Richard Thompson
By John Hughes Richard Thompson’s new CD The Old Kit Bag advertises that it contains “unguents, fig leaves and tourniquets,” presumably for the listener’s soul. It actually delivers better than that; emollients for melancholy, curatives for the blues. It delivers nothing less than the pure healing joy of delectable music. Thompson has been breathing life into the decidedly uncool British folk tradition for 35 years, almost always to tremendous effect. This may be his best outing in all that time. He achieves this by stripping his sound down to the basics: his confident singing, in a voice which sounds as smokey and gladdening as a McEwan’s Scottish Ale tastes, and his guitar playing, which is spectacular. It is obvious here again that Richard Thompson is the real Slowhand. His dazzling guitar artistry is virtuosic, inventive, dancing, superior to the power blues of Eric Clapton because so much more nimble and versatile. He’s more fun to listen to than Clapton, and leaves you feeling exuberant. The songs are all richly detailed and thick with sound, and the backup singing of Judith Owen is a complementary highlight, but the guitar playing carries the day from beginning to end. At times it is so good that it hurts to listen. Richard Thompson, at his peak here, creates arresting beauty for your heart. SpinART Records
Jul 1st, 2003 by Vital Archives
Cherrywine
By Michael Seidel Bright Black marks Ishmael Butler’s emergence from musical hibernation. Butler used to lead Digable Planets – most known for the top 10 hit “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)”, who released two stunning albums before snuffing itself out in 1996. That’s when Butler crawled into a cave of obscurity, shielded from even the wannest sliver of spotlight. He learned how to play guitar. Digable Planets’ sound was a highball of laid back jazz samples and lyrics so silkily delivered that, outwardly, their political slant appeared as an undercurrent. But any move beyond lyrical veneer will illume activism – black power, pro-choice, etc – as quintessentially Digable. It’s what they were all about. With Cherrywine, however, Butler rails against political expression. In Resonance magazine, Butler recently admitted, “It’s not that I didn’t believe what I was saying back then – it’s just that I wasn’t really being politically active in my own life. Now, I’m just trying to do something that represents who I am. I want to be more real.” So I guess that cocaine, bitches and gansta are the real Butler. References to those things stand in tall banks on the surface of every song. Machismo thematics and delivery expose such a deep political bankruptcy that I can’t help but wonder if it’s all, despite Butler’s contentions, cunningly masked social commentary. The departure from the Digables’ message is so unrealistically sharp that it must be tongue-in-cheek. Political intentions aside, it would be foolish to say that Butler’s lost his flow. His delivery is as slick as ever. The music is devoid of samples; it’s raw, organic, wah-wah infused funk that bores itself into your consciousness and takes unrelenting hold. Bright Black is excellent debut album, but still, I can’t stop myself from questioning its sincerity. DCide Records
Jul 1st, 2003 by Vital Archives
Jay Farrar
By Jeremy Saperstein Terroir Blues (“terroir” is French word, by the way, literally translated as “soil”) is a much more finished work than Farrar’s first solo effort Sebastapol (which was still a great record. The consistency probably is helped by the first consistent group of Farrar has had with him since the apparent splintering of Son Volt. Mark Spencer (Blood Oranges), Brian Henneman (Bottle Rockets) and Jon Wurster (Superchunk) are among thoses who function as Farrar’s band for this outing, and the reward is seen in a record that contains as much experimentalism as Sebastapol (as in the between tracks noise of parts I-VI of “Space Junk”). “Cahokian” is a perfect song for the mingling of cultures past and present. (“I will wait for you/in the green green spaces/wearing our post-industrial faces”) while “Fool King’s Crown” makes a fairly overt (for the traditionally oblique Farrar) political statement backed by Brian Henneman’s electric sitar. The name of this record is particularly apt — not like the dirt of the Stooges, say, but the earth a farmer might let slip hopefully through his fingers, dreaming of a fine harvest. Farrar is a man at the top of his game right now and seems able to grasp anything he reaches for. This record is a great display of mastery of American music. Act/Resist Records
Jul 1st, 2003 by Vital Archives
July 2003
