Turnerjoy @ Double Door 2.7.01
Music history was made in Chicago during 2000 when Smashing Pumpkins called it quits. Who will take their place? The answer is anyone's guess ( no, anyone's guess is not the name of a band-;at least not as far as I know ) .
Billy Corgan and company confidently dabbled in electronica on their album Adore, so perhaps Scarlet Life will become the next Smashing Pumpkins. After existing for a few of years as My Scarlet Life, the band was revamped ( with only original member Preston Klik remaining ) and the results are Scarlet Life and their debut disc Sugar, Spice, Saccharine & Cyanide ( Divanation ) . "Vamona," the opening track, reels you in, but "Give Myself Away," goes on a tad too long. The album hits its sweet stride on the rhythmic "Perfect?" but gets sidetracked until the sarcastic "Bored." "Favorite Girl," in which Scarlet Life comes to life, is my favorite track.
The Good have more of a power-pop sensibility than the Pumpkins, as they demonstrate on What Are You Saving It For? ( Jumbo ) . They also have more of a sense of humor, something that shines through on the songs "Getaway Car" ( about a car break-in ) , "Peach Tuxedo" ( about the prom ) , "I Love Hating" ( which reminded me a little bit of Barenaked Ladies ) , "Pee-Wee Baseball Kiss," and the dark "God Couldn't Save The Princess." The album also features a live CD-Rom video performance of "Shiny Ass Pants" ( taped during an appearance on the Rob Linkhart Show during 1997 ) .
Never having paid anything but the most cursory attention to the Grateful Dead, I never realized just how many Dead-heads were living among the rest of us here in Chicago. Could a jam band, such as Rebecca's Statue, fill the void left by the Pumpkins? It's possible. After all, there is a Grateful Dead tribute band that plays a weekly sold-out gig in a local club. Let's not forget the blues factor, when it comes to "jamming" either. On Drinking From The Water Clock ( Livin' Live ) , Rebecca's Statue jams it all together, with seven of the disc's dozen tracks clocking in at over five minutes. Guest artists such as Son Seals ( on the bluesy jam "Uncle Charlie" ) , Kat Parsons and Fareed Haque aid the quartet in their quest to become Chicago's Phish.
The responsibility might fall to Eleventh Dream Day, who's latest album Stalled Parade ( Thrill Jockey ) is currently available. After all, they've been around the longest, and they are probably the only band, still in existence, that would qualify as one of the Pumpkins' contemporaries. Having once recorded for a major label ( Atlantic ) and filled their lives with other musical projects ( Doug McCombs in Tortoise, Janet Beveridge Bean in Freakwater ) , EDD seems to be happy where they are, personal conflicts ( Bean and Rick Rizzo's separation ) aside. "Ground Point Zero," "Interstate," "Ice Storm," "Way Too Early On A Sunday Morning," and "Bite The Hand," are all recommended tracks on this powerful album by these reluctant heirs to the throne.
The distinction could easily go to a new band, such as Turnerjoy. The sparkling, melodic pop of their full-length debut disc Hope ( Mohofusu ) is a fine introduction to this quintet that sounds as if they were raised on a steady diet of Smashing Pumpkins, and other college radio staples. Even their choice of producer Paul Mahern, a man who has worked with Judybats and Blake Babies, is an indication of their musical tastes. There's a Flaming Lips vibe to "Making Other Plans," while tracks such as "My Crime," "The One," "Nowhere," "Should Know Better," and "Gut Reaction," are the kind of radio-friendly tunes that could inspire audience dancing and sing-alongs, as well as the occasional mob scene.
