== ISSUE 187 ====  CONSUMABLE ONLINE  ======== [September 21, 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, Tracey Bleile, Jason 
                      Cahill, Matthew Carlin, Patrick Carmosino, John 
                      Davidson, Andrew Duncan, Krisjanis Gale, Paul 
                      Hanson, Chris Hill, Eric Hsu, Franklin Johnson,  
                      Steve Kandell, Reto Koradi, Robin Lapid, Wes 
                      Long, 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 
information is given at the end of this issue. 
==================================================================
	All articles in Consumable remain (C) copyright their author(s). 
Permission for re-publication in any form must be obtained from the 
editor.
==================================================================
                            .------------.
                            |  Contents  |
                            `------------'
INTERVIEW: Kool Keith - Lang Whitaker
REVIEW: Air, _Premiers Symptomes (First Signs)_ - Robin Lapid
REVIEW: Macha, _See It Another Way_ - Andrew Duncan
REVIEW: Basement Jaxx, _Remedy_ - Don Share
REVIEW:  Various Artists, _Return Of The Grevievous Angel: A 
   Tribute To Gram Parsons_ - John Davidson
REVIEW: Canned Heat, _Boogie 2000_ - Don Share
REVIEW: The Flaming Lips, _A Collection of Songs Representing an 
   Enthusiasm for recording...By Amateurs -- 1984-1990_ - Andrew Duncan
INTERVIEW/FEATURE: Russ Hallauer of Ghostmeat Records - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: The Pietasters, _Awesome Mix Tape #6_ - Christina Apeles
REVIEW: Linda Perry, _After Hours_ - Chris Hill
REVIEW: Self, _Breakfast with Girls_ - Scott Slonaker
REVIEW: Black Box Recorder, _England Made Me_ - Niles Baranowski
NEWS: David Bowie, Rockcity, Camille Yarbrough / Fatboy Slim
TOUR DATES: Anti Flag / Dropkick Murphys, Ben Folds Five / Fleming & John, 
   Bis, Church, Ani DiFranco, Johnny Dowd, Gomez, Indigo Girls, 
   Jets To Brazil, Juno, Live, Magnetic Fields, Manic Street Preachers, 
   Aimee Mann, Men At Work, Alanis Morissette / Tori Amos, Tom Petty & 
   Heartbreakers, Pietasters, Pilfers & Spring Heeled Jack, Pretenders, 
   Pretty Things, Promise Ring, Royal Trux, Sean Na Na, Splender / 
   Train / Shooter, Sally Taylor, Type O Negative, Tom Waits, 
   Watsonville Patio, Weird Al Yankovic, Zeke
Back Issues of Consumable
---
	INTERVIEW: Kool Keith
		- Lang Whitaker
	As the magnanimous lyrical genius behind some of rap's hottest -- 
and weirdest -- rhymes from the last decade, Kool Keith has firmly 
established himself as a hip-hop anomaly, unafraid to experiment or 
be adventurous. His latest release, an eponymous record recorded under 
the nom de rap Black Elvis, allows Keith to wear a plastic wig and 
poke fun at The King of rock and roll.
	CONSUMABLE ONLINE: I was looking at your website last night, 
and you have like eight different personas listed on there. Where do 
you think of that kind of stuff?
	KOOL KEITH: I just have fun with myself. I always try do 
something different, a movie-type thing. It's all natural basically. 
Some people try hard to be different, but I let people know that 
there's not just one thing I could do all my life.
	C.O.: Tell me about the Black Elvis idea.
	KOOL KEITH: I just said, Yo, I need an image right now that 
is powerful, that will fuck with the whole materialistic side of rap 
music. I wanted something that really makes a statement, and who is 
bigger than Elvis? The king of kings. From all my influences in rap, 
I don't think anyone was giving me my proper receivings and awards. 
So, I figured I could blow my own horn with Black Elvis.
	C.O.: Why do you think you weren't getting your props?
	KOOL KEITH: Lack of education, and false education displayed 
through the industry. People were probably just plain jealous of what 
I was doing, creatively. People were more or less stunned. It's like 
in Terminator when they was always trying to murder that T-1000 guy.
	C.O.: What the hell are you talking about?
	KOOL KEITH: That's how my music is, and I think the industry 
hates making the link. They can put me in a ball of fire, and I'll 
still walk out of it. People always want to have something to say 
in conversation about whoever is trendy, like, "Oh, this guy is over. 
He won't come back." And it's like in Terminator. I love that T1000 
guy, how he keeps coming back.
	C.O.: But he's evil. He's the bad guy.
	KOOL KEITH: Yeah, but I like the power of his presence. The 
best part is when he walks out of that fire, and he's like, "Fuck it." 
I'll always just walk out and do some new shit.
	C.O.: You said people try to keep you in check, and put you 
down. What's the deal with the rumor last month that they had to put 
you into an asylum?
	KOOL KEITH: Well, that wasn't really true. There were certain 
people and companies that I avoided, and they would say, "Well, Keith 
doesn't want to be here. He's crazy." A lot of people made things up.
	C.O.: Cool. Are you working on anything new right now?
	KOOL KEITH: Nope. I've shut down musically to focus on the 
Elvis album. But if I didn't shut down, I'd be making another album. 
My eccentricness, my eclecticness, to book studio time off the top of 
my head, is amazing. I'll just go bust out two or three tracks a day, 
and next thing you know there's another guy coming out. So, I have to 
pull myself back and take a break and sit around and relax, and not 
record anything for a minute.
	C.O.: Do you ever find yourself running low on creativity?
	KOOL KEITH: No. Never. I got new stuff in my head. I got brand 
new, futuristic keyboards that no one else has ever had. It's amazing, 
because I can go out and create some futuristic-like stuff at any time.
	C.O.: Are you feeling that electronica stuff at all?
	KOOL KEITH: I'm the funky guy. Just like Prodigy is the funky 
guy, with their computeristic sounds, I'm the computeristic, new, 
