03-10-00

Best viewed with COURIER NEW size 10 maximized screen *********************************************************************** The Quote Of The Day: Hi daddy hey daddy hi daddy ho Hey daddy hi daddy no one will know -From In the Dark *********************************************************************** TOUR DATES (NEW TOUR DATES MARKED WITH **): Mar 10- 7:30 p.m., Olympia, Dublin, IRL, 17.50-18.50 (P,O,T-IRL) Mar 12- Corn Exchange, Cambridge, ENG (P,O) Mar 13- 7 p.m., Hammersmith Palais, London, ENG, 14.50 (P,O,T-UK) Mar 14- Elysee Montmartre, Paris, FRA (P,O) Mar 15- Ancienne Bengique, Brussels, BEL (P,O) Mar 18- Planet Music, Vienna, AUSTRIA (P,O) Mar 20- Babylon, Munich, GER (P,O) Mar 21- Longhorn, Stuttgart, GER (P,O) Mar 22- Hugenottenhalle, Neu-Isenburg, GER (P,O) Mar 23- Hirsch, Nuremburg, GER (P,O) Mar 24- Kesselhaus, Berlin, GER (P,O) Mar 26- Live Music Hall, Cologne, GER (P,O) Mar 27- PC 69, Bielefeld, GER (P,O) Mar 29- Train, Aarhus, DEN (P,O) Mar 31- Rockefeller, Oslo, NOR (P,O) Apr 1- AAS University, NOR (cooking vinyl) Apr 2- Karen, Gothenburg, SWE (P,O) Apr 3- KD, Malmo, SWE (P,O) Apr 6- Manchester University, ENG (P,O) Apr 7- Garage, Glasgow, SCOT (P,O) Apr 15- Avalon, Boston, MA (P) Apr 16- 7:30 p.m., Lupos, Providence, RI (P,T) http://www.lupos.com doors open at 8 p.m., $17.50 advance/ $20 day of show Apr 17- 7:30 p.m., 9:30 Club, Washington DC, $25 (P,T) Apr 18- 9:30 Club, Washington DC (P) Apr 20- Warehouse, Toronto, ON, CAN (P) Apr 21- 7:30 p.m., State Theatre, Detroit, MI, $24.25 (P,T) Apr 22- 7:30 p.m., Riviera Theatre, Chicago IL, $20 (P,T) Apr 24- Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis MN (P) Apr 25- Bemidji St. University, Bemidji MN (P) Apr 27- Investors Gym, Winnipeg, MB, CAN (P) Apr 28- Centennial Auditorium, Saskatoon, SK, CAN (P) Apr 29- MacEwan Hall, Calgary, AB, CAN (P) Apr 30- Wild Bill's, Banff, AB, CAN (P) May 2- Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, AB, CAN (P) **May 5- Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA (P)** **May 6- Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA (P)** **May 7- Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR (P)** May 10- 8 p.m., Wilshire Theatre, Los Angeles, CA (T) Oct 25-7 p.m., Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC, NY (T) NOTA BENE: 'O' stands for the Official homepage 'P' stands for Pollstar 'T' stands for Ticketmaster 'I' stands for Insider Info All other references are subscribers To book a show: in the US, contact Frank Riley at Monterey Peninsula Artists in EU, contact Paul Boswell at Free Trade Agency Serious inquiries only. ************************************************************************ WHO/WHERE Going to a VF concert? Want to know if anyone else on the list also going? Check here first! Cambridge, ENG -------------- J.M.R.Smith (Jez) London, ENG ----------- rei (Reilly) Boston, MA ----------- U_E4Smith (Emily) welborn (James) Nevertell6 (Ron, our second favorite bassman) Providence, RI -------------- U_E4Smith (Emily) welborn (James) Nevertell6 (Ron) New York, NY ------------ RatFink746 (Frank) ************************************************************************ WEB PAGES: Official: http://www.vfemmes.com Unofficial: http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/bluenote/936/ http://www.bigfoot.com/~planetblue http://www.geocities.com/kittricken/ http://geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Show/6806/ http://www.violentfemmes.net http://www.homestead.com/lucylittleland/vf.html http://www.fortunecity.com/campus/bates/377/ Yahoo Chat: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/newtimesviolentfemmesclub Message Board: http://www.insidetheweb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi?acct=mb870757&TL= Past Tour Dates: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Lounge/1725/femmes/femmes.html Guitar: http://www.smug.adelaide.edu.au/~therapy/femmes/ http://www.angelfire.com/hi/VFemmes Glenn Gano's Page: http://www.alaska.net/~ggano Charm Records: http://www.charmrec.com Victor DeLorenzo's Page: http://victordelorenzo.com *********************************************************************** ALL CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THIS LETTER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO AMUSIC *********************************************************************** In Today's Issue: Hammersmith FM not in WI FM not in WI SLAMM Review of Freak Magnet Pat's Short and Humble Review of Freak Magnet PA, NJ? Videos Online Apologies of a Sort I got kicked off Epix somewhere in the middle of sending this issue, which froze up my computer. As a result, some of you will be receiving two copies, since I wasn't watching the progress of the send. Many apologies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hammersmith ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Going to the Hammersmith show on the 12th: I'm from Boston, but over here for three months..how perfect that I get to see the Femmes during my stay (this will make my 9th show) Reilly Dempsey rei -Pat. Says: We hope to see concert reviews and experiences in upcoming issues of AM. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FM not in WI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ hey there! so, i was just wondering.. Is Freak Magnet now finally out everywhere in the US?? Is it finally available in all local record stores, etc?? Because I've have not heard of ANYONE buying it here in Wisconsin, and it sure is not advertised here at all let me know please THANKS Amber Smashkin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FM not in WI ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OK, so did Freak Magnet come out in the US or not? Because yesterday I was all excited and I ditched school early to race out to my favorite cd store -- hoping that i would still be able to make it on time to work. When I got there, I ran straight to the V section and, lo and behold -- no Freak Magnet. I asked the guy behind the counter, but he seemed extremely comatose and really couldn't give me a coherent answer. *sigh* only in Milwaukee would the music people not know about the Femmes' new album. needless to say, I didn't get my greedy little paws on a copy... is it out there and i just had bad luck or did something happen (again)??? rob=) rob_coons -Pat. Says: Freak Magnet was indeed released Tuesday. I got my copy on Monday, because the owner knows me and my musical desires. Rob, you should find a new favorite cd store. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SLAMM Review of Freak Magnet ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Violent Femmes Freak Magnet (Beyond) Though they never did quite earn the title of "quintessential rock heroes" in the ideal sense, the Violent Femmes' simplistic, off-kilter sentiments won over legions of teens back in the '80s. Their fans were antsy high-school kids looking for a bit of relief from fashion-minded bands like Flock of Seagulls which were, at the time, all the rage. Freak Magnet proves two things: not much has changed; and comebacks can be a good thing. As was true 20 years ago, the Femmes' music may not score well with newcomers, who may be too quick to dismiss their perverse, beer-guzzling masturbation banter as nothing more than that. But present on this new record, for the fine-tuned ear, is the same cutting wit and dry melodocism that made "Blister in the Sun" and "Gone Daddy Gone" early alt-rock classics. "Hollywood is High" opens the album, and might initially scare off potential fans. It's an unlikely Femmes product -- a patriotic and satirical ode to Hollywood that melodically imitates "This Land Is Your Land" -- and could prompt an immediate attraction to the forward button. The title track introduces the Femmes in true form: "Some magnets attract/Some magnets repel/Some magnets say, 'Hey, hey, what the hell'. . ./Seems like I'm a freak magnet/Calling all the freaks from the freak planet." Ludicrous, yes -- but characteristically Femmes. "Mosh Pit" finds them in alter-ego mode: as young, good-for-nothing punks relishing in the fuel of the mosh-pit. It's latently sarcastic and an irresistible laugh-along. Even the rhythm and melody move in Pennywise fashion. Picture Gordon Gano viciously chanting, "Mosh pit! Mosh pit!/Squash It! Squash It!/Eat shit! Eat Shit!" The remainder of the tracks are characteristically self-deprecating and nonsensical ("Happiness Is," "I'm Bad"). Some go hand in hand with all the Femmes' past heartbreak anthems -- the obsessive, why-doesn't- she-look-my-way croons that sealed their sound; others take the form of church hymns, complete with flutes, tambourines, and repetitive harmonies ( "Rejoice and Be Happy," "Forbidden") that, lyrically, are the opposite of virtuous and holy. As always, the material on Freak Magnet makes you wonder whether to take the Violent Femmes seriously. But Lord knows you'll absolutely hate them if you do. Freak Magnet is everything you can expect from the Femmes -- originality, character, comedy, and sarcasm. While it may not overshadow the group's past triumphs, it stands proudly with the large body of work by one of modern rock's mainstays. - Irene Yadao 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 SLAMM Magazine, All Rights Reserved ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pat's Short and Humble Review of Freak Magnet ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, what do you all think of the album? I love In the Dark, and think for a change they should spend a few hundred thousand dollars and make a phenomenal video of that song. I also like the remake of I Danced;it is better IMHO than the original, and a better remake than that of I Wanna See You Again, which was on the Interscope promo. Particularly missed on this incarnation of Freak Magnet is Yes oh Yes and Positively 4th St. I hope those songs will appear on the NEXT album. I'm glad they removed I'm Nothing. Already being on a previous world-wide release I thought it a bit redundant, even if it is a good song. Oh, and I'm sorry, but I think Happiness Is...kind of weak lyrically. Not all of it, just that bit about the chocolate turtles. All in all, a very nice album. Buy it if you haven't already.... and pester the radio stations to play songs off it. Have your friends do the same. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA, NJ? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ any chance that the violent femmes will be playing Philadelphia Pa or Camden?? KCFroogie -Pat. Says: I'm sure they will be working their way back to the east coast this year. As soon as I find anything, I'll let you all know. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Videos Online ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Launch.com you can find the entire videos for "Machine" and "Breakin' Up". There was another one on there last week but I think they had problems with it messing up. Also, who do I talk to so I can get that VF collection tape with all the videos. Thanks. Take it easy. Jon RPG9000 -Pat. Says: Somewhere in the wreckage of my old computer, which may soon be set up outside for target practice, is the list of distributers. I will try to salvage that. Would the people who have distribution copies please write me? BTW, a couple of other people asked to be distributers, I will contact you as soon as I find your email addresses again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Apologies of a Sort ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wanda did not want to start a war with Otherwise peaceful and happy people! She will admit Scandinavians are typically about as happy with American food as Americans are with Scandinavian food! Tell me, if Wanda was not in Sweden then how does she know the McDonalds have signs that say 'InFart' and 'OutFart'? Hmmm? And for those of you who sadly missed Vigeland Statue Park, this is where the Oslo natives bring their small children to eat their brown cheese. Hexdata ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~