== ISSUE 177 ====  CONSUMABLE ONLINE  ======== [May 19, 1999]

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

 Address all comments to staff@consumableonline.com ; subscription 
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==================================================================
	All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). 
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the 
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                            .------------.
                            |  Contents  |
                            `------------'
REVIEW: Freestylers, _We Rock Hard_ - Tim Mohr
REVIEW: Man or Astroman?, _EEVIAC Operational Index and Reference 
   Guide Including Other Modern Computational Devices_ - Andrew Duncan
REVIEW: Even, _Come Again_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: Buckcherry, _Buckcherry_ - Christina Apeles
REVIEW: 10,000 Maniacs, _The Earth Pressed Flat_ - Jon Steltenpohl
INTERVIEW: Atom Ellis from Dieselhed - Matthew Carlin
REVIEW: The Go-betweens, _Bellavista Terrace (Best of The 
   Go-betweens)_ - David Landgren
REVIEW: Rick Springfield, _Karma_ - Jason Cahill
REVIEW: Joan of Arc, _Live in Chicago 1999_ - Andrew Duncan
REVIEW: Maryanne, _Your First, Your Last, Your Everything_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: Eden White, _This Is The Way..._ - Linda Scott
REVIEW: Splender, _Halfway Down The Sky_ - Bill Holmes
NEWS: No Boundaries / Kosovo refugees benefit, Alanis Morissette
TOUR DATES: Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs, Beastie Boys, Black Crowes / 
   Lenny Kravitz / Everlast, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Chapter In Verse, 
   Alanis Morissette, Mike Ness, Pinetop Seven, Those Bastard Souls, 
   Verve Pipe / Papa Vegas
Back Issues of Consumable
---
	REVIEW: Freestylers, _We Rock Hard_ (Mammoth)
		- Tim Mohr
	Freestylers manage to throw together an extremely compelling 
vision of Ragga-inflected Brit-hop from a palette of samples lifted 
from some of the most vital American hip-hop records of yore. In the 
first few songs you'll pick up collages of Public Enemy (all taken 
from _It Takes a Nation of Millions_ ) as well as the same 
Ultramagnetic MCs song that The Prodigy used for "Smack My Bitch Up."
	The lead single, "B-Boy Stance" is as good as the best that 
Big Beat has yet mustered--taking the swaggering Jamaican style of 
Fatboy Slim's "Gangster Tripping" or Monkey Mafia's "Work Mi Body" 
to the next level. And songs like "Ruffneck," "Dancehall Vibes," and 
"Warning" (set afire by a speeding, full-throttle drum n' bass-style 
bass line) are just as infectious. "Don't Stop" sounds like the Lo 
Fidelity Allstars--a vocoderized voice ranting atop bass-supplemented 
Old School.
	Though _We Rock Hard_ is undeniably up-to-date, Freestylers 
obviously adore vintage hip-hop. "Breaker Beats" opens with a sampled 
introduction to an old break dancing performance, and Freestylers' 
live shows revolve around the phenomenal stage presence of neo-break 
dancers. The title track is an electro workout and features Soul Sonic 
Force in an effective combination of contemporary British beat and 
genuine American Old School.
	Still, what makes the record really rock hard--and it does--is 
the hopped-up sub-bass that propels almost every track. The depth of 
bass is kin to that on the most speaker-torturing dubplates, but 
without the incessant titter of treble that can send you running from 
a drum n' bass club after an hour. The wide variety of breaks and 
hip-hop drums are much more varied than on the first Chemical Brothers 
or Fatboy albums. And the mixture of raggamufin and hip-hop as musical 
base works more effectively here than on earlier attempts to unite 
the styles (such as KRS-One appearing on a Shabba Ranks track nearly 
a decade ago). Freestylers should be one of the soundtracks to the 
summer, the rudeboy elements just right for dispelling the heat while 
the electro and hip-hop trappings keep the crowds bouncing.
---
	REVIEW: Man or Astroman?, _EEVIAC Operational Index and 
		Reference Guide Including Other Modern Computational 
		Devices_ (Touch and Go)
		- Andrew Duncan
	Give this album an A for Astroman. _EEVIAC: Operational Index 
and Reference Guide, Including Other Modern Computational Devices_ 
offers a fresh and welcoming direction for the band. Their previous 
release, _Made From Technetium_, tore away from the traditional sci-fi 
surf rock and experimented more with the science fiction aspect.
	This time around, the boys from Alabama have gone over the 
deep end. Recorded both in the middle of nowhere Alabama and the middle 
of nowhere Brazil, _EEVIAC..._, a supercomputer that conceivably 
controls the music that is filtered from the CD, is undeniably their 
most creative phenomena yet.
	About as enthusiastically as Einstein discovering the theory 
of relativity belts out the words, "It's the same series of signals 
over and over again," the band ignites into "Interstellar Hardrive," 
with a surf guitar intro only Rambo could replicate with a machine 
gun. Quickly, they jump into warp speed backed by Birdstuff's insane 
drumming that makes clever use of every drumhead and cymbal, but 
always keeping the beat intact.
