NOTES PROM THE G.M.
Ah, yes, our beloved radio station, WTUL while in its search to play the most varied music, respects no confines as our derisory, cowardly, 1he Vox, a ~non .. competitors who are so apt to follow the main ptAb/ic.at,·on stream and whose playlists are dictated by cyc ti1Jy lopean program directors in an attempt to convey a message of hipness, rebellion, and angst fall of WTUL q /. ~ FM short of mediocrity. Clearly these stations are lost in past, fotgetten epochs, unworthy of em Issue qz·th~ ulation. It would be most beneficial for these "rockers" to read the complete works of Che Guvera. Returtt. ~ RE E The purpose of WTUL is to liberate the listeners from immersing themselves in the big disgrace of 5o rl' y flo bac }< commercial alternative rock. The uninitiated may at first find some of the music completely in ,· S$lA t e; comprehensible, but it is this dissipation into e J. Wr ,· the airwaves of pregnant possibility that our impetus stems. Our soUnd is led by a young man, voxl E'd.'tor partially blind (which makes his hearing keener) W TVL Ba.re~en+ who once followed the path of Asian gangs, robbing 1 banks and fetishizing guns. His father, formely a of the c.) Kamen Rider speaks of his only son, "Kaiju no om v. r£1- ocha wa ka-tte kure-nai?! !" Crying everynight, away ~from home, learning the ways of the street. lc~ll e vf\ •· vers,t 1, His name is , Anthony Delrosario. Standing at s·s~. His body is adorned and scarred by his tough and troubled past full of hardships. It is Anthony's Ne. w or/e attf, lit duty to control and monitor the §OU~ that emits from our beloved station. Unlike the cyclops whose ?UI If. e~ ~ foo tuX systems exhaust musical exploration, Anthony is the "invisible pancit" that fuels ourDJs of a new Erlitor :If r t Boon .. sound to go beyond the tradition notions of rock musiC and musical genre. A musical revolt, per pfAr n , De .r ,· ~ , : haps. With glorius futility I echoe Jonathan Rich man's Modern Lovers proclamation, "Eat garbage, eat shit, get stoned!" Reactionist, Turbo radio ltt-hottt DelpinQ 1 you can say. A reaction to the disenfranchisement of the young by hip pop culture and mtv. Our re (?ra,.olo Cow~ft 1 sponse? To set the stage for a most compelling exercise of freedom through the destruction of ~Art, L~.JyoiAt: Art idols. Then there is the wanton and scruffy Matt Hanks, a virtual encyclopaedia· of music, working VIr ,·ter .r r Cotatrib aiongside the "invisible pancit" to ensure that the new DJs are not confused with our refusal to «Aftrs: Je~11t J(o,A/ big T-shirts and Eurometal. Jane "the little dy namo" Ko, our ticket goddess, and the middle link An Ji,o"t, MQtt H. to WTUL's "Asian Connection" makes sure that DJs 1 are disseminated throughout the various musical frr t, 6ill Cree), clubs each night calculating every move of the pawns. My child, Jia, ~ of the Pakistani twins, ~rQhclo, mark is a rich jewel, a young tiger. Any OJ that falls into the cradle of the corrupt whether purposely, fthesfer Loa,.i.s I unknowingly, or insanely will become a victim of I her SWift and bold actionS.HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHKH As I reflect, I rejoice! Gone are the days of frenc,~ ~"'Y H1at Chris Liddy, Bobby Hathaway, Ivan, John Maraist, Randy Cartwright, and Ardis Eschenberg. All form- ~lltt.J~1( hCJit~ oc.-tt T1Alfi!IJ er GM's unaware of the possibilites and fruits a+ 1 of WTUL through the annihilation of the limited. The Futurist Manifesto announces that previous WTUL lfrd'1,ofly, Lester history is a dungheap not to be imitated. I invite you to listen to our sound, come over and eat some Sc..lJ,·vafl, Lt,k "pancit" or "gaeng" during our insurrection against commerial radio. H4 AJ1 8r /c, e , D£?11~ Cordially Yours, ~orf, .St111art BrJZ 1 ~~ r~te f I t /ft1 H., flf'r'j Brandon Cowart General Manager of WTUL ® Yeah, okay, I confess I did attend Zephyrfest (the mini-Lollapaloosa sponsored by the oxymoronic "popular alternative" New Orleans radio station WZRH - more popularly known as the Zephyr ••• because people seem to think that sounds neat). I am not sure exactly why I went. I wish I had a good reason. I can't quite remember, but I think I might have been fairly eager to see a couple of bands - like Violent Femmes, Material Issue, maybe Dig ... I know I had no desire to see either Offspring or the LEmonheads; • and most of the other bands didn't inspire strong feelings in me one way or the other. Unlike many of my friends, I've never had the opportunity to leave a concert, festival, party, etc. in the back of a police car. That, however, was my means of arrival at Marconi -~~~~·• Meadows in City Park, the site of Zephryfest '94. (What's the point of calling it Zephryfest ~ if there l~~~~~~ are no other Zephryfests with which to confuse it?) Unfortunately, the reason ., - ,.y~--r---.. ~ why my friends and I arrived in a Howwouldyouliketobeadisc police car is not nearly as exciting as jockey on New Orlean's true the mere fact that we did arrive in such a manner. As such, I won't explain alternative station? Be able to play it any further in an attempt to refrain musicnotheardonanyotherstation from disappointing you. intown.RoomsfullofCDsand Once the policeman let us out ot the vinyl. car, we stood in line tor a while. As Wearelookingformembersofthe far as "whiles" go (particularly in T conjunction with fest iva 1 s and u1 ane community (student, staff, r.J concerts), this one was fairly short, alumni,faculty)thatwant lobe ~·though the line itself was a bit long. involvedwiththebestinalternative ~ Fortunately, the line came equipped jazz, blues, folk, latin, techno, rap, ' •. with entertainment: people who hovered world, reggae, new age, classical, about trying to stick red plastic hardcore, cajun, and local music. loops around people's wrists. Apparently~~~~:!~~~~~~~!!!!~~ the beer vendors had not been informed ~ that the drinking age in New Orleans was twelve, and if the Zephyrfesters For FREE information about fall recruiting tQa!Oa:;·.u~.wllt'IJ~IGcic~~-.4tm didn't~ave their "beer bracelets" to send this coupon to: I use as I. D.; six thousand teenagers WTilL would have been deprived of their Tulane University Center beer. Attn: Apprentice Dir. once we were within the confines of Marconi Meadows Property (okay, so NOLA 70118 I'm guessing on this ... I'm no expert on City Park geography), we realized why the tickets were under fifteen ' dollars. Sixteen ounces of water was selling for two dollars, and you could use your nifty red bracelet to claim ~ - ·::~f~~~-t~t fff'L z.e r" phert '""'t; 1)1.4~ J .. ...
