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BUCKET Issue 01
"goodbye to the rock n roll era, 'cause i don't need you anymore" - pavement
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BUCKET issue #01
BUCKET is a dto production. september 29, 1996
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introduction or something by murmur
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there's nothing tricky here: BUCKET is a music e'zine, plain and simple,
which will feature album and show reviews on a monthly basis, hopefully
including interviews, editorials, tour schedules, and other interesting
information.
issue #01 has taken a while to get out, and we're sorry for that. you'll
no doubt note that we have some vaguely outdated album reviews. that's of
course alright, because you can buy an album whenever the hell you want it
(unless it's _arizona record_ by the silver jews which you'll never find.)
we're going to strive to be more up to date, however, and we felt it was
important to get out what we had as soon as possible.
ideally, BUCKET will acquire some consistent writers and will expand to be
released twice a month at about 40k. right now, expect monthly releases
between 25k and 30k, growing as we grow.
anyone is welcome to and encouraged to write for BUCKET, which is going to
emphasize largely on the genre of "college rock", or things you're less
likely to hear on mainstream radio as on college radio and the like. to
that end, i'm also going to throw in some very college-radio specific things,
including charts and information from WESN 88.1 FM, where i'm the music
director.
ideally, BUCKET is going to speak for itself. please, feel free to email
myself at phuckelb@sun.iwu.edu or eerie at doomed@voicenet.com with any
submissions, comments, or anything. also email one of us to send comments
to any other writer.
the introduction is already too long, and i'll let the 'zine go on its own:
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the BUCKET gob o' contents by BUCKET staff
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introduction or something by murmur
the BUCKET gob o' contents by BUCKET staff
girls against boys and the vortex of sound by eerie
album reviews: beck, afghan whigs, barkmarket,
sepultura, sublime, tub ring by BUCKET staff
from WESN 88.1 FM by murmur
tour information by BUCKET staff
playlists by BUCKET staff
other suggested sites by BUCKET staff
what's playing BUCKET in the near future? by BUCKET staff
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girls against boys and the vortex of sound by eerie
with murmur
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"didn't they bring the van around?"
"er .. nope."
"i'll do it."
the alley behind the trocadero in philadelphia was filled with fans ten
minutes before, wanting to talk to one of the members of girls against
boys. now they're gone - they got what they wanted. only we remain.
the roadies and the band are loading the trucks. you wish you could help
them with loading stuff too, but then you figure that you'd probably annoy
them more than you'd be useful.
after some wait, we go to the minivan, into which johnny temple, bassist,
sits, examining a map. that's pretty much where the interview begins, after
little explanation on what exactly an "e'zine" is.
the record label issue is an important one in the case of girls against
boys, since they recently got signed by dgc, the winners of a quasi-epic
record label battle that magazines widely dwelled upon. however, this
doesn't mean they are unhappy with touch & go, which is still the label they
are technically on until their next release: "our relationship with touch &
go is great. we've always been very honest with them, we get along
very well."
"the main difference with dgc will be more time in the studios," he adds,
while commenting on their choice: "we felt the most comfortable with the
people in geffen, and we think they understand us better. we had very strict
demands and we wouldn't settle for less." then, he concludes: "we don't
trust major labels. their main interest is in making money. we've seen
plenty of friends get screwed by them."
when asked about gvsb's participation in this year's lollapalooza on the
second stage, with bands such as ruby, ben folds five and you am i, temple
comments: "there are positives and negatives in lollapalooza. the show is in
the middle of the day, in open air, while our music is more appropriate to
be played in nightclubs. however, we met a lot of bands on the second and
third stages, and the tour is very well organized and band-friendly. it's
nice to be treated well sometimes...and we're playing for an audience we
wouldn't normally get to play for."
as we discuss the different influences girls against boys have been mixing
around while still staying a rock 'n' roll band, temple points out: "rock
'n' roll grew out of blues and r&b. it has always borrowed from many other
styles." he then elaborates on the concept behind their heavy yet groovy,
on-the-edge type sound.