funky guy. They're the new computeristic electronic, I'm the new 
computeristic funky.
	C.O.: Have you ever done anything that was so far out that 
you kind of bugged yourself out? Like something so creative that you 
surprised yourself?
	KOOL KEITH: Yeah. It's just the machines I'm using. It's fun 
because I'm not biting Timbaland's stuff, I'm not biting Swizz Beatz 
stuff; I'm not taking Dr. Dre's stuff. I'm just going in the studio 
and doing some shit I'm coming up with, and I'm bugging out on it. 
It's some energy I've got in myself. It's kind of wild. Naturally, I 
learned how to use the machines.
	C.O.: What is one trait about yourself that you don't like?
	KOOL KEITH: When I go out with a fucked up girl, and I be 
wasting my time, and I be like, "Why am I in this restaurant with 
this person?"
	C.O.: What's your greatest extravagance?
	KOOL KEITH: Flying to different places, and sitting on South 
Beach in Miami and lookin' at some pretty girls, and eating some hot 
wings, and looking at the world and the pretty girls walking back and 
forth, instead of being in some hot-ass club battling some MC's. 
Especially if it's some wack-ass guys or something. You could be on 
a trip to Costa Rica.
	C.O.: What's your most treasured possesion?
	KOOL KEITH: My Pentax camera. I love my camera. I take pictures 
of things, beautiful things.
	C.O.: And that could include women?
	KOOL KEITH: Yup. Mmm-hmmm.
---
	REVIEW: Air, _Premiers Symptomes (First Signs)_ (Astralwerks)
		- Robin Lapid
	What goes up, must come down. Unless, of course, you are Air, 
the French duo with a particular gift of crafting buoyant, ambient-lounge 
music that wafts through the ears, allowing one to float through a sonic 
ether like a relaxed body floats in water. _Moon Safari_, Nicolas Godin 
and Jean Benoit Dunckel's first release, became such a hit that the 
record company wants to stave off fans hungry for a new release with 
_Premiers Symptomes_, a re-packaged seven-track EP of earlier Air 
creations, including two tracks not on the original European release.
	Diehard fans will have acquired these songs elsewhere, but in 
any case the EP is a fitting companion piece to _Moon Safari_. The 
old-school keyboard and jazz whispers of opening-track "Modular Mix" 
flow into the summery, quiet bass-and-bliss sounds of "Casanova 70" 
and "Les Professionnels," all tracks that could be seamless preludes 
to _Moon Safari_'s "La Femme D'Argent" or a vocal-less "All I Need." 
The journey  continues into the mellow kitsch and somnolent melodies 
of "J'Ai Dormi Sous L'eau" and "Le Soleil est Pres de Moi" ("I Sleep 
Under Water" and "The Sun Is Beside Me" for the French-impaired).  
"Californie" is a chilled-out, funk-tinged groove, sort of like what 
Shaft might be listening to in his bedroom while staring into a lava 
lamp. "Brakes On" is a tail-end exercise in looped and loping beats, 
striding alongside a build-up of uptempo samples and repetitive 
techno treachery.
	The last two, previously unreleased tracks have a hint of that 
tacked-on feel, but Air's directive is nonetheless achieved - to make 
the type of dreamlike mood music that would make you never want to leave 
the chill-out tent.
---
	REVIEW: Macha, _See It Another Way_ (Jetset)
		- Andrew Duncan
	Athens, Georgia has seen a recent continental shift in the 
college town's musical palette. R.E.M. may have put Athens on the 
music atlas, but it is Macha who is turning the town into a global 
village.
	Their debut release, appropriately titled _See It Another 
Way_, is an eye-opening experience from a group of musicians who are 
focused on playing their instruments. It is not their roots that make 
them so innovative, and it is not their talent either. It is, however, 
their passion for Indonesian music that gives them the motivation to 
correctly combine the gamelan art with hard rock to form a multi-cultural 
landscape filled with plush expressionism.
	Besides the traditional instruments (guitar, bass guitar and 
drums), Misho and Joshua McKay, Kai Riedl and Wes Martin also play a 
selection of exotic instruments including a zither, Hammered dulcimer, 
vibraphone, Indonesian gongs and 'Fun Machine' (as exotic as a 'Fun 
Machine' may be).
	Macha would be just another rock group if it were not for Joshua 
and Kai's Indonesian influence brought about by trips to Southeast Asia. 
They immediately fell in love with the music, and it immediately shows 
when the hammered dulcimer chimes uncontrollably on the opener, "Riding 
the Rails." Songs like "Mirror" and "Salty," although two unrelated 
tracks truly capture the essence with "Mirror" whisping through the 
airwaves like a puff of smoke coiling like a snake, and "Salty" 
radiating traditional meditative sounds.
	Experience is not always a requirement for excellence and Macha 
proves it. They have enough devotion to override experience, and belt 
out a CD's worth of material that is an aural paradise. And with 
Macha's next release, who knows how far they will go.
---
	REVIEW: Basement Jaxx, _Remedy_ (Astralwerks)
		- Don Share
	It's seldom admitted: many people don't know or want to 
know the difference between things like house and techno music. 
Maybe they don't go out dancing. Actually, I'm in that category. 
So, little did I know that Basement Jaxx are two guys from South 
London who've made a huge splash with their singles and dance 
mixes. Littler did I know that the people who were mightily 
impressed with what they now call the Jaxx's "older freestyle 
stuff" greatly anticipated this full-length release, and don't 
like it.
	Why should you care? Simply put, the sounds on _Remedy_, 
whatever you want to call them ("punk garage," I'm told, not to 
be mistaken for, say the Ramones, by any means) are a whole 
lotta fun.
	The album starts off, literally, with a bang on 
"Rendez-Vu," followed by, of all things, acoustic guitar 
