Tax, American Rock Ahead, Suns and Savages

[Sue Trowbridge <ins_aset%jhunix.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>]

Bad news, guys.  I was shopping at a local record store that does much of
its business selling imports, and while I was there, they got a disturbing
message on their FAX machine -- there's a new tax on all imported discs!
As of this week, U.S. record merchants will be paying 3.5% more for their
records, and they'll pass the tariff on to us, needless to say.  Which
means that my fave store will be raising their prices for imported LPs
(already a pricey $10.99) by at least fifty cents.  Ouch!  I will try to
get some more details on this.  I wouldn't be surprised if the U.S. major
labels were somehow involved, though...first parallel import bans and
now this.  What better ways to make imported discs a turnoff for
retailers *and* buyers?

However, not much of interest has come from the Brit music scene lately.
The so-called "shambling" movement (a.k.a. "the new innocents," a.k.a.
"anorak bands") has brought us the Woodentops and the Housemartins and
the Pastels, but little else worth checking out.  Talulah Gosh, Mighty
Mighty, The Bodines, etc., are marginal talents at best.  Melody Maker,
NME, and the Face acknowledged the dormant scene in their year-end
issues -- the vast majority of the bands on their best-of-86 lists were
American.  The Beastie Boys and Prince clobbered the competition, with
Throwing Muses, Run-D.M.C. and Anita Baker making strong showings as well.
Whoever would'a thunk it?
                                ***
I finally got around to seeing "Sid and Nancy," and I cannot recommend
it highly enough.  It is a truly frightening film -- there are plenty
of touching and romantic moments between the two doomed lovers, but
their love was ultimately just destructive.  Exceptionally well-made
by Alex Cox and while it doesn't exactly entertain (what did you
expect?), it's the best movie I've seen in ages.  Grotesque footnote:
when Sid died of a heroin overdose, his mother had him cremated, then
sprinkled the ashes over cornflakes and...yuk.
                                ***
FAB MUSIC: The Volcano Suns' "All Night Lotus Party" is my current
favorite LP...some melodic guitar stuff and some thrashier tunes and
a nifty/bizarro cover pic...and you've got to hand it to a band who
names a song "Bonus Hidden Mystery Track."
                                ***
It looks like they're headed for Next Big Thingdom, so I thought I'd
check out Barrence Whitfield and the Savages before they head up to
Boston to begin work on a Nick Lowe-produced EP for Warner Bros.
Barrence is an R&B shouter (the Sam Kinison of rock?) who often leapt
out into the crowd to dance with or tease audience members ("Why are
you holding that drink when you could be clapping along?").  Pudgy
and comical in appearance, maybe (picture Rerun from "What's Happening!"
a few years older) but man, whatta voice.  The band was excellent as
well.  (Milton, the guitarist, is a Johns Hopkins grad and M.D. who
practices medicine two days a week and plays in the band the rest.)
The poppier blues numbers (sometimes reminiscent of the very cool
Robert Cray Band) and ballads worked best...I can't work up much
enthusiasm over the 50s-style rockers, though, many of which sounded
like outtakes from the "Happy Days" soundtrack.  Still, it was a fun
show.

-- Sue