	Songs like "D:Contamination," "A Reversal of Polarity" and 
"Krasnoyask-26" deceives from the traditional Man or Astroman? songs 
of the past and heavily rely on samples to drive the song through.
	"U-235/PU-239" introduces the vocal talents of new member 
Trace Readings, backed strongly by other rookie Blazar The Probe Handler 
and original members Coco and Birdstuff. The best vocal track lies on 
"Psychology of a.i. (numbers follow answers)" where the band recorded 
the song as if it was to be heard on an A.M. station coming from a 
transistor radio.
	But the best truly lies on the finale, "As Estrelas Agora 
Elas Estio Marten." In between heart-pounding chord renderings and 
science fiction Theremin sounds, the band expresses their true talent 
to play entertaining music. Wipe the tear from your eye and salute the 
sky as the second half of the song transitions into a majestic rock 
ballad that builds with grace and fury. Keep playing the release and a 
special message from the EEVIAC mainframe system can be accessed.
---
	REVIEW: Even, _Come Again_ (Rubber Records)
		- Chris Hill
	Australian pop has an effervescent joy, a lack of jaded 
cynicism, that seems ingrained in every band I've run across. 
No matter if the songs are written about political, social, or 
personal issues, there's an sunny musical optimism that promises 
an eventual positive resolution to any problem.  Uncompromising 
pleasure in the moment permeates the music of You Am I, Glide, 
the Whitlams, and the Underground Lovers, just to namedrop a few 
feel-good bands that merit a "If you like ..., you'll like this 
group" recommendation.
	Singer/songwriter Ashley Naylor, "an eternally nostalgic 
person in a music sense", fronts Even, another band on this list 
of sunshine.  Stones, Beatles, Kinks - all influences and 
inspirations that pop up on _Come Again_ like a "Bop the Gopher" 
game - quick flashes of recognition, then ZIP!, they're gone. 
Naylor and bandmates Wally Kempton (bass) and Matt Cotter 
(drums) have taken a bygone era and masterfully distilled its 
essence into eleven songs of blissful tangerine-sweet harmonies 
and toasty-crisp jangling guitar.
	It's apparent that Naylor, like Noel Gallagher, has a 
knack for writing irresistible pop songs.  "Watching My Door", 
the current single, attacks the ears with "Tomorrow Never Knows" 
drums and _Revolver_-slick harmony vocals - a reminder at 2:44, 
that, mirroring the title of Even's first album, "Less is More".
	This notion is reinforced in spades on "Tell Me How". 
The lyrical concept is simple (admiration for another's positive 
nature) and wound about a melody so sharp you could shave with 
it.  "The time is always right in your world/No one's uptight in 
your world/Won't you tell me how?/Won't you take me now?/The sun 
is always out in your sky/You've got no reason to lie/Won't you 
tell me how?/Won't you take me now?/Maybe I'm lost to the world 
I am in/Won't you tell me where do I begin?"  Not entirely by 
chance, it reminds me of the first time I heard _Meet the 
Beatles_.  Both albums bulge with star-bright, multi-faceted, 
diamond-perfect gems - cheerful, upbeat, and addictive.
	"Black Umbrella", the best water protection song since 
the Hollies' "Bus Stop", derives its strength from an ambling 
guitar and a stumblebum drum beat.  "I got my black umbrella/to 
shelter me from falling rain/I forgot to tell her/She can join 
me and do the same/One thing that will always remain/When you 
think everything is going down the drain/I'll keep you warm and 
dry/Warm and dry".  Part of the song's charm is the willingness 
to share comfort and protection with the less fortunate.  That 
selflessness appears again on "Better Road": "If it's just a 
ride that we are on/I'll hold on tight 'til the ride is gone/ 
And go on to a better road for me/And it's a better road for 
you."
	Did I mention optimism?  Keyboards give a carnival 
atmosphere to "Underwater Dream", a fade out and returning fade 
up add a gleeful, nostalgic touch to "4:18", and fuzzy guitar 
and cheery handclaps make "No Surprises" a romp and roll wonder. 
Even what could have been a downbeat closing image on "Out My 
Window" ("I'm waiting for the sun/but some days it don't come") 
is counteracted by the cheerful, repititious acoustic guitar 
melody.  Melancholia hasn't a chance with this record.
	Tony Lash, co-producer of Eric Matthews' brilliant _The 
Lateness of the Hour_, deserves praise for his co-production 
here.  Unlike Even's first album, which essentially captured 
their live set at the time, _Come Again_ was developed in the 
studio, with a mindset that the band wouldn't bind itself to 
music that could be easily reproduced live.  As such, there are 
numerous frills which will make a live translation that much 
more intriguing.
	Check out http://www.rubberrecords.com.au for even more info.
