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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1991)
jaideip Avau v m. Mardi Gras — only in New Orleans A look at the celebration in New Orleans and some tips catching Mardi Gras beads. 6 features Anew chapter in her life. Alison Leland is the first black woman appointed to Texas A&M Board of Regents. 3 Happy Valentine’s Day. The origins of kissing, hot dates for tonight and a skeptics view. 4 reviews Texas bands strike it big with album releases. 11 film ‘Hamlet’ Film adaptation of literary classic is entertaining for all. 10 “L.A. Story’ Plot provides superficial laughs. 10 LIFE # ! migizii editor Kristin North associate editor Cindy McMillian art director Phelan M. Ebenhack feature writers Yvonne Salce Terri Welch reviewers John Mabry Rob Newberry Julia Spencer contributing writers Donna Banse Pamela Lee Brian Paradis Kevin Robinson Lisa Young photographer SdndraN. Robbins Life Style is a weekly publication of The Texas A&M Battalion. The publisher and edi tors are not responsible for unsolicited material. For advertising information please call (409) 845-2696. For editorial information please call (409) 845-3313. February 14,1991 SUW1J31U9 /o uoijdvpv U99J0§ Texas bands score witb recordings By Rob Newberry The Road Kings Runnin'Hot Roots Records Formerly from College Station, now based in Houston, the Road Kings have developed a style riding the fence between blues-rock and country in that gray area of rockabilly. But this release is definitely not shady; for a new band’s first recording, this is ex tremely solid. Singer-guitarist Jesse Dayton fronts the band with bluesy guitar licks and twangy vocals. Filling out the hip-hop rhythms are Brian Lux on bass (usually upright) and Eric Tucker on drums. The threesome is as tight on tape as they are playing live. The only disappointment with the release is the brevity. Six songs, in cluding “Shotgun Wedding Blues,” "Lust is a Terminal Thang” and my fave “Walk On By,” make up the re cording, but that’s a very.small sam pling of what these guys have in their pockets. I wouldn't have objected to even having a cover song or two on the collection; the Road Kings can play the hell out of Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis tunes. Look for the Road Kings playing around town for music that pleases both country and rock fans. And if you’re as impressed as I was, grab a copy of the tape. Josh Alan Famous and Poor Four Dots Records A regular on the Dallas Deep Eilum music scene, Josh Alan satisfies fans of his incredibly innovative guitar style with his first release. Alan has played at the Front Porch Cafe a couple of times, and is scheduled to play later in the semester for those of us who enjoy watching as well as listening to his style. Alan’s tape includes several instru mental songs that capitalize on his guitar work, and opens with “Josh’s Breakdown,” a jazzy, bluesy number he normally kicks off his live set with. The release also includes his cover of Hendrix’s “Stone Free,” a favorite with Alan’s live crowds, recorded with a band on the tape. Alan’s lyrics are nearly as captivat ing as the guitar work itself. The title track and "Greyhound” both poke fun using Alan’s subtle dark humor. Much of the other work is bluesy and raw, with some songs he recorded on a little Teac tape player in the kitchen of his Dallas home. The guitar work on Alan’s release is the most impressive I've ever seen, with quick changes between slide, jazz, blues and rhythm. The lyrics aren’t shabby, either, so fans of this best-kept secret will want to pick up on Famous and Poor. This is the first of a two-part review of recent releases by Texas bands. LARD-alternative music with sense of humor By Brian Paradis LARD The Last Temptation of Reid Alternative Tentacles Records LARD is about as close as industrial hard-core music has come to a super group. The band is headed up vocally by Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys, along with Alien Jourgensen (guitars, prog.) and Paul Barker (bass, prog.) both from Ministry, Revolting Cocks and Skinny Puppy. The cast is rounded out by Jeff Ward on drums, also from the Revolting Cocks. It’s am azing that with this compilation of higher-profile industrial artists, LARD is still more or less relegated to the underground