"i think that with music we'd like to stir emotions, encourage people to
have feelings of release. we always want to be making music that is
innovative, challenging to ourselves."
"we try to layer what we're doing: textures of sounds, atmospheres..."
it's no surprise he admits that the band has been influenced a lot by the
current trend in techno music styles - trip-hop, jungle and others. "they
have really cool beats, and are very ambient. something like trip-hop is a
definite potential influence to our work. we might take more elements of it
in the future, but we won't turn into a trip-hop band." on a side note, the
remix ep that they planned on recording had to be cancelled, due to lack of
funds from touch & go, which means that it could happen later on dgc.
meanwhile, raised as indie rockers, fed by technology, girls against boys
appear as an unlikely, yet appealing appendage to current music where rock
'n' roll, following the steps of swans, sonic youth or late r.e.m., finally
reaches the sonic state required to produce mass-grooving, trance-inducing,
quasi-narcotic sounds and thus lead the path to a sound that is definitely
ahead of its time.
the band and the roadies finished packing. the minivans are ready to leave
the place, as temple makes mention of his newborn record label, akashic,
which recently issued its first release, a seven-incher by the sevens. he
says: "we plan on recording stuff we like, as well as [releasing] books."
the minivans leave the place. the gig was brilliant, maybe even trippy.
neat night. cool people. waiting this time in the back of the troc has
been rewarding.
girls against boys akashic records
through touch n go records po box 10876
po box 25520 arlington va 22210
chicago il 60625
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album reviews by BUCKET staff
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beck, _odelay_ (bong load custom/dgc) by eerie
is it possible to be deceived by beck? one could only wonder. the man has
been thrown the major label trap, but oddly enough, has been clever enough
not to be caught in it. so, after _mellow gold_ (the first dgc record, which
was loved by some and hated by others), _stereopathic soul manure_
(flipside records), and _one foot in the grave_ (k records), beck finally got
around to gaining the respect he deserved by releasing _odelay_. assisted by
the dust brothers (producers the beastie boys' cornerstone _paul's boutique_),
beck has managed to put out 13 songs of total musical exploration, starting
with the stunning breakbeats of "devil's haircut" and featuring mind-boggling,
perfect-sounding constructions from mixed genres. the constant, of course, is
the dust brothers' amazing production, which makes a point of turning every
song into a fullblown achievement. some mature hip-hop work can be found in
there, but it's not even the highlight of the album. beck succeeded in making
me forget about "loser" or "beercan". every single song on _odelay_ makes the
whole record worth buying. i already fear the next release.
afghan whigs, _black love_ (elektra/sub pop) by eerie
the sub pop sound has been going many ways since the decline of the grunge
genre. many avenues have been explored, and while some have been exposed as
mere fads, some bands have kept on producing impressive material. the afghan
whigs, who released on SUB POP until 1993's major label breakthrough
_gentlemen_, have made a point of constantly refining their sound. now an
accomplished art-rock act, the band, led by lyricist/composer greg dulli,
shows with _black love_ a great deal of maturation rarely seen in such
circles. the album is a conceptual one, and deals with such fields as sick
love, criminal relationships and murder, which of course overcome the majority
of what's produced nowadays in the musical scene. as for the music itself, it
is definite whigs trademark, dipped into black music sauce. sometimes funk,
sometimes soul, always rock. songs like "blame, etc." are a reminiscence of
early whigs work that actually grew up. overall, a solid and unexpected
record from a band that could make it into the charts anytime if the kids
actually understood what the hell the whigs are talking about.
barkmarket, _l ron_ (american) by rob
david sardy is perhaps best known as a producer and engineer as well as rick
rubin's faithful sidekick. he's engineered for nine inch nails, helmet, and
the red hot chili peppers and has been increasingly involved in production,
most notably including orange 9mm's latest. it's a shame that this seems to
be the only contact that the industry has with his name, since his band,
barkmarket, is one of the shining lights of the "alternative" music scene and
perhaps its best-kept secret.
barkmarket's third full-length, _l ron_, continues in the vein of 1993's
pulverizing _gimmick-, and proves that the band only gets heavier with age.