---
	REVIEW: Buckcherry, _Buckcherry_ (Dreamworks)
		- Christina Apeles
	Sometimes the second time around isn't so painful. Take the 
"Buckcherry wrath," for instance. I was ready to blow them off as 
mere AC/DC wannabes after the first track "Lit Up" opened with lead 
singer Joshua Todd wailing "Oh, yeah," undeniably colored with AC/DC 
reverberations. But upon a second listen, _Buckcherry_ is not a 
complete waste of aural recreation. I imagine a guy with headphones 
on (cordless these days, I'm sure) listening to Buckcherry, donning 
his favorite black, band T-shirt with any legendary rock band from 
decades ago (because they are still wearing those) in the privacy 
of his room, laying on his bed with air guitar in tow (of course), 
blowing his eardrums out. After listening to songs like "Dead Again" 
and "Dirty Mind," you get the feeling that the guitarist's fingers 
must bleed from shredding the strings, the drummer drenched in sweat 
after pounding through one chorus, all while you're astounded the 
lead singer hasn't lost his voice yet from screaming so much and 
smoking three packs of cigarettes a day. Yes, _Buckcherry_ is rock 
music.
---
	REVIEW: 10,000 Maniacs, _The Earth Pressed Flat_ (Bar None)
		- Jon Steltenpohl
	10,000 Maniacs' new album is more of the same for the 
reconstituted band.  _The Earth Pressed Flat_ finds 10,000 Maniacs at 
essentially the same place they were an album ago with _Love Among the 
Ruins_.  On _Ruins_, it was clear that the band was used to being 
fronted by a powerful lead vocalist, and they still hadn't adjusted to 
Mary Ramsey at the lead.  _The Earth Pressed Flat_ improves on Ramsey's 
integration, but not everything clicks yet.
	"Ellen" is done beautifully from the band's standpoint, but, 
unfortunately, Ramsey's voice just doesn't carry the piece.  The melody 
is kind of repetitious, and it doesn't really go anywhere.  She gets 
better on "Once a City", and comes closer to matching the orchestration. 
(Her violin and viola are much more exquisite than her vocals.)  "Glow" 
is a quiet, piano driven piece that's solemn, and Ramsey doesn't need 
to try and overpower it.  As a result, "Glow" gives Ramsey a chance to 
show that she is developing a more soulful presence.  Her voice is 
loosening up, and she is finding the freedom that being a lead vocalist 
affords.
	Given that Ramsey hasn't completely found her voice yet, the 
reformed Maniacs still sound about like the original Maniacs circa _The 
Wishing Chair_.  "Beyond the Blue" focuses on streaming guitar lines that 
trail from major keys to minor in an unsettling way.  The balance is never 
broken, but it comes close.  "On & On (Mersey Tune)" is probably the best 
track.  It could have been on any of the early 10,000 Maniacs.  It rolls 
and flows with a punchy little tune.  Some hints of _In My Tribe_ are 
there, and if the song is any indication, the next 10,000 Maniacs album 
could be very promising.
	"Cabaret", another standout, sounds closest to a combination of 
the 10,000 Maniacs and John and Mary sounds, and, along with "On & On", it 
shows the most promising direction for the band to take.  Like the best of 
the 10,000 Maniacs sound, the music is made to fit around the vocals in 
intricate little dances.  There's a slight touch of guitar here, a shimmer 
of cymbals there, and Ramsey's vocals set the beat and melody with a tale 
of a raucous cabaret.  "Cabaret" has lovelorn lyrics like "from afar he 
sees Venus rise / overwhelmingly beautiful / he sighs / the look of love 
was in her eyes" and esoteric cultural references like "Fellini would be 
proud."
	But ultimately, _The Earth Pressed Flat_ is an album that, like 
_Love Among the Ruins_, doesn't quite meet your hopes and expectations.  
It was recorded more organically and with less overdubs than _Ruins_, 
and that helps a bit.  But, it doesn't overcome the fact that the 
emotion and passion still aren't up to the level of the old 10,000 
Maniacs.  But, it's tough to fault Ramsey for having to live in 
Merchant's shadow, and it's silly to expect the band to sound like it's 
been together for 15 years. Still, for a quiet, lyrical album, _The Earth 
Pressed Flat_ is an enjoyable, if not spectacular, album.
	Visit http://www.maniacs.com for tour dates and lyrics.
---
	INTERVIEW: Atom Ellis from Dieselhed
		- Matthew Carlin
	In theory, it sounds like a concerted effort to shun fame and 
fortune: make the first album for your new label a collection of older, 
mellower tunes that have been kicking around your set list for years. 
But for the members of Dieselhed it made perfect sense. Bong Load 
Records honchos Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf thought so too. And given 
their track record with once-obscure songwriting folks like Beck and 
Elliot Smith, their musical instincts are usually pretty good. 
	A couple days before crossing the pond to tour Europe opening for 
Cake and Fountains of Wayne, bassist Atom Ellis kindly felt like "telling 
the truth about this corrupt band once and for all." From his abode in 
San Francisco, with a beer in his hand, Atom described the 
humble--well, okay, drunken--origins of Dieselhed, which included an 
earlier, pre-Ellis incarnation actually called Dieselhed in which the 
band played "Hank Williams and Black Sabbath covers mostly" and some 
other Humboldt County bands with names like Eggly Bagel Face and 
Brent's TV. Despite several annoying music journalist-type questions, 
Atom was happy to answer everything, all the while exuding a true 
enthusiasm and love for music rarely seen in "the biz."
 
	Consumable Online: So how did Dieselhed come to be? 