strumming and vocodered Chipmunks-for-the-'90s vocals that would 
no doubt kick old Alvin's rodent butt. It turns out that your 
CD player wants to rendezvous with you! Heck, there are even 
real lyrics on some of this stuff, like "Yo-Yo," which, besides 
repeating "Yo" ten times, says, "You were a prophet from above/ 
Then you came and sucked my blood." Put that in your headphones 
and smoke it! Even better is "Jump n' Shout," with words that 
would make Lester Bangs do some dancing in his sainted grave: 
"Bwoy out a road fi wi name dem a call." Unbeatable, so to speak.
	There are tiny interludes called, well, ludes: 
"Jaxxalude," "Jazzalude," and so on, which segue into things 
like the intensely reflective "Stop 4 Love," the bouncing 
silly-salsa of "Bingo Bango," and the extremely addictive "Same 
Old Show," which sports samples from both KRS-One and Selecter, 
as well as the best beeping on record since Pink Floyd's 
"Echoes." There's even some languid, intelligible soul music 
here, like "Being With U." Even the jaded might be tempted to 
say, "Wow." 
	Some tunes feature laughing, raucous male vocals, others 
extremely smooth female crooning, should you go in for either 
of those things. "Red Alert" is a particularly fine '70s funky 
groove thang -- not at all what you'd expect in this genre (or 
from the two geeky-looking white guys who, it must be revealed) 
are behind this enterprise.
	_Remedy_ is engrossing, entertaining, party-hardy and 
relaxing all at once, even to ears unfamiliar with this kind 
of music; its warmth and wit will make it appealing to strangers 
to the genre, and strange to aficionados. So here are the 
necessary warning labels: Previously existing fans, beware -- 
you might like to hold out for the inevitable remixes. Rockists 
out there -- don't expect guitars and drums, but get ready to 
update your party hats. It's good to defeat expectation, either 
way, isn't it? If you let it, _Remedy_ will certainly cure your 
end-of-millennium anxiety.
---
	REVIEW:  Various Artists, _Return Of The Grevievous Angel: A 
		Tribute To Gram Parsons_ (Almo)
		- John Davidson
	Whether or not you give Gram Parsons credit for inventing 
country rock, he certainly was doing it long before it was popular.  
Oh sure, bands like the Eagles came along and picked up the reins he 
left dangling after losing a bout with drugs, but his original vision 
of "Cosmic American" music was laced with a lot less sheen and a lot 
more razor blades.  And, like so many musical luminaries, he died too 
young to see his legacy, a body of work that continues to inspire 
almost thirty years later.
	Parsons, a "subversive Harvard-educated hillbilly," had the 
goods very early.  He joined the Byrds in 1968, and despite being 
only 21, he led the notoriously strong-willed band off into a 
country direction.  As lead Byrd Roger McGuinn puts it, "We hired 
a piano player, and he turned out to be Parsons - a monster in 
sheep's clothing."  Nonetheless, his days with the Byrds didn't 
even last a year before he left to form the Flying Burrito 
Brothers.  Two albums into that ensemble, Parsons struck out on 
his own, leaving behind _GP_ and the seminal _Grievous Angel_ 
before succumbing to an overdose at the age of 26.
	_Return_ picks from nearly every facet of Parsons' recording 
career, which makes a nice overview for anyone new to his music.  
The lineup may seem a tad disparate at first, what with Evan Dando 
resurfacing and sharing the same platter with Gillian Welch, but 
what becomes clear is that all the artists involved all hold such 
strong regard for Parsons' formidable songwriting skills.  Perhaps 
the only real surprise is the lack of more alt-country acts involved; 
after all, it's they who have carried his torch as loudly as anyone.  
Still, _Return_ delivers on some big names that reinforce the vitality 
of his music.
	The strength in this album rests in the gentle but modern
interpretations of Parsons' originals.  Unlike other tribute albums 
full of "creative" re-workings, _Return_ contains only modest adaptations 
that serve to embolden his vision rather than make it unrecognizable.  
Some artists, such as the more traditional country purveyors like The 
Mavericks and Steve Earle, keep the songs pretty straight up, only 
letting their voices elaborate Parsons' lyrics.  Emmylou Harris, one 
of Parson's early collaborators, appears on three tracks, her classic 
voice now showing experience but still as inviting as ever.  One band 
taking a chance is the Cowboy Junkies, who put a full, cosmic sound to 
"Ooh Las Vegas" and turn a sleepy twanger into a brooding classic.  
However, probably the biggest departure in style is provided by Wilco, 
who bury their alt-country roots a mile deep in their upbeat, popped-up 
version of "One Hundred Years From Now."
	_Return_ is perfect for anyone who has heard of Gram Parsons but 
hasn't known where to begin.  More than just a roadmap of his work, it 
serves to recognize the talent of a man who was not only influencial 
enough to bring the Rolling Stones to "Honky Tonk Woman", but also a 
creative force to many modern day artists like Beck and Elvis Costello. 
While the country vibe is occasionally strong, _Return_ never annoys 
in a 90s-Nashville sort of way, and overall, it should appeal to just 
about any kind of music fan.
---
	REVIEW: Canned Heat, _Boogie 2000_ (Ruf)
		- Don Share
	Canned Heat were an immortal '60s/'70s band (though founders 
Al Wilson and Bob Hite died in 1970 and 1981, respectively) that 
played both Monterey and Woodstock, stunning wriggling hippie masses 
with their frankly weird combination of blues, boogie, and psychedelic 
droning. Even now, just about everyone recognizes their hits "Goin' 
Up the Country" and "On the Road Again," if not the sublime "Let's 
Work Together."
	While the original musicians were record collectors like, 