recorded primarily on an eight-track recorder, _l ron_ shows sardy's technical
genius as well as his emotional power. the band is hardly death metal, yet
somehow comes off as being something even heavier -- like an incredibly dense
natural element as opposed to the emotionally synthetic material that most
earache bands rely on. sardy takes the distortion boxes off the guitars and
applies them to everything else -- the vocals, the bass, even the drums.
meanwhile, the guitars themselves sound as if they are running through a 60's
fender "surf guitar" tube amp, turned up to ten and plugged into a 220-volt
outlet. you can practically smell sardy's entire studio catching fire as the
band rips through riff after grinding riff. close listening reveals the sonic
limitations of the primitive recording equipment, but who gives a shit: this
is an album that actually imposes on you and invades your personal space,
filling up your bedroom with its sheer volume and huge mass. you can turn
down the volume control if you want, but as soon as you turn your back it'll
turn itself back up to full crank. it wouldn't be right to listen to this
disc any other way. the album sounds live. it sounds like it was made by
real people, real emotions. the whole thing is damn dark, a welcome reprieve
from the latest batch of "happy alternative" (what the hell are they thinking
anyway?).
engineering envy aside, this is a damn impressive release musically. the
opening of "" makes you think you've accidentally purchased a leadbelly 78 by
mistake, but then unfolds three -- nay, four -- times into a massive electric
slide riff that will rip you in half. not even the smashing pumpkins can
rival this mastery of dynamics. "feed me", the first single and a song doomed
not to become a buzz clip, delves deeper into the darkness of sardy's psyche;
the bass and drums throb with the guitars as one mass as sardy screams
characteristically (but not predictably) over the top. new things spring out
with each repeat listening; isn't this how it should be? barkmarket songs are
never catchy; in fact they're barely memorable, composed of shards of riffs,
time signatures stumped in their growth, and bits of melodicism that only make
sense after ten or twenty or a hundred listens. it's worth it. barkmarket's
music may be intellectual, but it is never faked.
this is smart metal, this is real alternative, this is da bomb and the shit.
david sardy and company should not be and will not be ignored, at least not by
the real music fans. however, Barkmarket will never be a household name.
they just aren't plastic enough for the mass market.
sepultura, _roots_ (roadrunner) by murmur
rarely in this current decade has a truly metal band come out with anything
remotely different to offer listeners. industrial and even techno infused
metal are about all of the vaguely 'avant-garde' offerings from a once
semblantly proud genre, that of pure heavy metal; but if sepultura has
anything to say about the future of metal, don't count on the genre eroding
away. with _roots_ sepultura has truly created a different and fascinating
metal album but has stuck to their guns as a straightforward metal outfit.
the title does not mislead, as for inspiration brazil's favorite sons spent
a month in the amazonian interior participating in tribal ceremonies and
taking in offered tribal rhythms. some tracks were actually recorded with
the native americans in the interior, and brazilian percussion guru
carlinhos brown's presence is evident as well as sepultura has produced a
true heavy metal album with an incredible sense of strong tribal rhythm.
it has not been uncommon for critics that have loathed sepultura's
heavier-and-faster-than-thou style to truly appreciate the intricate
musicianship evident on _roots_. max cavallera's lyrics remain typically
sepultura with added emphasis on the very _roots_ that the band have
attempted to explore. for the listener even vaguely intrigued by anything
remotely heavier than nirvana, don't let the name fool you; with _roots_
sepultura has produced a fresh and different heavy metal album without an
ounce of compromise and with musicianship rarely found in such heavy bands.
sublime, _sublime_ (gasoline alley/mca) by neko
this album is sublime's third album, and the first for a major label.