lege of ng a go-cup full of beer ... and people buy them. The day was hot, and there was little, if any, cloud cover to protect us from the devasting radiant energy with which the sunwas taking great joy in mercilessly pounding us. Anyway, most of the bands were mediocre. There were, of course, a couple of exceptions. The first band take the stage was Eve's Plum (named after, or so I've been told, the actres who played Jan Brady). I'd peripherally heard of them sometime •round last Thanksgiving when they played in New Orleans, but I didn't remember ever actually having heard them and had few if any expectations. This allowed me to be impressed ... very impressed ... impressed to the point that I acquired~~~a8~~t~~~~~~=~ their album within about twenty-four 8 hours of having first heard them. Local band, Better Than Ezra was the second band to play. Whoever was at the mixing board did them a great injustice, though, and (though the fault might lie with the technical staff) they really weren't Better Than anyone besides Milla. Milla, the model/actress/singer (notice which I put last) was billed as the guest emcee. (Upon asking who Milla was, I was informed by one of my friends that she was the star of Return to the Whatever-Color-Lagoon-It-Was-That-Di Have-the-Monster-in-It.) I think that~&v-.~ the best way I could describe Milla would be to call her a petulant brat. She didn't act as emcee - instead she tried to sing. Almost before she began, we were chastised for not ~.-~ paying attention and "really listen to what she was trying to say with he music. Even decent acoustic backup (a mandolin!) wasn't enough to save her. ass the time le mos
1. tr(- Before-oY{sp.ru~gCam·e· -0~ stage it looked, felt, and sounded like rafn, pe:haps even a storm, was imminent. Th~s was an exciting prospect but • ( llke most exciting prospects} it never
ha~pened. In any case Offspurt took L~ qu1te a while to appear, and the emcee c)> CJ):l) ~~~../~....'.'~I"~J'...... AIIl •• •.•.•.· :::!-i in the meantime, was doing his best to z '-'- psyche up the crowd and build up the )>)> anticipation. Amusingly, his best ()() wasn't very good (mostly consisting oO CDCD of urging the crowd to yell "keep it separated"), and it went on for quite awhile until one of my friends said, "Wouldn't it be great if they sucked?" They did. It wasrlt. Dig was pretty good. Their lead vocalist came out dressed in a parka stuffed full of water bottles that he distributed to the crowd. Other , adequate-or-better performances were ' put on m by Deadeye Dick, Material Issue, The Smithereens, and the Violent ' Femmes. Possum Dixon did a medley of .MICIOCMifllf' X·: «.LJ"II'Jtii7"""W."A•,.. • ._,...... ,._ of Madonna songs. Perhaps the most exciting part of Zephyrfest, though, was when the crowd was introduced to or. Randall House, whose initials grace the call letters of WZRH. (No it wasn't a dyslexic attempt to
the Violent Femmes due to the heat and extreme hunger (as it was, we'd been there for over six hours), and had to miss the Lemonheads and Lucy • s · fur CoAt. If you care, ask someone else how the were. --"'I(JQ''A During the Violent Femm;s' set, I w~s standing next to a red haired · ~~-- - girl i~~!_sguldn't figure it out ... mud- n a long wnite sundres -~fth the ~~~:~e=tmosh~rs pushing through~ bit ran om, she became a upset and her dress a bit b .. While wonderin h rown. a white d g w Y she was wearing Fest (as ~e;: at the Caucasian Hormone it) a d iend of mine referred to ' mu -covered shoe of flew out of the pit i t some sort and over the crowd Cth~ o the air, uncommon occurance) an~ wa~ not an RARE I~PORTS dirt from said shoe,hit a iunk of ( me n the COLLECTABLES :r~e)~ bit more on the uncommon 735 OCTAVIA NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA So what did I get out of m 7 0 I 1 5 Zephyrfest experience? Unfortu~ate PHONE& FAX (though perhaps predictabl ) ly no4lt97-903o much besides a nasty sunbu~n' ~~t too visioin, and a few days of im~air~~ry hear ng. CO I • LP I • t 2 ' t • 7 ' t CASStflES • VIOEOS PO$ ff R$ •PE RIOOtCALS by Stuart P. Broz ·' The aardvark, about six feet long, is found in Africa~.lj)j~Y:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~::: t e rJ ft" 1 s e 1f to t k t f\1>.1.4 ~ i c. o f : •l P~ ~ l E PP A RV · fA~M l~f fDil~R
H; , t ~ t r e. has,. ·t b ee ~ a" i 1 s e of tJ.e Vox fo,. tl cotArle o~ years cos' (he s"~ool '"'t o~r b..,d~e.t. Well, ,.ow tJte Vox- a s lA P tJ ,. tJ r 1.4 " , ;I) 9 ' ! t¥- ~ z w " .r ,,. -1
to~ethe,r w•"f~ot.At a•t fa,ry ,oo,e. # PIQ Ker f~" 0 ~reti"S So :I lASed q DEA( JESVS sf'"lle/ayo,.f. Mc..c..4 t'lt(}~tl<..r p, ffrt~ttrJo ",.J oa.r SftJ~to~".S- Here's a b,..t FriJ~t~t !r11DI.UT6LY ZIPPo tolttl.lf l'eor a,.,·~~ the way yo"' #.,it}(. c.hee,.s, rt * ** SPEAKS **
To my fellow Tulanians:
I've been asked to write a few words for Y'all. A hearty "welcome back" then, to those of you who are returning, and a warm welcome to all you new arrivals! People frequently inquire into the specifics of my business here on our beautiful campus, so I felt I should take this opportunity to elaborate, briefly, on the nature of my activities. At least one rather unobservant indivual has insinuated that I loiter, and I've even been advised by one or another "stu dent" on occasion, that I should "get a job." To address the insinuation I would reply that nei -. ther "aimless lingering" nor "passing time in an idle or aimless manner," would constitute an ~cc urate assessment of my activities here at Tulane. r do have an aim here, and I am hardly idle in my pusuit of that aim. My primary aim is to achieve an exchange of information and philosophical ideas with many different people. To facilitate this ob- " jective I have made it a point to be open to con- ~ versation with all who approached me with a measure ~ of civility. I've held fast to standard, even with . a few who seemed to have been cultivating a contempt 1 for me they found diffic~lt to conceal. This process of exchanging information, incidentally, is commonly ' known as "education," and as Tulane University still, Le. t' .S ~o\ in these times of accelerating change, purports to be an educational institution, I do not believe an endeavor along the lines of that which I have un dertaken ought to be regarded as wholly out of place here. Other cerebral pursuits I've undertaken here include the memorization and recitation of poetry. I feel there · are few places more appropriate than a lovely university campus for activites such as these, and those of you who have been around a while know that, in partaking of them, I've been anything but idle. I do feel a measure of sympathy for the indivual who insinuated that I loiter. To be far so removed from the realm of reality, one must surely be horribly overworked or the victim of some form of significant duress. I have elected to make it my business to follow along after the calling I've outlines aboved. So, to the "student" who would advise me to "get a job" I can only reply, "I've got one. Why not take some of your own advice?" Now to those of you who really are serious students, I want to tell you how very much I enjoy my work. Because of Y'all I think I must have the very best job ever! Once again, welcome, and I hope all of you are, like myself, looking fprward to a great semester!
Louis '3) S fon~.J Gumby's Holiday Special ( 19611 - (Iokey vide() foreign Hated ( 19931 - Phillips Hearts of the West I 19751 - Zleff clardcr In Old Chicago (19381 -H. King @~fr®WrnJ@fro Inside MoniJ:ey Zetlertand I 19931 ogay/lerblan - Leuy Jesus Chrtst Superstar ( 19751 line arh - Jewlson experimental Joy Luck Club (19931- w. wang Mar1: of Zorro (19181 - Mamoullan Les Mlserables ( 19781 - Jordan Naked I 19931 - Leigh Of Human Bondage ( 19641 - Hughes 11 am-10 Ortando ( 19931 - Potter NEW RRRIURLS Philadelphia 119931- Demme Rge of Innocence ( 19931 - Scorcese Plano ( 19931 - Campion Rll the Mornings In the World I 199:51 Red Rock West I 19931 - Dahl - Comeau, France Remains of the Day 119931 - luory Bitter Tea of General Yen I 19:521 Ruby In Paradise ( 199:51 - Nunez -Capra SeN, Drugs, Rock I> Roll ( 19911 Crime 1> Punishment I 19781 - McNaughton - Kulljanou, Russia Short Cuts I 19931 - Allman Cruising (19881 - Frtedkln Streetcar Named Desire 11951) Dar1: Mirror 119461- Slodmak - Kazan, Director's Cut El Dorado I I 9661 - Hawlc:s Tree of Wooden Clogs (19781 Fall of the Roman Empire (I 9641 - Dlml, Italy -Amann
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cover: VNWOU/V.D Pk~to ~-f'f(a 11~-IOPM rJ SUM r I M-9PM
l!J i ACandid Conversation_.. . . ~ - Wit
.• PAVEL,ENT "Oeml> 11 t ton ~ I
The first time I saw sometimes assholes Pavement their singer are cool. As is the reminded me of some case with Pavement. kinda boarding school Pavement were inter punk. They looked viewed by Matt and like a bunch of ass Jia on April 14. holes on stage. But Transcribed by Art. WTUL : Did you enjoy making the video? Mark: Yeah. West: One, day pretty painless. WTUL: I heard there was another version, where you all are playing on the TV in the background. West: Nah, we were thinking about making WTUL: What do you guys think of one that way, but we didn't. Morrissey? Mark: Scott considers it to be another Mark: To tell you the truth I really don't complete version, It's somewhat flawed. have much of an opinion of Morrissey cause 1 What it is is there was a TV set in the was never a Smiths fan and never really background that had a video playing of us in heard his solo stuff. I do like some of the Steve's loft fucking around. Smiths songs I've heard though. I really West: We put the recorder on manual and couldn't tell you much about em'. they stuck that on the TV, and then they West: I don't have too much of an opinion filmed it with good film. I don't know if it's except for when I was a janitor I used to actually been done completely, it's just a clean up theaters to his songs. They had few seconds on the actual video. one of his albums. I always appreciated and Mark: It's not a video it's some good footage liked it, and I'm glad he's still making music. of the band being obscene. WTUL: That was just a reference to the WTUL: Dan Koretsky of Drag City directed 120 Minutes Interview that Pavement did. the video, has he done any others? What did you all think of that Interview? I West: Not that I know of. thought it was pretty funny. Mark: I know that was his first video, 1 don't Mark: I liked it. Pretty much everyone know if he's done anything since then. There standing around behind the cameras was was another idea for the video that he had laughing, and I thought It was cool because which was just a line of people kissing each what I realized about Lewis Largent is that o~her sitting next to each other turning he's not really the fool that I thought he k1sslng one person then that person kisses was. Well he really doesn't know a lot about the next person going down the line until we the bands he's talking to, but he actually would be at the end kissing each other. may know a little more than you think. I think West: Sort of along the lines of that old that one of the reasons that people may Coke ad "I'd like to teach the world to sing• not like him is that he's not very comfortable with everybody on the hill. doing what he does, and I think that when WTUL: So, you've got a day off tomorrow in Bob and Steve were joking around with him New Orleans are you just gonna sleep or try that he was a little more comfortable, and It to see any sights? wasn't as annoying as normal so that was Mark: We're gonna drink hurricanes man. kind of interesting to see. All: Ha, ha, hee, hee, ho, he WTUL: It always seems that there are """' Jia: Huk, huk, huk rough spots In every Interview he does. ~ Mark: and