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| What's
on Disc by Thomas Schulte |
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ROCKING
WOMEN
Betty Blowtorch (http://www.bettyblowtorch.com)
is the new project led by former Butt Trumpet vocalist Bianca Butthole.
In the spirit of The Runaways with the unabashed crudity afforded
by these days the group rocks hard and sings proud about fast sex
in a fast life on Are You Man Enough? (Foodchain; http://www.foodchainrecords.com).
A monster rock sound comes from the production and engineering talents
of Matt Hyde (Monster Magnet, Porno for Pyros). Violet Skin (http://www.violetskin.com)
is an all-female Detroit indie rock quartet that offers a more restrained
post-punk power pop on Kabuki (Violet Skin, POB 833, R.O. MI, 48068).
Jill Jones (http://www.jilljones.net)
teams up with multi-instrumentalist Chris Bruce on Two (DAV Music,
http://www.davmusic.com).
Formerly part of the Paisley Park revue, this party girl sheds her
trend-pop image to emerge as a sophisticated rock lyricist and vocalist
on Two. The Franc Graham Band features journeyman drummer Billy
Conway (Morphine) and other experienced and able players backing
singer-songwriter Franc Graham on Sugar Tree (http://www.cdfreedom.com).
Her blues-inflected rock is electric poetry, rock with emotion.
Her understated, mature rock music has a snaky, tough groove. Leslie
Nuss launches from the cover of Action Hero Superstar (Littleleaf
Records; http://www.leslienuss.com)
with a cape and a bold look. The tough exterior of this packaging
belies the artful sensitivity of the heartfelt pop inside.
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| AUGUST
2001 REVIEWS >>>>>>>>>> |
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Dave
Carter & Tracy Grammer
Drum Hat Buddha
Signature Sounds Records
http://www.signature-sounds.com
http://www.daveandtracy.com
Drum Hat Buddha is an exquisite album, an acoustic masterpiece of
timeless beauty. Dave Carter is an understated guitarist and non-flashy
banjo player that seems a figure out of dustbowl folk. Perfectly
complementing is Tracy Grammer a warm, melodic mandolin and fiddle
player breathing spring into each song (even when she is not singing).
Songs like "Disappearing Man" exhibit a haunting, sublime poetry
of the type not expected in Americana of any stripe. Drum Hat Buddha
is a peerless and classic album. (5) |
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Figures
at Dawn
In From the Cold
Bullseye Records of Canada
http://www.bullseyecanada.com/
This 1986 record comes from the height of the Figures at Dawn arc.
The voice of singer Suzanne Palmer makes the strength of the songs
come through the dated productions and arrangements. But the very
fact that such '80's sounds were so song-oriented allows for some
longevity and their "In From Cold" figured in a 1997 Beverly Hills
90210 episode. This CD reissue places the Canadian keyboard pop
rock in their rightful place as mid-'80's creators of enduring music.
(3) |
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Shannon
Wright
Dyed in the Wool
Quarterstick Records, POB 25342, Chicago, IL 60625
PJ Harvey's earliest material evidenced a fierce, dark post-pop
sound. Shannon Wright picks up where she left off with her mysterious
melodies. Supported by piano melody and occasional strings, her
honest, revealing lyrics are delicate as they are piercing. Wright
is a talented multi-instrumentalist, but what will stay most with
the listener are her complex lyrics. In the context of her songs,
lines like "these tanks bore their wintry weight" open several layers
of meaning. Each song can be approached from a new angle. On Dyed
in the Wool, Shannon Wright is as a sophisticated and unflinching
songwriter of exquisite musicianship and authenticity. (4.5)
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_________________________________
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DID
YOU MISS ANY OF TOM SCHULTE'S REVIEWS?
BACK ISSUES:
1999
| JULY | AUGUST
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2000
| JANUARY | FEBRUARY
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MAY | JUNE
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2000 |
JULY | AUGUST
| SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER
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2001 | JANUARY | FEBRUARY
| MARCH | APRIL
| MAY | JUNE
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2001 | JULY |
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_________________________________
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Outsight
brings to light non-mainstream music, film, books, art, ideas and
opinions.
Published, somewhere, monthly since July 1991. Feel free to re-print
this article.
Ratings are (1) = :(, (5) = :)
"Don't be normal, be natural!"
Visit or Join Outsight's Web ring: http://d.webring.com/hub?ring=music1432
Outsight Radio Hours Webcasts
Sundays 6pm-8pm EST @
http://www.outsight.mu
NEW MAILING ADDRESS:
Tom 'Tearaway' Schulte,
5224 Shoreline Blvd.,
Waterford, MI 48329-1670
E-mail Outsight at: outsight@usa.net
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_________________________________
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Current
reading list:
"How to Get Things Done" (David Allen)
"News Dissector" (Danny Schechter)
"The Oak and the Calf: A Memoir"
(Autobiogaphy of Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn)
John Belushi biography "Wired" (Woodward)
"From Dawn to Decadence" (Jacques Barzun)
"Small Change: A Life of Tom Waits" (Patrick Humphries)
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