By Jon Anne Willow Dear Readers, First off, I’d like to congratulate the winners of our Danceworks Summer Camp scholarship drawing and essay contest. We received lots of entries (interestingly, not one single essay) and, after tough deliberation, chose three. The winning entries are below, and black and white doesn’t do them justice. Thanks to everyone who entered. We had a great time with this month’s cover story. With the economy “a little slow” these days, more of us are looking closer to home for vacations. In our last editorial meeting, a straw poll revealed a rising popularity (at least for now) in day trips. Everyone had fave spots within a day’s drive, where one can discover the spirit of Wisconsin — from grass roots entrepreneurs building attractions in the middle of nowhere, to awesome (someone else’s words) limburger cheese sandwiches. We chose a handful of our favorite nearby getaways. We hope you enjoy our little tour. Speaking of the spirit of Wisconsin, Andrew Muchin’s piece on Wisconsin’s Jewish history is both a nostalgic look at times that once were, and a wistful reminder that the close knit community that once defined rural America is fading, never to return. The pictures are phenomenal. With the Tobacco Control Board now a thing of the past (that didn’t last long, eh?), the already fragile “tobacco settlement” allocation for anti-smoking efforts has once again been substantially reduced. And even research showing a decline in youth smoking in the state over the course of the Board’s tenure (a brief three years) could not save them. Coincidentally (?), the tobacco lobby in Wisconsin is uncommonly strong. But there’s at least one group that will fight on, whether or no they are brought into the funding fold of the new office in the Department of Health. Strive Media Institute is a full service agency (they produce the FACT anti-tobacco campaign), publisher, and producer of an Emmy-winning TV show (Gumbo TV), based right here in Milwaukee. Their work is good, really good, as a matter of fact. And the coolest part is that they’re all high school students. Writers, producers, photographers, web developers, on down the line. Strivers become leaders, and know that the only way to keep the power with the people is to understand the bigger picture. These kids are amazing, as are their adult mentors. Strive is another hidden gem in Milwaukee’s bursting treasure chest. Frizell Bailey reports on Strive and the Big Tobacco big picture in Wisconsin. By the time this issue has been on the streets a few weeks (the challenge of the monthly), a new budget will probably be passed. Everyone seems to have their pet watch areas. While it’s so hard to pick just one, I am most intrigued by Senate Majority Leader Mary Panzer’s movement to “time out” property taxes for three years. Doyle has said he will veto it, no matter how much wheeling and dealing Panzer and Dennis George (D- Milwaukee) accomplish behind closed doors. And while […]
Jul 1st, 2003 by Jon Anne Willow
Parenting Freedoms
By Lucky Tomaszek Let Freedom Ring Having lived in a couple of different states before moving to Wisconsin, and having made lots of cyber-friends from all over the country, I can tell you that we live in a pretty good place for parenting freedoms. This state truly seems to trust parents here to make the best decisions for their children. However, under our current presidential administration, things are changing around the country. Parents need to be watchful, keeping an eye on what’s going on in the world of parenting politics. Consumer activism is the most powerful tool in America for maintaining or changing the status quo. Freedom in birth Wisconsin’s laws about homebirth and traditional homebirth midwifery are conveniently vague. The law does not discuss homebirth. The law also does not address non-nurse midwifery. The absence of mention of these subjects make Wisconsin an alegal (or gray) state for people who want to give birth at home with a non-nurse midwife. Right now, that’s very nice for the home birthing community. The state knows that families are choosing homebirth and that traditional midwives are attending. Midwives receive birth certificate forms from the state and sign them. Midwives also advertise openly here, in newspapers, magazines and even the phone book. Unfortunately, it’s always possible for this to change. Because traditional homebirth midwifery is not protected by law, it would be very easy for the pendulum to swing the other way, as it has in Illinois. Twenty years ago, Illinois had an active homebirth midwifery community, and now, due to the state re-interpreting the Nurse Practice Act, there are approximately five non-nurse midwives practicing in the state. Similar to our lack of regulation regarding traditional homebirth midwives, Wisconsin also has no laws on the books regarding freestanding Birth Centers. Currently, there is only one freestanding Birth Center in the state, located in Madison. The Certified Nurse Midwives who are running the Birth Center are putting together legislation in the hopes of regulation and thus, protection from being closed down, if the law is re-interpreted as it was with homebirth midwifery in Illinois. There are some murmurings