eat muffaletta sandwiches. Mark: Would you consider the one Wt! did to not be one of those cases? WTUL: I thought It was really funny. West: But he didn't make it funny, we did. ~{~ Mark: I think that Bob especially helped him out, Steve actually was working against him. Steve sort of froze in front of the cameras. Then there was this thing when he said, "You ~m misinterpreted me for the second time• or ; whatever. It was like a good . cop bad cop Interview. Pavement playing good cop bad cop with Lewis Largent. West: We're gonna go to Mardi Gras. WTUL: So you've played 120 Minutes now, WTUL: So what other bands have you been have you had any other offers from other \-- in? I know the Useless Playboys just did an TV shows to play? interview at the radio station recently and West: Yeah, yeah we do. We're going to be :;;;:: one of em' said they used to be in a band playing the Jay Leno Show. with you (West). Is that true? West: Useless Playboys? WTUL : Really/ Om/ gawdl (energetically) l' J WTUL: No, not with Useless Playboys, but When? with one of their members. West: I can't believe it either. Matador is West: Who are they? not a small label as we used to consider it. WTUL: They're from Richmond, Virginia, and They've got a publicist that kicks butt. She ~ he said that he knew you. comes up to us with these things like 120 West: I know one guy I didn't know he was in Minutes well, we never thought we'd be on a band. He's supposed to come tonight. His 120 Minutes, we never thought we'd be on l ' 1 name is John Dedric, real tall, kinda good MTV. I never thought our video would be looking guy. shown on MYV. · WTUL: Can't remember I wasn't there. WTUL: Had you all made any other, videos West: Oliver's gardenl before ·cut your hair?" WTUL: Stephen has just joined us, have Mark: No. ~ anything to say? {),.. Stephen: Hello. ! I I . .. • WTUL: We already asked what them what...... ~ ·-·------e ·.·.·- • e e I • they thought of Morrissey, and I guess you J • • WTUL: Lines like "Toffee runs slow· I don't already explained yourself pretty well on know what that meant, but I think It sounds 120 Minutes. really good. Stephen: What did I say? Did I say anything? Stephen: Where's that come from? WTUL: You said you liked the song titles WTUL: It's on "range life". ll. didn't you? • • • West: Talk becomes slow. 1 Stephen: Yeah, maybe I did. WTUL: What did you say? • WTUL: Did you enjoy that Interview? • Stephen: Oh, "Talk becomes slow•. Stephen: I loved it, It was great. You know, I • WTUL: Aaah, I always thought It was had to put on kind of a game face, and "Toffee comes slow• like the candy. pretend like I didn't, but it was just • Stephen: That's good. like ... (sigh) WTUL: In "Cut your hair" you start saying West: Stephen. "career" first. Do you change it to "Korea?" • ~ WTUL: Are you excited about playing the • Stephen: Yeah, more or less. Black Francis, Jay Leno Show? • he would have done that in his good days. Stephen: Well, we try not to think about It • WTUL: Do you guys watch much TV? 1 as Jay Leno, we try to think about the Stephen: Only on tour. tradition of the Tonight Show with Johnny t • • • Carson, you know and forget that lena's ., • even there, maybe Leno'll be sick or • • WTUL: Cause you've got a TV in the van something, and we'll get a break. ~ • • right? It's a sty/in' van by the way. WTUL: Well, you can hang out with • Editor: I can hear Bailter Space doing a Branford. • • sound check in the background. West: Leno, man he does some really good Stephen: It's gonna be hard for you to stuff, I don't know if he's that good on a translate this. whim. , WTUL: I think It is. Stephen: He's been funny? When? Editor: Yeah, it is. • West: He did the best stuff on the old Stephen: Let's go somewhere else. Hey, my c Letterman episodes. Whenever Jay Leno cousin went to school at Tulane. • would come on I would just be in tears. It Editor: Outside now. • was great. WTUL: Who does the artwork for the covers? 1 Stephen: I just remember him from- Dorito Stephen: I've done the last few, it's very ·------difficult to gel it together. • ads. ' WTUL: I saw him on an old episode of WTUL: They definately have a specific style, e Welcome Back Kotter, and he couldn't have and it seems like a lot of bands are copying • even been twenty and that sort of cut and paste thing. e West: Whoah .. Stephen: Yeah, we've been copying too sort 1 WTUL: He was playing a kid in high school. of from other places like the art world. e West: A little brat. WTUL: Like who? I WTUL: It was hilarious, he had a big afro. So Stephen: like John Boborsario or people like It let's talk about the music a little bit. Are you that who did a ripoff of that style, but I have I happy with the way things are going with noticed it's kind of popular now. It could just Jill'• the new album. Seems like it's doing really be a 90's trend. I could take credit for it. •well. WTUL: Do you think you'll stick with that? Stephen: It's not doing that well, but we're Stephen: No, we have to leave it. I don't happy with it. know what to do about it. Have someone Mark: We're happy with how it sounds and else do the covers. playing 80 % of the songs. WTUL: You're not interested in continuing WTUL: As far as the lyrics go It seems /Ike a doing It yourself? You wouldn't mind If lot of the times you're Interested in the way someone else did It? things sound as much as the meaning behind Stephen: Not really, if it was good. Sooner them. Is there always meaning behind the or later you have to give up control and just lyrics, or somtimes do you use words for the focus on different things or have someone way they work together and the way that else do it just to get a different view, not they sound? neccessarily on the other hand I could do Stephen: Um .. it's different. I'd say Slanted the next one just as easy, but I really need & Enchanted was more that way, but this to have a new source of inspiration or record was more like a separate dialouge of something. the words existng on the .. just like they're WTUL: Does it take you a long time to do running their own course, and the music was em', or can you get an Idea and sit down running it's own course also, and sometimes and do it pretty quickly? they come together, obviously the best Stephen: Well, no it just comes down to the songs are the ones in which the lyrics seem last moment always. I'll try and think of to go really well with the song, you know like something, but when It's due is when it gets the guy that writes a song he thinks about done. like with school. how the music makes him feel, and then he WTUL: Why does the second song on the LP sings a similar sentiment. Not only just the have two different titles: "EIII Ess Two• and words but how he it and the words. "Elevate me later"? Stephen: I don't know why. I put that on the cover art at the time cause I thought I liked it, but I would never write that on a set list. It's not a very good title.
... ..
WTUL: So you like "Ell Ess Two• better? Stephen: I don't like either of them that Mark: With are much. It was hard to think of it. There were fans of our music, would they find it strange no lyrics yet for It when it got named. I could to come here to see us play? have just picked some lyrics out of the song WTUL: This Is really the only place to play. for the title which Is what I normally do kinda Stephen: You can drink on the street here to make It straight ahead and not too witty can't you? t • just make it what the songs are about. WTUL: You can drink in your car too. • Cause you could be witty on every song and Stephen: I remember that now. oh just think of something weird to follow. WTUL: One last question • after all the WTUL: Like an Inside joke behind every song Interviews you've done, is there anything at title. all that no one's asked that you wished Stephen: Yeah. someone would ask? WTUL: /like the album cover a lot because it Stephen: Not really, there's nothing we've seems like I can always pick up things about ever wished for in an interview. We pretty the songs • there's some references. Like as speak our peace in our records, and we do far as "Range Life" goes I never even picked Interviews for promotion. That's how we that up before when you say "1, they don't judge it we're not going for some cult of have no function" until I saw it. personality. Like this is what we really have Stephen: Yeah, I put that in cause I didn't to say In our Interviews. want the Smashing Pumpkins to take oHense cause we want to open for them one day We're lucky enough also to talk to when they're playing stadiums. people that we've felt comfortable with an WTUL: You all have been playing larger just pretty much talk about what we want venues than this on this tour haven't you? to. Somebody has actually asked us that Stephen: in the Northeast and generally question before. ~ where there's really a college music scene WTUL: There you go proof positive that or in a big city, we've been playing bigger there have been too many interviews. I places, but New Orleans Is big, but it's not guess that'll wrap things up. Thanks slot for the same kind of music crowd. Not a lot of talking to us. bands, but there are some, like in New York Stephen: Thank you. it's mostly people in bands watching you, like out of a crowd of 500, it's 100 in bands, ~bsal~m wa• famotu for his beautiful, long, thJck half that weighed more than ten ounct~ 100 In the music Industry, 100 friends, and In th~•e days a man's str~ ngd• ant! ~ ndura n~~ 200 random music fans. were Judged by the amount of his hair. Why do I try to be someone I'm not? -. Even in my strong feminist life and thought, I struggle with the - constant presence of an identity crisis, a crisis caused by the - unrelenting images thrown at me, ideas slipped in here and there that tell me what I should or should not be like in this male dominated society. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew that I was introverted and withdrawn. I always ended up being labeled as an outcast. I enjoyed thinking to flirting and was much better at the former. While other girls learned how to appply makeup and keep up with the latest bit of brand-name know-how, I was fascinated with astronomy, dinosaurs, and everything else I could get my hands on through reading. While Sweet Valley High was the staple in every pre-teens' diet of literature, I devoured Ray Bradbury books; I worked fervently on my newsletter/fanzine (this was 6th gradel Was I punk or what??)... All this while I watched other girls throw themselves at guys, get boyfriends, and accumulate a circle of friends which would eventually give rise to the clique. For a while, I wanted to be like them--popular coquettes--so beautiful, so plastic, so empty. In high school, I finally found my own identity and realized that I was not and could not be like that even if I tried as hard as I could. Yet why do I still fall trap to it sometimes? I look :.s around me and see superficial men beguiled by a woman's flirtatious Q tactics and skin-deep qualities; I see women whose existences are ~ 'In Q) dependent on what a man may really think about her. ·1·m beyond ~ that,• I think. But am I really? ·who the the hell is stupid enough ~ enough to let her life revolve around wardrobe size rather than brain =~ .:X: size, men rather than a strong self identity,• I laughed at others. Is (f) it me that I am actually criticizing and ridiculing? I find myself slipping into this mold sometimes--this mold that has been cast for all women in society. I attempt to flirt, I attempt to be outgoing, I .. forgo my intelligence for a flaky silly laugh that I think will not challenge the ego of some man I'm foolishly trying to impress. I hide my strong sense of feminism. I betray myself.