say, the Rolling Stones before them, they were not content to imitate 
the blues, always adding their own twist. Since the band's inception 
and subsequent ill fate, there have perennially been musicians 
around to keep the Heat warm, and now lo (if not behold), we have 
a Canned Heat for the new millennium on _Boogie 2000_ which features 
original drummer, Tito de la Parra, as well as original bassist 
Larry "The Mole" Taylor on guitar, along with Greg Kage on bass. 
The opening "Wait and See," a Fats Domino tune, even features a 
flute riff stolen from "Goin' Up the Country," but from there things 
go off in a new, if somewhat predictable, direction, augmented by 
riveting vocals from a new leader, Robert Lucas.
	You can almost smell the bourbon and smokes on Lucas's 
breath on the best of these tracks, and another source of 
stimulation is his searing slide guitar. Even on derivative tracks 
like "World of Make Believe," which is a credible Santana 
soundalike, or set pieces like "I Got Loaded" and "She Split," the 
band is good and tight, as you'd expect. Still, the Y2K version of 
Canned Heat is more laid-back and less hauntingly etherial than 
the original -- except on the true-blue "200 Reasons -- Y2K Blues," 
which brings it all back home. And speaking of originals, 
"Searchin' for My Baby" features the original Cannibal and the 
Headhunters, go figure!
	Some of the tracks are only a bit more than good bar band 
material, though, like "Road to Rio" (which, features the wigged-out 
rhyme of "automobile" and "Rio"!), "Last Man (Who'll Ever Have to 
Sing the Blues)" and "Can I Come Home." Also, "I'm So Tired," not 
the Beatles tune, does kick especially hard.
	All things considered, the flame has been kept; but do not 
neglect Canned Heat's best work, still smoldering on various 
collections, especially the brief _Best of_ or the comprehensive 
_Uncanned_ sets.
---
	REVIEW: The Flaming Lips, _A Collection of Songs Representing an 
		Enthusiasm for recording...By Amateurs -- 1984-1990_ 
		(Restless)
		- Andrew Duncan
	The Flaming Lips were certainly one of the more important bands 
of the mid-'80s punk scene, even though many people did not know it at 
the time.  It was the Lips that coaxed a scrawny Perry Farrell to form 
Psi Com, and then Jane's Addiction. It was also the Lips' bold 
maneuvers and blending of punk and psychedelica that helped create a 
generation of bands who were not afraid to experiment in that aspect, 
and break the mythos that punks were against the psychedelic movement 
of the '60s. They say it was all about sex, drugs and rock and roll. 
The Lips got two out of three right.
	It was the Lips who based their existence on experimentation. 
With the recent release of _The Soft Bulletin_, a graceful album that 
creates delicate compositions of electronics and instrumentation, 
they broke even their own barriers, thanks to technology.
	Yet, how did the band get from point A to point B? Historians 
say that in order to look into the future, one must understand the 
past. That is why Restless Records diligently worked with the group 
to create this collection of songs recorded from 1984 to 1990.
	Instead of creating a greatest hits album, this retrospective 
relies on rarities and early studio adventures from _Hear It Is_, 
_Telepathic Surgery_, and _In A Priest-Driven Ambulance_. The band's 
greatest hits did not fall until after 1990, beginning with the 
release of their most influentially recognized release _Hit To 
Death in the Futurehead_.
	"Bag Full of Thoughts" begins the 65 minutes with a modest 
attempt at garage rock. Even though the harmonies are piss-poor, 
the musicianship is immediately identified as above-average, even 
in the stale studio environment that fell upon the session. "Hell's 
Angels Cracker Factory" demonstrates an edited version of their 
sound-collage idea that appeared in _Telepathic Surgery_. The band 
flies through two popular and well-deserved songs from 
_Priest-Driven Ambulance_ ("Unconsciously Screamin'" and "God 
Walks Among Us Now"). The other delights are their covers of a 
combined Sonics' "Strychnine" and Elvis Costello's "Peace Love and 
Understanding," and covers of Sonic Youth "Death Valley '69" and 
Led Zeppelin's "Thank You," both appearing on the bootleged live 
CD _The Day Andy Gibb Died_.
	The liner notes explain exactly how and why each song was 
recorded, and shed some light on a rusty "Unconsciously Screaming" 
video. A deserved addition to this CD is the lack of space in 
between songs, giving some of these amateurish and drawn-out 
songs a breath of life in confined quarters.
---
	INTERVIEW/FEATURE: Russ Hallauer of Ghostmeat Records
		- Jon Steltenpohl
	From R.E.M. to the B-52's to the countless other musicians 
who followed in their footsteps, Athens, Ga., has been one of the 
college towns that acts as a magnet and a breeding ground for 
bands. So, when you hail from Athens, and you play music...well, 
you've got some big shoes to fill. Russ Hallauer and Ghostmeat 
Records have been adding to the Athens legacy since 1994. 5 years 
and 29 releases since their first 7 inch, it is Ghostmeat's 5th 
Anniversary year, and they've done pretty well.
	Not that he planned it way. Hallauer didn't come to Athens 
as an R.E.M. wannabe. Instead, fate led him there when his wife 
got accepted to graduate school at the University of Georgia. 
"When I started Ghostmeat," says Hallauer, "I had no idea I was 
starting a label. There was no business plan, no strategy, no 
money. It wasn't until about two years in, when I started 
releasing full-lengths by other bands, that I realized I was 
running a label."
	In retrospect, Hallauer seems to view it as inevitable. 
"Going to high school near [Washington] D.C. at the time Fugazi 
came about can be directly linked to Ghostmeat's creation," 
recalls Hallauer. "To me, musicians that can do business for 
