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TongueBath©1993
TOT 4 - July 1996
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This issue of the TOT: Tot of TongueBath marks the end of TongueBath's 3rd year in publication...and the 8 th publication to date. (This gig has lasted longer than I ever expected.) Although I had intended to finally (after 1 1/2 years) print out an issue in the former 8.5" x 11" format, a recent chain of events put a stop to that. So, I had to scale back, again. This issue includes some reviews dating back to `94 - `95 that the Bathers slammed/wrote accolades, and that never made it to print in previous issues of the TongueBath and TOT of TongueBath. TOT #4 also includes music reviews from the recent past 6 months. BTW: I 'd like to welcome GreeGree to the family. And hey, keep the hate mail rolling in... since I certainly won't make a favorable amount of beans off of this hobby. I love your hate mail! Send me and the Bathers butt-loads of hate mail, NOW!!!
ATTN: ALL LABELS...WE'RE A COLLECTIVE OF MUSIC AFFICIONADOS WITH A KEEN APPRECIATION FOR ALL MUSICAL GENRES...SKA!, JAZZ & ACID JAZZ, ETHNOBEAT, FOLK, BLUES, HIP-HOP, RAP, AMBIENT, EXPERIMENTAL NOISE & REGULAR NOISE, DUB, MERENGUE, CALYPSO, SOCA, REGGAE, NEW AGE/OLD AGE, ROCK, METAL (sometimes), PUNK, HARDCORE, ETC., ETC. You get the idea. Send it ALL (this includes recurrent/re-released material, too)!! Out.
TongueBath and TOT---not just your run-of-the-mill 'punk' zine family.
KimgerlY, Publisher/Music Editor-in-Chief.....keep the snail-mail comin'...POB likes being fed.
NOTE: This episode includes music reviewed between March 1996 - July 1996.
BATHER'S LEGEND
(!) Skim_gerly ($) pIZZA mAN (?) GodDamn TeX (@) Curtis Bay (#) GreeGree
Note: Since the BIG move out west from Balto, MD in March 1996, it's been difficult to keep the former Bathers Mr. Chris-in-your-face, Mookie-the-Mole-Pole/Laughing Spongebottom/Who_Pisses_Youoff, Skelly, Turtle, E-, and WAYne in the loop. THEY ARE CERTAINLY MISSED.
(!) AUTOMATIC HEAD DETONATOR Live outside the Hollywood Palladium Sonic Youth Gig (Lo-Fi)Definitely not the same old shit. These 3 fellas deserve to have their noggins rubbed, for "Jonsin'" alone. This is how punk should sound and be played...on the back of a truck, BOI!
BIOHAZARD Mata Leao (Warner) Lock-step drum scrapes reminiscent of Helmet. Raps like Ice T and Body Count. Early `80s straight-edge guitar riffs. Metal rap...rap, rap, rap. Body count = 3. BUTTSTEAK Men Who Pause (Go Kart) Sounds like they pinched some zippy-zany antics from Balto's Bezerk and rifferage from Balto's Stress Magnets too. Damn, too bad. I thought the forementioned bands did this style of rock better. Don't me wrong. I want to support 'former home town' bands, but they need to find another formula and a better recipe. Leave out the vox harmonies. Ack! DEAD CAN DANCE Spiritchaser (4AD) Not as somber, solemn and slow this time out. Thematically, the eastern influences prevail as usual, only the George Harrison formula runs throughout; weakens the brew. Lacking innovation and intonation they once possessed. FRED SCHEIDER Just Fred... (Reprise) Fred does Jello (Biafra). Albini does the (Dead) Kennedy's. GASTR DEL SOL Upgrade & Afterlife (Drag City) Best damn 'non-formula' release this year! Abrasive, annoying, dissonant, melodic, and tonal. Music for those into mutating, evolving and moving on. Noise and experimental fans will lap this up. Mainstream America will have problems with this one...GOOD. GEGGY TAH Sacred Cow (Luaka Bop/Warner) There is certainly something to be said for diversity. LET'S GO BOWLING Mr. Twist (Moon/Ska) Grade A, triple A, twelvemo skasters. Vox and organ are smooth like butta. Rhythm section skanks. Horn section shakes and bakes. A keeper. MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO Subliminal Sandwich (Nothing/Interscope) Nothing like a curiously strong subliminal Meat Beat Manifesto sandwich. Wouldn't have been fair to expect Jack to stick with his creations of past releases, considering how quickly technology changes. His old-world toys would have had that worn-out, dated sound. Maybe that's why this release was so long in the making. Bravo!
