==== ISSUE 135 ====    CONSUMABLE     ======== [February 16, 1998]

  Editor:             Bob Gajarsky
		        Internet: gaj@westnet.com
  Sr. Correspondents: Tim Kennedy, Reto Koradi, David Landgren, 
                      Sean Eric McGill, Tim Mohr, Al Muzer, Joe Silva
  Correspondents:     Daniel Aloi, Joann Ball, Tracey Bleile, Lee 
                      Graham Bridges, Scott Byron, Patrick Carmosino, 
                      Araballe Clauson, Krisjanis Gale, Bill Holmes, 
                      Eric Hsu, Tim Hulsizer, Robin Lapid, Stephen Lin, 
                      Scott Miller, Linda Scott, Rainier Simoneaux, Scott 
                      Slonaker, Simon Speichert, Jon Steltenpohl, Simon 
                      West, Lang Whitaker
  Technical Staff:    Chris Candreva, Dave Pirmann

 Address all comments, subscriptions, etc. to gaj@westnet.com
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                            .------------.
                            |  Contents  |
                            `------------'
REVIEW: Ian Brown, _Unfinished Monkey Business_ - Tim Kennedy
REVIEW: High Llamas: _Cold and Bouncy_ - Daniel Aloi
REVIEW: Stereophonics, _Word Gets Around_ - Tim Kennedy
REVIEW: Moe Tucker, _GRL-GRUP_ (EP) / "I'm Sticking With 
   You"/"After Hours" - Daniel Aloi
REVIEW: Soundtrack, _The Wedding Singer_ - Bob Gajarsky
CONCERT REVIEW: The Devlins w/ Exit 159 - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Komputer, _The World Of Tomorrow_ - Krisjanis Gale
REIVEW: Apples in Stereo, _Tone Soul Evolution_ - Joe Silva
REVIEW: Consolidated _Dropped_ - Jon Steltenpohl
REVIEW: Nineteen Wheels, _Six Ways From Sunday_ - Arabella Clauson
REVIEW: Recoil, _Unsound Methods_ - Krisjanis Gale
NEWS: Depeche Mode, Falco, Oasis, Queensryche, Rainmakers, 
   Rhino Home Video (Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder), James Iha, 
   Smashing Pumpkins / Nitzer Ebb
TOUR DATES: Blue Mountain, Broadside Electric, Irving Plaza, 
   Chantal Kreviazuk, Letters To Cleo, Life Of Agony / Far, 
   Shake Appeal, Third Eye Blind / Smashmouth
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
Back Issues of Consumable
---
	REVIEW: Ian Brown, _Unfinished Monkey Business_ (Polydor UK)
		- Tim Kennedy
	This album has one hell of a history.  The Stone Roses 
were all set to become the biggest UK band of the 90s 
back in 1989.  They played great rock music, they had 
dance credibility,  they looked incredibly cool - like 
football 'casuals' with guitars.  They came out of 
nowhere,  when rock music had no credibility and house/ 
hiphop were the musics of the moment.  All of a sudden 
a thousand bands got in on the act,  then it all turned 
sour.  Blur actually appeared at this time,  apeing the 
Roses so embarassingly that their stage show was a Roses 
tribute.
	The band changed but most surprising of all was that 
instead of 'Squire/Brown' on the credits for the most 
controversial second album _Second Coming_ only Squire 
appeared.  The band sounded great,  but whispers about 
Browney's voice got louder.  Now Squire has his own 
Indie/Zep rock'n'roll band.  Oasis took the glory 
that could have been the Roses'.
	But instead of disappearing from the scene,  Ian 
has returned with a very different kind of music.  This 
album seems to carry on where the Roses left off in 
1990. The B side of "One Love" - "Something's 
Burning",  a mysterious groovy reggae-ish number, and 
"Fools Gold" (the song that launched a host of dance/ 
rock crossovers -none quite so successful as the original) 
are the nearest Ian got to these songs with his old band.
	The production on this record is very creaky,  but 
it just makes listening to _Unfinished Monkey Business_ 
all the more  fascinating.  When you liste to demos by 
your favourite band,  or maybe the solo work of Syd Barrett, 
you hear the germ of something magical -the excitement isn't 
yet driven out by endless retakes and overdubs.
	This work features the band that was the Stone Roses 
after Squire,  with replacement guitarist Aziz Ibrahim 
making some great contributions in particular,  but most 
surprising is to hear Reni drumming on one of these 
tracks.  "Can't See Me" is the true descendant of "Fools 
Gold" - a superb drum loop and great groove.  This alone 
is worth the price of _Unfinished..._.  But there is much 
much more.  Elsewhere Maddix, who replaced Reni in the 
Roses, takes up the sticks.
