Chris Merola “Straight Answer in a Crooked Town” - Cropduster - Here’s a singer-songwriter who’s got the genre down, what’s more - he’s a Village Voice success story, apparently recruiting his band through the paper’s “musician wanted” classified. “Sparkle” - “all sparkle, no shine…” was one of those songs I hear from time to time that makes me wonder what ‘Would it sound like if Dylan sang it?’ Ya know what I mean? Merola doesn’t try to sound like the greatest singer in the world and he isn’t but there’s a warmth to his voice. He lets the lyrics - the poetry, and the melody carry the 15 tracks - often with nice harmonies, which I guess he added himself. These are some of the best new folk songs I’ve heard on and an album by a virtual unknown, no less. Hopefully, he won’t be one for long. Mad Trucker Gone Mad “Black” - Crustacean - It’s “twang-core” from Madison Wisconsin. Walking bass lines set the foundation for this jangle-fest - they’re topped with chugging guitars and high-energy hootin’ and hollerin’. It’s road trip music for the 00s, the year or the buckshot. Not the sort of stuff I want to listen to first thing in the morning, but maybe a few hours later when the effects of the coffee or waning. The music, which never stops moving, makes up for the sometimes contrived lyrics which are better at times if you don’t listen too closely. I’d make “Another Job Gone” an exception to that last thought, because it’s so quintessentially punk. You see, once you walk say ‘forget it, can’t take it no more,” and quit your job “You got some time to play your guitar and sit around and smoke cigarettes and play your guitar and this is as good as it gets.” Josh Freese “The Notorious One Man Orgy” - Kung Foo Records. I had no idea when I popped the disc in that I’d be listening to the world’s premier, number-one drummer, who lends his chops to The Vandals, as their main percussionist, and has worked with everyone from Juliana Hatfield to Paul Westerberg. Freese uses answering machine messages to wrap his 12-track solo album, manipulating them by sampling sections. My favorite is the one from an apparent-ex-girlfriend, that caps the album - as a bonus, second, 12th track. She sounds so pissed off “You loose. … Loose my number” and it’s a lot less creepy then the adoring Asian caller that left the message that opens the project. These are punk tunes, plain and simple - the type where a little saxophone or piano is as likely a part of the mix as the word “fuck” or lyrics about drinking. It’s fun and danceable like all great California punk should be Eerie Von “The Blood and the Body” - Cleopatra. I s’pose this is what you’d expect from a former member of Samhain and Danzing, it’s darrrk… Decidedly dark and moody, it takes me back to the days when long hair was in and we all wore it down in front of our faces (just like the shot of Von inside the cover). There’s a comfortable unsophisticated chug to this whole disc. It doesn’t require that you think - much, just that you listen and enjoy. If you can keep from swaying to a songs like “The Sum of Love” or “The Inferno Room,” you’re trying too hard. I remember seeing Danzig in the early 90s at the old Ritz in NYC, it was right after Roy Orbison died and we kidded that from the balcony, Glenn looked like the pudgy, dark-sunglassed Roy. “Orbison lives,” we said. Well, listening to this disc, I’d say the past is alive and well. With a new crop of black fingernail polish wearing kids coming of age yearly, I’m glad we’re doomed to repeat it. Satellite Inn “Cold Morning Songs” - MoodFood Records. Serendipitously, I’ve been planning to dig out the old Long Ryders lps for a year-2000 spin. Remember “Lookin for Lewis and Clarke?” They say the dust kicked up for the dust jacket photo was genuine. Anyway, along comes Satellite Inn, from the rural east coast town of… Forli, Italy. They sing in English with a midwestern, or perhaps eastern Italy twang. Real purrr-ty, too! Embracing the alt.country scene stateside, the band’s low-tech approach to recording beautifully accompanies the songs - which by the way are danceable. They tour a lot over there, but I saw no mention of U.S. appearances. I’d go out for it, fer sure. I seem to recall seeing the Long Ryders once upon a time in the west, or was it on the west side? Spring Heel Jack “Oddities” - Thirsty Ear. From the private recordings collections of the creators come six avant-garde tracks of remixes, sound canvases, and layered audio collages. Whether it’s William Burroughs reading poetry over new musical composition you crave (“The Road to the Western Lands”) or pure electronic mayhem that would send a bat flying in the wrong direction (“Trouble”) you’ll find something wild to enjoy on this disc. While it works great as background music, you should devote your full attention to it at least once. Kittie “Spit” - Ng/Artemis - Kicks off like speed metal then erodes to a furious punk rock record, but as early as the third track, “Paperdoll” the