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FEAR and Lee Ving
in Los Angeles
Review & Interview
by Tom Hensley & Jay Matsueda
Before a winded crowd of punkers, Lee Ving approaches the mic and shouts, "1-2-3-4! 1-2-3-4!" His bandmates tear into "Foreign Policy." A healthy mosh pit twirls a human whirlpool of anger. Fans crowd the stage, some contemplating climbing the stage for a dive, oth
ers brandishing their middle fingers, the punk salute. This has been FEAR's scene for nearly 30 years.
FEAR’s music is great in its contrast. The lyrics act like key frames for the mind’s eye, stirring listeners into disgruntled agreeance. With “New York's Alright” or “Let’s Have A War,” the crowd explodes into frenzy. In opposition to this simplicity are FEAR’s complex time signatures. Any punk band can play its way through standard time; FEAR uses odd meter with the expertise that makes them not just punk, but punk rock.
NoHo>LA arranged a quick interview with Lee Ving before his 5/9 Key Club show:
NoHo>LA Describe your average day.
Ving: I wake up, make a cup of espresso, play a little golf, watch the news… get a scoop on whether or not it's safe to go outside and then start playing guitar.
NoHo>LA What was your favorite place to play?
Ving Saturday Night Live was kinda fun. The Palladium was a good place. Warren Tucker Stardust Ballroom. The Whisky, the Starwood, the original Mask down on Las Palmas.
NoHo>LA If you could play at any venue, where would it be?
Ving Madison Square Garden. The Inglewood Forum. The Mormon Tabernacle might be nice.
NoHo>LA Where do you see punk in 10 years?
Ving Truthfully, I'm not sure where I see it today.
NoHo>LA Where do you see punk in 100 years?
Ving In a book.
NoHo>LA Anything you want to tell your fans?
Ving: Sitting is important in standing out, and outstanding sitting will sit you in good standing.
NoHo>LA Anything you want to tell anyone else?
Ving Yeah, F*** OFF.
NoHo>LA There's a FEAR cover band now in Philadelphia called BEER. How do you feel about them covering your material?
Ving God bless them. I wish them well. Tell them to call me up. I've got a lot of tips for hangovers.
NoHo>LA Could you explain the silly coincidence in song titles like "Beef Balony" versus "Hard (Cotto) Salami"? Will one song per album be devoted to something new but still familiar?
Ving Not necessarily, but a good cut of meat is always a worthy topic. Naturally if you had your choice between two types of salami, like either Genoa salami or cotto salami, you'd make it a cotto salami because Genoa salami, that's a soft salami- you don't want anything to do with that - girls don't like that. I thought "Beef Balony" was such a romantic song that it deserved a follow up. I know that, with our crowd, we play on their heartstrings… I just wanted to continue…
In a Perfect World...
VNV Nations' Ronan Harris dispels some myths, and creates a few new ones
by Megan Gaynes
VNV Nation are two very devoted musicians, Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson. Formed in 1990 in London by Harris, they’ve spent the past decade at the forefront of electronic dance music. The band are not to be taken lightly, with well-thought emotional, intellectual and political messages entwined into each song, VNV (short for “Victory, not Vengeance”) are a beautiful thing unto themselves. Harris was kind enough to meet with me a few hours before his sold out show at the Palace, as we had a pleasant chat about probabilities, word plays, and penguins.
M Have you had any interesting dreams lately?
RH Oh my god! That’s a really strange thing to ask because a couple of days ago I did I have a really interesting dream. That I was at a festival in Germany which is held in a series of warehouses, and one of the warehouses had these kind of crossbeams, like concrete pillars, with suspended floors and the ceiling collapsed down. One on another and down on another and this was right beside where our stage was (this was during the afternoon, during the set-up). Me and about three people gathered a number of people to get in there and rescue everyone, and this was the weirdest dream I think I’ve had in a long time.
M Kind of like your music is saving people?
RH It seems to come across that way because I wrote it to save me.
M What do you think you would’ve done yourself if you hadn’t had as much success as you did?
RH I’m going to tell you a little bit about my personality by answering that: there is no if I had. This is my path, and I found my calling in doing this. I didn’t know it was going to happen. I think that was the best way; to expect and to want something means you are probably most likely limiting the possibility of doing it. It’s a bit like odds, it’s a little trick that some probabilitists do. If you imagine a situation is going to happen, you limit the probability of that ever happening in what you’re hoping for.
M Now what do you think of your American fans vs European fans, is there much of a difference?
RH Not in the reactions, I think people express their emotions to me more here because of [the lack of] a language barrier. Also the language barrier allows to people penetrate the lyrics or the word plays, or understand the style of English I’m using. I’m influenced by a lot of poetry I suppose, but not in a pedantic sort of way.
M There does seem to be a real intellectual aspect to your music.
RH I’m a literary person, I’ve read a lot. I need words to express, but I need certain words – spiral of words. For example, the word “beloved”. It’s a very dramatic sort of outmoded word, but I don’t think it should be outmoded. It’s something even more special now since we don’t use it so much anymore, we use “snookums”. Can’t really call a song “snookums” or “honeybunny” can you.
M Now it must be asked, ducks or penguins?
RH I would definitely pick penguins. It would have to be an Emporer penguin, as opposed to the South African penguin. They’ve got the colors, they’ve got the orange and black and white, I like that. And there’s some nice things about them. And the men look after the kids, until the women show up. But they don’t lactate or anything like that, they just hatch and they look after the “penguinlings”. I love looking at the diversity in nature.