	Much of the lyrics appear to be aimed at John Squire - 
and in bad humour, too.  Many of the interviews in the 
UK press have also seen much badmouthing of his former 
henchman too (no doubt some of it exaggerated afterwards 
by eager hacks).  Other lyrics are merely puzzling (one 
"Lions" features the repeated mantra "No lions in England").
	The music styles vary from loping funk,  to guitar 
workouts featuring the oriental patterns of Aziz Ibrahim.  
We also get elegaic gloom of Joy Division proportions. 
One track is built around riffing heavy guitar and appears 
to be satirising his old buddy's penchant for Hendrix - 
the title is "Ice Cold Cube" - Squire's band nickname.
	Elsewhere there is acoustic guitar/vocals, alone and 
stark, seemingly meandering,  recalling the solo work of 
Syd Barrett in that one wonders if this is greatness or 
lunacy - or both.
	Other songs are built around primitive beatbox,  like 
the Flying Lizards.  Yet another is a sad Durutti Column 
guitar ballad. Even the blues are conjured up briefly,  he 
uses styles with wild abandon,  then dumps them just as 
suddenly.
	The bewildering array of musical genres employed 
here build up a mad collage of sounds,  which astound the 
ear.  This is not an album where you can listen to 
one song then predict what the others are like.
	This work doesn't relate to much of the music being 
played elsewhere in the UK.  Ian has his own agenda. 
He is a true innovator and this album is greatness 
forged from chaos.  He could have melted away forever 
into Lee Mavers (ex-La's) country,  but he returned,  and 
any fan of the Stone Roses will see the spirit of that 
band defiant amongst these strange but wonderful
songs.
---
	REVIEW: High Llamas: _Cold and Bouncy_ (Alpaca/V2)
		- Daniel Aloi
	Here it is, early 1998, and in certain pop-cultural 
circles you'd think it was still 1966. Bob Dylan, Neil Young 
and the Doors are as popular as ever.  Freedom of expression 
reigns. And we've hit a high point for '60s musical worship, 
with the resurgence of lounge music and a British pop ethic 
adopted by many contemporary bands -- Dandy Warhols, Candy 
Butchers and the like.  You can pin this trend on a) a reaction 
to grunge and rap and b) the enduring influence of '60s melody 
masters the Beach Boys, Burt Bacharach and the Beatles, all of 
whom spun out such memorable candyfloss that their influence is 
nearly impossible to deny. These three B's of pop seem to be on 
a continuous tape loop inside the skull of head High Llama Sean 
O'Hagan.  He may have decidedly different musical credentials 
with Microdisney and Stereolab, but with this band he 
consistently refuses to stray too far from his synths-in-a-sandbox 
Brian Wilson obsession.
	That's not a criticism -- O'Hagan doesn't plunder the 
undeniable past any more than, say, Elvis Costello - and there 
are much worse heroes he could emulate. But unfortunately on the 
aptly titled "Cold and Bouncy," O'Hagan and his band's pet 
sounds don't quite match up to the originals, and he adds little 
in original viewpoint to the pure pop feeling he's recreating. 
Lacking the layered harmonies and walls of wonderful sound that 
Beach Boy Brian built from scratch, songs like "The Sun Beats 
Down" and "Tilting Windmills" provide only a surface reading of 
an attempt to recreate Wilson's "teenage symphonies to God."
	Instead the "cold" electronic gurgles and gleeps 
throughout the album take over, to the point that even "warm" 
instruments (banjo, vibes) are so deliberately plunked they 
sound like samples. The overall effect is distance from the 
heart that one thinks should be behind this music. "Over the 
River" and "Didball" sound like lost Bacharach scores -- in 
fact, these tracks and some of the Llamas' instrumentals play 
as if originally written as soundtrack filler for some European 
film in the '60s (naturally), perhaps a spy caper-romance set 
aboard a submarine cruising off the French Riviera.
	Still, "Cold and Bouncy" is enjoyable, not to be taken 
too seriously -- and what more could you ask of a pop album? Just 
don't get all nostalgic and hold it up to Wilson's now-flickering 
but once-bright candle and it's a fine listen, with more than an 
hour of melodic whimsy that seems to float by in half that time.
---
	REVIEW: Stereophonics, _Word Gets Around_ (V2)
		- Tim Kennedy
	The Stereophonics actually emerged from rural obscurity 
during the previous year and this album has been out in the UK 
for some months,  but the band have just become the surprise 
gatecrashers of the 1998 awards circuit in the UK.  These Welsh 
veterans of many a record company refusal letter allegedly take 
their inspiration from such luminaries as AC/DC.
