Epitonic Newsletter: Vol. 4, No. 18 'Burning Questions...and Tasty Morsels'
05/10/02
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Before we feed you your usual tasty dish replete with music world
morsels, we'd like to ask a few questions.
1. How huge is that goofy looking Toby McGuire gonna be after this Spiderman gig? And what genius came up with the brilliant idea to
cast the little squirt as the lycra-suited webslinger? Give that man (or woman) a Cadillac.
2. Who, exactly, is going to read the Ozzy books? Repeat, books,
plural. In case you haven't heard, the Osbournes signed a two-book
deal with Simon & Schuster, reportedly in the neighborhood of $3
million. Hey, we love the fried old bat-chomping fart and all his
wacky brood, but somehow it seems unlikely that those millions of
viewers avidly following the domestic misadventures of these heavy
metal Cleavers are going to run out and buy their books. Doesn't
it?
3. Is R Kelly the Bill Clinton of the R&B world? He's currently
dealing with a boatload of litigation from women who claim he
had sex with them when they were not yet of age. Naturally, the
ghetto swinger maintains his innocence, but it can't look too
good that he's already settled two lawsuits out of court. And
plus, he married the late Aaliyah when she was just 15. And plus
...he's R Kelly.
OK, now that we've got that out of the way, here are a few more
odds & ends for your edification & enjoyment. And of course, we've
got lots of great music for ya down below...
NEWMUSICWEST FESTIVAL UNDERWAY
Sorry we didn't tell you about this sooner, but there's a pretty
cool festival going on in Vancouver this weekend, and if you're
anywhere in British Columbia or Washington State -- or hell,
Idaho or Oregon or Alberta -- you should try to make it. Gene
Simmons from Kiss delivers the keynote on Saturday. On Sunday
there will be a massive chili cookoff on Granville Island, right
in the heart of town. Bands scheduled to perform this weekend
include Super Furry Animals, Frontline Assembly, Sloan, The
Cranes, The Gossip, Gavin Froome, The Constantines, Sasha &
Digweed, Quadra, The Mediaeval Babes, Midnight Oil, and plenty
more.
Festival info: http://www.newmusicwest.com/.
WARP MAGIC BUS OFF ON ITS MERRY WAY
On Tuesday, the Magic Bus left the station. On board were Plaid,
Phoenicia, Russell Haswell, Richard Devine, Warp DJs, and plenty
of equipment. Warp invites fans to drive behind the bus "blasting
Warp classics and honking horns." If you're in Europe, find out
when they're pulling into your city.
Magic Bus info: http://www.warprecords.com/tour/.
EXCLUSIVELY FOR GUIDED BY VOICES FREAKS...
In anticipation of the release of Guided By Voices' 86th album,
Universal Cycles and Truths, on June 18, Robert Pollard's Fading
Captain series is doing an exclusive singles set. They're pressing
four limited edition GBV seven-inches, each of which will feature
an A-side from the album and an otherwise unreleased B-side. They'll
hit stores once a week starting May 21 until the album comes out.
You can also mail order all four from gbv.com at a discounted rate.
Get yours: http://www.gbv.com/utacsingles.html
EXCLUSIVELY FOR SUPER FURRY ANIMALS FREAKS...
OK, this is weird. It's an internet scavenger hunt. You have to wander
around this animated moonscape designed by Pete Fowler, who also did
the album art for the new SFA album Rings around the World, looking
for questions, which, if answered correctly, give you a chance to win
a personalized SFA DVD player and a signed Rings around the World
DVD. If you're into it, check out:
http://www.beggars.com/us/artists/superfurryanimals/game/
And finally, Stevie Nicks worshippers won't want to miss this...
"Ivanka"
by
Imperial Teen
San Francisco quartet Imperial Teen turns pop music on its ear with biting, hook-filled compositions that combine the timeless charm of gritty garage rock, three-chord pop-punk, and early '80s dance-pop. Among the most innovative and enjoyably twisted indie pop bands of the last decade.
"Black Postcards"
by
Luna
One of the seminal independent rock bands of the '90s, Luna forged a distinctively drowsy, gauzy style which influenced the shoegazer and slo-core aesthetics. They're still plugging after half a dozen albums, still just as dreamily wonderful as ever.
"So, The Circus Is Back in Town"
by
Cato Salsa Experience
Righteous and frenzied garage rock that's a near dead ringer for the bombastic proto-punk and proto-metal of late '60s England and America, but which actually comes from a present-day Norwegian quartet.
"On the Prowl"
by
The Gossip
This bassless female-fronted trio mines the classic lo-fi sound of '60s Pacific Northwest garage rock and injects it with a healthy dose of '90s Pacific Northwest riot punk.
"House of Jealous Lovers"
by
The Rapture
The Rapture have moved to the forefront of the recent NYC No Wave renaissance with desperate and piercing grooves that draw from bands like Wire, Gang of Four, and Television.
"Hyacinth Blues"
by
The Constantines
A passionate firestorm of a band from Ontario with a raggedly powerful, punk-inflected sound and a striking way of throwing ideas around like ninja stars.
"Morning Rain"
by
I Am Kloot
Cheeky Manchester trio I Am Kloot is the newest force in the burgeoning U.K. acoustic pop movement. Their lush, folky, rambling mini-epics strike an appealing balance between offbeat whimsy and palatable hooks.
"So Warped"
by
Papa M
David Pajo's Papa M is sparse, elegant, and powerful, much like his legendary first endeavor, Slint. Here Pajo proves that sometimes less is more.
"Here On In"
by
South (U.K.)
This London trio may be young, but they've got experience that belies their years and it shows in their intriguing approach, which couples archetypal Brit-pop with hip electronic ambience to create a sort of noveau space-rock, by turns meandering and anthemic.
"City Of Glass"
by
Quadra
Quadra, Vancouver's latest drum and bass duo, produces slick, sophisticated tech-step that is deep and driving in equal measures.
"Fairplay"
by
Pilote
Pilote, the existentialist technophile, is the brainchild of Stuart Cullen. Pondering one's existence can be a tough, but Pilote makes it a bit easier.
"The Future Ain't The Same As It Used 2B"
by
Neon Phusion
Having kick-started the broken beat scene, West London's Neon Phusion are taking their sound to dizzy new heights courtesy of high grade labels such as Laws Of Motion, Wave, and Quango.
