The Venus Trail •Flying Nun-Merge Paul Weller Wild Wood PAUL WELLER Wild Wood •Go! Discs/London-PLG FAY DRIVE LIKE JEHU Yank Crime •Cargo-Interscope FRENTE! Marvin The Album •Mammoth-Atlantic VOL. 38 NO.7 • ISSUE #378 VNIJ! P. COMBUSTIBLE EDISON MT RI Clnlr SURE THING! MESSIAH INSIDE II The Grays On Page 3 I Ah -So-Me-Chat In Reggae Route ai DON'T WANT IT. IDON'T NEED IT. BUT ICAN'T STOP MYSELF." ON TOUR VITH OEPECHE MOUE MP.'i 12 SACRAMENTO, CA MAJ 14 MOUNTAIN VIEV, CA MAI' 15 CONCORD, CA MA,' 17 LAS, VEGAS, NV MAI' 18 PHOENIX, AZ Aff.q 20 LAGUNA HILLS, CA MAI 21 SAN BERNARDINO, CA MA,' 24 SALT LAKE CITY, UT NOTHING MA,' 26 ENGLEVOOD, CO MA,' 28 DONNER SPRINGS, KS MA.,' 29 ST. LOUIS, MO MP, 31 Sa ANTONIO, TX JUNE 1HOUSTON. TX JUNE 3 DALLAS, TX JUNE 5BILOXI, MS JUNE 8CHARLOTTE, NC JUNE 9ATLANTA, GA THE DEBUT TRACK ON COLUMBIA .FROM THE ALBUM "UNGOD ." JUNE 11 TILE ,' PARX, IL PROOUCED 81.10101 FRYER. REN MANAGEMENT- SIEVE RENNIE& LARRY TOLL. COLI MI-31% t.4t.,• • e I The Grays (left to right): Jon Brion, Jason Falkner, Dan McCarroll and Buddy Judge age 3... GRAYS On The Move The two started jamming together, along with the band's third songwriter two guys who swore they'd never be in aband again, Jason Falkner and Buddy Judge and drummer Dan McCarron. The result is Ro Sham Bo Jo Brion sure looked like they were having agreat time being in the Grays (Epic), arecord full of glorious, melodic tracks that owe as much to gritty at BGB's earlier this month. "This place is great," said Falkner, taking in the new wave as to post-Beatles sugar pop. More than one critical review has du s"ambience" as he entered the dank space. The raw setting was awel- used the word "Beatle-esque" to describe the Grays' sound, but Falkner co echange for Falkner, whose last band Jellyfish never set one platformed explained that that's typical. "Every band I've been in has been cited a sh ein the infamous NYC hole-in-the-wall when he was the band's guitarist Beatle-esque band," he said, half-joking. "Maybe because we had more for the first album and tour. Falkner was glad to leave Jellyfish for numerous than four chord changes in our songs...the national attitude about pop re sons, but mostly because he didn't care much for the band's Brady Bunch music is like, 'Oh God!' Ithink most people are afraid of it now." vi, the costumes and the fact that the band didn't do any of his songs. Despite all three writers' penchant for "Beatle-esque" pop, Falkner noted A ed if he felt alittle like George Harrison he replied, "Yeah...but Ididn't the Grays' don't have the desire to be nearly as elaborate as his last ev• nget my one or two songs per album." band. "Jellyfish was alittle over the top for me," he says. "Some sort of ion, who had been doing well as an ace studio musician (and ironically restraint is very good to have.. .1 could make aprogressive [sounding] pl yed guitar on Jellyfish's second LP) and as aproducer (Aimee Mann) record, but for me, the song is key." His statement holds up, as there's no se med to have little impetus for spending time in aband, recording an song on Ro Sham Bo that couldn't be banged out efficiently by the foe al um and then lugging amps to clubs around the country. Falkner summed members on stage. Playing CBGB's was the band's choice, and the group u their sentiments: "We were dead set on never being in aband again, but easily drove home the point that just because it's "pop" doesn't mean th ssort of crept up on us." The two songwriters met when Brion was sitting in there's no edge to it. Like their closest contemporary relative the Posies, a ofe and heard amix tape Falkner made for his girlfriend who worked the Grays play expertly constructed pop songs with the zeal of aderelict th re. "[The tape mixed] some Kinks Village Green Preservation Society, punk band. Falkner, who has been trying to explain the clashing ethics essey And Oracle by the Zombies, [Elvis Costello's] Imperial making up the Grays' sound, reveals, "I have this theory I've been work- droom, stuff like that, but it didn't have the obvious tracks from those ing on for awhile. It's across between sophistication and shit." While not r aids," said Falkner. "So, Jon runs up to the front and says 'Who made this long on eloquence, the statement brings the band's nervy attitude to the t pe?' and then he came back and made her atape for me with Emmit fore. —Steve Ciabottoni, R odes and some other stuff, and when Ilistened to that, Isaid 'I have to et this guy." MAY »NI THE COVER IACKPOT! Essential New Music 3DS The Venus Trail (Flying