	But, they are no leaden-footed blues metal merchants.  
Their guitars are often played with punkoid fury,  but the songs 
are well-turned instant pop classics.  Perhaps only the Teenage 
Fanclub in years gone by have managed a similar light touch 
conveyed upon heavy guitars.
	The lyrics immediately strike the listener with their 
intelligence,  and thought-provoking couplets leap out constantly; 
'it takes one tree/ to make a thousand matches/  but it only takes 
one match/ to burn a thousand trees' ("A Thousand Trees").  
"Traffic" speaks of searching for a place in life - 'Wait tables 
for a crook?  Write a hard back book?  You teach your kids to 
read?  Sell your body on the street?',  and is sung superbly by 
Kelly Jones who must havethe best rock voice to emerge since Liam 
Gallagher.  Jones trades in unstoppable streams of images,  
tumbling over each other as they pour forth '...as the rumours 
start to fly/ you can hear them in the school yard/ scrap yard/ 
chip shop/ phone box/ in the pool hall/ at the shoe stall...' ("A 
Thousand Trees").  Jones could sing the telephone book and make 
it sound of desperation,  but these lyrics are some of the finest 
heard for years.  This band does not trade in lovelorn laments,  
nor vague anthemic platitudes, but in the stuff of everyday 
existence.
	There is more than one song here about small town suicide 
(including the title track),  and the majority of the lyrics are 
about battling against everyday life in depressed South Wales,  
but really it could be anywhere. The songs and the voice speak 
about real experiences,  and there are no platitudes here,  only 
compassion.
	Musically they are straightahead rock'n'roll,  but the 
Stereophonics more than prove that there are still places to go 
with this much-maligned genre.  The confidence with which they 
play is thrilling to hear.  At one point they even launch into 
a Madness-style piano solo,  and it works superbly as you might 
expect.
	Great lyrics are rare enough these days.  Allied to a 
sure songwriting touch and great playing ability and sung with 
such superb panache,  nothing can stop this band except maybe 
success itself.
---
	REVIEW: Moe Tucker, _GRL-GRUP_ (EP) / "I'm Sticking With 
		You"/"After Hours" (Lakeshore Drive)
		- Daniel Aloi
	Back when she was in the Velvet Underground, drummer Moe 
Tucker must have kept a close eye - and ear - on Nico. You can hear 
a bit of the Teutonic chanteuse in Tucker's throaty singing style.
	But Tucker's most recent solo work doesn't otherwise much 
resemble the Velvets' art-damaged debut. These two new CDs, released 
in December on Tucker's own label, pay loving tribute to '60s pop 
songs - including two from Lou Reed's catalog.
	Tucker now lives in rural Georgia, where her kids are 
leaving the nest and she drums with Magnet.  Recording in Atlanta, 
Tucker leads her band (including her onetime Half Japanese cohort 
John Sluggett) through covers of four Phil Spector-Jeff Barry-Ellie 
Greenwich love songs on _GRL-GRUP_, a title displayed in big license 
plate lettering on the CD's cover.
	Tucker and her supporting cast achieve a scaled-down wall 
of sound that's low on sheen, big on heart - as she sings such 
teenage melodramas as "(And) Then He Kissed Me," "Be My Baby," "To 
Know Him Is To Love Him" and even "Da Doo Ron Ron." Indie-rock 
types shouldn't be surprised - Moe did a slew of classic rock'n'roll 
songs on her solo debut, "Playin' Possum."  You can tell it's an act 
of love - one she dedicates to her former bandmate, the late 
Sterling Morrison.
	Even Tucker's versions of the two Lou Reed songs on the 
single (both of which were also covered on the final Velvet 
Underground tour captured on "Live MCMXCIII") project a sweet 
backwards glance at the bouncy innocence of '60s AM radio - the 
kind of thing that was anathema to the Velvets' original artcore 
audience. Then again, Lou never made any bones about his love for 
the songs of Doc Pomus.
	You can order these and other solo releases from Tucker 
directly (and even have them autographed) by writing to her at PO 
Box 2357, Douglas, GA 31534. Prices and other details are available 
on her web site, http://www.spearedpeanut.com/tajmoehal
	Tucker's site, TajMoehal, is well-illustrated and 
fan-friendly -- she offers to make tapes (at a discounted price) 
of her solo CDs and will even autograph them for you if you ask. 