	Atom Ellis: One day, after I just got off a bad tour with a band 
I was in--it was an early romantic era band that was trying to introduce 
the French six chord way too early--I was drinking in a local bar to 
forget some old girlfriend. I saw a guy I used to go to high school 
with, Virgil [Shaw, guitarist/singer], who introduced me to Zac [Holtzman, 
guitarist/singer], and he asked me if I wanted to go back to his house 
later that night and play some music.  Like a drunk guy I said "yes," 
but when I got back home and realized how dizzy I was I realized there 
was no way I was gonna drag my amp and shit up to his house. So I 
decided I'd just bring this washtub bass I had just built up there and 
have them laugh me out of the place. The funny part was they were 
waiting for me with home-made fretless banjos. So completely by 
accident we started a jug band called Hoof.
	C.O. Every article about the band mentions some extended trip to 
Alaska, so where does that fit in?
	A.E. After Hoof played a few art shows and breakfast places to 
like 17 people total, Virgil and Zac decided to make some real money in 
the fishing biz and split for Alaska for about 6 months or something. 
You'll have to ask them how they did cause they never told anyone. I 
still haven't figured out if they're embarrassed for not making 
anything or they just don't want me to try and borrow money from them. 
When they came back they found that Danny [Heifetz, drums] and Shon 
[McAlinn, guitar had moved back to the Bay Area and decided to give 
"Dieselhed" a second chance. They had another bass player named Rich 
Engle and I actually went to see them a couple times and thought they 
were funny.  But it wasn't that funny, 'cause now with Hoof on the 
back burner and my solo career sputtering, all I could do was show up 
to their gigs and yell "You suck shit!" Eventually, my heckling must 
of got to Rich who took an extensive vacation to South America, and 
that's when I made my move.
	C.O. How does the songwriting work?
	A.E. Typically, Zac or Virgil will bring in anything between 
a vague idea to a pretty completed song and we build it up from 
there.  Sometimes it's almost only lyrics and we get lots to work 
on. Other times practice is spent convincing Virgil that his song 
sounds great without me and Danny banging all over it. We've tried 
other formulas but I think that one works the best.  
	C.O. How was it touring with Link Wray?
	A.E. Playing with Link has honestly been one of the most fun 
things I've done in music. Not because he's "LINK WRAY--GUITAR LEGEND," 
but because you can tell he still feels what he's doing. He loves to play. 
I told Link, after a tour or two, that I was scared before I first met 
him that he'd be a tired old fart that was just going through the 
motions for the money. I even thought about taking CPR before the 
tour. Man, was I wrong. I found myself just trying to keep up with the 
guy.  He's punk as fuck.  He just turns up his guitar as loud as it 
will go and rocks. He has 10 times the energy of most of the people I 
know in their 20s and rocks harder too.  
	C.O. It seems like you guys genuinely enjoy playing. Is it a 
conscious effort to keep it from becoming a job?
	A.E. It's really simple. Basic physics--you don't need Francis 
Bacon around to explain--if you've been in a band as long as us and your 
making about as much money at it as us, you're doing it for fun.
	C.O. So, do you like touring or do you prefer playing in the 
Bay area?
	A.E. Playing at home is always fun cause there's usually more 
people at the shows, but you kinda get the feeling like you're just 
spinning your wheels unless you reach new audiences one way or another. 
Plus, I love the fucking road itself. Truck stops, national parks, thrift 
stores. Oh man. See, I'm getting excited. Dieselhed has always been a 
fun band to tour with 'cause everyone likes to play games too. We 
always have some baseball gloves and bats laying around the van and a 
soccer ball and a basketball. Touring rules.
	C.O. What prompted the move to Bong Load? Are you still friends 
with (former label) Amarillo Records?
	A.E. I will always love Amarillo Records. Gregg Turkington, the 
Amarillo prez, is a slimy crook, but he's nice about it. He'll steal 
all your money, double it at the craps table in Vegas, then 
laugh about it 4 years later and pay you back in pennies--out of the 
rolls. You have to admire that. I can't say we're friends, but I 
admire him. We did like 6 releases--3 LPs, I think--on Amarillo. For 
us moving to Bong Load meant mostly a change of scenery, to get our 
shit heard by a new audience. And a chance to work with Rob and Tom in 
the studio, which every band should get to do at least once in a 
perfect world.
	C.O. What made you decide to make the first Bong Load album 
older, slower tunes, rather than more raucous new ones?
	A.E. Those were just surplus slow songs that we had laying 
around. When we would go through the song selection process on previous 
recording projects we'd be sitting there with about 8 mid-tempo to 
fast numbers and about 15 slow ones and only half the slow ones would 
get on. The other ones--i.e. "Elephant Rest Home"--didn't seem weak to 
us or anything, but we were concerned with people falling asleep. 
That's kinda what the title was about, like all these songs went to 
rest together but they weren't exactly dead. It was making us sad to 
think that some of our favorite songs were getting left in the dust so 
we recorded them at a friend's studio. When Tom and Rob heard them as 
kind of a demo they said "We want to release that." Once I even got 
nervous about the idea of releasing the "sleepy" record and called Tom 
at like 2 A.M. asking him, "Man, are you sure we should do this as our 
first release with you guys? It's gonna give people the wrong idea... 
