U2, Saqqara Dogs, 9 3 Current 9 3 , Negativland

[allynh%miro@berkeley.edu (Allyn Hardyck)]

After a week of computer abstinence (and only essential record-buying)...

Yes, _The Joshua Tree_ is excellent.  Forgive my slide towards
commercialism in this area (as I understand the album entered the
charts at #1).  But maybe it means there are a lot of people
out there who are as sick of Richie/Collins/Ocean/Jovi as we seem to be.
Bono's vocal range has increased dramatically, and I'm a sucker
for anything with acoustic slide guitar work (_Paris, Texas_, etc.)
so the last song on side 1 skipped past the skeptic receptor.
As for "Bullet the Blue Sky" - oh, just get the damn thing...

Just got Saqqara Dogs' _World Crunch_ yesterday, been waiting for a record
from them ever since I saw them open for Jesus and Mary Chain (whatever
happened to them?) last year.  Tower cashier had high marks for it too
(and how'd you know I was into them Rob?).  A rich sound; guitar, stick
and several Eastern percussion instruments, coming together most impressively
on "Greenwich Mean Time".  Bond Bergland (ex-Factrix) and an apparent
ex-member of James White and the Blacks make two-thirds of the band.

.   .         .   .
 9 3  Current  9 3 's shows in both SF and LA do seem to have been postponed
  .   -------   .

or even canceled outright by difficulties with the new visa restrictions, 
whose pernicious effects are certainly making it easier for me to avoid
clubs altogether and save what little money I have...  Does anybody have
any idea what would happen to them if they came over as tourists and 
just happened to show up at places to "sit in"?

What Negativland will probably be doing for a great while is recovering
from the effects of a fire at their El Cerrito warehouse, damaging a
great deal of their inventory (this from the latest Ralph catalog).
I believe a show at the DNA Lounge (was it?) a couple days ago was
partly a benefit for them, also featuring Clubfoot Orchestra etc.
(peremptorily reviewed by the asshole jazz reviewer from the _Chronicle_).

allyn