A monthly newsletter page keeps everyone abreast of not only her 
recording projects but her family members' latest 
accomplishments.  And she's put out a call for VU bootleg 
masters for a project Polygram is undertaking. Links to other 
VU-related sites abound, as do links to other bands she likes 
or has worked with, including Half Japanese and Olivia Tremor 
Control.
---
	REVIEW: Soundtrack, _The Wedding Singer_ (Maverick)
		- Bob Gajarsky
	Adam Sandler's latest big-screen effort, as a wedding singer 
jilted at the altar for his own ring ceremony, serves as an 
opportunity to rehash some of modern rock's most successful 
songs during the mid 1980s.
	The leadoff track from this collection is the Presidents of 
the United States of America's cover of the Buggles' "Video Killed 
the Radio Star". Formerly a nearly impossible-to-obtain B-side, 
"Video" is not only the sole 'new' track, but also a prized 
collectible for fans of the now defunct group.
	Some of the 'flashback' soundtracks (_Grease_, _Romy and 
Michele's High School Reunion_) focus on music appropriate to the 
aura portrayed in the movie - a high school prom, for example.
But rather than being reflective of the 'pop' culture of the 80s, 
_Wedding Singer_ instead focuses on what should have been; 
a dozen songs which can still be listened to (at least passively) 
by today's modern rock fan. A wedding singer performing the Smiths 
in 1985 might have been thought of as cool by 2 people, and weird 
by the rest...
	Most of these tracks are already in the collections of 
many modern rock fans; it seems inconceivable that a big fan 
wouldn't already have the Smiths' longest-lasting hit ("How Soon 
Is Now?") or the track which catapulted New Order to international 
dance club fame ("Blue Monday").  Still, it remains likely that 
fans of the 80s 'cool scene' will purchase this to fill in a 
couple missing gaps in those collections.
	And with at least three songs included on the promotional 
trailers which are NOT included on this volume ("Der Kommessar", 
"Always Something There To Remind Me", "Boys Don't Cry"), it's 
equally likely we'll see a _More Music from The Wedding Singer_ 
album later in 1998.

	TRACK LISTING: Presidents of the United States of America - Video 
Killed The Radio Star; Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me; 
Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic; Smiths - How Soon Is Now?; 
Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way; Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now; Elvis 
Costello - Every Day I Write The Book; Billy Idol - White Wedding; 
David Bowie - China Girl; New Order - Blue Monday; Musical Youth - 
Pass The Dutchie; Dialogue Have You Written Anything Lately?; 
Adam Sandler - Somebody Kill Me; Ellen Dow / Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's 
Delight (Medley)
---
	CONCERT REVIEW: The Devlins w/ Exit 159 Kansas City, MO
		- Jon Steltenpohl
	Braving the experience of a real "cowtown", The Devlins 
travelled to Kansas City to give a healthy dose of support of 
their new album, _Waiting_.  While the tiny university towns of 
Lawrence, KS and Columbia, MO sport progressive music scenes 
within a stone's throw, Kansas City seems hell bent on ignoring 
everything but generic stadium concerts.  Even the incredible 
jazz and blues that Kansas City is famous for takes a back seat 
to bar-b-que joints.  The horrors of the KC club scene aside, 
the music at The Hurricance was unquestionably good.  The Devlins' 
pensive, melodic pop sparkled despite a half filled club of noisy 
newcomers, and the opening act, refreshingly, didn't suck.
	Local band Exit 159 (http://godot.simplenet.com/exit159) 
wowed the crowd with their opening slot.  Band leader Kristie 
Stremel (formerly of Midwest darlings Frogpond) blazed through an 
alterna-pop set that was reminiscent of Joan Jett and Chrissie 
Hynde mixed in with a little Cars.  Originals like "Cigarette 
Kiss" seemed to impress the crowd, and one by one, they actually 
got off their lame "parked at the bar" asses and danced.  A too 
short set of supercharged originals and a cover of Prince's Little 
Red Corvette left the crowd hungry for more, but Exit 159 had 
already run over and couldn't be coaxed back for an encore.
	A few minutes later, The Devlins took the stage.  A 
lighted sign with the word "waiting" on it along with a few red 
"stop" lights provided their entire stage decor.  Bassist Peter 
Devlin and drummer Sean Deavitt were attired in simple jeans and 
t-shirts, and Colin wore shimmy slacks and red aligator shoes.  
It was immediately apparent that here was a band with no need 
for pretty boy pretensions.  They opened out with a few acoustic 
tracks including an immaculate, stripped down version of 
"Surrender" that featured Peter's chiming satellite tones on 
guitar.  Like the version on their current album _Waiting_, the 
song quietly mesmerized the audience.
