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WIDESPREAD PANIC
Light Fuse Get Away
Capricorn Records
This new 19-song live album from
Athens' Widespread Panic covers
almost three hours' worth ot Panic
material. Irom Iheir debut Space
Wrangler lo Ihe recent Bombs AnO
Butterflies The tracks average around 8
minutes in length Luckily, these guys
can play the hell out their instruments
and take turns soloing, Irom guitar and
bass to organ to drums and percussion
It's a must-have lor the hard-core tan. a
trophy lor the Athens music aficionado,
but a snore lor those looking for a np-
roarmg rock record
The two-disc album's impressive
packaging leatures a clever Chinese
firecracker motif, warning Caution
Loud Report’ and ‘Use Only Under
Close Adult Supervision ’ While these
tracks don't exactly explode in the man
ner suggested bv the artwork, they
reveal a dynamism olten missing on
Widespread's studio albums The band
rocks m its own mild way. and Ihe ener
gy grows more pronounced Ihe more
one listens It serves more as an honest
well-recorded documentary ot the
bands career (thanks in part to John
Keane's production) — more like the
Jam's Soap'collection than, say the
radical reinterpretations ot a catalog
found on The Who's Live A; Leeds
Singer J B Bell belts it out with
more ot a growt while on stage than in
the studio While Ihe tempo is decidedly
slowef than the studio versions, many
songs take their time lo build up. per
haps creating a more effective sense ot
tension and release as they wind down
into the next track Some songs like
’Conrad,’ 'Love Tractor ' and ’Travelin'
Light’ sound downright sinister The
band hangs like pros with saxophonist
Branford Marsalis on the unusually
ja/zy 'Pickin' Up The Pieces,' stomps
around with some 70s funk on the tune
’Greta’ and gives the drummers some
on 'Drums ’
While following ihe original song
structures, the band regularly adds
extended improvisational iams and
solos onto the end ot almost every
track, allowing the band to stretch out.
go out on a limb and iam it up
Sometimes il's ditlicult to tell where one
song stops and where another starts,
usually with light pe'cussion chattering
in the background For example, the 14-
minute version ol ’Diner' slowly dissi
pates into ’Wondering’ without a break
m Ihe heal The final track. ’Pigeons.’
switches gears suddenly with or*, of the
album's more grinding, bass-driven
iams Slill. fans looking lor light three-
minute pop songs are going to be
mighty bored
Another warning label on the album
artwork reads "Extra Selected Quality
Enjoy The Show.’ which gets at Ihe real
point ol this collection Light Fuse Jet
Away is enjoyable lor those initiated. It s
lust about two hours loo long lor those
uninitiated (Capricorn Records. 1100
Spring Street. Atlanta. GA10309)
Ballard lesemanr.
HEROIC DOSES
TBA
Sub Pop
This is the first album by Sub
Pop's new recording artisans. Quite the
indie rock all-star line up Bill Dolan
Irom 5ive Style. Ryan Rapsys of
Euphone. and Nick Macn of C-Clamp
Heroic Doses play textured rock, no
vocals in Ihe vein ol Don Caballero,
but experiment more with guitar tones
The ever-exoanding genre ol electrom-
ca has slithered its way into their
music as well evident in track 9. ’Ollie
Oxen Free’ with it's spacey. ambient
leel. and track 11. "Is She Queer 7 ', a
veritable Super Mario Bros theme
song Very fun These guys do a great
job keeping their instrumental styling
from becoming background music An
enormous feat in my ‘short attention
span’ estimation
Jessica Lawson
SERVOTRON
Entertainment Program For
Humans (Second Variety)
Lookout Records
Servotron's second lul!-ienglh
album reveals the robot band's
inevitable sophomore (sophomoric 7 )
dtlemma As with iheir previous mater
ial. the band goes tor lull novelty value,
posing as robots hell-bent on intiltrat
ing the earth-bound experience But
Servotron is too good lo be taken as a
loke. and Ihe joke is too obscufed by
solid songwnling to be very funny
Two of these robotic Servolroners
also play in Man Or Astroman 7 . who
blend surt guitar and punk rock with a
NASA/space travel visual theme
Servotron. on Ihe other hand, blend
late 70s 'new wave” with
compuler/robo! themes It works better
on stage than here However the type
ol 'new wave’ they utilize has tar more
in common with relatively obscure
material Irom bands like Devo. Pere
Ubu, Tubeway Army. Wall Ol Voodoo
and Wire than something on an MTV
80s Flashback show
The guitar lines. keyboard/Moog
nourishes and still drum parts on
’Erotomalica,’ ’Pel Machine’ and
‘Embryo Electro’ sound like the results
ol collaborations with Mark
Mothersbaugh from 78-79 — like, lor
sure, totally The nasal robot-voice
vocals are gelling a little old. but the
backing tracks still kick
The interplay between the male and
lemale vocals, as welt as the placement
ot guitar solos, drum tills, starts and
stops are all well-orcheslrated and
arranged, which may be Ihe problem
with Entertainment Program Il’s
catchy stuff that's almost loo good for
the gimmickry
On 'Pel Machine’ and ’The
Human Virus.’ the band yelps out lor
understanding and acceptance It's that
age-old ’you're a computer machine
incapable o! emotion’ problem. ’Serve.
