i m Mr nmgri ny - rruay, Jnury 1, ±'V -a 0New Bomb Turks blow up Ohio By MATT CARLSON All right, ante up bozos. You can play your Green Day; you can tout your Offspring; you can even bluff your Rancid (but only if you have a real straight poker face, if you catch my drift). But, even before my turn swings around,-I say the New Bomb Turks will win all bets. The Turks I* stand as the jacks of all trades - the aces in the hole - in this supposed "punk explosion" that's sweeping the giant high-stakes card table that we dub "the nation." They're four of a kind, and, unless you have a full house buried somewhere in your lap and intend to cheat, I have you beat. Yeah, yeah. All those California punk bandspreachin'ourgeneration's low self-esteem and masturbatory prowess really have us all pegged, don't they? Well, the New Bomb Turks, from Columbus, Ohio, pos- sess a few traits that are lacking in Rancid Green Religion - humor, creativity and musicality. They also know a thing or two about our com- mon neuroses that bind us together, but unlike California's slack punks, the New Bomb Turks have mastered the art of high-energy performance and highly inquisitive lyrics. "I tend not to read (the lyrics)," countered the Turks' guitarist Jim Weber. "If an album comes with a lyric sheet, I usually stay away. If I like a song, then read the lyrics, and I hate the lyrics, it might ruin it forme." Well, perhaps. But singer Eric Davidson's lyrics hold up under close scrutiny. Davidson can indeed "turn a word pretty good," as Weber said, crafting his words through numerous clever anecdotes about procrastina- tion, fashion slaves, limp folk musi- cians and the real world. In fact, the Turks second album, "Information Highway Revisited," thunders through 16 scorching slabs of garage punk mayhem, most of which are humor-filled communiqu6s from the front lines of the war between the real world rat-race of greed and a fun- filled life-style of procrastination. Some of the best include the opening rager "Id Slips In," where Davidson slyly intones "You keep trying just to please your ass / All the while you're a slave to your class / You end up following the same old rules / You look around, trying to clean your slate / Showed up at your life so fashionably late / Now all the makeup in the world won't save your face;" the harmonic praise of wasting time in "If I Only Could," in which Davidson screams "So it's time to waste some time / and there's no time to waste; / I'd spit this shit right out my mouth, / but man I like that taste;" and the apathetic fallout of "Grandpa Atomic," where Davidson mocks "If it ain't a bullet, my student loans will kill me / If we're gonna be the police of the world, I want my do- nuts free." If you're wondering whether or not you should fold and toss your hand in based merely on the Turks lyrics, you must first let me describe the majestic might of the band's mu- sic. Unlike all of the California punk bands who borrow large portions of creative energy from '70s British punk bands like the Sex Pistols and the Damned, the New Bomb Turks mix '60s British Invasion bands like the Rolling Stones with American punk bands from the '70s such as the Saints and the Pagans. The sound is a brilliant amalgamation which, when coupled with the group's intensity, is a blinding vision to witness live. "We play loud, fast rock 'n' roll," Weber said. "We draw from all as- pects, so it's not pigeonholed into one category. I tend to stay away from the punk moniker because it's kind of entrapping nowadays. If you say you're a punk band, people will think you sound like Rancid, which is not really the case." However, like Rancid and the rest of its motley lot, the New Bomb Turks have recently achieved limited MTV airplay (limited, as in once) of their video for "Girl Can Help It" - an unheard of feat for a band on the independent, raunchy rock label Crypt Records. Will the New Bomb Turks become the Green Day of tomorrow? "No," responded Weber. "Wedon't have a huge record company behind us with millions of dollars to promo the shit and send payola out to the record stores, radio stations and MTV." However, Crypt Records recently penned a new distribution deal with indie giant Matador Records. And, with Matador tied to Atlantic, could a major label debut be in the future? Maybe, but the 'Turks aren't sweat- ing it, claiming happiness in their current roles as underground sensa- tions of the sprawling Ohio rock ex- plosion. Do you fold? My hand's still hid- den, and I could be bluffing. You Punk rock titans the New Bomb Turks have finally realized that Billie Jean is indeed their son. could call my bid and raise the bet by strolling on down to The Blind Pig tomorrow night and witnessing the Bomb Turks blow up thejoint. It's the only way you'll win. THE NEW BOMB TURKS play tomorrow night at The Blind Pig with Detroit's own Rocket 455. Tickets cost onlyfive bucks in advance at Schoolkids Records and the doors open at 9:30 p.m. Be there or be sauare daddy-o! Romantic 'Speechless' has nothing to say By SCOTT PLAGENHOEF In "The Player," Griffin Mill, thet egocentric and paranoid film pro- ducer, is asked by a would-be screen- writer if he is scared by a political script. Mill confesses he is a political radical. The producers of "Speech- TIN less," should have been frightened of political as well. Trite political. Point- 3v Speechless Directed by Ron Underwood with Geena Davis and Michael Keaton Michael Keaton was left speechless after seeing Geena Davis' "Angie." less political. Banal political. More accurately, trite, pointless and banal romance. Despite the presence of two very likable and legitimate stars, Michael Keaton and GeenaDavis, "Speechless" never manages to convince as a roman- tic comedy at the most basic of levels; we never believe that its two central characters should and do fall in love. Thechemistry between Keaton and Davis is infinitely more recognizable than that in the two other highly- anticipated