	Or, at least, it mesmerized a good portion of the audience. 
For every fan of the Devlins who had travelled over hill and dale 
to get a glimpse at this treasure, there was some half drunk bozo 
who dropped in while bar-hopping or some Friends wannabe with a 
free ticket they won on the radio who refused to shut the hell up. 
Here's this quiet Irish band with probing, inciteful lyrics 
playing to a bipolar crowd of diehard fans and boistrous drunks. 
Were it not for the quality of the music and The Devlins' 
devil-may-care attitude, it might have been a wasted night.  A 
great acoustic version of Prince's "I could Never Take the Place 
of Your Man" was their answer to Exit 159, and for a while, even 
the drunk losers took notice.
	But for those who cared, the Devlins did deliver.  They 
performed nearly all of the songs off their current album 
including their current single, "Heaven's Wall", the title track 
"Waiting", and such excellent cuts as "Where are You Tonight?", 
"Years Could Go By", "Reckless", "Disappear", and "Kill With Me 
Tonight".  A few tracks such as "I Knew That" and "I Almost Made 
You Smile" from their first album, _Drift_, made it in, and 
throughout the night, a wall of fans could be seen dancing in 
place with their eyes either closed or fixated on Colin's heavy 
gaze.
	As sex symbols go, Colin wouldn't be your obvious choice. 
He rarely danced, never showed off, and often looked a little 
nervous up there.  But in a Shelley-esque sort of way, he was 
captivating.  Here was a tragic, underfed poet with a slight 
grin that switched to a slight wince in a single lyric.  Somehow, 
without a hint of irony, he sang smart lines like "You never 
should look back, experience has taught us that" from "Reckless".  
And then, with a toss of his brown, curly hair, he'd gaze back 
out to the crowd and let you in on a little more of his soul. 
	When they got around to doing "Heaven's Wall", the song 
almost seemed out of place.  Against a field of disaffected 
stories of troubled love, here you have a bonafide love song 
with hope!  Colin appeared to break a grin while singing it, but 
you wouldn't want to swear on it.  It's almost like he was a bit 
embarrassed to sing something that wasn't depressing.  I 
commented to a fan who had driven 4 hours to see them play that, 
"Well, I guess all of their songs can't be sad", and she said, 
"They aren't sad, they're beautiful."
	And I guess, really, she was right.  Despite all of the 
distractions from the crowd and the misery of being stuck in the 
midwest, the Devlins put together a show that can truly be 
described as beautiful.  Here was a band that seemed wholly 
innocent as to what was expected of them as a rock band and of 
the audience they were faced with.  Didn't they know they were 
playing in Kansas City?  Didn't they know they had a bar crowd?  
Didn't they know they were supposed to break a few guitar 
strings?  Apparently not.  The Devlins simply played beautiful, 
haunting music.  They were gracious and unflinching.  Even when 
someone in the midst of conversation shouted out "Fuck you!" 
during a quiet point in a song, they were undaunted. 
	Near the end of the show, they did "Surrender" again.  
Only this time, it was electric and a little louder.  Still 
spellbinding, it was a deja vu moment that seemed a tacit 
reminder to those captivated by this low key band that they had 
indeed given in.
	As the band left the stage at the end of the set, it 
became apparent that they must have had some effect on the entire 
crowd given the strength of the applause that called them back on 
the stage.  They closed out the night as gracious hosts by playing 
a request of the girl who drove 4 hours to see them, and then 
faded slowly off the stage as subtly as they came on.
	The Devlins are currently on tour through February opening 
for Paula Cole.
---
	REVIEW: Komputer, _The World Of Tomorrow_ (Mute)
		- Krisjanis Gale
	Sometimes you have to look back in order to look far ahead...this 
perspective makes listening to Komputer's new release "The World of 
Tomorrow" much more profound.
	Komputer is simple and repetitive, clinically structured, and also
deeply captivating...  but only to fans of Kraftwerk and their countless 
descendents. Komputer is NOT about throwing a dozen effects on a guitar 
and supplementing it with a badly reconstructed sampled breakbeat to issue 
some ill-conceived vision of the future; they are NOT here to give some 
dark political view warning of the effects of mass technological evolution; 
and they are certainly NOT here to emulate natural soundscapes through 
synthesis - quite the opposite.
	Komputer has embraced the power of machines, have learned to adapt
cold binary digits to human expression, and are offering a beautifully 
refreshing, totally artificial insight into the next stage of human 
evolution, as we grow beyond the flesh and deeper into the mind.