MILLENCOLIN Life on a Plate (Epitaph) C'mon guys. What's up with this?! I guess Epitaph's trying to employ a business savy that rides on the success/coattails of The OffSpring and NOFX, since mainstream America's only capable of handling formula rock-rifferage. Harsh everything. Buy it if you hate my review; else, just send me hate mail. Stay punk. PULP Self-titled (Island) Again, a fine job on the Publicity Dept.'s part. Talk about terminal emulation. Heard it, done it in the `80s. Is this the best Great Britain can do?! No innovation here --- pallitable, just what mainstream America likes. THE SCOFFLAWS Ska in Hi-fi (Moon) Lots of ska bands never let their horn section come to the front. These groove- skasters, however, let you experience theirs. Everyone takes a turn bustin' a move; horns never sounded so good. Not only is this release destined for dancin', it's ska for bowlin', with the heft and staying power of suds, beer nuts, and a big-haired girl. TOASTERS Hard Band for Dead (Moon/Ska) A band that's better experienced live. This is not a totally bad release. You'll want "M-O-U-S-E" in your house.
VA: INFINITE ZERO - Sampler #4 (Infinite Zero/American) Notorious! Features Gang of Four's classic "I Love a Man in a Uniform", Flipper's "Love Canal" and the errascible rasp and racuous sax of James White (AKA James Chance) and The Blacks. Coulda done with out the spoken work of the some of the beat poets...better left on paper and parused via the optical sensory nodes.
VA: Ultra-Lounge (Capitol) A veritable plethora of high-fidelity recordings outta the `50's and `60s shrink-wrapped-couch era. Includes 4 tracks, each, from volumes I - VI: Mondo Exotica; Mambo Fever; Space-Capades; Bachelor Pad Royale; Wild, Cool, & Swingin'; and Rhapsodia, respectively. To be taken for a lap on your CD player straight, with no chaser. Bust out a Mint Julep. Ahhhhh!
($)LUSH Lovelife (4AD/Reprise) Slick-Brit happy pop music with a date music glaze for the H. R. Puffinstuff crowd.
ABIODUN OYEWOLE 25 Years (Rykodisc) For those of us who may be losing our jones for hip-hop due to the endless stream of mediocrity that comes down from the corporate tune factory, there is hope. First, there was the return of the great Gil Scott-Heron with his "Message to the Messengers." Next came the resurgence of the great `60's founders of rap, The Last Poets. Abiodun Oyewole, an original member of The Last Poets when they formed in 1968 has come out with his 25-year-overdue solo album. While you can call it hip-hop, the roots of the groove lie in the percussion this a swirling cinnamon bun of roots-rap groups of African villages and the smoke-filled jazz clubs of Chi-town and NYC. Contributions by the likes of Ayeb Dieng, Henry Theadgill, fellow Poet Umar Bin Hassan, and others make Under the control of Bill Laswell, the mixing board becomes sweet icing------ creating a sparkle and sheen that fully draws you into the rhythm and rap. Oyewole seems to be on a mission, to bring back the messages of unity, spirituality, and consciousness to the music he helped create. Through his words and multi-cultural music, combined with Bill Laswell's exceptional production work, Abiodun Oyewole brings to the world a message with which many can relate...and dance to! JONNY POLONSKY Hi, My Name is Jonny (American) Another boy-wonder one-man rock and roll band singin' `bout tee troubles. POSSUM DIXON Star Maps (Interscope/Atlantic) At times, this band hints at their punk/garage jones; but, they spend most of the time playing oppossum. SATAN'S PILGRIMS Soul Pilgrim (Estrus) Get out your shimmy! Get out your shake! The Pilgrims are gonna come surfin' right into your hi-fi! Weeeee! What a rollickin' ride. Hang it man.
SCENIC Incident at Cima (Independent Project/Hitch-hyke) The optimal way to enjoy this album is behind the wheel, somewhere in the land of rattlesnakes and tumbleweeds, with a box of four-dollar cigars, plenty of truck stop coffee, and a lot of gas money. I'd also recommend taping it on both sides of a cassette, so you don't have to be disturbed much from the extraordinary scenery that awaits your eyes ...and ears. I also must mention IPR's continuing use of beautiful packaging produced by hand letter-press to make their release extra-impressive. THE WRENS Secaucus (Grass) A melodic din of pop songs with an attitude. VA: SCORE SOME GRASS (Grass) A sampler of up and coming Grass releases (Ed. Note: probably already out by now) full of a punkish pair from each end. Nothing new here; but for some, that's enough.
