Old business, new business

[Bob Krajewski <lmi-angel!rpk>]

KT covers:

I've always thought that the ``Big Sky'' would work pretty well as a
Stax-style shouter, like ``I Can't Turn You Loose'' by Otis Redding.  The
bass line would *really* fit.

New releases:

* Wire are back.  A few weeks ago, all three EMI albums were issued on CD
with extra tracks (Pink Flag with one, Chairs Missing with three, and 154
with four).  The ``Our Swimmer'' 12" has resurfaced.  Sorry
(we-used-to-be-hardcore) did a cover of Ex-Lion Tamer at their last gig,
which got half the wankers there slamming.  (Salem 66 does a cover of
Fragile.  Maybe all Homestead bands from Boston are required to...)

And there's actual 1986 all-new material -- an EP on Mute called Snakedrill
with all four dudes back and Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones at the controls.
It's pretty good (well, I just listened to it once), sort of sounds like
late-period Wire with a little more ``digital'' production than before, but
not at the expense of the classic Wire feel.  The only non-good thing is
that the drumming by Mr. Gotobed is not as distinctive as before.

* The Meatmen have a new one on Caroline (Virgin's 'merican outpost, or maybe
I should say ``homestead'') -- ``Rock and Roll Juggernaut.''  Heard the
first three cuts, none of which were as good as stuff off War of the
Superbikes, at least on the first listen.

* And then there's a single by a duo called Egg Hunt on Dischord -- Ian
McKaye (x-Meatmen) and this other guy from who knows where.  It's tuneful
stuff with loud guitars -- the A side (You and Me) sounds like slowed-down
football chant with a whooshing drum sound, while the flip (We Fall Down) is
metallic and has a section with really nifty choral b-vox.

* I'd just like to plug the Chameleons, a semi-underrated group that sounds
like a dark U2 with a sense of humour.  I liked ``Script of the Bridge''
even if it was basically three good songs arranged in twelve different ways.
The new one (Strange Days) opens up the dark textures and in general is a
lot more varied, while paradoxically no one song seems stand out.  As usual,
the guitar work is extremely melodic and they've a great knack for
studio-created quiet/weird counterpoint sounds.

  ``What does everything mean, basically ?''