of a freestanding Birth Center opening in the Milwaukee are in the next two or three months. But the woman who is working on this wants to see how it goes in Madison and lend her hand to legislative efforts before dedicating her heart and soul (and hundreds of thousands of dollars) to a project that could be washed up by a change of spirit in the Wisconsin legislature. Freedom to vaccinate (or not) Most people vaccinate their kids automatically, out of a desire to protect their children from illness and disease. But vaccination is a deeply personal decision that should be made by people who have chosen to become truly informed about the benefits and risks. Both the pro- and anti- vaccination camps have compelling evidence to support their claims, and both have some truly inspiring things to say about the rightness of their own […]
Jul 1st, 2003 by Lucky Tomaszek
Big Tobacco Wins Another Hand
By Frizell Bailey Wisconsin is smoking. Sometimes it seems that you can’t throw a brick out of a window without striking a smoker. Don’t get me wrong. I have no particular beef with either smokers or non-smokers. In fact, I smoke. The irony is not lost on me (I do, however, like to think of myself as “recovering”). It is a curious thing that so many people, especially young people, take up a habit we all know is bad for you. I suppose the same can be said of alcohol, pot, or any other drug you would like to name. But there’s a difference. These other drugs make you feel good pretty much right off the bat. On the other hand, you have to really want to smoke to become a smoker. I can’t speak for everyone, but those first few cigarettes required an awful lot of persistence and commitment. So, why are so many Wisconsinites sucked in by smoking? History smoked. In 1891 a law was passed restricting the sale of cigarettes to minors. The law was rarely enforced. One University of Wisconsin student in 1912, in his thesis about unenforced laws in the state, lamented that “No tobacco man stops to question a youth who asks for a package of tobacco whether he is old enough to smoke, and few dealers refuse it even to small boys whom the dealer cannot help knowing are too young to smoke.” In 1959 the law was actually repealed by the legislature. It wasn’t until the late eighties that the law would be placed back on the books. In 1988, Wisconsin was one of only nine states that allowed the sale of cigarettes to minors. A study released in 2000 by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine ranked Wisconsin 49th, just ahead of North Carolina, in the sale of tobacco to minors. But why has it been so difficult passing tobacco control laws in Wisconsin? All in the lobby. As we all know, money equals power and influence. And the tobacco industry certainly has a little to spare. According to a report entitled, “Influence of the Tobacco Industry on Wisconsin Tobacco Control Policies”, released by the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center, the tobacco industry has been especially successful in its lobbying efforts in Wisconsin. The report states that the tobacco lobby has spent over $7.2 million on lobbying the state legislature since 1997. How do they do it? By covering all bases. In Wisconsin, as is probably true in most states, the tobacco industry has been like that slightly shady but always fun uncle that gave all the kids money and toys. The tobacco lobby in Wisconsin contributes to individual elected officials and candidates, as well as to the two political parties and campaign committees. Although they make contributions to both major parties, the party in the majority generally gets the lion’s share. From the beginning of the year in 1999 to the fall of 2002, the tobacco industry contributed $23,700 […]
Jul 1st, 2003 by Frizell Bailey
Milwaukee Youth STRIVE for excellence
By Frizell Bailey There seems to be an awful lot of attention paid to the misdeeds of young people these days, from the tragic beating death in a Northwest Milwaukee neighborhood to the contentious Mayfair mall controversy. But there are plenty of teens in Milwaukee making positive contributions to their city and their communities. The Strive Media Institute, located on Martin Luther King Drive in Milwaukee, is an after school program where teens get practical experience in just about every facet of the media. The non-profit institute was founded in 1990 by Matthew Johnson, a Milwaukee native who saw a need for an outlet that provided tools to youth to help them become strong members of the community. Not your father’s ad agency. Strive functions like an agency, with both external clients and internal projects. The program is divided into four different business units: film and video production, technology, print journalism, and integrated marketing communications. What separates Strive Media from many other mentoring and training programs for teenagers is that the media products are conceived and produced