• it CIVIINew Music Re oft FEBRUARY 22 1999 ISSUE 606 VOL. 57 NO. 8 WWW.CMJ.COM MUST HEAR Rykodisc Signs MP3 Deal With GoodNoise In amilestone for MP3 supporters, Rykodisc has signed alicensing agreement that allows GoodNoise Corp. (www.goodnoise.com) to sell music from Ryko's catalog in the MPS format. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. The agreement will start with more than 175 songs from 50 Ryko artists, and additional tracks will be added in the coming months. The agreement's initial terms cover artists including Frank Zappa, Galaxie 500, Golden Smog, Louis Armstrong, Medeski Martin & Wood, Throwing Muses, Mickey Hart, Lead Belly, Morphine and Richard Thompson. GoodNoise will sell the tracks for 99 Rykodisc act Golden Smog cents each. Under the terms of the agreement, Rykodisc's Web site will oiler links to the GoodNoise site. GoodNoise will provide all hosting, coding and e-commerce technology related to downloading the tracks. "Rykodisc is answering the strong consumer demand for music in the MPS format, and we want to give the MPS consumer a legitimate alternative to unauthorized SEP...ATER -IIIIVNEY distribution, which is already pervasive on the Internet," said Lars Murray, (continued on page 15) Lycos Launches MP3 Search CMJ Marathon Responding to the MP3 explosion, the popular Internet guide and search engine Lycos (www.lycos.com) has Announces established a new service that provides links to more than September Dates 500,000 songs in the MPS format. Lycos is hoping its MPS CMJ Music Marathon, MusicFest Search (http://mp3.1ycos.com) will attract more visitors to & FilmFest '99 will be held its site, given that Lycos is the first major Internet September 15-September 18 at directory to offer such links and also because smaller sites the New York Hilton & Towers, dedicated to MPS are not able to offer such an extensive located at 1335 Ave. of the database. The Lycos MPS feature is searchable by artist or Americas (between 53rd-54th by song, and it will be updated every hour to minimize Streets) in New York City. dead links. Shortly after the Lycos (continued on page 15) CMJ will be (continued on page 15) IVIOCEAN WORKER Kelly Willis Gets Well Deserved I THIS New Start On Rykodisc '1 WEEK'S By Glen Sansone remained relatively inactive, 16 CMJ RADIO 200 It's been a long, surfacing on a few projects hard road for such as 1995's Red BUILT TO SPILL Keep It Like ASecret Virginian Kelly Hot & Bothered 20 CORE RADIO Willis since her compilation and on BUILT TO SPILL Keep It Like ASecret last album release albums by the 22 INTERNET BROADCAST in 1993. The V.2 Kennedys and Kris OFFSPRING Americana golden-throated McKay. Willis was 22 INTERNET RETAIL singer-songwriter suffered later signed to A&M BRITNEY SPEARS ...Baby One More Time through dubious (continued on page 15) marketing plans, minimal 29 RPM airplay and paltry album KRUDER &DORFIVIEISTER Sessions sales, despite garnering 34 LOUD ROCK critical praise for her three ONE KING DOWN God Loves. Man Kills albums for 30 TRIPLE A MCA Records ANI DIFRANCO Up Up Up Up Up Up in the early BEAT BOX '90s. After ROOTS "Adrenaline" being dropped by MCA following her self-titled 33 JAZZ ROB SWIFT oTHE ABLIST 1993 release, Willis I KELLY WILLIS I JOHN COLTRANE The Classic Quartet 32 NEW WORLD +zsur-iesze« ALL FOR AOC 90198 VARIOUS ARTISTS Mali To Memphis 24498 FREDERICK STIDEAN KOUR - REDLANDS 21 COMMERCIAL ALTERNATIVE *2 EVERLAST "What Its Like" ROB SWIFT 8374 MAGNOLIA AVE - RIVERSIDE CA 92504 wordofmouthparade add darte: each 8th and 9d2 contact: Ihe syndicate Jon, iracey 6, Moose (888) 666-2061 Produced, Recorded and Mixed by Mark Philip Endert Mixed by Jack Joseph Puig A L MO ©1 999 Almo Sounds, Inc. www.almosounds.com/gus $OUNDS MUST Ilea THE ESSENTIAL RELEASES OF THE WEEK RUB SWIFT oTHE ABLIST SLEATER-KINNEY MOCEAN WORKER SEBADOH ROB SWIFT The Hot Rock (Kill Rock Stars) Mixed Emotional Features The Sebadoh (Sub Pop-Sire) The Ablist (Asphodel) To say that a band has matured (Palm Pictures-Rykodisc) Though its lineup and label affili- As a member of the New York can sometimes be misleading, Mocean Worker's music is as ation has changed with The Sebadoh turntable collective the X-ecution- implying that its members have deep, dynamic and diverse as the (long-time drummer Bob Fay has ers, Rob Swift has been introducing shifted from underage drinking to background of Adam Dorn, the been replaced by Russ Pollard), new levels of innovation to the art gumming their food in aretirement man who owns the moniker. The Sebadoh remains the preeminent of DJ-ing since the early '90s. With home. With its fourth album, son of legendary producer Joel voice of indie rock. The intro to the his first solo outing, The Ablist, Swift though, Sleater-Kinney has matured Dorn (Rahsaan Roland Kirk, first track, "It's All You," is an over- shows off his