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Show Blake Babies alumm, death metal, a major label, modern folk and vinyl iy William Athey :orum contributing writer City (with one exception and its not commercial) long enough to find out what they play. The first two arc from Blake Babies alumni, fhis last month almost everything I listen to has isychcdclic influences. Maybe its all the news The Hair & Skin Trading Co. - Jo In Nine G Hell BMGIJeggars Banquet O.K., its on a major label, I should just trash it on principle, but if I write a glowing review the majors might send me more stuff. Ive seen it criticized in at least one magazine simply because the band includes the members pf a great band, in this case Loop. Id better go back.and rewrite my An- forics about LSD. The last cassette Mammoth ent, Vanilla Trainwrcck, was pretty psychc-cl- fhis Antcnnacasscttccontinucsthc i trend. builds to unbearable levels. The last four discs Metal Blade sent, SKREW, Epidemic, Cannibal Corpse and Desultry, have all been excellent. Song topics arent pleasant, the music is raw, but Ill take any of them over Winger, Damn Y ankees, Poison or Saigon Kick. Just in case you forgot, Cannibal Corpse and Epidemic will appear at Club Starrz on March 1 8. Vigilantes Of Love - Killing Floor less-importa- nt ntenna Mammoth 0046 Hideout Antenna has two former Blake Babiesmcm-xrs- , John Strohm, guitar, and Freda Love, Irummcr. The bassist is Jake Smith. Antenna doesnt go off on long spaced-ou- t jam sessions filled with strange sounds and guitar feedback. The psychedelia comes from the one and two word song titles; Shine, v Wallpaper," Fade and Second Skin, with their clouded lyrical content. It comes from the peddle and feedback of John Strohms unearthly lead guitar. Add vocal harmonies and slowed down spaced-ou- t and drums to heavily layered sound bass guitar, textures, a little organ and some choice samples 10 get a feeling for Antennas music. And once again the grunge word rears its clichcd head. Not a lot, just a little grunged out guitar, enough to keep the listener aware that this is the 90s. The best song is Rust, with classic driving bass, a shining guitar solo from Strohm and a John Coltranc sample. The song is a hymn to hcavy-on-the-effe- philosophy of youth. Antenna is another new release well worth d cash. Mammoth does it again. your the live-fas- t, die-you- ng hard-earne- 1 . 9204 Vigilantes of Love arent death metal, they arent thrash or grunge, they arent blues, they arent punk and they arent even guitar rock. Its folk music, and it is damn good. The CD was produced by Peter Buck from e REM. There are only two members in Vigilantes of Love. Bill Malone writes all the songs, sings and plays half of the numerous instruments. Billy Holmes plays the other half of the instruments, and they have five or six friends join in on various and sundry instruments depending on the song. Malone can turn a phrase, and he has, his finger directly on the emotional turmoil and disasters created in cities during the last 12 years. Maybe Clinton should tell the charac ters in Malones songs about sacrificing. The man in Sick Of It Allhasnt sacrificed enough already: Prices are going highdr and the fac- -' tories are shuttin down. My kids are getting hungry, friends are leaving town. Im a regular at a tavern in my neighborhood, lately I been going down there more than I should. Dan Fingerprint tenna review. Ill just write what I honestly think. The target audience is, once again, dressed in black. Im sure youve seen these individuals on alternative or industrial nights at local dance clubs. The second target audience is the modem music (or maybe they call it alternative now) audience of local euro-disc- o radio. white-faced-individu- full-tim- Jo In Nine G Hell is a modem-da- y version of the music Beggars Banquet is known for. Neil MacKay, bass and vocals, references Can in the press release. The album was produced by Roli Mosimann, whose credits include albums by The The, Swans and Young Gods. Hold on just a minute, Swans and Young Gods with a Can influence? Ill listen to it again. KAKhas Native American chanting and enough rhythm to excite the local drumming tribes. (I dont mean real Native Americans, I mean the unwashed masses of the local Rain- Its folk music, and it is damn good. bow tribes drumming circles.) $1,000 Pledge gets a tremendous rhythmic groove going with incomprehensible vocals and samples. The Final Nail gets tedious after the first two minutes. Pipeline is 10 minutes of total hypnotic, textured groove. With elements of goth and industrial, Jo In Nine G Hell is a modem-da- y version of the music Beggars Banquet is known for. I enjoy it. . bass-drive- n, Desultry - Into Eternity Metal Blade -3- 984-14008-2 Desultry is death metaL Sweden is Desultrys home land. As is the fashion for Juliana Hatfield I See You Mammoth