OFF: CMJ/Tour dates (long)

[Keith Henderson]

Hi Folks....the big CMJ music marathon is coming up next week in New York
City. For any of those in the area who are looking for some shows to attend,
here are my recommendations, for what they're worth.  :)  Either a brief
comment, or an actual review that I've written for Aural Innovations will
appear below each entry.  I hope this helps.  (Note...for those outside of
the NYC region, skip down to the bottom as there's more tour info there...)

This event, I gather, is really a showcase for bands looking for labels, and
vice versa, though most every show is open to the public I believe.  But
don't forget to call the venues first before heading out to the show...these
things tend to change at the last minute, I'm sure you're aware!  :)

For more info, check www.cmj.com and click on 'music marathon.'

Again, I'm gonna post this to all the mailing lists I think are
relevant...of course, some of you might be on multiple lists like me, so I
apologize for loading up your mailboxes.  :)

Keith H. (FAA)
Aural Innovations Maga'zine'
http://www.infinet.com/~jkranitz/space/space.html

Here goes...
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10th Planet        Baby Jupiter     9-18 Sat.            11:00pm

I assume this is Malcolm Mooney's (ex-Can) band.  ?
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Aspera Ad Astra       Cooler         9-15 Wed.           10:30pm

Aspera Ad Astra - Peace (1998) AudioInformationPhenomena (AIP 03)

A quartet from Philadelphia, AAA delivers that thick, dreamy space that is
usually associated with the midlands of England.  This recording, apparently
their debut, was made at the Asteroid #4's Deep Space Studio (see A#4
interview/review) and not surprisingly, the two bands share some common
ground. The liner notes for Peace aren't particularly informative, but the
four (Matt, Mark, Justin, and Drew) obviously man the standard
instrumentation (guitars, bass, and drums), along with some piano, various
sound effects and sampled bits.

The album sports eight tracks (plus an untitled bonus track stuck on at the
end), mostly slowly-driven, deliberate tunes that work not to 'rock your
boat' or anything, but rather to lull you into a state of contented
indifference.  The drummer, however, does his best to move things along, and
this is evident right from the outset in the Bonham-esque intro to "Taking
to Waking."  In the end, the tune loses out to too much sappiness and
mirrors the problem with too many hip alternative bands.  Things improve
dramatically with the next two tracks -   "Sick 'n' Sad" jacks up the
spaciness and features intertwining guitar lines;  "Step into Me" on one
hand drags in the mire, but then again features irresistible shimmer-guitar
playing and a totally cosmic bridge section.  A prime example of how music
can sound both retro and uniquely modern.  Following a couple less-inspired
tracks of mostly piano noodlings, "Scannin' Lights" gets right back to the
thick, interwoven drone guitars and a downright heavy chorus.  The final
credited track, "Take it Easy," is another dreamy piece that goes through
more development, with spacey interludes amidst loud fuzz-guitar and more
heavy-hitting percussion.

Call it 'shoegazer' rock if you will, but Aspera Ad Astra succeed in
creating cosmic soundscapes that are both musically interesting and
accessible.  And it's more challenging to make an album of laid-back tunes
and make it work, while avoiding the temptation of covering up deficiencies
in writing with misguided bravado and/or heavy sludge.  Thankfully, they
avoid these crutches, but I do get the feeling that they'd take a step
forward if they just let their hair down once in a while and just let loose
with reckless abandon.  Contact Aspera Ad Astra at P.O. Box 2302,
Philadelphia, PA 19103-0302, or AudioInformationPhenomena at 1625 Oakwood
Dr., San Mateo, CA  94403
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Asteroid #4       Cooler          9-15 Wed.        11:30pm

The fine full-length debut, Introducing...the Asteroid #4 was released this
past year (1998) on their own Lounge Records label (lounge #011).  You can
take one look at the 'oil blot' design on the album cover, or the mop-top
haircuts, sideburns, and paisley shirts they sported on that Sunday
afternoon, and think, "Oh man, I bet these guys hear no end to the 'retro'
label."  Though, as we will see in the interview below, that doesn't seem to
be the case.  I hope that's because music critics on the eastern seaboard
recognize the modern qualities to the band's music.  My suspicion is,
though, that the Neanderthal mainstream writers that would relentlessly tag
A#4 as "stuck in the 60s," simply haven't been bothered to take notice of a
space-rock band who's just released their debut.  With luck, these Philly
gents might just soar on past the local scene and find international success.