After the war is fought, I step sheepishly from the battleground. Instead of gaining anything, I have lost all. I realize my lack of self sense and I bury my face in my hands in regret. I've degraded myself only in hopes of gaining a trivial end. When will I learn to stop compromising my identity and be my true self? A strong feminist intellectual indiviual, not a ditzy cast of society's mold. When will I stop letting others (usually male) define me and my actions? I've been telling myself for years to be proud of who I am, the way I am,
even if it happens to differ a bit from the •social norm: Now I think I'm actually going to believe it.
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Arc:h.anatep Montez• Boonp•rn •, • l(\ ( 1- =~:! .. :::: July 20,-. lllrtllplaceo Hlddletovn, Connecticut In Per-aa1 pointuo 5tt. 51n. 115lbs.o darl< l • brown ayea, blac:IC hair • Pareaca• a•-•• San.ay and Avelina • lc-otl\era aad alacerar None •• • • • Iautr-atu plarech Bau, ~ultar, and aloppy • • .. • dru•a • e Wllere ..Suc:atech Tulane Unlveral tr • Muulc:al ..Suc:atioao Steve Chauplon • Age eater..S •how • ,~~:!·;::~, .. 15 appearance a A pub lliggeut breal Intor-.tion Asaiatant Toys, aodels. video ;•-•· tilas. r••dinq, athletics. that I vritln~ FaYOsrlte alagera• Astrud Gllberto, J. Maaeia. him and St•ph•n Mallcaua. Saa ~c:Ph•etera raYOtar l te actora/ accr•••••• Michael Madsen, Oaa Thuraan, Steve Buae••t, -Wing Fat Robert O•Nt ro !'aYOa.rt te food I Thai, Mexican rawourtte dcin.lu Snapple, beer P'aYOart te clothe• r 1 : Saart. vell-atyled aut te ra... ud te b&adu/ TUL: What was the first album you ever TUL: That's all right. laatna-at.altataa Tau Won TU, Mike MUla, Born Aqainat. Superchunk bought? • • • • Art: Also I got threats Paul McCartney, Slactc Sabbath Art: Kiss "Alive II" , • • in the Deke fraternity. It was pretty Pa.-o•rlte eo.poaerar John Coltrane, Choptn, TUL: Really? • • • • stupid. What started out as harmless Hllu Davia Art: Yeah, but they kinda freaked me jokes kinda escalated. Shouldn't have MlceUaneoaa lll Bikes by Trek, Cannondale, Specialized 1995 Models in Stock Now Trek 800 Sport - $239.99 Specialized Hard rock - $269.00 Trek 820- $319.99 Bicycles From $219.99 to $7999.99 6 months of free tune - ups with every bike purchase. I 1426 S.Carrollton Ave. • New Orteans LA 70118 I (504) 861-0023. 861-0024 I.I J Master Card Visa Discover ] Master Card . Visa Discover * Endorsed and Recommended by the Italian American Marching Club of New Orleans NOW HIRING! In Store And Delivery Personnel :- •' .·:: · 4639 C Magazine St. (Serving Uptown/Universities) - 896-9100 • Make an average of up to $10 an hour or more by following the Papa John's delivery procedures. • We pay a competitive hourly wage plus delivery commission based on sales. You supply the enthusiasm and customer pleasing attitude. • We're hiring both full and part time. We can provide you with a flexible work schedule. • We provide you with free unifonns, meal discounts, complete training and advancement opportunities. • Join us and be a part of one of the fastest growing pizza companies!! • All delivery personnel must be at least 18 and have a li~, automobile with insurance and a good driving record. Please address all corrt•spondmce to: Editor, Vox...... _ W'J'l !l. 91 .5 FM, Tula11e (TniPasity Center, New Orleans, I.a. 70118 Requests - 865-5885 Business - 865-5887 MERGE RECORDS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION ,., r CATS CRADLE 300 Eut MainS~ ~'JC 111-H7-8013 For me, the second night, which too ·:· t:~~- r . -~~"?:~.:~< > · ~ ~ . - ~ \ . \ ,:.~j%~ was sold out, was the best of the three 1 ·.. · ~ :~~:· ,;:~T·· "" H""1 ' R~~iS!i;jSij\~w:n· I · ":'~. ·. '~Ils S nights. Opening the evening was the lo~fi · ~C~· LI~ .. ... ,. /JA sounds of Bricks. This was the second t1me in · . . . ·r·:·t-':'i> ...... ~"-=- ·;:~ ;!{:~ 5 or 6 years since they recorded that the ' THURSDAY ·FRI·D·J "A""' <11N~S- -A"*-• · ·DAY band has played together, the other time ;.,; ; • ._-< 1 ~· ··, .!'--'·un being the Working Holidays/ Simple Machines c ·. JULy 21TH, 29TH, AND 30TH party in January. Bricks features Mac of Superchunk on electric guitar, Andrew of $15 • 00 Tsunami on acoustic guitar, and two percussionists banging on suitcases and bottles. Next was my favorite act of the three nights, Lambchop, a 10 piece from Nashville. They created an amazing sound with 2 guitars, bass, lap steel guitar, keyboards, washboard, 2 drummers, and 2 horns. The next band, Coral, I did not see but heard from outside, decent india rock but not too exciting. They were followed by the Magnetic Fields, a side project of the 6ths which features Barbara Manning who was also in the area with the SF Seals but did not show up. The Magnetic Fields provided wonderful mellow tunes that included a cello. Local faves and teen idols Superchunk closed the evening with a powerful and energetic set. Mac opened the set by dispelling the rumor on Internet that this was to be Superchunk's last show. The third night opened with a little 0 "),~ 1 II,: I ~~ 1 kookiness. Double Dynamite featuring Ira One would not expect a small college Kaplan of Yo La Tengo, Bob Lawton of Twin town to be the heartbeat of india rock; Towers booking agency, and video director however, Chapel Hill, the home of the Phil Morrison ("I See You" Juliana Hatfield, University of North Carolina and not much "First Part" Superchunk, 1-800-COLLECT else, recently was host to a three night India commercials) played all covers of mostly late rock bash. Mac and Laura of Superchunk '70s and early '80s new wave/ punk tunes. celebrated the fifth anniversary of their They even paid homage to their hosts by record label, Merge Records, by having covering "Slack Motherfucker." The story fifteen bands "Merge It Up!" Due to the hard behind Double Dynamite is that Morrison work and devotion to the local scene mentioned to Lawton that they had the same provided by Merge over the last five years, birthday (July 30) and Lawton responded by Chapel Hill has become the focus of national saying "That's like double dynamite.• Also, attention even Tabitha Soren and MTV News they only play on July 30 and this was only came out one night. '• ~"' '· their second performance, I was told. Next · For three nights the locals and folks up was Odes which was comprised of Rebecca from all over such as New Orleans, LA, Odes and Brendan O'malley of Love Child and Tallahasse, FL. Austin, TX, Vermont, South James McNew Of Yo La Tengo. Their songs Carolina, New York City, Long Island, New sounded not unlike the songs that Rebecca Jersey, and D.C., merged it up at a well wrote and sang for Love Child. Mac followed packed Cat's Cradle. Each night five bands by making his third appearance of the played with a local band headlining. Also, ·seen celebration, this time with Portastatlc. He in the crowd were Ed fROMOHIO of fiREHOSE, began with a solo song, then was joined by Dexter Romwebber of Flat Duo Jets, and Laura Cantrell also of Bricks, and eventually Gerard Cosloy of Matador Records. had a full band. Mark Robinson and Bridget Sold out opening night started off Cross of the late Unrest made one of their with the wonderful swing tunes of the '40s first appearances with Air Miami. They picked from the Squirrel Nut Zippers. For their set, I up where Unrest left off, slow dreamy yet wish that 1 had known how to ballroom dance. catchy pop songs. I would not say that they Next came Pipe with their rocket fast punk were the most exciting band to see live. tunes that incited the crowd to hurl beer Finally, wrapping up Mergefest were local cans on stage. In stark contrast, Labradford boys Polvo with their weirdly tuned Middle followed with dark, hypnotic indle goth. Eastern influenced jangly rock tunes. Butterglory from Kansas continued the The weekend was quite a success and celebration with poppy melodic songs. To confirmed the fact that one can make a wrap up the night the Archers of Loaf took difference in a local scene with a little hard the stage and proceeded to stir the crowd work. Cheers! to Mac and Laura for the first into a frenzy. As a side note, the Archers are one of three Chapel HIIV Raleigh/ Durham five years of Merge Records. Don't forget bands on L.A. indie label Alias Records. So, the other North Carolina labels : Mammoth, Merge does not have a monopoly on the local Wifflefist, D-Tox, Esther, Jettison • and the acts. Now Sound. ROYAL PENDLETONS MY WORDS MIKE'S RESPONSES Ultraman comic two-colored wingtips Broughan spiked mohawks (laughs} punkha high school girls damn good Harvey Kietel stud zippos butane Eye Hate God bad shit - ! hear about them depresses me any thought you can re I can't believe this is call during your happening, literally last sexual exper ience ramen typical riding on the street girls car Matt Pendleton geek, but !