(?)LAUREL AITKEN The Blue Beat Years (Moon/Ska) A butt-rattling collection of recent recordings from one of the old-school masters of ska. Good historical detail in the liner notes, too. BUTTE "Gator" b/w "Speed Man" (Lucky Garage) Creepy, slightly sociopathic intonations over seemingly barbiturate fueled music. In other words good "snuggling" music. BUTTE Rubber Legs (Lucky Garage) Scary, minimalistic recordings from a man who sounds like he's locked up in a closet somewhere, with rats nibbling away at his dirty little feet.... DRILL TEAM Self-titled (Fish of Death Records)Sounds suspiciously like Barfing Pumpkins. Egads!!! SAM DURANT Behind the Center (Lucky Garage Records)What the...? LOVE NUT Bastards of Melody (Merkin Records) Well, they got the "bastards" part right-- they're bastards for inflicting this inane imitation pearl-jizz-like drivel on the innocent listening public. LUNK Credit Man\Nurse\Ten Thousand Flies (Lucky Garage) A hulking, fleshy mass of a record... you could fry up a mean-ass chicken on these grooves. TIM PERKINS Five (solo violin improvisations) (Lucky Garage) A vomitorium of challenging violin screechings. PINK NOISE TEST Electric Train (Boy's Life Records) A veritable diarrhea splash of pseudo-psychedelic mediocrity. Pee-yew. THE FOUR-TRACK ADVENTURES OF VENICE SHORELINE CHRIS (Moon/Ska) This guy obviously had a lot of fun recording this-- and I had a lot of fun listening to it. This is ska stripped down to its two-tone bones; minimalistic, feisty and upbeat. SKAVOOVIE AND THE EPITONES Fat Footin' (Moon/Ska) "Flat-footin" is more like it. Some juicy ska beats are here---but most of these songs spiral into a sonic morass of tedious cliches. Whip out the first Specials record instead.
SLUTS FOR HIRE The Happiest Band on Earth (Flipside) Seemingly inspired by Darby Crash, this feisty collection of off key slop-punk tickled my goiter. SUPERFINE Stoner Love (Fish of Death Records) Distinctly unpleasant listening experience. Redd-Cross-like 70's nostalgia Schlock-rock. Avoid.
(@) J. MASCIS Martin & Me (Reprise) Who's relative is this of Warner/Reprise? Not even BAD enough to be Daniel Johnston. I bet Martin is better. LET'S GO BOWLING Mr. Twist (Moon/Ska) They have the jitters and the fritters; like hash brown po-taters, they're al-righTA! LOCAL H As Good As Dead (Island) They make lots of noise for only 2 guys. Sounds like that ol' Kurt Cobain shit, sometimes. Catchy, made-for-radio tune high-fivin' "MF" got stuck in my noggin'. Good for them. I'd like to see them pull it off live....or, maybe not.
(#) GASTR DEL SOL Upgrade & Afterlife (Drag City) U & A's answer to sources of manna is gastric amplifier dissonance yanking out safe cushion-dome from under Brave New World familiarities. Enter tea-time with David Lynch featuring creme a la Waits...in case you've forgotten the as of yet faceless of wide space and urgent disharmony in long pauses...no spineless couches here.
GLAZED BABY Atomic Communists (Red Decibel) Stealthy dudgeon not, celebrate black-out drill in May colors, convert the bomb shelter to the family room. These Reds' miffed hydrogen rancor squeals on public streets. Nationalistic enflamement for all! HUSIKESQUE Green Blue Fire (Astralwerks) P. S. Holy pork chops is Husikesque. Great vendor therapy. How wistful and powdery m'friend. LOTION Nobody's Cool (Spin Art Records) If someone asked generation X in advance the difference between the folk of REVIVE and that of Ingenuity the answer would be revealed in Lotion and the post-
REM camp to hit MTV. Listen Counting Crow peckers: the art is Reflect Social Image not Lullaby of Self-absorption. Excepting an inventive modernisation of the S. American bird chirp texture (electronic baby sigh) and the more etherealized attempts of the "Rock Chick" track, this group needs to act less the groupie and move to more multi-rhythmic variety. SCHEER Infliction (4AD) Suddenly 4AD was misprinted as FAD when the infliction of Singular Female broadcasted. Whereas the accustome
pulse of this label offers Shakespearean mystery (This Mortal Coil straight out of Hamlet), this sign-on seemed to cater to the formula dime-store Mystery. Trade P.J. Harvey/Bjork/Edie Brikel/Cranberry's narcissus melody with more soul volume. Scheer sustains hypnotic counter to droning bass, and even takes the cutting plunge into solo acoustical ( guitar in "Baby Size", experimental cello in "Goodby") albeit with lackluster forceps. THE SLACKERS Better Late Than Never (Moon/Ska) Brassy alley cat league just discovered melatonin. The patriots of sleeplessness seem plenty restful. Aside from a few sleepy drawls of engratiation, they are down with the -coons in the vein of Big Apple gutter---distractingly sluggish here and there, but eventually leading back to the Underground of Hep. TOASTERS Hard Band for Dead (Moon/Ska) Some panacea of retribution for the psychosomatic corruption induced on the `80's generation (Tales from the) Crypt and Friday the 13th survivors. Now, the dead are out shimmying with their gun molls in Fedoras, pin-stripes, and combat boots, wondering why ska lads and lassies don't can the re-runs for precious two-tone hopping and multi-race a-wake-ening. Don't chase ghosts, sway with them.
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