Obey. Guard Men From Harm.’ leatur-
ing the best bass line on Ihe album,
also show the robot's allegiance/envy
toward humans
This album could signal
Servotron's fork in the information
superhighway they should either stiff
en up Iheir overly-human perfor
mances (like Ihe somewhat loose drum
tracks) or shed the costumes and
shamelessly play their catchy, pogo-
post-punk lull throttle Kiss lost the
make-up Maybe Servotron can lose
Ihe suits (Lookout Records. PO Box
11374. Berkeley. CA 94712-2374)
Ballard Lesemann
WHY NOT SMILE?: That's the newest R.E.M. song to be
released. It will be out on a CD compilation in early June
which comes free with the annual music issue of Oxford
American magazine. The CD also contains an unreleased Vic
Chesnutt song, and the issue includes a feature story by
Athens writer/historian John Seawright on Blind Tom
Wiggins. The Oxford American is frequently hard to find in
Athens so if Barnetts runs out, call (800) 269-6926 to order.
The issue hits the newsstands on June 2 but you can order
now. You may also order by mail. Write: Oxford American, c/o
Angela McCord, PO Box 1156, Oxford, Mississippi 38655 Be
sure to ask for Issue No. 2122 (S10.50 per copy).
ADVANCE TICKETS ON SALE NOW: Tickets for Better Than Ezra
(with 3 lb. Thrill opening) show Wednesday, May 27 are sell
ing quickly. They are available at the usual places downtown.
Tickets are also available for the June 5 show of The
Connells.
Nuci Phillips Pholo by Pamela Pecchlo
ONLY WHEN THE RIGHT SIDE GLOWS: The CD I mentioned
recently by Koncak, the band consisting of the late Nuci
Phillips, is now available. The recording was finished up with
the help and love of Nuci’s fnends. Playing on the 12-track
CD are David Barfoe, Kyle Spence, Terrance Mayo, and Jer.y
Fuchs. Others who worked to bring this project to fruition are
Tom Lewis (recording and mixing), Rocketsound (recording),
Rob Gal's Snack V Shack (mixing), John Keane's Studio
(recording), Marc Pilvinsky (layout), and Pam Peccio and
Meilin Ehlke (photos). In the liner notes David Barbe says,
"He fNuci] was a combination of brilliance and fragility; a
mix of exuberance and deep depression that was obviously
hard to express to others. To watch him play guitar was to
watch someone lost in an impermeable zone of release. He
was genuinely loved by all that knew him. We miss him."
ATTENTION KELLY HOGAN FANS: One of Kelly's fans has put
together a really cool website. Pictures, tours, interviews,
cool stuff. Everything Kelly Hogan! http://www.revelstone.
com/-rstory/
HEADING WEST: Madison House Promotions is moving its
entire office to Boulder, C , ' , .j. the end of the month. You can
still reach Nadia Prescher via e-mail. Nadia's is
Nadia@madisonhouseinc.com
ANOTHER ATHENS MUSIC FESTIVAL: This summer Kindercore
Records and Hey Buddy Records (along with some other
folks) will be putting on a music festival. Opening night is
July 8 at the Ultramod Compound ("The wha?" you ask, to
which I reply, "Call 613-2331 for details") and the rest of the
shows will take place at the 40 watt on July 9, 10 and 11.
Bands confirmed at this writing are: The Minders, The Push
Kings, The Teacups, Darting Little Jackhammer, Junior
Varsity, Kincaid, Gritty Kitty, The Masters of the
Hemisphere, Aden, True Love Always, The Olivia Tremor
Control, Neutral Milk Hotel The Autumn Teen Sound, Elf
Power, dunnygrunt, Wotfie, Of Montreal Dressy Nessy, The
Marble Index, and The Pecan Sandies. Stay tuned for more
announcements.
That’s it for this week. Suminer is definitely here. Drink plenty
of fluids. Stay in the shade. Listen to music. E-mail me at
Deb3691938@AOL.COM or leave stuff for me at Flagpole.
Thanks. Have fun out there!
285 W. Washington St. Athens, GA
Call 549-7871 for Show Updates
www.40Watt.com
Wc serve Righteous Juices
Wednesday, may 27
Better
Than Ezra
3 LB THRILL
doors upon at 9:30pm ten dollars advance tix
thursday, may 28
Olivia Tremor
Control
' MACHA
five dollars
doors open atlOpin
friday. may 29
Soul Miner's
Daughter
JOSH JOPLIN BAND
doors open at 9:30pm .....five doll;
Saturday, may 30
9th Annual
Boybutante Ball
doors open at 9|>m
12 dollars advance tix
mouday, june 1
£ Flicker 3
Film Night
doors open at 8pm
tuesday, june 2
Sex Show
DIMEBAG • AVISO
SEXY SHARKS
doors open at 8pm four do!
The Connells 6-5 TIX ON SALE NOW
Tamjny Wynette Tribute 6-13
Versus 6-25
+ m • •
• • » W «. • i
MAY 27,
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