Peter Murphy: Defying Logic Often
Interview by Megan Gaynes
Former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy
comes to us yet again with his eighth solo release, Dust, a deeply meditative journey through equally unknown portions of Eastern and Western music. This supposed figurehead of the “Goth” movement remains one of the most enigmatic figures in music today, as well as one of the most pleasant. Speaking from Cleveland on the third night of his month and a half long North American tour (with shows set for the House of Blues May 23 and 24), here’s what he had to say.
M What initially made you fall in love with music?
PM I think it was just my ear would love hearing harmony. I think music has a poetic sense that just captures you and allows the magical world to open up, it sort of complements… all children love music and react to music in a way that somehow fits their own kind of abstract view of the world, I guess.
M One of your earliest childhood memories?
PM When I was just in nappies and walking. Or rather, I was just walking and still in nappies. I remember it vividly as if I were seeing it from a film where it lasted for a period. I need to have my nappy changed and I’m trying to pull on my mother and tell her. I remember she’s changing me on her knee while I’m hanging upside down, and the neighbor pushes her and starts saying something… and I remember having the thought, “this woman is really fake.”
M Do you find any authors or philosophers have any impact on the composition of your music?
PM Not in a defining way. Actually when I was writing with Bauhaus the first couple of songs I wrote were greatly influenced by The Picture of Dorian Gray and Oscar Wilde.
M Have you ever had songs come to you in a dream?
PM Yes, but none of them actually came out on an album. I periodically have dreams where I’m hearing myself sing along on a record and I’ll wake up thinking it’s great but, you know, I haven’t recorded that! During the recording of the last record I apparently talked in my dreams, my wife told me one morning that I had woken her up singing this language that was really well-formed that she’d never heard. I was singing this melody that was completely unheard of yet sounding very ancient that made her kind of feel amazed at. And I asked her, why didn’t you record it?
M Maybe you should try sleeping in the studio! Now, what was your main intention with Dust, musically and conceptually?
PM To make a beautiful album, to engender love.
M Are there any new musical directions you’re tempted to take after this?
PM Well, I must admit when I saw Iggy Pop performing it was really sort of full on guitars, and I was thinking, “One day… one day.”
M Do you feel any kinship to any artists in the ‘music scene’ today?
PM Moby, I like the attitude of him. Iggy, though not quite a kinship. Kind of watching, like I think he really is a lovely, lovely guy actually. And I think even though he comes across as a sort of almost decadent, I don’t think he is at all.
M He seems to be a pretty intelligent guy.
PM Extremely intelligent. And doesn’t always let that come through musically.
music notes
by Scott Dudelson
Rolling Stones To Tour
The Rolling Stones are just about ready to embark on their 40th anniversary tour which is to include several rare club dates. The Stones have announced several southern California stops including an intimate performance at the Wiltern Theater on Wilshire. The show, which is scheduled for November 4th, will no doubt be the hottest ticket for the 2002 concert season. For obvious reasons, small children are being warned not to look directly at Keith Richards during the smaller club dates .
In preparation of the tour, guitarist Ron Wood has reportedly checked himself into rehab to get himself clean for their 30 date tour. Meanwhile, Mick and Keith have been in Paris culling together material for an upcoming two disc retrospective that is to span the bands history. The band is expected to record some new material before the tour which is set to begin on September 4th.
Dionne Warwick Having Too Much Fun
On Monday May 13th, Singer Dionne Warwick was charged with possession of Marijuana which was apparently hidden in her lipstick case. Warwick’s sister claims the illicit drug was planted on her in a frame up. Warwick was found carrying 11 marijuana cigarettes with her at Miami’s International Airport, reports have not specified if Warwick was given her pot back or ordered to share it with authorities.
Wilco’s New Recording
Alt Country/electronica pop artists Wilco have been in the studio recording their follow-up to their recently released opus Yankee Foxtrot Hotel. In only a week of recording the band has managed to pull together four new Jeff Tweedy originals and four improvisational pieces for the record tentatively titled Decibels per Minute. Recording from their home base in Chicago, the band intends on recording several songs a week throughout the year and then pick the best cuts out for the albums release. Wilco is about to embark on a European tour to promote Yankee Foxtrot Hotel will be back in the states this summer to continue the recording process.
Around LA
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are finishing up their latest album By The Way right here on the Sunset Strip. The album, which is due this summer, is being recorded at the Sunset Strip’s infamous Chateau Marmont hotel, where Chili Pepper’s front man Anthony Keidis once lived. Like the Chili Pepper’s last release, 1999's Californication, the new album is being produced by the bearded guru, Rick Rubin.
Prog-rockers Tool are making a return appearance to LA, performing at the Forum on July 15th. This latest date marks the third time, in only 12 months, that the reclusive hard rockers will stop over in LA. Tomahawk, featuring former Faith No More front-man Mike Patton, is slated to be the opening act for several of the upcoming So Cal shows.
Pete Yorn along with Jukebox Junkies and Minibar will be performing a one-night only gig at the Wiltern Theater on June 14th. The show is notable in that all three artists have, in the past, been frequent performers at the tiny Club Largo on Fairfax. The Wiltern Theater becomes the largest Southern California venue which songwriter Yorn has headlined.
LA’s newest pop divas, Raining Jane, have just announced an early June show at the Mint on Pico. The show will follow a short Northern California tour that is set to conclude in late May.
The all female quartet recently garnered the prestigious “artist of the month” award by the LA Music Scene.com. You can check their website at www.raining
jane.com to find out all their local dates and download music.
University of Arizona favorites, Illumanati (formerly Juiceboxer) are set to relocate to Los Angeles to make noise on the local scene. Armed with a newly recorded demo the band is primed to take the LA scene by storm-keep your eyes and ears open.
