The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, October 20, 1998 - 9 'Acme'ex 0ith fine The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion has arguably been the most energetic and sexiest sounding band in rock 'n' roll since its formation in 1991. On last year's "Now I Got Worry," howev- er, the songs were rarely worthy of the j ng energy level with which the 1.d played them. On "Acme," though, singer/guitarist Spencer, along with fellow guitarist Judah Bauer and drummer Russell Simins, has concocted an exciting new batch of songs that are worth getting crazy ato Smins' athletic drums and the call- and-answer man of the Explosion's fghorn guitars remain on this year's model, and Spencer still * alternately sings and shouts like a on Spencer crazed revivalist. Explosion But "Acme" has Acme more pronounced tador/Capitol gospel, R&B and teviewed hip-hop influ- rheDild ences that mesh Briahe gailyby well with Silas eas Spencer's cus- tomary blues and early rock 'n' roll stylings. A perfect eXample of such a combination is the album's highlight, "Do You Wanna Get Heavy?" The track opens with an unexpected mellow acoustic guitar picked over a beatbox rhythm. The bridge is then all Blues Explosion boldness and sass, but then the song returns to the guitar hook, with a soul- gospel quartet riffing on the title eath a series of plaintive screams from Spencer. On this song and a handful of others, the band effortless- ly melds disparate styles in a way that plodes surprises THE NEXT VELVET GENERATION is comparable to and equally effective as Beck's achievement on "Odelay." Elsewhere, on the first single "Talk About the Blues" the primary instru- ments drop out of the mix for mea- sures at a time, for interludes of scratching by Dr. Octagon producer, the Automator. Such tracks are inter- spersed with some outstanding straight-ahead Stonesy rock songs, such as the driving "High Gear" and the organ-glossed "Magical Colors." "Acme" boasts a veritable dream team of producers, featuring such luminaries as the aforementioned Automator, Steve Albini and Calvin Johnson. The album's only real fault lies in that the merely very good songs seem less valuable when situated next to the truly great ones. But even Spencer's less interesting songs con- tain an energy and sense of joy about making music that is absent in much contemporary rock 'n' roll. On "Acme," the songs make good on the promise of the performance, and the result is an accomplished album that is still loud, cocky and full of surpris- es. Ithe '7t0s, a rock critic once made the comment that has n rep a year after year about a band from the generation: "The Velvet Underground may have only had 1,000 fans, but every one of them went out and started their own band." While this statement may seem a little far-fetched, it is true that, while vastly unappreciated in its late '60s heyday, the Velvets jagged minimal- AN* istic approach to Galaxy 500 rock 'n' roll was The Portable Galaxy as singularly influential upon Rykodisc subsequent rock Reviewedby acts as the cata- Daily Arts Writer logs of its peers: Steve Gertz The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Although the * group never managed to Stereolab crack the Top 40, Aluminum Tunes the legacy of Elektra The Velvets is Entertainment i n d i r e c t l y Reviewed by responsible for Daily Arts Writer everything from SteveGertz Iggie Pop's and David Bowie's careers to punk rock and new wave. In the past 10 years, two of the most notable bands that have drawn heavily from The Velvets magical well are Galaxy 500 and Stereolab. Comprised of three members - Dean Warham, Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang - Galaxy 500's brief career spanned across only three albums, the first of which ("Today") was released in 1988, the second ("On Fire") in 1989 and the most recent ("This Is Our Music") was released in 1991. All three of these albums feature sparse and delicate one to three chord songs that, while marked by subtlety and understatement, sparkle with the same lucid and mysterious beauty that characterizes The Velvets' quietest third self-titled album. "The Portable Galaxy 500,' then, succinctly compounds the greatest moments from all three of Galaxy's records. Following up on Rykodisc's 1997 re-release of those albums - the originals were issued on the now- defunct Rough Trade - "The Portable ... " neatly fits in the three to four best songs from each release, as well as a couple of choice extras. Indisputable minimalist classics like "Tugboat" - whose lyrics concern Velvets' guitarist Sterling Morrison's career decision