MR0045-- 2 This one sits near the top of the college charts. Juliana Hatfield is the best known Blake Babies alumni. The title song and Ugly are from Hatfield's latest album. The desirability of this CD-- 5 lies with the three new songs. Rider is an pop song describ-- . ing Hatfields low opinion of groupies who spend all their time on their backs or knees; groupies give all women in rock a bad image. Here Comes the Pain is a dark, hard-rocpop song addressing lost love; physical love cant compensate for emotional loss. Feel Me addresses the same subject in a lighter acoustic song. This time Hatfield wants the departed lover to feel the pain she feels. I3 this on the radio? I See You would sound great segued with the Dolly Parton and Five Satins remakes. I try, I really do, but I cant listen to any radio station in Salt Lake up-tem- po k, Page 10 forum death metal, the vocals are nearly incompre- hensible. Klas V orberg, guitarvocals, uses his voice as another instrument in the high speed sludge. Close listening will reward the listener with some understanding of the messages. Thomas Johnson is another death metal drummer who must have learned his instrument from jazz records. Like. Cannibal Corpse, Desultry plays loud, hard and heavy jazz. I just cant call it rock n roll; it is much too free. Guttural vocals, buzzing guitar and bass, a drummer thrashing a way at his own tempo and suddenly the most melodic, beautiful guitar solo cuts in that is Tears. Desultry slows things down just a touch forThe Chill Within. The Chill Within and Visions have almost recognizable heavy metal cliches thrown in with the speed. Virtually every song has a technically perfect guitar solo. Thoroughly enjoyable, thoroughly beautiful, I find myself throwing this on when stress March 9, 1993 Rather used to tell me what was meant by it all, now I just nurse a buzz, and stare at the wall. The CD is filled with songs about the ties of life for blue collar workers and the lost middle class of America. The land of Zion has somehow been spared the tragedy, Barbie and Ken tell me so every night. Then I drove down 800 South on my way to the steel and concrete ghost town that used to be downtown Salt Lake City. (I recommend a Sunday drive down 800 South for visual evidence of how well the mayors gang programs are working.) The graffiti, thepanhandlers, the homeless, the and the police protecting the entrances to the only businesses left in downtown convinced me ofUtahs economic health. Vigilantes of Love is a reality check. The backing music fits somewhere between blue-grad and electric folk. Folk music I with a message havent heard since before Bob Dylan went electric. Buy it! According to some, the 45 rpm vinyl single is currently the hottest and most collectible item in the music marketplace. Here are three recent releases. Two are from SUB POP who, according to one recent article, perpetuates a sound. More Seattle bashing. I wonder if the writer has heard Sebadoh, Beat Happening, Billy Childish or the Reverand Horton Heat. I wouldnt call any of them a stereotypical SUB POP sound. gang-bange- hair-flingi- ng understated guitar backing Beau Brummels vocals with a feedback ending. Could we please hear this on the radio? The editorial staff tells me Pond will visit Salt ' Lake City in March, so dont miss them. Velocity Girl - Crazy TownCreepy - 45 RPM Vinyl Singe SUB POP SP179 This ones blue vinyl. Receiving these in the mail is kind of like the past pleasure of searching out. old colored vinyl rhythm n blues or country and western 45s and. 78s at garage sales, the swap meet and thrift stores.' Velocity Girl combines powerful female vocals, delicate guitar picking and white noise on both songs for a sound not unlike the Go Gos recording in a garage. Their town is creepy and crazy, kind of like the ghost town I mentioned earlier. I want the whole album. rs ss hard-edge- . slowed down grind. Its enough to make me join SUB POPs Single of the Month Club. Cinders is lighter pop, more of a Pond - WheelCinders- - 45 RPM Vinyl Single SUB POP- - SP178 Last week it was the CD, now heres the single. Mines white vinyl. Wheel is still The Jesus LizardNirvana - PussOh, The Guilt - Touch and Go 45 RPM split single TG83 The Jesus Lizard will visit Salt Lake City in April along with Helmet. You read it here first, so keep reading this paper for more details. Puss is from the Jesus Lizards album, which amazingly enough received a recent review in Utahs Independent Newspaper. A token alternative review? Puss combines the Birthday Party with some Ventures inspired guitar for a totally radical song. Oh, The Guilt, Nirvanas song, has Mr. Cobain with some patented screaming and a grunged-ou- t song you will never see on MTV or hear 20 times a day on the radio. Id go to an independent retailer and pick up The Jesus Lizards album Liar, Insecticide and this 45 at the same time. |