CD Reviews
Peter Murphy
Dust - Metropolis 2002
Dust - Metropolis 2002
This nine song release (six new songs, two previously released, and a third seen before on a live album), is quite the departure from Peter Murphy’s earlier work, be it with Bauhaus or his extensive solo career. In each successive album we find Murphy reaching deeper and deeper into the spiritual abyss, this time reaching threshold between two worlds. The threshold between East and West, of course. With an esoteric, string-of-consciousness approach to the lyrics it manages a palatable mixture of a primarily Turkish sound, although it also incorporates Gypsy guitars alongside Aboriginal instrumentation, including tribal percussion and didgideroos, along with the usual assortment of Western instrumentation (bass guitars, synthesizers, etc). This is an album that one must allow themselves to float along with, allowing the music to insinuate itself over time. As Murphy himself once stated, “There is no God…. but God.” and his love for this dichotomy is most apparent on Dust, which can best be likened to finding an ancient treasure chest, the excitement as one reveals precious jewels not touched for thousands of years. Ahead of its’ time in 2002, it will only acquire a finer taste with age.
www.petermurphy.org - Megan Gaynes
Poison
Hollyweird – Cyanide Records 2002
Ah, Poison, they’re at it again. Since they’re formation in ’83, the Pennsylvania natives have pursued a career as notorious as amusing, with the height of their career standing alongside the likes of Bon Jovi and Def Leppard. The ‘80s hair metal excesses are still very a much a factor of these boys lives (“sex, party, and rock n’roll!!!”), and one wonders if they’re aware of the parody. Let’s hope. Either way, they manage to evoke every rock cliché from that era for this 2002 release (their ninth album to date), with their Hollywood themed album titled, of course, Hollyweird. Including a forgettable cover of the Who’s Squeezebox. Poison can be appreciated for what they are, a time capsule of a novelty act, with songs using such subjects as inspiration as: their reminisces of their many nights spent at the Rainbow Bar & Grill, menage a trois’, a Troubadour bouncers’ observation of Los Angeles girls, and their Behind to Music, yes, put to song, well, it’s something… special. Amazingly enough there is a song on the album I border on actually liking, this being the Ramones’ influenced “Home (Bret’s Story)”. All in good fun.
www.poisonweb.com. - Megan Gaynes
Shut Up Marie - Demo
Shut Up Marie’s frontwoman Annette claims Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries and Gwen Stefani of No Doubt as influences. This you can hear, along with the anger of Alanis Morrissette and plenty of Chili Pepper energy for good measure, although songs such as “Like You” really have nothing else to thank but Alanis and her trademark anger-ballads. Along with Mark “Shark” Evangelista and Bryan “New Guy” Ferguson, the three originally played the Los Angeles circuit as Breather, taking the new moniker, Shut Up Marie, from a dream Annette once had. Their first release, Demo, was recorded in the metrollopis that is the San Fernando Valley (Tarzana and North Hollywood, both ends for good measure), and since have been popping up everywhere, from appearing on CMJ’s Most Added chart last summer, “On Deck” on Album Net’s Fairly Underground chart, KROQ’s Rodney on the ROQ and Y100-Philly’s Y-Not. They’ve also headlined a few shows at Doug Weston’s Troubadour and Whisky-A-Go-Go. The energy in Shut Up Marie’s music and Annette’s voice combined is undeniable, as one can’t help but tell just how much they enjoy what they do. And hopefully, this same energy will be imparted from musician to listener. Look for their upcoming show at the Troubadour June 8.
www.shutupmarie.com -Megan Gaynes
Brian Scott Bennett
This soothing effort from film and television composer Brian Scott Bennett uses the words and affirmations of Deepak Chopra (leader in mind-body medicine, Time Magazine’s Top 100 Icons and Heroes of the Century), ‘whispered’ by Brittney Browne, and combining these with a pleasant array of piano, flute and percussion (played by Bennett himself), along with Lee Sklar (performed with James Taylor, Phil Collins, and Jackson Browne) on bass and Carl Verheyen (performed with Cher, the Bee Gees and Supertramp) on guitars. Unlike most spoken word recordings that either use consciously guided narration or subliminal tapes that bury words beneath many a layer of synthesized sound, this more natural approach is conducive to a relaxed meditation or yoga practice, not being intrusive or grating in any manner whatsoever. The nicest thing about this is the outstanding use of the violin, as it weaves its way through moment upon moment, guiding the mind along this insightful narrative.
www.therelaxationcompany.com
- Megan Gaynes
Cream of the Crop
by Scott Dudelson
The Hives The Roxy, May 27th & 28th
With the Strokes garnering a bulk of the attention, the Hives have come in under the modern rock radar. Their retro 60's look and infectious sound is sure to liven things up on the strip during their two night stand at the Roxy. If you can get past the droves of celebrities wanting to look cool these shows will kick a lot of ass.
White Stripes El Rey, May31 and June 2nd & 3rd: Supposed brother and sister Meg and Jack White have been bashing out garage rock for years now. But since their recent airplay on KROQ the band has become the sweetheart of the passionate rock revival. The duo play hard and loud. Their latest album, White Blood Cells is one of the most original sounding albums in the past few years and their live shows apparently make the songs sound better.
Trey Anastasio Greek Theatre, May 29th
The former Phish front-man, once proclaimed his band “the third greatest rock and rollers behind Frank Zappa and Tenacious D” (no argument here). How can you not want to see a man with such balls? Trey is coming back to the Greek with his 8 piece band to kick out the jams. Don’t expect any Phish tunes, but expect the Phish heads to be out in their Bathtub Gin. Rumor has it that this will be his last solo tour before the almighty Phish returns. Viva Trey.