	"Underwater cities / giant upper craft / automated factories / 
trips to the stars.  Hydroponic farms /moving walkways / picture 
telephones / colonies on Mars"
	This is precisely the vision once portrayed by Kraftwerk.  I 
can think of no more qualified group than Komputer to carry their 
tradition of fearless technological worship, begun many a year ago.
---
	REIVEW: Apples in Stereo, _Tone Soul Evolution_ (Spin Art/Sire)
		- Joe Silva
	One of the principal brigades from the potentially legendary 
Elephant Six collective, the Apples second LP is an intentional step 
away from all the electronic psychedelia of their debut.  By shedding 
their analog synth-coats for bare-chested organs and straight up 
guitar work, the Apples hoped to recover their pop aspirations from 
orbit, and bring them to ground in kinder, gentler pastures. That 
said and that accomplished, the great promise of this collection 
collapses somewhat beneath it's own raison d'etre after a time. The 
Apples eventually devolve into a blurred, moving target in a game of 
spot the vibe.
	For all the careful harmonies and gentle postures, the Apples 
riffs and pleasant melodies are still not quite up to the task of 
becoming terribly catchy - which would appear to be their principal 
motive. With "Seems So," the lead off track that's laden with Rubber 
Soul-ish backing vocals, one of their most resonant choruses, and 
its Fab-like ending, one of their peak moments is served up straight 
away. But by the time we get past the sweet "About Your Fame," the 
chords start to resemble bland indie-isms and Robert Schneider's 
lyrics move from pleasant simplicities to trite chin-wagging. When 
you arrive at "Tin Pan Alley," with its intro blatantly lifted from 
Buddy Holly's "Words of Love" there seems to be not much substance 
left to sustain the Apples' good intentions. But just when their 
prospects seem exhausted, Schneider delivers the doozy that is "Find 
Our Way" - a mellow construction of organ, vocal harmonies, and 
ringing guitars that's at once wonderfully listenable and the correct 
balance of all that Schneider draws upon and aims for. Coupled with 
the ultra-nifty coda that follows, the Apples still manage to 
maintain a certain amount of hope for themselves until the ripening 
is complete.
---
	REVIEW: Consolidated _Dropped_ (Sol 3 Records)
		- Jon Steltenpohl
	Well, as the title of the album says, Adam Sherburne's 
Consolidated has finally been _Dropped_ .  Given his moral conflicts 
with being part of the music industry, it's amazing that he lasted 
for 4 major label albums before seeking indie refuge.  On _Dropped_ , 
Sherburne goes farther towards the 'band' sound of _Business of 
Punishment_ and drifts farther from the dance sound that made their 
debut, _The Myth of Rock_ , a success.  _Business of Punishment_, 
while not a strict dancefest, was at least groove-able, but 
_Dropped_ is dark and festering.  Somewhere along the line, 
Sherburne decided to cop a few chords from Jimi Hendrix and Muddy 
Waters, and the result is that _Dropped_ is an attempt at retro 
hardcore that only sporadically finds its groove.
	Not that the music has ever really been Sherburne's focus.  
Instead, Consolidated has been and remains a force for political 
action and for venting whatever else is on Sherburne's mind.  
Pro-woman, vegetarian, pro-abortion, anti-war, pro-gay, anti-racist, 
pro-environment, and anti-music industry have been just a few of the 
labels Sherburne has chosen for himself.  Their web page 
(http://www.sol3records.com) links you to the National Abortion and 
Reproductive Rights Action League, the Animal Rights Resource Site, 
and a site of links called "Working for Justice...Ending Violence."
	On this album, the focus is on male domination and abuse 
and apparently, a break-up of Sherburne's marriage.  The result 
is a slightly confusing mix of songs that swing from a lovesick 
guy with "a hole in his heart" to an incest perpetrator.  In other 
words, there's not a lot of love on this album.  Sherburne excels 
when he focuses directly on abuse.
	In "Recovered Memory (the perp pt.1)" and "Why doesn't he 
stop (the perp pt.2)", incest and domestic violence get dissected 
in the trademark Consolidated way.  Sherburne personifies the 
abused and then angrily lambastes the perpetrator.  In "Recovered 
Memory", Gloria Steinam adds spoken word ("one in three girls and 
one in four boys will be sexually assaulted before they reach the 
age of eighteen"), and, in "Why doesn't he stop", an abused woman 
speaks candidly about her experiences and fear.  The song ends 
with another woman stating, "the question is not 'Why doesn't she 
just leave?', the question is, 'Why doesn't he just stop?'.