themselves are far more appealing than musicians that are 
dependent on some bureaucracy."
	The Internet has played a part of that for Ghostmeat. Their 
website and monthly e-mail newsletters have gotten them beyond 
Athens to a national audience. "Email is wonderful," comments 
Hallauer. "It may be more impersonal than the telephone, but for 
what I do, it's very efficient and much cheaper. Our web site at 
http://members.aol.com/ghostmeat/home.htm has generated a pretty 
fair amount of mail order business for us." Web savvy seems to 
come naturally to Hallauer. Even from the early days, Ghostmeat 
has had a web presence, and now the site contains tons of 
pictures and sound files and other great information.
	But, without good music to back it up, Ghostmeat the label 
would be nothing. Fortunately, Hallauer is both a musician and a 
fan. As a member of Sunbrain, Hallauer began by releasing two 
singles in the classic indie/punk tradition by putting down a 
track or two, finding someone else with a track of their own, and 
scraping together enough money for a seven inch vinyl single. 
After that came a few of Ghostmeat's trademark compilation CD's, 
and full length releases by bands like Drip and Tony Tidwell and 
the Scalded Dogs. While the early releases were more on the punk 
side, releasing 9 compilations in 5 years means you're bound to 
catch just about every style. For the full length releases, the 
focus has been on punk, southern rock, and alternative.
	_Out of the Way_ is the most recent Tony Tidwell and the 
Scalded Dogs album, and it is a gem that is typical of 
Ghostmeat's offerings. This is an album that, 4 years ago, 
could have been pimped by the majors as a "No Depression" band. 
But, if you ask Hallauer if that label applies, he says, "I 
guess people consider Tidwell part of that scene, [but] we don't 
consider him anything but rock 'n' roll. He plays rock 'n' roll 
and he's from the south." It's a description which is entirely 
on the mark. _Out of the Way_ covers all sorts of bases, from 
southern rock to country with the pop ethic of Elvis Costello 
tossed in for good measure.
	Really, all the things people truly love about American 
rock are embodied by Tidwell and his band. The title track is a 
reserved, reflective, and regretful portrait of a youthful 
summer that avoids miring itself in any sort of self pity. On 
other tracks, you're treated to a lap steel guitar backing 
acoustic guitars with minimal percussion where Tidwell's vocals 
croon and tear. "Hand like a Foot" feels like a Van Morrison 
song with its loping beat and Tidwell's soulful vocals.
	Of Tidwell, Hallauer remarks, "I met him when I was in 
college [at Clemson]. At that time, the music there was pretty 
pathetic. All the bands catered to the students with shitty 
covers, so to find the good stuff, you had to look to the 
locals. Tidwell and bands like 6 String Drag all came out of 
the high school there outside of Clemson. He's been a great 
friend and collaborator ever since."
	Friends and collaborators are common within the Ghostmeat 
family.  Tidwell's association with Jennifer Goree led her to 
the label, and members of Ghostmeat's bands have always seemed 
to be a bit incestual.  Somewhere along the line, Sunbrain 
disbanded, and in its wake came Hallauer's current band The 
Lures, which includes members of another Ghostmeat band, Drip, 
and a new solo album by Sunbrain's former lead vocalist David 
Dondero.
	Dondero's release, _... The Pity Party_, is a classic 
example of modern slacker folk. It sounds like a cross between 
the Violent Femmes and a bootleg of Beck demo tapes. The 
lyrics are loose and, at times, barely beyond stream of 
consciousness. The album is a rough diary of a cross country 
trip through bus stations and small towns, and his topics 
range from broken love to conspiracy theorists to the various 
dialects of the different regions of the United States of 
America. Like the biggest ball of twine, Carhenge, or the 
picture in the liner notes of Dondero on a dinosaur sculpture 
outside of a Mini Mart and Econolodge, _... The Pity Party_ 
is slightly bizarre but instantly comforting -- and entirely 
American.
	As for Hallauer's own band, The Lures, their first full 
length release, _When I Was Broken_, actually marks a 
departure from the Ghostmeat stable. Being released on the 
Ten 23 label is simply a matter of civility, since, as 
Hallauer puts it, "it's hard to be a guitar player in a band 
and also be the guy who runs the label. Band members have 
creative expectations of guitar players and business 
expectations of labels," he explains. "When those expectations 
land on the same person, things get complicated."
	_When I Was Broken_ is an album that sounds like all of 
the other Ghostmeat albums funneled into one. Like Tony 
Tidwell, it's a nearly perfect album. It's definitely got a 
little punk and a little southern rock hidden in the background, 
but at its core, is a nucleus of classic alternative pop 
music. This is the stuff college folks drooled over in the 
early '80s when bands like R.E.M. were being roundly ignored 
by virtually every commercial music source in the country.
	Today, groups like the Goo Goo Dolls and Buffalo Tom are 
about the only ones who still get the sound right, and The Lures 
follow that tradition as well. "Million" is one of those great, 
slow, depressing alternative love songs that's driven by a 
twinkling guitar line, a slow loping bass, and simple harmonies. 
It is full and melodic. The lyrics are painful and touching. 
"Ordinary" shares the same simplicity with a slow 3/4 waltz. 
"Goner" is probably the stand out single of the album, and is 
featured on mp3 at http://members.aol.com/ghostmeat/sounds.htm . 
Lead singer Jason Slatton's touching and soft vocals soar 
above the nice, grinding guitars.
	Of the album, Hallauer comments, "I've been excited about 
The Lures debut record since this time last year when we 
