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Hrsday • September 15, 1994
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Page 3 • The Battalion
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‘Band SpotCiafit
east'
Jackopierce
Alternative duo returns
By Michele Brinkmann
The Battalion
The Dallas band JACKOPIERCE re
turns to College Station tonight to perform
one last concert before starting its Euro
pean tour.
Jack O’Neill and Cary Pierce are JACK
OPIERCE, a duo who sing and play the
guitar. JACKOPIERCE formed in 1988,
when Pierce and O’Neill were students at
Southern Methodist University. Since
then, they’ve graduated from fraternity
party performances and moved up to tour
ing the world to promote their first major-
label album.
They will perform a free concert at Rud
der Fountain today at 4 p.m. and will play
at the Texas Hall of Fame at 9 p.m. The
band Vertical Horizon will open the show.
The duo usually plays at Wolf Pen
Creek Amphitheater but is playing at the
Hall because it wanted a change of pace
from the ususal venue. JACKOPIERCE
usually draws more than 3,000 fans at its
College Station shows, which is the most
fans they have ever performed in front of.
“College Station was one of the first
places we played outside of Dallas,” O’Neill
said in a previous interview with The Bat
talion. “A&M has been more than support
ive.”
For those who have never heard JACK
OPIERCE, Pierce describes the band as
“like alternative but not alternative.”
JACKOPIERCE delivers mostly story-
songs with Simon and Garfunkel-like har
mony with intelligent and emotional lyrics,
which Pierce and O’Neill write themselves.
Todd Traylor, manager of
Marooned Records, said his
store used to be the only one in
town to sell JACKOPIERCE,
but since the duo released its
album “Bringing on the Weath
er,” the first album released on
major record label A&M
Records, other stores in Bryan-
College Station now sell their
albums.
Traylor said sales of the
duo’s four albums have not in
creased much since it signed
with A&M.
“Our store always sells
more JACKOPIERCE than any
other store anywhere,” Traylor
said. “To an extent sales have
increased but sales have al
ways been consistent for all
four albums. We sell the same
number of all four albums.”
Since Marooned opened in
1990, he said of the store’s top five best
selling albums, JACKOPIERCE fills four
of the spots.
“In the last year, our two best-selling
groups are Pearl Jam and JACKOPIERCE
and we have sold twice as many JACK
OPIERCE than Pearl Jam.”
JACKOPIERCE performed on “Late
Night with Conan O’Brien” this summer,
less than a year after joining A&M
Records.
Pierce said signing with A&M means a
lot more work.
“It’s not just town-to-town anymore,”
Pierce said in a previous interview with
Courtesy of Kiva-West Recording Studios
The Battalion. “We have phone inter
views, in-store concerts and radio inter
views. But we are lucky because we al
ready had the groundwork.”
O’Neill said signing with A&M made
business easier because it has the power to
get the album to the public. But because
JACKOPIERCE draws more fans with the
major label, O’Neill said the duo is under
closer scrutiny.
“We have more pressure to deliver the
goods,” he said. “All the work we have
done so far is forgotten. This is our chance
to be new again.”
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Panic Choir defies music trends
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IX
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■The Panic Choir, playing at 3rd
? lbor Cantina tonight, is a band bent
m being out of the ordinary,
i The band, which tours by R.V. and
refers camping in national parks to
ig in hotels, harbors the philoso-
ihy of making each performance count
d each song their own.
Lyricist, guitarist and vocalist
[Kevin Johnson said he hopes the
band’s future success will stem from
its unique style.
: “This band is not part of a trend,”
he said. “None of us would have it any
other way.”
The Panic Choir’s signature sound
embodies the folk-like aspect of Peter,
Paul and Mary, the nouveau-asthetic
appeal of The Sundays and the 60s
peace, love and rebellion characteris
tics of Jefferson Airplane.
The band’s manager Peter Raspler
said part of the band’s appeal is its fu
sion of different musical styles.
!“The Panic Choir has excellent mu
sicianship,” he said. “And the fact that
it is a band that produces diverse mu
sic of high quality and has a female
Nmt-person appeals to many people.
