the return of the jesus and mary chain; the arrival of micro mini; the shape of jazz right now at the third annual vision festival
Not only in their photograph do they come at you from unexpected angles. Steve Tignor meets a band who can slow-waltz with underground flair
Here's a band who seem to keep their heart in protective custody, stubbornly wrapped in private history and sardonic humor. Kok Kian Goh explores their perverse charms
They run a band, they stick together, they've been to hell and back. Nowadays, not many people get asked to their big house in rural Virginia. Jay Ruttenberg, an exception, lends an ear to the famously cranky, contrarian pair
He does pratfalls on stage, but his songs never stumble. And while his arrival on the scene brings mentions of his illustrious parents, he's pursuing his own agenda -- to put passion and drama back into popular song
Dutch sampler/eight-track artist Elisabeth Esselink makes music (and lyrics) according to a very personal system. Elisabeth Vincentelli learns the terms of the solexicon
Blah blah used to be married to each other blah blah blah
Sleater-Kinney blah blah...
Just forget all that! It's the songs, stupid!
Julie Ruin, Violent Green, Belle & Sebastian, Ganger, Cat Power, Andrew Beaujon, Push Kings, Drugstore, Angie Heaton, Califone, Adventures in Stereo, Scrawl, For Stars, Wheat, Butterfly... and many more
Music Books: unknown legends,
chicano rock, new and old country;
Novels: Pagan Kennedy, Andrew McGahan; plus: Gerard Malanga's
photographic portraits, Michael Stipe's Patti Smith pix, phone sex
"The Coming of the Blue Dot" by Stepan Chapman, author of the novel The Troika (winner of the 1997 Philip K. Dick Award) and the story collection Danger Music (1996)