finished it. It has been since 1996 that a band I was in had 
a full-length release out there. It is really rewarding that 
Ghostmeat can help out friends who make music I love, but I 
definitely missed releasing my own music."
	True to his word, The Lures have plans to get back into 
the studio this fall. Their second album is going to be 
recorded in December with David Barbe, who is the ex-Sugar 
bassist and producer of Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo. Barbe's 
resume couldn't be more fitting to The Lures sound. Given their 
impressive debut on _When I Was Broken_, the sophomore effort 
of The Lures can only be described as highly anticipated.
	At the same time, there's no rest for his work with 
Ghostmeat. When asked about the future of the label, Hallauer 
replies, "I don't know. I've been very fortunate to have a 
tight circle of musicians around me for the last five 
years...we're just going one day at a time. Clay, drummer for 
The Lures and Drip, is releasing a solo album on the label 
this winter..."
	In other words, while Hallauer won't have much free time 
this winter, we can look forward to more releases from this 
great independent label.
---
	REVIEW: The Pietasters, _Awesome Mix Tape #6_ (Hellcat/Epitaph)
		- Christina Apeles
	The rude boys of The Pietasters remind the ears how fun ska 
music can be with the prerequisite horns, reggae beats, bass line, and 
a husky voice carrying each song. In the case of _Awesome Mix Tape #_, 
they equate fun with bouncing, swaying, and body movement variations 
on the same theme.  This septet produces a feverous collection of 
songs, in suits while sporting buzz cuts, that will lift your spirits.
	With vocalist Stephen Jackson, sounding tough and raspy, taking 
center stage, it is inevitable to draw comparisons to Madness, which 
is part of the appeal -- familiarity. In "Chain Reaction" and 
"Yesterday's Over," with horns galore, the Pietasters will take you 
back. Decades later, the sound has yet to lose it's merry tone, which 
makes it easy to gravitate to as well as reminding of sifting back 
through your vinyl collection for Selecter or the Specials. What sets 
the Pietasters apart is their punk roots, not that it is necessarily 
a unique quality since everyone knows most ska bands today have one 
foot in the punk scene as well. But like fellow label bedfellows 
Rancid, their infusion of punk sensibility gives an edge to their 
sound, incorporating a commotion of electric guitar on brisk tracks 
"Somebody" and "What I Do."
	_Awesome Mix Tape #6_ resonates the best part of this genre of 
music: No matter how tragic the lyrics are -- whether over heartache, 
nostalgia, or crime -- nothing feels too bad when horns are a-playing, 
the beats are still hopping, and the bass line is grooving.
---
	REVIEW: Linda Perry, _After Hours_ (Rockstar)
		- Chris Hill
	On Linda Perry's Top 10 favorite albums list (see her website, 
http://www.rockstarrecords.com ), she places Janis Joplin's _Greatest 
Hits_ at number one. Not surprising to those who've heard the ex-4 
Non Blondes vocalist. (To jog your memory, "What's Up?" was their '
93 rocket to multi-platinum success.) Now, as the century fades to 
a close, she's back with a follow-up to her first solo album, 1995's 
_In Flight_, and channeling Joplin with effortless, supernatural 
ease.
	_After Hours_ can't simply be summed up by name dropping the 
ghost of Janis. Perry takes chances on this CD: electronically 
altering her amazing voice on the confessional "Get It While You 
Can;" bringing in a Little Rascals urchin to lead off "Sunny April 
Afternoon" with innocent charm.
	By taking chances, Perry walks that fine line between success 
and failure, tumbling into the latter several times. "Til the Cows 
Come Home" is annoying, redolent with dysfunctional pride: "We were 
wasting all the wine/gettin high like two old friends/shootin' shit 
half wit politics/rockin' til 12:09/till the neighbor up above/ 
didn't like our point of view/...how we love to raise the brow/of 
the double shifted family man." And the glam rock of "Somedays Never 
End" sprawls awkwardly, with clumsy lyrics like "Sometimes I'd like 
to throw a brick or two/at all the aggravating fates of doom."
	But the successes outweigh the failures. In "Lost Command," 
Perry deftly explores the healing qualities of love and religion. 
The song makes a fine one-two combo with the soul-in-jeopardy lyrics 
of the next cut, "Get It While You Can:" "hell is my heaven/the 
devil stands right by my side/there ain't no halo/to hang above my 
life."
	"New Dawn" is a phenomenal piano hymn, with Perry and her backing 
vocalist Donna Simon harmonizing like eagles in a mating flight, praising 
the power of Jesus and the strength and pride Perry finds in her gender: 
"I am woman/a mountain I will climb/I've been beat down and I've been 
broken/but each day I give it another try." "Fly Away" takes a flight 
metaphor and grounds it in a bluesy romp that takes the Joplin spirit, 
strains it through four whiskeys and a pack of smokes, all to showcase 
the roaring powerhouse that is Perry's voice. 
	Most brilliant of all, there's a hidden track following "Carry 
On," where Perry, the daughter of a Portuguese father and a Brazilian 
mother, delivers a Latin American slice of heaven. The track should 
have led off the disc, as proof of her multi-faceted talent. I hope 
she delivers more of the same on her next outing. But, blues-rock or 
samba, her voice is a big bad wolf knocking, showing no sign of 
leaving. Open the door, and let her in.
---
	REVIEW: Self, _Breakfast with Girls_ (DreamWorks)
		- Scott Slonaker
	It seems that DreamWorks Records is presently enamored with a 
variety of "mad scientist"-type artists such as Blinker the Star and 
eels.  Of course, _Pet Sounds_-style pop fusion is all the rage these 
