Dec. 8 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre

	Michael Penn / Aimee Mann
Dec. 7, Los Angeles, CA Largo Cafe

	Rage Against The Machine / Gang Starr
Dec. 2 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Arena
Dec. 3 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
Dec. 5 New Haven, CT Veterans Memorial
Dec. 6 Philadelphia, PA Union Spectrum
Dec. 8 Nashville, TN Municipal Auditorium
Dec. 9 Atlanta, GA Phillips Arena
---
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