nr 7 .
'cl
I' N Isy dG
a wr i r x : p u ' d r k5
Rating system
*** Dracula
***Franken-
stein
**Wolfman
** The Mwnrniy
*Swamp
Monster
PM Dawn
lighrttand blithe it's likely to float righ toutt of your
CD) playcr.
Onre last tip --toou'llnever be able to fttlly
rppreciate the dliatteorfin .trJ rectrrdintg tttttil
yott'se wrroessedi the sav age id ttf'rtteir liteshw
Chreck yottt loctl listings.
Rare on Air
Vols. 1 and 2
Ai,,,s il
Pocket
Band
Magi
Pierce and E.J.
In the tradition of Peter,
Paul and Mary and Croshy,
Stitts and Nash come Mag-
gie, Pierce and E.J. - three
scrappy musicians making
a case fnr fntk in the cyni-
cal, post-grunge '90s.
"Rolk is the term meve
come up with," says EAJ,
mho handles hass duties
hoth vocal and instrumen-
tal. "Ynu knnm, part rnck,
part folk - mhatever."
It's the mhatever part
that distinguishes Maggie,
Pierce and EJ. There's a
sense of freedom and play-
fulness on their eponymous
dehut CD that makes every
song an adventure. Oddhall
left turns dominate - frnm
soaring three-part har-
mvnies to screechy guitar
rave-ups to Death Valley
host runs and hack again.
"We definitely don't
want to he pigeoinholed into
one sound," says vocalist-
guitarist Pierce. "That's
instant death."
He knoms whereof he
speaks. Pierce and EJ.
logged in tmn alhums mith
the tripped-out hip-hop
hand The Goats hetre
music husiness pressures
drove them out.
"It's amazing how you
can he manipulated hy a
record company," E.J. says
wearily. "They can literally
say, 'We don't mant this
track on the alhum,' or
"Sound like this,' you knom.
But [with the trio], me dyn't
have anyone to please hut
ourselves."
"We just do whatevermwe
want," guitarist Maggie says.
Which is mhy the folk
approach works so well
for them.
"Folk hy definition is
music hy the people,"
says EJ. "So that can he
anything - even grunge
in folk."
"But there is a differ-
ence," Pierce nays. "Folk
has always heen around.
Something like rap, I'd say,
mill always he around. But
grange - grunge is like
disco. It'll pass."
For more informnation, calf
the MP&EJ hotine at(610)
527-8597.
WhnP andebuted itt 1991 with
'Set Adrtift ott vemtrt
Bliss," tey seecrrcd to he
reerdirrgthte lDe L-t Sourl
fllrrser rcrilden eburrggittg
ott petce artdllone.
Whrerers De La tare
stttce rejected thte ippie-
horrpatag, tPt Dawrt tree erree
eel teir smortrtoh R&B inoa de
itt Jetts Wrpt, fM Datwtr l
ahle contfidecle ad depth o
Allarr romI'eattthe pettputlsivte etc
ee "Dowtrsrwrtnr Vetnrs" totth~e
cvrofince arndITlkirtg
exlottes thre ttttoks atdcrratttie'
tip-o artnrd psyeltedelia.
Ptrintce Be's tmelodlies ateo
traves trf etereaIlrarmottrry
remar~inrsIttcid -,a testamrrent tot
exsettittg attdltrndererateedhartnd.
Love Jon
Powterful Pain!
't0rt1i1tie,
Itose Joret s isrnor
handrelI'dwantrtorar-
ket rs tsheIyifolros
ahir tionest debutrr
(1993's excelentere's
torrr theLsr, s) ytoringr
Il Matc hg errrrryl
jackets -thenthr iey
hr11kratlrerring lumpied
intorrthe lIurrrrryevia
trenrd. Nest, threy release a r e
shlnicingpopgens taIrr.
abhsorlutelsyrotinrg rtrdor sithr
hrappening inrotusic. Anywsshere.
Ah,swell. 'Such isrrur lot. jt
Ii lovse ris enourrgh tor sha~re hi
orf funrk, twisty, retrot-ptp and
]tarj Relir/efeeer aptueres rd
Loser, hut it dores elevate thi
nrewe heighrts. "World tof' Surtttr
a haearfelt paeant to te salad
Jesus Wept
(=eSr issr,r ,, These tssrR aire fOs
* ** Air rormpilions fertur
39lirse rorrair perfr-
rararres Ifromrrrartrst srrn
Ecereir, thre synrdicatedt
N ... MUSr ie:slhowtso
ofi Ioss Atrgeles. pterrm-r
ers rinclurde lire(Crrs-
bereJarcksronrBrore,
'rtrAmros, Beek, Natalie Mercharrt, MC 9119 1ootr
Jesrus, 1555s rrorrs, lPhillip Gla~ss (!) atdEvasnrrDandoir
eit -rrrnd esxIantd- sWithr Juli arrarHatfeeld. Anrrrgiresotsfaothers.