Phil and Friends Greek Theatre, May 25th
Phil is returning for his seemingly annual Greek Theatre show. The Grateful Dead bassist will explore old Dead tunes and take them into new spacey directions. His band is filled with excellent musicians who do justice to the legacy that Jerry Garcia left behind. If you are a fan of the Dead, you will no doubt enjoy seeing Phil make his rounds. It is endearing to know that at least one surviving member of the Dead is still real cool.
Sascha: Reloads KMFDM For Another Round
Interview by Megan Gaynes
German-born Sascha Konietzko stands at the center of industrial wonders KMFDM. With a career spanning nearly 20 years he’s set to promote his newest release, Attak, with a tour of the US starting at the end of the month. Expect KMFDM to unleash its arsenal on Angelino soil June 4 at the Hollywood Palace.
M Are there any authors or philosophers you’d cite as having the most impact on you and your music?
SK No, but I’ve read a lot of literature and I’ve read a lot of philosophers. Everything we see in the context of time and the way we view our world – that goes for everything, that goes for the music that we put out today as well - a hundred years from now somebody is going to have some sort of place for it. So I guess the rambling and whatever brain orgasm that someone had two hundred years ago, that it would influence someone to the point that they adjust their entire life according to that would be pretty strange.
M What are your feelings toward politics in music. Do you think it’s a vital fusion, or do you find it to be unnecessary and distracting?
SK I think politics and music should really stay as far apart as they possibly can, it’s an unholy marriage.
M Indeed. The main difference between KMFDM and MDFMK?
SK That needs to be seen in the context of history in time. About two years ago I would have told you something and now I’m telling you that actually in hindsight there isn’t really all that much of a difference.
M Whose idea was it to cover Nancy Sinatra’s Boots?
SK The idea came up a couple of years ago, it was more like a “Hey, let’s do that sometime.” And once we had downloaded the lyrics from the internet, it was just a matter of picking up the bass guitar and going “do-do-do..”
M How did the Mysterious Ways cover come about?
SK That was actually commissioned work. We had someone call us from Cargo Records and he told us that they had a couple of bands on their roster that they had doing some cover versions. They asked us if we wanted to do one, and it just happened that back in ’92 on one of our tours we had played Mysterious Ways with a sort of a crowd teaser type thing and this guy had heard the version of it.
M Did U2 give clearance for the use of it?
SK Oh yeah. I remember that, that was a big deal. U2 back in ’92 had expressed in a couple of interviews their like for KMFDM and they said that Achtung Baby was heavily influenced by one of them listening to whatever the new KMFDM record at the time was. I couldn’t see it, but hey, you know.
M What have you been listening to lately?
SK 70’s disco music, one of my all-time faves.
M Do you see that inspiring your music, or has it already?
SK You’ve got to keep sort of involved with the context we all grew up. I mean, all of us in KMFDM are pretty much the same age group. There was a good mix of electronic crowd rock like Kraftwerk, then the happy-happy dance, and then basically it was roughly interrupted by punk rock. And so that’s kind of the elements that are combined in KMFDM – the happy, the punkish, and the electronic.
M Which do you find more destructive? Stupidity or evil.
SK Stupidity. Yeah, evil is good, evil is inherent. As long you see evil you know that there’s at least intelligence. Stupidity marks the absence of intelligence. I don’t think there is good inherent in people, or evil. I don’t believe in duality. There’s way more than two poles.
Maccaa’s Back: Paul McCartney Concert
- May 5th @ Staples Center by Jason Gross
For those of you who missed Paul McCartney’s show May 4th at the Staples Center, I sincerely apologize. Yes, it was that good. For those of you who fail to understand why this show was more than just a rock concert, I will attempt to put it into perspective. First of all, we are talking about Paul McCartney, the ex-Beatle, ex-Wings frontman and living legend extraodinaire. His music and the music of The Beatles will continue to influence generations to come, and with only two of the four Beatles around nowadays, one of which being Ringo (no offense Ringo, but you ain't no John or George,) seeing Paul live may be one of the last ways we can connect to the Beatles without having to pop in a CD or see a cover band.
Having said that, let me get into some specifics. Paul McCartney chose to open the show with "Hello, Goodbye" and this was no coincidence. He was saying "Hello" to all his fans who have not seen him play before, or at least not for the nine years since his last tour. The "Goodbye" can be interpreted as a possible goodbye to touring (let’s hope not!) or simply a goodbye until the next tour. After tickling our fancies, Paul ripped into a roaring rendition of "Jet," which is always the crowd pleaser. From that point he proceeded with a bombardment of Beatles, Wings, and solo material, pausing for only four tracks off his new album and the Oscar-nominated song "Vanilla Sky." I would love to point out the highlights of the night, but as a huge Beatles, Wings, and all-around Paul McCartney fan, I feel the whole night was pretty much a highlight. If I had to choose a favorite moment, it would have to be Paul’s tribute to former band-mates and friends John Lennon and George Harrison. Alone on stage, Paul sang "Here Today," a song based on an imaginary conversation he would have with John, were he "here today." The audience could feel the emotional outpour through Paul’s singing and the heartfelt lyrics. Paul followed thereafter with a more uplifting rendition of "Something" and various pictures of George on the big screen behind him. It was a touching moment for Paul and the entire crowd.