	Like most of Sherburne's statements, they are powerful and 
evoke strong emotions.  Unfortunately, on _Dropped_, these two 
tracks are the exception.  Instead, there are clunkly lines like, 
"You know it's funny when the A.C.L.U. can be confused with 
Operation Rescue. / Don't get me wrong I'm real happy for all of 
the pimps and klansmen they're saving / but that system is caving 
in."
	Ultimately, this is what makes _Dropped_ weaker than 
previous Consolidated albums.  The change from dance band to music 
band is nothing compared to Sherburne's lack of focus on his own 
agendas.  When he's focused on a target (wife beaters and child 
abusers), he really gets in your head and forces you to consider 
your own morality, but when he drifts from that, Consolidated 
just becomes another band.
---
	REVIEW: Nineteen Wheels, _Six Ways From Sunday_ (Aware)
		- Arabella Clauson
	The music industry has felt a constant rumble rolling out 
of that big state called Michigan, and it has nothing to do with 
El Nino. The young band Nineteen Wheels has recently garnered 
national attention after signing as the first grassroots act on 
the new AWARE/Columbia label.  In recent years, AWARE Music has 
released compilations featuring then-independent bands such as 
Hootie & the Blowfish, Edwin McCain, Matchbox 20, The Verve Pipe, 
and Better Than Ezra.
	Judging from _Six Ways From Sunday_, the band is right on 
track.  Drawing from the recent insurgent country movement so 
pervasive on the airwaves these days, the sound falls somewhere 
between Grant Lee Buffalo and Son Volt, with a dash of Pearl Jam 
on a couple of tracks like "Colorado" for good measure. Frontman 
Chris Johnson's vocals evoke Son Volt's Jay Farrar, pleasantly 
gritty, like the tasty charred bits on a barbecued steak. He 
consistently delivers emotionally driven vocals backed by a band 
that could have defined Midwesten country-rock if it was still 
uncharted territory.
	Intelligent structured tunes are the norm for this band, 
ranging from the infectious upbeat "13 Seconds to Burn" about the 
inherent restrictions in the life of a prison inmate, to "Make it 
on the Warm," an introspective glimpse into the meaning of truth. 
The first single, "Colorado," is marked with driving guitars and 
pounding rhythms, reminiscent of the Pearl Jam sound, though the 
Eddie Vedder fan club may disagree. The disc is refreshing 
because every track seems balanced with another one. For every 
electric guitar screaming, baseline thumping tune, there is a 
calm, hummable acoustic piece to match.
	This is an album for the those who still mourn the passing 
of Uncle Tupelo, but like the new offerings from Wilco and Son 
Volt. If an eighteen wheeler rumbles through your CD player, look 
for the Michigan plates and the extra tire.
---
	REVIEW: Recoil, _Unsound Methods_ (Reprise)
		- Krisjanis Gale
	Ingredients present on _Unsound Methods_:
Adam Wilder - former Depeche Mode producer; 
Douglas McCarthy - former Nitzer Ebb singer
Maggie Estep - spoken word artist from New York
Siobhan Lynch - independent songwriter and performer
Hildia Campbell - gospel and blues singer for Depeche Mode's 
  _Songs of Faith and Devotion_ LP
Loosely constructed riffs and musical framework

	Cooking Instructions:
Motivate collaboration between songwriter-lyricists and producer
Tweak for months, infusing the entire work with dark, infectious
Ambient dub grooves
Mix
Release to the public
Servings:  9
 
	Adam Wilder has stayed true to the original feel and purpose of
Recoil, while also exploring far more provocative creative worlds then 
he did for _Bloodline_.  Why is _Unsound Methods_ radically different?  
No longer working with Depeche Mode, Adam has freed more time to allow 
Recoil to develop into far more than a side project - it has grown into 
a ferocious and righteous monster with a heart of darkness that clearly 
understands the most morbid aspects of the human condition, crushing the 
weak in spirit and uplifting the strong-willed and deserving heirs to 
the Future.
	Who knows where this monster will roam next.  It has already forged
so many new paths...
---
NEWS:	> Depeche Mode is in the studio recording new songs 
for a forthcoming double disc greatest hits package, 
expected to be in stores in late 1998.  This collection 
will include all of their hits since their last studio 
compilation, in 1986.  In addition, a tribute album _For 
The Masses_ is undergoing construction; potential bands 
to appear on this include Smashing Pumpkins, Dishwalla, 
Apollo 440, Deftones and more on 1500 Records.