Ityey have a lot of variance and a real
sriginal style.”
l Johnson and his wife, lead singer
2arol Johnson, started The Panic
2hoir in Venice Beach, Calif, as a duo
slaying small-stage coffeehouses.
“We knew we had the potential to
have a really great sound if we could
form a full band,” he said. “But in L.A.
we had a hard time finding the right
people. No one there was any better
than mediocre.”
So, the Johnsons packed up and
moved to Austin. There they fpund all
the band members
and all the raw tal
ent they needed.
Bass player Mike
Hynes, originally
from Detroit,
brought in an
rhythm and blues
background. Gui
tarist Charles Rieser
had studied jazz in
Maine and the
drummer, Rob Hoop
er, had developed his
unique style while in
Dallas.
“There were some
really great musi
cians in Austin,”
Johnson said. “We
found some with in
credible talent.”
Johnson said the
band’s process of
song creation helps
them to harness the
talent its diverse
members offer.
“I’ll be working on
the lyrics of a piece.
and get a rough idea of the melody,” he
said. “I’ll go to Carol and she gets it
going more. Then we get together as a
band and just go crazy with it.”
Through his lyrics and the band’s
melody, Johnson said the band wants
each song to have a message.
“We try to mqk<p evpry sppg .fi pjc- t
The Panic Choir
ture,” Johnson said. “Every song has
its own emotional life.”
Johnson’s lyrics, he said, are largely
inspired by the early work of Natalie
Merchant, formerly of 10,000 Maniacs.
“I heard them perform ‘the Wishing
Chair,’ their earliest album, in 1984
qpd it changed me completely,” he
said. “I was
amazed and
captivated by
her lyrics. I
wondered
how she, so
young, could
know and ex
press all
those things.
It made me
pay attention
to the lyrics I
write a lot
more.”
The Panic
Choir re
leased their
debut album
in November
of 1993 titled
“Soul and
Luna.”
Raspler
said the al
bum both
sold well and
was well re
ceived by ra
dio.
They are currently working on a
new album which Johnson said will
have more of a concept and story line.
“Our first album was basically an
assortment of all the different things
the band can do,” he said. “This next
album is going to have songs with a
common theme.”
Though the band does not have a
deal with a large recoid label, Johnson
said he likes the label they currently
play under, Crystal Clear Sound, out
of Dallas.
“They help us take the necessary
steps to get a good recording out for
the band,” he said. “They really help
the bands they believe in.”
Johnson said he isn’t worried that
being on a smaller label will hinder
their success.
“JACKOPIERCE started on the same
label,” he said. “A lot of independent la
bels are doing really well recently.”
The Panic Choir is the type of band
that will fulfill the needs of many mu
sic listeners who crave original, non
trendy music, Johnson said.
“Especially in smaller towns like
Austin, Corpus Christi and other col
lege towns, there are a bunch of people
dying for something genuinely good
and original,” he said. “We work to
make each show a full experience with
a beginning, middle and an end so that
every person leaves with a positive ex
perience.”
Courtesy of Peter Raspler Management
Petty tribute sounds
like bad Karaoke band
IN
■f
inion editor
Photo editor
sorts editor
’//te editor
|y Jeremy Keddie
lhe Battalion
Various artists
“You Got Lucky”:
A Tribute to Tom Petty
Alternative Rock
BackYard Compact Disc
(out of five)
e Nasr, Elizabeth F
. „ . „ The new compilation album,
Ange° Ne'avSsa" |°u Got Lucky: A Tribute to
fom Petty” attempts to honor
JenniferMontiel, ptty but falls short and
iemonstrates how much better
mi moor, Ina ptty’s original versions are.
ssen and Jeremy The disc contains 10 tracks
|| Petty’s greatest music, per-
, . Jin formed by various generally-
i Hen erson, Erm 1 ^fe^eard of artists. Most of the
lovers of Petty’s music are
y ipoted on the west coast, as
■own by the distortion and
feedback.
ing the fall and sprinf, Everclear’s cover of“Ameri-
t University holidays 1 "'Ian Girl,” the lead track, fol-
gestation,tx 77840. | 0ws p e tty‘s version almost
Building, Texas ^ enticall y- with the exception
of guitar distortion.