days- even grunge belter Chris Cornell is drenching his arrangements in 
strings and keyboards.  Self, which consists of Matt Mahaffey and some 
friends, can largely avoid accusations of trendiness.  Mahaffey's first 
major release, 1995's _Subliminal Plastic Motives_, actually predates 
_Odelay_.  _Breakfast with Girls_ is Self's second major-label album. 
	In a nutshell, Self's music is a perfect hybrid of Weezer and 
Beck.  Cut-and-paste nerdy-power-pop-rock may be tough to imagine, but 
the formula is fine-blame the execution in spots. Mahaffey has a great 
ear for pop hooks; it's just that sometimes he buries them beneath layers 
of same-sounding hip-hop beats, oversize guitars, and keyboards.  The 
first two tracks, "The End of it All" and "Kill the Barflies", are 
described well by that criticism.  It isn't until the middle part of 
the record that hooks really start to surface and stick around.  "Uno 
Song" sounds like the Monkees covering a Beck ballad, which is a good 
thing.  "Paint By Numbers", the disc's gem, has an addictive sing-song 
rhythm and some very funny "meta-" lyrics, i.e., it's a song about 
songs.  What's funny is that the hip-hop-lite of the chosen single, 
"Meg Ryan", is not even remotely as catchy.
	Imaginative singles surface later on, such as Ella Fitzgerald's 
"Chew, Chew, Chew Your Bubble Gum", injected into "What Are You Thinking?" 
Wish Mahaffey had really milked the clip for more. He seems to have the 
opposite problem with samples compared to the Puff Daddies of the world. 
Same thing with LL Cool J's "It Gets No Rougher", as heard in the title 
track.  Come on, man, work the joint a little!  There has to be a middle 
ground between using samples without abusing them.
	Mahaffey and his friends have enormous potential.  The lesson to 
be learned: when everything is thrown into every song, it can be almost 
as bad as not throwing enough.  This record is easy to admire, but hard 
to *remember*.  There may be all kinds of crazy noises on _Breakfast 
with Girls_, and a bunch of phenomenal ideas, but only a handful of 
really good, lasting songs.  And songs are the secret.
---
	REVIEW: Black Box Recorder, _England Made Me_ (Jetset)
		- Niles Baranowski
	"It's my primary instinct," sings Sarah Nixey, "to protect the 
child." The words come out of her mouth like a soft, sultry demonic 
possession, but it's hard not to laugh. After all, these aren't Nixey's 
words; they come from former auteur Luke Haines, he of the morbid 
obsession with car crashes and terrorism. So when you boil it down, 
you have Nixey (who did vocals with the short-lived Balloon) pretending 
to be Haines who is pretending to be a teenaged mother.
	This sort of pretending isn't taken much further on Black Box 
Recorder's debut, the prettily dour _England Made Me_, but it informs 
the sensibility behind almost all the lyrics. Whether it's a black, 
hateful heart hiding behind respectability (the title track and "I.C. 
One Female") or vice versa (the superb "Child Psychology"), Haines' 
portraits of a repressed, cuckolded Britain seethe with mistrust and 
deserved cynicism. Yet the combination of Haines' misanthropy and 
Nixey's icy intonation leaves an unwelcome emotional void on "New 
Baby Boom," where Nixey sings like teen pregnancy is some sort of bad 
hair day.
	It's no question that Black Box Recorder are best when they 
have a story to wrap their dry British wit around (how ironic that 
they should be attacking their homeland with one of its best known 
qualities). The sparse "Child Psychology" is a tale of a spoiled child 
who punishes her parents with the silent treatment, climaxing with the 
most acidic chorus you'll hear this year. "Kidnapping an Heiress" is 
another take on Patty Hearst's mid '70s ordeal, this time from the 
side of the S.L.A., and the languid, chimy "Swinging" comes from the 
mouth of a moll with a heart of iron.
	_England Made Me_ isn't without hooks, but musically nothing 
will catch in your head, except maybe the collision of Nixey and 
Haines' voices on the chorus of "Child Psychology." It's the lyrics 
and Nixey's vacancy that entrance the listener, more than the Velvet 
Underground-derived tunecraft (think "I'll be Your Mirror" for a 
reference). Their cover of "Seasons in the Sun" is a perfect example: 
Nixey throws every one of the song's lines away as if by rote, like 
she cares not a whit for anything she's saying goodbye to. By the time 
she gets to the chorus, she's rushing, as if anxious for that light at 
the end of the tunnel. No crushed flower melodrama here, Black Box 
Recorder has realized that pain is the only thing engrossing enough 
to distract you from pain.
---
NEWS:	> David Bowie fans will have the opportunity to download 
his new album two weeks before the actual release date on Tuesday, 
September 21.  For more information on this, check out 
http://www.davidbowie.com or http://www.virginrecords.com .
	> In preparation for the debut of the original Internet 
show Rockcity Limits, Rockcity ( http://www.rockcity.com ) is 
looking for six adventure seekers over the age of 21 to go on 
a seven week cross-country trip starting in New York City and 
ending in Los Angeles.  
	Contestants are asked to send in a short video (three 
minutes or less) telling the folks at Rockcity.com a bit about 
themselves and why they should be picked to go on a this 
unusual journey.  For more information, check out the site 
http://rockcity.com/rclimits/rcindex.htm 
	> Vanguard Records will be issuing a new CD-5 for 
Camille Yarbrough's "Take Yo' Praise" on September 28.  Best 
known as the keynote sample for Fatboy Slim's "Praise You", 
the CD-5 includes the original track and 2 modern remixes, as 
well as Jean Jacques Perrey's "E.V.A.", and Fatboy Slim's remix of 
that track.
---
TOUR DATES:
	Anti Flag / Dropkick Murphys
Sep. 28 State College, PA Crowbar
Sep. 29 Pittsburgh, PA Club Laga
Sep. 30 Cleveland, OH Agora