After only a single spin of Introducing... I was immediately impressed with
the variety of styles offered - old, new, borrowed, and blue.  Following an
ambient Cluster-style opening, we're treated to a number of pleasant
laid-back ditties, at various times sounding shimmery, droney, and/or
dreamy.  One might be urged to compare "No More Vitamins" and "Underbelly of
a Mushroom" to various Pink Floyd tracks (in particular, "On the Run" and
"Set the Controls"), though the guitar sounds are distinctly modern, not
really Gilmour-style at all.  "What a Sorry Way to Go" finishes off Side A
(how quaint!), a hippy-dippy type of tune (read Donovan) with an Eastern
flavor, complete with what sounds like a hurdy-gurdy.  Despite how that
might seem, it sounds entirely fresh - inexplicable really.

The second half of the album (Side B) is where things really get exciting -
A#4 ups the energy level, and also the space!  While some bands may be
content to wallow away in their subtle textural experimentation at the
expense of any excitement, here we have a modern dream-drone band that isn't
afraid to drop the gloves and turn the amps up once in a while.  On
"Egyptians & Druids," the layers of blanga bass, cosmic gliss guitar, and
atmospherics build gradually towards a cosmic finale.  Then, the calm before
the storm arrives in the form of "Visitation Rights," which begins with a
laid-back and groovy bass line, and then is topped off with quiescent
gliss-guitar - wonderfully cosmic, man!  Finally, we reach the climax of the
album with "Kate and the King," which starts out as a simple vocal tune, but
then goes through a complete metamorphosis into an extended, heavy
space-jam, complete with flute soloing by guest Hugh Luck - brilliant!  The
album wraps up with a taste of true nostalgia in the form of the
Beatle-esque "Honey Bee," with the obligatory sitar - just a bit of fun.

I see Asteroid #4 as a manifestation of the entire 'space-time continuum,'
with characteristics of the 70s (Pink Floyd), the 80s (Ozric Tentacles), and
the 90s (early Verve) all represented.  In a way, I think most modern music
in any era can be related back to what has come before, so it follows that
we truly are receiving something truly novel and progressive here.  And as
this is only their debut, we should expect to see more innovations arriving
in the future from the chunk of cosmic debris known as the Asteroid #4.
Contact:  Lounge Records, P.O. Box 609, Feasterville, PA  19053
(www.voicenet.com/~lounge/)
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Bob Mould       Irving Plaza         9-16 Thur.      12:00am

The ex-Hüsker Dü/ex-Sugar guitarist/singer.  I've always liked him.  Loud
and fuzzy, occasionally mellow and introspective.  Who cares if he's gay?
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Daevid Allen's University of Errors Knitting Factory (Old Office) 9-17 Fri.
11:00pm

Daevid Allen's University of Errors - Money Doesn't Make It (1999)
innerSPACE 7707

A chance meeting between Gong's Daevid Allen and the members of Mushroom led
to the entirely spontaneous formation of 'The University of Errors.'
Literally days later, the tracks archived on "Money Doesn't Make It" were
recorded, and now less than a year later we can all enjoy the results of
this synergistic pairing.  The mixing of Daevid's unique word-play
compositions with the improvisational genius of Mushroom's core members has
produced a fine work of art, but one that also has a message and a heaping
of sly humor.  Daevid (it doesn't seem right calling him 'Allen') wasn't
blessed with the world's best singing voice, but here he puts on quite an
excellent vocal performance.  And even though there is no hint of
synthesizers (or keyboards of any kind) herein, it retains a truly cosmic
feel throughout.

>From the opening title track, Daevid gets straight to the point, that being
a general cynicism with modern technology and the commercial hype of the
western world.  "Burn your money, free that child.  Don't teach children to
work a crooked mind."  He delivers these words of wisdom in a somewhat
rappish style against a phased-out rhythm section (?) and Josh Pollock's
psychedelic guitar wizardry.  On 'Prince of Sidewalk Scooter,' Submarine
Cap'n Michael Clare lays down a fabulously smooth bassline that seems to
grab up all the other instruments and carry them along on a blanket of air.
Oh, this is a wonderous nine-minute piece, ethereal bits of gliss guitar
sprinkled amongst more inspired ranting from Daevid ending simply with,
"Throw your computer in the trash."  How often I get that urge...but the
thing is, my computer is where I write these reviews.  Sorry.

>From ranting and rapping, we switch to chanting and incantations for 'False
Teacher' and 'Mullimbimby Mother,' as the band jams along to an Eastern
'tune.' Erik Pearson, another Mushroom protagonist, adds some excellent
flute touches to a mix of swirly, often phased (or treated) strums and
drums, and a partially hidden (but inspired) guitar solo from Pollock on the
latter.  The latter part of the album is a collection of shorter, more
peculiar bits and pieces, highlighted by the heavier riffing in 'Talkwind
Upswerve' and a reprise of the title track.  Here, studio trickery results
in a herky-jerky cut-and-splice reading of "Burn Your Money."  Effective way
to wrap up 45 minutes of very strong material.