- mean that in a studly way duck dog sun a friend S-track trucker music e Menudo several idiots on stage. I guess they were almost !1: cool. ~. Lump Lou, baby. John Arrizza :t guns girls 0 Brooks Brothers something I've loved all my life Every Wednesday isTULBox broadcast live on WTUL91.5FM featuring Abita Beer specials at the How lin' Wolf Concert Line Michelle 523-2551 Malone 4 5 6 7 8 Joe Clay Acoustic Coctails and OpenMic Clements Night Dah-veed Useless Brothers Playboys National sJJ.J 12 13 15 16 17 Chord Injury Acoustic To Be Peabody To Be A.uoclatioo OpenMic Announced Announced LA Chapter Night Bagdaddies Benefit 18 19 20 Ri .d 22 23 24 Big Sandy Acoustic Burn~ersion Irie Better Than &His Open Mic Vibrations Ezra Night Peabody 25 26 27 29 30 Monte Acoustic Unsane Alejandro OpenMic Escovedo Warden Night Slug 828 South Peters in the Central Business District Convention Center Blvd .a 0.. .~ !-;:::======:;-- ~ ~ IHowlin' Wolf I ;;5 South Peters .,,~--·:11"'· cf(unday · driver 2017 Lowerline . .,._, .. =- H.O. LA 70118 :...-: ~. / ... _,, ____ _.._ _;.,/ IS cac.:u.- .__. ..._'U:& / ------··----·-· MICHAEL BLUM GUITARS * GUITAR SHOP CLOSE ST TO TULANE * LESSONS AND REPAIR • VINTAGE NEW ANP USED GUITARS AMPS EFFECTS NUSIC BOOKS AND ACCESSORIES * 10% DISCOUNT ALNAYS WITH TULANE I. D. ST· C HARL fi:s /Ho · c.~ul {f/li1" 1.S a2oaoak ~ /(;.It.'s .J, .,..... 0~ K~ 0 {gJ 0 A I( new orlean1.la ~ Q <" () 70118 co" 861· 2 587 FALL START UP PACKAGE: BEGINNING GUITAR W/CASE, STRAP AND TWO LESSONS FOR $185 The Story of Progressive Radio, or commercial stations, such as college Why Does WTUL Describe Itself with radio stations. This was the era that an Anachronistic Term That ceased WTUL introduced its ugly, Internation- Common Usage Approximately 20 Years al style logo, and magnificently went A o. citywide as a progressive radio sta- e term "progressive" music has tion. its origins in the late 60s psy- Today, 18 years after WTUL's FM chedelic movement. The genre ini- debut, that philosphy still governs tialy suggested music that somehow both the station's overal programming progressed beyond the constraints as well its "progressive show" pro- of the pop music format. Jimi Hen- gramming. The quaintly named catch- drix, Pink Floyd, the.Moody Blues, all term for shows that are not clas- and King Crimson were among the pi- sica!, jazz or a specialty genre, oneers of progressive rock, yet the progressive shows are still free- term quickly became associated more form 'radio which owe their program- with a genre of vapid, pretentious ming to the whims of each DJ. WTUL art-rock bands than with a more ex- imposes no programming requirements pansive attitude of progress {or if on its airstaff and requires no spe- not progress then at novelty). cific styles or selections. The only Capitalism usually manages to " guidelines suggested are to play four yoke its plough to a movement at · recently released "merit" tracks per just about the point it ceases to hour, taken from a section of about be a movement. Thus commercial rad 10ct 're'cently released cos and records io christened progressive format in all styles, and to play a variety radio to take advantage of these of styles, so that no two hour show more adventurous approaches to mu- devolves into an ad hoc specialty sic. Progressive radio sought to show of solely samba· br hardcore or transcend Top 40 radio through free- ambient house. form programming, or programming One thin that WTUL intenti'onally that didn't rely on predetermined · ·· · ·· · ·· · • · playlists for its artists or songs. c i~t~~p~s ~o - veer away from is the Progressive format did rely on ' "alternative" or "modern rock" for- progressive rock dinosaurs like van mat that evolved from college radio Der Graff Generator, Gentle Giant in the 1980s. In essence, the evolu- and the Strawbs for much of its tion of modern rock radio is the programming, but the use of the term same as AOR 20 years before: to take progressive was alined more with the a heterogenous collection of. artists original meaning of the term-music • and music and transform it into an that went beyong pop music in each ;>identifiable, easily digestable com- and every direction. More than just _modity-to smooth away rough edges to art rock, progressive music was an facilitate a more passive consump- attitude that stressed granting .tion. I'd be the first to admit that airwaves to new, nonpopular and/or ~ listening to WTUL is not always marginalized music. easy. Besides disc jockeys who some- Soon after free-form progressive time make technical errors, there FM was launched, a more conserva- . are often selections that will possi- tive, marketable version-album ori- ' bly receive only one airing ever in ented rock, or AOR-appeared. This ~--New Orleans. WTUL disc jockeys gen- was a format that had the appearance C erally operate with a try-anything- of the i once approach. progress ve station yet the g Commericial "moder rock" sta- approach of Top 40-to program only ~ tions, on the other hand, strive to most popular, least adventurous, least radical 1 i ~ be truly easy listening, serving up ' east 1 kely to dis- ~ a non-threatening, familiar play- t ur b t racks from progressive rock ~ artists. Eventually, the commercial list that sedates the listener into free f .-. listening through hours and hours - orm progressive stations of ~ the late 1960s and early 1970s gave worth of advertisements, which is way to AOR stations. The only stat- fine with us. We here at WTUL are ions to maintain progressive free- not Communists after all. form programming were generally non- While many of the bands featured on commercial stations like B-97 and ~taafl~±*ts-u-i.l± ' . . ~(/)~ii\-:J"t=.•• : ~ -. Anthoni'5 <"" ~ () f()\the~ C) ::t:. WZRH are artists WTUL did and still does sometimes play, the programming is tightly controlled to appeal to a youthful demographic. Thus the less popular, often more adventurous bands of college radio are pared away leav ing only artists with presumed and demonstrated mass appeal, like Pearl Jam, Green Day, Gin Blossoms, Count ing Crows, Cracker and Stone Temple Pilots. This is not to disparage any of these popular, successful artists but merely to suggest that they rep resent but a small fraction of music being produced that is-in some way, ~·· shape or form-"alternative" to Top ~ 40 (the fact that these bands are in · fact Top 40 notwithstanding .•. }. Thanks to the masses' recent (1992 802 Y2 Nashville Ave. I think it was} acceptance of punk at Magulne (ie Nirvana, Sonic Youth, etc.