Two Post-Punks from Across the Pond

Rich Creamy Paint AI}()ther piece ＨＩＨｾ｡ＬＬｾ｡ｧｦｬＬ is neither rich nor D10RDJS NIKOLIC .guitars, lush ｳｹｮｴｨｾｳｩｺ･ｲｳｯｵｧＮ､ｳ an,d ｾｰ｡ｲｴ frclii. •the debtit ｩｳｴｨＺｩｾｨ･ can staffWriter f!ayes' ｶｾ｡ｬｳ that fit perfectly ｾｰｴｯ the see a h.i(ttQtambinon.Since thi,\;.is just creamy ., pop fornrula, · t, p1} a . · ａｵﾧｳｩＮｰｯｰ､ﾵｯｓ｡ｶ｡ｧＬｾ｡ｴ､･ｲｴ KATHY TIMMINS pally cretiteel'the al contributing writer exploded onto the music scene three The question). wait £o change to come efore years ago, and there was not a single answer: of courseitdoes-tnillions indulgirtgyourself in Savage Garden. Rich Painter is a 19-year-old soul in this universe - and probably bought ｴｾ･ｦｩｲｳｴ rec:;prd and ｾｩｬｬｩｯｮｳｏｴｨ･ｲｷｩｾＺＬｹｯｵＧｕ be stuck $in$intJ]. singer I songwriter from Jacksonville, beyond f'S well - thaf did not sing a).ong will prooably buy. ｾｊ［ｴ･ second one as ··· knew I loved youi]refore l metyoµ/1 Fla. And boy, can you tell. Imagine a 'to "I Want You" and "Truly Madly well. think I dteatned yott into life ... " forw teen-aged Matthew Sweet taking over Deeply." At the same time everybody The songs on Affirmation are most- ever and ever. the lead vocals for Weezer, and you claimed they hated Savage Garden on ly about emotional truths, the break- have Rich Creamy Paint, the self-titled principle. up of ttayes' tnarrJage and similar debut of this one-boy band. Their Sophomore effort Affirmation melancholic subjects. Still, one has to Savage Garden This disc is absolutely overflowing finds Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones pay special attention to the lyrics to Affirmation with happy, cheesy, punky pop songs. in the very same territory that they suc- figure this .. out since even the §addest Columbia Ｑｾｾ "Telephone Number" is a definite head cessfully conquered with their debut. songs are oversweetened. This weird bopper; it and the slow groove of "Fall- The songs on Affirmation are as smooth, mix of upbeat tunes that are supposed ｾｾｾｾ［ｮｷｩｴｨ ( 5 } en Star" are the only highlights on this melodic and slick as anything off their to be tear-jerkers becomes annoying sophomore guitar-driven disappointment. Sadly, 11-million selling debut. With sugar* as the listener gets into the record. attempt. -4 the other tracks of this album are a bla- sweet arrangements, layers of ringing Nonetheless, what sets Affirmation tant confessional of a guy caught up in the world of gym class and junior proms. Lyrics like "you were so cool in high school" are enough to make a Two post-punks from across girl stop datinp; freshmen. This album .a ·ks the sardonic wit and social satire that make the Weez- er albums worth it. Rich Creamy Paint gives you the impression that Painter the Pond is trying way too hard to copy his There, the phenomenon has spread to The Llama Farmers are a quartet of favorite CDs, without adding anything the sacred world of rock. Every other teenage punks from suburban London clever or original. This album may tie week in the pages of the British music who have spent more time listening to you over until the next Weezer album press, critics anoint a new "Next Big Bush than Oasis or Blur, but when they comes out, but only if you listen to it Thing." Those Next Big Things inevitably go soft on their debut album Dead Let- in small doses. Better yet, rediscover come across the pond, get swatted down ter Chorus, as on songs such as "Lull," Pinkerton. by fickle American audiences and return the Farmers pick up the melancholy tre- humbled to their crumpet-eating envi- ble of the Psychedelic Furs. , rons. The guitars thunder and churn like Rich Creamy The two most recent entrants to these all good grunge should, but it just feels Paint · shores in the British Invasion sweep- like the Llama Farmers are a) British Rich Creamy Paint stakes are the Llama Farmers and the and b) about five years too late, even if Hollywood Stereophonics. they were Yanks. The only real stand- The Stereophonics are a trio from a out track is "Yellow," which aspires to This album gets tiny Welsh village led by a former screen- be an art-trash power ballad and suc- worse with ANDREW KIRKPATRICK writer who sounds like a raspier, harsh- ceeds. every listen./ 3 "". editor-in-chief er Rod Stewart. The group have become Lead singer Bernie Simpson's disaf- posterboys in England for the rock coun- fected monotone doesn't really work 1, \ Jf \... / If you've ever been sick of the hype terattack against boy and girl bands, on the faster songs - when he needs ｾＮＮＮＮＮＮＮＬｲ surrounding teenybopper acts like Brit- and their second album Performance and to scream, he can only croon mourn- ney Spears, don't ever move to Britain. Cocktails has spawned three Top 10 sin- fully- but when the Farmers give up gles in Britain. on all the post-punk affectations and As befits his screenwriting roots, just rock out like teenagers should, as singer I songwriter I guitarist Kelly Jones' on "Jessica," it works beautifully. songs tell little stories. When it works, ｾｒｯｭ｡ｮ as on "The Bartender and the Thief" and "T-shirt Suntan," it adds volumes ｾｐｩｺｺ｡ to the AC/DC-influenced punk that backs Jones' rasp; when it doesn't, as on "She takes her clothes off" or "I stopped to fill my car up," the effect is unnerving and takes away from the Specializing in great food and prompt delivel)' to song. the Uptown and Fountainbleu areas as well as With sharp melodies and tight • Tulane and Loyola Univeniities lor the past I 0 years. arrangements, the Stereophonics revi- talize the power trio concept to an extent Weekdays 11 a.m .• I a.m . Weekends 11 a.m .• 2 a.m. not seen since Nirvana. They're not exactly breaking new musical ground, but by the time Performance and Cock- tails reaches its conclusion, you won't care. arcade .

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