band’s ability really begins to show. Both through the arrangement and the singing, which departs the earlier shouting for more breathy emotion (still interspersed with the rants). Honestly, this describes many of the songs. It’s one of the things that keeps is interesting despite it being formulaic. As is often the case though, these songs are also filled with disturbing rage, like in “Raven” where “Get him away from me, stay the fuck away from me,” is the refrain, sung as if by a battered girlfriend on PCP. Admittedly, this is an enjoyable album from start to finish, and the end comes too soon with “Immortal,” a very groovy instrumental. The band says influences including Madonna and Courtney Love set good examples for woman, and you can hear those pioneer-esque women in Kittie’s lyrics and subject matter. Ziggens, Paradox Theatre, Seattle, WA, 5/27/00 - The Ziggens represent a rare discovery - a band that has been at it long enough to be extremely talented while maintaining a pungent sense of humor, irreverence and intelligence.The Ziggens, ‘brothers’ John, Brad, Bert, and Dickie Ziggen are like the Ramone brothers in that they play punk rock, but the Ziggens stir in dollops of country lounge and speedy surf music, taking time between songs to spoof rock standards. If the crowd was any indication, word of the great live shows has gotten out - helped no doubt by their live release “Tickets Still Available” on Cornerstone RAS/Skunk, the Long Beach label which also put out early Sublime recordings. - EAK Mountain Con, “The MC Stands for Revolution” Acid Blues Records - A happily loose approach to instrumental that revisits the unabashed upbeatness of Poi Dog Pondering. Large groups, in this case 6, seem to be able to keep up that kind of vibe - in this case throwing nods to hip-hop, Bob Dylan on Rainy Day Women, 70s soul and a host of other urban and folk references. This outfit finds pop hooks and proceeds to back them up with slightly off-kilter textures that are a bit gritty with funk. CD serves as the launching point for Acid Blue, founded by Tom Rothrock, who also founded Bong Load Custom Records and produced for the likes of Mary Lou Lord and Beck. - EAK Destroy All Monsters, Center of Contemporary Arts, Seattle, WA, 7/15/00 - This show was a reunion for the seminal experimental music act and featured copious documentation of their history in the form of photographs, posters, murals, and other artifacts. Two band members - Mike Kelley and Jim Shaw have gone on to acclaim in the visual and performance art fields (appearing on album covers by Sonic Youth and Bongwater, respectively) but as a collective this group that started out by making ‘anti-rock’ music in response to the 70s rock star thing may take some credit for spawning the industrial and experimental music genres. The reunion show was more experimental than musical - aural assemblages of repetitive sounds but I liked their approach of plugging cheap electronic toys into their midis for some of the noise. - EAK Hicky, Ottoman Big-Wigs, Consolidated Works, Seattle,WA, 8/5/00 - This fund-raiser for Allied Arts offered a variety of entertainments including two fine bands. Hicky sounds like the Dead Milkmen trying their hand at hill-billy music. The lyrics give funny descriptions of redneck themes - lotsa beer, for instance. The standup bass player does interesting things with his instrument, riding it and perching upon it when he plays the jaw-harp. Ottoman Big-Wigs have the unnerving intensity of acoustic Violent Femmes but may best be known for the latest trend of deadpan covers of hip-hop spawned by Dynamite Hack - OBW does an acoustic cover of Cypress Hill’s but also sent a shoutoutto the Little River Band. - EAK Various Artists “Heroes and Villains” Rhino Records - A collection of music from and inspired by the pint-sized but brassy cartoon hero phenoms who “fight crime and save the world - all before bedtime.” The Powerpuff Girls was produced by Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh who approached musical groups who have inspired the cartoon series creator Craig McCracken and asked them to write songs inspired by specific characters from the popular series. Mothersbaugh re-assembled Devo whose members put their power domes back on to come up with Go Monkey Go, an ode to the series’ simian villain. Also praising the cartoon do-gooders are Frank Black, Apples in Stereo, and Shonen Knife. Oddly, Mothersbaugh’s choice of David Byrne’s paean to the petite crimefighters was nixed by higher-ups on the project!?!?! - - EAK The Nerve Agents, “Days of the White Owl,” Revelation Records - Paroxysms of buzz-saw guitar, snappy, relentless drums, and screamed vocal of the individual and choral variety - everything you’d expect from hardcore SoCal punks. If we can decipher snarl, or read the liners notes, we find frustration and raging indignation at vague targets (corporations, the govt, the system?); at least they don’t fall into the other