unfortunately, it is also their last -- singer bradley nowell died of a heroin
overdose in june. as an album, _sublime_ is good. however, as a swansong,
either of the two independently released albums were better. on _sublime_
there are 17 songs. on a few of the songs, sublime recycles rhythms and
lyrics from previous releases. the oddest part about the album is the 16th
track -- a reprise of 'what i got'. it lasts for 11 seconds more than the
original 'what i got' and there's no explicable reason why they put it on the
album. another disappointment was how sublime confined themselves musically
on this album. on previous efforts, each track jumped across the board. one
would be reggae, the next would be dub, the next would be punk, followed by
rap, then a ska tune -- you never knew what was next. on _sublime_, however,
they stick to the straightforward ska/punk style that is gaining popularity in
the mass media. this is not to say that this album is not good, it is just
saying that the two previous albums, _40 oz. to freedom_ and _robbin' the
hood_, (re-released on mca to coincide with _sublime_'s release) were better.
tub ring, _...and the mashed potato mountain etiquette_ by neko
although at times tub ring sounds like the red hot chili peppers, that is no
reason to dislike this cd. there are 12 tracks listed on this cd; ten are
music, and two are, well, other things. there is also a hidden track on this
cd that is actually worth listening to. tub ring plays a wide variety of
music, ranging from acoustic ballads to speedy punk songs and everything
inbetween. the songs have titles like 'scuba gear' (about dressing
differently, but with a twist), 'breakdancing my way back into your heart'
(about a guy whose girlfriend left him, so, as the title insinuates, he is
breakdancing his way back into her heart), and 'dead things on the side of the
road make me laugh' (nuff said). all of the songs were written by tub ring,
save for 'yummie yummie yummie' which you've probably all heard, but not quite
like this. the two non-musical tracks, 'flying pimp' and 'courtesy flush'
also are humorous. 'flying pimp' consists of someone saying 'yo bitch -- i'm
flyin', aight?' while 'courtesy flush' simply has someone shouting, 'hey! who
took a shit and forgot to flush?'. if you like the lyrical 'brilliance' of
the dead milkmen, you'll probably like tub ring. if i had one complaint about
this cd, i would say that it sounds over-produced in comparison to their live
show. this seems particularly odd, because it lists tub ring as producers.
i suggest you send them a five dollar bill for this cd -- it's worth it.
(tub ring is at unappealing music, p.o. box 59302, schaumburg, il 60159-0302)
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from WESN 88.1 FM by murmur
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quick biographical info: WESN 88.1 FM is a 100 watt college radio station
servicing bloomington-normal, illinois. the new staff, myself included, has
set out to make WESN a force in the area by being much more cutting-edge and
just all-around better.
basically, here you'll find what's going on at a semblantly typical college
radio station in the middle of central illinois. fun fun fun@! i'll offer
some of our latest charts, and other stations are more than welcome to join
in and send their stuff to me.
WESN top 10 for week ending september 23, 1996
[previous top 30 position in ()]
1) archers of loaf (1) all the nations airports (alias/elektra)
2) pet shop boys (2) bilingual (atlantic)
3) cardigans (7) first band on the moon (mercury)
4) social distortion (4) white light white heat white trash (550)
5) catherine wheel (3) like cats and dogs (fontana/mercury)
6) cake (new) fashion nugget (capricorn/mercury)
7) tool (10) "stinkfist" (zoo)
8) soul coughing (5) irresistible bliss (reprise)
9) versus (21) secret swingers (caroline)
10) type o negative (8) october rust (roadrunner)
more WESN information, including station stats and general information, and
an archive of all previously reported top 30s, can be found at the WESN web
page. go to http://www.iwu.edu/~wesn and see for yourself.
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tour information by BUCKET staff
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as always, this information is subject to change, and BUCKET can't be held
liable for guns 'n' roses not showing up or for lou reed taking seven hours to
play an hour and a half of material.
archers of loaf
wed 10/16 greensboro, nc babylon
thu 10/17 charlottesville, va tokyo rose
fri 10/18 baltimore, md memory lane
sat 10/19 philadelphia, pa trocadero
sun 10/20 boston, ma middle east
tue 10/22 montreal, pq cabaret
wed 10/23 toronto, on lee's place
thu 10/24 detroit, mi magic stick
fri 10/25 chicago, il fireside bowl
sat 10/26 chicago, il lounge ax
sun 10/27 milwaukee, wi the globe
mon 10/28 minneapolis, mn 7th street
man or astro-man?