by kids in the program. This is even more impressive when you consider that Strive’s weekly TV show, Gumbo Television, won an Emmy, and will air regularly on TMJ-4 beginning this fall. They also produce a glossy magazine, Gumbo, once every two months that enjoys statewide and national distribution. The kids have a presence in cyberspace with their Tecknow Solutions group, which designs websites and was featured on the front page of the Journal Sentinel’s Business Section. Fighting youth smoking with FACT. The Integrated Marketing Communications program is an agency with local and national clients, one of the most high profile being the FACT anti-smoking campaign. In addition to widely aired TV commercials written and produced entirely by Strivers (as they call themselves), the program targets youth smoking with events, undercover compliance checks and other guerilla tactics aimed at empowering teens to make their own choices about tobacco, and not succumb to Big Tobacco marketing. Anabel Navaro, Integrated Marketing Communications Supervisor, believes keeping control of the campaign in the hands of teens is critical. “FACT’s focus is to urge kids to be cognizant of their actions, to recognize that by smoking they’re actually putting money in some rich guy’s pocket who’s trying to kill them. And that’s what makes it cool. If you had adults working on a mission like this, you wouldn’t be getting the passion.” The Institute receives compensation for FACT as part of the tobacco settlement. With the elimination of the Tobacco Control Board and the impending reduction of anti-tobacco program funding (which so far has decreased from $25 million in 2001 to $15 in 2003, and is slated for another $5 million reduction next year), Strive Associate Director Molly Collins is concerned, but by no means assumes that FACT will come to an end. “There’s going to be some money for the youth programs, and while it might be a competitive RFP (request for proposals — from various agencies) […]
Jul 1st, 2003 by Frizell Bailey
The Stratford 4
By Jeremy Saperstein An activist San Francisco who combine an echoey, distorted sound with tight songwriting and boy-girl vocals? Nah, it couldn’t be! The Stratford 4 formed from the same roots as fave rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, but give us a dreamier, poppier sound that’s reminiscent of the shoegazer bands of the 80s and 90s while never stooping to pure copying, gracefully entwining sinewy guitar leads with blast of fuzzed out rhythm. Others will hear suggestions of Hoboken’s sometime noise merchants in Yo La Tengo — probably owing more to the S4’s way with a pop tune and their lack of fear of atmospheric freakouts and loud, distorted guitars (the CD title is a good shorthand description of the contents). Jetset Records
Jul 1st, 2003 by Vital Archives
The Negro Problem
By Jeremy Saperstein Let’s start with the name: it’s meant as a knowing jibe — something to make politically-correctoids bristle. It oughta make you feel better that leader Stew is, indeed, black — and he’s making some of the finest literate and culturally-aware power-psychedelic-pop I’ve ever heard. The disc is like some sort of hideous hybrid of the every unique artist you care to name (to namecheck: I hear echoes of Charles Mingus, Sly Stone, Brian Wilson, Syd Barrett, Arthur Lee, Ennio Morricone, Roy Wood, John Fred and Burt Bacharach – and that’s just in the two songs that close the album! [“Bong Song” and “Bermuda Love Triangle”]) Despite the name, race is no issue within the grooves of the record, which features tongue-in-cheek references to records that have come before (“If London calls/just say I’ve stepped away” from “Watering Hole”), obscure pop-culture icons (“I’m Sebastian Cabot in your dreams/I’m Sebastian Cabot — what’s that mean?” from “I’m Sebastian Cabot”) and so much more — all in meticulously clever lyrics that continue to unfold through repeated listenings. Smile Records
Jul 1st, 2003 by Vital Archives
The Mistreaters
By Jeremy Saperstein Some of Milwaukee’s favoritest sons travel off to the eastern metropolis of Detroit City and come back with an audio document that performs the improbable — it’s as raucous as a live show, but offers the tightness of polished radio fare. Which is not to say that this slab is genteel. Within thirty seconds of the tightly wound intro to “The Other Man” I was feeling my brain slide around in its pan as I rocked my head furiously with the beat. With a short break for the slow bluesy growl of “She’s My Witch”, that’s the way it went for the rest of the disc. Other favorites include the frantically rhyming “Hard On The Eyes” and the high-energy squall of “Brandon Takes It”, which makes me think of any number of other famous Detroit combos. The Mistreaters might only know three chords, but they know those chords cold. And they understand how to deliver them for maximum impact. Estrus Records
Jul 1st, 2003 by Vital Archives