	Ben Folds Five / Fleming & John
Sep. 28 Portland, OR Roseland
Sep. 29 Seattle, WA Moore Theater
Sep. 30 Vancouver, BC Rage

	Bis
Sep. 21 Detroit, MI Magic Stick/7th House
Sep. 23 Boston, MA Middle East
Sep. 24 Washington, Dc Black Cat
Sep. 27 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Sep. 30 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle

	Church
Sep. 21 Portland, OR Roseland Grill
Sep. 22 Seattle, WA The Fenix
Sep. 24 Salt Lake City, UT Zephyr Club
Sep. 25 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre
Sep. 27 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Sep. 28 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Sep. 29 Pontiac, MI 7th House

	Ani DiFranco
Sep. 29 Rochester, NY Auditorium Theatre

	Johnny Dowd
Sep. 24 Ithaca, NY Haunt
Sep. 29 Cleveland, OH Wilbert's
Sep. 30 Toronto, ON El Mocambo

	Fleming & John
Sep. 25 Nashville, TN WQZQ Show
Sep. 26 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate Park

	Gomez
Sep. 21 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Sep. 22 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
Sep. 27 Chicago, IL Metro

	Indigo Girls
Sep. 23 Chattanooga, TN Memorial Auditorium
Sep. 24 Antioch, TN 1st American Music Center
Sep. 25 Greenville, SC Peace Concert Hall
Sep. 26 Raleigh, NC Alltel Pavillion
Sep. 28 Savannah, GA Mercer Theatre
Sep. 29 Birmingham, AL Jefferson Civic Center
Sep. 30 Knoxville, TN Civic Auditorium

	Jets To Brazil
Sep. 22 Boston, MA TT The Bear
Sep. 23 Poughkeepsie, NY Vassar
Sep. 24 New London, CT El-N-Gee 

	Juno
Sep. 21 Columbia, MO Shattered
Sep. 22 Ft. Collins, CO Starlight

	Live
Sep. 30 Columbia, SC Township Auditorium

	Magnetic Fields
Sep. 21 Seattle, WA Crocodile Cafe
Sep. 22 Portland, OR Aladdin Theatre
Sep. 24 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Sep. 25 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland

	Manic Street Preachers
Sep. 22 Vancouver, BC The Rage
Sep. 23 Seattle, WA AROspace
Sep. 25 San Francisco, CA Bimbo's
Sep. 27 San Diego, CA Cane's
Sep. 28-29 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour

	Aimee Mann
Sep. 21 San Juan Capistrano, CA The Coach House 
Sep. 22 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern 
Sep. 23 Los Angeles, CA Cafe Largo 
Sep. 25 San Francisco, CA Slim's 
Sep. 28 Los Angeles, CA Cafe Largo 

	Men At Work
Sep. 22 Providence, RI Living Room
Sep. 24-25 Atlantic City, NJ Sands Casino
Sep. 26 Cambridge, MA Middle East Club
Sep. 28 San Jose, CA Palookaville
Sep. 30 San Diego, CA 4th & B

	Alanis Morissette / Tori Amos
Sep. 22 Phoenix, AZ America West Arena
Sep. 24 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay
Sep. 25 Los Angeles, CA Irvine Amphitheater

	Tom Petty & Heartbreakers
Sep. 21 Tampa, FL  Ice Palace
Sep. 22 West Palm Beach, FL Coral Sky Pavilion
Sep. 24 Atlanta, GA  Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sep. 25 Charlotte, NC  Blockbuster Pavilion
Sep. 28 Greenville, SC  Bi-Lo Center
Sep. 29 Raleigh, NC  Walnut Creek Amp.

	Pietasters, Pilfers & Spring Heeled Jack
Sep. 24 Fairfax, VA Student Union Bldg. 
Sep. 27 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle 
Sep. 28 Charleston, SC Music Farm 
Sep. 29 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade 
Sep. 30 Tallahassee, FL PSU Union Green 

	Pretenders
Sep. 22 Paris, France Mutualite
Sep. 23 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso
Sep. 25 Cologne, Germany Live Music Hall
Sep. 26 Brussels, Belgium Cirque Royale
Sep. 27-28 London, England Shepherds Bush Empire 
Sep. 30 Glasgow, Scotland Barrowlands

	Pretty Things
Sep. 21 Cambridge, MA Middle East Club 
Sep. 22 Philadelphia, PA Th. Living Arts 

	Promise Ring 
Sep. 24 Madison, WI Club 770

	Royal Trux
Sep. 21 Columbia, MO Shattered
Sep. 22 St. Louis, MO Side Door
Sep. 23 Cincinati, OH Sudsy Malones
Sep. 24 Columbus, OH Shattered
Sep. 25 Athens, OH Union Bar & Grill
Sep. 26 Dayton, OH Club Safari
Sep. 27 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
Sep. 28 Pittsburgh, PA Millvale Industrial Theater
Sep. 30 Baltimore, MD Ottobar

	Sean Na Na
Sep. 21 Boston, MA   Middle East Upstairs 

	Splender / Train / Shooter
Sep. 21 Los Angeles, CA Mayan Theater 
Sep. 22 Chicago, IL Club Metro 
Sep. 23 Minneapolis, MN Quest 

	Sally Taylor 
Sep. 30 Denver, CO Bluebird 

	Type O Negative
Sep. 29 Cleveland, OH Odeon 	

	Tom Waits
Sep. 23-24,25,27 New York, NY Beacon Theatre

	Watsonville Patio
Sep. 23 Missoula, MT Ritz on Ryman 
Sep. 24 Bozeman MT The Zebra 
Sep. 25 Helena MT Miller's Crossing 
Sep. 26 Chico, MT Chico Hot Springs 

	Weird Al Yankovic
Sep. 22 San Luis Obispo, CA Performing Arts Centre
Sep. 24 Bakersfield, CA Kern County Fair
Sep. 26 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre

	Zeke
Sep. 21 Atlanta, GA Echo Lounge 
Sep. 23 New Orleans, LA State Palace 
Sep. 24 Dallas, TX Club Clearview 
Sep. 25 Houston, TX Fitzgerald's 
Sep. 26 Austin, TX Emo's 
Sep. 28 Tempe, AZ Green Room 
Sep. 29 Anaheim, CA Chain Reaction 
Sep. 30 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour 
---
Founded in August, 1993, Consumable Online is the oldest 
music reviews publication on the Internet.
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