I don't know where this union of Bay Area musicnauts and the 'Astral Alien'
will eventually lead, or even whether it will continue with regularity (the
planned live dates are a promising sign), but this is the strongest release
from the Gong family I've heard in a long while.  It's the kind of thing
though that certainly feeds on spontaneity - so I hope future efforts also
happen without any prior planning, as it seems to have worked wonders on
this debut effort.  Go out of your way to track this one down, if you can.
Contact:  innerSPACE, P.O. Box 411241, San Francisco, CA  94141-1241.
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Dark Star      Bowery Ballroom      9-17 Fri.    9:00pm

Not sure if this is the correct Dark Star (as below), but it's my best
guess!! Call to confirm.

The newest Dark Star, this British trio was derived from members left over
from the band Levitation upon Terry Bickers' split to form his own band
Cradle.  I managed to track down their second CD-EP, the four-song "I Am the
Sun," and while it doesn't quite live up to my expectations based on my
fondness for Levitation's "Coterie," I do see significant merit to this
music.  Two versions of the high-octane rocker "I Am The Sun" are offered,
including the dreaded remix.  But, lo and behold, the remix version is
actually the better of the two!  (That's a first.)  The lyrics seem a tad
inane, though - for instance, "Joan of Arc was cool, but she got burned.
Like I'm burning out for you, I'm centrifugal."  Hayes voice is perfectly
suited to this material such that they really aren't undermanned as a trio.
Next, "Living Under the Ground" is a subtle, shimmery piece that only
Porcupine Tree do better.  To wrap up our short look at these 'newcomers,'
"Semaphore" is straight from the Levitation playbook - sweet, soft, and
supple harmonic tones from both bass and guitar, a touch of glissando and
various sampled vocals.  The full-length album "Twenty Twenty Sound" should
be available soon, and I hope to find more goodies then.
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Marc Olsen        CB's 313 Gallery    9-16 Thur.    11:00pm

Dunno much anything about his solo works, but he used to be the guitarist
for Sky Cries Mary, the Seattle-based avant-space rock combo...one of my
favourites.
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NovaSonic Down Hyper Space   Cooler    9-15 Wed       9:45pm

This band is warming up for Quarkspace in Chicago soon...dunno anything
about them otherwise.
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Pretty Things     Maxwell's        9-17 Fri.        11:00pm

Did somebody say they were cancelling their shows over here??  Perhaps my
brain is fried....they're still listed on 'Pollstar.'
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Queens of the Stone Age  Wetlands Preserve   9-16 Thur.    12:00am

The Stoner Kings formerly known as Kyuss.
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Super Furry Animals       Bowery Ballroom    9-15 Wed.     12:00am

Not my favourite, but still....

Super Furry Animals - Radiator (1999) Flydaddy (Fly 034)

SFA is sort of the Welsh answer to Athens, Georgia's 'Elephant 6' collective
that includes Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Elf Power,
among others.  Accordingly, their quirky psych-pop owes a bit to Sgt.
Pepper-era Beatles and perhaps even the Jetsons.  'Radiator,' the follow-up
to the 1996 debut 'Fuzzy Logic,' is already kinda old (released in 1997 in
the UK) as they've already got 'Guerilla' lined up for release on Creation
Records in the UK.  However, they've just been touring here in the U.S., and
are starting to receive some attention and high praise.

There's one simple way of telling whether or not you might like
'Radiator'....it comes down to poppy harmonizing.  On one track ('The
International Language of Screaming') it's "La...la...la," later ('Short
Painkiller') it's "Ooh...ooh...ooh," and finally ('Herman loves Pauline')
it's "Bop...bop...bop."  OK, there's a true spirit of fun and an a party
atmosphere overall, but the cheesy choruses turn dreadful real quick.  The
music isn't all bad though and Gruff Rhys, the band's lead vocalist,
actually has a fine voice on his own.  SFA also produce a lot of variety, a
bouncy surf tune here, a touch of techno/drum 'n' bass there, and a host of
rompin' retro rockers.  But there's still a lot of dreariness to wade
through until you reach the album's stronger tunes, all clustered at the end.