I mean, ah... errr... um..."  And he'd be calming me down, "Relax, 
it's exactly the kinda Dieselhed album I'd want to release first." 
Turns out it's definitely the album I'm most proud of.
	C.O. You've played a lot of shows with Cake, how has that been? 
	A.E. You know, lot's of people want to write Cake off as a 
"radio band." I know I did before really hearing them live. But if you 
do that, you just might miss out on something good. Maybe I'm just 
speaking like a guy locked in a closet, 'cause I kinda am--no cable, 
no MTV, and I don't work as a painter or carpenter so I don't listen 
to AOR radio all day. I just figured "Oh, Cake, they're that band with 
that pop song on the radio, right? They're probably not my thing." It 
was only after really listening to them play a few times that I 
thought to myself, "Hey, this fucker--later I found out his name was 
John--writes really good fucking songs!" And I can also watch Todd, 
their drummer, play all night.  He's world class, man.  
	C.O. So how does the Cake crowd usually react to the wonder 
that is Dieselhed?
	A.E. Their crowd is really young and actually listens.  It's 
kinda neat.  During the first shows we played with Cake I was just 
waiting for the crowd to boo us off the stage, cause I know our sound 
is not exactly mainstream or anything. But they didn't. Sometimes they're 
quiet during the first few songs like a hung jury, but they're 
listening and often they end up really liking it.  That's all you can 
ever really hope for when you're an unknown band playing for a larger 
band's audience--is that the crowd listens. Then it's up to you, man. 
I must say younger crowds are, generally speaking, a lot more prone to 
listen to shit they're not used to than older crowds. And I can say 
that cause I'm an older guy, 33. Older crowds, generally speaking, 
seem to already know what they want to hear, and if you don't play it 
or something similar--that's it, you lost 'em.  
	C.O. I know Danny has various other musical projects; do 
you and the rest of the band play in any other bands or have any 
other things you do?
	A.E. Most of us all do other projects. I think that's good 
for bands. I've been lucky to be able to only play music for a while 
now. It started off as an experiment and has lasted for about 
two-and-a-half years so far.  Danny and I do the Link thing 
occasionally--we'll be going out on a West coast/Southwest thing three 
days after we get back from Europe. And the Bong Load guys have also 
been using us as a rhythm section for some recording projects--Carl 
Rux, Richard Thompson. But my main thing has been making music and 
SFX for video games in my room. It's also been a lot more fulfilling 
than I thought it might. All my Nino Rota/Ennio Morricone/Bernard 
Hermann/Lalo Schiffrin/Goblin fantasies come true. And it's kinda 
leading to other stuff as well--people asking about music for their 
indie films and stuff. Bunny Ranch Studios, I call it. My life makes 
things hell for my tax guy.
	C.O. So, are you psyched about going to Europe? 
	A.E. Never even been over the pond, can't wait. I want to compare 
truck stops. 
---
	REVIEW: The Go-betweens, _Bellavista Terrace (Best of The 
		Go-betweens)_ (Beggars Banquet/Capitol)
		- David Landgren
	The '80s were an exceptionally vibrant and dynamic period in 
Australian pop music. In turn, The Go-betweens remain the finest 
exponents of a certain conception of guitar-based pop melodies. If 
you haven't yet discovered them, now is the time to take the plunge.
	Here we are, a decade after they decided to call it quits. 
Over the past couple of years, Beggars Banquet re-released all their 
albums on CDs. To long-time fans, this was a godsend, a chance to 
retire aging vinyl albums, to be able to play them at long last on 
a CD player.
	I'm not sure, however, that the band picked up many new 
listeners in the exercise. Having six albums to choose from makes it 
difficult to decide where to start. What better way then, to get to 
learn to love The Go-betweens than a compilation of some of the best 
stuff they put out. The compilation places an emphasis on the latter 
albums, a sentiment I quite agree with. There are no tracks from the 
first album _Send me a lullaby_, which is probably just as well; it's 
certainly my least favourite.
	From their final album _16 Lovers Lane_ are the songs "Was 
there anything I could do?," "Streets of your town" and "Dive for your 
memory." The last song is certainly one of the most achingly beautiful 
pop songs about love we will ever be likely to hear. As much as _16 
Lovers Lane_ was their swan song, their previous album _Tallulah_ was 
where they really shone. The arrangements are lush, the lyrics are 
poetic and the sense of optimism in the band's future is infectious. 
From this album, the tracks selected are the restless, simmering "The 
house that Jack Kerouac built" and the subdued yet uplifting "Bye bye 
pride." This is a record that could have changed the course of pop 
history. The secret ingredient that sets the album apart from what 
they had done before is Amanda Brown, who brought the Go-betweens 
violin and oboe. It was such a perfect complement to Forster's and 
McLennan's songwriting.
	_Before Hollywood_, their second and last album as a trio 
(Robert Forster, Grant McLennan and Lindy Morrison) is represented by 
"Cattle and Cane" and "That way." Try as I might to avoid the trap of 
fruitless arguments ("Why didn't they include *that* song?"), I must 
profess a certain amount of perplexity as to why "Dusty in here" 
wasn't used instead.
