i\ggielife Tnuirsday^SememhcMT^J^y^ CD REVIEWS nbie’s sound dead; Smith makes winning melodies ib Zombie billy Deluxe fen Records Halloween virtu- ing around the lob Zombie has rily unchained from his band ombie to serve up Deluxe on a i platter. Zombie jin emerges from io with songs re- around his obses- th old horror comics and other 1 debauchery, of the cuts on > are laced with 's trademark tem- ges and throaty wo definite corn- tracks, “Dragula” iperbeast,” stand teing as radio- as this genre can ■wise, true Zombie will be pushing the repeat button on “Living Dead Girl” and “Meet the Creeper.” However, the master of disaster falls short with the badly edited “How to Make a Monster” and the overly mixed “What Lurks on Channel X?” The majority of the songs are unfortunately under three minutes in length, leaving the listen er wondering why the workaholic Zombie did not bother to stretch the songs out longer. Maybe he divert his energies toward laying out the morbid, 24-page album insert. Ultimately, Hellbilly Deluxe is not convincing enough and simply does not draw the listener into Zombie’s macabre realm as they should. Still, no one else in in dustrial rock can pull off this kind of sideshow quite like Zombie without getting laughed off the stage. Hopefully, Rob Zom bie’s next project will in volve his fellow band- mates. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for another remix album. (B-) — Quatro Oakley Elliot Smith XO CD Courtesy of Dreamworks Although Elliot Smith has been singled out as one of the artists on the fore front of the alt-folk move ment, anyone who listens to his work can tell you recognition is not really a motivator for Smith. His real talent, and the force be hind his music, lies in the construction of a great melody. XO, Smith’s fourth al bum (and his first since signing with Dream Works), is a perfect exam ple. Smith stretches his musical boundaries by us ing overdubs, horns and even strings, but the soul ful delicacy of his earlier work remains. TLacks like “Sweet Adeline” and “Baby Britain” showcase both Smith’s amazing songwriting and his ability to be soulful and catchy at the same time. In addition. Smith lets his do-it-yourself attitude shine by not only writing the parts for each instru ment but playing almost every one of them him self (he even arranged the strings). The result is no less than breathtaking. With the release of XO, Smith proves beyond all doubt that, although his music may eventually be pushed into the limelight, it is still perfectly comfortable in a coffee shop. (A) — Riley LaGrone Gomez Bring It On CD Courtesy of Virgin As one of the 12 artists selected to compete for Britain’s prestigious Mer cury Music Prize this year, Gomez has simulta neously captured an au dience and won the favor of critics and the press. That’s no small feat for a band with a grand total of one album under its belt. Bring It On, the de but album from Sheffield, England’s Gomez, is in fact a groundbreaking album. As one of the few non-electronica groups to come out of the UK in the past few years, Gomez combines influ ences ranging from the Grateful Dead to the Beatles, laying down track after track of mu sic that is as engaging as it is experimental. “78 Stone Wobble”, the album’s first single, gives a nod to Rubber Soul (they are British, after all) while songs like “Whippin’ Pic cadilly” and “Get My self Arrested” show ob vious ties to good old Americana. Play on Gomez, and show Britain the light. (B +) — Riley LaGrone ATTENTION ALL ID STUDENTS The P.A.I.D. Kick-off BBQ is Friday Sept. 18th 6:30-8:30 pm Rec Center Poolside COME FIND OUT ABOUT THIS EXCITING NEW YEAR! did you SIGN your CONTRACT? don’t forget your I 999 Aggieland yearbook student organization contracts that are now available in the basement of the Reed McDonald Building in Room 004. Please call 845-2681 for more information. Don’t miss out on your chance to be in the last yearbook of this century! HURSDAY, o™. SEPT. 17 in and advics: lea as natu. Foster, a blues musician, il alter wor y a t Fitzwilly’s at 9:30 p.m. women'spr -i ' ping duty', oor, an alternative-rock band, t publicpo iy at Cowhop at 9:30 p.m. nd use the: ;ted and m Creager, a country musician ?s and bell College Station, will play at /v Canyon at 9 p.m. not expect If you can’t get it when you want it, what good Is it? Email While there’s no chance you’ll ever run out of it, there are times when you need it but just can’t get to it. Unless, like 20 million other email users, you have Hotmail Hotmail is a free service that lets you get your email from any computer with web So you can always reach it when you need it. Ay " and; ■tor of id adol our so. ty in ft i. “M; rs ore FRIDAY, SEPT. 18 ional String Band, an :ic 3-piece ensemble from 5 Station, will play at Coffee i at 9:00 p.m. i Lane, a Latino jazz funk /vill play at Crooked Path Ale at 9 p.m. 1962), will be shown by the Im Society at 7 and 9:30 p.m. i badgesin s:: Twisters, a classic rock math andsf will play at Fitzwilly’s at vith theintc i.m. •us on theadsbry Traces ” an exhibit of 20 the environ by Mary Stone will run uphases istoday at the Local Color ipleted her.'7- 2501 Texas Ave., College r the evolulU- / much tIA ATURDAY, SEPT. 19 eye, a rock band, will play at ^ ZjOp at 9:30 p.m. >ogs. an electric blues band Dollege Station, will play at ! Station at 9 p.m. ' i, 7. ■ SigfF# for your free email account at wwvv.hotmalI.com. 'aviti ■nut '’a.nttib 'VeAMdll (XU VceJtM tc&o \6ex& yexi 'm Nature, an exhibit of prints Iph Scott, will be held at the s Valley Museum of Natural y through October 15. n in the Brazos Valley 1820- , will be exhibited at the Bra- alley Museum of Natural His- irough October 25. rd Borein: Artist of the Amer- A/est will be exhibited at the Forsyth Center Galleries |h October 11.