Paul McCartney does not have to work hard to satisfy an arena full of Beatles fans, but he does anyway. He poured his heart and soul into the music that night and connected with his fans in a way that he was never able to do in the heyday of The Beatles. That alone made the show an experience to cherish. The music will always be there for us, but being able to experience a show like this one is once in a lifetime (more than once if you are really lucky!) Rock on Paul McCartney!
in Los Angeles
Review & Interview
by Tom Hensley & Jay Matsueda
Before a winded crowd of punkers, Lee Ving approaches the mic and shouts, "1-2-3-4! 1-2-3-4!" His bandmates tear into "Foreign Policy." A healthy mosh pit twirls a human whirlpool of anger. Fans crowd the stage, some contemplating climbing the stage for a dive, oth
ers brandishing their middle fingers, the punk salute. This has been FEAR's scene for nearly 30 years.FEAR’s music is great in its contrast. The lyrics act like key frames for the mind’s eye, stirring listeners into disgruntled agreeance. With “New York's Alright” or “Let’s Have A War,” the crowd explodes into frenzy. In opposition to this simplicity are FEAR’s complex time signatures. Any punk band can play its way through standard time; FEAR uses odd meter with the expertise that makes them not just punk, but punk rock.
NoHo>LA arranged a quick interview with Lee Ving before his 5/9 Key Club show:
NoHo>LA Describe your average day.
Ving: I wake up, make a cup of espresso, play a little golf, watch the news… get a scoop on whether or not it's safe to go outside and then start playing guitar.
NoHo>LA What was your favorite place to play?
Ving Saturday Night Live was kinda fun. The Palladium was a good place. Warren Tucker Stardust Ballroom. The Whisky, the Starwood, the original Mask down on Las Palmas.
NoHo>LA If you could play at any venue, where would it be?
Ving Madison Square Garden. The Inglewood Forum. The Mormon Tabernacle might be nice.
NoHo>LA Where do you see punk in 10 years?
Ving Truthfully, I'm not sure where I see it today.
NoHo>LA Where do you see punk in 100 years?
Ving In a book.
NoHo>LA Anything you want to tell your fans?
Ving: Sitting is important in standing out, and outstanding sitting will sit you in good standing.
NoHo>LA Anything you want to tell anyone else?
Ving Yeah, F*** OFF.
NoHo>LA There's a FEAR cover band now in Philadelphia called BEER. How do you feel about them covering your material?
Ving God bless them. I wish them well. Tell them to call me up. I've got a lot of tips for hangovers.
NoHo>LA Could you explain the silly coincidence in song titles like "Beef Balony" versus "Hard (Cotto) Salami"? Will one song per album be devoted to something new but still familiar?
Ving Not necessarily, but a good cut of meat is always a worthy topic. Naturally if you had your choice between two types of salami, like either Genoa salami or cotto salami, you'd make it a cotto salami because Genoa salami, that's a soft salami- you don't want anything to do with that - girls don't like that. I thought "Beef Balony" was such a romantic song that it deserved a follow up. I know that, with our crowd, we play on their heartstrings… I just wanted to continue…
In a Perfect World...
VNV Nations' Ronan Harris dispels some myths, and creates a few new ones
by Megan Gaynes
VNV Nation are two very devoted musicians, Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson. Formed in 1990 in London by Harris, they’ve spent the past decade at the forefront of electronic dance music. The band are not to be taken lightly, with well-thought emotional, intellectual and political messages entwined into each song, VNV (short for “Victory, not Vengeance”) are a beautiful thing unto themselves. Harris was kind enough to meet with me a few hours before his sold out show at the Palace, as we had a pleasant chat about probabilities, word plays, and penguins.
M Have you had any interesting dreams lately?
RH Oh my god! That’s a really strange thing to ask because a couple of days ago I did I have a really interesting dream. That I was at a festival in Germany which is held in a series of warehouses, and one of the warehouses had these kind of crossbeams, like concrete pillars, with suspended floors and the ceiling collapsed down. One on another and down on another and this was right beside where our stage was (this was during the afternoon, during the set-up). Me and about three people gathered a number of people to get in there and rescue everyone, and this was the weirdest dream I think I’ve had in a long time.
M Kind of like your music is saving people?
RH It seems to come across that way because I wrote it to save me.
M What do you think you would’ve done yourself if you hadn’t had as much success as you did?
RH I’m going to tell you a little bit about my personality by answering that: there is no if I had. This is my path, and I found my calling in doing this. I didn’t know it was going to happen. I think that was the best way; to expect and to want something means you are probably most likely limiting the possibility of doing it. It’s a bit like odds, it’s a little trick that some probabilitists do. If you imagine a situation is going to happen, you limit the probability of that ever happening in what you’re hoping for.
M Now what do you think of your American fans vs European fans, is there much of a difference?
RH Not in the reactions, I think people express their emotions to me more here because of [the lack of] a language barrier. Also the language barrier allows to people penetrate the lyrics or the word plays, or understand the style of English I’m using. I’m influenced by a lot of poetry I suppose, but not in a pedantic sort of way.
M There does seem to be a real intellectual aspect to your music.
RH I’m a literary person, I’ve read a lot. I need words to express, but I need certain words – spiral of words. For example, the word “beloved”. It’s a very dramatic sort of outmoded word, but I don’t think it should be outmoded. It’s something even more special now since we don’t use it so much anymore, we use “snookums”. Can’t really call a song “snookums” or “honeybunny” can you.
M Now it must be asked, ducks or penguins?
RH I would definitely pick penguins. It would have to be an Emporer penguin, as opposed to the South African penguin. They’ve got the colors, they’ve got the orange and black and white, I like that. And there’s some nice things about them. And the men look after the kids, until the women show up. But they don’t lactate or anything like that, they just hatch and they look after the “penguinlings”. I love looking at the diversity in nature.