}, pro- New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 gressive format stations such as WTUL ' (504) 899-3723 are freed to focus attention on other less-well-known bands toiling in less well-defined genres (cuddle rock springs to mind}. (A side discussion on the relative merits of independent label bands versus major label bands could be begun as well.} A CoFFEE HousE ~ ~~. .f.l~~ lJJ:i)--.. f~~"\'.~ ~ f~~ · ' .. 11\t\, ~ lA.~"b. , ~~,.... · A Very, ck to the original question: ' 1 f Progressive format then really means Jatl Very, Very just about anything, I guess. Chances ~: v.~.~ are, if you hear a drum and guitar, ~ n~ w it's a progressive show. Request the ~~~ Fine House Jesus Lizard; request Mr. Bungle; re- ~ quest Girls Against Boys; request Sun ; Ra; request Blind Willie McTell. All of these fit into and are encouraged for WTUL's progressive shows. WTUL remains New Orleans only pro gressive station, and we look for ward to continuing to bring New Or Bring a Book leans music before it's heard any where else and music that was will be heard anywhere else. Bring a Friend FALL RECRUITEMENT MEEllNG first week of September; call 865-5887 for Information Most of you have probably never heard of Luk Haas. If you read Maximum are the poorest European people, so all Rock And Roll you may have come across one of his scene reports from they can get is cars from European far away places such as: Albania, Armenia, and Jordan. A student of junkyards, and repair them as they can, Ethnology in Strausbourg, Luk is currently working on his Master's ~ with iron wire bits or rope. The Al Degree. When he has free time he travels around the globe looking for banian roads are the most dangerous in punk rockers where you'd think fuere wouldn't be any punks. This has Europe. And it's a reality that 60% of prompted him to start Tian An Men 89 records, a label devoted to local drivers dont't have a license. release 7" records by bands from countries where there's never been For more details about my arrival in any punk record before. Romanian "Revolutie" a split 7" featuring ~ Durres and the local rock scene, look Tectonic and Pansament, two of his favorite Romanian bands was Tian 0..... for my Albanian report in MRR (Aug 93). An Men 89's first release. It's probably out of print by now. His This travel was (as always) a great ex latest record has two Lithuanian punk bands called TurboReannimacija perience and I met tons of great and and Silvija & Isvras~encai. I wrote to Luk about a year ago inquiring LL hospitable people, especially Bledar about his trip to Thailand. Since he receives volumes of mail he sent Sejko's family (Bledar is the guitarist me a newsletter (due to his lack of time to write letters) about his a for Thunderway, a speedmetal band) and activities and a personal note about punks in Southeast Asia. See Engjellushe Hoxha and her family, with upcoming articles about the active scene in Singapore and learn about out forgetting Kujtim Brahimaj and Fer Thailand's first punk, Dok Mohawk. The following is a excerpt from Llik's 0 dinand and Tristan, and the bands Gut newsletter. -Art -.J tersnipe and Thunderway. I brought quite from Albania which were used in TUNISIA: HITCH-HIKING IN THE SAHAR~ the front seat in trying to calm ~ Mururoa Twist. I'm planning a 7" re ~~ ~~my stomach cramps. The joys of cord by Guttersnipe or a Guttersnipe/ Bored by the French rainy and cold ~ travelling in the southern coon- Thunderway split for 1994, on Tian An winter, I decided to buy a cheap tries. Then I looked for an hotel, plane ticket to Tunis (special offer: and spent my last two days in ~ 180$ return from Paris) and took off Tunis with a new friend, soufiane on the 3rd of January 1993. I tried Beja who invited me at his par- MEn 89 rds. If you intend to go to Al to find punk or rock bands or fans ents' home where I was offered lu bania, plan to stay with Albanian in Tunis during a week, without any _. the best couscous of my life people as hotels are really too expen success, and, fuck the weather was by his mother. Then I took the :::t= sive! (37$ a night at that time for as bad in Tunis as in Paris, freez- plane back to France. the run down "Arb~riaK" in Tirana). I ing and heavy rains, my cheap motel ~~ .. v } 1 also met a nice American guy in Durres, room was cold and I had no shower, o0...'\ rn ~re f t' ,,_.. L &A f'\ •• l- who was cycling alone around Albania. that was enough. I bought a train We had a nice time together telling ticket to Gabes in the south. I TRAVELLING IN BROKEN DOWN ALBANIA each other Albanian travel stories. met nice Spanish and Swiss Traveller He was the only other foreigner I met during the journey which was OK. In I decided to go to Albania, that mys there apart from a Turkish bus full the south the weather was much bet terious country down the Adriatica coast of businessmen (?) and a heavy Jordan ter, and after finding a hotel room, in April 1993. I wanted (as always) to ian truck parked near Tirana's centre I went walking in the palm tree look for local punk/rock bands. The cheap -a long way from Amman, Wow! Well, I plantation. Too many noisy motor est way to go there that I found was by almost forgot about the crazy American cycles for my taste. The next day sea, with the Italian car-ferry "M/S Christian missionary choir giving an I went to Matmata, the troglodyte Palladia" from Trieste (Italy) to Durres open air a capella gospel disco concert villages on the fringe of the des (Albania). The return ticket was 200$ on Skanderberg Square in Tirana. Bah! ert, and did some walking along a deck class and the journey lasted for desert road. I went back to Gabes, 24 hours (one way), down the whole ex Yugoslavian coast. I came late at night ~ then bought a bus ticket to Houmt by train in Trieste, the day before the Souk, the capital town of Jerba departure. I spent an hour walking island, further south. I spent two around the deserted streets looking for .·.. , nights there in a room I shared some place to stay. All Penzioni were I with the spanish (catalan) friends full and all hotels were expensive. It . -.....ooCII N • ~ ;::3 who I had met again, and hitch was getting really late (1 AM) so I gave · ~~ Cll o-i • .!1<: Cll hiked across the island during a up and paid 40$ to stay in a fucking ;::lHU- day. Not bad, nice encounters. boring hotel. And there was not even a tlli.4.Q"2'0 "' Then I took some shared taxis to bathroom for that price! Fuck! Italy 0 0'1 Zarzis, then to Ben Gardane whic~ was getting on my nerves as I had to pay Cll tn Cl.C:C:>o an expensive price overcharge in the Cll-o-i Cll "'0 ::s • is the last Tunisian town before Milano-Trieste train a few hours, before, ::s u tnt-:! II) 11:: ~ the Libyan border. It was sunday which had left me withour any Lira. So I c: Ill Cll c: and Ben Gardane was more of a co--.c:::s had to pay that fucking hotel in French . N Cll ~ 0. ghost town than anything else, Francs. The next day I went to the office t1 \O.C: especially now that Libya had '-* ~CII of the shipping company and had to queue' .Cil Cll ;::3 Ill closed the border in protest of IU'CCilOCII n'fight for a few hours with dozens of "' c: ::s c: the Western countries' embargo. , Albanians in order to get my ticket from !I:CIIIU.!o:IU I took another shared taxi to Cll u u 0. ' ~ hysterical office ladies. I paid a har . .!1<: Cll"' Medenine, walked around the town, 1 :::l'CC:.C:t-:1 l'-" bour tax (shit), and went to the port, ..:11.40U then took a bus back to Gabes, ~~ watching the car-ferry being loaded vi th 00 c: where I spent the night. The next •• u Cll-·- ~ broken down cars and 2nd WW trucks Cil Cll Cll day I decided to hitch-hike to ~bought by Albanians . There were also a - 1.4 e .!1<: oc Kebili, an oasis in the Sahara. ...