hardcore cliche, bitching about targets that are too specific, like ex-girlfriends. - EAK Spread Eagle, Graceland, 7/25/00 - Other than thepuzzling sight of 100s of poster boys for testosterone crammed into this club to cheer a very ugly man with a large penis, the only saving grace of this frat-boy dog and pony show presided over by former porn star Ron Jeremy was the performance by Eugene OR’s Spread Eagle. The 3 woman on strings with a boy drummer sounded like the Buzzcocks with Karen Finley for a lead singer. Sadly, their ballsy blend of punk rock did not go over well with the boys who eagerly awaited lame jokes and banana sucking contests. Go figure. - EAK Walkabouts, Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, 5/16/00 This CD release gave me a second chance to appreciate this band, whom I panned and accused of being Canadian in UR#28 based on an outdoor show in which wind wreaked havoc with the sound mix. The Walkabouts are still on the mellow side but I did recognize their talent for songwriting, musicianship, and appreciation for European music traditions this time around. The first part of the set consisted of covers of traditional songs from Bosnia and other countries the band visits on its extensive tours on the other side of the puddle; later in the set they visited tunes from their latest release Trail of Stars, put out by German record label Glitterhouse. While I still feel the vocals of Chris sound like Leonard Cohen, I have learned that Leonard Cohen actually sounds like Jacques Brel. EAK Hot Stove Jimmy “Theme for a Major Hit” - Jump Up. About a year old by the time this goes to press, Hot Stove Jimmy’s disk is filled with the punk inspired, horn-backed, dance tunes I’m growing to expect from Jump Up Records. It’s got the hard-core energy needed to keep you feet moving and even your head banging, if you’re so inclined. It’s more punk than a lot of ska, and more poetic than much you hear from either camp. VP Records - This year has seen so many great releases from the label that is “Miles Ahead in Reggae” we’d have to double the size of the Rag to write up each one of these discs that maintain the link between the nation of Jamaica and Jamaica Queens. Offerings on this label run the full gamut from venerable elder statesmen of reggae like Culture and Morgan Heritage to hot new up and comers such as Sizzla and Lexxus, from mellow crooners such as Richie Stephens to sweat inducing dance hall numbers on the Real Sex 2000, Reggae Gold 2000, and Soca Gold 2000 compilations. If you are into dub, dancehall or reggae, or are just pining away from the irie vibes of your last Caribbean vacation, pick up some of dese discs mahn. - EAK Steadman, , Central Tavern, Seattle, WA 8/3/00 - The most interesting aspect of this band is that they have survived being dropped by a major label (for whom they recorded under the name the Dharmas) and have produced a very professional album, Loser Friendly and promoted it independently. I have yet to see a review of Steadman that doesn’t use the term Brit-Pop, an apt term as their sound and use of strings and keys does recall bands such as Squeeze and Oasis. However, there are also elements of singer-songwriter and indie-rock in the mix. -EAK Anger Management, Barfly, , Madison Cafe, Seattle, WA 8/4/00 - Billed as more of a dress rehearsal than a performance, these newer bands made some big but appealing noise in the quiet little cafe in West Seattle. Barfly is straight ahead rock enhanced with fine higher register vocals and the exuberant stage antics of their bassist. Anger Management featured a strong resemblance to early Red Hot Chili Peppers due to the similarity of the bass sound. The lead singer’s vocals were less than impressive but the band was redeemed by the occasional vocal contributions of the bassist, fine scratching by DJ Trip, and the guitar riffs of Mikey, familiar to a large number of Seattle fans as a former member of the Pleasure Elite, whose popularity may have stemmed from their inclusion of a freak show complete with Genitorturer style body modifications at their well-attended live gigs. - EAK Confessions of a Dope Dealer by Sheldon Norberg, North Mountain Publishing - Norberg’s personal narrative of adventures in the drug trade can be tediously long-winded in parts, but is honest, at times entertaining, and may prove politically important if the Meth Act is passed. The pending legislation would allow the feds to ban books which merely describe crimes being committed. Much of the book rings true especially descriptions of pot dealers and Dead Tour. Norberg is pungently honest about his own personal experiences and his psychological undoing in a decade long binge on powerful mind-altering substances but spends an inordinately large portion of his words telling us more than we need to know. Sadly he does not use anecdotes to relate the toll on his friends and brothers who have been victimized by violence or imprisonment in the War on Drugs. - EAK