Peter Murphy: Defying Logic Often
Interview by Megan Gaynes
Former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy
comes to us yet again with his eighth solo release, Dust, a deeply meditative journey through equally unknown portions of Eastern and Western music. This supposed figurehead of the “Goth” movement remains one of the most enigmatic figures in music today, as well as one of the most pleasant. Speaking from Cleveland on the third night of his month and a half long North American tour (with shows set for the House of Blues May 23 and 24), here’s what he had to say.
M What initially made you fall in love with music?
PM I think it was just my ear would love hearing harmony. I think music has a poetic sense that just captures you and allows the magical world to open up, it sort of complements… all children love music and react to music in a way that somehow fits their own kind of abstract view of the world, I guess.
M One of your earliest childhood memories?
PM When I was just in nappies and walking. Or rather, I was just walking and still in nappies. I remember it vividly as if I were seeing it from a film where it lasted for a period. I need to have my nappy changed and I’m trying to pull on my mother and tell her. I remember she’s changing me on her knee while I’m hanging upside down, and the neighbor pushes her and starts saying something… and I remember having the thought, “this woman is really fake.”
M Do you find any authors or philosophers have any impact on the composition of your music?
PM Not in a defining way. Actually when I was writing with Bauhaus the first couple of songs I wrote were greatly influenced by The Picture of Dorian Gray and Oscar Wilde.
M Have you ever had songs come to you in a dream?
PM Yes, but none of them actually came out on an album. I periodically have dreams where I’m hearing myself sing along on a record and I’ll wake up thinking it’s great but, you know, I haven’t recorded that! During the recording of the last record I apparently talked in my dreams, my wife told me one morning that I had woken her up singing this language that was really well-formed that she’d never heard. I was singing this melody that was completely unheard of yet sounding very ancient that made her kind of feel amazed at. And I asked her, why didn’t you record it?
M Maybe you should try sleeping in the studio! Now, what was your main intention with Dust, musically and conceptually?
PM To make a beautiful album, to engender love.
M Are there any new musical directions you’re tempted to take after this?
PM Well, I must admit when I saw Iggy Pop performing it was really sort of full on guitars, and I was thinking, “One day… one day.”
M Do you feel any kinship to any artists in the ‘music scene’ today?
PM Moby, I like the attitude of him. Iggy, though not quite a kinship. Kind of watching, like I think he really is a lovely, lovely guy actually. And I think even though he comes across as a sort of almost decadent, I don’t think he is at all.
M He seems to be a pretty intelligent guy.
PM Extremely intelligent. And doesn’t always let that come through musically.
music notes
by Scott Dudelson
Rolling Stones To Tour
The Rolling Stones are just about ready to embark on their 40th anniversary tour which is to include several rare club dates. The Stones have announced several southern California stops including an intimate performance at the Wiltern Theater on Wilshire. The show, which is scheduled for November 4th, will no doubt be the hottest ticket for the 2002 concert season. For obvious reasons, small children are being warned not to look directly at Keith Richards during the smaller club dates .
In preparation of the tour, guitarist Ron Wood has reportedly checked himself into rehab to get himself clean for their 30 date tour. Meanwhile, Mick and Keith have been in Paris culling together material for an upcoming two disc retrospective that is to span the bands history. The band is expected to record some new material before the tour which is set to begin on September 4th.
Dionne Warwick Having Too Much Fun
On Monday May 13th, Singer Dionne Warwick was charged with possession of Marijuana which was apparently hidden in her lipstick case. Warwick’s sister claims the illicit drug was planted on her in a frame up. Warwick was found carrying 11 marijuana cigarettes with her at Miami’s International Airport, reports have not specified if Warwick was given her pot back or ordered to share it with authorities.
Wilco’s New Recording
Alt Country/electronica pop artists Wilco have been in the studio recording their follow-up to their recently released opus Yankee Foxtrot Hotel. In only a week of recording the band has managed to pull together four new Jeff Tweedy originals and four improvisational pieces for the record tentatively titled Decibels per Minute. Recording from their home base in Chicago, the band intends on recording several songs a week throughout the year and then pick the best cuts out for the albums release. Wilco is about to embark on a European tour to promote Yankee Foxtrot Hotel will be back in the states this summer to continue the recording process.
Around LA
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are finishing up their latest album By The Way right here on the Sunset Strip. The album, which is due this summer, is being recorded at the Sunset Strip’s infamous Chateau Marmont hotel, where Chili Pepper’s front man Anthony Keidis once lived. Like the Chili Pepper’s last release, 1999's Californication, the new album is being produced by the bearded guru, Rick Rubin.
Prog-rockers Tool are making a return appearance to LA, performing at the Forum on July 15th. This latest date marks the third time, in only 12 months, that the reclusive hard rockers will stop over in LA. Tomahawk, featuring former Faith No More front-man Mike Patton, is slated to be the opening act for several of the upcoming So Cal shows.
Pete Yorn along with Jukebox Junkies and Minibar will be performing a one-night only gig at the Wiltern Theater on June 14th. The show is notable in that all three artists have, in the past, been frequent performers at the tiny Club Largo on Fairfax. The Wiltern Theater becomes the largest Southern California venue which songwriter Yorn has headlined.
LA’s newest pop divas, Raining Jane, have just announced an early June show at the Mint on Pico. The show will follow a short Northern California tour that is set to conclude in late May.
The all female quartet recently garnered the prestigious “artist of the month” award by the LA Music Scene.com. You can check their website at www.raining
jane.com to find out all their local dates and download music.
University of Arizona favorites, Illumanati (formerly Juiceboxer) are set to relocate to Los Angeles to make noise on the local scene. Armed with a newly recorded demo the band is primed to take the LA scene by storm-keep your eyes and ears open.