to become a tugboat captain and escape the superficialities of the music world - and "Fourth of July" are coupled with some surprises, such as the gorgeous "Listen, the Snow is Falling" - absolutely the best Yoko Ono cover anywhere, period - and "Flowers." But the crown jewel of "The Potable ... " is an obscure version of Galaxy's best song "Blue Thunder;' which features a dynamite wailing sax- ophone solo. While most Galaxy enthusiasts already have all of these songs, "The Portable ... " will serve asa great intro- duction to the band for anyone interest- ed. It is also an absolute essential for fans of the bands Luna or Damon and Naomi, which feature members of Galaxy 500. Also continuing in the Velvet Underground tradition is Stereolab, one of this decade's more unique bands. A large collective that adds three key- boardists, on respective Moog, Farfisa and Mellotron synthesizers, to the usual guitar, bass and drums formula, Stereolab adds The Velvets' one-chord drone to the pulsating prog-rock stylingsof German rockers Can, Faust and Neu. Top that off with robotic French/English vocals, courtesy of res- ident chanteuse Laetitia Sadier, lyrics about the re-institutionalization of socialism, and album titles such as "Refried Ectoplasm" and "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music," and one might be able to begin to approximate the whole of Stereolab's being. "Aluminum Tunes" comprises most of the non-LP songs that Stereolab has issued in the past four years. As most of its tracks are quite difficult to locate individually, "Aluminum Tunes" con- tinues the tradition of the band's previ- ous collections "Switched On" and "Refried Ectoplasm," and is a collec- tor' dream. Spanning across two CDs and 25 songs, "Aluminum Tunes" perfectly illustrates Stereolab's recent transition from the charged drones of 1995's "Mars Audiac Quintet" to the efferves- cent lounge-pop of last year's "Dots and Loops" by showing all the points in between. "New Orthphony," "Iron Man" and "Surfboard" are among the best songs that the band has produced. Also included are remarkable remixes of.1996's "Percolator" by the guys from Tortoise and "Songs For the Amorphous Body Centre," a five-song soundtrack that the band constructed for a sculpture exhibit. While "Aluminum Tunes" does con- tain some not-so-exciting moments - this is to be expected from most "odds and ends" collections--- it is a definite purchase for any fan of the band. 4Kast seems darka dismal Bangs lets 'tat' out of bag Searching the punk rock map for the next darlings to wreak havoc coast to coast? Go (north)west, yang fan. Us natives of Olympia, Wash., Bangs adds a branch so its home- town's family tree of bands that pre- fer - the loud and in-your-face. Following last spring's debut album "Tiger Beat," guitarist Sarah Utter, bassist Maggie Vail and drummer Jesse Fox have released the "Maggie the Cat" single - a reminder that Bangs has plenty in store Bangs for those not faint of heart. Maggie the Cat At its best, the Te rn-one Records band provides a Reviewed fast, fun stomp- for the Dally by ing ground for Jimmy Daper pop-punk par- ties. With snotty anthems and Utter's smirking holler, Bangs successfully tune in and churn influences like Blondie and ini Kill. On this single, however, fans might add earplugs to their Christmas lists if they expect more of the full-length's catchy hooks. Here Some musicians are destined for mediocrity. RCA recording a artists 4Kast came onto the ** scene with the single "Miss My Lovin." It was generally over- 4Kast looked by radio audiences, as their debut album "Any Any Weather Weather" will probably be, and RCA Records for good reason. The group real- Reviewed by ly doesn't offer anything new or Saily Arts Writer exciting to make listeners take Quan Williams an interest in them. This doesn't mean itsis a bad group. Songs such as the upbeat "If I Could" and the smooth "Rainy Days" prove that the group has vocal talent, and songs such as "You Owe Me" and "You Know" proves how good the group can sound over the right production. 