-tC:CII few more recent cars driven by Albanian ClliU.C:::S~ went OK, so I decided to keep CllC: O.Cil expatriate workers form Germany, Belgium, CIIC:tn Cll hitch-hiking to Tozeur, another or Italy. I discovered later that most 1.4 "'c: c: 1.4 oasis town westward. On the way oc;J:-IUCII of these Albanians were ethnic Albanians '0 ~-~ I cross the great Shott-El-Jerid, ; "' ::s- '0 c: . from former Yugoslav Republics of Kosovo 01.40...-t o a salt desert area. Tozeur was and Macedonia going back home for holi Cll>o)I.Q quiet and sunny. People were pick .C: EL4 days via Albania, because they couldn't ~II-ICIIIUCII H.QU>o ing dates from the palm trees, cross Ex-Yugoslavia's war areas. Many of e then carrying them on donkeys to them had never been in Albania before. j ...... ~ '0 .... the market. I spent two days walk ':i .e: Qlo-i c:- i::• -l The journey was pleasant with sunny wea- v ...... :,;.,·::.-~''·r·~·" ' CIIC:I-411-1--iu-- . ing around the palm plantations ther and cool encounters. I succeeded in Jrt<..>'i•s· · ~'"f' ..,J. .. ~ >t~· ~ "' o-i ' and along the hot water streams, getting a ride on a car bound for Tirana • -1.4 • 0 0 enjoying life and fresh orange driven by an Albanian middleman working J 1.4t&.Cil~ll::l juice, avoiding aggressive dogs > '-IU"' CIIZ for a big businessman form Tirana who's I 0 tn:I: ~ in the plantations. Then I took buying cheap 2nd-hand cars in Germany - ~1.4 ::S.!o: a bus back to Tunis, a terrible and selling them in Albania to feed the ride as my stomach was disturbed flourishing car market. Cars were for .!o:.Q..:lCllg~egl 11:: by an awful sandwich I bought at bidden in Albania since 1945, during -o-iiUOCIIECll c: the Gafsa bus station on the way. 1.4~ ;::3 those dark Stalinist years, so now ev oc~ oce On the arrival at the Tunis bus - til Cll c: erybody's dream is to drive one's own ;::3 o-iiUX station I rushed to the toilets .. car, as fast as possible and to have 00.0--ifU .probably the faster rush to the >ooru-~ the loudest musical horn on the mar - >o .ru toilets of my life. I had spent .... r-ru.c: .... ket to get the attention of passerbys. H\0 0.8 0 the last hour in the bus biting The main problem being that Alb~~ Kurt, Mon Petit Chou ON MTV THE Saturday after Kurt Cobain's death, an ag ing Rolling Stone editor, complete with sunken cheeks, a Ramones haircut, and Easy Rider shades, congratulated himself on compar ing Kobain to John Lennon in a Nirvana cover article he wrote last year. Doubly sanctioned by the dinosaur of rock magazines and the root of all video banality as the official spokesperson for the music industry's inside poop, . said editor discussed Cobain's ambi valent relations with the mechanisms of popularity hype, and corp orate music hucksterism -- like Lennon, Cobain was a rebel, he did not play by the rules blah blah blah and oh yeah, he wrote some good songs. Oh mr. music industy person, you're so romantic, but I have my own ideas about a comparison that probably won't sell as many magazines as that Lennon crap. Cobain was more like that cat in the Pepe LePew cartoons than he was like John Lennon. You remember the black and white cat, the object of Pepe's undesired affections? Like Pepe, the music industry trails its own offensive odor, and Kurt, being a cat of the right stripe, became the object of its peculiarly fragrant passions. He prentended to resist, not to like its foul aff ections, he even succeeded at times. Nonetheless, the bond had fo rmed, the similarities (even if only surface) had become engaged, and if Kurt were ever completely successful at offending his stinky suitor, the cartoon would · end, and Kurt would be out of a job, left standing at the altar, probably wearing that cute dress from the "In Bloom" video. He wasn't Lennon, he was the cat -- let the 40 year old heroin addicts who write for Rolling Stone say what they will. I want to defend Kurt, ironically, to give him credit for being a pawn to some extent; how could he avoid it; that's what the whole industry is about. However, I was never a true believer. I was a ten uous fan at best. I never bought a record; I never even stoled one when I was working at a radio station and had the chance. I saw them live, and they were boring; I saw them on TV, and they were stupid but innocuous. I heard the songs too many times and in too many terrible places. Some of them were good songs, even pop teen angst classics of the "alternative" genre. But they weren't anything that J. Mascis a Ia · "Repulsion" or the Pixies a Ia "Gigantic" couldn't turn out. And others too -- I'm just thinking of the ones that come to mind: maybe Big Dipper with "Ron Klaus Wrecked his House," "From a Motel 6" by Yo La Tengo, the first song on that Mazzy Star record, the album "Let It Be" by the Replacements, and most of Hu· sker Du in small doses. Like many of his peers' work, Cobain's songs were good, they weren't great. But early death in public fig ures, no matter how ·moronic, has a way of blowing talent and intent out of proportion. He was a good songwriter, but there are those who are just as good and many of them are still alive, but not as fa mous. Perhaps the fame had a lot to do with it. Who has had to wea ther the music media's passion the way Kurt did? But, like the cat, Kurt played the game to get the check and keep the cartoon rolling. Media pressure didn't do him in, it kept him alive; without it, he probably would've died of exposure a few years back when he didn't have a place to live and being dirty was not yet hip. My bet is that Kurt recognized this. He must've known his death would become both a spectacle and a selling point: Maybe it was an unselfish act; maybe he was just trying to provide for this family in the best way he knew how; maybe he knew he was no John Lennon and that nei ther of them were the voice of a generation, because that's imposs ible. And maybe that was depressing him. And maybe he should have quit shooting up before he wound up like so many rock'n'roll losers. When I heard about his overdose exploit in Europe a month before this death, I thought he was an idiot for mixing his vices in such a dangerous fashion; maybe he was. After capitalizing on teen angst well into his twenties, Kurt fin ally became a victim of it. At least he escaped the trite eulogies that have spewed forth from his "friends" in the industry as they express their sorrow for a cash cow laid to rest. DJs who never knew "Bleach" exisited played it in memoriam at 2 o'clock in the morning when demographic reports have told them that no one is listening anyway. All the bad music that Kurt and company were smart enough not to release soon will be issued in gaudily graphic num bered box sets be record execs, who are all choked up about this I assure you. But unlike Kurt, we have suffered through this ("Live[d] through this," as Hole puts it), and will continue to suffer -- far into the future. Twenty years from now, as I shuffle through the grocery store, the violin enhanced strains of "Smell Like Teen Spirit" will come wafting down from the Muzak speakers and I'll just have to deal with it as I reach for the bologna and another pack of those weenies with cheese food inside. Kurt, see what you've done to us from all your dancing with that sneaky skunk? -...... I never spoke to Kurt in person. I only saw him once through the cigarette smoke form the back of a club, a thousand black clad teenagers separated us for enternity, but I have one request to make 0 now, and it can only truly be answered by the man himself. So, ~ Kurt, send me a signal from beyond the grave: I know I've been bitchin' a lot here, and I never was your number one fan, but can I -t play you in the made-for-TV movie? .4- -Gill Creel 1'.' 