stereotype. They re leased their latest album The Last Temptation of Reid on Alternative Ten tacles Records—Biafra’s own label. It is clear that Reid, the band’s first full-length release, is more than just an outletting of their collective social conscience. This album is meant to serve as a kick in the butt (or a boot to the head — whatever it takes) to all the blissfully ignorant who close their eyes and ears to the realities of the world around them. As Biafra aptly put it in a song on the LARD's first album, "When people are asleep, we must all become alarm clocks.” Upon listening to the album, it is im mediately apparent that Biafra intends to wake up the sleeping with his shocking lyrics and shouting cartoon like voice that DK fans are so familiar with.-It is also clear, in noting the pro duction, that Biafra’s vocals are meant to dominate, while the instrumentation isdeemphasized. The opening track “Forkboy” de nounces the evils of ultra-capitalism and those who choose to be the tools of it. It’s a tune I strongly recommend to certain graft-ridden politicians and alumni that inevitably come to mind. The next song “Pineapple Face’’ is a satirical look at the U.S./Panama crisis as if through the eyes of that poorly complexioned dictator himself, Man uel Noriega. “When the mouse that roared / Bites the elephant that feeds / Ringmaster cracks / 20,000 whips.” The needling of U.S. foreign policy continues. “Cartoon boogeymen to keep the people scared /1 believe ev ery word ’cos the truth is too weird / Who framed Roger Rabbit? / Who framed Khaddafi then blew up his kid?” The most hilarious track on Reid, “Mate Spawn & Die,” is up there with Frank Zappa’s “Broken Hearts are for Assholes” as one of the great anti-ro mance anthems of all time. In a world of Hollywood-glam-bands, soap opera lust-affairs, and all other portrayals of love dripping with cheese,, “Mate Spawn & Die” lends a refreshing alter native. “In one corner of the ring / That cherished myth / Falling in love mag ically solves / Every problem you’ve ever had / In the other corner / Spoon- size shredded dreams." “Drug Raid at 4 a.m." is a humor ous, yet frighteningly realistic, staging of a typical DEA break-in style drug bust. After thoroughly raping the sus pects’ rights, the officer exits saying, “Sorry, wrong house.” "Bozo Skeleton" is the song in which Lard unleashes its ultimate theme: “If every fool wore a crown, we should all be king.” This song, and the whole album, is filled with references to censorship (specifically the PMRC), a subject that Biafra feels strongly about. He even tours and lectures on the subject, which is exceptional con sidering the fact that LARD doesn’t even tour as a band. In covering “They’re Coming to Take Me Away," Biafra parodies his own paranoia concerning his history of being targeted by censors. He spe cializes in poking fun at others, but is quick to note: "My license to make fun of everyone / Comes from knowing I’m the biggest joke of all.” If you’ve noticed that I haven't men tioned much about the music instru- mentally, that’s because there isn’t much to say. If you’re a fan of Jour gensen and Barker through their work in Ministry, Skinny Puppy and Revolt ing Cocks, then you could find your self dissapointed with this album mu sically. LARD is clearly a vehicle for Biafra to showcase lyrically. While there is some interesting guitar work in “M S & D" and "I am Your Clock,” a nearly 15 minute epic cursing socie ty’s stifling of creativity, it doesn’t quite hold up to most of Jourgensen’s prior work. In comparison with their first re lease, the three-track Power of LARD EP, I found Jeff Ward’s drumming lacking in imagination and diversity. But I must consider that when ex pected to keep up with the creativity of men with names like "Jello” and “A- lien” not much can be expected from a “Jeff.” Nevertheless, what you have with LARD is some straight-forward punk/thrash music simplistically back ing the vocals of a man named after a popular brand of gelatin. And if you take the time to listen and to read the lyrics, what you have with The Last Temptation of Reid is an album with as much biting humor as Zappa’s Sheik Yerbouti. If you’re a fan of alternative music with a sense of humor, LARD is for you. If not... forget I mentioned it. page 11 Life Style magazine