	The next two albums, _Spring Hill Fair_ and _Liberty Belle and 
the Black Diamond Express_, saw the band rounded out with the addition 
of Robert Vickers on bass. From the former is "Part company," "Draining 
the pool for you," "Man o'sand to girl o'sea" and "Bachelor kisses," and 
from the latter there is "Head full of steam," "The wrong road" and 
"Spring rain."
	No doubt Go-betweens fans have been (and always will be) 
endlessly debating why these songs were chosen and not others, but at 
the end of the day I can't really find fault with the selections; it's 
as good as anything anyone else could come up with. If it inspires you 
to go and investigate the rest of their material, then that's really 
all that matters.
---
	REVIEW: Rick Springfield, _Karma_ (Platinum Records)
		- Jason Cahill
	80's pop icon Rick Springfield is back with an album of new 
material, his first in more than ten years.  But don't call it a comeback 
(1988's _Rock of Life_ was Springfield's attempt at a comeback).  This 
is more like an attempt at complete career reversal of fortunes.  If you 
believe VH-1's "Behind The Music", the reasons for his absence from 
an industry he once dominated range from emotional meltdown to a 
complete lack of confidence to the belief that his brand of pop music had 
been passed over by everything from grunge to hip-hop to swing.  No 
matter what the reason for the absence, it's important to note that 
reports of his musical demise have been slightly premature as evidenced 
by his latest release, _Karma_, a slightly uneven album with flashes of 
the kind of guitar-driven pop we remember well.
	Most similar in sound to the aforementioned _Rock of Life_, 
_Karma_ is a collection of pure pop songs with Springfield's signature 
hooks.  Will anything on _Karma_ necessitate a second greatest hits 
album?  Probably not.  In fact, "It's Always Something" might be the 
only song on Karma worthy of being grouped with those great pop songs 
of years past, but that doesn't mean that the rest of Karma is lacking 
its share of musical gems. "Shock to the System" is an introspective 
ballad which is smartly written, dark and wistful.  "Prayer" is an 
outright pop song, light on the guitars and heavy on the sentiment, 
but catchy as hell.  In fact, say what you will about Springfield's 
musical legacy, but one thing is certain - his ability to write 
perfect pop songs is a talent matched by only a handful of current 
musicians (Fountains of Wayne and The Smithereens come to mind).
	Those, however, looking for another "Jesse's Girl" might be just 
a bit disappointed.  Nothing on _Karma_ hits a nerve in quite the same 
way.  In fact, it seems that in a span of about ten or fifteen years, 
Springfield has moved ever so casually from rock to adult contemporary, 
both in sound and attitude.  The energetic rocker has been seemingly 
replaced by a kinder, gentler Rick Springfield.  Nowhere on _Karma_ is 
this more evident than on "Religion of the Heart" and "Free", both 
slow-moving ballads which meander their way to completion.  But 
perhaps _Karma_'s most troubling aspect is its synthetic sound.  A 
large majority of the tracks seem processed and lacking any kind of 
raw energy necessary on an album that claims itself to be in the rock 
genre.  Drum machines are a necessary and acceptable component for 
musicians like Chemical Brothers and, to a certain extent, Beck.  But 
on a rock album it does nothing but serve to detract from the intended 
sound, unless of course an artificial sound is what's intended.
	But that said, the majority of _Karma_ is downright enjoyable, 
the type of ear candy noticeably absent from much of today's music. 
While it might not thrust Rick Springfield back onto the rock music main 
stage, _Karma_ does prove that the a once forgotten icon can still 
produce relevant and entirely enjoyable music.
---
	REVIEW: Joan of Arc, _Live in Chicago 1999_ (Jade Tree)
		- Andrew Duncan
	Joan of Arc's latest release may frighten those who hate to 
buy live albums. But the deception lies in the title, which is the 
only aspect to draw from the traditional definition of a live album. 
Nary is there a collection of greatest hits played to a group of 
screaming fans.
	The only thing that you will hear on this album is 
experimentation through the use of a multi-track studio. Tim Kinsella 
(vocals, guitars, bass, piano, the whole shebang) wanted to make the 
liveliest album a studio project has ever seen. And he has succeeded 
-- somewhat.
	The ex-member of post-punkers Cap'n Jazz and native Chicagoan, 
Kinsella has emerged from the Tortoise and Flying Saucer Attack clique 
and developed a combination mixture of Spaceman 3-style droning with 
neo-folk rock. With the help of Jeremy Boyle (keyboards, computers, 
bass) and Todd Mattei (guitar and bass), the CD begins with subtle 
guitar hums that is as groggy as waking from a deep sleep. Slowly the 
song intriguingly titled "It's easier to drink on an empty stomach 
than eat on a broken heart" unfolds like an alien emerging from a 
science fiction film. The music blends well, transitioning to "Who's 
afraid of Elizabeth Taylor?" which leaves an edgy scenario while an 
acoustic guitar creates an alchemist viewpoint.