r shrefrsoui. Thie immrrdtcysotf se've oat tsrogeetserwthr
stldun rthetremrrark- tire inttptima r aradiorrstudrioreatesaunqevb
f(199.3's TIen ~l irere. lire sourrrriquarlity is supterbilloingrrtrrrmgre
irt popsri tire opn- elicatene r rsrr rts immrrrer 1(1Trnyat[Donnrelley, roni
,rrrnl rirrrs elosings Mitcelel) atnd frlliee rans to teally streahrsut
Herds, ]rsnfnIk/c dI/(rldlIttr, Bettie 'Serveert).RiIrart nA'rrrisrls
geld frerru, initarmicreat yoer-vrr egertitles wsets
ftert subm tergedi tt Eve's Pu
'et rte predtitrrr
the mtrity soi tis Cherly Aliv
les Anorrs porcpr ptst- t-
Relief punkrriandhr th ral 5femralre
sister. (eesalotrtsr
'/7S ref eree,Still, I eatl
sonts treiyses u. _r
is tsrbeheierldled tmand raladedi(let's see N eruc
'Satrtry thtese tiffs). ITwor: likeali tire rest bns
tter rermemrber tttrcklandtoll wa11srorriginarlit
e'tihe'rtistt forr set. ITree: 'Somretirmres, swsear er
estal-clear ibaitchif (trhrse srrndclikelt.L.For: ' liee isarea
trrrlrrrrrrr , as i songrrrcarleed "jettr Lovte'sYrtt(Nrot rss itreltas I
antecty D)rF'ivet: lTher like r ito errcoolshrstonrrMore
rrute'r-sateriirtlsewithithreir yrritrs. 'Sit: Nostre
ir e'gratefurtha wi t si~ry'rrr ses Orlre'rsuras'ron, by rise erndlotfthe
eit sweird-ass world c anhbrurrYOUr sill havse a.mldtrueershs onrrsinsger Cotrleers
dow. err,, .iitzpiratrick. Severt: Norbralladsi!
RADIO, RADIO
1. Primus, Tales from the Punchbowl, Interucope
2. Jon Spencer Blues Explonion,
Experimental Remixes, Matador
3. Superchunk, Incidental Music 1991-95, Merge
4. Boredoms, Chocolate Synthesizer, Reprise
5. Luna, Penthouse, Elektra
6. Southern Culture on the Skids, Soul City, Geffen
7. Natalie Merchant, Tigerlily, Elektra
8. Catherine Wheel, Happy Days, Mercury
9. Steel Pole Bath Tuh, Scars from Falling Down,
Slash/London
10. Fan Fighters, Foo Fighters, Capitol
Chr aedsll n cleerdoarpa.Cnrbtn
rdotai:K RNU o crak;ceW ic .
Mh .RdoChr issosed y
Southpaw Grammar
Ott tire i
Orirlth rierrIrIp
tra~ckrrof\4Mrrrissey's
lttest truer i tr.tire
Birtishi opr cn
cros, a b ire -
siredswrould beha
relief."' Never did
up~ antt cntie'(J) woerthtof mtttartet
'slthrourghhris tsolcoefrtshtree always ibeen
htor rr',ss ,rffarir s, latyer's Vausxball/ mmd I
mar~sterfiully exlorttec laishr pop mttelodciesawit
tnlttretitttecl lyrics. snrilrtrrs tee ;irrsrr, nr-t'r
tuatil, rises the opposttitearproascit.
feerirrtinrirt rrs rrrumntrtirnrandexrenedc
gurrs c itarr rrumstolos rtrn manyrr' rf the eigit
srongs rollicedeeisre instor sroruldirbe rrc
arnthremrs. Iset cra e'rreraprer Ste's t t lie-
sirewhse ls rodu recirec iuxhrrlsertcrrrldnr't
rie hse r sog ersrsfrom rrrrop 'ci Mrrissey'
ost lyrically pre'e'rrrirrs andtmcirscrcally irrcrn-
sencrrersriar. Whrat wstcrnce'iedias ar "barndiprt-
jeer' sadly cormes aroerss as ar misguicidedjorrneey
tot rrck-andre-rolraeaeref.
Rob Hooper, U of Southern California
he joie c/cesvemof
trertund tor breey
ccr is tire stndouir t,
I diays crf you t so
More reviews, more releases, plus sound bytes at
http:Ilwww.umagazim.com
Rapid Fires
Friends
Beatles
Rhino
-When cross-
marketing and
nostalgia meet,
Bugs sings the Beatles. Still, it's
awfully cool for nhvious reasons, so
settle in mith some good sugary cereal
and roll with it.
Clannad
Lore
Atlantic
Deep, rich prnduction on their latest
oting facilitates Clannad's soccessfl
hlend of traditional and contemporary
Celtic folk, Van Morrison wishes he was
still this relevant.
Notes
from the
Under-
ground
Priority
Generally on
'°n, the ass-kicking
side, this two-volome compilation is
full of angry yoong people with goi-
tars. Which is good if yoo feel you're
losing yoor ponk-rock identity.
(And you are,)
H ouse on
Fire:
An Urban
lection
Red House
Records
For 1t years,
Red House has heen signing and pro-
moting all those urhan folksters we see
at coffee-hoose gigs and say, "Damn, I
shoold check some of this stuff ot"
Now's your
chance.
Electra-
fixion
Sire
Before they
started helieving
their own hype,
Echo and the Bunnymen made the pissi-
est Brit music of the '80s. Bunnymen Ian
McCulloch and Will Sergeant reunite
here to revisit much of the original glory.
I I
34 U. Magazinse" Octosber 1995