4Kast's main problem is that it has nothing that really draws the listener's atten- tion. Most of the music it sings is bland, like the worn-out sample used on "Miss My Lovin," and "How Can I," which doesn't really fit the group's vocals. Songs such as "This Feeling" show there isn't much new or different about its song writing. Also, as vocally talented as this group is, most of its songs don't hold your attention for very long, such as on the way-too-long "Because I love You" and boring "The Rose." Guest vocals from Mic Geronimo, Tracey Lee and BET's Big Lez don't help much either. Actually, the best song on the album is an unlisted bonus track. The song is a hilarious a capella demand for owed money. Maybe if they had taken this approach toward the whole album, "Any Weather" may have been more interesting. There is potential in 4Kast, but their debut doesn't have anything that makes them stand out from the horde of other R&B artists fighting for your money. It's not the worst thing out, but you've heard it done before, and you've heard it done better. the trio trades in its pop charms for a few rock riffs alatAC/DC. The three songs don't have the glossy sheen or sing-along choruses of "Tiger Beat" - just full-forced, revved-engine rock 'n' roll. Bound to disappoint at least some fans, the new take-no- prisoners metal edge doesn't live up to the punked-up potential of the album. Which is not to say Bangs don't do metal well - it just takes some get- ting used to. The trio revives early '8Os rock so enthusiastically that the single could wipe away all the embarrassment of having a crush on Lita Ford as a kid. The band comes closest to its past glories on "Get Electric," where Utter offers no apologies for "Rocking out/To my favorite song." After several listens, it's easier to accept Bangs' new direc- tion, though it'll take longer to stop lamenting the death of the old sound. If you've secretly been rooting for the return of heavy metal, then put on "Maggie the Cat" and start air guitar- ing in front of the mirror. Deicide's sixth release belongs underground Before Marilyn Manson scared the hootenanny out of all the Christians, the main musical antagonists of Jehovah's followers were Death Metal musicians. Bands such as Incantation, Morbid Angel and Deicide were all constantly a n n o y i n g Christians with its No Stars anti-Jesus mes- Deicide sage, paranormal When Satan lyrics, gruesome Lives imagery, furious Roadrunner paced music and Records vocals that Reviewed by teetered some- Daily Arts Writer where between Adlin Rosh throwing up and barking. The gory and supernatural scene quickly congested itself, lost most of the public's attention and was pro- claimed dead unanimously by music critics. Deicide however, demonstrates that the supernatural does not go away that easily. The group returns with its sixth release, a live album titled, "When Satan Lives" which should not have manifest- ed in our earthly sphere. Despite the ominous prospect of this live album to convey musically the ter- rors of watching a disturbing horror film, "When Satan Lives" comes off instead like listening to a Wesley Willis album. This 17-track live recording just seems like the same song repeated with different lyrics barked out on each go. Tracks such as "When Satan Rules His World,""Lunatic of God's Creation,"and "Dead By Dawn" could have all been easily the same tune had the CD sleeve not been there as a guide. The technical and furiously fast play- ing of drummer Steve Asheim and gui- tarist brothers Eric and Brian Hoffman may be impressive to note, but speed is not everything. Sheer speed simply does not automatically equal substance. StephenYan can debone a chicken in less than 30 seconds, but that in itself does not mean the dish prepared with that chicken is going to be good. Glen Benton, singer and bass player, who is most famous for burning an upside down cross on his forehead, is probably the only thing worthwhile about this album. Aside from the fore- head scar mentioned, he possesses an deliciously wicked guttural bellow that could easily scare most large predatory animals. Deicide's live offering, "When Satan Lives," is a good example of why the Death Metal music scene has had so much negative criticism thrown its way. Devoid of dynamics and variety in its songs as well as too dependent on speed and technical prowess to overcome a lack of substance, the group manages to present a worthless live offering. Death Metal fans looking for good live record- ings are better off getting Morbid Angel's "Entangled in Chaos" and Obituary's "Dead." Christ followers have nothing to fear with Deicide's unexciting "When Satan Lives" live album. Breaking Records Star System - Classic - If you missed a week - Excellent of Breaking Records, ** - Good check out the Daily's ,* -Fair archives Online at * - Poor http://www.michi- No stars - Don't Bother gandaily.com U 'U ~ E W - .~U - U ~.WUE U PETERBILT MOTORS COMPANY R f a Division of PACCAR A DMSION OFM R invites you to lean more about this major designer, marketer, and manufacturer of high quality custom trucks. 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