	However, things change when Kinselia adds vocals to the music, 
which tends to leave a whiny aftertaste. And "(I'm 5 senses) none of 
them common" is almost unbearable, alternating from a rat-a-tat snare 
drum onslaught to whimsical pubescent vocal squawks.
	Luckily, the band relapses back to drony territory, and the 
prolonged jams seem to be the things that matter the most. The band 
is precise and talented with an ear for soothing sounds, only when 
the music is missing words.
---
	REVIEW: Maryanne, _Your First, Your Last, Your 
		Everything_ (Contingency)
		- Chris Hill
	The albums that sync with one's consciousness are rare 
and treasured.  In those seven minutes before one falls asleep, 
these are the albums that pop up on the mental jukebox, staving 
off sleep with lyrics that resonate with clever writing or human 
observation and music that brims with addictive hooks and flair.  
Then, as time goes by, the pole position changes as songs reveal 
unnoticed facets and shine with newfound light - these albums 
continually reintroduce themselves, even as they age into old 
friends.  Sidewinders/Sand Rubies singer David Slutes now adds 
another entry to that list:  his first album with side-project 
Maryanne.  
	"See You in September" sets the hook immediately with a 
Lothario caught pants down when one of his twelve women arrives 
unexpectedly, outside her scheduled month ("In June I saw May, 
in April I saw June/In February I saw Mary...I'll see you in 
September").  Sunny and engaging, as guitar pop should be, with 
enough alliteration to tease and delight, yet not overwhelm.  
"Record Collection", its bookend, is another excellent example 
of lyrical wordplay.  A tribute to the vinyl that inspires 
fanatical devotion, the song namedrops various artists, while 
praising the justified longevity of the medium.
	"Under the Weather" is a song which should be quoted in 
its entirety.  The lyrics reveal the complexities of a decayed 
relationship with oblique references - the forces that attract 
and repel simultaneously at work between the couple.  "See, way 
out here/There's only you and I and this sunken sky/to hear all 
the lies we tell each other".  Camping in the desert, in the 
place "we hoped we wouldn't find each other", the song title 
applies both to their physical location and their love.  It's an 
image that carries weight and power.
	The same power is present, either overtly or covertly, 
throughout the release.  "A Long, Long Time" is a cry for space 
away from a woman sending mixed, post-breakup messages ("You say 
you're lonely/If you're lonely, why then/is everything fine?").  
"Alaska" pleads for the same space in a physical sense, setting 
the state up as a haven from whatever demons and disappointments 
plague the writer.  "Wretched Song" lovingly looks at the impact 
of 70's radio, when trite clichés gained relevance thanks to the 
airwaves.  "Horoscope" plays a man with his feet on the ground 
against a woman with her eyes on the stars, his realistic nature 
at odds with her trust in a cosmic force.
	"Everyone Knows" reunites Slutes with Paula Jean Brown, 
who previously appeared on the Sidewinders' "Came On Like the 
Sun".  The duet trades barbs with edgy wit: "If hope was a rope, 
you would have me twisting in the wind", "You'd think you were a 
catch by the way you act/I know you're lazy, Mom thinks you're 
on crack".  Brown's sweet voice takes some of the sting from the 
words, but not enough to foil their intent.
	Two covers round out the ten tracks - Leonard Cohen's 
fantastic "Chelsea Hotel" revitalized by strong electric guitar 
work and 20/20's "Yellow Pills", a lustrously glossy rendition.
	Comprised of Slutes, guitarist Robin Johnson, bassist 
Kelly Burd, and drummer Winston Watson - all reputable Tucson 
musicians - Maryanne's a formidable combo.  Rich Hopkins, the 
Sand Rubies' guitarist, has proven he's got more than one ace up 
his sleeve with his Luminarios releases.  It's satisfying to see 
David Slutes prove the same with _Your First..._.
	For further information, check out http://www.contingency.com .
---
	REVIEW: Eden White, _This Is The Way..._ (Delirium/Touchwood)
		- Linda Scott
	If you haven't heard of Eden White, we can almost guarantee that 
you will.  Ms. White is an extremely talented artist whose most recent 
achievement was winning  the 1998 Lilith Fair Acoustic Talent Search. 
This win brought her the opportunity to play for 10,000 people and share 
the stage with Sarah McLaughlin.  Prior to this she was awarded a coveted 
performance slot in the Songwriter's Hall of Fame Songwriter Showcase. 
Call her a female Billy Joel, and you won't be far off the mark.  Ms. 
White's strong suits are her songwriting  and her piano abilities.
	_This Is The Way..._ was originally just on the artist's Delirium 
label.  Now she is with Touchstone also, and she is thrilled to be signed 
to a label.  If you want to know a bit more about her, go to Ms. White's 
website at http://www.edenwhite.com. ; you'll get a picture of an 
intelligent woman trying to make it in the music business.  No surprise, 
then, that she was in pre-med until she dropped out to lay her future 
on the line in the music business.
	_This Is The Way..._ is reminiscent of its influences; Billy Joel, 
Nancy Marchand, Barbara Streisand.  Clear vocals sounding sweet, sexy, 
longing, whatever fits.  Ms. White did all the vocals, piano, some 
acoustic guitar, and flute, on the album.  Each song is very personal 
to her, but the tracks cause universal smiles and pain.  Listen to just 
the first two tracks, and you feel the pain of love and death.  These 
two are "Song Unsung" and "This Is The Way", both have very strong 
melodies and lyrics. 