	> Austrian pop star Falco, who achieved monumental 
fame in Europe with "Jeanny" and hit #1 in the United States 
with an English remix of "Rock Me Amadeus", recently passed 
away in a car accident in the Dominican Republic at the age 
of 40.
	> Oasis is considering the release of a compilation 
album - whose contents will be determined by fans - towards 
the end of 1998.  
	Rather than being a true compilation of all their 
B-sides, this effort will include only twelve songs.  Fans 
can choose among 31 tracks (excluding live and demo versions 
of songs already appearing on albums) to decide the actual 
track listing by emailing their list to oasis@oasisinet.com 
with name, email address, and a subject header of "Compilation 
LP" before April 30, 1998.
	For further information on this and other Oasis news, 
go to http://www.oasisinet.com . 
	> Guitarist Chris DeGarmo has left Queensryche to 
pursue other projects.  The band's new album is reportedly
at least half finished; no word on whether they'll try to 
make do with 1 guitarist instead of 2, but they're 
reportedly looking for a replacement.
	> Mercury Records has tentatively set June, 1998, 
for the American release of a greatest hits packages of the 
Rainmakers.  A 'best of' disc was issued six years ago 
for the band in Norway.
	> Rhino Home Video will be releasing documentaries 
on the making of Paul Simon's _Graceland_ and Stevie Wonder's 
_Songs In The Key Of Life_ featuring outtakes, demos, live 
performances and some previously unreleased footage.  These 
videos will be avilable on March 17, 1998.
	> James Iha will be appearing on America Online at 9pm 
EST on February 26 for an online chat; keyword VIRGIN.
	> The founder of Nitzer Ebb, Bon Harris, has been 
enlisted by Billy Corgan to add an electronic edge to the 
new Smashing Pumpkins album.  According to Harris, "This is 
a very different record for Smashing Pumpkins, with 
probably 50% of it being electronic-oriented. Billy gives 
me free reign with what Im doing.  He gives me the 
songs, I go work on them, bring them back, and it works."
	Harris is also working on material for his new 
project, Maven.  Flood and Billy Corgan are expected to 
be involved with Maven in some capacity.
---
TOUR DATES:
	Blue Mountain
Feb. 20 New York, NY Mercury Lounge 
Feb. 21 Cambridge, MA T.T. The Bear's 
Feb. 23 Northhampton, MA Iron Horse 
Feb. 25 Albany,NY Bogie's 
Feb. 27 Washington, DC Bayou 

	Broadside Electric
Feb. 21 Philadelphia, PA The Mermaid Inn

	Irving Plaza (NYC concert hall - www.irvingplaza.com)
Feb. 27 Hum / Swervedriver

	Chantal Kreviazuk
Feb. 26 Chicago, IL Wtmx Radio Show @ House Of Blues
Feb. 27 Detroit, MI Royal Oak
Feb. 28 Cleveland, OH Odeon

	Letters To Cleo
Feb. 19 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Feb. 20 Asbury Park, NJ Saint
Feb. 21 Northampton, MA Pearl Street

	Life Of Agony / Far
Feb. 16 Providence, RI Met Cafe
Feb. 17 Washington DC 9:30 Club
Feb. 18 Albany, NY Bogies
Feb. 22 Grand Rapids, MI Intersection
Feb. 23 Cleveland, OH Odeon
Feb. 24 Detroit, MI Shelter
Feb. 26 Kansas City, KS Roadhouse Rubys
Feb. 27 Sioux Falls, SD Pomp Room
Feb. 28 Lincoln, NE Royal Grove

	Shake Appeal
Feb. 18 Philadelphia, PA Upstairs At Nick's
Feb. 19 Baltimore, MD Otto Bar
Feb. 20 New York, NY Brownies
Feb. 27 Springfield, MA Fat Cat

	Third Eye Blind / Smashmouth
Feb. 20 Norfolk, VA Boathouse
Feb. 21 Baltimore, MD Loyola College
Feb. 22 Scranton, PA Cultural Center
Feb. 24 Poughkeepsie, NY Mid-Hudson Civic Center
Feb. 25 New Brunswick, NJ Rutgers University
Feb. 26 Hartford, CT Univ. of Hartford
Feb. 27 New York, NY Roseland
Feb. 28 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
---
THE READERS WRITE BACK!
	> After reading nothing but negative reviews for Goldie's latest, 
I'm very glad to see someone has finally seen the light and recognized 
an album that is, in my opinion, ahead of its time.  After experiencing 
(and being completely blown away by) _Mother_, I can honestly say that 
Goldie is a genuine artist in every sense of the word. Bravo. - T.Q.
---
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