Nun, c/o Merge, P.O. Box PAUL WELLER Wild Wood (GolDiscs/London, c/o PLG, 1235, Chapel Hill, NC 27514/919-929-0711)—New 825 Eighth Ave., New York, NY 10019)—Since disband- Zealand's 3Ds have never fit neatly into any of the pigeon holes ing The Jam in 1982, and folding the ¡azzy Style Council in '88, dug out to describe their tiny country's numerous influential artists. Paul Weller has been abit of asoul man, turning up on significant Since its emergence in 1991, the band has fashioned an impres- new R&B recordings like the Young Disciples' Road To Freedom sive amalgam of nervy experimentalism and joyful melodicism, and Giant Steps Vol. 1. Wild Wood, Weller's second LP as a held together by the crunchy guitar grind of Davids Mitchell and solo artist, presents amore varied song selection and aless overt Saunders—like Pavement's six-string innovations, the 3Ds' unstop- interpretation of American soul (Gaye, Wonder and Cooke) than pable flow of guitar-derived licks, bits and sounds is both immedi- 1992's Paul Weller. Don't be misled, Wild Wood is not so ate and consistently imaginative. On their second proper album much a"soul" or a"white soul" record as it is an infinitely "soul- (their first CD compiled ful" record, radiating their first two EPs), the good vibes via acoustic 3Ds' familiar, over-the- Folk ("Foot Of The top lurch ¡umps out, Mountain" and claws and shiny teeth "Country"), pure rock exposed—on the first ("Shadow Of The Sun") track, "Hey Seuss," and hard-edged soul Mitchell's scratchy cuts ("5th Season"). As vocals compress alyricist, Weller has beneath an exuberant unclenched his fist a melody and abub- bit, opting for oddly bling, garagey rhythm. spiritual and pastoral While this strain con- text which finds wel- tinues throughout The come companions in Venus Trail ("Phila- Wild Wood's warm delphia Rising," "Sum- and lively grooves and mer Stone"), the band the peaceful country places increasing em- estate where the album phasis on its equally powerful quieter songs. The sprightly, sensi- was recorded. Some may still favor The Jam's mod pop, but those tive "The Golden Grove" and "Beautiful Things," with lead vocals willing to hear how Weller has improved as asinger and band- from bassist Denise Roughan, have the same knock-the-wind-out- leader will be rewarded with one of the best records of his career. fast sonic force of the 3Ds' upbeat tunes, while the album's Celtic- We're just Wild about: "Sunflower," "Moon On Your Pajamas," sounding closer "Spooky" is just that: ahaunting duet between "All The Pictures On The Wall," the title cut and those noted Roughan and Mitchell in an acoustic setting. —Lydia Anderson above. —Steve Ciabattoni FRENTE! Marvin The Album (Mammoth, c/o Atlantic, 75 DRIVE LIKE JEHU Yank Crime (Interscope, 10900 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019)—Frente! has Wilshire Blvd. #1230, Los Angeles, CA 90024)—It's been been making tidal-sized waves in its Australian homeland over the two and ahalf years since the first Drive Like Jehu album, time past year, both with the release of its six-song debut EP Labour enough for the San Diego busybodies to pen amajor-label deal, Of Love and more recently with its entertaining, diverse full-length and for member John Reis to finish recording and touring with his Marvin The Album, which finally materializes stateside this other band, Rocket From The Crypt. The wait is finally over, and month. Whether the band is drawing infectiously poppy, Edie the result, Yank Crime, is even better for the time it simmered. Brickell-type portraits with songs like "Accidentally Kelly Street" or With the release of this second album, after DLJ's hometown of wandering along southern American musical coasts on "Lonely," San Diego has been it's obvious that Frentel pegged the "new takes pride in the purity scene," these new- of rich, acoustic sounds found "scensters" are and friendly arrange- DRIVE LIKE JEHU gathering velocity, ments. While the plowing ahead full- organic, crystalline YAKIÇ _ speed with blinders on, quality of the band's holding close their punk sound may be the focus rock ethics ('we want to of its idealism, this does CZI /vi€ play small venues and not restrict the band «S P all ages shows'). The from taking creative lib- band's ethics aren't the erties with acouple of only aspect that remain more experimental, pro- true to punk rock ide- grammed tracks, such _ ologies; its music jabs as the airy "Most at the listener's ears Beautiful," with its lyri- with repetitive rhythms cally jagged phrasings.