I Engine Kids attempt
i University in the IBreakdown,” and it starts off
\ phone number is d with a grunge rhythm
and a steady beat on the high
lat. But the chorus evolves
?ment by The BattaJiO 11 w ]- ia ^ soun( Js like a group
re B^.mno's p.m. K hi & h sch ° o1 students singing
on a bus after winning their
football game, with the added
element of marijuana - every
thing is slowed down. The cov
er is nearly twice the length of
the original version, simply be
cause of the chorus. It’s frus
trating to listen to.
“Here Comes My Girl,” per
formed by Throneberry, pro
vides the first palatable piece.
Although the version is almost
identical to the original,
Throneberry personalizes it
with light variations in the
rhythm guitars.
The fourth track, “Even the
Losers,” as performed by Nec
tarine, is simply boring on CD.
^>0 Got fciekp
a T!«BWfc ro to* PfcTrr"'**' ^
Courtesy of BackYard Records
It might make great moshing
in concert, if you can get past
the monotone of their lead
singer.
“Stop Draggin My Heart
Around,” covered by Loud Lucy
with Louise Post is welcomed
after making it through the
previous flops. The lead singer
has a colorful voice with a
harsh edge placed to it. The
guitarists add their own devia
tions from the original tune
without being over-frivolous
with the distortion.
Punchdrunk’s version of
“Nightwatchman” is the best
song on the disc. The bass- dri
ven band is tight and clean, un
like most of the others. The
percussionist’s use of various
sounds, such as what sounds
like the striking of a glass jar,
adds to the driven voice of the
lead singer.
Fig Dish’s “Don’t Come
Around Here No More” has a
touch of swing to it, but with a
full distorted guitar sound sim
ilar to Smashing Pumpkins.
This tune could have been
pulled off as its own.
Throughout the album,
See Tribute, page 4
Diffie’s album rocks
with country lyrics
By Jay Robbins
The Battalion
Joe Diffie
“Third Rock From the Sun”
Country
Epic Records
★* 1/2 (out of five)
Take out the twangy accent
and a few of the more corn-pone
numbers - like “Good Brown
Gravy” — and Joe Diffie’s “Third
Rock From the Sun” is just
rock. But by its own claim, if
no one else’s, the album orbits
earth’s country music racks.
And though, musically,
Diffie’s latest effort has little in
common with the work of major
country icons such as George
Strait and Reba McEntire, the
sentiments of each song lie
square in the down-home gut.
Ironically, the three, most
memorable tracks on the disc
rock their country roots the
most.
The outstanding title track
spins words and electric guitar
into a terrific fast-paced ballad
that almost forces jitterbuggers
out onto the dance floor. The
convoluted way a police chiefs
infidelity indirectly sparks a
panic over a giant alien at the
mall is inspired humor.
Since Garth Brooks hit the
charts with “Ain’t Goin’ Down
Till the Sun Comes Up” in
1993, several artists have ex
perimented with the tradition
al country ballad. “Third Rock
From the Sun” and its “cause
and effect chain of events”
causes listeners to forget any
effect of those other releases.
The best song on the album,
“Junior’s in Love,” sings anoth
er hilarious picture, this one of
a blue-collar love triangle be
tween Junior, Wanda and
Shorty.
Courtesy of Epic
The heavy bass line and
drum beat make the song per
fect for listening in a car
stereo while on the highway
with the windows down.
“Fd Like to Have a Problem
Like That/’ by the same song
writing team who crafted
“Third Rock,” resonates with
the sentiments of anyone who’s
ever resented the lucky few
who are “too rich, too thin, too
young or too in.” Its upbeat
mood appeals to the country-
boy cynicism that automatical
ly ridicules people who can’t
appreciate their good fortunes.
Unfortunately, the other
numbers on the album play
sour notes. “That Road Not
Taken” and “From Here On
Out” fall into the same dramat*
ic-and-slow-with-lots of-string-
section trap that has ruined
dozens of potentially good per
formances in recent years.
A couple of others, namely
“Good Brown Gravy” - which
even had Billy Dean’s help as
writer-background vocalist ~
and “I’m in Love With a Capital
‘U,™ are just plain dumb with a
capital
t, page 4