11 Ie. t yo k de c ide.. :·:·: THERE Is :;::; SMALLER BANDS AROUND THE AREA THAT YOU REALLY DON'T READ ABOUT ·:·.· OR MAY HAVE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF. LOCAL STARS, LUMP, MAY BE ONE OF THE ~~ MOST POPULAR BANDS HERE AND HAVE EVEN BEEN RECEIVING SOME BIG TIME PRESS ~~LATELY. THEY PLAY TIGHT, ENERGETIC FUNK WITH A BIT OF JAZZ. THEY'RE ~:::. MADE UP OF EX-BLACK PROBLEM FOLKS PLUS A SAXOPHONE PLAYER THAT'S ALSO IN §:;THE N.O. nEZMER ALL-STARS. LUMP HAS A CD OUT CALLED "SLOPPY ATTROCIT · ~~·· IES" ON AIRLINE 61, A LABEL THAT I THINK WAS STARTED TO RELEASE LUMP'S ~ MUSIC, INITIALLY ANYWAYS. MAYBE THE MOST TALENTED BAND? A LOT OF TIMES ~ WHEN I SEE THEM PERFORM I FEEL LIKE I'M LISTENING TO MUSICAL EXERCISES. :::: WHEN THAT HAPPENS I FOCUS ON A. P. THE DRUMMER TO KEEP MYSELF INTERESTED· ::~:·YOUNG, MOTIVATED PUNK BAND, SECOND HAND HAVE BEEN REAL BUSY THIS SUMMER ~··.; PLAYING NUMEROUS SHOWS AND RECORDING A 7" FOR TEAM MURDER U.S. A. OUT OF 'MEMPHIS, TN. THEY PUT ON SPASTIC SHOWS PLAYING FAST OLD SCHOOL HARDCORE . WHICH SOUNDS MUCH BETTER SINCE THEY'VE LEARNED HOW TO TUNE THEIR INSTRU : MENTS. LOUIE OF THE ROYAL PENDLETONS SEZ SECOND HAND IS HIS FAVORITE LO ~ CAL BAND. SECOND HAND'S BASSIST, JEREMY LOOKS LIKE CHRIS FARLEY OF SNL 1 FAME TO BOOT. LOS CARLOS, THE SINGER FOR SECOND HAND JUST PUT OUT A ZINE CALLED BITCH. GET A COPY COS' LIKE CARLOS IS DA SHIT DOOD. THE ROYAL PENDLETONS ARE OUR VERY OWN COOL, GARAGE, SURF, ROCKABILLY BAND WHO ALSO HAVE THE MOST STYLE OF ANY LOCAL BAND, WEARING SMART SUITS ON STAGE. GIRLS SWOON WHEN MIKE SINGS THOSE 50'S BALLADS. THE PENDLETONS KICKED OUT LONGTIME BASS PLAYER, BARRY WHO HAS A TV SHOW, MONOVISION WHICH YOU CAN WATCH IF YOU HAVE CABLE, AND SOUND A LITTLE LESS MUDDLED, SOME SAY. I DON'T SEE TOO MUCH OF DIFFERENCE CAUSE THEY'VE PRETTY MUCH RAWKED EVERY TIME I'VE SEEN EM. LOUIE AND MIKE OF THE PENDLETONS USED TO BE IN A BAND ,CALLED THE DIRT BOYS, WHO ARE LONG GONE. YOU CAN GET THEIR SINGLE THOUGH. BY THE TIME THE RECORD CAME OUT, THEY HAD CHANGED THEIR NAME TO KING LOUIE THE 69TH AND THE HARAHAN CRACK COMBO. YOU CAN EITHER ASK LOUIE AT A PEN DLETONS GIG (HE'S THE LONG HAIRED HESSIAN POUNDING THE CAVEMAN BEAT) OR SWING BY UNDERGROUND SOUNDS RECORD STORE, 735 OCTAVIA, (897-9030) IF YOU'D LIKE A COPY. MIKE ALSO DOES A ZINE, THE CREEPER, DUNNO WHEN HE'S GONNA DO ANOTHER ISSUE. MATT THE MOST MOD OF ALL THE PENDLETONS HAS A PUNK BAND ON THE SIDE, BUT I FORGOT WHO ELSE IS IN THE BAND AND THEIR NAME. THERE'S A BAND OUT OF RUSTIN CALLED HABITUAL SEX OFFENDERS WHO PLAY HERE FROM TIME TO TIME AND HAVE A 7" OUT TITLED "TRES HOMIEZ." IF YOU LIKE GOOFY SMALL TOWN PUNK ... I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE STATUS OF LOCAL SKA 'STERS, KELLY'S HEROES. THEY'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH SOME LINEUP CHANGES, BUT I THINK THEY PLAYED RECENTLY AT A SKA PARTY WHICH TOOK PLACE THE SAME TIME AS THE RO YAL PENDLETON'S RECORD'rNG SESSIONS AT CHINKLET. EVIL NURSE SHELIA PLAY AN ACQUIRED STYLE OF PROG. FUNK. ALONG THE SAME LINES IS A.G.B. (ALL GIRL BAND) A PUNK FUNK OUTFIT. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY ARE GIRLFRIENDS OF THE GUYS IN LUMP, A NICE GIMMICK TO HAVE. I SAW THEM ONCE AND THOUGHT THEY WERE REALLY TERRIBLE. MAYBE IF THEY TOOK OUT SOME OF THE QUIRKYNESS AND PLAYED MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD. BURN VERSION DELUXE HAVE REFORMED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR ADDING "DELUXE" TO THEIR NAME. THEIR LP/CD IS COMING OUT SEPTEMBER 22N~ BE AT THEIR RECORD RELEASE PARTY THAT NIGHT AT THE HOWLIN' WOLF TO SEE EM ROCK OUT IN A GOOD HONEST WAY. THEIR BASS PLAYER/SINGER, JAMES MANWICH PLAYS DRUMS IN A NEW BAND TOO, HOTCHKISS WITH ME AND MY PAL, TAK. NOT SURE WHEN WE'LL BE PLAYING OUT THOUGH. I ALSO PLAY IN A BAND CALLED STREIGN, AN ALL-STAR PUNK BAND CAUSE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN IN OR ARE IN OTHER LOCAL BANDS LIKE: FALLING JANUS, SQUINT, NOBU, THE CHINESE BROTHERS, ZOE TURN COAT, AND LECTRONIMO'S ID. BOBBY OF VIENNE SAUCEDGE ZINE SEZ STREIGN SOUNDS EBULLITIONY, SO I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THAT. STREIGN 7" OUT ON POWERNAP (HOUSTON) BY MARDI GRAS. TWO STREIGN MEMBERS (TOMMY, QOIUiiiK.'Ierab~~~~~·~ · :;t_;~~~ ME) MAKE UP THE CHINESE BROTHERS, POP SONGS, YOU KNOW. NOBU IS MY EXPER IMENTAL NOISE BAND. ST.REIGN'S DRUMMER ZACK PLAYS IN FALLING JANUS, A GOTH BAND WHO ARE GOING THROUGH SOME INTERNAL TROUBLES RIGHT NOW. CON- . GRATS TO JOE JANUS WHO JUST GOT MARRIED. STU ODOM FORMERLY OF THIN WHITE ROPE LIVES IN NEW ORLEANS AND HATTIESBURG, MS AND IS IN A LOUD ROCKIN' BAND, THE STUMPGRINDERS. THEY HAVE A TAPE COMING OUT SOON PROBABLY BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS. THEY REMIND ME OF GORILLA. EYE HATE GOD ARE STILL GRINDING OUT HEAVY TUNES. I THINK THEY .FILMED A VIDEO FOR HEADBANGER'S BALL. IF ANY MEMBERS OF EYE HATE GOD READ THIS, PLEASE SEND US YOUR CD'S CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE EM HERE TO PLAY. EYE HATE GOD'S BASS PLAYER WAS ALSO IN BROTHERHOOD OF IGNORANCE WHO HAVE BROKEN UP. LOS ANGELES TRANSPLANTS EX VOTO ARE PRETTY BIG IN THE GOTH SCENE WHICH SEEMS TO BE LACKING HERE DESPITE THE PRESENCE OF ANN RICE. EX VOTO HAVE SOME RECORDS AND MERCH OUT, SO SEE~Etf!. IF YER INTO BLEAKNESS. MUSTANG LIGHTNING ARE A TOUGH GUY ROCKABILLY BAND WITH A CD OUT. FAUCET HAVE A KINA INDUSTRIAL METAL SOUND, BUY THEIR TAPE A ONE OF THEIR GIGS. NICE HESHER DUDES • . NOT TOO SURE ABOUT THEIR POLITICS, WHEN I ASKED EM ABOUT A SONG THEY SAID IT WAS ABOUT CHICKS. THAT MADE JANE KO MAD. I HAVEN'T SEEN RIGID YET. SOME LIKE EM SOME OF MY FRIENDS DON'T. RIGID RECENTLY PLAYED A TUL BOX. I'VE A BIT OF THEIR DEMO SO I CAN TELL YOU THEIR ON THE SOMEWHAT HEAVY SIDE. ~HAT ELSE CAN I SAY? WELL, THEIR MANAGER WEARS A SUIT, AND I'VE SEEN THEIR .GUITAR PLAYER'S OTHER BANDS: CAPTAIN MEATHEAD AND OXEN THRUST AND HE : SURE _DOES MAKE SOME SILLY FACES WHEN HE PLAYS A GUITAR SOLO. NO INFO ON WEEDEATER OR NUT. MAY BE NEXT TIME. SORRY. I'VE SEEN MEATHOOK'S SINGER ON CAMPUS. STUDENT? SELF DESCRIBED BY THEIR DRUNKEN GUITARIST ON DECATUR STREET AS SOUNDGARDENY TO BAD BRAINSISH. THE SEMI-PRO BOWLERS ARE ON TOUR, BUT RELEASED A TAPE BE FORE LEAVING. KINDA CHEESY METAL-CORE. PLEASE DON'T BEAT ME UP PAT. ON ONE SONG THE BASSIST PICKS THE ELECTRIC GUITAR WHILE THE GUITARIST MOVES HIS FINGERS. TACKY. VOODO JIVE BUILT UP A BIG FOLLOWING WITH THEIR 24-7 SPYZ THINGY, BUT JULES (GUITAR) TELLS ME THEIR FUTURE IS UNCERTAIN. YOU CAN STILL BUY VOODOO JIVE'S TAPE. IF YOU LIKE INDUSTRIAL AND TRIBAL POUN DING AND TATOOS AND PIERCINGS THEN GO TO SEE CULT DE SADE AND BUY THEIR TAPE. DR. LA LA ARE NOT LA LA PUNK, TRY FISBONE. YELOCEL HAVE A TAPE OUT. ' THEIR SOUND? FUNKY ROCKY GOOFY SINGING. SWELL HEY BRA TYPES. HEARD A GRAB THE LIZARD TAPE WHICH DIDN'T DO TOO MUCH FOR ME. UGLY ROCK? THE LAST BAND I WILL MENTION IS GALACTIC . PROPHYLACTIC .. WHO . ELAY, GUESS WHAT? FUNK!! I -ART l'VANNA ADVERrriSE IN THE VOX? CALL 865-5887 · FOR DETAILS • 1f George Porter I A Brief History of African Musical Tradition l Ten Years Of Twentieth-Century Classics • Second Hand WTUL 91.5 FM Basement University Center . Tulane Univer~ity New Orleans, LA 70118 TO: Abita Beer is proud to sponsor TULBox each Wednesday live from the Howlin' Wolf on WTUL 91.5 FM September 7 The Coctails plus ~ah-veed September 14 Small23 or Weezer September· 21 Noisecandy Record Release Party September 28 Alice Donut plus 7 Year Bitch October 5 Doo Rag plus Jennyanykind October 12 The Grapes plus Left Over Salmon October 19 Ass Ponys - November 2 Thinkin Fellars Union Local 282 Ask for the Abita Beer special at the Howlin' Wolf each Wednesday.