CD Reviews
Peter Murphy
Dust - Metropolis 2002
Dust - Metropolis 2002
This nine song release (six new songs, two previously released, and a third seen before on a live album), is quite the departure from Peter Murphy’s earlier work, be it with Bauhaus or his extensive solo career. In each successive album we find Murphy reaching deeper and deeper into the spiritual abyss, this time reaching threshold between two worlds. The threshold between East and West, of course. With an esoteric, string-of-consciousness approach to the lyrics it manages a palatable mixture of a primarily Turkish sound, although it also incorporates Gypsy guitars alongside Aboriginal instrumentation, including tribal percussion and didgideroos, along with the usual assortment of Western instrumentation (bass guitars, synthesizers, etc). This is an album that one must allow themselves to float along with, allowing the music to insinuate itself over time. As Murphy himself once stated, “There is no God…. but God.” and his love for this dichotomy is most apparent on Dust, which can best be likened to finding an ancient treasure chest, the excitement as one reveals precious jewels not touched for thousands of years. Ahead of its’ time in 2002, it will only acquire a finer taste with age.
www.petermurphy.org - Megan Gaynes
Poison
Hollyweird – Cyanide Records 2002
Ah, Poison, they’re at it again. Since they’re formation in ’83, the Pennsylvania natives have pursued a career as notorious as amusing, with the height of their career standing alongside the likes of Bon Jovi and Def Leppard. The ‘80s hair metal excesses are still very a much a factor of these boys lives (“sex, party, and rock n’roll!!!”), and one wonders if they’re aware of the parody. Let’s hope. Either way, they manage to evoke every rock cliché from that era for this 2002 release (their ninth album to date), with their Hollywood themed album titled, of course, Hollyweird. Including a forgettable cover of the Who’s Squeezebox. Poison can be appreciated for what they are, a time capsule of a novelty act, with songs using such subjects as inspiration as: their reminisces of their many nights spent at the Rainbow Bar & Grill, menage a trois’, a Troubadour bouncers’ observation of Los Angeles girls, and their Behind to Music, yes, put to song, well, it’s something… special. Amazingly enough there is a song on the album I border on actually liking, this being the Ramones’ influenced “Home (Bret’s Story)”. All in good fun.
www.poisonweb.com. - Megan Gaynes
Shut Up Marie - Demo
Shut Up Marie’s frontwoman Annette claims Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries and Gwen Stefani of No Doubt as influences. This you can hear, along with the anger of Alanis Morrissette and plenty of Chili Pepper energy for good measure, although songs such as “Like You” really have nothing else to thank but Alanis and her trademark anger-ballads. Along with Mark “Shark” Evangelista and Bryan “New Guy” Ferguson, the three originally played the Los Angeles circuit as Breather, taking the new moniker, Shut Up Marie, from a dream Annette once had. Their first release, Demo, was recorded in the metrollopis that is the San Fernando Valley (Tarzana and North Hollywood, both ends for good measure), and since have been popping up everywhere, from appearing on CMJ’s Most Added chart last summer, “On Deck” on Album Net’s Fairly Underground chart, KROQ’s Rodney on the ROQ and Y100-Philly’s Y-Not. They’ve also headlined a few shows at Doug Weston’s Troubadour and Whisky-A-Go-Go. The energy in Shut Up Marie’s music and Annette’s voice combined is undeniable, as one can’t help but tell just how much they enjoy what they do. And hopefully, this same energy will be imparted from musician to listener. Look for their upcoming show at the Troubadour June 8.
www.shutupmarie.com -Megan Gaynes
Brian Scott Bennett
This soothing effort from film and television composer Brian Scott Bennett uses the words and affirmations of Deepak Chopra (leader in mind-body medicine, Time Magazine’s Top 100 Icons and Heroes of the Century), ‘whispered’ by Brittney Browne, and combining these with a pleasant array of piano, flute and percussion (played by Bennett himself), along with Lee Sklar (performed with James Taylor, Phil Collins, and Jackson Browne) on bass and Carl Verheyen (performed with Cher, the Bee Gees and Supertramp) on guitars. Unlike most spoken word recordings that either use consciously guided narration or subliminal tapes that bury words beneath many a layer of synthesized sound, this more natural approach is conducive to a relaxed meditation or yoga practice, not being intrusive or grating in any manner whatsoever. The nicest thing about this is the outstanding use of the violin, as it weaves its way through moment upon moment, guiding the mind along this insightful narrative.
www.therelaxationcompany.com
- Megan Gaynes
Cream of the Crop
by Scott Dudelson
The Hives The Roxy, May 27th & 28th
With the Strokes garnering a bulk of the attention, the Hives have come in under the modern rock radar. Their retro 60's look and infectious sound is sure to liven things up on the strip during their two night stand at the Roxy. If you can get past the droves of celebrities wanting to look cool these shows will kick a lot of ass.
White Stripes El Rey, May31 and June 2nd & 3rd: Supposed brother and sister Meg and Jack White have been bashing out garage rock for years now. But since their recent airplay on KROQ the band has become the sweetheart of the passionate rock revival. The duo play hard and loud. Their latest album, White Blood Cells is one of the most original sounding albums in the past few years and their live shows apparently make the songs sound better.
Trey Anastasio Greek Theatre, May 29th
The former Phish front-man, once proclaimed his band “the third greatest rock and rollers behind Frank Zappa and Tenacious D” (no argument here). How can you not want to see a man with such balls? Trey is coming back to the Greek with his 8 piece band to kick out the jams. Don’t expect any Phish tunes, but expect the Phish heads to be out in their Bathtub Gin. Rumor has it that this will be his last solo tour before the almighty Phish returns. Viva Trey.