Seconds of pleasure
Fuel plays Allstate Arena 2.2 and Vast plays the Riviera 3.2
Second albums can be a risky affair. Hence the phrase, "sophomore slump." They can be even riskier when the second album is a follow-up to the album that made the band popular. Take Fastball, for example. Their big hit, "The Way," from a few years ago introduced us to the Austin-based band. I kept confusing them with Smash Mouth, but I liked their sound anyway. Their new album, The Harsh Light Of Day, opens with the harder psychedelia of "This Is Not My Life," before logically spilling over into "You're An Ocean," which recalls the sound with which listeners first became familiar. Clever lyrics keep this punchy tune afloat, and it should have been a bigger hit than it was. Other standout tracks include the melodic pop of "Goodbye," "Love Is Expensive And Free," "Wind Me Up" ( which reminded me of Wings ) , "Dark Street," "Whatever Gets You On," and the unexpected Latin-rock undercurrent of "Funny How It Fades Away."
Orgy certainly had their hands full with their second release Vapor Transmission ( Elementree/Reprise ) . After all, their smash hit single from their major-label debut disc was a cover of a New Order song. That fact is going to make anything that follows a challenge to live up to. You have to slog through a couple of duds before you get to "Fiction ( Dreaming In Digital ) ," the new album's first single, and the first decent track. In fact, nothing on this disc comes close to the sexy abandon of their interpretation of "Blue Monday" ( from Candyass ) .
It was interesting to watch the way Fuel's record company didn't give up on them, relentlessly promoting their 1998 debut disc Sunburn. That strategy paid off, as Fuel ( and sound-alike bands Creed and 3 Doors Down, and others ) are now the dominant testosterone-fueled sound on the airwaves. The Pennsylvania-based dudes make a melodic and crunchy brand of rock and roll on Something Like Human ( Epic/550 ) that sounds like it fell off the play-list of a '70s/'80s arena-rock radio station. For those that like that sort of thing, tracks such as "Hemorrhage ( In My Hands ) ," "Last Time," "Prove," "Solace," and "Knives," will have you thrusting your fists before you even know you're doing it.
Seattle-based Harvey Danger's 1998 hit single "Flagpole Sitter" was the kind of catchy frat-rock anthem that lingered in the air long after the song ended. Two years after their national introduction, the band is back with King James Version ( London/Sire ) , an even better effort than their major-label debut. Smart guys with a sense of humor don't really stand a chance in a musical world ruled by teenyboppers and suburban guerillas, but if you are willing to take a chance, the reward can be found in insightful tracks such as "Meetings with Remarkable Men ( Show Me The Hero ) ," "Humility On Parade," "You Miss The Point Completely...," " ( Theme From ) Carjack Fever," and the surprising "Pike St./Park Slope."
Primitive Radio Gods made an indelible impression on me with their 1996 song "Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand," with the well-placed B.B. King ( "How Blue Can You Get" ) sample. The gorgeous "Ghost Of A Chance," from their second ( and latest ) album White Hot Peach ( W.A.R./emusic ) comes closest to recapturing the spirit of that song, with its references to John Coltrane and "Lady Day." Other recommended tracks include "Blood From A Beating Heart" and the lush "Skin Job."
VAST, which stands for Visual Audio Sensory Theater, has found a way to mix rock and roll, orchestration and beats in an unexpected way. Twenty-first century prog-rock? Why not? The orchestral presence on "Free," "I Don't Have Anything," "Blue," "Song Without A Name," and "We Will Meet Again," help the songs to rise above the hard rock doldrums in a pleasant way. In the hands of the right remixer ( s ) , the "monk chants" and perky percussion on "What Else Do I Need" could be a dance-floor sensation along the lines of Filter's "Take A Picture."
I first became aware of Five For Fighting ( a pseudonym for John Ondrasik ) with the under appreciated album Message For Albert, when FFF were on the short-lived Velvel Records label. At the time, FFF reminded me a bit of Ben Folds Five. With the dazzling American Town ( Aware/Columbia ) FFF''s latest album, Ondrasik sounds a bit more like Dave Matthews. Sadly, it doesn't matter what they sound like, as it appears that no one will hear this album either. If you want to hear some state-of-the-art pop songs, take a listen to "Superman," "Easy Tonight," "Jainy," "Love Song," and "Alright."