formidable chops into the musical equivalent of a Neville Brothers), Adam grew up whelming reminder of the band's both as a composer and as a pro- twentysomething; still holding on to rubbing elbows with music legends, supremacy. The song begins with an ducer. While his contemporaries the energy of its youth, but explor- eventually working alongside bassist electric buzz, then kicks into a 10- explore more avant-garde means to ing new options. The "hot rock" ref- Marcus Miller and visionary pro- second drum solo before the chim- expand upon their craft, Swift man- erenced in the album's tide actually ducer Hal Willner. Dorn's time at ing guitars and desperate vocals ages to keep his abilities at street turns out to be a stolen diamond, the Berklee College of Music and come in, backed by a huge drum level, while experimenting with dif- but there's still plenty of fevered his globetrotting bass sessions sound. The remainder of The ferent ways of establishing the rocking here. Roger Moutenot's (backing everyone from French Sebadoh follows suit from that confi- turntable as a creative instrument. (Yo La Tengo) production lends a pop stars to Chaka Khan) also fac- dent opening statement. Rocking On tracks such as "All That warmer sound to the albion, but tor into the sonic smorgasbord of tunes such as "Cuban" and "Bird In Scratchin Is Making Me Rich!" and Sleater-Kinney's emotions still deliv- Mixed Emotional Features. That the The Hand" charge hard and strong, "Modern Day Music" he utilizes a er a solid punch to the gut — just album is dedicated to Duke Elling- but their pace is never so fierce that litany of razor sharp beat-juggling listen to Corin Tucker belt out the ton collaborator Billy Strayhorn, it distracts from the melodies or skills, old-school samples and DJ- line, "I'm not the one you wanted!" rebel comic Lenny Bruce and film from the bevy of such sonic embell- battle records to wage an all-out war in her insistent vocal vibrato. While buddha Orson Wells hints that ishments as programmed electronic with a live backing band. At other most of 1997's Dig Me Out sped young Dom is setting his standards gurglings or frenetic guitar screech- times, he uses the turntable as an ahead full-throttle, The Hot Rock high. While his beat schemes are ings. Ironically, the quieter tunes improvisational tool, working shows the trio taking a few more not mind-blowingly experimental, his provide some of the most inspired scratches and breaks into ajam- risks with song structure, tempo skill at fusing devious and complex moments here. Sebadoh's ballads ming environment with other and vocal style. Whether trying digital grooves to vintage soul and flaunt the same confidence as the musicians. Towards the end of the something new, such as the violin- jazz samples begs the invention of a upbeat numbers, but the forceful album, the uncanny X-Man even flavored lovesick ballad "The Size Gil Evans Award for excellence in percussion and snaking guitars allows things to get straight-up ghet- Of Our Love," or ranting through orchestration. The legendary Miles underlying the sweet sheen of Lou to, especially when incarcerated lyri- its trademark hook-filled punk on Davis arranger would have Barlow's voice give songs such as cist Gangis Kahn uses his one phone most of the album's other cuts, undoubtedly experienced an adren- "Love Is Stronger" and "Tree" asat- call from jail to rock an exclusive a Sleater-Kinney proves that maturity aline rush listening to "Times Of isfying darkness. — Kelso Jacks cappella track. — Ron Hart can be nothing less than exhilarat- Danger," a spy-themed drum 'n' ing. — Wendy Mitchell bass barnburner with flashy horn For Fans Of: Silkworm, Pavement, Spoon For Fans Of: The X-ecutioners (X-Men), charts and bracing industrial hums. Recommended Tracks: "It's All You," Large Professor, Peanut Butter Wolf, Mix For Fans Of: Bikini Kill, Hole's Live Through — Steve Ciabattoni "Flame," (first single) "Love Is Stronger," Master Mike This, Heatmiser, Elastica "Tree," "Drag Down" Recommended Tracks: "Dope On Plastic," Contact: Jenny Hayo Recommended Tracks: "Get Up." "Start For Fans Of: Amon Tobin, Spring Heel Jack, "Fusion Beats," -Gangis Kahn" Phone: 206.441.8441 Together," "The Size Of Our Love," "Burn Weird Nightmare: Meditations On Mingus Contact: Bob Weyersberg (Triage Interna- Don't Freeze" Email: [email protected] tional) Recommended Tracks: "Jello Dart," Counts, Fax: 206.448.7420 Contact: Jen Fowler (AAM) Dukes &Strays," "Heaven @12:07" Phone: 212.989.4545 Release Date: February 23; at radio now Email: [email protected] Phone: 212.924.3005 Contact: Sean O'Connell Marketing Data: Being worked at college Email: [email protected] Phone: 978.825.3239 Fax: 212.989.1317 radio by AAM (see contact info for Fax: 212.929.6305 Email: [email protected] Release Date: February 23; at radio now Sleater-Kinney).