Phil and Friends Greek Theatre, May 25th
Phil is returning for his seemingly annual Greek Theatre show. The Grateful Dead bassist will explore old Dead tunes and take them into new spacey directions. His band is filled with excellent musicians who do justice to the legacy that Jerry Garcia left behind. If you are a fan of the Dead, you will no doubt enjoy seeing Phil make his rounds. It is endearing to know that at least one surviving member of the Dead is still real cool.
Sascha: Reloads KMFDM For Another Round
Interview by Megan Gaynes
German-born Sascha Konietzko stands at the center of industrial wonders KMFDM. With a career spanning nearly 20 years he’s set to promote his newest release, Attak, with a tour of the US starting at the end of the month. Expect KMFDM to unleash its arsenal on Angelino soil June 4 at the Hollywood Palace.
M Are there any authors or philosophers you’d cite as having the most impact on you and your music?
SK No, but I’ve read a lot of literature and I’ve read a lot of philosophers. Everything we see in the context of time and the way we view our world – that goes for everything, that goes for the music that we put out today as well - a hundred years from now somebody is going to have some sort of place for it. So I guess the rambling and whatever brain orgasm that someone had two hundred years ago, that it would influence someone to the point that they adjust their entire life according to that would be pretty strange.
M What are your feelings toward politics in music. Do you think it’s a vital fusion, or do you find it to be unnecessary and distracting?
SK I think politics and music should really stay as far apart as they possibly can, it’s an unholy marriage.
M Indeed. The main difference between KMFDM and MDFMK?
SK That needs to be seen in the context of history in time. About two years ago I would have told you something and now I’m telling you that actually in hindsight there isn’t really all that much of a difference.
M Whose idea was it to cover Nancy Sinatra’s Boots?
SK The idea came up a couple of years ago, it was more like a “Hey, let’s do that sometime.” And once we had downloaded the lyrics from the internet, it was just a matter of picking up the bass guitar and going “do-do-do..”
M How did the Mysterious Ways cover come about?
SK That was actually commissioned work. We had someone call us from Cargo Records and he told us that they had a couple of bands on their roster that they had doing some cover versions. They asked us if we wanted to do one, and it just happened that back in ’92 on one of our tours we had played Mysterious Ways with a sort of a crowd teaser type thing and this guy had heard the version of it.
M Did U2 give clearance for the use of it?
SK Oh yeah. I remember that, that was a big deal. U2 back in ’92 had expressed in a couple of interviews their like for KMFDM and they said that Achtung Baby was heavily influenced by one of them listening to whatever the new KMFDM record at the time was. I couldn’t see it, but hey, you know.
M What have you been listening to lately?
SK 70’s disco music, one of my all-time faves.
M Do you see that inspiring your music, or has it already?
SK You’ve got to keep sort of involved with the context we all grew up. I mean, all of us in KMFDM are pretty much the same age group. There was a good mix of electronic crowd rock like Kraftwerk, then the happy-happy dance, and then basically it was roughly interrupted by punk rock. And so that’s kind of the elements that are combined in KMFDM – the happy, the punkish, and the electronic.
M Which do you find more destructive? Stupidity or evil.
SK Stupidity. Yeah, evil is good, evil is inherent. As long you see evil you know that there’s at least intelligence. Stupidity marks the absence of intelligence. I don’t think there is good inherent in people, or evil. I don’t believe in duality. There’s way more than two poles.
Maccaa’s Back: Paul McCartney Concert
- May 5th @ Staples Center by Jason Gross
For those of you who missed Paul McCartney’s show May 4th at the Staples Center, I sincerely apologize. Yes, it was that good. For those of you who fail to understand why this show was more than just a rock concert, I will attempt to put it into perspective. First of all, we are talking about Paul McCartney, the ex-Beatle, ex-Wings frontman and living legend extraodinaire. His music and the music of The Beatles will continue to influence generations to come, and with only two of the four Beatles around nowadays, one of which being Ringo (no offense Ringo, but you ain't no John or George,) seeing Paul live may be one of the last ways we can connect to the Beatles without having to pop in a CD or see a cover band.
Having said that, let me get into some specifics. Paul McCartney chose to open the show with "Hello, Goodbye" and this was no coincidence. He was saying "Hello" to all his fans who have not seen him play before, or at least not for the nine years since his last tour. The "Goodbye" can be interpreted as a possible goodbye to touring (let’s hope not!) or simply a goodbye until the next tour. After tickling our fancies, Paul ripped into a roaring rendition of "Jet," which is always the crowd pleaser. From that point he proceeded with a bombardment of Beatles, Wings, and solo material, pausing for only four tracks off his new album and the Oscar-nominated song "Vanilla Sky." I would love to point out the highlights of the night, but as a huge Beatles, Wings, and all-around Paul McCartney fan, I feel the whole night was pretty much a highlight. If I had to choose a favorite moment, it would have to be Paul’s tribute to former band-mates and friends John Lennon and George Harrison. Alone on stage, Paul sang "Here Today," a song based on an imaginary conversation he would have with John, were he "here today." The audience could feel the emotional outpour through Paul’s singing and the heartfelt lyrics. Paul followed thereafter with a more uplifting rendition of "Something" and various pictures of George on the big screen behind him. It was a touching moment for Paul and the entire crowd.
Paul McCartney does not have to work hard to satisfy an arena full of Beatles fans, but he does anyway. He poured his heart and soul into the music that night and connected with his fans in a way that he was never able to do in the heyday of The Beatles. That alone made the show an experience to cherish. The music will always be there for us, but being able to experience a show like this one is once in a lifetime (more than once if you are really lucky!) Rock on Paul McCartney!