	If you like pop sung by a woman whose lyrics and melodies blend
beautifully, then get _This Is The Way..._.  Eden White is now playing
bookstores and small clubs, but in the future she might share the stage
with the Piano Man himself.  We're going to hear from her.
---
	REVIEW: Splender, _Halfway Down The Sky_ (Columbia)
		- Bill Holmes
	If Matchbox 20 can be thought of as a dynamic band with 
their finger on the pulse of the moment, then Splender should have no 
problem owning those same airwaves. I just don't know if that's a 
compliment.
	The first six tracks on the record could almost be listened 
to at random, although the choice of the staccato-guitar "What I Don't 
Understand" as the opener is probably a wise one. "Yeah, Whatever", the 
single, builds nicely, and along with "Spaceboy", "Monotone" and 
"Special" makes for a decent start. The best cut, "I Think God Can 
Explain", is that type of heart-bleeding ballad that you just know a 
youth oriented nighttime soap will snap up as background music for 
lover's longing looks.
	But after those six cuts the record goes downhill fast. I 
can't quite put my finger on what it is that they are missing. They're 
all good players, and singer Waymon Boone has a strong, radio-friendly 
voice. No one gets lost in overdone noodling solos - in fact most of 
the playing is compact. What I do see, however, is a band trying hard 
to oversell its weaker material through overblown angst. "Supernatural" 
and "Spin" are the worst offenders, examples of cliche alternative rock 
that we've all heard a thousand times before.
	Todd Rundgren produced the record, which astounds me. Not 
because he hadn't produced anyone in years - and the fact that he 
did is quite a coup for a new band - but because it lacks all the usual 
Runt touches. No uptempo pop moments, no Beatle-ish harmony arrangements, 
and certainly no sense of humor. The band, and apparently Todd, took 
the whole thing so seriously that there's nothing left to fall back 
upon when the song isn't there. And for Splender, that’s about half 
the record.
	The press release touts the intensity of the band's performance 
and writing, stating that the songs "explode, withdraw, seduce and then 
overwhelm". So far, I'm only operating on the first two cylinders.
---
NEWS:	> _No Boundaries_, a compilation album benefitting the 
refugees of Kosovo, will be released on Epic Records on June 15.
Artists contributing rare, live and previously unreleased 
versions of songs include Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, 
Alanis Morissette, Neil Young, Oasis, KoRn, Black Sabbath, 
Indigo Girls, Ben Folds Five, Peter Gabriel, The Wallflowers, 
Sarah McLachlan, Bush, Tori Amos, and Jamiroquai.
 	> The latest single from Alanis Morissette's _Supposed 
Former Infatuation Junkie_ album will be "So Pure", slated for 
an early June release.
---
TOUR DATES:
	Aerosmith / Afghan Whigs
May 20 Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
May 22 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theater
May 23 Tinley Park, IL World Music Theater

	Beastie Boys
May 19-20 Sydney, Aus Hordern Pavillion
May 21 Newcastle, Aus Entertainment Center
May 22 Brisbane, Aus Riverstage
May 25-26 Melbourne, Aus Forum Theater

	Black Crowes / Lenny Kravitz / Everlast
May 21 Pittsburgh, PA Starlake Amphitheatre
May 22 Detroit, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre
May 25 Bristow, VA Nissan Pavillion at Stone
May 26 Philadelphia, PA Blockbuster/Sony Music

	Mary Chapin Carpenter
May 20 New York, NY Tramps
May 21 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center
May 22 Burlington, VT Flynn Center
May 23 Concord, NH Capitol Center
May 25 Portland, ME Merrill Auditorium

	Chapter In Verse
May 21-22 Nantucket Island, MA The Chicken Box

	Alanis Morissette
May 22 Nuremberg, Germany Rock Im Park
May 23 Nurnberging, Germany Rock Am Ring
May 24 Landgraaf, Hollan Pinkpop Festival
May 26 Rotterdam, Holland The Ahoy

	Mike Ness
May 19 Milwaukee, WI Modjeska Theater
May 21 Detroit, MI Majestic Theater 
May 22 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
May 23 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts
May 25 Cleveland, OH Agora Theater
May 26 Greensburg, PA Palace Theater 
May 27 Buffalo, NY The Tralf 

	Pinetop Seven
May 21 Atlanta, GA Echo Lounge 
May 22 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 
May 23 Baltimore, MD Fletcher's 
May 24 Washington, DC The Black Cat
May 25 Philadelphia, PA Nick's 
May 26 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's 

	Those Bastard Souls
May 23 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
May 25 Washington, DC Black Cat
May 26 Carrboro, NC West End Events Center

	Verve Pipe / Papa Vegas
May 19 Pontiac, MI 7th House
May 20 Cleveland, OH Odeon
May 21 Columbus, OH Ludlow's
May 22 Indianapolis, IN Vogue Theatre
May 26 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl
---
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