The Spill #1 2/4

[spil...@cml.com]

Page 3

The Real Mackenzies. Now they were amusing. Four egotistical
males in kilts and a bagpiper as a mascot. "This one's for Andy
Stewart!"; "This one's for Suede!"; "This one's for Bud!" is what
they came up with in between songs. Five minute bagpipe solos,
beer-throwing antics, and traditional Scottish melodies turned
into punk rhapsodies. Huh?! After three songs, the novelty wore
off. A few of us in the front were bored. A girl beside me said
it best: "Ok, we know your Scottish! Just play the damned song!"
The Real Mackenzies went on and on.

Finally The Hanson Bros. took the stage, and guess what? The
first song they spit out was "A Night Without You." My fave!
The audience went wild pogo-ing and slamming me against the guard
rail. Tommy drooled (gross), Johnny pointed, Robbie pumped, and
Kenny beat out the drums (you could see steam back there!). This
is a great live act, and I stress _act_. This No Means No/
D.O.A. combination can only be taken seriously by a hardcore
hockey nut. Hockey masks, sticks and all, I truly had my rock
fiber that night.

By the way, the Flames suck!
- Jacqueline Valencia

#########################################

Just get back from a concert that BLEW YOUR MIND??!! Write a
review and submit to The Spill! We are looking for submissions
for our Live Circuit section. If you have seen a show at a small
venue, or by a new or independent act, send a review to:
spil...@cml.com (we are especially looking for reviews from
outside Toronto.)

#########################################

THIS SPACE FOR RENT!
====================

Advertise your company, product,
band... whatever in The Spill!
Contact Arvin Kashyap at:
(905) 677-8337
for information.

Page 4

###
# ONIC
###
# PILL
###

Shonen Knife
_Rock Animals_
Virgin Records

So they rip off The Jam... The Clash... The Ramones... I could go
on, but so what? I like Shonen Knife! Rather, I _adore_ Shonen
Knife!

I admit, this album is pure adolescent, sado-masochistic fun.
It's nostalgic, nonsensical and simple. Who needs chord changes
and bridges when you can have catchy, non-original guitar riffs.
At least the lyrics are something of a gem to a fairy-tale minded
person such as myself. Take for instnace, the words from the
lead track, "Quavers:" "I wanna be his Madonna/ I wanna be his
princess/ I wanna be his heroine/ I'd be happy just to be with
him." Who couldn't fall in love with that?

They even wear their influences on their sleeves in tunes like
"Another Day," a Beatlesque melody clomplete with muted pianos
and a sighed, little-girl vocal. Gee, and maybe they just
happened to watch _Grease_ while writing "Johnny, Johnny,
Johnny." I felt like singing "Grease lightning!" at the end of
each verse.

But enough silliness. There are some very skilled and
politically-minded, yet eccentric individuals playing here.
There is the undecipherable track "Cobra Versus Mongoose," a
strange tale of wacko circus remedies, two southern fighters and
a mongoose. "Brown Mushrooms" is an innocent-sounding tale about
fungi, but when the words "magic" and "mushrooms under the moon"
are mentioned in the same breath, one wonders.

Yes, they were banned in parts of Japan. Yes, they sport cute,
pouting poses on the cover of _Rock Animals_ (smart attire, I
must say), but I do not reccomend this album as a first listen to
Shonen Knife. The album does not do much justice to thier
talent. I suggest listening to one of their first breakthrough
albums, entitled _Litany Of The Knife_, to see where the Yamano
sisters and Nakatani are coming from.

For now, I'll stick with "Tomato Head:" "I drink tomato juice
every night/ Why don't you get out of my sight.../...I only wanna
ge like/ TOMATO HEAD..."

Page 5

Various Artists
_The Crow_ Soundtrack
Atlantic

One of the best soundtracks ever. It features rare tracks by
Rage
Against The Machine, Stone Temple Pilots, Rollins Band, The Cure,
Pantera, Helmet, and many others. The highlight is Nine Inch
Nails
covering "Dead Souls" by Joy Division.

An all-star alternative lineup. I hope the movie is as good.
___

John Scofield and Pat Metheny
_I Can See Your House From Here_
Pat Metheny
_Zero Tolerance For Silence_
Blue Note-Capitol/DGC

More of the same, with a difference. This is the best way to
describe the two latest offerings from Pat Metheny. The project
with Scofield doesn't overly emphasize the playing of Metheny,
but he makes his presence felt. Both players perform guitars in
their own respective styles (Metheny does synthesizer work as
well) and blend it together to create a listening experience.

Speaking of which, Metheny's latest solo offering is the man with
his guitar. That is, a man with his guitar ready to rock out
(while close to, all things considered.) Maybe he is looking for
a wider audience. This release shows his diversity as a
musician. After a slew of releases featuring other players (Lyle
Mays, Charlie Haden, Ornette Coleman), Metheny goes solo and
shows what he is made of. The album is split in to 5 parts and
runs under 40 minutes. If you were waiting for something
different from Metheny, dive into this. If you appreciate the
sound you've enjoyed in the past, pick up the collabartion CD.
Either 3way, Metheny has created two great albums that deserve a
listen.
___

Sloppy Seconds
_Destroyed_
Relativity

If you are going to purchase this album (I dare you), it would be
best to throw all political correctness in the trash.

There is nothing really new here though. Sloppy Seconds is just
another punk band; from the screeching guitars, to the spewing
out of toxic lyrics like: "And every time I see that stuck-up

ComputerLink 'the easy way to bbs' (416) 233 - 7150