fri 10/04 fayetteville, ar jr's lightbulb
sat 10/05 norman, ok bricktown live
sun 10/06 columbia, mo u. of missouri
mon 10/07 omaha, ne sokol hall
tue 10/08 iowa City, ia gunnerz
thu 10/10 milwaukee, wi shank hall
fri 10/11 madison, wi east end
sat 10/12 green bay, wi concert cafe
sun 10/13 west lafayette, in the boiler room
mon 10/14 bloomington, in second story
tue 10/15 dayton, oh aardvark
wed 10/16 lexington, ky area 51
thu 10/17 knoxville, tn mercury theatre
fri 10/18 chattanooga, tn sand bar
gravity kills
tue 10/01 houston, tx numbers
wed 10/02 austin, tx liberty lunch
thu 10/03 san antonio, tx sneakers
fri 10/04 dallas, tx deep ellum live
sat 10/05 salt lake city, ut tba
sun 10/06 oklahoma city, ok diamond ballroom
tue 10/08 nashville, tn 328 performance hall
wed 10/09 cincinnati, oh club gotham
thu 10/10 virginia beach, va the abyss
fri 10/11 washington, dc capitol ballroom
tue 10/15 state college, pa crowbar
thu 10/17 boston, ma middle east
fri 10/18 providence, ri club babyhead
sat 10/19 baltimore, md tba
sun 10/20 philadelphia, pa trocadero
mon 10/21 pittsburgh, pa metropol
wed 10/23 new york, ny irving plaza
tue 10/24 new haven, ct toad's place
wed 10/25 old bridge, nj birch kill
thu 10/26 rochester, ny water street music hall
sat 10/28 toronto, on opera house
tue 10/31 saint louis, mo american theater
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other suggested sites by BUCKET staff
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andy lester's chicago shows list
<shows@tezcat.com, http://www.tezcat.com/~andy>
probably the most impressive non-commercial informational site on the
internet, andy does a fabulous job of covering all shows coming to the
greater chicagoland (and even milwaukee, madison, and champaign) environs.
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playlists by BUCKET staff
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johnny temple of girls against boys
goldie, _timeless_ (ffrr)
ruby, _salt peter_ (work)
salt, _auscultate_ (island)
sevens 7" (akashic)
eerie
beck, _odelay_ (bong load custom/dgc)
john coltrane, _a love supreme_ (impulse)
portishead, _dummy_ (go!)
stereolab, _emperor tomato ketchup_ (elektra)
swans, _celebrity lifestyle/mother-father_ (invisible)
violent femmes, _hallowed ground_ (slash)
murmur
afghan whigs, _black love_ (elektra/sub pop)
archers of loaf, _the speed of cattle_ (alias)
uncle tupelo, _no depression_ (rockville)
hum, _you'd prefer an astronaut_ (rca)
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what's playing BUCKET in the neat future? by BUCKET staff
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keep your eyes open for issue #02, featuring an interview with lead singer
matt talbot of hum, and including reviews for r.e.m., archers of loaf, pet
shop boys, and many, many more.
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BUCKET issue #01
BUCKET is a dto production. september 29, 1996
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editors: murmur (phuckelb@sun.iwu.edu) and eerie (doomed@voicenet.com)
all contents (c) 1996 dto productions and cannot be reprinted without prior
written consent by their authors. BUCKET is a trademark of dto productions.
visit the dto www homepage at http://www.voicenet.com/~doomed
please direct all comments, suggestions, submissions, etc. to the editors.
issues of BUCKET are readily available; direct requests to the editors.
join the dto/BUCKET mailing list! email doomed@voicenet.com for more info.
got a release of your own and want some free press? send it to us! we're
BUCKET, p.o. box 443, normal, il 61761, and we guarantee that anything we get
will be reviewed with limited information as to how to contact you. this goes
for anyone, from joe in his garage in denver to david geffen himself.
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