Farmicia Restaurant and Beakers Bar - Old City - Philadelphia


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Issue No. 2

Features

A Conversation Across Oceans with the Go-Betweens

The Go-Betweens are the quintessential cult band. During the 80's, over the course of six albums, they developed a fervent international following rivaling the devotion shown to the Smiths or the Cure. After breaking up and pursuing solo work, Grant McLennan and Robert Forster reunited in 1999 and are about to release their third album since getting back together, Oceans Apart. I spoke with Robert Forster on a sunny Saturday morning recently, and we talked about the new record and the lack of 'double Ls' in the new title.

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Blasting Off with Zolar X

Of all the stars that shone brightly in the brief but beautiful night sky of Glam Rock in the 1970's, one of the most brilliantly luminescent was Zolar X. On any given day in Los Angeles after 1973, you could possibly have encountered this merry band of Martians walking down the street or at the grocery store or laundromat. Complete with antennae and sound effects, they never appeared anywhere dressed as earthlings, and most likely weren't anyway. Using the legendary Rodney's English Disco in downtown LA as mission control, Zolar X began their career rubbing shoulders with the likes of Jobriath, the New York Dolls, and Iggy Pop.

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The Simple Majesty of Low

In 1994 Low were formed in Duluth Minnesota. Drifting onto the scene as a slow, hypnotic enigma they have in the past eleven years evolved into a major musical statement. Never compromising their elegant vision, but constantly confounding their listeners and critics they have recently released their seventh record, The Great Destroyer on Sub Pop records which just may be their most challenging work to date.

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Reviews
Aimee Mann-The Forgotten Arm Low Skies-I Have Been to Beautiful Places
Nocturne-Guide to Extinction Outrageous Cherry-Our Love Will Save the World
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds-B-Sides & Rarities The Arcade Fire-Funeral
Akimbo-City of the Stars Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds-Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Sweet Cobra-Praise Quintron-The Frog Tape
Dao Strom-Send Me Home The Red Masque-Feathers for Flesh
Android Lust-Stripped + Stitched Richard Buckner-Dents & Shells
Point Line Plane-Smoke Signals Jigsore Terror-World End Carnage
Blood Meridian-We Almost Made it Home Tom Waits-Real Gone

Interviews

Pale Divine

The most important thing when it comes to music is truth. Even the casual listener can weed out phoniness. A band or musician can be churning out the most mindless pap, but if their heart is in it, we know. Case in point, did anyone ever question that Gilbert O'Sullivan was going to be 'Alone Again Naturally'?

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Unearthly Trance

"In the beginning there was darkness…" If there is ever an official holy book on metal, that's what it will read. Sure, Metal had its roots in The Kinks, The Stooges, and MC5. But it was those ominous church bells, the thunder and heavier than heavy riffs on the first track of the first Black Sabbath album that set the dark tone. This would be music about things that go bump in the night, things that happen in secret, gatherings and rituals.

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Profiles

Ghetto SongBird

"It was like Woodstock in my house". That's how Ghetto SongBird remembers her childhood. "There were always musicians jamming on their guitars, singing or listening to records". Her earliest musical memory is shaking her tail feather with her mom to the Bar-Kays (her mother's main man at the time was their guitarist).

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Charlie Hunter

Charlie Hunter is a groove monster. When he comes through town he leaves behind a trail of dancing hippies, head nodding music connoisseurs and studious jazz fascist wallflowers. He is both an invigorating songwriter and intriguing instrumentalist using his signature 8-string guitar/bass combo to stir up almost anyone's musical fancy.

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Live Shows

Jennifer Gentle

Whenever someone tells me they're worried about leaving a job they hate, I tell them that work is inevitable; a disquieting thought. I won't go into my day, but at 8:30pm I got my orders from MagnaPhone to cover the Jennifer Gentle show at the Khyber. It was raining and Philadelphia was low on cabs as usual. When I arrived, there was some confusion at the door. The cover was ten dollars, and I wasn't on the guest list.

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Phil Moore Browne

Imagine a place where you are able to feel complete frequency; total energy transmitting through the atmosphere. The pulsation of the drums rival that of your own heartbeat. The vibration of the bass guitar melodically hums vibrations down your spine. Sound waves from the keyboard course rapidly though your veins, vocals flowing so freely along the mind's brainwaves that you are unable to tell their thoughts from your own. This is the kinetic experience you are possessed with once in the presence of Phil Moore Brown.

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David E. Williams & Bombs

I look at the clock on my computer and it's now precisely 1:11am. It's Thursday. I'm recovering from a 30-hour jag of freelance computer work and physical deprivation. I do this to myself sometimes when life reaches a certain pitch where I'm trying to stay positive and up beat while listening to music by Deathpile and browsing the Ogrish.com galleries for beheadings.

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