Hollywood romantic pieces to infest theater this year, namely "I Love Trouble" and "Love , -o Affair." Yet it still fails to achieve a genuinely touching and captivating mutual relationship between the two lead characters. Kevin (Michael Keaton) and Julia (Geena Davis) meet in a drug store and fall in love temporarily only to discover that they are speechwriters for opposing political candidates. From that point of discovery on, con- flict ensues, compounded by the pres- ence of the requisite other man and woman in their lives. The promising premise is, despite claims by the filmmakers to the con- trary, is in all likelihood rooted in the relationship and marriage of oppos- ing 1992 presidential campaign advi- sors, James Carville and Mary Matali n. With the current success of their book, "All's Fair," subsequent talk- show tour in support, and Carville's high-profile role in the Clinton cam- paign documentary "The War Room," Carville and Matalin are currently a highly visible couple. "Speechless" is a promising attempt at capitalizing on the fifteen minutes of fame of these two strong personalities. The fault for the failure of "Speech- less" may indeed lie in its initially most interesting aspect-the casting. Keaton and Davis, both fine perform- ers, are entering rather unfamiliar water in this film and end up treading it to stay afloat. The charm of Michael Keaton is decidedly not one of a romantic na- ture. His typically quirky persona is allowed to show only when the film degenerates into a series of one-up- ping one-liners. Too often his tradi- tional tendencies are at war with the romantic leading man image. As a result we never really receive a full, well-developed character from Keaton, but bits and pieces of one. Davis too is typically an offbeat performer. The closest she may have, previously come to having to display degrees of love for a companion de-, spite adversity and differing person-' alities was "The Fly." Yet David Cronenberg's modern horror master- piece is more a metaphor for living with, and loving, the terminally ill than simply loving. The promise of "Speechless" - that it just may be the intelligent ro- mantic comedy that Hollywood con- tinues to not produce - is never ful- filled. Certainly not an utter disaster,. "Speechless" will satisfy the escap- ists who can't recognize the formulas from the real deal. Unfortunately, a true, charming film is fighting to get out, yet it ends up getting bogged down by an unwillingness to move the script past the obvious and a pair of lead performers who never seem truly comfortable together. SPEECHLESS is playing at Briarwood and Showcase.! SCRAWL Continued from page 8 into a lot of country and western mu- sic when she grew up which I think you can hear (in our music), and I listen to a lot of good '70s pop which I think you can hear too. So, I would say (our sound is) rock and let people have their own scary little mental pictures." Lyrically, Scrawl writes about dis- illusion and disappointment in rela- tionships, and, like fellow Ohio band, Scrawl's good friends the Afghan Whigs, the words are not typical paint- by-numbers rock lyrics. They deliver engaging and thoughtful stories within the framework of the songs. "They're very autobiographical," Harshe said about the lyrics. "And they're very introverted. I know they were hard for Marcy to write. Record- ing them was just a really exhausting process. Those lyrics were created pretty darkly, yet they're still pretty hopeful. Marcy and I need a lot of emotion in the lyric department to feel purged." PRINTING HIGHQ(AIUTY LOW PMCES Scrawl and the Afghan Whigs are only two parts of a larger diverse and critically acclaimed Ohio music scene. Columbus, besides being home for the Ohio State Buckeyes, has Scrawl, the New Bomb Turks and Gaunt. Cin- cinnati remains the home-base for the Afghan Whigs and Ass Ponys. Cleve- land is called home by.Cobra Verde, and, of course, the Breeders and Guided By Voices hail from Dayton. "(The music scene) is weird be- cause it's always been that way," said Harshe, "but it seems now that, with The Office of /lcademicMulticultural'9nitiatives is now taking applicationsfor Student Leader positions for the King/Chdvez/parks College Day Spring Visitation Program Application Deadline is 7anuary 2?, 1995 Student leaders accompany visiting middle school students throughout the day serving as guides and role models while providing information about the college experience. Student leaders usually work in teams of three. They should be fairly outgoing individuals and have a keen interest in and commitment to helping students underrepresented in higher education develop personal motivation for a college education. Many positions are available, and scheduling can be flexible. 7pplications and job descriptions can be obtained at The Office of /cademic Multicultural Tnitiatives 1042 7leming Yuilding, first floor 3For additional information contact 3elton Rogers at 936-1055 Guided By Voices and the Breeders, it's just come to light. Ohio never really jumped on a bandwagon; I think maybe it was that perseverance in doing your own thing that has paid off." Scrawl will record a new album this winter, "trying to start the cycle up again," as Harshe said. SCRA WL p ays tonight at The Brind Pig with Pretty Mighty Mighty. Advance tickets cost onlyfive dollars and are available at Schoolkids and all TicketMaster outlets. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. 1002 PONTIAC TR.' &94-367 t Geena Davis i WANTED: STUDENT PHONATHON THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN The William W. Cook Lectures on American Institutions U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY JEFFREY D. SACHS Galen L. Stone Professor of International Trade CALLERS The School of Education will interview students by phone who will be hired to call alumni nationwide for an alumni fundraising phonathon. Tn.25 nr hnur incontive- hnnin nnv nI,, -rent wnrLernorience!