On 'Bass Tuned To D.E.A.D', guitarist Huw Bunford lays down an opening
jammin' riff, but it's really the Mellotronish synths and cool
phaser-buzzing that flavor this tune and make it one of the album's true
highlights.  Similar noises and bleeps are featured in 'Down A Different
River,' which ranges back and forth between a laid-back dreamy piece and
grandiose power ballardry.  The vocals are really well done here, so I've
stopped cringing for the moment.  The remainder of the album is decent
enough, and even wraps up with a taste of an old-style space march on
'Mountain People.'

This music isn't really my 'thing,' so it can only have a certain limited
appeal to my tastes - and given that, 'Radiator' is at least tolerable, and
even pretty cool in places.  I don't mind their open silliness and quirky
retro stylings...it's really the harmony vocals and occasional bright sounds
(crashy cymbals and trumpets) that I can't stomach too much.  And since
they've already completely revamped their style once (they started out as a
techno band), perhaps they'll evolve into something more palatable to me.
Contact:  <www.flydaddy.com> <www.superfurry.com>
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Seven Percent Solution      Twilo         9-15 Wed.      7:00pm

Another can't miss item for AI readers is 7% Solution's All About Satellites
and Spaceships (1996), which bridges the gap between modern dreamy space
(aka, shoegazer rock) and classic space rock.  Accordingly, fans of the
Verve (particularly A Storm in Heaven) and Hawkwind alike should delight in
7% Solution's style.  "Built on Sand" and "Happy?" are both the
thickly-layered misty melange that Levitation used to create so well in
their day.  On the other hand, "Revolve" and "Blindshore" are cosmic
mindtrips in the Melting Euphoria style, and really bring out the best in
these Austin natives.  "The Road and the Common" is a classic
'cigarette-lighter' ballad, and maps out yet one more dimension for this
band that can range from ambient to jam rock with ease and continuity.  A
real find.
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That's it...for those outside the NYC area, you still might catch 7%
Solution either alone, or paired up with Bevis Frond.

Seven Percent Solution Tour (as it stands)

Saturday, September 11, 1999       10:00 PM
         Wreck Room - Fort Worth,TX
         With:  The Tomorrow People
Wednesday, September 15, 1999      7:00 PM
         Twilo - New York, New York
Thursday, September 30, 1999       10:00 PM
         Ridglea Theater - Fort Worth, TX
         With:  Bevis Frond
Friday, October 01, 1999           10:00 PM
         Mary Jane's - Houston,TX
         With: Bevis Frond
Saturday, October 02, 1999         10:00 PM
         Ritz Lounge - Austin, TX
         With:  Bevis Frond
Thursday, October 14, 1999         10:00 PM
         Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
         With: Bevis Frond
Friday, October 15, 1999           10:00 PM
         Cactus Club - Milwaukee, WI
Saturday, October 16, 1999         10:00 PM
         7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN
Friday, October 29, 1999           10:00 PM
         Rudyard's - Houston, TX
Friday, November 26, 1999          10:00 PM
         Stubb's - Austin, TX
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Of course, anyone who's capable of getting to one of these venues (below)
should definitely check out these bands touring together.  I'm familiar will
all three, and highly recommend them all!

Primordial Undermind (San Francisco)
Sat 9/11 Los Altos, CA - KFJC (webcast at www.kfjc.org 2PM local time)
Sun 9/12 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill w/Subarachnoid Space/St Andre
Tues 9/14 Salt Lake City, UT - Safari Club w/Landing
Weds 9/15 Iowa City,  IA - Gabe's w/Pointy Birds

P.U. w/Salamander (Minneapolis)

Thurs 9/16 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar + Skye Klad / Vortex Navigation Co

P.U. w/Salamander and Overhang Party (Japan, with Michio Kurihara)

Fri 9/17 Pittsburgh, PA - Stevenson Theater
Sat 9/18 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber Pass (Insidious Spectacle Fest)
www.maltlicker.com
Sun 9/19 New York, NY - WFMU (webcast at www.wfmu.org) - [not sure if this
is a CMJ show also?]
Mon 9/20 Brooklyn, NY - The Charleston w/ Tono Bungay
Tues 9/21 Somerville, MA - Abbey Lounge w/ Yankee Candle
Weds 9/22 Cambridge, MA - Middle East + Major Stars
Thurs 9/23 Easthampton, MA - Flywheel Collective / Josh Burkett
Fri 9/24 Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place
Sat 9/25 Detroit, MI - Detroit Contemp.Gallery w/ Urban Farmers
Sun 9/26 Cleveland, OH - Speak in Tongues w/ Fuzzhead
Mon 9/27 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
Tues 9/28 Madison, WI ?